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Can microalgae be used to improve water quality in fish farms? | Every journey has a beginning. Mine began at a conference a couple of years ago. The conference focused around the importance of water in the planning world. Maybe not immediately the most fascinating of topics but I came away from this conference with a perspective that really changed my approach to water and water quality. The presenter talked about water issues and said that there is not a single jurisdiction in this nation that does not have a water problem. It could be too much, not enough, inconsistent, in the wrong place, in the wrong form, contaminated, expensive, poor quality or not fully accessible along with a multitude of other issues. Because of the complexity of these issues, a holistic approach to everything water is critical to success. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263229812831/can-microalgae-be-used-to-improve-water-quality-in-fish-farms |
What does hmu mean? | LIVING in the digital age means there countless abbreviations and acronyms to contend with while messaging. The meanings of some may well be obvious, there are a few pieces of internet shorthand that can catch texters out and be tricky to decipher. The abbreviation "hmu" simply means hit me up. It's basically a casual and quick way of someone asking you to message them. Most commonly, it's used on social media platforms such as Snapchat and Instagram. Examples of its use are "hmu when you're free" or "hmu when you're home". It's thought that use of hmu started to take off in 2009 after it first appeared on Urban Dictionary. In 2010, use of the informal initialism rocketed. That year, Facebook revealed that those very three letters saw such a rapid rise in use that it topped the trend in status updates and was the term that grew most in use. In its 2010 Memology study, Facebook report: "In early 2009, the acronym HMU was virtually unheard of. "Only a few posts a day contained HMU, and half of them were probably typos. Most read in News QUARANTINE FEAR Brits face scramble to get home by Tuesday as Portugal axed from green list Revealed 'UNFAIR' Portugal slams decision to move country to 'amber list' in blow for holidaymakers Breaking COVID SURGE UK records 5,274 Covid cases in highest number of daily infections since March BRO'S AGONY Woman, 21, mauled to death by dog after brother bought it to support her FEELING THE STRAIN Now Grant Shapps confirms 'Nepal variant' after WHO denied new claims MISSING RIDDLE Teen, 19, who vanished with pal is charged with murder after body found "By May, however, it started to grow slowly and was averaging about 20 posts a day. "By the end of summer, HMU reached 80,000 mentions per day." By comparison, the term didn't even get so much as a mention in Facebook's 2009 memology report. | https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15154281/what-does-hmu-mean/ |
Why are PGA Tour players raving about changes to Muirfield Village? | Jack Nicklaus was perfectly prepared on Tuesday to detail all the changes to the course at Muirfield Village Golf Club. That only takes about 45 minutes, he said with a laugh. The Memorial Tournament founder didnt take that long, but the course golfers will play the next four days will be a much different one than theyre used to. A project that Nicklaus said cost more than $10 million resulted in changes to all but the 12th and 14th holes. His main goal was to improve the course for Muirfield members. He expects the course to play slightly easier for the pros. I would say probably a shot or two probably a shot easier, Nicklaus said. I didnt want to make the golf course tougher. I wanted to make it better. Justin Thomas, who is playing in his eighth Memorial, believes it is. I was saying to one of my pro-am partners that I feel its one of the best redesigns Ive seen, Thomas said Wednesday. I think a lot of times a redesign actually makes the golf course worse. I think Jack did a great job of making it more playable for the amateurs and the members, but also making it more challenging for us. Veteran player Justin Thomas, here hitting out of the rough alongside No. 18 on Wednesday, believes the Muirfield Village redesign enhances the course. Thomas remembers last year when crews started dismantling certain holes on the course in July as the final groups finished. Its mind-blowing to me how good of shape the golf course is in less than probably 11 months from when they started all this, he said. The course is tremendous as always, and I think Jack did great job. A lot of us have tried to spend the last couple days trying to get used to a couple of the changes. That will be particularly a challenge for veterans whose familiarity with the course is now a mixed blessing. Then again, that experience doesnt necessarily equal success. Yeah, if I knew (the keys), I would be holding the trophy at some point, said Bubba Watson, who has two top-10 finishes in 14 Memorials. Watson said he is taking inspiration from Phil Mickelsons unexpected victory at the PGA Championship two weeks ago. Memorial Tournament: Fantasy rankings | Betting odds | Tee times, TV He talked about his mental focus. He was trying to save energy by just walking slower, breathing different because he knew the mental grind it was going to take, he said. This golf course, what Jack has created, is an amazing place. You can hold any kind of major you wanted to here, and hes got the rough up (this week). Its just mentally grueling and you got to somehow stay focused and stay committed on each shot at every second. Jordan Spieth, whos playing in his ninth Memorial, said most of the biggest changes are on and around the greens, especially on the par-5s. On a difficult golf course like this, taking advantage of four par-5s is what us pros are really trying to, Spieth said. They say theyre the hardest handicap (for amateurs), but for us, those are our best opportunities to get a birdie. So thats probably where the biggest learning curve is. The harder holes are still harder, and the easier holes are still easier, with only one tee shot changing dramatically, other than you might hit more drivers than 3-woods.That tee shot was on the par-5 15th hole, which over the 45 years of the tournament has played the easiest. The tee was moved back 37 yards, and the fairway was lowered 15 feet to aid medium-length drivers. The mound to the right of the green was removed to make the creek more of a factor. Theyre still going to see a lot of birdies and eagles there, but youre also going to see a few 6s and 7s, which theyre not used to seeing, Nicklaus said. Until the tournament is played, the impact of the changes cant be truly known. But players are excited to find out. I loved the golf course before, Thomas said. I still love it now. I think its a great track, a great test, and its a place where you can go out and shoot 64 or 65 or 66. But its also a place where you can shoot 74 or 75 just as easily if youre not playing well. I think this golf course still has that aspect to it. Its just routed a little differently. @brdispatch | https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2021/06/03/pga-tour-memorial-tournament-muirfield-village/ |
What If Tesla Made A Cyber... Coupe? | The internet went Cyber-crazy after Tesla unveiled the Cybertruck in November, 2019, and while its design may not be that hot a discussion topic these days, its still inspiring designers. Many are applying the Cybertrucks now iconic look to other vehicle body styles and the resulting creations arent always successful. But what do you think of this Cybercoupe, created by Andreas Shiakas, who has an entire Cyber Lineup of vehicles on his Behance page. Yet the most striking out them all is this Cybercoupe, that kind of looks like an older Lamborghini from the front, although from the side and rear, you really start to see the Cybertruck inspiration. The designer said in his message to us that his Cybercoupe is heavily inspired by wedge-shaped 1970s supercars, and we can totally see it. This makes us wonder if the Cybertruck itself drew from the same era of automotive style, but adapted the design to the constraints of a pickup truck body style. Maybe a different kind of retro inspiration, say from one decade prior, when cars were unashamedly curvaceous. The sheer number of Cyber-inspired renderings suggests there is certainly interest in retro-futuristic design. Tesla has already proven that something as bold looking as the Cybertruck will get people interested and talking so maybe the manufacturer has more retro-infused design planned. Right now were waiting for it to reveal the production-spec Cybertruck, whose design we hope was not watered down too much in order to be road-legal. | https://insideevs.com/news/511801/tesla-cyber-coupe-retro-rendering/ |
Does Vitamin D Relieve the Severity of COVID-19? | Vitamin D is found in the blood in two ways: it binds to proteins and it floats. The most important thing when talking about innate immunity is the free-floating form. to see Why You Should Take Vitamin D Supplements Now A study published in the journal on June 1st PLOS medicineResearchers at McGill University in Quebec, Canada, have focused on genetic variation associated with elevated vitamin D levels. Researchers compared data from 14,000 people infected with COVID-19 with mutations in more than 1.2 people who did not. They determined that people with high levels of vitamin D were not at low risk of serious illness due to coronavirus, hospitalization, or COVID-19. This suggests that vitamin D supplements do not protect you from COVID-19. If you give someone a vitamin D supplement, it doesnt matter how much you change the amount you bind, he said. Martin KohlmeyerThe key to innate immunity is how much you change the amount of free, said a professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina Gillings Graduate School of Global Public Health. The authors conclude that these findings combined with data from recent randomized controlled trials suggest that other treatments should be prioritized in the COVID-19 trial. For more content like this, Sign up for the Pulse Newsletter here.. to see Studies Link Low Vitamin D Levels in Young Children to Adolescent Aggression What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. 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Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. 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What has Chick-fil-A said about the LGBTQ+ community? | DEEP dive into what Chick-fil-a has said about the LGBTQ+ community. The fast food chicken based restaurant has been very outspoken about their views on the LGBTQ+ community. Chick-fil-A is an American fast food restaurant whose specialty is chicken sandwiches. The eatery was originally founded in College Park, Georgia as the Dwarf Grill in 1946 before it was eventually renamed Chick-Fil-A in 1967. The fast food chain operates more than 2,605 restaurants, primarily in the US with locations in 48 states. Chick-fil-A also offers catering services for parties and events within the US. Many of the company's values are backed by the religious beliefs of its founder, S. Truett Cathy who was a devout Southern Baptist. All Chick-fil-A restaurants are also closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. The company's official statement of corporate purpose says that the business exists "To glorify God by being a faithful steward of all that is entrusted to us and to have a positive influence on all who come in contact with Chick-fil-A." Cathy, a self-described evangelical Christian, said he decided to close the restaurant on Sundays to honor his religious beliefs. One of the most visible examples of this is our decision to close on Sunday. Our decision to close on Sunday was our way of honoring God and of directing our attention to things that mattered more than our business, the late founder stated. Chick-fil-A has a long history of donating to anti-LGBTQ+ charities. In 2017, Chick-fil-A donated more than $1.8million to The Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Salvation Army, and the Paul Anderson Youth Home, all of which have a history anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination. Five years early, CEO Cathy made a comment about the issue saying that the US was "inviting Gods judgment on our nation when we shake our fist at him and we say we know better than you as to what constitutes a marriage. This led to a nationwide boycott and an eventual apology from the company. Cathy's father, the original founder, also donated a number of LGBTQ+ charities, some of which promoted conversion therapy. Most read in News RAPPER DEATH Friend says reason for rapper Lil Loaded's 'suicide' was 'his ex-girlfriend' Latest HORRIFIC 'SMELL' Body feared to be missing boy found wrapped with black bags & duct tape' 'LITTLE BONNIE & CLYDE' Moment boy, 12, with AK-47 & girl, 14, arrested for 'shooting cops' 'DIDN'T CARE FOR THEM' Stepmom charged over boy's feared death also lost custody of 2 kids PRISON HELL Socialite 'roughed up by cops after arrest for accidentally killing chief Exclusive PISTOL PUZZLE Gun fired by socialite in cop killing has SAFETY lever to stop accidents In 2019, Chick-fil-A announced that they changed their mission and donate to different charities than they have in the past, not specifically confirming they will stop giving to anti-gay charities. Chick-fil-As president and CEO Tim Tassopoulos spoke on the new philanthropic strategy saying, Theres no question we know that, as we go into new markets, we need to be clear about who we are. There are lots of articles and newscasts about Chick-fil-A, and we thought we needed to be clear about our message. | https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15158200/chick-fil-a-lgbtq-community/ |
Who is Governor Kristi Noems husband and how many children do they have? | KRISTI Noem is the current governor of South Dakota, a position she's held since January 2019. A member of the Republican Party, Noem served as the US Representative of South Dakota's at-large congressional district from 2011 to 2019. Noem and her husband Bryon have been married since 1992. The couple have three children together, Kassidy, Kennedy and Booker. According to his profile on the National Governors Association, Bryon has operates a crop insurance agency near their home in Castlewood, South Dakota. "Since becoming South Dakotas first First Gentleman in January of 2019, Bryon has continued running his business and launched This is South Dakota initiative which focuses on small town South Dakota this all while working with Governor Noem to create a stronger South Dakota for the next generation." On June 3, Governor Noem vowed on Fox & Friends to appeal a court ruling that upheld the Joe Biden administration's decision to cancel a Fourth of July show at Mount Rushmore. "The decision was really arbitrary, that's why well be appealing this decision, and the fight isn't over," Noem said. "This is part of the radical left's agenda. They don't want to celebrate America or our freedoms. They're pushing critical race theory. "They're pushing the 1619 Project. And this is just another one of those battles to erase our true, honest and patriotic history in this country," the South Dakota governor added. Fireworks were reintroduced at the landmark for the first time since 2009 last year under former President Donald Trump. 4 Governor Noem vowed to appeal a court ruling that upheld the Joe Biden administration's decision to cancel a Fourth of July show at Mount Rushmore Credit: Getty However, the National Park Service denied Noem's permit request earlier this year, citing health reasons relating to coronavirus, wildfire risks, environmental concerns and ongoing construction at the monument. "To shut it down at this point, saying that there could be COVID concerns, fire concerns, environmental concerns, is just not honest," Noem said. "We've addressed all their concerns. We had an agreement signed and then the National Park Service decided just not to issue us the permit. That's why we went to court. "Its all political and punitive, and it's ridiculous. "The fact that we have a judge that stood beside this political, arbitrary decision that came out of the Biden White House is unfortunate. But we do not quit. We keep fighting and this country is worth it," she added Noem filed a suit challenging the NPS decision, with an appeals court ruling on June 2. Noem has repeatedly said she's not interested in running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination. However, that hasn't stopped conservatives from sparking rumors about her potential candidacy. Noem was the featured virtual guest during the latest gathering of the Right of Center group of New Hampshire conservative activists and leaders. 4 The Republican South Dakota governor has been at the center of GOP White House hopefuls for 2024 Credit: AP Most read in News RAPPER DEATH Friend says reason for rapper Lil Loaded's 'suicide' was 'his ex-girlfriend' TRAVEL BOOM New supersonic planes like the Concorde could get you from NY-London in 3.5hrs Latest HORRIFIC 'SMELL' Body feared to be missing boy found wrapped with black bags & duct tape' 'LITTLE BONNIE & CLYDE' Moment boy, 12, with AK-47 & girl, 14, arrested for 'shooting cops' 'DIDN'T CARE FOR THEM' Stepmom charged over boy's feared death also lost custody of 2 kids PRISON HELL Socialite 'roughed up by cops after arrest for accidentally killing chief While Noem didnt discuss or face questions about 2024, she did repeatedly take aim at President Biden, arguing that "what weve seen come out of the Biden administration has been absolutely devastating." Noem, whos up for re-election in 2022 and who has become a hero to conservatives over the past year for her resistance to coronavirus pandemic restrictions, touted that "weve pushed back on several levels." The South Dakota governor has been at the center of early GOP White House hopefuls for 2024. | https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15158591/meet-governor-kristi-noems-husband-and-children/ |
Do Pakistanis in America support the Asian community or the black community? | Oh bro come on. How about supporting ourselves and those in the right. The current tensions between the black community and Asian, specifically East Asian community has been going on for decades. You have stupid ghetto rats who go around robbing and killing people. But then you also have these weird so called Asian folk who despise Muslims. I remember well when 9/11 happened and other terror attacks and many Asians who had settled in the US were chastising the Muslim community as a whole. Many of them also hold bigoted views of Muslims and want to get into "white people's" good books. Sure many innocent people have been attacked and those people should be helped. But this taking sides is silly. | https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/do-pakistanis-in-america-support-the-asian-community-or-the-black-community.713139/ |
What is lethality in League of Legends? | There are many stats in League of Legends, including attack damage, ability power, ability haste, and more. Every champion has their own set of stats they want to prioritize for maximum efficiency, and one of the core stats for the assassin archetype is lethality. This stat was introduced during the 2017 preseason to replace flat armor penetration, which became a problem with items that allowed champions to easily snowball out of control. Instead of ignoring the armor which the flat armor penetration gave before, lethality is a scaling effect that depends on the players level. The formula for calculating how much armor youre going to ignore is: flat armor penetration = lethality (0.6 + 0.4 level 18). As a result, at level one youre going to always have at least 60 percent of the flat armor penetration the item gives you. As you level up, youre going to be receiving a portion of the second equation of 0.4 multiplied by your level and divided by 18. This stat stacks additively and cannot reduce a targets armor below zero. Lethality is the sister stat of the bonus armor penetration and is applied to the target after taking out the bonus armor penetration. In a scenario where youd have 20 flat armor penetration from lethality and 30 bonus armor penetration, the target would be losing 30 of their armor, before losing the 20 flat amount. With 200 armor, for example, the target would be reduced to 140 by the bonus armor penetration and then to 120 by the flat armor penetration. The stat is useful for assassin champions who want to snowball, since it will increase their damage early on by a nice margin, while also scaling throughout the game the more levels you gain. Some AD carry champions like Senna, Draven, Jhin, and Varus can benefit of this stat quite a lot if they can get ahead of lane. Due to most bottom lane champions having a small amount of base armor, you can punish them quite hard and ensure you get a good transition into the mid game. While lethality is a great stat and can help you snowball games, it is not that efficient against champions who build a lot of armor. In such scenarios, going for lethality items might not be the best choice. Going for bonus armor penetration will be much more efficient since youll ignore more armor compared to lethality. | https://dotesports.com/league-of-legends/news/what-is-lethality-in-league-of-legends |
What is F. Lee Baileys net worth? | F. LEE Bailey is an American attorney best known for forming part of the dream team during the OJ Simpson trial. The attorney passed away on June 3, 2021 according to reports. Francis Lee Bailey, 87, was reportedly worth $100,000. The attorney was once a millionaire with a fortune exceeding an estimated $10million. However, due to a series of financial troubles, he declared bankruptcy in 2016 and reportedly lost his fortune. Baileys oldest son, Bendrix Lee Bailey, told TMZ that his father passed away on the morning of Thursday, June 3. He was reportedly under hospice care in Georgia and died due to old age. Upon the news of his passing, his former client OJ Simpson took to Twitter to wish the Bailey family his condolences via a video. Simpson captioned the clip: I lost a great one. F Lee Bailey you will be missed. He also called Bailey "a great friend," and "one of the great lawyers of our time." Simpson added: He was smart, sharp as ever. "F. Lee Bailey, maybe the best lawyer of our time, of this generation, but a great guy. God bless his family. God bless you, Lee. You will be missed by me." | https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/15158806/what-is-f-lee-baileys-net-worth/ |
Did Doug Ford break his own stay-at-home order? | By Rebel News Help fund our lockdown reporting! Please donate to help us continue bringing you the truth and the other side of the story with whats happening in regard to these lockdown measures. Donate Earlier this week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford told a story about himself and a boy named 'Arthur' who he alleges dropped off a letter to the premier's mailbox. Inspired by the boy's letter, Ford "got in [his] pick-up" and went to the address on the envelope to meet the child. Many have since noted that the premier would have been breaking his own 'stay-at-home' order to do so, given that he was telling this story on June 2, 2021 (the day the order was set to expire) and recalling a story from a previous day. A Reddit thread with nearly 6,000 likes and 500 comments quickly popped up, stating: "In his press conference right now he's telling a story about how a student dropped off a letter at his house complaining about not being able to go to school, so he went over to the kids house and had dinner with his family to help explain the situation. It's supposed to be a heartwarming story. This is not allowed under his own public health measures." At the very least, the premier's reason for travel would be hard-pressed to pass for his government's definition of essential travel. Ford expressed that he only spoke to the boy and his father through a mask when he walked through their home and into the backyard. This comes just a week after NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh was caught on video breaking COVID-19 rules that he has been championing throughout lockdowns. | https://www.rebelnews.com/doug_ford_stay_at_home_order |
When Will Greys Anatomy Season 18 Premiere on ABC? | Created by Shonda Rhimes, the show memorably debuted as a mid-season replacement all the way back on March 27, 2005. Weve come a long, long way since the abbreviated first season (only nine episodes!) introduced us to baby interns Meredith, Christina, George, Izzie, and Karev. Fast forward to 2021 and Greys Anatomy is about to air its seventeenth season finale. While this will be the final season for Jesse Williams, Giacomo Gianniotti, and Greg Germann as series regulars, were sure well be introduced to a few new faces when the series returns with new episodes. Heres everything we know. The Season 17 finale of Greys Anatomy airs tonight (June 3) from 9:00-10:01 p.m. ET on ABC. The episode will be available for next-day streaming on both Hulu and ABC.com beginning Friday, June 4. Nope! You know it. Back in May, ABC renewed their long-running medical drama for an eighteenth season. And, yes, Ellen Pompeo will be back! Last month, ABC released their upcoming fall schedule for 2021. Unsurprisingly, Greys Anatomy will once again air on Thursday nights. Even though the network has yet to release an official premiere date, Seasons 2-16 of Greys debuted in late September (last seasons opener was delayed due to the pandemic). With the shows previous release schedule in mind, we expect Greys Anatomy Season 18 to premiere in late September of 2021 (probably either September 23 or September 30). HOW TO WATCH GREYS ANATOMY SEASON 17 ONLINE: Every Season 17 episode of Greys Anatomy is available on Hulu. The first sixteen seasons of Greys Anatomy are currently streaming on Netflix. Where to stream Grey's Anatomy | https://decider.com/2021/06/03/greys-anatomy-season-18-abc-release-date/ |
What makes the Derby so special? Why is big Epsom race so important for punters and racing world alike? | THE days of 125,000 punters cramming onto the Downs may be over. But the Derby is still the biggest and best show on turf, and here's why you should tune in come 4.30pm on Saturday. 4 The Queen will miss this year's Derby but is to mark next year's event as part of her Platinum Jubilee celebrations Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd 4 4000 punters will be at Epsom each day this Friday and Saturday Credit: Splash News The Epsom test Most of the Epsom contenders are relatively early into their racing careers, but the Derby can make or break it in an instant. It will be the first time the majority of the field have run over a mile-and-a-half. And with the race always run at a breakneck gallop, you need to have plenty of petrol, your stamina will be tested. OFFERS OF THE DAY Betfair: Bet 5 Get 20 - CLAIM HERE Paddy Power: 20 Risk Free Bet - CLAIM HERE Betfair: Min 5 bet on the SBK, min odds 1.5 (1/2). Rewards valid for 7 days. Free bets must be placed at min odds of 1.5 (1/2). Exchange free bet limited to certain markets. Payment restrictions apply. 18+ T&Cs Apply. Begambleaware.org Paddy Power: New customers only. Place your FIRST bet on any sportsbook market and if it loses we will refund your stake in CASH. Max refund for this offer is 20. Only deposits made using Cards or Apple Pay will qualify for this promotion. T&Cs apply. Paddy's Rewards Club: Get a 10 free bet when you place 5x bets of 10+. T&Cs apply. 18+ Begambleaware.org Add in to the mix to unique undulations of Epsom and you can see why it is so hard to win. The horses climb 40 metres out of the stalls and up the Downs, before looping around the almost hairpin Tattenham Corner bend and into the famous straight. There awaits half-a-mile of turf that slopes violently to the far side. For these three-year-olds, there's simply is nothing like it. Most read in Horse Racing TRAINER NEGLECT Longest ever Irish ban as inspection reveals neglect and horse put down Racing Tips FIVER FLUTTER This 12-1 shot can shake up the big guns in Oaks at Epsom Racing Tips TEMPLEGATE'S TIPS Top tipster's 6-1 Nap can win the Oaks plus best bets elsewhere at Epsom Racing Tips THE WEEKEND PUNT Our in-form expert is back with 14-1 and 9-1 tips at Epsom on Oaks day Preview PINSTICKERS Templegate's runner-by-runner guide to the Oaks at Epsom on Friday Racing Tips TEMPLEGATE'S TIPS Top tipster's Nap takes slight drop in class and can score at Hamilton The money Despite prize-money being cut since the COVID pandemic tightened the purse strings, this year's Cazoo Derby is worth a whopping 1.25 million. The winner gets close to 640,000 while the Oaks champion pockets 225,000. But the real money comes later in life, with the Derby winner always likely to rake it in at stud. Take the 2001 winner Galileo. Now the best stallion around, his owners collect roughly 500,000 a visit. You don't need to be a genius to work out he's made plenty of people rich. He's also now the proud dad of five Derby winners himself. Not bad work if you can get it. 4 Legendary Mick Kinane rode Galileo to win the 2001 Derby Credit: Times Newspapers Ltd The star names Frankie Dettori, Ryan Moore and Will Buick are all in town - just about. Some last minute jockey merry-go-round meant Dettori got the call-up on leading English hope John Leeper. Moore rides favourite Bolshoi Ballet and Buick leads the Godolphin charge on Hurricane Lane. Trainer Aidan O'Brien is the one they all have to beat. He has eight of the Classics to his name already, six of those coming since 2012. And all of racing's powerhouse owners will be on show. The royal blue of Godolphin and Sheikh Mohammed. Ballydoyle's famous silks, Sheikh Obaid's blue and yellow colours and the late Sheikh Hamdan's blue and white. DOWNLOAD THE NEW SUN RACING APP NOW The ultimate home for all your racing needs. Number one for tips, betting offers and news - as well as full racecards and an interactive results and odds comparison service. Download from the App store - HERE Download on Android - HERE The capacity crowds Last year Epsom was a ghost town, this year 4,000 punters will attempt to bring the place to life. One of the most iconic days in the sporting calendar usually comes with a carnival atmosphere with punters surrounding the track on all sides. Tickets sell like hot cakes and all walks of life descend on the Downs, from royalty to cockney punters pouring out of the east-end. 4 Buses and amusements would fill the infield at Epsom Credit: Getty Images - Getty FREE BETS GET OVER 2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE Commercial content notice: Taking one of the bookmaker offers featured in this article may result in a payment to The Sun. 18+. T&Cs apply. Begambleaware.org Remember to gamble responsibly A responsible gambler is someone who: Establishes time and monetary limits before playing Only gambles with money they can afford to lose Never chase their losses Doesnt gamble if theyre upset, angry or depressed Gamcare www.gamcare.org.uk Gamble Aware www.begambleaware.org | https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/horseracing/15153968/epsom-derby-crowd-runners-prize-money-winners/ |
What Is History For? | Black smoke billows from fires during the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, in the Greenwood District, Tulsa, Oklahoma, US, June 1921. (Photo by CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) Email from a reader: I taught U.S. History and APUSH for 40 years. I never used a textbook that even mentioned the Tulsa Massacre. There was no reference in the AV material ancillary text. The College Board which governs the APUSH curriculum (which is very comprehensive) never included it in their outline. It was never included in any post graduate course I took or in service program. This was only 100 years ago! Christine ** History is supposed to be about remembering. But it is also about forgetting and ignoring. Which brings us to the ongoing fight over how to teach about racism. Thats not a trivial question, because it revolves around the question of how societies describe themselves. Decisions about what we teach and what we ignore are never value neutral. It is never merely the recitation of facts or dates. All societies tell their collective stories that define their identities. Heres another take: This, of course, isnt so much history as self-affirming happy talk. (The reference to Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are perhaps giveaways.) At the margins, this kind of positive history becomes indistinguishable from propaganda. All of this provides some context for President Bidens visit to Tulsa yesterday. For much too long, the history of what took place here was told in silence, Mr. Biden said. While darkness can hide much, it erases nothing. Mr. Biden was in Tulsa to shed light on a painful part of the countrys history. He recalled in detail the horror that occurred from May 31 to June 1, 1921, when angry white people descended on Greenwood, killing as many as 300 people and destroying more than 1,250 homes. My fellow Americans, this was not a riot, Mr. Biden said, as people in the crowd rose to their feet. This was a massacre. A man was strapped to a truck and dragged through the street, the president said. The bodies of a murdered family were draped over a fence outside their home. An older couple was shot while praying. Biden explicitly challenged the notion that it was somehow patriotic to white wash our past. We do ourselves no favors by pretending none of this ever happened, Biden said. We should know the good, the bad, everything. Thats what great nations do: They come to terms with their dark sides. David French addressed this over the weekend. His whole essay is worth your time, but he made two critical points: It is not hating America to acknowledge this is part of our story. It is not unpatriotic to understand that much of our present reality exists because the legacy of past atrocities does not fade as quickly as their memory. Humanity has not transformed its fundamental nature in the last 100 years. A nation full of people no better than us can do great good. A nation full of people no worse than us can commit great evil. Remembering our nations virtues helps give us hope. Remembering our sin gives us humility. Remembering both gives us the motivation and the inspiration necessary to repair our land. Exit take: you also probably didnt learn about this in school. And you probably didnt read these stories either. Join us tomorrow night! Really, do yourself a favor and read Tim Miller in todays Bulwark: Why Are These People Calling Me a Whore? Its not every day you get called an arrogant whore on the internet. Well, actually, strike that, I get called a whore on the internet quite a lot. But its not every day that it is part of an invective-filled rant, and the ranter is not just some rando with an anime avatar but a prominent ostensible ally in the cause of Never Trumpism. And yet . . . thats what happened last Friday, when Cliff Asness, a Never Trumper and longtime funder of center-right Republican campaigns and think tanks, went on an extended Twitter screed about us deranged Bulwarkers, stemming from his view that our support for a commission that would investigate the January 6 insurrection is an unacceptable sop to our new Democratic allies. (Everyone has to draw a line somewhere, I guess.) Because we abandoned our lifetime principles and stated beliefsand we are supposedly new progressives since that is where [our] bread is buttered. (FWIW, I explained my political evolution at great length here for anyone interested to read it.) ICYMI: Tim joined me on the podcast yesterday. You can listen here. Old and Busted: Back the Blue. New Hotness: Ignore the Blue. Via Jacqueline Alemany: Before Senate Republicans blocked the creation of a bipartisan commission to investigate the events of Jan. 6, Gladys Sicknick, the mother of late U.S. Capitol Police Officer Brian D. Sicknick who lost his life shortly after defending the Capitol that day requested meetings with every GOP senator to advocate for the proposal. At least 20 Republican senators did not meet with Sicknick's mother, according to a list obtained by The Washington Post. Asked why they were not able to meet with Gladys Sicknick, who was accompanied by her son's former partner, Sandra Garza, several of the offices cited scheduling issues How the GOP is devouring its young. Two great reads: Charlotte Alter in the NYT: Once upon a time, a shiny new trio of young conservatives Ryan Costello, Carlos Curbelo and Elise Stefanik wanted to help build a modern, millennial Republican Party. The 30-somethings, all sworn into Congress in 2015, understood that millennials often agreed on many of the nations core problems, and believed it was up to them to offer conservative solutions. They were out to create a new G.O.P. for the 21st century. As the others were driven out of office, only Stefanik remains, after remaking herself into a Trumpist acolyte. But the transformation of the party will have long term consequences for the GOP, writes Alter. Contrary to conventional wisdom that young people are always liberal and older people are always conservative, most voters form their political attitudes when theyre young and tend to stay roughly consistent as they age. And anti-Trumpism may now be one of the most durable political values of Americans under 50. By the end of Mr. Trumps presidency, after the Jan. 6 insurrection, almost three-quarters of Americans under 50 said they strongly disapproved of him. Even young Republicans were cooling off: According to a new CBS poll, Republicans under 30 were more than twice as likely as those older than 44 to believe that Mr. Biden was the legitimate winner of the 2020 election and roughly twice as likely to believe the party shouldnt follow Mr. Trumps lead on race issues. This can be read as a companion piece. Via Politico: As Donald Trump ponders another presidential bid, top Republicans have grown fearful about what theyre calling the partys lost generation. In conversations with more than 20 lawmakers, ex-lawmakers, top advisers and aides, a common concern has emerged that a host of national and statewide Republicans are either leaving office or may not choose to pursue it for fear that they cant survive politically in the current GOP. The worry, these Republicans say, is that the party is embracing personality over policy, and that it is short sighted to align with Trump, who lost the general election and continues to alienate a large swath of the voting public with his grievances and false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Quick Hits 1. Communist Chinas Family Values Mona Charen in todays Bulwark: So the Chinese communist government is going to permit three children per family. How nice. Heres how the New York Times put it: The announcement by the ruling Communist Party represents an acknowledgment that its limits on reproduction, the worlds toughest, have jeopardized the countrys future. To describe Chinas one child policy as limits on reproduction is like calling Jim Crow laws limits on political participation. The Times account, which at least used the word brutal after the jump, also featured a sidebar timeline of Chinas population policies that was even more anodyne. In 1978, it informs readers, the central government approves a proposal in which family planning offices encourage couples to have one child, or at most two. 2. Maybe, says Bill Kristol. Last week I proposed three theses about our current situation, basically arguing that a governing Democratic majority, consisting of an alliance of welcoming Democrats and pro-democracy ex-Republicans, might be achievable. I dare say so. We wont know if we dont try. Share Morning Shots Cheap Shots | https://morningshots.thebulwark.com/p/what-is-history-for |
How old is Billie Eilish in the Lost Cause music video? | BILLIE Eilish has made quite the splash with her Lost Cause single and video. Fans are wondering how old the pop star is in her self-shot video for the hit song. Billie Eilish was 19 years old at the time her video for Lost Cause was shot. And as she mentioned on her Instagram, the point of the video was to show her and her friends having "the time of their lives being hot." The "time of their lives" includes Eilish and the girls shooting water guns, eating late-night goodies, and playing Twister. Eilish is also sporting a new blonde look that replaced her once-signature green hair. After a year marred by the Covid-19 pandemic and a total standstill of all live concert events, Billie Eilish fans can rejoice in knowing that she'll be on tour this summer. Unfortunately, if you're looking for tickets to the Happier Than Ever tour, you'll be hard-pressed to find them. It was just announced that Eilish's tour has sold-out dates all across the US, UK, and Canada. Eilish has also promied that her carbon emissions from the tour will be greatly reduced in response to the growing climate crisis. Lost Cause by Billie Eilish seems to be speaking about an ex-boyfriend. This has led many fans to speculate that it's about Brandon Adams, better known as Q and 7:AMP, who is Eilish's most recent ex-boyfriend. MORE BILLIE EILISH EI-LOVE BILLIE! Billie gets shout out from Kim after she wears SKIMS in new music video STYLISH EILISH How Billie went from grungy to grown-up as she stuns in Lost Cause video GAVE ME NO FLOWERS Meaning behind Billie Eilish's "Lost Cause" Let me mullet over A look at the celebs sporting a mullet as the hairstyle makes a comeback SUPERHEROES Elon Musk to Billie Eilish, stars who live with superpowers from autism to ADHD Adams addressed their breakup in his Instagram stories, claiming that there was "two sides" to the story. Eilish, however, claimed that they weren't on the "same page" when it came to their relationship. But she hasn't confirmed that Lost Cause is, indeed, about Adams. | https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/3011318/billie-eilish-age-lost-cause-video/ |
What's Wrong With H.R. 1? | According to the Brennan Center, legislators have filed 253 bills with provisions that restrict voting access in 43 states. This comes just two months after an attack on the nations Capitol that aimed to overturn a free and fair election an assault based on the Big Lie of voter fraud that is now being used to leverage legislation across the country to restrict access to the ballot box. In Iowa, the governor has just signed legislation to make it harder to vote early. In Georgia, GOP legislators are poised to roll back no-excuse absentee balloting despite using the system since 2005. As Judd Legum notes this morning, For 15 years Republicans and white voters took advantage of no-excuse absentee voting more than Democrats and voters of color. That changed last year. For the first time, Black voters took advantage of absentee voting more frequently than white voters. The shift coincided with an upset victory in the state by Joe Biden. So the GOP is now changing the law to make it harder to vote by mail. Subtle it is not. But it is clearly part of the GOPs new identity and its ongoing assault on voting rights. As JVL noted last week: The GOP is a revanchist minority, which is why their only paths forward are geographic leverage and voter suppression. Which is why the Ds first priority should be expanding voting rights. Thats the cornerstone of the pro-democracy movement. This is exactly right. Which is exactly why there is so much wrong with H.R 1. The bill is frequently described as being sweeping, but that hardly captures the scope of the legislation, which effectively federalizes election law, while rewriting the rules governing political speech. In yesterdays Bulwark, we ran a lengthy piece that broke down the key elements of the bill: its impact on voting and elections, campaign finance, and ethics. The authors wrote: [H.R. 1] It has taken on a partisan tinge, but its neither a progressive nor partisan billits a pro-democracy bill that should appeal to Americans of all political backgrounds. If only that were true. Unfortunately, the reality is that the bill is bloated, overstuffed, and of dubious constitutionality. While it has valuable provisions protecting mail-in voting, making it harder to purge voters, gerrymander reform it has all the makings of legislation crafted by an overcaffeinated committee of progressive activists. It overturns hundreds of state laws and essentially strips states of their ability to regulate voting. Not content with that, it matches campaign contributions with tax dollars and dramatically seeks to rewrite campaign finance rulings by creating new restrictions on constitutionally protected free speech. And all of that makes it less likely to address the urgent challenge to democracy in a meaningful way, because it is almost certainly dead on arrival on the senate. Not even abolishing the filibuster can save H.R. 1. Again, this is tragic, because the threats to voting rights are radical and call for a radical response. But this isnt it. The folks at R Street who support pro-democracy reforms note that restricting money spent on political causes, while perhaps well-intentioned, also restricts speech. H.R. 1 only adds to the labyrinth of laws and regulations that govern spending money on political causes and it should be opposed for that reason alone. Even the ACLU has objected to the sweeping restrictions in the bill. In a 13-page letter, the group warned that there are also provisions that unconstitutionally impinge on the free speech rights of American citizens and public interest organizations. They will have the effect of harming our public discourse by silencing necessary voices that would otherwise speak out about the public issues of the day. Communications that refer to a candidate in the context of an important public policy issue may have nothing to do with supporting or opposing that candidates election, and yet that speech would trigger disclosure. When an organizations speech has no relationship to the election or defeat of a candidate, the disclosure of that organizations donors would do little, if anything, to serve the publics interest in knowing who is providing substantial support to the election or defeat of candidates. Our friend, Christian Schneider notes that H.R. 1 has lots of flaws, but the worst is the bills attempts to limit anonymous speech, which has been a cornerstone of activism since a trio of Founding Fathers banged out The Federalist Papers under the name Publius. Benjamin Franklin famously wrote political tomes under names like Benevolus, Silence Dogood, Caelia Shortface and Martha Careful. If made law, HR1 would require a ridiculous scheme in which the federal government would have to decide what tweets, videos and other advertisements to regulate based on what constitutes political speech. In an era when more people have the ability to use social media to speak on political matters, regulation of such speech is nearly an impossibility. At this point, the best options for the pro-democracy movement are (1) a much skinnier H.R.1 that focuses narrowly on voting rights, and (2) a full-court press for the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act which restores the full protections of the original, bipartisan Voting Rights Act of 1965, which was gutted by the Supreme Court in 2013. Thats a fight worth having, and it might even attract some Republican votes. If not, its worth abolishing the filibuster to pass. Major News. UPDATE: Why this time might be different. Republicans are hoping (and acting like) the passage of the massive COVID relief bill will be 2009 redux a springboard to their mid-term victory. But Jeff Greenfield explains why this may play out quite differently. This time, the benefits to tens of millions of Americans will be clear: $1,400 in bank accounts; extended jobless benefits; expanded childcare help. Donald Trump understood the impact of such assistance when he insisted his name be on the checks sent to American households. Joe Biden wont be as blatant, but the direct aid will be a sharp contrast to what happened under Obamas stimulus, when most Americans didnt even realize they were getting a tax cut. Its a sharp departure as well from the impact of Obamacare, where the benefits did not begin until long after the bill was passed, and after the midterm elections as well. Arizonas white-nationalist adjacent Rep. Paul Gosar has some thoughts. (And no, I have no idea what this tweet is actually trying to say.) And ICYMI: No more money for RINOS, the former guy declared in a statement Monday. They do nothing but hurt the Republican Party and our great voting base they will never lead us to Greatness. Rather than giving to Republicans, he urged his supporters to send the cash straight to his own Save America PAC by using his personal website. And with that, the guy cut off the flow of Trumpian cash from a party that has spent the last four years abasing itself to his whims. This comes after the former guy issued a cease and desist demand that neither his name nor image be used in any GOP fund-raising without his explicit permission. On Monday, the RNC pushed back. The partys chief counsel J. Justin Riemer said the committee has every right to refer to public figures as it engages in core, First Amendment-protected political speech and said it will continue to do so in pursuit of these common goals. Well see. But the karma is strong with this one as it becomes clear that the grift is forever. A victory for religious liberty: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday sided with a former Georgia college student who sued his school after it prevented him from expressing religious views in a free-speech zone on campus. The 8-1 decision, authored by Justice Clarence Thomas, said that Chike Uzuegbunam -- who was silenced by Georgia Gwinnett College officials even after he had obtained a permit to proselytize and handout religious literature -- can seek nominal damages despite the fact that the school ultimately changed course and Uzuegbunam subsequently graduated. An advance for academic freedom: From the mission statement of the new group, the Academic Freedom Alliance. The AFA commits to two means of protecting academic freedom. First, our members will defend faculty members' freedom of thought and expression in their work as researchers and writers or in their lives as citizens, within established ethical and legal bounds; freedom to design courses and conduct classes using reasonable pedagogical judgment; and freedom from ideological tests, affirmations, and oaths. Second, the AFA will aid in providing legal support to faculty whose academic freedom is threatened by institutions' or officials' violations of constitutional, statutory, contractual, or school-based rights. Quick Hits COVID-19s Big Fat Non-Surprise Mona Charen in todays Bulwark: Tip-toeing around the linkage of coronavirus mortality and obesity doesnt do anyone any favors There is solid evidence suggesting that this virus is like a guided missile aimed at out-of-shape and overweight Americans and denizens of other wealthy countries. Nor is it only this coronavirus that discriminates this way. The World Obesity Federation warns that other viruses such as the H3N2 and H1N1 flus also result in higher morbidity and mortality for the overweight and obese. So before the next pandemic strikes, we need to take steps to prepare. We should have learned by now to stockpile PPE, syringes, and so forth. And we need better coordination at all levels of government. But Americans can also take responsibility for their own health by shedding those extra pounds. | https://morningshots.thebulwark.com/p/whats-wrong-with-hr-1 |
How long have Elon Musk and Grimes been together? | LEARN all about Elon Musk and Grimes' relationship, including how long they have been together. Deep dive into the billionaire and the musician's interesting relationship. Grimes, 33, is a singer-songwriter from Vancouver. She is of Qubcois and Ukrainian and her real name is Claire Elise Boucher. Her mother, Sandy Garossino, is a former Crown prosecutor and used to own three Metro Vancouver taxi companies. She began writing music and posting it on MySpace in 2007. The name Grimes came from the fact that Myspace allowed you to list three musical genres and she listed Grime for all three before she knew what it was. Grimes first shot to fame in 2012 with her album Visions which was followed by the equally successful Art Angels. Grimes reportedly started dating Elon Musk in March, 2018. The couple made their debut at the Met Gala in May 2018. Around this time Elon tweeted praise for Grime's self-directed music video for the song Venus Fly. He wrote: "Best music video art I've seen in a while." about the track which features Janelle Monae. In 2015, Elon reached out to Grimes after they bonded over a joke about artificial intelligence on Twitter. Grimes first announced she was pregnant back in January 2020. She revealed the news with a picture of her posing in a blazer which reveals her growing stomach. On May 5, 2020, the pair announced the arrival of their little boy. The pair initially named their newborn child X A-12, Musk's sixth child. The name appeared to be partially inspired by one of the songs from 33-year-old Grimes' last album - 4M. Unfortunately for the couple, the name was not in accordance with California state law, as the law prohibits Indo-Arabic numerals in names. Ellie Kemper's Veiled Prophet Ball 'could be CANCELED' after backlash Exclusive LOVE NEST Kourtney buys $12M La Quinta mansion featuring infinity pool & mountain views SHAKE YOUR BARBARA What to know about Ricky Martin's interview with Barbara Walters 'AFRAID!' Khloe 'upset' by Tristan cheating rumors but is 'standing by' him To comply with the law, they changed the name to X A-Xii. Grimes announced she was pregnant in January of 2020, and Musk had previously said the baby was expected to arrive Monday, May 4. "Mom & baby all good," Musk wrote in a short Twitter post on Monday, May 4 2020. | https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/3011671/elon-musk-grimes-relationship-baby/ |
Who's Up For Some Court Packing? | Super-spreader events, Superman t-shirts, the coveted Taliban endorsement, a Supreme Court confirmation hearing, devastating new polls for TrumpWorld, and the End of the Faucian Bargain. Happy Monday. Welcome to the Countdown Journal. There are 22 days until Election Day, and then 78 days until the Inauguration. The Senate GOP is upacking its by-any-means-possible strategy today, putting the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett on track for a confirmation vote the week before the election. But over the weekend, the medias focus was on Joe Bidens continuing attempts to dodge the question of whether he supports court-packing. The question dominated weekend Twitter: Bidens refusal to answer was unacceptable, disqualifying, outrageous, and for some folks reason enough to sit out the election. Lets stipulate that Bidens handling of this has been sub-optimal. Nothing feeds a frenzy like transparently dodging a question. But lets also stipulate that this isnt likely to make a difference in the election and that much of the faux indignation is indeed, faux. Because punditry abhors a vacuum, the whole does-he-doesnt-he support court packing has come to fill the role that her-emails did four years ago. Here are Bidens choices: (1) He can endorse court-packing (adding new justices by legislation). This would : overshadow every other issue in the campaign represent a flip-flop from his previous opposition to the idea set the stage for a culture war battle that would consume the early months of his administration (and one that he might well lose) (2) He can declare his opposition to adding justices. This would: Anger and/or demoralize some of his base in the final days of the campaign Surrender his negotiation position by giving up what small leverage he has to discourage bad behavior by the GOP and SCOTUS (3) Continue to dodge, which would: feed Twitter outrage annoy the media make him look weaselly You can see why he has so far chosen (3). But Tim Alberta makes a modest suggestion: Thats still a sort of non-answer, but it is definitely better than no, voters dont deserve to know. The odd thing about the whole controversy is that Bidens position really isnt that great of a mystery. He has repeatedly said he doesnt support court-packing. Via NPR. "I'm not prepared to go on and try to pack the court, because we'll live to rue that day," he told Iowa Starting Line early in the primary race last year. A few months later, during a Democratic primary debate, Biden once again rejected the idea. "I would not get into court packing," Biden said. "We add three justices. Next time around, we lose control, they add three justices. We begin to lose any credibility the court has at all." And this is what he told the New York Times editorial board: JW: Speaking of those other candidates, several of them have proposed major structural reforms to our government and to our democracy. These include abolishing the Electoral College, expanding the size of the Supreme Court, setting term limits for justices, abolishing the legislative filibuster. None. Because that structural change requires constitutional amendments. It raises problems that are more damaging than the problem that exists. Were in a situation where the reason they gave judges lifetime tenure, you know why. Maybe that has all changed in the wake of RGBs death and Republican plans to push through her successor before the election. But that seems unlikely, given the theme of his campaign, which stresses a return to normalcy, not a retaliatory nuclear strike in the cultural war over the courts. The other theory is that Biden would be too weak to withstand the demands of the Left. But (at this point) its hard to imagine either Nancy Pelosi or Chuck Schumer asking a President Biden to put his agenda on hold to make a quixotic charge on the Court. (Caveat: Theres always the possibility that the next few weeks/months might radicalize Democrats to the point where the pressure becomes irresistible. Ill have more to say about that later.) Over the weekend, the fight over the court devolved into a battle over the nomenclature of court-packing, with Biden and some Democrats using the term to describe filling open seats. This provoked a new round of outrage over the Orwellian distortion of language. But this is another issue where partisans seem to have switched sides. Back in 2013, Senator John Cornyn had explicitly referred to President Obamas appointments to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals as an attempt to pack the court. And speaking of norms. Back in October 2016, when Hillary Clinton was leading in the polls, National Review ran an article arguing that: The Senate should decline to confirm any nominee, regardless of who is elected. More than that, it is time to shrink the size of the Supreme Court. But when it comes to the question of which questions candidates should answer, there is a rather striking asymmetry. Put this in perspective. Yes, Biden is clearly avoiding answering this question. But Trump has repeatedly refused to answer questions about his willingness to accept the results of the election, or a peaceful transfer of power. But thats hardly all of it. Hes also refusing to answer basic questions about his medical condition, his finances, and his second-term agenda (if there is one). So, at a minimum, the same folks who insist that the voters have a right to hear Bidens position on court packing ought to ask Trump to answer some questions of his own. You can probably come up with a dozen more. BTW, as this whole thing escalates, it might be worth noting that RBG herself took a dim view of court-packing. "Nine seems to be a good number. It's been that way for a long time," she said, adding, "I think it was a bad idea when President Franklin Roosevelt tried to pack the court." The term-limits proposal doesn't worry Ginsburg because she sees it as unrealistic, given that the Constitution specifies life terms for federal judges and because, as she puts it, "Our Constitution is powerfully hard to amend." "If anything would make the court look partisan," she said, "it would be that one side saying, 'When we're in power, we're going to enlarge the number of judges, so we would have more people who would vote the way we want them to.' " That impairs the idea of an independent judiciary, she said. "We are blessed in the way no other judiciary in the world is," she noted. "We have life tenure. The only way to get rid of a federal judge is by impeachment. Congress can't retaliate by reducing our salary, so the safeguards for judicial independence in this country, I think, are as great or greater than anyplace else in the world." Bonkers doesnt cover it. Via the NYT. In several phone calls last weekend from the presidential suite at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Mr. Trump shared an idea he was considering: When he left the hospital, he wanted to appear frail at first when people saw him, according to people with knowledge of the conversations. But underneath his button-down dress shirt, he would wear a Superman T-shirt, which he would reveal as a symbol of strength when he ripped open the top layer. He ultimately did not go ahead with the stunt. ICYMI: This blockbuster new report on the depth and breadth of Trumps corruption. But Mr. Trump did not merely fail to end Washingtons insider culture of lobbying and favor-seeking. He reinvented it, turning his own hotels and resorts into the Beltways new back rooms, where public and private business mix and special interests reign. But once Mr. Trump was in the White House, his family business discovered a lucrative new revenue stream: people who wanted something from the president. An investigation by The Times found over 200 companies, special-interest groups and foreign governments that patronized Mr. Trumps properties while reaping benefits from him and his administration. Nearly a quarter of those patrons have not been previously reported. The End of the Faucian Bargain. The undecideds are breaking for Biden. With three weeks to go, this is the development to watch. Yesterdays big ABC/Wapo poll gives Biden a massive 12 point national lead and a 17 point edge in trust on handing the pandemic. Via the Wapo: Four years ago, voters who decided in the presidential campaigns waning days broke decisively for Trump, a political newcomer, delivering him a shock victory. This year, evidence suggests there are few who have yet to make up their minds. But many of those who had been on the fence appear to be coming down on Bidens side. Among voters who backed a third-party candidate in 2016, for instance, about half 49 percent currently support the Democratic nominee this time around. Just over a quarter 26 percent say they intend to choose Trump, according to a recent Pew Research Center survey. Speaking of undecideds, Tim Miller wrote about a recent RVAT survey that asked undecided voters an open-ended question, asking why they werent backing Trump. Two-thirds of those who had an answer to that question said hes a racist/arrogant/unintelligent jerk who doesnt represent the country well, lies, and is unfit to do the job. Some verbatims, just for your enjoyments sake: He is a horrible human being He is incredibly rude Terrible representative for our country Hes sexist and racist Hes an idiot His arrogance Slimebag Remember these are the undecided voters. But. 2016! A tsunami of cash. Lindsey Grahams challenger raked in a staggering $57 million in the last quarter, the highest quarterly fund-raising total for any Senate candidate in U.S. history and part of a flood of Democratic money remaking the battle for control of the Senate. For your listening pleasure. Fridays podcast with Bill Kristol is already our most downloaded episode ever. Check it out to find out why. Bill Kristol on Trump's End Game: On today's Bulwark Podcast, Bill Kristol joins Charlie Sykes to discuss the 2020 election, the down-ballot electoral woe... There are 22 days to go. Quick Hits 1. The Senate GOP Tries to Bail Josh Kraushaar in the National Journal: Heres the clearest sign that Democrats hold a clear advantage in their efforts to retake the Senate: Embattled Republican senators, most of whom proudly embraced Donald Trump through thick and thin, are suddenly running away from the president as he craters in the polls. The growing GOP panic, even among red-state senators, is a telltale sign that Majority Leader Mitch McConnell feels his majority slipping away. 2. Our Abiding Quarrel with Russia Brian Stewart reviews two recent books in todays Bulwark: In a remarkable volte face, a quarter-century after the free worlds triumph in the Cold War, a Republican standard-bearer had become Russias preferred candidate. In his first term, Trump has discredited American institutions, divided the social order, and diminished the nation that has been indispensable to the liberal order. Little wonder that at this hour Russian intelligence services are working tirelessly to perpetuate the Trump presidency. Americans preparing to vote the same way in November should ask themselves what could possibly justify contributing to another election result that would be celebrated in the Kremlin with champagne. 3. Bret Stephens on 1619 ICYMI: Gutsy move to take on deeply flawed project by his own paper. Brace for impact. For obvious reasons, Ive thought long and hard about the ethics of writing this essay. On the one hand, outside of exceptional circumstances, its bad practice to openly criticize the work of ones colleagues. We bat for the same team and owe one another collegial respect. On the other, the 1619 Project has become, partly by its design and partly because of avoidable mistakes, a focal point of the kind of intense national debate that columnists are supposed to cover, and that is being widely written about outside The Times. To avoid writing about it on account of the first scruple is to be derelict in our responsibility toward the second. All the more so as journalists, in the United States and abroad, come under relentless political assault from critics who accuse us of being fake, biased, partisan and an arm of the radical left. Many of these attacks are baseless. Some of them are not. Through its overreach, the 1619 Project has given critics of The Times a gift. Cheap Shots 1. The Taliban Endorsement 2. 3. Utterly deranged Not exactly breaking news, Keith Olbermann has taken up residence in Crazytown. So, let us brace ourselves, he continued. The task is twofold: the terrorist Trump must be defeated, must be destroyed, must be devoured at the ballot box, and he and his enablers and his supporters and his collaborators and the Mike Lees and the William Barrs and the Sean Hannitys and the Mike Pences and the Rudy Giulianis and the Kyle Rittenhouses and the Amy Coney Barretts must be prosecuted and convicted and removed from our society while we try to rebuild it and to rebuild the world Trump has nearly destroyed by turning it over to a virus. Deep Thoughts 1. Fixing the Big Tech Bad Apples Yevgeny Simkin in todays Bulwark: Thats what The Social Dilemma is missing. An epilogue that says here are twenty ideas that would fix 80 percent of the Bad Apples problems. Write your members of Congress and tell them to pass this message along. The time has come to stop wringing our hands and clutching our pearls and put forth proposals for actionable, implementable, workable, technological improvements to these platforms. 2. Make Anti-Communism Great Again Daniel J. Samet and Shay Khatiri in this mornings Bulwark: | https://morningshots.thebulwark.com/p/whos-up-for-some-court-packing |
What is Tom Cruises zodiac sign? | TOM Cruise has been in the news a lot lately, and this time, it's for all the right reasons. And professional astrologers are crediting his astrological chart for that. With a birth date of July 3, 1962, Tom Cruise's zodiac sign is Cancer. Cancer is a water sign, and it's marked by very specific personality traits. For starters, Cancers are known for being very diplomatic in their business dealings, behaving as "excellent advisors" in high-stress situations. So when Cruise said that he was "self-isolating" after he was exposed to Covid-19, professional astrologers credited his zodiac sign for that selfless act. Professional astrologers who have viewed Tom Cruise's birth chart have noted that, as a Cancer, he is extremely sensitive to the world around him. At times, too, he wears his heart on his sleeve. But more than anything else, Cruise needs to have a sense of purpose when he does something. So when Cruise announced that he was returning his Golden Globes in solidarity with his Black colleagues, professional astrologers were not surprised at all. No Cancer is perfect, and Tom Cruise is no exception. One of a Cancer's worst traits is their inability to control themselves or their tempers when they get angry. Ellie Kemper's Veiled Prophet Ball 'could be CANCELED' after backlash Exclusive LOVE NEST Kourtney buys $12M La Quinta mansion featuring infinity pool & mountain views SHAKE YOUR BARBARA What to know about Ricky Martin's interview with Barbara Walters 'AFRAID!' That's thanks to his straight-up Cancer energy and, for better or worse, he's certainly done a lot with it. | https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/3011879/tom-cruise-cancer-horoscope-reading/ |
Who is Joey Essexs dad Donny Essex? | JOEY Essex found fame during his time on the ITV reality series, The Only Way Is Essex. In a new BBC Three documentary, the TV personality opens up about living under the care of his father, Danny, after losing his mum as a child. Donald "Donny" Essex is the father of reality stars, Joey and Frankie. An ex-boxer, Donny was left to take care of his two children alone after the untimely death of his wife. When Joey was young, his mum Tina developed an infection called candida, a crippling yeast infection that can cause stomach problems, fatigue and depression. Tina succumbed to her symptoms and committed suicide when Joey was just ten, with his father initially telling his kids that their mum had fallen and tragically died. 3 Joey's mum Tina died when he was only ten Credit: Andrew Styczynski - The Sun Donny has spoken of his past embarrassment at his son's inability to serve tea, sell fish or blow his own nose, jokingly branding him "useless". He said: "Even I've been gobsmacked. I mean, I didn't even know he couldn't tell the time and as for not knowing how to blow your nose." "Joey's a one-off. You won't find another like him, believe me." Donald told of how Joey was sacked from a job his father landed him at Billingsgate Fish Market in East London, after only three months. He then lost his job as a runner, serving cups of tea and coffee. Donald said: "But he couldn't even get that right. If someone ordered a black coffee, he'd get them a tea with two sugars." Despite Joey's occasional shortcomings, his father has always remained supportive and loving of his son. Speaking on Donny's resilience during his childhood, Joey said; "My dad has been through all of it. "After my mum passed away, my dad brought me and my sister Frankie up alone and it must have been really tough for him. "But hes the first person I call when Im upset. It doesnt matter where he is, hell always answer the phone." Joey Essex: Grief And Me is available on the BBC iPlayer now. | https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/15151994/who-is-joey-essexs-dad-donny-essex/ |
Which Spain players are the best options for Dream Team Euros bosses this summer? | Spain are flying under the radar ahead of Euro 2020. And thats somewhat of a surprise given theyve won the competition on three occasions and are the only side in the history of the competition to claim back-to-back titles (in 2008, 2012). Their manager Luis Enrique also has a healthy appetite for knockout football having won SEVEN cup competitions during his three-year tenure at Barcelona. WIN 50,000! Play Dream Team Euros our FREE fantasy football game this summer DREAM TEAM 3 Luis Enriques Spain are in Group E with Sweden, Poland and Slovakia Spain went unbeaten during the qualification process, winning eight of their 10 fixtures, and scoring 31 for just five goals conceded along the way. The relative lack of hype could have something to do with the youthfulness of their squad and the omission of veteran defender Sergio Ramos. It is the first time the legendary Real Madrid defender has not been named in a Spain squad for a major tournament since Euro 2004 having struggled with injuries in recent months. His absence leaves Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba as the elder statesmen of the rejuvenated squad, with the former the only remaining World Cup winner in the squad. Gone are Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta and David Silva in come Ferran Torres, Mikel Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo. GETTY 3 Man Citys Ferran Torres is Spains second-most popular player in Dream Team Euros Spain find themselves in Group E alongside Sweden, Poland and Slovakia. Winning that group, which looks extremely probable, will see them given the one of the four best third-placed teams in the last 16. So on paper, Spain should go deep into this tournament and thats great news for Dream Team Euro bosses looking to invest in their squad. Well as strange and unpalatable as it might sound Alvaro Morata looks a steal at 3.5million. The Juventus star has enjoyed a decent campaign with 20 goals and 12 assists in 44 appearances. Hes also bagged four during qualifying AND should take penalties with Ramos out of the picture. Another attacking talent familiar to Premier League fans is Man Citys Ferran Torres. The 21-year-old has been something of a phenomenon since making his international debut last year, netting six in ten including a hat-trick against Germany. GETTY 3 David de Gea is unlikely to start for Spain at Euro 2020 Torres costs just 3.5m and stands out as a differential given his 9.5% ownership. The last of Spains three-pronged attack is RB Leipzigs Dani Olmo, who is being hideously overlooked at a cost of 3.5million with an ownership of 0.9%. The 23-year-old looks certain to start and has bagged in both of his last two appearances for Spain against Georgia and Kosovo in their World Cup qualifiers. Aymeric Laporte also features, after switching his international allegiance from France to Spain but given hes never made an appearance under Luis Enrique it could represent a major gamble for bosses. David de Gea may also be worth passing over. The Man United goalkeeper lost his place to Dean Henderson during the season and has not played for his country since a 1-0 defeat to Ukraine in the UEFA Nations League in October 2020. The 0.3% owned Unai Simon might just represent a better investment. Most-popular Spain players (ownership) among Dream Team Euros managers at this stage: Sergio Ramos 13.7% Ferran Torres 9.4% Aymeric Laporte 4.8% David de Gea 3.7% Pau Torres 3.7% WIN 50,000 with Dream Team Euros Dream Team Euros is HERE! The best fantasy football game to accompany Euro 2020 has arrived. And you can play absolutely FREE for your chance to win the 50,000 jackpot. CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR FREE! Dream Team Euros 50,000 jackpot The best fantasy football game this summer Play in mini-leagues against your mates, colleagues, family members and some hand-picked celebrities FREE to play | https://www.thesun.co.uk/dream-team/fantasy-football/15142346/fantasy-football-spain-euro-2020-dream-team-players-tips/ |
Will There Be A Mare of Easttown Season 2? | If HBO's crime drama Mare of Easttown has gradually monopolized your entire brain over the past six weeks, you're not alone. Starring Kate Winslet as a world-weary detective trying to solve the murder of a teenager in small-town Pennsylvania, the show's gripping character writing and twisty-turny mystery kept viewers absolutely gripped right up through the last scene of Sunday's finale. Winslet, for one, is on board. "I would absolutely love to play Mare again, she told TVLine during a post-finale interview. "I miss her. I really do. Its the strangest thing. I feel like Im in mourning. It was an absolutely wonderful role. I loved playing her. Meanwhile, the show's creator and head writer Brad Ingelsby was a little more circumspect as he talked about the possibility of more Mare. "Kate and I, if we could crack a story that we were really proud of and felt like it was a deserving second chapter in Mares journey, then maybe, Ingelsby told The Hollywood Reporter. HBO specifically has a track record in this area (sorry, Big Little Lies, we're looking at you) so as much as we want more Mare, let's hope it only happens if Winslet and Ingelsby find the right story. Watch Mare of Easttown season one here. Emma Dibdin Emma Dibdin is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who writes about culture, mental health, and true crime. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io | https://www.townandcountrymag.com/leisure/arts-and-culture/a36621382/mare-of-easttown-season-2-news/ |
Can the supersonic flight make a comeback? | United Airlines said today its going supersonic. The airline has agreed to purchase 15 faster-than-the-speed-of-sound jets from aerospace startup Boom Supersonic (jets which do not yet exist). But United and Boom say the ultrafast planes could be carrying passengers by the end of 2029. The jet United has agreed to buy is called the Overture. The obvious comparison here is the Concorde, which even with $20,000 tickets was a business failure and stopped flying in 2003. The most important lesson of the Concorde is you need government to pay the entire upfront expense, and even with all of that, it still couldnt make money. Thats as instructive as it gets about the realities of supersonic economics, said Richard Aboulafia, aviation analyst with Teal Group. This is theater, said Aboulafia, Nothing more. One firm did early feasibility studies with Boom Supersonic, Boyd Group International. Michael Boyd, president, said a lot has changed since the Concorde. Let me go down the list. Ozzie and Harriet is off TV, we dont buy hula hoops anymore, we dont have black and white TVs anymore. The Concorde rolled out of the hangar 54 years ago, he said, adding that the Overture, by contrast, would be based on modern technology and be carbon neutral. We have carbon fiber composites, we have software-optimized aerodynamics, we have new engines that are more efficient and quieter, said Blake Scholl, CEO of Boom Supersonic. Scholl said the Overtures operating costs will be 75% lower than the Concordes. Uniteds order is the first true civilian order for supersonic planes since the 1970s, he said, and the airline put down what he called a meaningful deposit. You can make the economics work with the business class fares that you see today, and certainly the goal is to bring it to a broad swath of our customers over time, said Mike Leskinen, vice president of corporate development at United. Boom rolled out a prototype last year called the XB1, which Scholl said will be in the skies by early next year. He said the Overture itself could be in test flights by 2026. | https://www.marketplace.org/2021/06/03/can-the-supersonic-flight-make-a-comeback/ |
Did Beyonc and Jay-Z buy the most expensive car in the world? | June 3, 2021 2 min read This article was translated from our Spanish edition using AI technologies. Errors may exist due to this process. Beyonc and Jay-Z , one of the music industry's billionaire couples, are rumored to be the first to acquire the world's most expensive car - a Boat Tail Rolls Royce . Which, was presented by the luxury car firm on May 27, is valued at 23 million dollars and only three units will be manufactured. The artists have neither confirmed nor denied this rumor . Several media estimate having net worth of 500 million dollars, by Beyonc, and 1.4 billion dollars, by Jay-Z, they could pay it without problems , despite the fact that the car has a very high price . "This fantastic car is believed to have been commissioned by Beyonc and Jay-Z with all its details matching their favorite things," according to an insider to the Telegraph site. Well, apparently, this blue convertible car was built with the intention of driving on the Mediterranean back roads of the French Riviera , where by coincidence, the couple vacation frequently. In the same way, this super exclusive car has a storage system for Armand de Brignac champagne bottles and food, with a refrigerator capable of cooling up to six degrees Celsius. At the back, there is a compartment just for caviar and one for storing two small tables with their stools and umbrella. The Boat Tail is inspired by the discontinued Phantom Drophead car and has features of the J-class yachts, which were taken as a reference by the customers who ordered the vehicle. It is said that each of the units will have similar details, but with unique differences for the comfort and luxuries of the wearers. | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/373671 |
Is the Reddit army trade unstoppable? | AMC is the latest meme stock The stock is up due to coordinated short squeeze The pump and dump games will continue AMC is the latest meme stock With AMC up nearly 40% in pre market trade today investors are seeing yet another meme stock explode to the upside despite absence of any fundamental reason behind the move. The movie business which was already in steep secular decline due to competition from the home entertainment options was dealt a near death blow by the COVID pandemic which for all intents and purposes shut down the industry completely for nearly a year. With the majority of the country now vaccinated and with most of the US populace ready to return to normalcy the movie business has had a modest rebound with Memorial Day box office showing tepid signs of life as The Quiet Place 2 brought in $48 million a respectable but still tiny amount in comparison of years past. All of this suggests that the movie business may survive but only as a ghost of its former self with US ticket sales likely to contract to less than 50% of prior years. Movies, like radio, will remain a minor form of entertainment although some niche segments such as luxe theaters with full gourmet meals and drinks could carve out a sustainable business. The quasi-fundamental case for AMC is that IF the box office revenue returns to 2018 levels and IF AMC is able to recapture more than 50% of all receipts and IF it can sell another $3 Billion of concessions on top of the ticket sales its free cash flow yield may rise to 4% of the current market market capitalization. But that is a very tortured explanation for why the stock is up more than 1600% this year. The stock is up due to coordinated short squeeze The actual reason why AMC is up is simply because of coordinated buying by the thousands of Reddit traders who are engineering yet another short squeeze just as they did with GameStop. In the case of GameStop a huge amount of buying power came from the coffers of Melvin Capital which was forced to cover its position at losses that some estimate in excess of $3 Billion. It was in effect a transfer of wealth from the hedge fund to the army of Reddit traders. In the case of AMC the short squeeze dynamics are operating as well but in a slightly different form. There are no clear major shorts in the stock, rather the buying fury may be coming from options dealers who are forced to constantly delta hedge their positions. One of the ways that Reddit traders amplify their power is by buying call options rather than the underlying stock which in some cases may give them the ability to control up to 100X more stock than they would with an outright buy of the underlying. Typically, buying options is a sucker bet as more than 80% of them expire worthless. But if the buying is coordinated option prices will rise relentlessly. Option dealers who essentially act as bookies in the market and generally try to avoid directional risk at all costs are then forced to buy the underlying stock in order to keep their books in balance fueling the rise in the stock. Since stock can only fall by 100% but can rise infinitely, the short squeeze becomes a near endless strategy to print money, limited only by the amount of capital thrown at the stock. As long as Reddit can recruit new traders or convince existing ones to keep adding to the position the stock continues to trade higher and higher. The pump and dump games will continue The Reddit trade is a pure market manipulation trade done in broad daylight, but because the coordination is done through persuasion rather than overt agreement regulators have no way to control it. This is why the Reddit Army trade has become unstoppable. As long as retail traders continue to buyi droves and continue to amplify the trade via options any small capitalization stock can be pumped and dumped with impunity. Ultimately this behavior will create serious destabilization in the market. An ultimately some hedge funds, HFT trades and option dealers will figure out a way to completely incinerate retail capital, but for now the never ending short squeeze trade rolls on looking for the next easy mark. | https://www.fxstreet.com/cryptocurrencies/news/is-the-reddit-army-trade-unstoppable-202106032133 |
Should Middletown change city council term limits? | MIDDLETOWN Reducing the term limits for Common Council members is among the charter change recommendations that could be up for vote in November. Voters are being encouraged to review the changes since the referendum questions will be presented in a pick-and-choose fashion on the ballot, according to Charter Review Commission Chairman Robert Blanchard. The larger questions would be separate, and others, which are of a housekeeping nature, will be lumped together, Common Councilman and Charter Review Commissioner Ed McKeon said. We took on larger items and with significant impact. I don't think we made amendments for the sake of fixing things that werent broken or couldnt be improved upon, Blanchard said. One of the big changes would be reducing the terms of council members from four years to two. The referendum voters passed in 2015 to increase the number of years in office, as recommended by the 2014 charter review panel, would be reversed, McKeon said. Panel members were split on the subject, so the proposal did not have unanimous support, he said. Some felt councilors wouldnt necessarily engage enough with their constituents if they were in office for four years, while others suggested officials would be spending a good deal of their two years focusing on being reelected, McKeon said. He encourages people to familiarize themselves with whats being proposed by accessing the document online. Commissioners also suggested limiting term lengths for boards and commissions to three, McKeon said. Members now serve between two and five years. The latter is the case for planning and zoning. If someone serves on a commission for 15 years, the judgment is thats probably long enough, and its time to look for new talent, McKeon said. On many boards, people have served for as long as 45 years, he said. It will mean quite an upheaval if that one goes through. The argument often is there are not enough people to fill these appointed posts, he said. I just dont buy that, said McKeon, who believes more outreach would solve the problem. Other recommendations include eliminating the treasurers post, and allowing Middletown Superintendent of Schools Michael Conner to hire workers now under his purview. Presently, the mayor has that authority. The council will also mull a change in hiring to reflect practices in terms of diversity, equity, inclusion and affirmative action for justice-impacted people, Deputy General Counsel Kori Termine Wisneski said, according to the last meeting video. The term is one that people are becoming more familiar with as they assess historical inequities, Blanchard said. It would provide equal opportunity to qualified applicants and employees regardless of whether someone has been arrested or convicted of a crime. Once theyve been through a prison term theyre considered to be rehabilitated, McKeon said. Another consideration is that the practice of not interviewing applicants who divulge their conviction often discriminates against people of color. An exception would be if an individuals record is in direct conflict with duties and responsibilities of the position, McKeon said. Blanchard, who was on the last charter review panel in 2014, was impressed with the committees work. It met nearly every week for six months, and covered a great deal of ground, he said. This was a diverse group of people with very different backgrounds. They all brought a different approach, perception, and set of eyes on our charter. It was a really collaborative, informed group of people who dedicated a lot of time in order to strengthen our charter. We reached consensus on almost everything, he said. Final action by the council must be taken by its July 6 regular meeting. Its possible members will send the document back to committee with questions or recommendations, Blanchard said. The committee will be dissolved once its work is done. The recommendations will be considered at the next Common Council meeting at 7 p.m. Monday. For remote participation, visit middletownct.gov. | https://www.middletownpress.com/middletown/article/Should-Middletown-change-city-council-term-limits-16223319.php |
Will Luke Hughes fall to Canucks or Devils in NHL draft? | Move over Staal brothers, the next great brother trio is set to arrive in the NHL. Luke Hughes, the brother of Vancouver Canucks defenceman Quinn Hughes and New Jersey Devils centre Jack Hughes, is expected to be a top 10 pick in the draft next month. And it just so happens that both his brothers teams have top 10 picks the Devils will pick fourth, while the Canucks pick ninth. A 6-foot-2 left-shot defenceman, Luke is the bigger younger Hughes brother. Luke scored 15 points in 18 USHL games last season and tallied 34 points in 38 games with the US National U18 Team. While NHL teams dont always choose players based purely on bloodlines, Hughes does seem like the type of player the Canucks or Devils need given theyre each already set for years to come with a pair of excellent young centres in the fold. Luke Hughes is an exceptional skating defender, who possesses plus four-way mobility, projectable size, and immense large-ice maneuverability, says prospects expert and Daily Hive contributor Daniel Gee. Through high-paced transitional drives, Hughes separation ability through his linear crossovers regularly created chaos through his opponents neutral and offensive zones. Hughes is one of the youngest players available in the draft, which should increase his value, as he doesnt turn 18 until September. Hes committed to the University of Michigan next season. While Hughes ability one-on-one is advanced, and his puck handling blends well with his speed, he struggles to incorporate teammates at times, and the translatability of these offensive drives are also a question mark at higher level hockey, Gee adds. While exerting sustained offensive pressure, Hughes possesses some manipulation off the point, and will need to continue to work on his upper-body centric shot. Hughes is a fairly aggressive defender transitionally, who flexes his lateral ability to suffocate entering attackers. While this aggressiveness can backfire, his skating allowed him to recover in many of these scenarios. He has some issues with strength and can be bullied around the slot, but that shouldnt be much of an issue after further physical development. Hughes is ranked fourth among North American skaters by NHL Central Scouting, but this promises to be the most unpredictable draft ever due to the pandemic. Most leagues around the world either had significantly-shortened schedules or cancelled seasons, and many scouts were unable to travel to a lot of games for in-person viewings. Prospect rankings are all over the map. Elite Prospects has Hughes ranked 11th, while FC Hockey has him ranked first though other rankings have him listed somewhere in between those two extremes. Its fair to assume team lists also carry more variance than usual this year. A pair of notable mock drafts, from Sam Cosentino (Sportsnet) and Corey Pronman (The Athletic) have Hughes going fourth to New Jersey. While that seems like a smart bet, we have been surprised at the draft before. That turned out to be a wise choice by the Blue Jackets, and if the Devils are smart, theyll take the best player regardless of family ties. Quinn Hughes was never supposed to fall to the Canucks in 2018, but Vancouver snagged him with the seventh overall pick. If the Devils pass on Luke Hughes, he could fall too. Craig Button (TSN) has Hughes going eighth to Los Angeles, one pick ahead of the Canucks, in his mock draft. It remains to be seen how high the Canucks are on Quinns younger brother, but if he slips to their pick its hard to imagine Jim Benning passing on him. The biggest area of need for the Canucks is defence, and there are projected to be only four blueliners picked in the top 10 this year: Owen Power, Simon Edvinsson, Brandt Clarke, and Hughes. Theres zero chance that Power slips to the Canucks pick, and maybe none of the other three do either. Well find out for sure on draft day on July 23. | https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/luke-hughes-draft-brother-team-canucks-devils |
What are social engineering attacks? | Social engineering is a popular tactic among attackers because it is often easier to exploit people than it is to find a network or software vulnerability. Hackers will often use social engineering tactics as a first step in a larger campaign to infiltrate a system or network and steal sensitive data or disperse malware . Threat actors use social engineering techniques to conceal their true identities and motives, presenting themselves as trusted individuals or information sources. The objective is to influence, manipulate or trick users into releasing sensitive information or access within an organization. Many social engineering exploits rely on people's willingness to be helpful or fear of punishment. For example, the attacker might pretend to be a co-worker who has some kind of urgent problem that requires access to additional network resources. Social engineering is an attack vector that relies heavily on human interaction and often involves manipulating people into breaking normal security procedures and best practices to gain unauthorized access to systems, networks or physical locations or for financial gain. If the attack is successful, the attacker gains access to confidential information , such as Social Security numbers and credit card or bank account information; makes money off the targets; or gains access to protected systems or networks. One common tactic of social engineers is to focus on the behaviors and patterns of employees who have low-level but initial access, such as a security guard or receptionist; attackers can scan social media profiles for personal information and study their behavior online and in person. The first step in most social engineering attacks is for the attacker to perform research and reconnaissance on the target. If the target is an enterprise, for instance, the hacker may gather intelligence on the organizational structure, internal operations, common lingo used within the industry and possible business partners, among other information. Examples of social engineering attacks Perhaps the most famous example of a social engineering attack comes from the legendary Trojan War in which the Greeks were able to sneak into the city of Troy and win the war by hiding inside a giant wooden horse that was presented to the Trojan army as a symbol of peace. In more modern times, Frank Abagnale is considered one of the foremost experts in social engineering techniques. In the 1960s, he used various tactics to impersonate at least eight people, including an airline pilot, a doctor and a lawyer. Abagnale was also a check forger during this time. After his incarceration, he became a security consultant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation and started his own financial fraud consultancy. His experiences as a young con man were made famous in his best-selling book Catch Me If You Can and the movie adaptation from Oscar-winning director Steven Spielberg. Once known as "the world's most wanted hacker," Kevin Mitnick persuaded a Motorola worker to give him the source code for the MicroTAC Ultra Lite, the company's new flip phone. It was 1992, and Mitnick, who was on the run from police, was living in Denver under an assumed name. At the time, he was concerned about being tracked by the federal government. To conceal his location from authorities, Mitnick used the source code to hack the Motorola MicroTAC Ultra Lite and then sought to change the phone's identifying data or turn off the ability for cellphone towers to connect to the phone. To obtain the source code for the device, Mitnick called Motorola and was connected to the department working on it. He then convinced a Motorola employee that he was a colleague and persuaded that worker to send him the source code. Mitnick was ultimately arrested and served five years for hacking. Today, he is a multimillionaire and the author of a number of books on hacking and security. A sought-after speaker, Mitnick also runs cybersecurity company Mitnick Security. A more recent example of a successful social engineering attack was the 2011 data breach of security company RSA. An attacker sent two different phishing emails over two days to small groups of RSA employees. The emails had the subject line "2011 Recruitment Plan" and contained an Excel file attachment. The spreadsheet contained malicious code that, once the file was opened, installed a backdoor through an Adobe Flash vulnerability. While it was never made clear exactly what information was stolen, if any, RSA's SecurID two-factor authentication (2FA) system was compromised, and the company spent approximately $66 million recovering from the attack. In 2013, the Syrian Electronic Army was able to access the Associated Press' (AP) Twitter account by including a malicious link in a phishing email. The email was sent to AP employees under the guise of being from a fellow employee. The hackers then tweeted a fake news story from AP's account that said two explosions had gone off in the White House and then-President Barack Obama had been injured. This garnered such a significant reaction that the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 150 points in under 5 minutes. Also in 2013, a phishing scam led to the massive data breach of Target. A phishing email was sent to a heating, ventilation and air conditioning subcontractor that was one of Target's business partners. The email contained the Citadel Trojan, which enabled attackers to penetrate Target's point-of-sale systems and steal the information of 40 million customer credit and debit cards. That same year, the U.S. Department of Labor was targeted by a watering hole attack, and its websites were infected with malware through a vulnerability in Internet Explorer that installed a remote access Trojan called Poison Ivy. In 2015, cybercriminals gained access to the personal AOL email account of John Brennan, then the director of the Central Intelligence Agency. One of the hackers explained to media outlets how he used social engineering techniques to pose as a Verizon technician and request information about Brennan's account with Verizon. Once the hackers obtained Brennan's Verizon account details, they contacted AOL and used the information to correctly answer security questions for Brennan's email account. | https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/definition/social-engineering |
What are health effects of toxin found in West Palm Beach's water supply? | WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. Many members of the public want to know the health effects they could face if they are in the vulnerable groups affected by the toxin found in West Palm Beachs drinking water. Ryan and Amanda Braun were worried their 5-year-old child would get dehydrated after he started vomiting on Wednesday of last week. "We were like, 'just drink water.' We didn't know we were poisoning our kid," Ryan Braun said. RELATED: Water toxicology specialist questions delaying water advisory The couple didn't take their son to the doctor on the holiday weekend and don't know for sure if the toxin found in West Palm Beach's water supply is to blame. But soon afterward, their son, Tommy and his older sister got sick. WPTV Father Ryan Braun said one of his children threw up for 30 hours, but symptoms subsided a few days later after they stop consuming the city's water. "Well, she's 7, and she threw up, I don't even know, nonstop for 30 hours," said Ryan Braun. "That was our Memorial Day weekend, and they knew, and it could have prevented it." She was upset about finding out about the water advisory by text message from the city Saturday afternoon. Amanda immediately stopped nursing her 2-month-old child. "Pumping and then watching it all go down the drain is just the most heartbreaking thing," Amanda Braun said. The Brauns said they didn't take their kids to the doctor because once they stopped consuming the water, symptoms subsided a few days later. City officials said levels of the toxin linked to blue-green algae were above .7 micrograms per liter. Florida Atlantic University professor of nursing Dr. Shirley Gordon said it depends on each person when symptoms would subside. WPTV Dr. Shirley Gordon says dehydration is one of the biggest concerns for children who are exposed to the toxin. "As health care providers, we provide supportive care, so if someone is presenting with a fever we treat the fever. If they have nausea and vomiting and diarrhea, we treat those symptoms," Gordon said. Gordon also said because this specific toxin is less common in drinking water than the microcystin toxins typically produced from blue-green algae blooms, there also isn't a set diagnostic test for it. "There are some specialty labs that can test for the presence of the toxins in urine. We are working with the CDC right now to develop a methodology to test for it in human blood, so again as we are developing these methodologies they will become more available to local clinicians," Gordon said. She said the most important thing for parents to do if their child's symptoms escalate to needing emergency medical attention is to disclose the possible exposure to the toxin to health care providers. "The biggest concern, as I said before, for young children is the development of dehydration," Gordon said. Gordon said there is only one study she is aware of that looked at dermal absorption through the skin, and this particular toxin is not absorbed through the skin. Gordon said FAU is currently working with the CDC to develop a methodology to test for these types of toxins in human blood. The university is also currently conducted a study looking at the aerosolization of microcystin toxins and working with the Florida Health Department to answer what kind of impact people would face from acute exposure and long term exposure to microcystin, They are currently looking for participants for the study outlined in the flyer below: | https://www.wptv.com/news/region-c-palm-beach-county/west-palm-beach/what-are-health-effects-of-toxin-found-west-palm-beachs-water-supply |
Can I Buy Crypto With a Credit Card? | With cryptocurrency sparking interest among investors across the globe, you might be intrigued by the idea of joining the crypto craze using your credit card. Unfortunately, buying digital currency with a credit card can be challenging. Coinbase , one of the worlds cryptocurrency exchanges, doesnt accept credit card crypto purchases. Some cryptocurrency exchanges, such as Coinmama and CEX.io, let investors use credit cards to buy crypto, but that doesnt mean your credit card issuer allows it. The majority of U.S. credit card companies dont permit the purchase of cryptocurrency using a credit card. Even worse, some issuers penalize cardholders with hefty cash advance fees. The difficulty and the fees arent the only reasons you need to think twice before using your credit card to buy crypto. Read on to find out why. Reasons Not To Buy Crypto With a Credit Card There are potential downsides to buying crypto with a credit card. They include: Hefty Transaction Fees If you buy bitcoins with a credit card, the cryptocurrency exchange may charge you transaction fees. The exchange may also charge an additional fee to exchange dollars for the digital currency you need. Cash Advance Penalties The major U.S. credit card issuers, including American Express , allow cryptocurrency purchases using a credit card but treat them as a cash advance . Credit card issuers may decline crypto purchases for varying reasons uncertainty, poor regulation and cash equivalents. Cash Advance Fee If your credit card issuer considers crypto purchases as a cash advance , youll need to pay a cash advance fee in addition to any other exchange service fees . A cash advance fee is a one-time fee charged by a card issuer for using a credit card to obtain cash. Typically, the cash advance fee is 3% of the total amount. For instance, if you take out a cash advance of $200 to purchase cryptocurrency, you could pay $6 to your credit card issuer with a 3% fee. Cash advances may also come with other drawbacks. Cash Advance Drawbacks Higher interest rates: Many credit card issuers charge a higher annual percentage rate on cash advances. Therefore, using a credit card to buy cryptocurrency is relatively more expensive than regular purchases. Many credit card issuers charge a higher annual percentage rate on cash advances. Therefore, using a credit card to buy cryptocurrency is relatively more expensive than regular purchases. Lower credit limit: Some credit cards have a specific cash advance credit limit, which may be lower than your usual credit limit. Some credit cards have a specific cash advance credit limit, which may be lower than your usual credit limit. No grace period: Cash advances have no grace period; they start incurring interest from the first day. GBR_Logo Foreign Transaction Fee If the cryptocurrency exchange you use is based outside the U.S., you might incur foreign transaction fees. Credit card issuers often charge these fees at 1% to 3% of the transaction amount. No Credit Card Rewards If you buy crypto with a credit card, your purchase probably wont earn rewards or help you attain the required spending for earning a sign-up bonus. This applies if your card issuer treats cryptocurrency purchases as cash advance equivalent. Daily Limits Depending on the cryptocurrency exchange, there may be a daily limit on the number of bitcoins or other cryptos you can buy with a credit card. Login to your cryptocurrency exchange account and go to settings to confirm limits. Other Considerations Beyond fees, there are other noteworthy considerations when buying cryptocurrency with a credit card: Credit utilization : Depending on how much crypto you purchase, your credit utilization the ratio of your available credit to credit used could increase. A high credit utilization ratio could negatively affect your credit score. Depending on how much crypto you purchase, your credit utilization the ratio of your available credit to credit used could increase. A high credit utilization ratio could negatively affect your credit score. Debt : Using a credit card to purchase cryptocurrency means taking on debt for a very volatile investment. If the digital currency doesnt perform as expected, youre still on the hook for your credit card debt. Final Take Buying crypto with a credit card comes with several drawbacks: hefty fees, cash advance penalties, no credit card rewards and even daily limits. Its critical to confirm whether your cryptocurrency exchange allows credit card purchases and to be aware of all of the associated fees. Yes, but it's not easy. You'll need to find a cryptocurrency exchange that accepts crypto purchases with a credit card. Plus, the exchange might charge an additional transaction fee every time you use your credit card to buy crypto. Your credit utilization ratio, the amount of credit you use, is a primary factor in your credit score. The more credit you use, the more it affects your credit score. Making big crypto purchases uses up your available credit and quickly racks up fees, which will likely hurt your credit score. Here are the answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about buying cryptocurrencies with a credit card. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263021903200/can-i-buy-crypto-with-a-credit-card |
Who Is Peru's Presidential Candidate Keiko Fujimori? | In March, the Peruvian Public Prosecutor's Office requested 30 years in prison for the presidential candidate for alleged money laundering. Peru's right-wing presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori will face primary school teacher Pedro Castillo in the run-off elections to be held on June 6. According to national polls, the Fuerza Popular Party's leader will trail in the race for the presidency. Castillo is expected to get 40 percent of the votes in his favor while Fujimori could receive 37 percent of the votes. The unpopularity of the right-wing candidate is tied to the inheritance she received from her father, former president Alberto Fujimori (1990-2000), who is serving 25 years in prison for crimes against humanity. "Her father is a corrupt man and she supports all the bad things he did," said the relative of a young journalist who died in 1991 after a bomb exploded in the editorial office of the magazine Cambio, which opposed the Fujimori administration. LIVE FROM LIMA, PERU : Leading presidential candidate Pedro Castillo (@PedroCastilloTe) expresses grave concern about the electoral commission @JNE_Perus decision to block the @ProgIntl observer delegation. We wont let it happen, said Castillo.https://t.co/Cwb7LuwY8f Progressive International (@ProgIntl) June 2, 2021 Keiko, who has tried to become president on two other occasions, has been accused of corruption on several occasions. In March, the Peruvian Public Prosecutor's Office requested 30 years in prison for the candidate for alleged money laundering. According to Peruvian authorities, Keiko is accused of organized crime, justice obstruction, fraud in administrative proceedings, and false testimony. In recent weeks, thousands of Peruvians have taken to the streets protesting against her candidacy with signs reading, "Fujimori never again," and "That family is rotten." Keiko's popularity has always been low. In May, an Ipsos poll revealed that 45 percent of Peruvians said they would not vote for her in the upcoming run-off elections. | https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Who-Is-Perus-Presidential-Candidate-Keiko-Fujimori-20210603-0016.html |
What Is Billie Eilish's 'Lost Cause' About? | Billie Eilish's "Lost Cause" dismisses her former flame with a chill, Hot Girl Summer kiss-off. On Wednesday (June 2), the 19-year-old pop star debuted her new single and music video for "Lost Cause." The track marks the fourth single off of Eilish's forthcoming sophomore album, Happier Than Ever. The song details a specific day that an ex-boyfriend was supposed to be there for her, but wasn't. / You ran the shower and left them by the stairs," she sings. In the lyrics, Eilish reveals that she thought her lover had his "s--t together" but was wrong. She calls him a lost cause and that their relationship "ain't nothing like it once was," adding that he doesn't even have a job. Ouch. Watch the music video, directed by Eilish herself, below. Since its release, fans have speculated that the song could be inspired by Eilish's real-life ex-boyfriend, Q (a.k.a. Brandon Adams, also known as the rapper 7: AMP), who was previously mentioned in the singer's Apple TV+ documentary. In the film, Eilish said that she just wasnt happy" in the relationship. I didnt want the same things he wanted and I dont think thats fair for him," she explained in the doc. I dont think you should be in a relationship super excited about things that the other person couldnt care less about. And there was just a lack of effort, I think. I literally was just like, 'Dude, you don't even have enough love to love yourself, you can't love me. And you don't. Like, you think you do.'" According to Insider, Eilish even detailed feeling "lonely" and "miserable" on Valentine's Day. In March 2021, Adams wrote about their breakup in an Instagram Story. "There's always 2 sides to a situation," he shared, revealing that he was dealing with the death of his brothers at the time. "Sometimes people disagree and don't want the same things as one another. It's on you to understand there's several points of view to a situation." | https://wpst.com/billie-eilish-lost-cause-meaning/ |
When should parents and kids wear masks? What about summer camp? | THAT'S THE QUESTION MORE PARENTS WITH YOUNG CHILDREN ARE ASKING THEMSELVES ME OROFTEN NOW TTHA THE STATE HAS LIFTED MOST COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS. HERE TO SHARE HER ADVICE IS DR. KRISTIN MOFFITT, AN INFECTIOUS DISEASE SPECIALIST AT BOSTON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. SHE'SO ALS A MOM. GOOD TO SEE YOU. >> GOOD TO SEE YOU TOO. BEN: LOT OF FAMILIES HAVE BEEN SLOWLY RETURNING TO THEIR WEEKEND ROUTINES. QUICK TRIPS TO HOME DEPOT OR THE GROCERY STORE. MAYBE SHOPPING FOR CLOTHES ATTHE I WAS MORE COMFORTABLE DOING THIS A WEEK AGO. >> WELL, I THINK THE GOOD NEWS IS, CASE RESAT ARE DECLINING REALLY NICELY IN MASSACHUSETTS AND ELSEWHERE HERE IN THE U.S. I THINK IT IS A REASONABLE TIME TO SRTTA TO GET THE ENTIRE FAMILY A LITTLE BIT MORE USED TO THESE SCENARIOS THAT WE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WERE NORMAL SCENARIOS COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. THAT WOULDN MEA SOMEONE UNVACCINATED TAKING THOSE TRIPS OUT AND THEY WILL BE INDOORS, THEY'LL BE WEARING A MASK. >> WE'RE HEARING THIS QUESTION A LOT. IT'S A GREAT QUESTION. IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE AGE AND THE SORT OF LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING AND COMPLIANCE OF THE CHILD. IF A CHILD IS ABLE TO UNDERSTAND WHY A VACCINATED PARENT DOESN'T NEED TO WEAR A MASKER ANYMORE AND THAT WILL NOT HAVE AN IMPACT ON THAT CHILD WILLINGNESS TO WEAR A MASK. I DON'T THINK THE PARENT NEED TO WEAR A MASK. IF THE CHILD ISNG YOU ENOUGH AND THEY CAN'T UNDERSTANDHY W A VACCINATED PARENT DOESN'T NEED A MASK, IT WOULD MAKE IT MORE LIKELY THAT CHILD WILL KPEE THEIR MASK ON IF THE PARENT WEARING A MASK IN SHOW OF SOLIDARITY. THAT WILL BE A GOOD REASON A VACCINATED PARENT TO WEAR A MASK. BEN: LET'S TALK ABOUT SUMMER CAMP. IS THERE ANY OTHER INFORMATION YOU WOULD WANT TO KN?OW >> I THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE QUESTIONOR F PARENTS TO ASK. MAYBE EVEN MORE IMPORTANT QUESTION BECAUSE IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT SEOM STAFFAY M NOT HAVE BEEN VACCINATED FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT CHILDREN ATTENDING CAMP WILL NOT BE VACCINATED. ESPECIALLY IF IT'S CPAM FOR KIDS UNDER THE AGE OF 12. GOOD QUESTION IS WHAT THEY ARE PRECTIAUONS PLAN WILL BE FOR UNVACCINATED STAFF AND CAMPE.RS WILL THEY REQUIRE THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS WEAR MASKS WHEN THEY ARE INDOOR ACTIVITIES IN PARTICULAR. WILL THERE WILL BE SOME STOR OF SCREENING OR TESTING FOR UNVACCINATED INDIVIDUALS, ESPECIALLY MAY BE AT THE TIME OF ENTRY TO CAMP. PARTULARLYIC FOR SLEEPOVER CAMP. I THINK EVEN SEOM MORE GENERAL QUESTIONS ASIDE FROM VACCINATION STATUS WOULD HAVE TO DO WITH THE CAMP'S POLICIES THAT WILL BE IN PLACE RFO DAILY HEALTH SCREENS, WHETHER IT'S DAY CAMP OR OVERNIGHT CAMP. WHAT TIRHE PLANS WILL BE TO ISOLATE AN INDIVIDLUA SHOULD THEY BECOME SYSTEMATIC. DO THEY HAVE PLANS TO DO CONTACT TRACING IN THE EVENT THAT THERE IS AN EXPOSURE WHILET A CAMP FOR UNVACCINATED INDIVIDUALS. BEN:LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR PARENTS CHILDREN UNDER 12. IT'S VERY ENOUGH NOT OVER FOR TH GET LOCAL BREAKING NEWS ALERTS The latest breaking updates, delivered straight to your email inbox. Submit Privacy Notice | https://www.wcvb.com/article/when-should-parents-and-kids-wear-masks-what-about-summer-camp/36623906 |
Can third-placed teams qualify for European Championship knockout stages? How does it get decided? | The twenty-four teams competing at this summers European Championship are ready to go with the tournament a week away. Euro 2016 was the first competition to have 24 teams instead of 16 and that brought about the new rule of third-place finishers in the group stage still making it into the knockout stages. Getty 2 There is hope for Scotland in getting out of what is a tough group And as Portugal proved, you CAN finish third in your group and go on to take home the trophy. The opening game of the rescheduled Euro 2020 will take place between Turkey and Italy in Rome on Friday, June 11 and will be live on talkSPORT. The other qualified teams have then been split into six groups of four with the top two from each making it into knockout stages. Yes, finishing third does lead to qualification for the knockout stages but only for four of the best third-placed teams. All of the teams that finish third in the group stages of the Euros are put into a table. And their position in the table is determined firstly by how many points they picked up in the group stages. Euro 2020 Group Stage Group A Turkey Italy Wales Switzerland Group B Denmark Finland Belgium Russia Group C Netherlands Ukraine Austria North Macedonia Group D England Croatia Scotland Czech Republic Group E Spain Sweden Poland Slovakia Group F Hungary Portugal France Germany But if the teams cannot be separated by points, whichever team has the highest goal difference finishes higher up the table. If the table cannot be decided through points or goal difference, it then goes to the number of goals scored in the group stages. Should that not decide it, it then goes to fair play conduct followed by the teams UEFA ranking. Portugal qualified for the knockout stages of Euro 2016 via the third-placed route after drawing all three of their group games against Hungary, Iceland and Albania. Cristiano Ronaldo and co. then scraped their way through to the final of the competition, only winning one game inside 90 minutes against Wales in the semi-finals. And when they met home nation France in the final, an unlikely hero in Eder popped up in extra time to score the only goal of the game causing a massive upset. With Euro 2020 stacked with a host of quality teams, a third-place side could well go all the way again. | https://talksport.com/football/890021/third-placed-teams-qualify-euro-2020-knockout-stages/ |
Does It Take a Murder to Make a Hit HBO Show About Women? | Advertisement HBO has made a cottage industry out of this theme in recent yearsstarting with Sharp Objects followed by the monster hit Big Little Lies, and then with last years The Undoing and now Mare. Actors who can still legitimately be called movie stars flocked to the lead rolesAmy Adams, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman (twice), Kate Winslet. And how well these shows stuck the landing often had to do with how they delivered on the expectations set up by the murder mystery, even if the series interests lay elsewhere. Advertisement Advertisement Mares atmosphere and pacing of its early episodes fell firmly in the camp of detective shows like Broadchurchdramas that used a murder investigation as a way to explore the unremarkable and riveting details of small-town life. Kate Winslets Mare Sheehan doggedly follows leads in the murder investigation of a teen mom, Erin McMenamin, but there is no crazy evidence board of pins and strings, no late-night montages poring over files at the office. She cares about her job and solving the case, but the universe the show occupies is decidedly earthbound. The investigation feels more like a plot device to examine all the ways that the relationships in Mares down-and-out Pennsylvania town intersect and fold back on each other. Advertisement In all of these shows, the murder plot acts as both covergiving writers room to tell complicated stories about women while still adhering to a recognizable formatand an essential ingredient. This is the slow-burning territory Mare explores until the show takes a hard left into Silence of the Lambs territory, and from there, things actually get crazier. When Mares partnerthe appealing detective Colin Zabel, whos soft on Mareis killed in a shootout with a man whos been keeping kidnapped girls in his attic, I can honestly say it was the most shocking, out-of-nowhere onscreen death Id seen since Leonardo DiCaprio in The Departed. Advertisement Shows rise and fall based on whether viewers can accept what they see on the screen, even if they dont like it. This twist felt crazy, but not unearnedwed been hearing about a missing girl from Easttown, Katie Bailey, since the first episode. The challenge to shows like The Undoing, which cleverly uses the voyeurism that accompanies high profile murder cases as a way to poke around the lives and living rooms of very wealthy New Yorkers, is that it fancies itself a whodunit when it isnt. Advertisement The Undoing is more interested in exploring what happens when you cant trust the people youve built your life around, and it probably would have experienced less backlash if the show had fully leaned into that theme, instead of dangling semi-plausible suspects before revealing the killer was the person we thought it was all along. Because what makes this show fascinating is that the brutal killing of a mother at an elite private school in Manhattan is not the scariest thing about this show. Not even close. The most terrifying thing is that the protagonist, Grace Fraser, played by Nicole Kidman, is not married to the man she thought she was. Advertisement That moment spools out slowly. The first episode, beautifully shot, glides around New York City like a greatest hits albumgorgeous Fifth Avenue apartments, establishing shots of the Central Park reservoir, the interior of The Frick, and an internet-captivating parade of winter coats. Grace and Jonathan (played by Hugh Grant, whose talent for playing cads is an untapped goldmine) are in the sweet spot of a long marriage, familiar with every facet of the other person and yet still managing to like each other. Advertisement Then it all unravels. When Grace hears about the murder at her sons school, she cannot reach Jonathan, who is at a medical conference. When she calls his hotel, they have no record of him. It is a moment that demolishes the trust that makes any marriage or relationship work. You have to be able to believe your partner is on a business trip when they say they are on a business trip. Strip that away, and you have nothing. I suppose. Advertisement Advertisement What The Undoing understands is that if you take away the murder plot, you are left with the story of a wealthy woman whose husband has been having an affair and lying to her. By making it a crime drama, the show builds the dramatic stakes, even though the questions of how well we know the people we love is more relatable to audiences than getting swept up in a homicide investigation. Big Little Lies understands this as well. A show that focuses on a group of yoga-toned moms living in beautiful homes in Monterey, California wouldnt seem like an obvious choice to challenge our assumptions about trauma and domestic violence, but it does, in large part because the murder mystery signals it isnt just a frothy satire about Type A parenting. Similar to the way Sharp Objectswhere Amy Adams plays a reporter sent to her hometown to cover the story of a murdered girlshakes up our notions about what kinds of women commit crimes, Big Little Lies peels away misconceptions about domestic abuse. Nicole Kidman is extraordinary as Celeste Wright, a former high powered First Amendment lawyer who finds herself unable to leave a destructive, violent marriage. And because you spend a good chunk of the first season trying to figure out who has been killed rather than who committed the crime, Big Little Lies sidesteps the trap The Undoing falls into. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Sign up for the Slate Culture Newsletter The best of movies, TV, books, music, and more, delivered to your inbox. We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again. Please enable javascript to use form. Email address: Send me updates about Slate special offers. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms Sign Up Thanks for signing up! You can manage your newsletter subscriptions at any time. In all of these shows, the murder plot acts as both covergiving writers room to tell complicated stories about women while still adhering to a recognizable formatand an essential ingredient. Sensationalist attic detour notwithstanding, Mares home stretch confirmed it was the kind of show it told us it was all along. Yes, the finale churned through multiple red herrings before it got to the real killer, but even so, we werent watching a nail-biting hour about a cop getting her man. We were watching a story about a family imploding, and Mares reluctant role in it. It just happened to be wrapped in a pretty good whodunit. Even Mare of Easttowns showrunner Brad Ingelsby was surprised at how obsessed viewers were with the murder mystery. But the finale works because it is both genuinely surprising that the killer is Ryan Rossthe 13-year-old son of Mares best friend, Loriand devastating in a way that honors the themes of the show. Advertisement Ryan accidentally kills Erin while confronting her for having an affair with his father, and when Mare figures it out, you see her gasp in anguish. She has known Ryan his whole life; she knows Lori lied to her to protect him and that, as a mother, she would do the same thing. And yet, she doesnt hesitate. She doesnt go to Lori for a cup of tea to tell her that she knows. She heads to her house to arrest her son. This surprised me. In a way, by dialing the stakes up to an 11, the show forces us to reckon with its themes of mercy, friendship, and loss. I appreciated the way Mare took these questions on, and I also kept wondering what kind of show it would have been without the murder plot. Certainly Mares identity as a detective is central to her character, and perhaps the show would not have worked without that. While I want more stories about women that are considered high stakes on their own, even I have to admit that Im more drawn to series like The Undoing than domestic dramas. | https://slate.com/culture/2021/06/mare-of-easttown-undoing-big-little-lies.html?via=rss |
How effective have vaccine lotteries been so far? | A pensioner receives a shot of the Moderna coronavirus vaccine at the newly-opened mass vaccination center in Tokyo Monay, May 24, 2021. Japan opened mass-vaccination sites in two of the countrys biggest metropolitan areas, Tokyo and Osaka, with the goal of administering the shots to up to 15,000 elderly people a day. (Carl Carl Court/Pool Photo via AP) DENVER (KDVR) Even as states are incentivizing residents with chances to become a millionaire, data shows the lottery payout isnt enough to raise vaccination rates in Colorado and across the country. Colorado is offering $6 million worth of prizes for vaccinated individuals. It joins another dozen states in similar efforts, all aimed at spurring citizens to get vaccinated. While vaccine prizes have certainly spurred Coloradans to check their lottery eligibility, they havent driven people into vaccination clinics neither in Colorado, nor in states with vaccine prizes or in the United States at large. Both state- and nationwide, we are currently seeing the lowest vaccination rates since January. The programs were only announced in late May at the earliest and so far have not had much time to generate public excitement. Still, public health records show little impact in the states that have implemented vaccine prize programs. Colorados program, announced May 25, has not yet interrupted the states sustained downward slide in vaccination rates since their peak in April. The number of daily Colorado vaccines has tumbled nearly 40,000 a day on average since April. As of June 1, the 7-day average for daily vaccines was 15,500. The states average daily vaccination totals havent been that low since mid-January. The Colorado vaccine lottery announcement did not slow the rate of decline in vaccinations. There are 12,000 fewer daily vaccinations now than when Gov. Jared Polis announced the lottery on May 25. None of the other states that offer vaccine prizes have seen their downward vaccine demand halt, either. According to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and data compiled by the Washington Post, none of the states that offer vaccine rewards have seen upward trends in vaccination rates. In the most recent weeks, the states that offer vaccine rewards have seen daily vaccinations fall an average 38% from the week before. Only Delaware, which is offering vaccine scholarships, hasnt seen a week-over-week vaccine rate decline of greater than 30%. Nor have vaccine programs interrupted the nations trend. The United States administered an average 690,000 vaccines on June 1. Thats the lowest 7-day vaccination average to be seen since January 7. | https://kdvr.com/news/how-effective-have-vaccine-lotteries-been-so-far/ |
Why and when do COVID-19 vaccines expire? | Thats now a critical question as the Biden administration prepares to send tens of millions of unused COVID-19 doses abroad to help curb the pandemic. Some state officials have said in recent days that they have unused doses that may expire by the end of the month, and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that looming expiration dates were a factor as the administration works to get the doses sent out as quickly as possible. Advertisement Many drugs and vaccines can last for years if stored properly, but all can eventually start losing effectiveness, much like how food can degrade in a pantry. Vaccine providers keep an eye on the expiration dates that come with each batch to ensure theyre using up their supplies in time. Expiration dates for vaccines are determined based on data the manufacturer submits to regulators showing how long the shots stay at sufficient strength, said former Food and Drug Administration vaccine chief Norman Baylor. Its called a potency assay, and it can vary by vaccine. Some vaccines, such as tetanus shots, typically last two years if properly stored. Like many perishable items, COVID-19 vaccines remain stable longer at lower temperatures. The vaccines authorized in the U.S. made by Pfizer and BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson can last for up to about six months from the time of manufacture, depending on how theyre stored. But the COVID-19 vaccines are new, and vaccine manufacturers have continued to test samples of batches in the months since the shots first rolled out, Baylor said. Depending on the results of those tests, the expiration dates could be extended. | https://www.latimes.com/science/story/2021-06-03/why-and-when-do-covid-19-vaccines-expire |
What Imaging Method Is Best in Primary Hyperparathyroidism? | When it comes to identifying primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT), choline positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET-CT) may be the way to go. In a meta-analysis of 119 comparative studies, choline PET-CT had the highest sensitivity for localization of primary hyperparathyroidism, Seong-Jang Kim, MD, PhD, of Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital in Korea, and colleagues reported in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery. When compared with other imagining techniques including technetium (Tc) 99m sestamibi (MIBI) single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), choline PET-CT had significantly higher sensitively in both a patient-based analysis (OR 5.22, 95% credible interval [CrI] 2.36-11.80) and a lesion-based analysis (OR 17.70, 95% CrI 5.79-60.10). The researchers also classified all imaging types into eight representative imaging categories. Among these, choline PET-CT had the highest surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) value in both patient-based and lesion-based analyses. Trailing behind choline PET-CT, CT imaging alone had the second highest SUCRA value in patient-based analyses, followed by carbon 11-labeled methionine (MET) PET-CT, MIBI planar, MIBI single-photon emission, MRI, dual tracer, and ultrasonography (US). "The results of this [network meta-analysis] clearly showed that choline PET-CT, either FCH [fluorocholine] or CCH [carbon 11-labeled choline], should be the imaging method of choice for localization of pHPT in both patient-based and lesion-based analyses," Kim's group suggested. "Among the various imaging methods, traditionally, neck US and parathyroid scintigraphy (either with SPECT or SPECT-CT) using the dual tracer subtraction technique or dual phase of MIBI have been well established for preoperative localization of pHPT, although there was no clear consensus on the optimal imaging approach," the researchers wrote. For the study, they performed a systematic review of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases to find 119 direct comparative studies that included at least two imaging modalities of primary hyperparathyroidism. These studies included 48 that were prospective analyses, and 37 of which were performed after 2010. Data on 8,495 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The group further divided the preoperative imaging techniques into eight main categories: Choline PET-CT, including FCH PET-CT, FCH PET-MRI, and CCH PET-CT MET PET-CT MIBI SPECT, including MIBI SPECT-CT, MIBI pinhole SPECT, MIBI SPECT-contrast-enhanced CT, Tc 99m tetrofosmin (TF) SPECT, and TF SPECT-CT MIBI planar, including MIBI pinhole and TF planar Dual tracer, including MIBI-Tc subtraction, MIBI-iodine 123 subtraction, TF-Tc subtraction, and thallium 201-Tc subtraction with planar, pinhole, SPECT, or SPECT-CT US including contrast-enhanced US, high-resolution US with color Doppler, 3-D US, endoscopic US, and surgeon-performed US CT, including 4D-CT and dual-energy CT MRI including 3T-MRI and dynamic MR angiography The researchers called surgical resection of abnormal parathyroid glands through neck exploration "the mainstay for curative treatment" for primary hyperparathyroidism, and explained that proper image-guided exploration is key for performing minimally invasive parathyroidectomies. Choosing the best technique can improve clinical outcomes, including reducing operation times, length of hospital stay, costs, and bolstering patient satisfaction, the team said. Writing in an accompanying commentary, Martin Almquist, MD, PhD, of Skne University Hospital in Lund, Sweden, noted that it can be difficult to find diseased glands in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and that "even high-volume, experienced surgeons are sometimes unable to cure their patients." A major strength of the study was that it incorporated all existing available interventions -- something that is rare, he said. "The present study indicates that FCH PET/CT has promise to be the imaging modality that parathyroid surgeons have longed for," Almquist stated, adding, however, that this still needs to be confirmed with a randomized clinical trial comparing this imaging technique with standard imaging. "Currently, more than one imaging study is often needed to provide accurate localization for pHPT. The present study indicates that there is great potential for FCH PET/CT to replace all other imaging modalities as a one-stop parathyroid imaging procedure," he concluded. | https://www.medpagetoday.com/endocrinology/thyroid/92907 |
What Can We Expect When The Bidens Meet With The Queen? | If ever you needed a sign that life is slowly going back to normal, heres some news for you. President Biden is going to meet Queen Elizabeth at Windsor Castle in June, their first meeting since he took over the Oval Office in January. So heres to a return of pomp and circumstance and hopefully seeing Biden trying to awkwardly bow before Her Majesty or maybe even telling a dad joke about being a scrappy kid from Scranton. Glorious. President Biden has yet to travel to the United Kingdom for an official royal visit with Queen Elizabeth, presumably due to travel restrictions put in place because of COVID-19. Now that the United States is on track to reach Bidens goal of 70% of adults receiving their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine by July 4 and 75% of adults in the U.K. have also been vaccinated, the time has come. For Biden to meet Queen Elizabeth on her own turf along with First Lady Jill Biden by his side. Hell be in town for the G7 summit anyhow, so the timing couldnt be better. President Biden will meet the Queen. The Queen will meet the President of the United States of America and First Lady Jill Biden at Windsor Castle on Sunday, 13th June 2021, Buckingham Palace announced in a social media statement on Thursday. This will be the first major meeting between Queen Elizabeth and a world leader since the death of her husband Prince Philip in April. Queen Elizabeth rode on the grounds of Windsor Castle with President Reagan. John Shelley Collection/Avalon/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images As the longest reigning British monarch in history, Queen Elizabeth has met every president other than President Lyndon Johnson since she became queen. Thats 12 presidents in total. She even had lunch with President Trump in 2019. While we dont know exactly whats on the agenda, in the past Queen Elizabeth has chatted with presidents about horseback riding (President Reagan) and recipes for grilled scones (President Eisenhower). After such a long dry spell without major visits, anything could happen. Joe Biden met Prince Charles. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images Neither President Biden nor his wife Jill Biden is a stranger to the royal family. Both have worked with Prince Harry on events like Global Vax Live and his Invictus Games, and President Biden met with Prince Charles when he was vice president during the Obama administration. So it would certainly make sense for other members of the royal family like Kate Middleton and Prince William to attend Queen Elizabeths meeting with the Bidens. Especially now that she is 95 years old and without her husband by her side as support. All in all, this royal visit with the president is shaping up to be one of those flashy historic moments weve been waiting for. | https://www.romper.com/life/biden-meet-queen-elizabeth |
Could Philly get another pro football team in 2022? | The United States Football League announced Thursday that it will be returning to the gridiron next spring for the first time since the organization went out of business in the mid-1980s. The league said it will aim to have a minimum of eight teams when play kicks off in 2022 and that team names from the original league could return. More information on potential cities, teams, head coaches and game schedules will be unveiled at a later date, the league said. "We look forward to providing players a new opportunity to compete in a professional football league and giving fans everywhere the best football viewing product possible during what is typically a period devoid of professional football," USFL co-founder Brian Woods said. Started in 1983, the USFL originally played in the spring and summers seasons, which is the plan for the new incarnation, so that it didn't have to go up against the NFL and college football. The league began with 12 teams for its inaugural season and eventually had as many as 18 franchises. However, after only three years, the USFL folded following the 1985 season after the league had decided to switch to the fall for the 1986 season and compete directly against the NFL. The attempt to switch seasons and a subsequent antitrust lawsuit against the NFL made the USFL all but bankrupt, forcing the latter to cease operations. The Philadelphia Stars were arguably the original USFL's most successful franchise. Owned by real estate magnate Myles Tanenbaum, who originally wanted to nickname them the Stallions in honor of Rocky Balboa, the Stars played at Veterans Stadium during the 1983 and 1984 seasons. The team also had a few playoff games in 1984 at Franklin Field due to a scheduling conflict with the Phillies. During that two-year-span, the Stars had the USFL's best record, winning a pair of Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference titles on its way to appearing in the USFL championship game both seasons. The Stars lost to the Michigan Panthers in the 1983 championship game in Denver, but the team bounced back to win the 1984 USFL championship over the Arizona Wranglers in Tampa. Coached by Jim Mora, who would go on to become a head coach in the NFL with the Saints and Colts, the Stars were loaded with talent. Former NFL quarterback and Penn State star Chuck Fusina was the MVP of the 1984 championship game and the USFL's most outstanding quarterback that year. Running back Kelvin Bryant, who would go on to win a Super Bowl title with the Washington Football Team, was the league MVP in 1983. Sean Landeta would go on to become one of the greatest NFL punters of all-time, earning seven All-Pro selections, two Pro Bowl nods and two Super Bowl titles with the Giants. Landeta returned to Philadelphia and played for the Eagles from 1999-2002 and during the 2005 season. Linebacker Sam Mills also went on to have a strong NFL career with the Saints and Panthers, as he was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and three-time All-Pro honoree. However, as the USFL sought to shift its schedule to the fall, the franchise was forced to relocate, as it was unable to play in Veterans Stadium at the same time as the Eagles. The Stars relocated to Baltimore for the 1985 season after the NFL's Baltimore Colts infamously left for Indianapolis in the middle of the night. The team went on to win the USFL championship again in 1985 before the league folded. Now, with the USFL eyeing a return to play during the NFL's offseason, one would think that clears a path for a second pro football franchise returning to Philadelphia next spring. History, however, has not been kind to alternative pro football leagues that have tried to take a swing at the NFL's year-round dominance. The original XFL played only one season in 2001 before going out of business. The league returned in 2020, only to be shut down again five weeks into its inaugural season as the COVID-19 pandemic began. Now owned by a group that consists of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, the XFL is expected to return to the field in 2022. The Alliance of American Football, or more simply known as the AAF, couldn't even make it through its entire inaugural season in 2019 before going bankrupt. Perhaps the most successful alternative pro football league to date has been the Arena Football League. Started in 1987, the AFL lasted for 32 years before going out of business in 2019. Similarly to the USFL, the concept of indoor arena football was successful in Philadelphia. The Soul was the last alternative pro football team in the city, and it was one of the final six AFL franchises before the league folded two years ago. Founded in 2004 by Jon Bon Jovi, the Soul played its games at the Wells Fargo Center and the Spectrum. The team won 3 AFL titles, four conference championships, four division titles and made 11 playoff appearances. Even after the AFL briefly went out of business in 2009, former Eagles quarterback Ron Jaworski bought the team and returned the Soul to action in 2011 following a two-year hiatus. The reborn USFL is highly unlikely to cut into the NFL's reign atop the professional sports landscape in the U.S. But if the USFL wants to have long-term success, bringing a franchise back to Philadelphia is an absolute no-brainer. There's no such thing as too much football for Philadelphians, and the success of both the Stars and the Soul show that this city can and will embrace an alternative to the Eagles. A USFL franchise will never reach the same heights of fandom in the region as the Birds, but it can count on a dedicated fanbase showing up to games at Lincoln Financial Field or whichever stadium it calls home. | https://www.phillyvoice.com/united-states-football-league-usfl-return-spring-2022-philadelphia-stars-new-team/ |
Could Median Points Per Game be the Future of Fantasy Football Analysis? | The competition in fantasy football is constantly evolving, yet the industry still uses an arcane season-long grade for how players finish. Youve heard the arguments: So-and-so finished as the WR23 last year and I could see him finishing top-15 this year. The baby step forward has been the push for Average Points Per Game, commonly abbreviated as PPG. Viewing a players weekly production is helpful in making weekly roster decisions for season-long leagues as well as daily fantasy games. However, there is still a better way. That way is Median Points Per Game (MPPG will work as an abbreviation). If you dont remember your middle-school math work, dont worry, class is about to begin! Why Season-long finish is not helpful A players point total is impacted by far too many variables to be helpful in predicting how a player will perform in the future. A cumulative number such as 150 PPR points (the typical PPR total for the RB30) doesnt provide any insight into how that player got to that number. There is no accounting for any variance and without games played next to the point total, there is little to create context. Take for instance Nick Chubb's 2020 season. He finished with 207.7 PPR points and was RB11. He was one spot behind Kareem Hunt who earned 218.5 PPR points. The missing piece of context is that Chubb played four fewer games than Hunt. Why Average Points Per Game is better, but still not good enough Keeping our example from above, we can calculate Chubbs and Hunts Average Points Per Game (APPG). Since Chubb played fewer games and had similar total points, his APPG (17.3) is significantly higher than Hunts 13.7. This is helpful because it provides an estimate for what can be the expected output for Chubb on a given week. The problem is that this estimate is wildly inaccurate for fantasy football. One issue lies in the actual math used to calculate an average. APPG is simply the year-long (or another cumulative time frame) total points divided by the number of games played. So by using APPG, you have not untethered from the players season-long total. The other mathematical issue is that an average assumes a normal distribution (think bell curve from middle-school science) in order to be accurate. In a normal distribution, the average and median will be the same since there is equal weight on both sides of the average and median. However, when the data is non-normal, or skewed in one direction, the average and median will have different values depending on the direction and magnitude of the skew. To further prove the flaws of using average in vastly non-normal data sets, statisticians and middle-school math teachers tell a joke. A guy and four of his best friends are at the bar. They all make around the same amount in yearly income with an average of $50,000 a year. For some unknown reason, Bill Gates, who earned over $7 billion in 2019 walks through the door. Happy day! The guy and his friends all just became billionaires . . . on average. This is a bad joke even by dad-joke standards, but it is an attempt to explore the impact of introducing a data point that transforms a normal curve to a non-normal curve. Why Median Points Per Game is better As shown in the image above, the median is closer to the hump in each case and the average (mean) remains relatively unchanged. Even in the bad joke above, the median income would remain much more reflective of the income of the guy and his friends as opposed to the average income which was the punchline of the joke. When we look at these images above, it should be clear that the median is a closer estimation of where the majority of values fall within a data set. To prove this point, the following image is a histogram of Tyler Locketts PPR points for each week of the 2020 season. Locketts histogram is similar to the third distribution in the image above. As the third distribution details, the mean is greater than the median despite the majority of values being on the lower end. Over the course of the full 2020 season, Locketts APPG was 16.8 despite having only six games that were above this number. That is an astonishingly low 37.5% of games above his average points per game. Locketts MPPG was 10.9 and, by definition, half of his games (eight) were above this number. Locketts 53-point game was more than likely a game-winner. For reference, 10.9 PPR points was at best the WR33, at worst the WR46 (twice), and would have been WR36 or worse 16 out of 17 weeks during the 2020 season. Locketts 16.6 APPG ranks 12th for 2020, yet he did not produce weekly scoring that would make fantasy owners happy outside of three really big weeks. Locketts MPPG for the typical fantasy season (Weeks 1 through 16) was 10.2 and was tied for 48th; his APPG was 17th at 14.4. While Lockett is an extreme example of APPG overvaluing a player, you can use MPPG to find players that are being undervalued by APPG. Any time a players median is greater than their average, they are scoring more points on a more consistent basis. Brandon Aiyuk is a prime example. Although Aiyuk played only 12 games, he outscored his average in seven of these games; just under 60% of the time. His average points per game from Week 1 through Week 16 was 15.4, barely outside the typical weekly WR2 range. Yet, his MMPG for this time period was 18.6, over three points higher, and puts him squarely in the middle of the WR2 range. Comparing the weeks in which Lockett and Aiyuk both played, Aiyuk scored more points than Lockett six of the 11 times even though his APPG was almost a point and a half less. Median points per game is the next step in the evolution of understanding football data. It breaks from the context-less end-of-year totals completely in a way that APPG simply cannot. Furthermore, it more accurately reflects the brunt of a players scores leading to more accurate predictions. For more on median points per game, be sure to follow me on Twitter as I will be working all offseason to spread the word as much as possible. | https://www.si.com/nfl/draft/fantasy-football/could-median-points-per-game-be-the-future-of-fantasy-football-analysis |
When will Harriet Tubman adorn the $20 bill? | President Bidens White House basked in praise from allies in its early days when it pledged to look for ways to speed up the process of putting abolitionist Harriet Tubman on the front of the $20 bill, replacing President Andrew Jackson, who owned enslaved people and forcibly relocated Native Americans. But four months after taking office, there is little evidence that the administration has taken any steps to accelerate the schedule set out years ago by a small agency within the Treasury Department. Despite the growing national push to honor the contributions of women and people of color and Bidens personal promise to do so Tubman is still not set to appear on the $20 by the end of Bidens first term, or even a hypothetical second term. If the current timeline holds, it will have taken a full 16 years to realize the suggestion of a 9-year-old girl whose 2014 letter to then-President Barack Obama publicly launched the process. That strikes some as an embarrassment. If we can put a helicopter on Mars, we ought to be able to design a $20 bill in less than 20 years. Its all about commitment. U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H. If we can put a helicopter on Mars, we ought to be able to design a $20 bill in less than 20 years, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said in an interview. Its all about commitment. The Tubman battle has become a case study in the difficulty of marshaling the bureaucratic machinery of government, according to activists whove been working for years to change Americas paper money to reflect what they say are its current values. Advertising The delay is notable in part because Biden relied on a coalition of women and Black voters to win the White House and promised to mobilize every element of government to promote gender and racial equity. There has never been a Black person on the U.S. currency, nor has there been a woman on a bill in the modern era, despite repeated attempts to diversify the currency. Biden has made other efforts to update the nations imagery. He recently became the first president to visit Tulsa in commemoration of a race massacre there. He ordered that the Oval Office be cleared of a portrait of Jackson, who oversaw the Indian Removal Act that led to the Trail of Tears. President Donald Trump had installed the portrait of the seventh president, who is admired by some traditionalists for his populism and frontier image. But removing the portrait has proved much easier than accelerating the actions of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, a unit of the Treasury Department, which critics say displays scant interest in transforming the currency. Theyre really happy to kick this as far down the road as possible, maybe until cryptocurrency takes over, said Barbara Ortiz Howard, founder of Women on 20s, an advocacy group. They dont want to make the change, which I think is the only explanation for all of this nonsense. Treasury officials say changing the portrait on the $20 is not as simple as it sounds, largely because of the need for sophisticated anti-counterfeiting features. We are committed to the goal of redesigning U.S. currency to better reflect the history and diversity of our country, Len Olijar, director of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, said in a statement. But the security of our currency remains paramount. Advertising Tubman is a unique figure in American history, escaping from slavery to become a well-known conductor on the Underground Railroad that led enslaved people to freedom. She worked as a spy for the Union army during the Civil War, and after the victory threw herself into helping formerly enslaved people. The honor of appearing on a countrys currency is inherently limited to a small group of national heroes. It enshrines a person as emblematic of a countrys values not through a remote monument, but as a familiar symbol used in daily activity. Americas paper money features an array of white male leaders: George Washington on the $1, Thomas Jefferson on the $2, Abraham Lincoln on the $5, Alexander Hamilton on the $10, Jackson on the $20, Ulysses S. Grant on the $50 and Benjamin Franklin on the $100. (In previous eras, some were more obscure; Grover Clevelands likeness graced the now-defunct $1,000.) The Treasury Department announced in 2016 that Tubman would replace Jackson, and ever since lawmakers and activists have been pushing to make it actually happen. Shaheen said she spoke privately to Bidens aides during the transition, adding, I think theyre serious. The question is: Given all the challenges, how do we expedite it? In the House, Reps. Joyce Beatty, D-Ohio, and John Katko, R-N.Y., are drafting a letter to the Biden administration asking for an updated timeline on the Tubman move, according to a congressional aide familiar with the effort who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss private plans. Beatty, who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus, introduced legislation in January to require that any $20 bill printed after 2024 include a portrait of Tubman. Advertising Olijar said the schedule for new currency is recommended by a group called the Advanced Counterfeit Deterrence committee, which advises the treasury secretary on anti-counterfeiting issues. Under that schedule, both the $10 and the $50 notes are set to be released ahead of the $20. The primary reason currency is redesigned is for security against current and potential counterfeiting threats, Olijar said. The redesign timeline is driven by security feature development. Two senior Treasury officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, declined to say whether Secretary Janet Yellen would consider changing the order so the $20 could be produced ahead of the $10, or if Tubman might be moved to the $10 instead, as some boosters have suggested. (Hamilton might be hard to dislodge from the $10, given his popularity following the smash Broadway musical about his life.) Changing Americas money has long been a glacial process. One Treasury aide said the blue thread that appears in the recently released $100 bill took the government a decade to develop. Obamas treasury secretary, Jack Lew, who publicly announced in 2016 that Tubman would go on the $20, said in an interview that he regularly prodded the Bureau of Engraving to accelerate its timeline. The bureaucracy thought I was pushing them too hard. I think its OK to push, Lew said. But you dont push by saying, I dont care about security, you push by being respectful, asking questions and having a respectful back and forth. Sponsored Lew said the process was mind-numbingly slow, but said some of the technical challenges are real and cannot be rushed. My approach was a push, but not break, Lew said. I wouldnt advocate pushing and breaking. Although some Democrats criticized the Trump administration for purportedly delaying the change, several government officials of both parties said that was not the case and the delay had more to do with bureaucratic obstacles. The Trump administration adhered to the Obama administrations timetable while working as quickly as possible to develop a new note, said Monica Crowley, who served as spokeswoman for Trumps treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin. Given the complexity of the process, its no wonder the Biden administration has also decided not to accelerate the bills release, if they release it at all. Meanwhile Bureau officials successfully pushed for a new building, telling Congress they need the new $1.4 billion facility, to support the next generation of currency scheduled for release over the coming decade. It is on course to be constructed in Beltsville, Md., about 100 miles from Tubmans childhood home, which was recently discovered on the states Eastern Shore. Complicating matters further, the effort to change the Jackson portrait is caught up in a 2008 court order that any new currency must include some kind of tactile signifier, similar to Braille, so those who are blind or visually impaired can distinguish between various denominations. The American Council for the Blind sued the Treasury Department in 2002 to force the agency to add such features, and a federal judge ultimately ordered that the next security overhaul of the nations currency must include some type of tactile element. Advertising Like supporters of the Tubman portrait, representatives of the blind are still waiting. Unless President Biden or someone at the White House gets actively involved with this issue, in negotiating a resolution or holding folks accountable, its not going to end, said Eric Bridges, executive director of the American Council of the Blind, who has been involved with the litigation for years. Bridges added, The combination of Harriet Tubman adorning this first piece of accessible currency would make a powerful statement. Among those objecting to the tactile features are banks, who say it would cost billions for changes including upgrading ATMs and argue that the process of stacking currency would become more problematic. Still, countries including Canada and Australia have features on their currency that allow blind people to distinguish one denomination from another. Some advocates for Tubman have joined forces with activists pushing for the tactile features. Both groups says these all of these matters could be addressed far more quickly if the administration threw its weight behind the changes. And researchers say that the Tubman change has been slowed by all the other matters, including the security overhaul. Advertising It doesnt cost very much to change the portraiture its just the everything else that theyre trying to do at the same time, said Ruth Anne Robbins, a Rutgers law professor who co-wrote a paper on changes to the currency. People have been asking now for just about a century to please put some women on the money. It doesnt cost very much to change the portraiture its just the everything else that theyre trying to do at the same time. Ruth Anne Robbins, law professor who co-wrote a paper on changes to the currency Her research shows how much easier it was to put Jackson on the currency than its proving to get him off it. When the modern currency was first designed nearly a century ago, then-Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon received a typed memo from his staff suggesting individuals to be honored on the new bills, a copy of which was unearthed in the National Archives by Robbins and her colleague Genevieve Tung. The October 1927 memo listed former President Grover Cleveland as the proposed face of the $20 and Jackson for the $1,000. Mellon crossed their names out and, with his pencil, ordered their positions reversed. Reflecting on why the process to install Tubman is by comparison so much more involved, Robbins suggested, Theres nobody who was really charged with making it happen. The Washington Posts Jeff Stein contributed to this report. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation-politics/when-will-harriet-tubman-adorn-the-20-bill/ |
Can Elites Start the Climate Revolution? | An expert's point of view on a current event. Last week, the management of both Exxon Mobil and Chevron lost battles with green activist shareholders. A third oil major, Shell, was ordered by a Dutch court to dramatically step up its climate effort. This followed a damning judgment in April by the German supreme court on Berlins plan for decarbonization. The International Energy Agency (IEA), formerly a bastion of the fossil fuel industry, laid out a demanding path to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. And to cap it all off, Ford launched its F-150 electric truck. It is hard to exaggerate the symbolic significance of these events. The F-150 is the most widely used vehicle in the United States. Eight percent of American workers are thought to use an F-series vehicle at their job every day. Making it electric doesnt make this behemoth any less dangerous to pedestrians. Its huge electric engines still suck vast amounts of energy. The batteries that drive the F-150 Lightning electric truck are large enough to power a house for three days. This is not what the future of sustainable mobility looks like. We need to get smarter in the way we use power, not find new green ways to do the same dumb things. Nevertheless, with its brutish appeal, the new F-150 might just transform the electric-vehicle market in the United States. If Ford defined the age of automobile, Exxonthe main heir of Standard Oilis a pillar of the oil business. Like no other firm, it embodies the link between capitalism and environmental destruction. Exxon was once a corporate bastion of climate denial. Now, capitalism is delivering its verdict on Exxon. An ill-judged venture into shale just as the bottom fell out of the oil market in 2014 has turned a solid blue-chip stock into a destroyer of shareholder value. After 92 years in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Exxon was dumped from the index of major companies in 2020. What the activist shareholders are demanding is that Exxon recognize the scale of the challenge posed by climate change to its basic business model. They would not have prevailed if it had not been for backing of big money. Nor was it just the progressive public pension funds that voted against the management. The giant asset managers Blackrock and Vanguard supported the dissident shareholder vote. Behind them stand tens of trillions of dollars, all of them with environmental and social mandates. If Exxons management can be challenged, anyones can. Unlike Exxon, Shell fancies itself as a climate leader. It has a plan for net-zero by 2050. But the Dutch court wants more. Agreeing with a case brought by nongovernmental organizations and 17,000 citizen plaintiffs, it ordered Shell to cut its emissions by 45 percent by 2030. Shell must take responsibility for all the emissions created by the use of its fuels, and it must be responsible for them wherever they are burned in the world. The question raised by the events of last month is whether oil is about to go the way of tobacco. In the 1990s, the American cigarette business was upended by giant lawsuits that resulted in a settlement figured in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The oil majors certainly have enough skeletons in their closet. Since the 1980s, their own scientists have been warning them about the risks of their business model. Significantly, when the business-backed Climate Leadership Council first offered its support for carbon pricing in 2017, this came with a demand that the parties to the agreement be exempt from liability for damages from past emissions that were legal at the time. If courts can humble businesses, they can call governments to order, too. Germany is often treated as a green champion. Even a casual glance at the emissions statistics shows that that reputation is ill deserved. For all its solar panels, Germanys industrial sector is too power-hungry and its coal-fired power stations too large. The coal exit plan carefully stitched together in 2019 calls for the last coal-burning power plant to be shut down only in 2038. Now, Germanys own constitutional court has called its bluff. It has ruled that the lack of specific climate policy targets from 2031 onward means that Germanys current climate policy does not adequately consider the constraints it will impose on future generations. The court makes this ruling in the knowledge that on its current course Germany will have largely exhausted its permissible carbon budget by 2031. If Germanys current climate laws were required to spell out an adjustment path all the way to 2050, beyond 2030 they would be extraordinarily draconian. By requiring a comprehensive plan, the court is effectively forcing Berlin to increase its ambition over the next 10 years. Conservative commentators have spluttered about judicial activism and the diktat of climate correctness. But the mainstream political parties do not dare to flout the courts ruling and the wave of enthusiasm it has unleashed. For candidates, going into the election that will decide the successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel as a climate laggard would be political suicide. Alternative for Germany is the only party that ignores the mainstream scientific consensus on climate change, and it is in danger of falling below 10 percent in the polls. The Greens, who are on course for a big success in the September general election, are campaigning on a 500 billion-euro (over $600 billion) investment program, equivalent to about 1.5 percent of GDP per year, and a carbon price of 60 euros ($73) by 2023. Once, those figures would have seemed outlandish. Today, the European Unions Emissions Trading Systemwhich covers industry and power generation accounting for about half of Europes total emissionsalready prices a metric ton of carbon emissions at over 50 euros. In addition, in 2019 Germany introduced a national carbon levy to cover transportation and domestic heating, the main sectors exempted from the Emissions Trading System. To address the concerns of the supreme court judgment, the tax will likely be increased. This summer, Europe is set to follow Germanys lead and to set a timetable for widening the system to cover all major sources of emissions. Put all these elements together and you have the fantasy of an enlightened energy transition. Politics, the law, and capital come together to engineer a dramatic change. It is late in the day, but perhaps its not too late to escape the nightmare of runaway global heating. Not for nothing, such senior business figures as Joe Kaeser, a former CEO of Siemens, are endorsing the Greens. The long-promised coalition for green modernization may finally be taking shape. It would be churlish to deny the scale of the shift. In Europe and in large parts of public and business life in the United States, climate protection is now mainstream. That matters. Expectations of the future are formed collectivity. The more widely the expectation of net-zero by 2050 is shared, the more credible individual commitments to that goal become. So long as politicians are committed, decarbonization becomes a one-way bet for markets and investors. The more private money is committed, the easier it becomes for politicians to sign up, too. Energy transition becomes a self-sustaining collective movement, backed up by legal measures, political will, big money, and rapid technological change, which makes green solutions cheap and popular. For all the excitement in the current moment, there is reason to be cautious. The NextGenEU recovery package, in which 30 percent of the resources are devoted to climate policy, has finally been approved. It took a year. It could take several more months for funds to be actually disbursed. Given the ambitious targets set for 2030, nine years from now, delay on this scale is a serious matter. In terms of actual climate spending, the crisis of 2020 was largely a bust. More money went toward supporting fossil-fuel sectors than new energy solutions. Far from accelerating, spending on new solar and wind installation in Europe has flagged in recent years. Planning regulation and NIMBYism stymie efforts to build wind farms and roll out transmission lines. For Europe to meet the demand for green electricity implied by net-zero, there needs to be a huge step up in the pace of investment. And energy consumption has, as far as possible, to be squeezed. Investment alone will not suffice. Squeezing consumption will ultimately mean raising prices. And this raises the specter of the French yellow vest protests. They were triggered by a horribly misjudged combination of a hike in the price of diesel and a tax cut for the rich. To avoid a repeat, the obvious thing to do is to redistribute the funds generated by the sale of emissions permits and carbon taxes to compensate those on low incomes who are hit hardest by energy price increases. But in the European Union, control of the revenue from the sale of emissions permits is jealously guarded by the member states, as are decisions over welfare spending. A Europewide carbon dividend scheme will likely be regarded as a Trojan horse for fiscal federalism. The Biden administration came in promising that climate was key to its entire agenda. But the one big spending plan it has actually delivered, the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, contained next to nothing on climate. The much-hailed infrastructure program is struggling in the U.S. Congress. There can be no proliferation of electrically powered trucks unless charging stations are rolled out. And the power they deliver has to be green. A fleet of megatrucks powered by coal- or gas-burning power plants would be utterly counterproductive. President Joe Bidens team promises to introduce a clean energy standard that will ensure that all electricity utilities are carbon-neutral by 2035, but they have to walk a tightrope in Congress. And even in the best case, if the Biden administration gets all it wants, that still leaves the United States without a carbon pricing system. In the United States right now, neither the right nor the left likes the idea of carbon pricing: the right because it threatens what they regard as the American way of life, and the left because it is seen as a license to pollute for the most affluent. But there is no plausible scenario for comprehensive decarbonization without carbon pricing. Regulations can tackle the most egregious sources of pollution. Investment can help lower the cost of green energy. The problem is that it can also encourage an offsetting increase in energy consumption. A carbon tax will help to squeeze dirty energy consumption out of the entire system. A cap-and-trade system, like the European Emissions Trading System, is even better, because it sets an upper limit to total emissions. Exxons weakness right now is an effect of the 2014 oil price shock and a high-risk investment strategy. But it is not dead yet. The oil price has bounced back to close to $70. If that is sustained, by the end of this year Exxon will be in much better shape and so too will a large part of the U.S. shale industry. What we need is a hike in prices for consumers to cut back demand while ensuring that prices for producers stay low, so as to halt new investment and run down the fossil fuel sector. What drives in the wedge between rising consumer prices and falling producer price is a tax, or its analogue in the form of an emissions trading system. As the IEA argues, in its surprisingly radical report, we need an immediate cessation of all new investment in oil and gas exploration. To have that effect, the price squeeze has to be sustained not over years but decades. According to the IEA, the price for consumers needs to rise to $130 per metric ton of carbon emissions by 2030 and $250 by 2050. To wind down the oil and gas sector, the price for producers needs to fall below the average of the 2020 COVID-19 recession and stay there. For coal, the target price by 2050 is less than half its depressed level in 2020. That is a large adjustment. Even for a rich country like the United States, where energy production is a small part of the economy and energy consumption is a small part of household consumption, it is a tough proposition, requiring sectional interests to be outmaneuvered and the right offsetting welfare payments to be put in place. For the world as a whole, where energy-hungry economic development is still a necessity and budgets are less generous, the adjustment is even more difficult. But without a global adjustment there can be no solution to the climate crisis. Though we may celebrate the fact that the Western energy majors are on the back foot, they are no longer the major sources of oil, gas, and coal production. Large state-owned energy firms in the emerging markets dominate the future outlook for energy. Western consumers account for a dwindling share of global emissions. Important as the new Ford may be, an even bigger challenge is steering motorization in the emerging markets away from petrol and diesel and toward sustainable electric vehicle solutions. Decarbonization must be a global process, and it implies a significant rebalancing of the world economy. The other news that came out this May is that thanks to its pandemic economic recovery, driven by heavy industry, Chinas carbon dioxide emissions reached an all-time high. Over that 12-month period, Chinas emissions exceeded those of the entire OECD rich country club. In 2019, India overtook Europe as the No. 3 emitter of carbon dioxide. We should welcome the signs that the energy transition is beginning to gather momentum in Europe and the United States, at last. But we should not mistake their import. We are no longer in the 1990s. We are well past the point at which the West decides the future of the worlds climate. | https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/06/03/can-elites-start-the-climate-revolution/ |
Could smartphones help in assessing hindlimb lameness in horses? | Share Smartphones with an appropriate app show promise as a useful tool in helping to evaluate hindlimb lameness in horses, according to researchers. Eva Marunova and her fellow researchers, in a study published in the journal Animals, reported that a smartphone successfully detected pelvic movement asymmetry, with greater levels of asymmetry recorded in horses with a greater degree of lameness. Although the use of a smartphone measuring only the symmetry of the pelvis cannot replace a full lameness examination, it presents a useful adjunct to subjective evaluation alone, the study team concluded. Smartphones may also prove to be useful in tracking progress after a treatment or during the rehabilitation process, they said. The study team said the assessment and grading of equine lameness can be a challenge for veterinarians, since they rely on subjective visual recognition of changes in movement. Agreement has been reported to be poor, even for experienced equine veterinarians, they noted. Their study involved 301 horses assessed at a veterinary hospital in Switzerland, all assigned a lameness grade on a scale of 0 to 10 by a board-certified veterinary surgeon. For the experiment, each horse was equipped with an off-the-shelf iPhone6, which comes with an internal inertial measurement unit. The smartphone was attached to a specially modified Velcro pad that was fixed centrally over the sacrum of each horse via double-sided tape. The Velcro pad had an 11-mm-wide strip on the left side of the pad. This guided placement of the phone so that while the pad was attached centrally on the horse, the smartphone was placed 11 mm to the right of the centre, ensuring that its in-built accelerometer was positioned directly above the horses midline. The researchers used an app called SensorLog, available via the App Store. The software was configured to collect three-axis acceleration as well as orientation data, providing information on roll, pitch and yaw. Each horse was evaluated only once under the following protocol: The horse was trotted by the same handler in-hand in a straight line on a hard surface for about 25 metres away from, and then towards, the assessing veterinarian. The smartphone was then removed from the horse and the veterinarian assigned his subjective lameness grade before uploading the data from the smartphone to a Windows-based computer for asymmetry analysis. The study took place over three years. The visual assessment by the veterinarian classified 36% of the 301 horses as non-lame, with a grade of 0. Eighteen percent was classed as grade 1, 20% as grade 2, 11% as grade 3, 14% as grade 4: and 1% as grade 5. No horses were classified as grade 6 or above. Our results suggest that asymmetry values for all pelvic parameters, recorded by a smartphone, increase in line with higher lameness grades, the study team reported. Pair-wise comparisons revealed that in the majority of cases there were significant differences in the recorded objective parameters between different lameness grades. These differences were, however, often not significant for pairs of lameness grades which were just one grade apart. In general, they concluded, cut-off points calculated for quantitative measures of pelvic movement symmetry between lameness grades increased with the severity of lameness as scored subjectively by one veterinarian, and this is in line with previous studies. Although the smartphone cannot replace a full lameness examination, it may be useful in providing objective data to help veterinarians, they said. Ultimately, it may also be a cost-effective method for documenting progression of lameness or improvements after treatment or during rehabilitation. This aspect deserves further attention. The study team comprised Marunova, Leea Dod and Thilo Pfau, all with the Department of Clinical Science and Services at The Royal Veterinary College in England; and Stefan Witte, with the Schnbhl Veterinary Clinic in Urtenen-Schnbhl, Switzerland. Marunova, E.; Dod, L.; Witte, S.; Pfau, T. Smartphone-Based Pelvic Movement Asymmetry Measures for Clinical Decision Making in Equine Lameness Assessment. Animals 2021, 11, 1665. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061665 The study, published under a Creative Commons License, can be read here. | https://www.horsetalk.co.nz/2021/06/04/smartphones-hindlimb-lameness-horses/ |
Will the coronavirus birth a new politics? | A virus is like a maha maya, a great mystery. It is very difficult to figure out its form and predict its impact accurately. The coronavirus has produced a disastrous and far-reaching impact on human society and democratic politics not only in India but all over the world. It has already reshaped the political discourse in various countries. It is sure to bring about a shift in the political narrative in India as well. This new narrative is developing around the existential worries and anxieties of people, particularly concerns related to public health, healthcare facilities and infrastructure. The distribution of resources such as medicines, vaccines and availability of hospital beds, treatment facilities, the new essentials such as oxygen masks, are emerging as influential factors in the domain of politics and state power. Call it the politics of medicalisation, this is going to determine the future of electoral democracies and test the popularity of politicians in power and Opposition. The meaning of development in India is likely to change in the coming days. Instead of bijli, sadak and paani as well as highways, malls and cash transfers, the safety and well-being of the biological body is likely to take centrestage in our developmental discourse. The panic and fear of losing ones life to a rapidly mutating coronavirus are going to influence the mobilisational strategies of political parties in the coming days. The politics of social justice and peoples rights may have to be reframed around issues concerning the protection of human life. Issues such as distribution of free rations, financial support to the poor as a political gift, etc. may yield ground to healthcare issues for at least a few years. This shift in narrative is already finding echoes in conversations on social media and other public spaces. Protection from the virus has become the first and foremost desire of society. Caste, class, region and other such determinants have become secondary to the politics of body and life as the pandemic rages. In fact, the coronavirus is likely to turn us into a biological body-centric society at least for some time. Proverbs such as jaan bache to lakho paye (get millions if you save your life) in some sense are going to determine our identity. We may retreat from the social space and reframe ourselves as mere biological body-centred individuals, as many writers have pointed out. This temporary shift in the existential meaning of human life may be at variance with the argument of Bhakti saints, that life is fragile like a drop of water on the leaf, so dont pay much attention to it. The current fear of death, a fallout of the emergency situation created by the unpredictable virus, compels people to think differently from great saints such as the Buddha, Kabir and Ravidas, who have reflected deeply on human life. This change in the understanding of the meaning of human existence could create conditions that would also force a shift in the political narrative, at least till the memory of Covid lasts. The virus is likely to diminish social identities derived from caste and religion until the health emergency recedes. So, the project of building a political narrative around social identities is likely to weaken in the immediate future. The bitter memory of the death of dear ones due to Covid-19 is likely to linger on in the political narrative even after the threat of the pandemic recedes. A new diction and vocabulary may emerge and get prominence in the framing political narrative of the country, particularly in northern India. Terms such as health, virus, oxygen, vaccine, mortality rate, medical resources and planning could emerge as keywords in electoral discourse and political campaigns. Seva of virus survivors and commitment to help people in distress may turn out to be important ingredients in the making of popular leaders. This shift may be temporary, but it is sure to shape Indian politics in the coming days. The writer is professor, Govind Ballabh Pant Social Science Institute, Allahabad | https://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/will-the-coronavirus-birth-a-new-politics-7343085/ |
How to go about a cost-effective one-time sale of shares? | I have no real experience of trading in shares, but I have inherited some, and I'd like to find out how to go about selling them. There are a few specific considerations to my case: I have a physical share certificate, which I received today. The shares are for an Irish company, which seems to be listed on both the Irish stock exchange and the London stock exchange. I live in London, and have both a British bank account and an Irish bank account. The share certificate lists the shares as "A Ordinary Shares of 0.125", but the Irish stock exchange lists the share price (today) at more than 100 per share. At today's market price, the shares are worth a little over 20,000. Ultimately, I want to sell these shares and have the proceeds land in my British bank account. I am confused around the fact that the company is listed on two different stock exchanges. I am assuming I have to pay a stockbroker to sell these shares on my behalf. I don't intend to do any further share trading. Also worth mentioning - the solicitor who handled the will engaged an accountant to calculate my inheritance tax liability on the shares, which has already been paid to the Irish Revenue. | https://money.stackexchange.com/questions/141393/how-to-go-about-a-cost-effective-one-time-sale-of-shares |
What Makes a High Converting Product Page? | While numerous site destinations can help you make or break a sale, product pages are pivotal for any e-commerce business. Product pages layout, well-functioning, credibility, etc., influence on e-commerce conversion rate directly. While there are multiple resources available that can help you find product page design inspiration, this article focuses on what should be taken good care of to make your product pages sell more. Even a starter business knows the meaning behind this question. If your site visitor acts as intended by the placed call-to-action, we witness a conversion. The below-mentioned tactics will help increase the chances of making it happen on your product pages. Product Titles Like a persons name always has a sacred meaning, product titles are no different. True. Technically, many would disagree that titles influence product conversion rate, but catchy wording that is easy to remember can do the trick. Moreover, it wont hurt to make sure that your product titles are unique and, when possible, include a keyword query. Images and Videos Visuals are decision-makers in e-commerce. As online shopping eliminates the possibility of touching and examining a potential purchase, it is undoubtedly a significant tactic in conversion rate optimization to provide as many details as possible using images and video content. Importantly, make sure you cover the technical part, i.e., the used visuals: Load fast Have high quality Zoom in Videos are no less important as they help depict an offering as if in real life. Alternatively, consider 3D or 360 view technologies to illustrate your items more effectively. Content must be made searchable and straight to the point. Product descriptions should be written in a clear and concise manner without any further ado. The more symbols you write does not equal the more optimized your product pages will be. Consider the competition and what helps their content rank higher, and create content that brings even more value in your own manner. Source: eMarketer Conditional Logic Sometimes referred to as product options, conditional logic helps make product pages with highly customizable offerings look more elegant and well-organized for a site visitor. Additionally, the availability of dependent custom options lets display certain product options following specific product choices. Thus, you can stimulate purchases of less popular items with discounts for particular options or free gifts, for example. Source: Mission Bikes. Conversion marketing examples For businesses that are selling products in different sizes, colors, and styles, its the number one priority to make items easily customized and personalized on the front-end for the shopper. Conversely, your store back-end must ensure inventory management is performed errorlessly, and product options are created and updated in a couple of mouse clicks, says Ellie Yantsan, Marketing Executive at Mageworx, Shopify, and Magento 2 Advanced Product Options extension development company. CTA Button Call-to-action buttons must both stand out and blend in your corporate style. Consider studying best design and wording practices. Run A/B tests to find out with which variants your target audience interacts the best. Buy now. Get now. Add to cart. The variety of options is abundant. Find out which works for your site and business the best, and then integrate it into your customer conversion strategy. Additionally, experiment with the color palettes for the CTA button. You can always go traditional and use green. However, no assumption can be made without proof. Test. Feedback, Reviews, and Ratings This tactic can bring a well of value to your product pages when done correctly and is certainly one of the best conversion marketing strategies to consider. First, its good for SEO as it adds user-generated content. However, to ensure usability, consider allowing your customers to share: Images Pros and cons Recommendations Video reviews Second, it has been proved that the majority of shoppers read reviews before making a purchase. People are social beings. It is critical for us to make sure other purchasers have also found an offering of value. Third, feedback helps build your brands credibility. Whether you are new on the market or well-known, feedback helps make your business more trustworthy and influence peoples patterns of buying. Live Chat Availability While we aim to make our product pages perfect, extra help is often required to assist in visitor-specific questions. It wont hurt to have your support team representatives and salespeople on standby. Thus, no purchase will be postponed, and no cartabandoned. Given that your team members are professionals and know the products from cover to cover, make sure live chat is available on all critical site destinations. Bottom Line We hope this article has helped you find loopholes in your current product pages. Make sure to polish this site destinations as described above, and high conversion wont be long in coming. Product page stock photo by McLittle Stock/Shutterstock | https://www.smallbizdaily.com/what-makes-a-high-converting-product-page/ |
Is Hong Kong's Last Pro-Democracy Newspaper Doomed? | MAE SOT, THAILAND - Hong Kong is a city going through change, and Beijing wants no one to complain. After the anti-government protests of two years ago, China's central government imposed a new national security law on Hong Kong, prohibiting things like secession and foreign collusion, as loosely defined by the government. A sweeping crackdown ensued, with the arrest of dozens of activists and former lawmakers. The security law's broad scope and vagueness have prompted concerns about censorship and press freedom. But for Apple Daily, regarded as Hong Kong's last pro-democracy newspaper, those have been concerns for some time. FILE - Apple Daily editor-in-chief Ryan Law points to a copy of the first newspaper front page in the newsroom in Hong Kong, May 13, 2021. Founded in 1995 by media tycoon Jimmy Lai, Apple Daily is a tabloid newspaper that initially reported about entertainment and crime and became known for its colorful images and sensational headlines. A few years later, Apple Daily began reporting on politics. But unlike other newspapers in the city, it emerged as a sharp critic of Beijing. The paper's aggressive posture was costly; advertising revenue declined as cautious sponsors banking giants HSBC and Standard Charter among them pulled back. Last August, Lai, 73, one of Hong Kong's prominent pro-democracy leaders, was arrested under the security law on an accusation of foreign collusion. Dozens of blue-shirted police raided the Apple Daily offices. Lai was eventually charged and is now awaiting trial while in prison for other offenses related to his activism. FILE - Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai pushes through a media pack to get to a waiting vehicle after being released on bail from the Mong Kok police station in Hong Kong, Aug. 12, 2020. Hong Kong authorities recently froze Lai's local assets, adding further concern about the survival of his media conglomerate, Next Digital. And last month, Apple Daily's Taiwan branch decided to stop its print edition amid declining advertising revenue. Mark Simon, who said he was representing Next Digital's biggest shareholder (Lai), told VOA via a message that Taiwan is facing "cuts," but "Hong Kong remains chugging along just fine." As of last September, Lai held 71 percent of the company's shares, but Hong Kong authorities have stripped his voting rights, Reuters reported. In May, Lai was sentenced to 14 months in prison for his role in organizing a protest in October 2019. On the day of his guilty plea, the Hong Kong stock exchange stopped trading Next Digital shares. The next day when trading resumed, the company's shares surged by 330 percent. Next Digital released a statement last week saying that without Lai's assets, the company has enough working capital for at least 16 months. There is a defiant mood among sympathizers to keep the publication alive. Hong Kongers reportedly have been investing in Apple Daily stock since Lai's arrest. But journalists working for the operation are under no illusions. A senior reporter, who asked to be identified only as Lee for fear of reprisal, told VOA the newspaper has to deal with constant rumors on social media. One recent rumor claimed that all Apple Daily journalists would be arrested on July 1. "Some of our colleagues were quite worried about it," Lee said. "Ryan [Law Wai-kwong, the Apple Daily editor-in-chief] told us we can handle it, keep working, don't worry." Citing the national security law and criticism from pro-Beijing state media, Lee said Apple Daily is in a "political fight." The security law, under which the authorities claim jurisdiction anywhere in the world, has made reporting on China more difficult. FILE - Journalists works in the newsroom of the Apple Daily newspaper in Hong Kong, May 11, 2021. "We know the red line, but we don't know where it is," Lee said. "We used to write 'Wuhan virus,' but now we are using the word 'pandemic' instead. "We all know Apple Daily will be closed in the future, maybe one year, two years," Lee said. A former journalist who also asked for anonymity told VOA that China's targeting of Apple Daily was one of the reasons she quit the paper. As for morale, she said the office atmosphere was "gloomy" and that some staff were losing their incentive. Expected raises haven't happened in the past two years. Bonuses have been offered and wages have been paid on time, but that hasn't prevented "gradual resignations" in recent months, she said. Many in the company believe Apple Daily has "no hope" in the news industry, she said. "The government froze the assets of Jimmy Lai and said our CEO [Cheung Kim Hung] cannot help with any financial activities because he's under bail. Some bankers have been warned [not] to manage their financial statements," she said. Shadowing the economic challenges is the prospect that Hong Kong will adopt a chilling "fake news" law. "Everyone in Apple Daily knows there is a 'due date' and everyone is planning for it," the former journalist said. "They are preparing for this every day. You never know when the police will storm into the office again." Under pressure from Beijing, Radio Television Hong Kong the only public broadcaster in the city has seen TV shows axed for alleged bias and journalists fired while Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam was given a TV segment. Keith Richburg, a journalism professor at the University of Hong Kong and president of the Foreign Correspondents Club Hong Kong, said any media that question the government ultimately will be targeted. "Anything that seems critical of the government or the national security law or the electoral changes imposed on Hong Kong from above, anyone critical of those things, they seem to be going after," Richburg told VOA. "It's troubling." | https://www.voanews.com/press-freedom/hong-kongs-last-pro-democracy-newspaper-doomed |
How will our pandemic trauma translate into emotional growth? | I hate that whenever anything bad happens, theres always a Karen ready to remind you to look for the silver linings. It feels like the ultimate form of privileged gaslighting to say, Whatever doesnt kill you makes you stronger. In reality, I have barely survived traumas that cut me so deep, Im certain I have scar tissue on my soul. While I am clearly not a look-on-the-bright-sider, I do have to admit that some of the most intense traumas I have endured were followed by beautiful periods of personal growth. This phenomenon is real, and its called post-traumatic growth. I asked psychologists how we can all transform the collective trauma weve all experienced during the pandemic into something beautiful and new. First of all, while all of the experts I spoke to agreed that dealing with the combined events of the past year the COVID-19 pandemic, watching democracy crumble, losing loved ones, processing continued racial injustice can be considered a traumatic experience, that doesnt mean that everyone will have trauma or PTSD. You are not obligated to feel traumatized by your COVID experience, says Stefani Goerlich, a Detroit-based psychotherapist. Take a moment with that because while its easy to feel guilty when other people are suffering and you arent, it's not actually helpful for you or anyone else. If you are feeling good right now, great, that means that you have the resources to help people who are having a scarier or less stable experience. Resources, it seems, may actually be what makes the difference between simply surviving trauma and thriving afterwards. Post-traumatic growth is growth that happens after being put in a position to be introspective, strengthen social support, improve communications, and think critically, says Dulcinea Pitagora, an NYC-based psychotherapist. In other words, when you experience a trauma but have a solid stable of tools therapy, friends, perhaps pets, and meds (if you need them) for example it can be a catalyst for positive change in your life. In practical terms, that means having the time to be introspective, a community that supports both your pain and your growth, and living a material life that feels safe enough that you can shift out of survival mode into critical thinking. It feels important to note that not having those resources is not a character flaw its more likely the result of long-standing systemic inequalities. Moving past just dealing and healing into life-shifting growth is going to be most available for those who have adequate internal and external resources to allow them to face reality and do the challenging work of introspecting and processing trauma, says Pitagora. Folx from underestimated and under-resourced communities are less likely to have easy access to those resources, Pitagora explains, but that doesn't mean we cant experience post-traumatic growth, but it does mean we may have to be savvy in how we seek out sources of care. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision/Getty Images People with socioeconomic privilege have a leg up on the rest of us here, as usual. But if, for example, someone does not have a solid social support network, they can seek out a therapist to process their pandemic experiences, but because therapy costs a pretty penny, under-resourced folks may have to be creative in finding free or low cost social services. Luckily, there are a lot of low and no cost online support options available right now, from virtual queer grief group processing to psychological services for sex workers. Surround yourself with others who understand, Goerlich says. These are the folks who will hold space for you while you re-enter the world at your own pace. It feels important to note that not having those resources is not a character flaw its more likely the result of long-standing systemic inequalities Being able to thrive after trauma definitely has a social component, but there are also practical things you can do as an individual to make the best of this transitional moment. Goerlich recommends making a list of activities you missed during the pandemic and wish to resume, or things you see others doing and ranking them green, yellow, or red in order to prioritize how you spend your time. Work to embrace the safe-feeling greens, while slowly integrating one or two more anxiety provoking yellows at a time, she says. Give yourself permission to take a good hard look at your red list- it's okay if you decide not to return to some of these activities at all, or choose to do so only with stringent hygiene practices in place. The keys to healing and growth are dealing with the reality of the situation, Pitagora says. They say that its important to put a narrative or a story around our experiences in order to come to grips with that reality. Stories help us get out of denial and into a mental and emotional space where we can think creatively about what weve gone through and troubleshoot our future plans. You can do this by journaling about or mind-mapping out what youve been through and where you want to go next. Sharing your experiences helps you process them. If you dont have a support network, it might be worth it to reach out to like minded individuals on social media. I can tell you from personal experience that there are approximately a bazillion COVID-19 chats happening on Clubhouse right now, and many more about how to design the future world you want to live in. If confessing your pain and dreams to friends and strangers feels daunting right now, thats okay. You can start even smaller than that. Goerlich has an emotional pep talk that I think all of us need to hear right now. Allow yourself to recognize that you have survived a once-in-a-century global event, she says. This is a unique experience unlike anything experienced by previous generations and unlike anything our children or grandchildren are likely to endure ... You are a badass for surviving. Thriving is just around the corner. | https://www.mic.com/p/how-will-our-pandemic-trauma-translate-into-emotional-growth-81084498 |
When will hip-hop start protecting Black women? | In 1977, the Combahee River Collective, a Black feminist lesbian socialist organization, wrote in a statement: Black women are inherently valuable, that our liberation is a necessity not as an adjunct to somebody else's but because of our need as human persons for autonomy. This may seem so obvious as to sound simplistic, but it is apparent that no other ostensibly progressive movement has ever considered our specific oppression as a priority or worked seriously for the ending of that oppression. As the decades have progressed, public discourse has molded itself to the perception of standing in line with these words. Hashtags like #ProtectBlackWomen and #SayHerName have expanded from social media into common nomenclature, and T-Shirts proclaiming fealty to Black feminist icons have become an en vogue method of virtue signaling. In practice, however, claims of intersectionality are often tossed aside when these principles run afoul of established social paradigms. This is particularly evident in hip-hop and the media surrounding it, with new music rollouts, podcasts and the wildly popular Verzuz continuing to prove that supportive words fail to be reinforced by corrective community action. In recent years, the podcast universe has rapidly expanded to hone in on the growing market of hip-hop lovers. The largest platforms and personalities in this space showcase just how pervasive misogynoir continues to be in the culture. The Joe Budden Podcast, whose eponymous anchor has himself been repeatedly accused of abuse by women not only recently invited viral sensation Kevin Samuels to his platform, a man who has built his profile repeating worn-out maxims about cishet Black womens desirability and the silencing of Black men, but also recently put out a statement of apology for allegations of sexual harassment by Olivia Dope, a former host of See, The Thing Is in his podcast network . Recently, it was announced that Dave Chappelle, Talib Kweli, and Yasiin Bey were launching a podcast called The Midnight Miracle, despite Chappelle being repeatedly criticized for his harmful language towards trans women and Kweli being permanently suspended from Twitter for his unceasing harassment of Maya Moody. Rapper and host of the Drink Champs podcast N.O.R.E.recently invited Talib Kweli to the show and discussed a highly-criticized episode of the podcast that alleged serial rapist Russell Simmons was invited to participate in. During the conversation, N.O.R.E. remarked that cancel culture hadnt given his large media platform the benefit of the doubt in being aware of complaints that had been leveled in the mainstream since November 2017. Simultaneously, he proceeded to offer Simmons the benefit of the doubt, highlighting both Oprah pulling out from On the Record and his having failed to be charged in a criminal court to date. In the case of Swizz Beatz and Timbalands Verzuz, the cultural phenomenon has repeatedly given a platform to men who have been accused and convicted of harm against women without accountability or concern. Brooklyn-based rapper Fabolous, who was charged in March 2018 with multiple counts of aggravated assault and domestic violence after reportedly punching his partner, Emily Bustamente, several times and knocking out her two front teeth, was nonetheless honored with a Verzuz special of his own alongside Yonkers rapper Jadakiss in June 2020. Nelly, who has repeatedly been accused of sexual assault, was featured opposite Ludacris in May 2020. Grace has also been offered to R. Kelly, whose discography is continuously featured at various Verzuz events, highlighting how lauding individuals at the expense of Black womens comfort and safety is an accepted calculus. As Verzuz has grown and made brand deals with Apple and Triller, the amplification of the works of harmful Black men has remained. In the April 20th event featuring rap legends and How High co-stars Redman & Method Man, both artists repeatedly celebrated alleged serial rapist Russell Simmons, allowing him to Facetime into the performance from his enclave in Bali a place infamous for its lack of an extradition treaty with the United States. Furthering the insult is the fact that Method Man directly worked with Drew Dixon, one of Simmons accusers, on the seminal 1995 duet with Mary J. Blige, Ill Be There for You/Youre All I Need, which he performed on the very same Verzuz stage. (Mic reached out to Verzuz to request comment on the criticisms of this story, and they did not immediately respond.) In Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman, Michelle Wallace wrote: the history of the period has been written and will continue to be written without us. The imperative is clear: Either we will make history or remain the victims of it. At the time, she was referring to the clear gaps in both the white womens feminist movement and the Civil Rights movement. A through-line to the status quo, however, reflects that resistance persists in the effort to create a musical space that adheres to being grounded in the realities of our own identities.. As the Collective pointed out, in the case of Black women this is a particularly repugnant, dangerous, threatening, and therefore revolutionary concept because it is obvious from looking at all the political movements that have preceded us that anyone is more worthy of liberation than ourselves. Instead, as Wallace expressed in an essay titled A Black Feminists Search for Sisterhood out of the essay collection All the Women Are White, All the Blacks Are Men, But Some of Us Are Brave: Black Womens Studies, We exist as women who are Black who are feminists, each stranded for the moment, working independently because there is not yet an environment in this society remotely congenial to our struggle because, being on the bottom, we would have to do what no one else has done: we would have to fight the world. Indeed, that seems to continue to be the case in hip-hop as it currently stands, preservation of the culture demands that Black women silence their dissent to alleviate everyone elses discomfort and prioritize the enjoyment of the masses. On May 8, Verzuz produced a Mothers Day weekend special featuring SWV versus Xscape, despite Xscape member Tameka Tiny Harris currently being under scrutiny alongside her husband T.I. for alleged serial sexual assault by dozens of women. Not only was her photo featured on the promotional materials, but the performance also included music from her husband in the warm-up mix by the Xscape tour DJ, DJ AONE, as 450,000 viewers looked on. Soulja Boy, who has recently made waves on Tiktok with his new single She Make It Clap, has been repeatedly accused of battery, sexual assault, and kidnapping. (Soulja Boy also recently announced an upcoming Verzuz battle with Bow Wow, who has also been charged with assault.) All of these celebrations and accolades are upheld by demanding the silence and dismissal of Black women who have chosen to come forward about their respective traumas, reinforcing the uncomfortable truth that the utterance of #ProtectBlackWomen comes with terms and conditions that their experiences violated, the first one being a demand for a concession of power and influence. Hip-hop was predicated, amongst other factors, as a musical and cultural framework to give a voice to the voiceless. It is unendingly tragic, then, that Black women who have stood alongside its growth have failed to see any material gains in establishing a framework that truly respects the agency of Black women, instead choosing to continue to adhere to a utilitarian position of preservation in which we are ultimately expendable. Rhetoric is toothless if it is not superseded by collective action, and simply iterating a love for Black women is worthless if that love is transactional and conditional. This continued grievous oversight failing to cross the threshold into a publicly acknowledged harm that demands accountability serves as proof positive of a cognitive dissonance that relegates Black women as reluctant participants in a cultural landscape that they were fundamental in shaping. | https://www.mic.com/p/when-will-hip-hop-start-protecting-black-women-81080205 |
What Was The Sydney Slaughterhouse? | The best Chinese restaurants in Sydney are among the top-rated in the country, and its not a surprise. The harbour city is known for its culturally diverse dining scene, and Chinese cuisine is one of Sydneys favourites. The Chinese cuisine is just as diverse as the country, with traditional dishes from every province, nook and cranny of the historically rich nation. The best Chinese restaurants in Sydney take lots of their inspiration from Cantonese food, as most Chinese immigrants originally came from Hong Kong. Now, the influences of West China and surrounding hubs have made their way over and we arent complaining! With so many places to try, we have gone all over Sydney to provide you with a fool-proof list of the best Chinese restaurants in Sydney. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2263025119435/what-was-the-sydney-slaughterhouse |
Will the Emmys FINALLY nominate the trans cast of Pose? | Pose ends its run this June after three seasons. Its a groundbreaking drama with more trans actors of color as series regulars than any other program in television history. And its an Emmy-winning show that earned a Best Drama Series nomination in 2019 for its first season. So its kind of surprising that so far it has zero trans representation in acting categories. The series tells the story of queer people who find refuge in New York Citys ball culture in the 1980s and 1990s, and in 2019 Billy Porter won Best Drama Actor, making him the first openly gay Black man to win that category. But even though the show was also nominated for Best Casting that year, Porter is the only performer who has ever been nominated for it, a conspicuous oversight for the television academy since hes a cisgender actor on a series largely focused around trans women. Its been a few years since Laverne Cox became the first transgender acting nominee in Primetime Emmy history for her recurring role in Orange is the New Black. She was nominated for guest acting in 2014, 2017, 2019, and 2020. But no trans actors have won yet, even though cisgender actor Jeffrey Tambor recently won twice for playing a trans woman in Transparent. In his 2016 acceptance speech, Tambor himself acknowledged the need for transgender actors in transgender roles. The Oscars have been in a similar position, with cisgender actors Felicity Huffman (Transamerica) and Eddie Redmayne (The Danish Girl) earning nominations and Hilary Swank (Boys Dont Cry) and Jared Leto (Dallas Buyers Club) winning for transgender roles, but no openly trans actors have contended (Elliot Page was nominated for Juno more than a decade before he came out). Youd think Pose would have changed that for the Emmys by now, especially with lead actress Mj Rodriguez already having earned nominations from the Critics Choice Awards and even the MTV Movie and TV Awards. But the door might be more open this year than it has been in the past. This year Pose aired during the spring with its series finale airing on June 6 11 days before the start of Emmy voting, so it will be fresh in mind when voters start filling out their ballots (and in Pride Month, no less). Pose is also competing in a year marked by many COVID-19 production delays, which means an unusually high number of 2020 nominees are ineligible to return in 2021. For instance, in Best Drama Actress where Rodriguez will be up for consideration, only one of last years six nominees is eligible to return (Olivia Colman for The Crown). In Best Drama Supporting Actress, which could include Pose standouts Indya Moore, Dominique Jackson, and Hailie Sahar, only two of last years eight nominees could come back (Helena Bonham Carter for The Crown and Samira Wiley for The Handmaids Tale). But despite all those slots suddenly becoming available, Porter remains the only performer in nomination position according to our odds as of this writing. Rodriguez is on the bubble for Drama Actress with 18/1 odds, while Moore is the closest of the shows Drama Supporting Actress hopefuls with 33/1 odds. PREDICTthe Emmy nominees until July 13 Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Dont miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. | https://www.goldderby.com/article/2021/pose-trans-actors-emmys/ |
Will physical classrooms live only in our memories now? | Shreya Veronica By Express News Service HYDERABAD : Sitting on the last bench of your classroom, making new friends, waiting for activities to celebrate at school or college have not been happening for two years now. The noise in the class when the class teacher is not around, the arguments with classmates over small issues and the times that we spent in the canteen have been the most cherished moments for all the students who have been missing out of school and college for almost two academic years now. We all remember our last year in a school or college, we still recollect them whenever we sit and talk to our friends, but for all the students who started their academic year in June 2019-2021 have only one thing to remember - online classes. Apart from students, teachers have also been missing out on typical classroom activities. Shifra Alina, who changed her school when she was in eight standard, wished to learn more about her friends in the new school, but little did she know the time spent at school would last only for a few months.Now that she has only seen the entire 9th grade moving to the 10th grade online. She wishes that she starts having classroom experience again. It has been a long time since someone spoke about the classroom with me. I have been attending online classes and all that we do is stare at the video and give our regular tests. We lost the feeling of a classroom. I miss spending time with my friends and working on group projects with them. There was so much for me to learn when I used to go to school, but now it seems like nothing is left to remember. In fact, being in 9th grade, I thought I would bid a farewell to my seniors with a violin performance but since they have been promoted without any celebration, it makes me unhappy. Now I am in 10thstandard and I do not know when things will get better and when we will get back to school again, she laments. Zarah Afina, who is now promoted to class 7, became emotional as she spoke about how she is missing school activities. I am a back bencher and conducting events at school, planning something for our annual cultural programs and participating in activities are a few things that I miss a lot. I also miss my teachers, especially my English teacher. The way she used to explain the subject and tell stories was different from others and since the online class started, I cannot connect with my class room memories.K S Haniel who has no clue about how a degree college life starts, has started his online classes for his course B Com Computers. Starting off my graduation without having a knowledge of how it all starts is something that makes me feel uncomfortable about. I wish to create memories with my college mates and recollect them later, but all I know for now is that there are classes online and I need to attend them.K Suhas, who is pursuing his film studies, recalls the time that he used to spend with his friends and professors at his college. Our course is such that we have a lot of practical sessions and we are missing them. Now we just have to sit and stare at our screens at home which is very difficult, and exams are also not conducted in a correct way. I remember when we had college and regular classes how we used to watch movies,complete our practical sessions with our friends and then spend time in the canteen. After class was done, our professors used to sit with us and talk. I miss all these things now and wait for it to get back to normal.We also talk to teachers and lecturers who express theirgrief regarding the uncertain situation. Sharon Malini, a lecturer at a private junior college who teaches Intermediate students, explains why the new education system is not of great use. No collaboration and miscommunication - these are the struggles for students. In the ambience of college, students not only gain academic knowledge, but ethics and other personality development habits. There is a good connection maintained when it comes to traditional classroom learning and I feel students are missing out on the biggest charm of life, she says. Vinitha Robert, a private school teacher who teaches students of 10 and 12th, mentions how she misses on teaching practical sessions to her students. As a teacher I personally miss conducting my classroom activities with children. Integration of concepts is much easier when we see the child face to face in difficult subjects like Chemistry. If this pandemic continues and if online classes continue, the children will probably lose track of preparing for competitive exams.Students and teachers only hope that things go back to normal soon. The noise in the class when teacher is not around is one of the most cherished moments of school | https://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/2021/jun/03/will-physical-classrooms-live-only-in-our-memories-now-2310959.html |
What is the vaccination rate of Georgia? | The number of Georgians fully vaccinated only hit 33% as of Wednesday afternoon, and the the states been hovering in the low 30s for weeks now. ATLANTA From sports tickets to free beer, President Joe Biden is pulling out all the stops to get Americans vaccinated before July 4. On Wednesday, the president announced multiple nationwide incentives as his administration nears their deadline to get 70% of adults vaccinated. The administration calling June a "vaccination sprint" as the U.S. appears to be on track to meet the Independence day deadline. So far, 62.9% of adults have received at least one vaccine according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, experts said at least 30 states probably won't come close to that statewide percentage, including Georgia. "The vaccinations have really slowed down in Georgia, despite the heroic efforts of vaccinators to bring vaccines to those where they need them," said microbiologist Dr. Amber Schmidtke. The number of Georgians fully vaccinated only hit 33% as of Wednesday afternoon, and the the states been hovering in the low 30s for weeks now. At the same time, far fewer new COVID cases are being reported each day. "In a lot of rural areas, theres no cases to be reported. And thats unclear whether there really is no cases or no testing is happening," explained Schmidtke. Meanwhile, some of the incentives the Biden administration announced a includes free daycare at area YMCAs and giveaways from companies like Anhieser-Busch. | https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/vaccine/georgia-lags-vaccine-rate-covid-cases-decreas/85-dbfadc44-d181-4a67-b20b-a53f6582e436 |
What Is the Environmental Impact of Electric Cars? | The Environmental Impact of Electric Cars is an interesting topic that has been getting some attention lately. With electric vehicles becoming more popular, a lot of people are asking questions about the impact of their use on the environment. While there is still much more research to be done on the subject, it is safe to say that the vast majority of the current electricity produced by a vehicle is electrical. Many people think that the only way to harm the environment is by releasing toxic exhaust into the atmosphere. This is simply not true, as some vehicles produce no emissions at all. One major benefit of purchasing an electric vehicle is the decrease in the amount of money required to fuel the vehicle. Since the vehicle is not plugged into a battery, there is no excess electricity produced, and so the only power needed is that from the batteries. The batteries store this power, and so as the vehicle is driven, the electricity produced by the battery is used to power the vehicle. This means that there is significantly less energy consumed at each mile driven. An even better feature of these vehicles is that they do not contribute to air pollution. Because there is no additional electrical power needed to produce electricity, there is no additional fuel required. Therefore, there is a significantly lower impact on the environment when using electric vehicles over traditional gasoline vehicles. It also means that the vehicle will continue to operate without interruptions due to poor weather or mechanical failure. Dont choose a jerk car for your transportation, find a reliable electric vehicle that will also help the environment. To answer this question, one must understand how electricity is created. When a device stores energy, the device converts the stored energy into direct current (DC). In most cases, the DC is used to power things such as lights, clocks, radios, and personal electronics. However, DC is also used to drive some vehicles, including cars and trucks. As you can see, converting energy into DC requires energy. At the most basic level, the energy required to propel the vehicle forward is stored in the battery. Once the vehicle starts moving, the battery recharges. If the vehicle were to run off of nothing but battery power, it would exhaust its stored energy as heat. To prevent excess heat build-up, an electric car company may use a special radiator. Batteries charge the vehicle by drawing energy from the battery. The amount of energy the batteries have available to operate should be enough to power the vehicle for at least several miles. The only thing to consider is if the car battery is fully drained before the vehicle returns to its charger. The engine is one of the most efficient means of converting energy. Although the vehicle does not burn fuel, the engine does work off of some of the energy it produces. As the engine is running, exhaust gases from the combustion are emitted. Overall benefits of an electric car makes them a common choice for consumers looking to buy a new car. You can also buy an extended warranty for electric vehicles used or new. For more information look at https://olive.com/best-extended-car-warranty-buyers-guide/ for all your questions. The environmental impact is a major consideration for any person who wants to purchase one of these vehicles. The technology to produce them has been available for some time, but until recently most manufacturers haven't been able to mass produce them in large quantities. This is why there aren't a lot of electric vehicles on the road. Although technology is being developed, there is still a long way to go before these vehicles are widely available. Electric vehicles will become a more common place in society, however, as more companies take an interest in this type of vehicle. | https://it.tmcnet.com/topics/it/articles/2021/06/02/449003-what-the-environmental-impact-electric-cars.htm |
What Time Does 'The Conjuring 3' Release on HBO Max? | After a five-year hiatus that felt much, much longer than that, the Conjuring franchise is back with its third main-series movie, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It. While stars Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson are back as Lorraine and Ed Warren, this time weve got a new director, Michael Chaves, who takes over from James Wan. As is usually the case with these movies and the franchise spinoffs, The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is based on a true story. The horror flick follows the notorious 1981 murder trial of 19-year-old Arne Johnson, who claimed he stabbed his landlord to death while under the influence of a demonic force. The story goes that, after a young boy shows signs of demon possession, the Warrens get called in to do an exorcism but Arne interferes, and begs the demon or demons to leave the boy and possess him instead. And allegedly thats exactly what happened and then, during an argument, he stabbed another man to death. The Warrens declared it happened because Arne was possessed. As with all things related to the Warrens, plenty of skepticism is warranted. Regardless, now we have a movie about this story. Warner Bros, as the studio is doing with every movie on its theatrical slate in 2021, will drop The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It on HBO Max on June 4, the same day it hits theaters. And itll stay on the streaming service for 28 days. Aside from Wonder Woman 1984, which dropped at 10 a.m. PT on Christmas morning, the other films that have hit HBO Max under this scheme have made their debuts at midnight PT on the Thursday night before their release dates, or 3 a.m. ET if youre on the East Coast. It follows, then, that the third Conjuring movie will follow that same pattern, and so you should expect that itll be on HBO Max at midnight PT on Thursday night. | https://www.thewrap.com/what-time-does-the-conjuring-the-devil-made-me-do-it-release-on-hbo-max/ |
What happened to Tesla Model 3 seat belts? | ELON Musks Tesla vehicles have increased in popularity due to their high-end amenities and eco-friendly business model. Some models of the electric vehicle are facing a recall due to seatbelt issues, according to the company. The Tesla Model 3 (2018-2020) and the 2019-2020 Model Y vehicles are facing a recall because fasteners that secure the front seat belt to the b-pillar may not be properly attached. The recall affects nearly 5,530 vehicles that were imported to China. Additionally, the Model Y cars from 2019-2021 also have a separate recall because fasteners that secure the left and right second-row seat belt retractors may also not be properly attached. The second Model Y recall affects about 2,166 vehicles. Tesla informed the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about the recall and said it was not aware of any crashes or accidents regarding the seat belt issues. They also assured that they would inspect, fix, and replace the fasteners should they need to be changed, saying: The unlikely event that damage to the b-pillar hole threads and/or top loop is found during the inspection, Tesla Service will repair the hole threads and/or replace the top loop." 3 Tesla said it will make the necessary inspections or repairs to any Model 3 or Model Y It is unclear how long the repairs or recall will last. Teslas Model 3 has ranked among the three best-selling electric cars in mainland China after unveiling the model to the public in 2020. Tesla recalled over 9,000 Model X cars in November of 2020 over fears parts of their roofs could fly off while driving. According to the notice, the recall covered 9,136 Model X vehicles made between Sept. 17, 2015, and July 31, 2016. Breaking NO-GO Biden will NOT investigate the Capitol riot with a presidential commission 'MORALLY BANKRUPT' Fury as full-frontal male nudity on PRIMETIME TV as families watched VET SILENCED Veteran's mic cut off as he spoke of role freed slaves played in Memorial Day HITTING BACK Trump has NO plans to be reinstated in White House in August, Lara Trump says In the notice, Tesla said the parts were located at the front of the roof just behind the windshield and at the center of the roof between the upper falcon door roof glass. However, they estimated only 10 percent of the models had trims that were incorrectly applied. The company claimed to have discovered the problem in September when it learned of a field event involving a 2016 Model X with missing trim. | https://www.the-sun.com/news/3012809/what-happened-to-tesla-model-3-seat-belts/ |
What is lungworm and is it dangerous for dogs? | THE BIGGEST STORIES ACROSS BRISTOL IN YOUR INBOX Invalid Email Something went wrong, please try again later. SIGN UP Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Lungworm is becoming more common across the country, and vets are urging owners to be aware of the danger it poses to their pets. Lungworm is a type of parasitic worm called Angiostrongylus Vasorum which can affect dogs, foxes and badgers. It lives in the heart and blood vessels that supply the lungs. Traditionally, lungworm only appeared in certain hot spots in the south of England, but in recent years it has been identified in dogs in most of the UK, according to Vets Now. Dogs pick up the larvae that cause lungworm by eating infected slugs and snails or by drinking from puddles, eating grass or licking paving stones that slugs or snails have crawled along, Team Dogs reports. But slugs and snails in themselves are not toxic to dogs and the parasite cannot be passed from dog to dog. Dave Leicester, Vets Now head of telehealth and one of the UKs leading emergency vets, advises dog owners to restrict their pets access to areas where slugs and snails frequent. Avoid leaving your dogs toys and water bowl in the garden. But be careful if you decide to use slug or snail pellets to exterminate them, he said. The chemical in these pellets, metaldehyde, is highly toxic to dogs. Speak to your daytime vet about prescribing a regular worming treatment. These usually come in the form of tablets or spot-ons and are administered monthly." Join our brand new website TeamDogs now. When you get there, make sharing a picture of your dog in our Top Dogs feed your very brilliant first job. Maybe when you've done that, leave a recommendation to help fellow dog owners in the TeamDogs community. You should be aware that not all wormers, particularly over-the-counter treatments, are effective against lungworm. You can find out more about lungworm by clicking here. If youre worried your pet has become ill with lungworm then you should contact your vets or nearest out-of-hours one as soon as possible. | https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/what-lungworm-dangerous-dogs-5489450 |
Is e-voting the way for Kenya? | Earlier this month, in supporting the legitimacy of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) vote, National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi defended his colleagues against accusations of receiving irregular inducements to sway their votes at Parliament. He said they had achieved a two-thirds vote threshold, of 234 MPs supporting, something they had not managed in previous attempts to amend the Constitution, such as to implement the two-thirds gender rule. He added that two-thirds threshold was also not achieved back in 2009 when MPs were asked to vote for a local tribunal to deal with post-election violence cases. That vote had failed despite lobbying and presence in Parliament of both President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. What's also interesting about the success of the BBI vote is that it was achieved during Covid-19, and with reduced numbers at Parliament. But thanks to technology, MPs were able to record increased participation and to contribute and vote from their homes, offices or villages. And it's not just in parliament. My sacco had record attendance at this year's AGM. The meeting was virtual and had 2,000 participants, almost double the 1,100 record for a physical meeting. For now, the High Court seems to have put off a referendum vote, sparking fury from some leaders who have appealed the ruling. India is going through a terrible Covid-19 surge, sparked by an increase in festivals and election campaigns. In Kenya, to popularise BBI, coronavirus health protocols were informally suspended leading to the return of crowds and political rallies suspected to have contributed to a second wave. Several leaders, including ODM leader Raila Odinga, fell ill soon after. I looked to the acknowledged champions of e-government Estonia and a resident called Tamabaku who described how for Estonians who do not live in the country, online voting has become the preferred way of taking part in elections. Ten times more Estonians vote this way than at their embassies. It works for them. But online voting and other unconventional methods generate controversy, none more than with the United States in 2020. According to Pew Research, with Covid raging, 46 per cent of Americans voted by posting their ballots by mail. And of the 54 per cent who cast their ballot at polling stations, half of them voted before election day to avoid the anticipated in-person crowds on November 3. As the mail-in votes appeared to tilt the election away from President Donald Trump, he started a wave of claims including rigging, foreign interference, dead voters, mathematical algorithms, and vote-altering machines that spread on the internet and social media. This culminated in the protest at the US Capitol on January 6 to stop the final tallying of the electoral vote. Today Trump is out, but he still maintains the election was rigged. Kenya has had its share of contested election outcomes, in the streets and the courts. The 2013 vote that was taken to the Supreme Court spawned the phrase "fungua server" (open up and show us the computer vote logs). So online voting, despite its uses for Parliament, companies and saccos, is not likely to make its way to the IEBC any time soon. | https://nation.africa/kenya/blogs-opinion/opinion/is-e-voting-the-way-for-kenya--3424900 |
Where Does Defunding The Police Stand In Milwaukee? | Activists around the country, including in Milwaukee, are asking leaders to defund the police and reallocate resources to underfunded communities. Some even want to abolish the police altogether at some point down the line. Paru Shah teaches political science at UW-Milwaukee. She says those who advocate for police reform must first agree theres a good way to police. [Reformers think] what we really need to do is shift police culture, police transparency, fairness, accountability, and that we can use reform measures to achieve, you know, an outcome of more good policing," she explains. That would involve doing things like putting money back into police departments for training, making sure police live in neighborhoods theyre patrolling and changing policies like banning chokeholds and no-knock warrants. But defunding the police, says Shah, means transferring money spent on reacting to crime into services that can prevent crime. Like bringing in social workers to the community, providing mental health services, building up community infrastructure. So really trying to address the problems before they become something that become criminal behavior or other types of behaviors that end up requiring police presence," she says. Some activists, like Markasa Tucker of Liberate MKE and the African American Roundtable, also work from an abolitionist lens. We want to continually divest from police until the budgets are zero, equipment is zero, surveillance is zero, invest into true public safety, which we know is access to food, employment, public health, affordable quality housing and folks basic needs, she says. Extended conversation with Markasa Tucker Listen 13:50 But before total abolition, activists are thinking about divestment and the creation of a nonpolice infrastructure to address poverty and other problems in marginalized communities. Since 2019, Tucker and her team have asked to divest tens of millions of dollars from the citys approximately $300 million policing budget and reinvest it into communities. The group has documented some of their past budget wins. But largely, in 2021, the most recent Milwaukee policing budget changed by about $430,000 dollars, or about .0.15%. The common council also rejected, then approved a temporary federal grant to add policing jobs in the city. [It is completely reckless and irresponsible] the way that the people in power are operating in the city of Milwaukee, they have to be a part of radically shifting their mindset to get the people in Milwaukee to things that they need. We're still in a pandemic," Tucker says. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett says people may not realize the 2021 budget calls for 160 fewer officers than in the past, even though the budget remains virtually the same. Barrett says the reduction in police is unfortunate. Just in the last couple of weeks, I've had a couple incidents where people I know have had their cars stolen, and the Milwaukee police have recovered the car in both instances within 24 hours. Once they found the car. The second instance, they found the people who stole the car committing an armed robbery. And so I want our police to respond when we have stolen cars. I want our police to respond when there's violence," he says. Barrett says there are situations in which the city can use responders who arent in law enforcement, like in some mental health crises. But even those individuals oftentimes want to have police backup. So, I think, clearly, we want to have resources go into the areas where we can improve the quality of life in Milwaukee. But I don't know that most citizens want to see the police department slashed as dramatically as some people are saying we should," he says. Both Barrett and Tucker have their eyes on the American Rescue Plan Act money the city of Milwaukee will be getting just over $400 million dollars. Barrett says the money will allow the city to fund housing initiatives, lead abatement and early education programs, and his spokesman says the city is still deciding on the best uses for the money. Tucker wants zero dollars spent on policing and to see participatory budgeting, in which the community has a say in how the money is spent. Members of Milwaukees Common Council were not available for this story, but Alderwoman Milele Coggs has been pushing for community input on American Rescue Plan money. She helped organize a virtual town hall with that focus last month. Liberate MKE will be issuing their updated demands for the city later in the month. | https://www.wuwm.com/2021-06-02/where-does-defunding-the-police-stand-in-milwaukee |
Are Regional Companies Ready To Dominate South Asian Oil Markets? | Hibiscus Petroleum Bhd. is set to take over Repsols operations in Malaysia and Vietnam as the Spanish company sells its exploration and production assets in a move away from Malaysia to focus on its core market. Repsol announced it will be selling oil exploration and production assets in Malaysia as well as Block 46 CN in Vietnam to a Malaysian Hibiscus Petroleum-owned subsidiary. Kuala-Lumpur listed Hibiscus will acquire the whole equity interest in Fortuna International Petroleum Corp for $212.5 million. Rumors have been circulating around Repsols departure from Malaysia since February this year. But Repsol still holds a significant stake in the Southeast Asian oil sector, with major assets in Vietnam and Indonesia. The shift appears to be in a bid for Repsol to focus its portfolio on a core set of countries and activities, following its recent withdrawal from Russia and the ceasing of its oil production in Spain. Repsol will continue to focus its efforts around upstream activities, reducing its presence from 25 to 14 core countries. This will take Hibiscus from being a small Asian player to one of the majors in the region, beating Indonesias Medco Energi as a rival bidder for the assets. Readul Islam, an Asia upstream specialist at Rystad Energy stated of the deal, In the North Sea, there has been a pack of private equity-backed players willing to pick up stakes as the legacy players exit their positions. In this region, Hibiscus seems to be taking on that role pretty much single-handedly. Related: ''We'll See $200 Oil": Russia & OPEC Ministers Blast IEA's Net Zero Plan While vice president of analysis at Rystad, Prateek Pandey, said the sale to Hibiscus was an excellent example of a regional independent stepping up to expand their portfolio as international heavyweights trim their exploration and production presence across Asia. The deal will see Hibiscus acquire a 35 percent interest in PM3 CAA PSC, 60 percent in 2012 Kinabalu Oil PSC, 60 percent in PM305 PSC, and 60 percent in PM314 PSC offshore eastern Peninsular Malaysia, as well as 70 percent in Block 46 CN in Vietnam. However, the deal is pending regulatory approval in both countries, with the Vietnamese regulators proving a potential obstacle. Hibiscus also requires a waiver of partners pre-emption rights to complete the purchase. Malaysias oil and gas industry is slowly rebounding, following a fall in profits across the board in response to low oil demand and prices last year. State-owned oil company Petronas managed to double its first-quarter profits year-over-year, as oil prices climb while other costs have fallen. This follows the release of a 10-year industry plan, announced in April by the Malaysian government, aimed at prospering in a lower oil price environment. The national oil and gas services and equipment (OGSE) industry blueprint 2021-30 intends to enhance export potential, diversify the sector through renewable energy projects, and consolidate the industry. Meanwhile, Vietnams state oil company Petrolimex is aiming for an increase in earnings of 9 percent, around $5.86 billion, and a rise in revenue and pre-tax profit of 238 percent, approximately $156 million. The Hibiscus-Repsol deal could be the first of many as we see regional players take on a larger role in the development of the Southeast Asian oil market. By Felicity Bradstock for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: | https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Are-Regional-Companies-Ready-To-Dominate-South-Asian-Oil-Markets.html |
Can We Actually Harness Energy From A Black Hole? | Some scientists think so. And the secret to harvesting their energy lies in gamma-ray bursts, the most powerful transient objects in the known universe. These bursts, which are thought to be the product of the formation of a black hole, are the strongest and brightest explosions in existence. In the few finite seconds that one of these bursts lasts, they can create as much energy as our solar systems sun will produce during the entirety of its 10-billion-year lifespan. "Their luminosity in the gamma-rays, in the time interval of the event, is as large as the luminosity of all the stars of the observable Universe!, Italian astrophysicist Remo Ruffini of the International Center for Relativistic Astrophysics Network (ICRANet) explained. Gamma-ray bursts have been thought to be powered, by an up-to-now unknown mechanism, by stellar-mass black holes." While the smallest of gamma bursts is almost unfathomably powerful, just recently, scientists detected the most powerful gamma-ray burst ever recorded. Known as GRB 190114C, this historically enormous flare created approximately a trillion electron volts (1 TeV), which scientists detected emanating from a mind-blowing 4.5 billion light-years away. A gamma-ray burst of this type is so powerful that it actually has the ability to warp space-time, sending ripples through the universe known as gravitational waves. While there is still relatively little known about gamma-ray bursts and, indeed, black holes themselves, the scientific community is making leaps and bounds in studying these far-flung phenomena. Some of the most recent, most cutting-edge studies in this realm involve the unbelievable amounts of energy generated by these events. Very excitingly, in theory, this energy can be harvested. The energy which is generated by a rotating black hole can be extracted from the ergosphere, a region that sits just on the outside of the event horizon, a recent article from Science Alert explains. The viability of this possibility has not only been demonstrated theoretically but also experimentally. Now, thanks to the revelation that is GRB 190114C, a group of scientists has made a compelling case that we now have observational evidence for it as well. The scientific team, which includes the aforementioned Ruffini, published their findings in the scientific journal Astronomy & Astrophysics under the compelling title The newborn black hole in GRB 191014C proves that it is alive. The paper theorizes a mechanism capable of creating this kind of ultra-powerful gamma-burst, put in (almost) laymans terms by Science Alert: [The mechanism is based on] the acceleration of particles along magnetic field lines inherited from the black hole's parent neutron star. That magnetic field extracts rotational energy from the black hole's ergosphere. "The novel engine presented in the new publication," Ruffini explained of he and his colleagues new publication, "makes the job through a purely general relativistic, gravito-electrodynamical process: a rotating black hole, interacting with a surrounding magnetic field, creates an electric field that accelerates ambient electrons to ultrahigh-energies leading to high-energy radiation and ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays." While this most recent finding is a breakthrough in the field, the interest in harvesting energy from black holes is anything but new. Earlier this year, another study from Columbia University indicated that energy could potentially be extracted from black holes through reconnection of magnetic field lines. One of the authors of that study, physicist Luca Comisso, has stated these kinds of findings suggest that black holes could be part of humanitys energy landscape in the (very distant) future. Thousands or millions of years from now, humanity might be able to survive around a black hole without harnessing energy from stars, Comisso was quoted by Columbia News. It is essentially a technological problem. If we look at the physics, there is nothing that prevents it. By Haley Zaremba for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: | https://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/Can-We-Actually-Harness-Energy-From-A-Black-Hole.html |
Do I Need to Get Tested for COVID-19 If I'm Vaccinated? | No, you can skip routine testing, with some exceptions. The latest guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says you don't need to be tested or to quarantine if you're fully vaccinated, even if youve been exposed to someone who was sick. An exception is if you develop COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough and fatigue. The updated guidance reflects recent studies showing vaccinated people face very little risk of serious disease. Even if you get an infection, you'll be less likely to spread it to others and any symptoms will likely be milder. As a result, the CDC says vaccinated people can also be excluded from routine workplace screening, though many companies aren't tracking employees' vaccination status. Screening is still recommended for people working or living in homeless shelters or prisons, due to the higher risk of outbreaks. The relaxed guidelines also don't apply to doctors, nurses and other health care workers, whose employers might still require testing. Guidance may vary by country. U.S. citizens returning from abroad also still have to present a negative COVID-19 test before boarding their flights home, regardless of their vaccination status. Anyone who tests positive for COVID-19 should still isolate for 10 days, the CDC says. As vaccinations increase, many experts expect the CDC to further relax testing guidelines, even for vaccinated people with symptoms. Many common colds and viruses can cause symptoms resembling COVID-19, experts say, which could lead to a wave of unnecessary testing in the fall. As we race to open back up, a whole variety of infections that we dont routinely test for are going to cause those same symptoms, said Dr. Rebecca Wurtz of the University of Minnesota. You should wash your hands and stay home from work, but theres no need to run out to be tested. | https://www.newsmax.com/health/health-news/virus-outbreak-viral-questions-testing-covid-19/2021/06/03/id/1023743/ |
Is SRAC a Good SPAC Stock To Buy Now? | Momentus is going public in a SPAC merger with Stable Road Acquisition (SRAC). The parties recently extended their merger date. At about $11, SRAC stock has pulled back more than 60 percent from its all-time high of $29. Momentus, a space startup, provides "last-mile delivery" for satellite launches. Once it completes the SPAC merger, Momentus stock will trade under the MNTS ticker symbol and replace SRAC stock. Success in space starts with our team on the ground," said Momentus President Dr. Fred Kennedy. Our rapid growth supports our intent to become a public company that will provide infrastructure services for emerging industries beyond . https://t.co/ECvvmB4uiP $SRAC If Stable Road had failed to secure enough shareholder votes, it would have been forced to dissolve and refund investors their money. That would have been a major blow to Momentus and its hopes of going public. Stable Road and Momentus aim to close their merger by Aug. 13. The parties were previously targeting a May 13 closing, but realized they needed more time to complete regulatory processes for the merger closure. More than 66 percent of Stable Road shareholder votes supported the deadline extension request. A major stumbling block in getting government approvals has been Momentuss foreign ownership structure. The startup has initiated a process to cut ties with its Russian founder, Mikhail Kokorich, who has already resigned as its CEO and director. He will also cease holding Momentus shares in three years. Momentus planned to launch a payload on SpaceXs Jun. 2021 rideshare mission, but was denied FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) clearance due to national security concerns. It also missed a Jan. 2021 launch mission. Super excited about @SpaceX 's work today. Read more about smallest ridesharing and the future of #inspacetransportation here https://t.co/0kIGDb8q32 pic.twitter.com/S9R8wqZKG2 Momentus has encountered regulatory hurdles and doesnt expect to fly in 2021. In a May securities filing, Stable Road revealed that Elon Musks SpaceX had suspended its work with Momentus until it secures government approvals to fly. However, Stable Road has resolved the deadline issue and Momentus continues to engage with regulators for licenses. Therefore, SRAC stock will likely go up when Momentus secures government approvals to fly and SpaceX restores its partnership. At $11, SRAC stock is almost back to where it started. Investors sold off the stock on fears Stable Road would miss the Momentus merger deadline. Momentuss regulatory challenges have also pressured SRAC stock. SRAC stocks 60 percent retreat from its all-time high reached in Feb. 2021 opens a window for bargain hunters. Momentus is also a promising business. Demand for Momentuss last-mile satellite and space cargo delivery service has grown even before it begins to fly, and the company is currently negotiating deals worth $2 billion. Stable Road (SRAC) versus Holicity (HOL) Like Stable Road, Holicity is also taking a space exploration startup public: Astra. Whereas Momentus secured a $1.2 billion valuation in its deal with Stable Road, Astra got $2.1 billion valuation in its Holicity deal. PIPE investors put $175 million into Momentus, and $200 million into Astra. Stable Road and Holicity both listed their shares at $10 apiece, and SRAC's all-time high is $29, while HOLs is $22. Both stocks have retreated more than 50 percent from their peaks. | https://marketrealist.com/p/buy-srac-stock-before-momentus-merger-date/ |
How to Get a Coinbase Debit Card? | Crypto credit and debit cards are skyrocketing in popularity right now. We have already seen major credit card processors like Visa and Mastercard partnering up with some of the biggest cryptocurrency companies in the world. Perhaps the most notable partnership to date has been between Visa and Coinbase on a new type of debit card, which was revealed last year. Coinbase has recently announced this same crypto debit card has now integrated with Apple Pay and Google Pay. This means users can pay with Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies just by using their phone, rather than needing a physical card. While payments apps like these are pretty common nowadays, we're only just starting to see these apps integrate with the crypto world. Coinbase first launched the U.S. version of its Visa debit card back in October 2020, which quickly resulted in a massive waitlist. The card was also launched in almost 30 other countries around the world. Since then, Coinbase has also partnered with other payment service providers, like PayPal , to help make buying and selling crypto in the U.S. easier than ever. A Coinbase Card is a type of Visa debit card that lets you spend your crypto assets when shopping in real life. As long as you have some crypto in your Coinbase portfolio, you can use either Google and Apple Pay to make purchases anywhere that accepts a Visa card. Funds are automatically converted from crypto to U.S. dollars in real-time when making a purchase, with users paying a small 0.2% conversion fee in the process. How to get a Coinbase card Unfortunately, f you're thinking about applying for a Coinbase card right now, there's some bad news. There's still a long waitlist for U.S. applicants, with the only exception being for citizens in the state of Hawaii. Residents in Europe are able to get their cards much earlier. At the moment, the Coinbase Card is available in most European countries, although Germany is one noticeable exception where it's not available for residents. Article continues below advertisement Crypto, meet Coinbase Card. Now in the US you can spend the crypto in your Coinbase account everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted and earn up to 4% back in crypto rewards. Terms apply. Join the waitlist today: https://t.co/Qg7LGDqrgn pic.twitter.com/DsbeX2Qm5o Coinbase DOGE (@coinbase) October 28, 2020 The only requirement for a Coinbase card is that you have an account. Other than that, it's free. Unlike a regular credit card which requires a credit check, Coinbase isn't a credit card, per se. You aren't borrowing any money or crypto in this case. This card just lets you make purchases at your local store with crypto by converting it into fiat. Article continues below advertisement If you can't get a Coinbase card, there are other options as well. Crypto.com offers a crypto credit card where you earn token rewards based on how much you spend with the card. Other crypto debit cards also includes the Binance credit card, which is also partnered with Visa. | https://marketrealist.com/p/how-to-get-a-coinbase-card/ |
What Does 'FUD' Mean in the Stock Market? | *Please get the word out* The filing of 11.5M shares youre seeing today is FUD - these shares were sold in late April, and is being filed for now Dont panic. Were doing okay. Think about FOMO for a second. It can occur when a stock has large upswings in a short period of time. Investors might feel like they missed out by selling their stock too early or avoiding buying for too long. That's why the actively managed FOMO ETF has such a high expense ratio, because they're shifting the holdings frequently to line up with quick, sentiment-based market pivots. | https://marketrealist.com/p/what-is-fud-in-stocks/ |
Why Is AMC Stock Dropping and Will It Recover? | On June 3, as of 10:30 a.m. ET, AMC stock had dropped by more than 18 percent. This followed a 95 percent rise on June 2. The trading in AMC stock was halted several times on June 2. At one point, the stock went up by more than 100 percent intraday. This rally, like the one in January, is being led by retail investors, many of who are active on Reddits subgroup WallStreetBets. Retail investors on the forum decided to buy the stock in unison. The stock soared and its high short interest multiplied these gains. However, to benefit from the stock's surge, the company announced that it will sell 11 million shares on June 3. This made the stock tank immediately. | https://marketrealist.com/p/why-amc-dropping-will-it-recover/ |
Can Australia Satisfy Tesla's Appetite For Battery Metals? | By OilPrice.com Electric cars giant Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) said it expects to soon begin buying more than $1 billion a year of Australian lithium, nickel and other critical minerals for its batteries and engines. Chairman Robyn Denholm said the country has taken important steps towards cleaning its image of polluting commodities exporter and it is poised to become a globally significant supplier of climate change solutions. Australia has the minerals to power the renewable energy age throughout the world in the coming years, Denholm, an Australian, said in a speech during a Minerals Council of Australia event. We expect our spend on Australian minerals to increase to more than $1 billion per annum for the next few years, she said. Denholms remarks come as Australias minerals sector released its first progress report on climate action, which shows the industry has cut emissions and is on track to reach a 30% annual reduction. The document highlights 12 case studies on how the industry is taking practical climate action, including the rollout of renewables, carbon capture and storage development and investment in autonomous vehicles from major players such as BHP, Rio Tinto, Newcrest, Newmont, and Anglo American. Tesla already sources three-quarters of the lithium it uses from Australia and over a third of its nickel, Denham said, without specifying a dollar figure. $310 billion market by 2030 Tesla chairman also noted that the country has the advantage of having resources in all three critical battery metals as well as other components at the heart of the clean energy transition. To put it a simpler way: electric vehicles account for less than 1% of vehicles globally at the moment. To reach net zero emissions, that needs to be much closer to 100% within 30 years. So thats at least a 100-fold increase ahead, just for vehicles, she said. Denholm said that shift would, by 2030, generate a global lithium-ion battery market of A$400 billion ($310bn). Thats eight times the revenue generated by Australias coal exports in 2020, she said. Government figures forecast exports of spodumene to hit A$1 billion ($773m) this year while its nickel exports are expected to be valued at A$4 billion ($3bn). | https://www.zerohedge.com/energy/can-australia-satisfy-teslas-appetite-battery-metals?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zerohedge%2Ffeed+%28zero+hedge+-+on+a+long+enough+timeline%2C+the+survival+rate+for+everyone+drops+to+zero%29 |
Did an Iranian Navy Ship Catch Fire and Sink in the Gulf? | The largest warship in the Iranian navy, the Kharg, caught fire and sank in the Gulf of Oman on June 2, 2021. On June 2, 2021, Irans largest navy warship sank in the Gulf of Oman, according to reports from numerous Iranian news agencies. Reuters cited the Fars news agency, which quoted a Navy spokesperson, who said, A 20-hour effort to extinguish the fire by the ships damage control team, which were joined by firefighting crews as well as military and civilian forces from other nearby vessels, failed to save Kharg. Fars is often described, by outlets like Reuters, as a semi-official news agency, often acting as a voice for the government. Only 20 out of the 400 people on board received minor injuries, the spokesperson added. No cause for the fire was given. State media reported that 33 people suffered injuries. They said that the fire on the vessel started around 2:25 a.m. (21:55 GMT) on Wednesday, near the Iranian port of Jask, where it was on a training mission. The ship was also used to resupply other ships in the fleet at sea. The Gulf of Oman connects to the Strait of Hormuz where around one-fifth of the worlds oil passes. Fars and other Iranian news media released pictures and video of thick black smoke rising from the ship. Photographs of the fire spread on social media, showing sailors wearing life jackets being evacuated from the ship. #BREAKING Fire engulfed an Iranian navy training vessel last night near Bandar-e-Jask in southern #Iran. Reason unknown as of yet. Note: This incident occurs just one day after reports of two Iranian warships heading towards Venezuela, one carrying 7 high-speed missile boats. https://t.co/G3wwePCmLT pic.twitter.com/Qj5qTBO0aE Heshmat Alavi (@HeshmatAlavi) June 2, 2021 Since late February, there have been a number of attacks on Iranian and Israeli-owned vessels. Each country has blamed the other for targeting their ships. In April 2021, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said one of the countrys ships had been attacked in the Red Sea, though the government did not identify who was behind it. Major news agencies are citing both official and semi-official Iranian news sources for this story. Given that this is being widely reported on most major outlets with video of the fire, we rate this claim as True. | https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/iranian-navy-ship-sink-fire-gulf/ |
Were LGBTQ Skittles Labelled White Pride? | The "Skittles White Pride" shelf label was the result of an isolated oversight rather than a racially charged corporate expression of white supremacy on the part of SPAR, the supermarket chain, or Mars, which makes Skittles. In June 2021, which is LGBTQ Pride Month in the United States and other countries, readers asked Snopes about a widely shared photograph that appeared to show a bag of white Skittles, designed to commemorate Pride, but labelled White Pride in a supermarket. On June 3, for example, @NoContextBrits posted the photograph to Twitter, along with the caption, I dont think thats the kind of pride they mean. The wording on the shelf label Skittles White Pride could readily be interpreted as suggesting that the item was a racially charged expression of white supremacy: The photograph was authentic, but it was the result of an oversight by whoever created the shelf labels in that particular supermarket, rather than a corporate policy on the part of SPAR, the Dutch supermarket chain in question, or Mars, which makes Skittles. As a result, were issuing a rating of Mixture. Later on June 3, the UK Twitter account of SPAR clarified that the photograph related to a photograph taken in 2020, and resulted from a labelling error that was quickly rectified: Hello, this was a labelling error last year that was quickly rectified. We will make sure it never happens again. Many thanks! The slogan associated with the white Skittles is During Pride, only one rainbow matters. So the point of the campaign was that Skittles, which are multi-colored and famously marketed with the slogan Taste the rainbow, would be stripped of that rainbow theme during Pride month, in deference to and solidarity with Pride and the LGBTQ rainbow symbol. Separate to SPARs white pride labelling kerfuffle, Mars has faced criticism for the decision to commemorate Pride by releasing all-white Skittles, especially after the move was first made in 2017. | https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/lgbt-pride-white-skittles/ |
Was The Grapes of Wrath Mistranslated as The Angry Raisins? | The title of the John Steinbeck novel 'The Grapes of Wrath' was published in a Japanese translation bearing the title 'The Angry Raisins.' Whenever we need a humorous story (true or otherwise) to highlight how easily different cultures can misunderstand one another, we turn to the Japanese, folkloric exemplars of foreigners who admire and imitate American culture but are too different from us to truly understand it. We dont lack for amusing anecdotes about how the Japanese have managed to garble some essential part of American culture in typically hilarious fashion, everything from their fashioning Christmas decorations showing Santa Claus nailed to a cross to their mistranslating the titles of Pulitzer Prize-winning novels: [The New York Times, 1996] Elaine Steinbeck, John Steinbecks widow, can spot her husbands name on the spine of a book in many languages, including Russian and Greek. Once she was in Yokohama and, at sea with Japanese, she asked a book-store owner if he had any books by her favorite author. He thought for a moment, then said, yes, he had The Angry Raisins. The example at hand, the rendering of the title of John Steinbecks The Grapes of Wrath as The Angry Raisins in a Japanese translation, is perhaps less interesting as a silly mistranslation story than it is as a study of how easily and quickly an anecdote of this type can travel and mutate into something quite different. For a number of reasons, the anecdote quoted above might not be nearly as implausible or silly as it might seem at first blush: 1) Although in English we have distinctly different words for certain types of dried produce (e.g., dried grapes are raisins; dried plums are prunes), not all languages do. Just as the English language has no specific term to describe dried tomatoes (theyre generally referred to simply as sun-dried tomatoes), so Japanese has no specific term for dried grapes. In Japanese, grapes are budou, and raisins are hoshibudou (literally dried grapes). Thus, substituting one term for the other wouldnt be quite as noticeable a difference in Japanese as it would be in English. 2) Titles of translated works are often chosen by publishers (rather than translators), and a publishers goal is more likely to be to try to come up with a short, catchy name that will appeal to the target audience rather than to provide a faithful translation of the original title. A perfect example of this phenomenon is the case of the Japanese pop song Ue O Muite Aruko (literally I Look Up When I Walk), a hit in both the UK and America in 1963 in a cover version by jazzman Kenny Ball and the original version by Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto, respectively. Both versions were sung in Japanese, but the British record label that released Kenny Balls recording was concerned English-speaking audiences might find the original title too difficult to remember and pronounce, so they gave it a new title: Sukiyaki. (The American record label retained the British title when they released Kyu Sakamotos version a few months later.) Of course, the word sukiyaki (a sauteed beef dish) had absolutely nothing to do with the lyrics or meaning of the song. Nonetheless, the word served the purpose well because it was short, catchy, recognizably Japanese, and familiar to most English speakers (very few of whom could understand the Japanese lyrics anyway) even if, as Newsweek quipped, the re-titling was akin to issuing Moon River in Japan under the title of Beef Stew. 3) Words and phrases often have special significance to a native speakers culture that may not be obvious to foreigners. Most Americans recognize that the title The Grapes of Wrath echoes a line from Julia Ward Howes defiant 19th-century anthem The Battle Hymn of the Republic, but a Japanese translator might not be familiar with the reference and therefore might not understand the importance of rendering the phrase literally rather than figuratively. Likewise, an American translating a Chinese work might render a title whose literal meaning was fog-shrouded bamboo thicket as the shorter and more poetic Forest Mist without knowing that fog-shrouded bamboo thicket was actually a key line from a well-known work of the Tang dynasty poet Li Po, thereby inadvertently producing, through a seemingly inconsequential alteration, a title hilarious to those familiar with Chinese culture. Plausible or not, the claim that Steinbecks novel was translated into Japanese as The Angry Raisins (or under the inverted title The Wrath of Grapes) is not supported by the evidence: an examination of the translated works of Steinbeck using Japans National Institute of Informatics NACSIS Webcat database shows that the title of Steinbecks masterpiece has been correctly rendered in multiple Japanese versions as Ikari no budou (the first published as far back as 1962), yet it reveals no instances of the books being published as Ikareru hoshibudou (The Angry Raisins) or Budou no ikari (The Wrath of Grapes). The anecdote involving Mrs. Steinbeck quoted at the head of this page might still be literally true, just not the result of a badly-translated title. Its quite possible that the bookstore owner might have been very familiar with what he knew as Steinbecks Ikari no budou, but in the pressure of the moment, having to communicate with a foreigner who likely didnt understand any Japanese, he expressed the title using the closest English words he could remember: angry and raisins. (Wrath, especially, is a word only a more advanced student of English would be likely to know.) As we noted above, whats more interesting about this tale is the variety of forms in which the same amusing tidbit of mistranslation has been presented to us over the years. The earliest version we found was a short item in the Jerusalem Post about a trip John Steinbecks widow made to Japan in 1989 (coincident with the fiftieth anniversary of The Grapes of Wraths publication), which stated: John Steinbecks widow, Elaine, was in Tokyo to accept a posthumous honour for the author of The Grapes of Wrath. One particularly effusive Japanese told her: We like your husbands work very much, particularly The Angry Raisins. Five years later, the New York Times printed a slightly different version, the one quoted at the top of this page, which had Ms. Steinbeck finding out about the unusual title of her husbands novel in Japan not when she was approached by an effusive fan, but when she entered a bookstore to inquire about it. Those two accounts arent necessarily mutually exclusive, but a few years later an Irish newspaper reported that the garbled title came about in an entirely different fashion, as the product of one of those classic translating machine foul-ups: In real life (as opposed to the brochures and sci fi films), when machines try to translate things, they often run into problems. One Japanese machine turned The Grapes of Wrath into The Angry Raisins. Another translated Out of sight, out of mind into The Invisible Idiot (think about it). A couple of years later, writer Neil Steinberg was using the garbled title to test whether sales clerks in independent book stores possessed any more literary savvy than their counterparts at the large chain stores: Round One began at the neighborhood Borders. I walked up to the information desk and stood before a young lady with long hair. Im looking for a novel, I said. Its about migrant farm workers in California during the Great Depression. Her reply was automatic, like pushing a button. No sooner had I pronounced the n in Depression, when she said: The Grapes of Wrath. I then walked down to LPB. The store was utterly empty, and there were two clerks (ones heart does break for these places), one behind the counter, one dusting the shelves. Not wanting to double their chances, I waited until the dusting clerk drifted out of earshot. Im looking for a novel, I began, and unspooled the same request as at Borders. He looked at me blankly. I proceeded to hint No. 2: I think its called Angry Raisins. Grapes? said the guy with the feather duster, who had drifted back. Grapes of Wrath? Yes, I said, feigning excitement. The first clerk, obviously abashed, explained that he assumed I was looking for something more obscure, and there is probably some truth to that. Youd get a blank look at McDonalds, too, if you asked for a slice of meat between two discs of bread. Still, big chains won the round. Finally, in an article about Cliffs Notes (those venerable shortcut guides to analysis and interpretation of literary works which students have been using for decades in order to avoid having to actually read books like The Scarlet Letter), the tale comes full circle as it is transformed into an anecdote about an American student woefully unfamiliar with his own cultural heritage: In area bookstores, sales clerks experience suggests that all these guides will have a prime market for many years to come. I had one guy come in asking for Angry Raisins, said Ms. Mullis. It turned out the customer was seeking The Grapes of Wrath. In less than ten years time, The Grapes of Wrath had journeyed halfway around the world and came back as The Angry Raisins, in the process spawning a tale that started out as condescension towards foreigners who want to imitate our culture without understanding it, but ended up as a lamentation over how woefully out of touch we can be with our culture ourselves. | https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/the-wrath-of-grapes/ |
Why Does BCs Accessibility Legislation Exclude Me? | One morning in high school, 39 years ago, while I was wheeling past the school office and past the wall of starry-eyed grad photos of those whod left the school before me, the boys guidance counsellor Mr. Kirkpatrick happened to be in the hallway. He asked me, Glenda, would you rather be able to walk or to talk? Announcements, Events & more from Tyee and select partners Report the Truth: Andrew Nikiforuk on Covering the Pandemic Crisis hit. The Tyee went all out thanks to support by readers like you. We asked what that meant to Andrew. I accepted the question as expressing genuine interest and, until quite recently, I thought it was benign. But then it hit me. That question pitted the two main aspects of my disability, my cerebral palsy, against one another. In that moment of clarity, I realized I had been struggling with this internal battle my entire life. Surprisingly, my inability to walk and my inability to talk are not created equal. They are not equally acknowledged, included or accommodated. I am puzzled by societys obsession with the ability to walk. That not being able to move about upright, on my own two feet, makes me less of a person; less worthy, less valuable. And worse, it is something that needs fixing or curing. A lack of physical access is frustrating and inconvenient. And in 2021 there is no excuse for it, other than antiquated and ableist attitudes. However, I find the inability to clearly communicate verbally far more disabling. For some reason, which continues to baffle me, the majority of our society links the ability to speak with the ability to hear and to understand. People talk down to me, talk to the person who might be with me or totally dismiss me. They dont allow me adequate time to respond or to use my most effective means to communicate a text-to-speech app that allows me to convert typed text to audio. When the Accessible Canada Act received royal assent in 2018, I rejoiced! After much advocating by many parties, communication had been included in the definition of disability, which included physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication and sensory impairments. At the age of 51, both of my impairments physical and communication had been acknowledged. Included. Finally. I was further encouraged by communication, other than information and communication technologies being included in the list of accessibility standards to be developed. The barriers that I and more than 440,000 fellow Canadians living with communication disabilities (not primarily caused by hearing loss) face are finally going to be proactively identified, removed and further prevented. After living half of a century on this planet, I was cautiously optimistic. In April 2021, the Accessible British Columbia Act, or Bill 6, received its first reading. Billed to be aligned with federal accessibility legislation, imagine my extreme disappointment and utter frustration when the bills definition of impairment only included physical, sensory, mental, intellectual and cognitive impairments. Communication, as well as learning, had been omitted from the definition. The plain language summary of the legislation offers this explanation for why some disabilities had not been included: The legislation includes examples of different kinds of disabilities, not a full list of them. This legislation is aimed at removing barriers for all British Columbians. My response to this is a raised eyebrow only because my initial response is not publishable. This exclusion is compounded by the omission of communication from the list of disabilities provided in the Accessibility Legislation Infographic. To me, this continues a systemic exclusion of the approximately 50,000 British Columbians living with communication disabilities. Ironically, advocacy requires communication, which is the disability in this case. read more It is unacceptable to omit communication disabilities from the bills definition and then offer a patronizing explanation: Oh, those are only examples. Of course, all disabilities are included. Revisions to Bill 6 should be made prior to the third and final reading. Communication disabilities should not be excluded. Othered. Thirty-nine years ago, to Mr. Kirkpatricks question, I immediately responded talk in my wobbly Glenda-ish and scooted off to class, unfazed. Four decades later, my response would still be talk. However, this time I am far from unfazed, no longer that somewhat naive teenager. Today, I feel devalued, dismissed and disregarded. Nothing about us without us. Some arent even included in us. We remain as nothing. | https://thetyee.ca/Analysis/2021/06/03/Why-Does-BC-Accessibility-Legislation-Exclude-Me/ |
Is West Virginia Giving Away Free Guns to Those Who Get COVID Vaccinations? | The West Virginia government is giving away a number of free guns through a series of lucky draws in a lottery for people who have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine shot. fighting an infodemic of rumors and misinformation, and you can help. Find out what weve learned and how to inoculate yourself against COVID-19 misinformation. Read the latest fact checks about the vaccines. Become a Founding Member to help us hire more fact-checkers. And, please, follow the CDC or WHO for guidance on protecting your community from the disease. As more than one year passes since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, Snopes is stillan infodemic of rumors and misinformation, and you can help.what weve learned and how to inoculate yourself against COVID-19 misinformation.the latest fact checks about the vaccines. Submit any questionable rumors and advice you encounter.to help us hire more fact-checkers. And, please, follow theorfor guidance on protecting your community from the disease. Numerous states have been offering a range of free items or prizes in the hopes of getting more Americans to sign up for the COVID-19 shot. Now West Virginia has joined the trend. The state government announced a lottery for Fathers Day, which falls on June 20, 2021, with numerous prizes offered including shotguns and rifles, and only people who are vaccinated at least once will qualify. Gov. Jim Justice announced the initiative on June 1. The government will be giving away two brand-new trucks, two scholarships for students from the ages of 12 to 25, a number of weekend getaways to state parks, five lifetime hunting and fishing licenses, and even $1 million to a lucky winner. But thats not all. We are gonna give 5 custom hunting rifles, and 5 custom hunting shotguns away, on Fathers Day, Justice said. Gov. Justice and state officials provide an update on West Virginias COVID-19 response efforts June 1, 2021. For more information about COVID-19 vaccinations, visit https://t.co/HDtenzZeHR or call 1-833-734-0965. #WV #WVGov https://t.co/IQTUEpdODF Governor Jim Justice (@WVGovernor) June 1, 2021 To be eligible you have got to get your first shot, he added. Those who received both their vaccine doses are also eligible. Registrations for the giveaway will begin on Friday, June 4, according to a news release. The release also said that the initiative will be called Do it for Babydog: Save a life. Change your life. Baby Dog is the name of Justices pet English bulldog. Only 34 percent of the population of West Virginia, according to NPRs Vaccine Tracker, is fully vaccinated, and in April the demand for vaccines was dipping. The state had announced an initiative to offer a $100 saving bond to everyone between the ages of 16 and 35 who got vaccinated. We should also note that West Virginia has the 13th-highest rate of gun deaths in the United States. Given that this has been announced by the governor, we rate this claim as True. | https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/west-virginia-guns-covid-vax/ |
Is Marin Theatre Company Rethinking The Business Its In? | A peek into the future which fully embraces both in-person and digital performance If you follow me on this column, youll know I have long been interested in what is becoming of public spaces over several decades of retreat from them and refuge behind home screens and little screens. Youll know that I have also been on the optimistic side of the spectrum of commentary. Although so much has been lost to digitization main streets, book stores, museums the trend has forced the hand of many entrepreneurs to reflect what business they are really in, and adapt. The challenge for theatre companies, today now that we are nearing the end of the pandemic has been on my mind since I launched this series. When all is done, I will have interviewed several dozen producers, actors, playwrights, and allied theatre artists (composers, designers). A pale but visible thread has become visible. People who are actively working in the theatre have made good use of their time during the pandemic, not just by doing stuff almost all virtually but by taking the time to reflect and ask how the ascendance of digital will change things forever, possibly for the better by helping to make it so. Its an important think. One can easily lose their way in a disruption. Some disruptions have created new categories of experience (e.g., the Zoom play may be here to stay, though perhaps under another name). For Marin Theatre Company (MTC), one of the Bay Areas foremost arts institutions, the answer is yes, maybe, to all the above. Denmo Ibrahim Marin Theatre Company/Storykrapht Last weekend, I logged in to watch MTC and Storykraphts production of Brilliant Mind by Bay area playwright and actor Denmo Ibrahim. (Storykrapht, the subject of a future article, is a digital tech and performance company founded by Ibrahim and Marti Wigder Grimminck) tells the story of Samir (Kal Naga), an immigrant in the afterlife, who keeps watch over his two adult children Dina (Ibrahim) and Yusef (Ramiz Monsef). They come together for the first time in years to prepare for Samirs funeral. Ibrahim delicately lays this all out with the additional twist of making someone who is absent (Samir) present in the story, a device as durable as the absent but omniscient Duke of Vienna in Shakespeares Measure for Measure. In fact, Samir is the most present. Samirs monologues are the only live performance in the piece. The scenes with the children are filmed. Interaction comes via text with Samir who sends comments, pics, reactions (oh god this story again?). And then there are the program notes 40-plus gorgeous pages of background, dramaturgical notes, context. Its the kind of full-immersive experience that you get in some of the worlds most innovative museums, a category of art which is undergoing its own transformation. But it begs the question: what is core to theatre. MTC and Storykrapht say that live is the core, without which this would not be theatre. But the additional modalities of experience cinema, interaction, plentiful access to words and images enrich this production in ways thats hard to match. I want to say more about live experience. But first just a few thoughts about the supporting modalities. As anyone who has taken the time to make Zoom work knows, the medium affords the actors and producers an opportunity to experiment with cinematic performance values. Things that matter (so much): light, sound, music, and of course, acting with faces and small gestures that would be lost on most physical stages. This is what so many theatre producers learned about Zoom during the pandemic, and its the principal reason Zoom will not go away. As for interactivity, its a modality that some will enjoy, and others will choose to ignore. The story in Brilliant Mind moves forward regardless of which modalities you choose to accept. Same with the program. You can go deep with supporting texts or images, or you can choose to just be present for Samir and what he has to say to you. For the reason that people for so long have been drawn to theatre: because he is a live human being who has a story you can relate to, if you open yourself to the experience. Ive waited until this point to disclose that Samir is an Arab-American, a people who have been marginalized and misunderstood in the US, let alone on stages. The power of theatre resides in the presence of humans who you may not know before you enter the room, but who you know so much better after you leave. In the end, MTC with Storykrapht, and play director Kate Bergstrom has created a template for what a sustainable launch of a new play might look like. It is both restating and reimagining what business its in. Thats pretty big news in the theatre world. I expect more and more producers hear about it. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/giovannirodriguez/2021/06/03/is-marin-theatre-company-rethinking-the-business-its-in/ |
What Is Permanent? | via Pexels (c) Mati Mango Jason Fried, co-founder and CEO of Basecamp, writes a thoughtful blog over at world.hey.com. What I like most about his blog is thats it always about technology and our lives, even when its not really about technologyand even when its not crazy provocative. The essay is short and worth reading, and Im not spoiling it by sharing my favorite excerpt: I look down at the machine on my wrist today, and know that in 50 years my son will be able to look down at his wrist at the same machine ticking away the same way it ticks today. I congratulated Jason on his essay but also observed to him that the questions he raised may be much deeper and broader than he suggestswith huge implications for both companies and human beings. Heres my case study: I completed my doctoral dissertation on medieval literature in the early 1990s. When I go back to my hard drive today to access those files, written merely 30 years ago, Microsoft Word will not open them. Even though they were originally composed in Microsoft Word! In a poetic irony, most of the texts I studied for my graduate work were written down on paper or vellum (animal skin) with quill ink pens 800 to 1000 years ago. And yet they are still in great shape and completely legible today. The great Old English epic Beowulf was handwritten by two monks in England sometime around 1000 AD; its on vellum, and you can peruse it perfectly easily if you visit the British Museum today. (Provided you can read Anglo-Saxon.) The manuscript even survived a library fire in 1731. Beowulf Manuscript (c) British Museum Perhaps you own a DVD of the 2007 Hollywood film Beowulf all-star cast and 71% Rotten Tomatoes rating (which is a lot better than I graded it). (Will you even be able to get your hands on a DVD player or optical drive 20 years from now?) Jasons question was whats modern? A better one might be whats permanent? Experts reckon that 2.5 quintillion bytes of data are transferred over the internet every day. But in spite of the vast amounts of information being created and shared, if the human race is still around in 200 years theres a good chance well know more about life in 1921 than about life in 2021. Paper journals are forever; TikTok is oh-so ephemeral. My friends who are data scientists and CIOs are much better positioned than I to offer advice about how we can preserve our important data. But it seems to me our technology is against us, even if we leave out science fiction scenarios. Speaking of science fiction, heres your obligatory geek closing: I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhuser Gate. All those moments will be lost in time, like tears in rain. I hope whats most important to you is never lost in time. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/hillennevins/2021/06/03/what-is-permanent/ |
Will Gov. Ron DeSantis sign a bill to preserve African American cemeteries? | Gov. Ron DeSantis will decide if the state will launch a committee to dig into Floridas forgotten African American cemeteries. A bill establishing the committee was sent to the Governors desk Thursday. He has until June 18 to sign or veto the bill. If he does nothing it will be come law. Tampa legislators Sen. Janet Cruz and Rep. Fentrice Driskell carried the bill to pass nearly unanimously in both respective chambers. The hidden history of Floridas African American cemeteries was brought to light in Driskell and Cruzs district by reporting from Paul Guzzo of the Tampa Bay Times. Guzzo was tipped off by cemetery researcher Ray Reed regarding death certificates he came across listing a burial ground called Zion Cemetery Reed could not find. After months of research, Guzzo and reporting partner James Borchuck discovered more than 800 people were buried along North Florida Avenue in what was believed to be Tampas first all-Black cemetery. That discovery started informal investigations around the state, which uncovered more African American cemeteries. Driskell said African American cemeteries have been discovered under MacDill Air Force base in Tampa, near Tropicana Field in St. Pete, in Tallahassee under a golf course and in Jacksonville under a road. Cruz said there could be as many as 3,000 unpreserved African American cemeteries in the state. Abandoned and neglected burial grounds are not an emerging issue in Florida. A burial ground task force mobilized by the Legislature in 1998 reported that 40% to 50% of the states cemeteries are neglected or abandoned, according to a staff analysis. But cemeteries used to be segregated, and there was a disparity between the way White cemeteries and Black cemeteries were maintained. The new law, if signed by DeSantis, would direct the Department of State (DOS) to create a 10-member Task Force to identify unmarked or abandoned African American burial grounds throughout the state. The task forces findings and recommendations would be reported to the Governor, Senate President, House Speaker and Minority Leaders in both chambers. Any fiscal impact of the bill will be picked up by DOS. Task force members wont be compensated but will be entitled to travel expenses and a per diem. Under the bill, the task force would hold its first meeting by Aug. 1 and would sunset its mission by March 11, 2022. | https://floridapolitics.com/archives/433733-will-gov-ron-desantis-sign-a-bill-to-preserve-african-american-cemeteries/ |
How Do I Overcome the Feeling That Fitness Is Only for Rich People? | Tempo Head of Fitness Melissa Boyd will not talk st about popular trainers: the YouTubers, the Instagrammers, the TikTokers. I cannot promise your workouts will be supercharged, the 33-year-old says, but your intestines will be. The problem with most pop-culture products and influencers is that they often center on big results in a short amount of time, the 10 Days to a Better Booty crowd. Anything that promises a very specific end-goal in a very fast amount of time, it may work, but its not going to be long lasting, she says. In her role with Tempo, she makes sure its suite of trainers isnt selling snake oil, instead guiding clients with principles and movements that are going to weather the test of time. Sometimes its those long overlooked as dull or easy, including the basic lunge, that can have the most benefit. | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2262996238135/how-do-i-overcome-the-feeling-that-fitness-is-only-for-rich-people |
Did Someone OD At JoJo Siwas Pride Party? | Thats a way to start Pride month (and your first year of being out). Last night, paramedics arrived at JoJo Siwas house because of a possible overdose. The incident happened while Siwa was hosting a Pride party at her Los Angeles home. The party included a bounce house, pool decorations, a piano, and more. But, unfortunately, it also included a health emergency. An unidentified 30-year-old man started to overdose around 8pm, according to TMZ. Witnesses also say that the man arrived to the party already high. Currently, theres been no updates on the mans condition. And as of this articles release, JoJo Siwa and her team have yet to make a public comment on the situation. So, unfortunately, thats all the public knows. This isnt the first time that first responders have been called to JoJo Siwas house. Back in January of this year, the Dance Moms star had her home raided by police. Our house got swatted, Siwa said in an Instagram video alongside friend and videographer Nate Javier. The two retold the situation after the incident. Apparently, someone had given a false report to the police. While its unknown what was said, it garnered a full raid of Siwas home. She, her friends, and her family were all unharmed and no one was arrested. My cousin got me a new shirt pic.twitter.com/DuHhgRto7b JoJo Siwa! (@itsjojosiwa) January 22, 2021 That incident happened just a week after the YouTuber came out as queer. After sharing videos on TikTok that made fans question her sexuality, Siwa confirmed the fact on Twitter. She did so by releasing a photo of herself in a shirt reading, Best. Gay. Cousin. Ever. Though, Siwa later clarified that she has yet to officially label herself. She then revealed to the world that she has a girlfriend, and it was the girlfriend that encouraged Siwa to come out. JoJo Siwa is having a crazy year. Source: TMZ, | https://instinctmagazine.com/did-someone-od-at-jojo-siwas-pride-party/ |
Where do I get a beer for a COVID shot in South Carolina? | River Rat brewery in Columbia is one of the participating breweries. COLUMBIA, S.C. South Carolina's health agency is partnering with breweries across the state to get young people to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said Thursday they have what's know as the "Shot and a Chaser" campaign, a partnership with the South Carolina Brewers Guild. DHEC says right now the 20-24 age group is the least vaccinated group among those eligible. That age range makes up less than one percent of all people vaccinated in the state, according to DHEC. The campaign hopes to change that by offering a free beer or soda to anyone who gets their shot on-site at one of the participating breweries. DHEC says a trained medical professional will be there to administer the shot. (And yes, they do say that anyone who asks for the beer must be over 21). The vaccine will primarily be the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine but some will have the two-dose Moderna vaccine as well. In the central Midlands, the one location will be at River Rat Brewery in Columbia from 3-7 p.m. on Friday, June 11. Both the Johnson & Johnson and Moderna shots will be there. DHECs partnership with the South Carolina Brewers Guild is the latest example of innovation and outside-the-box thinking that its going to take to beat this pandemic, said Dr. Edward Simmer, DHEC Director. Young adults are often busy travelers and incredibly social, so we want to make sure they get their shot to protect themselves and others while visiting restaurants, vacationing, and attending various events. This promotion will go a long way in meeting that goal. which is the standard observation period after vaccine administration. No proof of medical insurance will be needed. Brewers across South Carolina are committed to healthy communities, said Brook Bristow, Executive Director of the South Carolina Brewers Guild. As small, locally-minded businesses, our citizens are our most valuable asset. If they arent healthy, then we cant be either. Were excited to partner with DHEC to expand vaccine access across the state at many of our member breweries as a part of this program. DHEC and S.C. Brewers Guild Upcoming Shot and a Chaser Events Upstate (Janssen and Modern shots available at all locations) Thursday, June 10: Keowee Brewing in Seneca from 4-8 p.m. Friday, June 11: Pendleton Brewing in Pendleton from 4-8 p.m. Friday, June 11: Fireforge Crafted Beer in Greenville from 4-8 p.m. Friday, June 11: Ciclops Cyderi and Brewery in Spartanburg from 4-8 p.m. Saturday, June 12: Birds Fly South Ale Project in Greenville from 2-6 p.m. Saturday, June 12: Ciclops Cyderi and Brewery in Spartanburg from 2-6 p.m. Lowcountry (Janssen only at this time) Thursday, June 10: Holy City Brewing in Charleston from 3-6 p.m. Friday, June 11: Edmunds Oast Brewing Company in Charleston from 3-6 p.m. Saturday, June 12: Tradesman Brewing Company in Charleston from 3-6 p.m. Thursday, June 17: Palmetto Brewing Company in Charleston from 4-7 p.m. Thursday, June 17: Tideland Brewing in North Charleston from 4-7 p.m. Friday, June 18: Commonhouse Aleworks in North Charleston from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, June 23: Victor Hoppensteins Brewlab in Charleston from 4-7 p.m. Friday, June 25: Low Tide Brewing on Johns Island from 3-6 p.m. Friday, June 25: Cooper River Brewing in Charleston from 4-7 p.m. Midlands (Janssen and Moderna shots available at both locations) Friday, June 11: River Rat Brewery in Columbia from 3-7 p.m. Friday, June 18: Lore Brewing in Indian Land from 3-7 p.m. Pee Dee (Janssen only at this time) | https://www.wltx.com/article/news/local/beer-for-covid-shot-south-carolina/101-22ea3dc4-e711-4f26-9b17-cc8b49808c74 |
How long will my COVID-19 vaccine last? | SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) Governments and businesses across the country are creating incentives to get more people vaccinated against COVID-19. Here in South Dakota, less than 50 percent of people 12 and older have completed their vaccinations. Its been about six months since the COVID-19 vaccine roll-out began and you may be wondering how long youll be protected. Theres still differing views throughout the United States about the COVID-19 vaccine, which extend into discussions surrounding the possibility of COVID-19 booster shots as well. And so we probably would not be on board with doing something like that, Linsey Fasold, visiting South Dakota from North Carolina, said. I think that theres an influenza vaccine that we take every year, I dont see why we cant have a booster shot every six to twelve months as part of our normal healthcare. Id be fine with that, Jessica Simms, visiting South Dakota from Washington, D.C., said. Dr. Mike Wilde with Sanford Health says we might not need to worry about booster shots or at least not anytime soon. Studies looking at our immune system, looking at our immune system and the response to the vaccine, or natural infection, are showing prolonged, the theory of prolonged immunity, Wilde, Vice-president medical officer for Sanford Health, said. So, were optimistic that, for the foreseeable future, we will not need a re-vaccine or a booster, but of course, thats always subject to change as well. That includes protection against the different variations of the virus as well. The more we get vaccinated up front, evidence again, in the last couple weeks, has shown that, regardless of the three vaccines available in the United States, regardless of which one you get, they do a really nice job of preventing infection from any of the COVID variants out there, or SARS-CoV-2 variants out there, Wilde said. Wilde encourages everyone to get the COVID-19 vaccine so we can reach herd immunity. Sanford recently closed its mass vaccination clinic, but the shots are still available at all of Sanfords primary care facilities. Wilde says theyve actually seen an up tick in people getting their shots. As people maybe have conversations with their primary care clinicians around should I take the vaccine or shouldnt I, Wilde said. And as they have those conversations, were able to get those vaccines in the primary care offices. And theyre in our neighborhood so you dont have to travel across the city or travel to a town to get it. | https://www.keloland.com/news/healthbeat/coronavirus/how-long-will-my-covid-19-vaccine-last/ |
Whats going on at Byo Arts Festival today? | Today marks day three of the Bulawayo Arts Festival. The day will kick off with the wrapping up of the High Level Cultural Governance Conference that starts at 8AM at the Large City Hall. A clean-up campaign is set to be held at Makokoba, eFusini, to mark the first Friday of the month. From 1PM, Bulawayo Amphitheatre will play host to a Youth Music and dance expo that will feature Oxide Kids, Mhlatse 2.8, Calvin Mangena, Sailors Hope Theatre and YB. At 3PM, How Mine Chihota and Thandanani Womens Ensemble will make an appearance at the Small City Hall while Victory Siyanqoba will present Bhalagwe is Burning at the Bulawayo Theatre at 4PM. Afrikera Dance Ensemble is set to take over the stage from 6PM. The night is set to fire up with performances from comedians Mandla Da Comedian, Doc Vikela and Tinashe Tafirenyika at the Bulawayo Theatre. Performing virtually at a show that will be streamed on the Baf YouTube and Facebook platforms will be Hwamanda Dance Troupe who will showcase their dance pieces. The night is set to end with an online show hosted by Bkay that will feature performances from GDA Fire, Tebza, Fusion 5 Mangwiro, Poptain, Mbeu, Mahlaba, Dr Jutar, Skaiva, Hwabaraty, Snowy and Clement Magwaza. | https://www.chronicle.co.zw/whats-going-on-at-byo-arts-festival-today/ |
Does Trump think he will be reinstated as president? | http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/powerlineblog/livefeed/~3/RvgChG8W3Ho/does-trump-think-he-will-be-reinstated-as-president.php I don credit anything the mainstream media writes about Donald Trump. In most cases, I dont assume what organs like the New York Times and the Washington Post say about the former is president is false i.e., that it is fake news. But neither do I assume its true. The mainstream media is now reporting that Trump still thinks he can overturn the outcome of the 2020 presidential race. Trump-hating Maggie Haberman of the New York Times claims that Trump has been telling a number of people hes in contact with that he expects he will get reinstated [as president] by August. Along the same lines, the Washington Post reports: [Trump] is increasingly consumed with the notion that ballot reviews pushed by his supporters around the country could prove that he won. . . . Trump has rebuffed calls from some advisers to drop the matter, instead fixating on an ongoing Republican-commissioned audit in Arizona and plotting how to secure election reviews in other states, such as Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, New Hampshire and Georgia, according to advisers. Trump has become so fixated on the audits that he suggested recently to allies that their success could result in his return to the White House this year, according to people familiar with comments he has made. Some advisers said that such comments appear to be just offhand musings. (Emphasis added) I find it quite plausible that Trump is consumed with the notion that he won the 2020 race. I also find it plausible that Hillary Clinton and Al Gore were consumed with the view that they won their races for the presidency. As for the claim that Trump thinks he can overturn the outcome of the 2020 race and be reinstated as president, I defaulted at first to my usual agnosticism about mainstream media stories on Trump. However, Charles Cooke at NRO says that, after speaking to an array of different sources, he can confirm that Trump does indeed believe quite genuinely that he along with former senators David Perdue and Martha McSally will be reinstated to office this summer. Its inconsistent with Trumps self-image for him to believe that he genuinely lost an election. By the same token, it may be inconsistent with that self-image for him to believe an election could successfully be stolen from him. So maybe what Haberman and the Post are reporting is true. Im filing this one under pathetic, if true. Share this: Twitter Facebook | https://clarion.causeaction.com/2021/06/03/does-trump-think-he-will-be-reinstated-as-president/ |
Do the 49ers Have the Best Front Four in the NFC West? | The 49ers probably have the deepest defensive line in the NFC West. Let's break them down and rank them from worst to best. 4. Seattle Seahawks: Carlos Dunlap, Poona Ford, Aldon Smith and Kerry Hyder. Dunlap is a good edge rusher -- he recorded six sacks in eight games with the Seahawks last season. But Poona Ford is a mere run defender, Aldon Smith is a decent interior rusher at this point in his career (if he can play), and Kerry Hyder has proven he does not produce when he's not playing for 49ers defensive line coach Kris Kocurek. This is by far the worst four-man rush in the NFC West. 3. 49ers: Nick Bosa, Javon Kinlaw, Arik Armstead, Samson Ebukam. If Dee Ford and Nick Bosa were 100-percent healthy, this might be the best four-man front in the division. But Ford might never play again, and Bosa might be limited in 2021 after tearing his ACL last season. Samson Ebukam is a good athlete, but not a proven pass rusher. Ditto for Javon Kinlaw and Arik Armstead. The 49ers really need Bosa turn return and stay healthy. 2. Los Angeles Rams: Leonard Floyd, Aaron Donald, A'Shawn Robinson, Terrell Lewis. Donald is the best defensive player in the NFL -- he recorded 13.5 sacks last season, a down year for him. His sidekick, Floyd, recorded 10 sacks. So they're an elite duo. Robinson and Lewis aren't good pass rushers, but Donald and Floyd more than make up for their deficiencies. Any front with Donald is nearly impossible to block. 1. Arizona Cardinals: Chandler Jones, J.J. Watt, Jordan Phillips, Markus Golden. The Cardinals quietly revamped their defensive line the past two years. They signed Phillips last year, and Watt and Golden this year. Between those three and Jones, who opted out of 2020, all four Cardinals pass rushers have recorded at least 9.5 sacks in a season at one point in their careers. This might be the best four-man rush in the league when healthy. | https://www.si.com/nfl/49ers/news/do-the-49ers-have-the-best-front-four-in-the-nfc-west |
What is the release date of Free Fire OB28 update? | Free Fire OB28 update is all set to release on the global servers after the testing phase and will add a bunch of new features, including new characters, modes, pets, and many improvements and bug fixes. Players will be able to download the patch from Google Play Store and App Store after the maintenance gets over. Your wait will be over soon as the patch will be arriving soon, and here is the release date of the Free Fire OB28 update. Free Fire OB28 Update Release Date As per the previous update launch pattern, Free Fire OB28 update is expected to release on June 8, 2021 (UTC) globally. The official list and details of features will be revealed once the patch notes are out; however, as per the leaks, here are the features that you can expect to arrive in the next update: New Character: D-BEE New Pet Dr. Beanie New Gun UZI New configurations and 2nd slot for Grenades Character Improvements Creative Mode: Build Your Room Gold Royale: Super Kalahari In addition to this, the update size has also not been announced; however, players can expect it to be around 1 GB, so make sure you have enough space in your device before you download the Free Fire OB28 update to avoid any installation errors. | https://www.gamepur.com/guides/what-is-the-release-date-of-free-fire-ob28-update |
What drove forward the 2020 digital entertainment boom? | Last year saw significant growth for a range of online entertainment platforms. Music, film, videos, and podcasts were in significant demand, and the companies that facilitate their broadcasts enjoyed widespread success. The increase in popularity has been driven by various factors. Initially, it was easier and more cost-efficient access to the internet, combined with an uptick in the use of smartphones, tablets, and computers. This shift towards a more digitized society was a great driver for online platforms offering streaming and similar services. A younger audience and a more tech-savvy older audience were also helpful in supporting the mainstream adoption of digital entertainment. But there was something unexpected that propelled the sector forward faster than anyone had anticipated. By the end of the first quarter of 2020, most of the world was plunged into a lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the following 12 months, countries and vast swathes of the global population were in and out of varying stages of lockdown. This led to millions if not billions of people being stuck at home for a long period of time. Many turned to online entertainment and streaming platforms to help them face boredom. Many companies noted huge increases in the number of new accounts, as well as increased online times amongst existing customers. This resulted in their stocks soaring. For traders, this was great news as increasing values provided multiple opportunities to benefit from the increase. CFD trading is a popular method of trading, especially in a fast-paced market prone to quick changes due to evolving social matters, and it allowed traders to speculate on the value change over a set period of time, instead of investing in the underlying stock. Anyone hoping to get involved in the CFD trading market should, of course, get acquainted with all the risks just as with any other form of trading. Two of the biggest winners in the recent entertainment boom have been music streaming platform Spotify and film streaming subscription service Netflix. In 2020, Netflix broke its records in terms of new accounts. It managed to onboard some 37 million new users over the year, bringing the total of subscribers to over 200 million. Growth slowed during the fourth quarter of the year but the company still surpassed previous revenue expectations. In terms of its stocks, they peaked and then troughed, following its failure to meet the somewhat over-inflated expectations of analysts for the last quarter. In 2021, however, its been heralded as a growth stock that could have interesting medium and long-term benefits for investors. Spotify, one of the worlds leading music entertainment services, surpassed 155 million users by the end of 2020. This was over and beyond what investors had predicted. It witnessed steady growth throughout the year in terms of both revenue and new subscribers. An interesting vertical of growth for the platform was the podcast section. Any creator can now upload podcasts to the platform, and traffic to podcasts of different kinds and types drove encouraged new users. Another interesting contender for the year was Disney+ as it surpassed 100 million paid users by the end of the year. The growth and revenue provided by the platform helped Disney weather the financial losses of closed theme parks and delays in production and filming. It's unlikely we will see such surges again, especially anytime soon. Growth will continue to slow down and stabilize, but there will be fluctuations as new products and options are launched. In a competitive and innovating sector, there are always surprises on the horizon! Disclaimer: Spread bets and CFDs are complex instruments and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. 71% of retail investor accounts lose money when trading spread bets and CFDs with this provider. You should consider whether you understand how spread bets and CFDs work, and whether you can afford to take the high risk of losing your money. Professional clients can lose more than they deposit. All trading involves risk. The value of shares, ETFs and ETCs bought through a share dealing account, a stocks and shares ISA or a SIPP can fall as well as rise, which could mean getting back less than you originally put in. Past performance is no guarantee of future results. | https://www.irishcentral.com/culture/entertainment/digital-entertainment-boom |
What after removing the masks? | In the past few days, Americans have commemorated the Union soldiers who died fighting against separatist states in the American Civil War. The celebration is always held on the last Monday in May, and thus is also associated with the unofficial start of summer. This years commemoration was marked by the widespread easing of restrictions imposed during the coronavirus pandemic on gatherings and events. Many states have now stopped obligating the wearing of masks for most activities. This also led to an increase in the reservation of airline tickets and sports matches in open stadiums. The reopening of concert halls and theater performances has also begun, and the country is expected to approach normal conditions by the Independence Day anniversary on the fourth of next July. Of course, this state of vitality will stop if other outbreaks of Covid-19 disease appear or new strains of the virus are observed. But the hope is that enough people will receive the vaccines, helping to contain the effects. Americans are now beginning to spend the money they saved or earned from government relief programs. The expected growth rate of the economy in the second quarter of 2021 is estimated at 8.6%, which is a very high rate, which no one thought could be achieved at the beginning of the year. Some worry that the economys increased dynamism may cause a new wave of inflation, requiring the Federal Reserve to intervene to increase the exceptionally low interest rate since the 2008 recession. It is clear that most people are eager to resume their usual activities, including work and leisure. They want to send their children to summer camps and visit relatives they have not seen in more than 15 months. Less clear, however, is how much of the workforce will return to low-wage jobs or those jobs that require daily commutes to offices. Some workers in low-paid jobs have found it better to rely on unemployment benefits for as long as possible because the difference between wages for low-paid jobs and benefits is small. To attract them back to work, companies must offer higher wages. And people who spent the pandemic period working from home found that they produced the same amount of work when they moved to offices, and had to pay for transportation and incurred the hassle of traffic and travel every day. The US federal government has announced that it will be more flexible about remote work. Ultimately, the fallout from the pandemic will have major impacts on the way we work, including the use of office space. With the reduced demand for offices in cities and the presence of vacant spaces that can be converted into affordable housing apartments for those who have moved outside the cities due to the high cost of rent. The lower cost may lure some families back to urban residence and may make urban populations not divided into only two groups, the very rich and the very poor. These and other trends indicate that the end of the pandemic does not mean a return to normal. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the United States has not returned to normal. Major changes have been made in the Department of National Security, including the creation of a new government agency, the Department of Homeland Security, a formidable bureaucracy with a quarter of a million employees. Among the effects was a major change in the rules for air travel, with the application of strict security rules that had not occurred to anyone before the attacks. Since the outbreak of Covid-19, every country has had to re-evaluate the way it provides health care to its citizens. The United States does not have a national health care system, but from now on, pressure will grow for a more coherent, unified health system. A heated political debate is inevitable, but a return to the status quo is no longer acceptable to many Americans. * Director of Strategic Programs at the National Interest Center. | https://pledgetimes.com/what-after-removing-the-masks/ |
What did Hend Sabry say about the series Search for Ola? | Mohamed Kenawy (Cairo) Tunisian star Hend Sabry has resumed her artistic activity as an actress and producer by preparing to film her latest drama, the series Search for Ola, which she is starring and is also producing in her second production experience after the movie Zahrat Halab. Hend Sabry said in exclusive statements to Al-Ittihad: The series is scheduled to be shown on the Netflix network, and the work is directed by Hadi Al-Bagouri, written by Ghada Abdel-Aal, and a story, script and dialogue by Maha Al-Wazir and Ghada Abdel-Aal, during which I embody the character of Ola Abdel-Sabour, which I previously presented in The series I Want to Get Married, to discuss the new work, what Ola has reached after the passage of years. Hind added: The series Searching for Ola is not a second part of the series I Want to Get Married, but we only took the character of Ola Abdel-Sabour from it, and the difference between them is that we will see the development of Olas personality after 10 years have passed and how she has dealt with and the changes that have occurred to her and these changes have occurred For all of us, it occurred to society during that period, and I do not hide from you my fear of this adventure and risk, but at the same time I am very excited about it and hope that the viewers will like it. Hind continues: Through this series, I am going through the production experience for the second time, as I have previously participated in the production of the movie Zahrat Halab, and in fact, production is still one of my dreams, and it is an enjoyable experience despite all its troubles and the responsibility that falls on me, as I am not an actress and responsible for my role. Only, but I am responsible for all the elements of the work, and I hope and dream to do more work and continue to repeat the experience. And about showing the series on electronic platforms and its impact on the drama industry, Hind said: Electronic platforms are very important for the industry, and I see it as an opportunity to produce more high-quality and elaborate works, as well as an opportunity to create job opportunities for various groups working in the artistic field, presenting new heroes and competition between actors, and allowing the production of dramatic forms. It is different, as it is no longer limited to competing during the Ramadan season only or showing series of 30 episodes, but has contributed to creating multiple dramatic seasons throughout the year and series in one, two and five episodes without being linked to a specific number of episodes. Hind indicated that, in the coming days, she will resume filming her remaining scenes in the movie Kira and the Jinn with Karim Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Ezz. She said: I am very excited to complete this experience, because through it I am going through a new experience in cinema and with director Marwan Hamed and written by Ahmed Murad, as they enter me into a different world as if it were their own in the cinema, as happened with my participation in the second part of The Blue Elephant. The film deals with the revolution of 19 It is a period that has not been presented much in the cinema and deserves to be watched by the audience. Of course, I feel great pleasure in presenting characters from different eras and times, and it is one of the advantages of acting that it takes you to the past with all its details and you live its details of makeup, clothes, streets and cars, and you feel as if you have moved in a time machine, whether to the past or the future. | https://pledgetimes.com/what-did-hend-sabry-say-about-the-series-search-for-ola/ |
What is at stake with the remarkable change of government in Israel? | Israel has long been in a labyrinth. The change of government that has just happened is a step forward in trying to find a way out of this trap. A leap in realism that implies a tectonic shift in national politics with an extraordinary fact, for the first time an Israeli Arab party joins a ruling coalition. With the same novelty, however, doubts are multiplying. The alliance that will rule Israel, if nothing gets in the way in the next few days, is a mixed set of interests and expectations distributed in eight forces, from the insignificant social democratic formations to the most powerful ones on the right, which adds a condition of high fragility. Part of this duel of points of view is exhibited by a crucial fact of what was agreed: there will be two prime ministers, in shifts separated by two years. The far-right Neftal Bennett who won seven seats in the last election will be the first and will be followed by the centrist Yamir Lapid who, on the other hand, achieved a much better result with 17 seats in Parliament. The good news is that the characteristic of the alliance will force constant negotiations and respect for limits that would not otherwise be considered for its own survival. On the other hand, the influence of the ultra-religious parties that have been a determining factor for the outgoing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to remain in power for the last twelve years is falling. which also served him to evade justice for his corruption charges. Now, on the plain you will not have those shields. Controversial Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who ruled for almost thirteen years and has just sparked the largest opposition alliance in Israels history. AFP Bennett has been in the past a senior official of this controversial ruler who has agreed with the option of an eventual annexation of the occupied Palestinian territories, particularly the West Bank, pierced by hundreds of thousands of Jewish settlers who will never be removed. If Netanyahu hindered as much as he could two-state solution, doctrine promoted by the international community, Bennett He has openly said that he does not believe in that way out. But the alliance in which he is now included will have to temper that skepticism. The background that reveals this turn is that the dynamics of the crisis exposes that already it is very difficult to constitute a Palestinian state along with that of Israel as was the purpose of the partition in 1947 of the Ottoman territory under British protection. But neither is it possible to ignore the millions of Palestinians who inhabit those lands and who will not leave. Netanyahu has not been the only one of Israels powerful leaders who acted to deepen divisions in the precarious Palestinian political arena. Hamas, the furious and irresponsible ultra-Islamic organization that rules the Gaza Strip, it was a central element within that divisive strategy. When the legendary Ariel Sharon ordered the disconnection in the Strip in August 2005, that is, the unilateral withdrawal of the 10,000 settlers who lived in that territory, did so without consulting the Palestinian Authority, the secular government of that town in Ramallah. The absence of a mutual agreement to carry out such an action allowed Hamas to strengthen itself and come up with the story that they had triumphed and driven out the settlers. Sharon left to do. There were elections, and Hamas won in both territories, although most of its legislators were later arrested based on the terrorist nature of that organization. But the internal clashes between an arrogant Hamas and the secular Fatah party, which has authority in the West Bank, even led to the use of weapons. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. AFP Today there are two spaces not only territorial but also political in the territories. The cost of this strategy is that the fundamentalist group that governs the Strip, every time its relative power situation suffers, generates a conflict with Israel to sustain its narrative of martyrdom and wear down the weak government of Mahmoud Abbas in Ramallah. Hamas has empowered itself in such a way that if there were elections it would win them in both territories, as it would have won them even before the recent war with the Strip, and that is why Abbas preferred to suspend the vote. The cost of a change of government of this magnitude it would imply that there would be no international reference to discuss the Palestinian cause. The conclusion, possibly already very late, is that today the survival of the Abbas government is central to balancing the field. Hamas must be weakened and Mahmoud Abbas strengthened, Claimed figures like the former head of the Israeli Army, Gadi Eizenkot. It is the notion brought by the new US Foreign Ministry headed by Antony Blinken, who decided to reopen the US consulate in East Jerusalem to meet Palestinian demands. The intention is to rebuild the two-state solution today in rags, strengthening authentic Palestinian leadership. A strategy that serves to lead Israel out of the labyrinth before the conclusion of a single state, from the Mediterranean to the Jordan, forces the Jewish state to take over millions of Palestinians. The heterogeneity of the new government is possibly the best indicator of the scope of this challenge. | https://pledgetimes.com/what-is-at-stake-with-the-remarkable-change-of-government-in-israel/ |
Will we have a new Assassins Creed free to play for Xbox? | Ubisoft is one of the distributors and developers that launches the most games on the market annually, exploiting its large franchises such as Far Cry, Watch Dogs or The Division. Although among many others, we find Assassins Creed, which could be one of the most important and successful brands of the French company. The last title we got to witness was Assassins Creed Valhalla, the most successful game in the series so far, with more than 3 million sales at launch alone. At the moment the future of Assassins Creed is somewhat uncertain, although the different leaks that we have been able to witness throughout these months have shown us that Ubisoft would have in mind to launch two new titles. On the one hand we would find the course DLC Meteor from Assassins Creed Valhalla, which could become an expansion in the style of Far Cry: New Dawn. And on the other hand, we would have the important and new Assassins Creed, which has been rumored to lead us towards the end of the Third Crusade and the years after. But this would not stay here, since Ubisoft could develop a new Assassins Creed free to play. Ubisoft could launch a free multiplayer game of Assassins Creed As we met several days ago, Ubisoft has decided to change its business model in part, focusing its new objective on launching free to play premium games from their most successful franchises. Of course, this movement has already started with the new The Division Heartland, the companys first free to play premium. But after several rumors, it would not be at all strange that the beloved Ubisoft announced soon a free multiplayer game of Assassins Creed, thus giving a touch of fresh air to the franchise and the fans. The games in the saga that have enjoyed online multiplayer mode have been: Assassins Creed The Brotherhood, Assassins Creed Revelations, Assassins Creed III: Liberation, Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag, and finally the most special of all, Assassins Creed Unity . Until Black Flag, these modes might seem a little simple and as an added addition to entertainment, but the online multiplayer of Assassins Creed Unity left many fans fascinated. Therefore, to end up developing Ubisoft a new Assassins Creed free to play, the main thing would be to offer a cooperative story in the company of several modes similar to the multiplayer of Black Flag. Assassins Creed evolution from the Holy Land to Valhalla To imagine a free Assassins Creed in a whole new world and alive thanks to the players, it could be incredible. Being able to create a settlement with our friends while we enjoy a new world between assassins and templars, with constant missions and a background related to the plot of the saga, would be a hoot. In addition, micropayments would allow us to customize our character, mounts and much more to our liking. Although it is difficult to think of a good base for a free to play Assassins Creed for Xbox, PlayStation and PC, we already know what Ubisoft is capable of with determination and good ideas. | https://pledgetimes.com/will-we-have-a-new-assassins-creed-free-to-play-for-xbox/ |
How Much Will the Meme Stock Surge Help AMC In the Long Run? | Buoyed by millions of meme traders, AMC has transformed from a company on the brink of pandemic-induced bankruptcy to amassing the highest cash flow in its history amidst a meteoric stock surge. But is the worlds largest theater chain now in a better position for the COVID-19 recovery period than its competitors?While analysts who spoke to TheWrap commended AMCs CEO Adam Aron for navigating through the pandemic and using an unexpected internet craze to his companys advantage, they note that challenges lie ahead, some that are tied to AMCs still substantial debt load and others facing the movie theater industry as a whole. They have over $1 billion of cash and still have quite a bit of debt, but they are doing the right thing, selling equity at elevated levels and using the proceeds either to grow or to pay down debt, said Wedbush financial analyst Michael Pachter. I think the CEO deserves congratulations for being willing to sell stock up here, since he is charged with keeping the company in good shape. At TheWrap | https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/much-meme-stock-surge-help-235306930.html?src=rss |
Is Trump about to endorse a Bush in Texas Attorney General race? | Theres a certain hint of flop sweat in the air as Houstons runaway animals try to keep the nations attention. In the last few weeks, weve escalated from cow to gator and now to a missing tiger. A big cat named India decided to exercise its escape claws and bolted from its enclosure inside an Energy Corridor home. The tigers tale began on Sunday, after the fleeing feline squared off with an armed, off-duty Waller County sheriffs deputy. Dont shoot my cat, said Victor Hugo Cuevas, whose lawyer claims is not the animals owner but does take care of it occasionally, before putting the tiger in the back seat of a Jeep Cherokee and speeding away as Houston police arrived. When authorities searched the home, they found two monkeys, who while expected to do as they see, did not follow the tiger outside. Cuevas, who was out on bond on a 2017 murder charge, was later detained for evading arrest. He posted bond and was released Friday, while Indias whereabouts remain a mystery. We usually like to focus on animal stories to avoid politics, but even our missing tigers are getting political. Carole Baskin, who gained notoriety as one of the stars of Netflixs popular Tiger King docuseries, says U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn are partly to blame for whats happening. Appearing on CNN, Baskin blasted the lawmakers for failing to support the Big Cat Public Safety Act, which would restrict the public from owning big cats. In an interview with the Chronicle, the self-described animal rights activist also offered a $5,000 reward for the tigers safe capture. Thats generous of her, but we cant help feeling that Baskin, who has been accused of (though never charged with) abusing animals and murdering her husband, is using India to extend her time in the spotlight. Speaking of reality stars from whom we really dont need to hear, Donald Trump endorsed Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick for reelection this week. The former leader of the free world said he supports Patricks bid for a third term. He is outstanding and has my complete and total Endorsement! Trump said. While the lieutenant governor currently has no primary challengers, the endorsement goes a long way to dissuade any potential opponents. In a world that made sense say, one where your neighbor couldnt own a 500-pound apex predator being backed by an insurrection-stoking, truth-challenged one-termer frequently accused of racism and being a serial abuser would be seen as a negative. Please invite us to that world. Thats right. Its Average Republican Joe, George Prescott Bush. Thats the tone of the Texas land commissioners tweet Thursday after U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo., was ousted from GOP congressional leadership over her disturbing lack of faith in Dear Leader. Instead of training fire on the President, she really should have been training fire on Biden thats what you want out of your leadership. We cant blame Bush, who may be taking on Attorney General Ken Paxton next year, for feeling he needs to buttress his Trump-supporting bona fides, but his hearts not in it. He couldnt help but give himself away by including an image in the tweet where he looks sweaty and pained. Gov. ), but his latest still bears some mention. Texas stands with the NRA and we look forward to working with the Association on their plans to move to Texas, Abbott wrote Tuesday. That was the day a federal judge in Dallas dismissed a bankruptcy case by the National Rifle Association that would have allowed it to reorganize as a nonprofit in the Lone Star State. Its one thing to back guns, but the NRAs bankruptcy move was a stunt to avoid a lawsuit in New York, where leadership is accused of fraudulently using the groups funds. Sticking with Abbott, the governor made some mistakes when dealing with the pandemic but allowing restaurants to sell alcohol along with food delivery or pick up was not one of them. The move, which was aimed at helping businesses get through the economic downturn, is now the law of the land, after Abbott signed the bipartisan measure Wednesday. Sure, its depressing that the best thing related to the pandemic that has come out of the Legislature is the ability to buy a margarita kit from Hugos, but after a couple of drinks, we dont feel as bad anymore. Bottoms up, Texas! | https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2262981880679/is-trump-about-to-endorse-a-bush-in-texas-attorney-general-race |
What We Can Learn from Recent High Profile Cyber Attacks? | 2020 was a banner year for cybercrime, the crowning achievement of which was one of the most significant supply chain hacks in recent years. Already this year, weve seen multiple cyber adversaries, such as HAFNIUM, attempting to exploit a growing number of Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities using a variety of zero-day attacks, including DearCry and other types of ransomware. And recently, a ransomware attack shut down critical infrastructure in the US as part of an ongoing scourge of ransomware. Complicating these attacks, todays digital technologies are now interconnected across a broader digital environment. Users, devices and applications now regularly access critical resources and data located in traditional networks, hybrid cloud environments, and from remote locations. And they do so across digital supply chains and with applications that can span organizations, employees, and customers. As a result, the cybersecurity risks resulting from such exploits have never been more significant. Theres a lot to be learned from these high-profile attacks and a lot to apply to the many other threats out there as well. Takeaways from DearCry and Similar Attacks Once a high-profile vulnerability has been disclosed, cyber-criminals will almost immediately attempt to maximize the opportunity; the DearCry ransomware efforts to exploit Microsoft Exchange vulnerabilities demonstrated this. While DearCry and similar attacks may exploit these vulnerabilities now, other exploit campaigns always follow. Research shows that attackers will often continue to target known vulnerabilities for years, with malware such as Mirai (2016) and Gh0st (2009) dominating detections during 2020. Though each organizations network environment will vary, all organizations can implement specific steps today to reduce their risk from ransomware and other advanced threats. A key takeaway is to deploy people, technology and processes to quickly gather threat intelligence about active attacks on a network and act on it, using automation wherever possible. It is also important to ensure you are securing the entire attack chain when planning your defense strategy. Take Steps to Protect Yourself with Hot Patching Organizations need to step up their active defense against such attacks. The first step for any organization is to take investigative steps to check for signs of compromise and patch those compromised spots. Organizations are always best protected by immediately applying patches. However, bad actors understand that many organizations often take time to apply such patches. This delay is a well-known security gap, and, understandably, cyber-criminals invariably ratchet up their efforts to compromise as many organizations as possible before patches are applied. Since there are many reasons for delaying patching for all known vulnerable solutions some environments, updates and patches are never possible implementing secondary solutions such as intrusion prevention (a strategy known as 'hot patching') is also vital. Supposed you didnt already have solutions like an intrusion prevention system (IPS) to detect and prevent attacks targeting newly discovered vulnerabilities before these latest attacks. In that case, its well past time to implement them. Our threat research team has regularly documented intrusion prevention, reducing the success of attacks. Dont Overrate Stay Vigilant While the latest high-profile attack will always grab all of the attention, it will certainly not be the last. And the fact is, lower-profile threats can be just as dangerous. Security professionals have to make sure they dont lose sight of everything else coming their way. Our ongoing threat research shows a strong trend towards zero-day attacks and proxy logons. Exploits targeting the Exchange vulnerabilities werent even in the top 10 of volume and spread during this period. Its these other types of attacks that people also need to be aware of and prepared for. Ransomware attacks are significantly on the risewith our threat researchers documenting a seven-fold increase during the last half of 2020and they cost businesses more than ever, both from an operational and regulatory perspective. Ransomware is also evolving rapidly. One recent variant was smart enough to seek out partitions to find possible hidden partitions set up by systems administrators to hide backup files, showing the destructive nature of this threat. Additionally, cyber-criminals are just as vigilant as any cybersecurity team, constantly keeping an eye out for the latest and weakest link in any attack surface. And that weak link could be people, technology, supply chains or just bad cyber hygiene. Cyber adversaries like to follow the path of least resistance, like water flow slipping through any crack they can find. Malware and ransomware attacks achieve a new level of success because they are being crafted and targeted at specific internal systems. As they get better and better at this, the targets of these ransomware attacks are likely to become higher-profile. That increases the reward model for cyber-criminals, and as a result, the risk to all companies everywhere. All Threats Great and Small The bigger vulnerabilities and exploits tend to grab the headlines, which makes sense since they include names everyone is familiar with, impact the most people and have the potential for producing the most significant negative impact to those affected. However, organizations need to be cautious about getting tunnel vision when it comes to high-profile attacks. Security strategies must always encompass all threat possibilities, both great and small, based on your own cybersecurity risk profile. | https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com:443/opinions/learn-recent-high-profile-cyber/ |
What did Logan Paul say about Hasbulla Magomedov at a media event for his fight with Floyd Mayweather? | Dagestani social media sensation Hasbulla Magomedov has attracted the attention of millions of fans with his entertaining videos, including Logan Paul. The YouTuber-turned-boxer recently heaped praise on Hasbulla, adding that he wants the 18-year-old to walk him out for his boxing showdown against Floyd Mayweather. Paul will challenge Mayweather in an exhibition boxing match on June 6, 2021. The event will be held live from the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Logan Paul and Floyd Mayweather were both present at a recently concluded media event, where they squared off for the second time. While speaking to reporters, Paul referred to Hasbulla as "the greatest fighter" and stated that he will be channelizing his "inner Hasbulla" during his bout against Mayweather. "I know as long as I channel my inner Hasbulla, the greatest fighter of our time, we are going to get the job done," said Paul. "I'm channeling him. The fiercest warrior the world has ever seen. We love Hasbulla. I want him to walk out with me. Give me Hasbulla!" he added. Hasbulla became an internet sensation after a video of him punching his friend went viral online. Since then, he has appeared in plenty of hilarious videos, making him a popular personality in the world of combat sports. Logan Paul still can't believe that he is fighting Floyd Mayweather Floyd Mayweather v Logan Paul - Press Conference Logan Paul said that the mere thought of him sharing a boxing ring with Floyd Mayweather seems "crazy." When his manager suggested the idea of challenging the legendary boxer, Paul said that he laughed at him simply because it didn't seem real enough. "This is fu****g crazy, like look around. We have already defied the odds. We already did it. ', I laughed. I can't believe it. This is fu****g crazy. The bell is going to ring, I'm literally going to say it loud 'this is crazy' and then just fu****g put on a show," said Paul. Logan Paul is currently 0-1 as a professional boxer. Meanwhile, Mayweather boasts a perfect 50-0 record. The latter's last professional boxing match was against UFC superstar Conor McGregor. Please spend 30 seconds to answer this survey so that we can better understand how to serve your MMA needs. Edited by Rachel Syiemlieh | https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/news-what-logan-paul-say-hasbulla-magomedov-media-event-fight-floyd-mayweather |
Where would prime Georges St-Pierre rank in the UFC welterweight division in 2021? | The MMA GOAT argument cannot be completed without mentioning Georges St-Pierre's name. The retired UFC champion defeated the toughest competition the sport had to offer at the time with relative ease. All things considered, Georges St-Pierre would still be a top-five fighter against today's welterweights and a title contender. After making his UFC debut at the beginning of the Zuffa Era in 2004, Georges St-Pierre went on to become one of the longest-reigning champions in UFC history. During two separate title reigns as the UFC welterweight champion, St-Pierre defeated at least nine fighters who would probably have won the gold in GSP's absence. Jon Fitch, for example, remained virtually undefeated in the UFC during his prime and amassed a 13-1 record fighting for the organization from 2005 to 2011. The only loss of Fitch's UFC career during that time was handed to him by Georges St-Pierre. Similar arguments can be made for fighters like Carlos Condit, Nick Diaz, and Jake Shields, to name a few. No fighter, including Georges St-Pierre, has been able to beat the inevitable - the evolution of MMA Georges St-Pierre's greatest strengths were his resilience and ability to acquire new skills. These attributes kept GSP ahead of the curve for a long time and helped him transform from a striker to a defensively responsible grappler. These attributes enabled him to win the middleweight belt from Michael Bisping after almost half a decade of inactivity. However, MMA is a rapidly evolving sport and even a lifelong student like Georges St-Pierre could not keep up with its evolution. Towards the end of GSP's reign at welterweight, the division was slowly but surely catching up with its champion. The margins of St-Pierre's victories were becoming more narrow towards the end of his run. The last three defenses of his title were arguably the toughest ones for the same reason. It's not surprising that GSP chose to hang up the gloves after escaping with a controversial split-decision win over Johnny Hendricks in 2013. St-Pierre's subsequent hiatus from the sport was a true manifestation of the saying, 'I must leave before the worth of my presence fades any further.' GSP's face after his fight with Johny Hendricks at UFC 167 pic.twitter.com/OXyyEGNww5 MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) November 16, 2014 Kamaru Usman, Gilbert Burns, and Colby Covington, the top three welterweights in 2021, all made their MMA debut in 2012. That was the year before St-Pierre relinquished his title and retired. The welterweight division in 2021 is levels above the one that was already catching up with Georges St-Pierre eight years ago. This is not by the virtue of raw talent, but because of the evolution of the sport. Not only do these fighters have access to better technology, but they have the latest knowledge that Georges St-Pierre and his generation did not have. It is the reason why each new generation of MMA fighters essentially renders the previous one ineffective. A prime version of Georges St-Pierre could very well climb the rankings ladder in 2021 and insert himself in the top five of the division. However, the margin of error is narrowest against the top contenders. Dominick Cruz's loss to Cody Garbrandt, Jon Jones's lackluster performance against Dominick Reyes, and even Anderson Silva's loss to Chris Weidman back in the day were due to the skill gap between generations of fighters. That would be the biggest hurdle preventing Georges St-Pierre from dominating the division in 2021. Please spend 30 seconds to answer this survey so that we can better understand how to serve your MMA needs. Edited by Ritwik Kumar | https://www.sportskeeda.com/mma/where-prime-georges-st-pierre-rank-ufc-welterweight-division-2021 |
How Much Should One Invest in Bitcoins? | Ever since the pandemic has disrupted humankind, the situation has worsened. In March 2020, the lockdown was imposed across the nation that led the stock market to go down. The demand and supply chain, basic commodities decelerated to much extent. However, the Cryptocurrency market didnt seem to have a fever or something because of the global epidemic. Well, the Crypto market has experienced massive growth followed by a trillion-dollar market cap. Indeed, investors have found a soft former for cryptocurrencies and a reliable asset to put their valuable investment in. People are buying Bitcoin in India as if it is the only piece that would conserve them. However, its volatile, but one can make profits and earn well while Buying Bitcoin in India. Well, several factors arise before coming to a healthy consensus. So lets explore some eye-catching facts about Bitcoins before we go through the investment and Buying of Bitcoin in India. Astounding Facts about Bitcoins Bitcoin has proven itself a top and wealthy piece of asset among the rest of coins or Altcoins. The market cap is astonishing. At $1.01 TN, it makes half of the Cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin Price was as low as $1 . May 22 is celebrated as Bitcoin Pizza day because Laszlo Hanyecz bought two Papa Johns pizzas in exchange for 10,000 BTC . Now the value of Bitcoin has surpassed $50,000. Well, if hed seen the futures, he would have had INR|42, 82, 68, 28,520 as of today . The creation indeed is mind-blowing, but the creator is believed to be Satoshi Nakamoto, whos nowhere to be found so far. From $9,688 in May 2020 to $ 53,000+, no doubt that the bitcoins have created a mysterious and precious history. Then a question arises if its such a reliable and wealth-full asset, how much one should invest in it. Its more than the capable part, of course. So lets talk about ideas that might lead to a fruitful and valuable conclusion. Amid this global challenge, bitcoin is expected to touch $100,000 by the end of 2021. Approximately double in comparison with the prices on May 1, 2021. Todays market is shifting online. Exchanges across borders have become so important that people find Bitcoins a safe haven and a well-investing option. Moreover, the trends and analysis suggest that this pandemic would last for years. Bitcoins may keep breaking records since the odds are in the favour too. But that doesnt mean you should invest wholly. Today, you couldve been a millionaire or even a billionaire if you had bought bitcoins last year. But that doesnt imply youre late to invest. Several Bitcoins exchanges in India allow you to start your investment from the scratch. Exchanges like WazirX are the most reliable and trusted agencies that allows you to invest as low as 100. The market fluctuates. The prices could go down to some extent, but one must first start with smaller investments. For a newbie, its recommended that you make fewer ones. Also, you need to understand that the investment youre making shouldnt be humongous. If Bitcoin Price in India goes against your will and the prices submerge, it shouldnt affect you on a wide scale. Listen to the Millionaire Erik Finman, a 19-year-old boy, became a MILLIONAIRE. He bought Bitcoins last year with the money he got from his grandmother. And he thanked his luck for transforming his life almost forever. He solely believes that the bitcoins will soar even higher since the trends make a great way compared with other tokens. The bullish nature of the market has pumped the bitcoins to this extent. But he also believes that one should not invest his whole property or a larger share in Bitcoins since these are just sentimental games. Learning is important before investing. Even losses teach you, but your earnings can come up if you have patience. Well, theres no limit to investing in the cryptocurrency market, especially in Bitcoins. But an expert knows that his deeds dont imply the bullish market. Things can go even higher or even lower. A perfect investor or an adroit trader knows how much to Invest to prevent himself from heart-breaking losses. | https://gametransfers.com/how-much-should-one-invest-in-bitcoins/ |
What Is Postpartum Depression Disorder and How to Cope with It? | Like most moms, you probably expected your new babys arrival to be punctuated with excitement and joy. And for a while, it was, until the dreaded baby blues checked in. And you thought to yourself theyd soon go away. Your trusted source, Google, had affirmed how common it is for many women to experience them, following childbirth. But theyve persisted, and now your worry has heightened. You dont understand whats happening anymore, or why. Why cant I bond properly with my baby? you silently wonder to yourself. Why Im I sad all the time, crying on a whim for no apparent reason? What youre going through must be very difficult and emotionally draining. But here, we can give you much-needed postpartum support and help ease your mind by giving you the information you need to understand whats happening and how you can find help from online therapy. And when PPD shows up, its never business as usual; it gets right to work, wreaking havoc in your otherwise peaceful and joyous life as a new mom. From influencing how you bond with your newborn, to interfering with your day-to-day, self-care activities like whether or not you take a shower, sleep, eat or even get out of bed in the morning, PPD leaves no stone unturned. Postpartum depression is a mental health mood disorder that mostly affects new moms within 3 weeks following childbirth. Its a concoction of emotional, psychological, behavioral, and physical changes which cause mood swings and interfere with your energy levels and daily activities. Recognized as a public health issue and the most common childbirth complication, postpartum depression (PPD) affects around 13% of new moms on average. The DSM-5, which is a manual in the medical world used for diagnosing mental disorders, classifies PPD as a major depression that starts within the first postnatal month. The University Health Network did an in-depth study on Postpartum depression. According to their Literature review of risk factors and interventions, the factors tabled below are the strongest predictors of PPD: Strong Predictors Moderate predictors Small predictors Prenatal depression Low self-esteem Pregnancy complications Prenatal anxiety Neuroticism Quality of your relationship with your partner Previous history of depression Infant temperament Socioeconomic status Poor social support Heightened childcare stress Poor cognitive attributions Prenatal stress During pregnancy, you can analyze the table above to help you determine whether you might be at risk of developing postpartum depression. If you suspect youre at risk, you may want to consider seeking help before your pregnancy advances too far. Online therapy is a convenient option you could try. Postpartum Depression Symptoms and Signs Many people often mistake PPD for baby blues at first, because they both have similar early-onset signs and symptoms, which include: Mood swings Sadness Crying (usually for no reason) Anxiety Trouble sleeping Irritability Poor concentration Problems with appetite Fatigue Feeling overwhelmed Adjusting to having a new baby at home who mostly depends on you as their primary caregiver can be tasking, tiring and quite overwhelming. This, added to your need for self-care, can lead to baby blues. However, baby blues usually last from only a few days to 2 weeks at most. When you start noticing that your baby blues seem to persist beyond two weeks after onset and are getting more intense, it may be time to take a closer look. The key difference between baby blues and postpartum depression disorder is that while baby blues will usually disappear within a few days to 2 weeks max, postpartum depression symptoms will not only persist beyond 2 weeks but also intensify and escalate into any (or a combination) of the following: Severe mood swings Self-isolation Difficulty bonding with your baby Excessive crying Loss/heightened appetite Anger/extreme irritability Severe panic/anxiety attacks Poor concentration/clarity Diminished ability to make decisions Insomnia/oversleeping Overwhelming fatigue/low energy Refusal to breastfeed Fearing that youre not a good mom Hopelessness Losing interest in doing things you previously enjoyed/took pleasure in Feeling inadequate/shame/guilt/worthless Recurrent suicidal ideation Thoughts about harming your baby or yourself Restlessness Neglecting self-care If you notice youre suffering from any of or a combination of the above symptoms, it could be that youre suffering from postpartum depression disorder. The good news, though, is that PPD, once diagnosed correctly and by a certified and licensed therapist, is treatable. However, left untreated, it can escalate into postpartum psychosis. If you suspect you have postpartum depression disorder, consider engaging a professional therapist to guide you through your healing journey. Because PPD shows up between 2 weeks to 12 months after childbirth, theres no telling how long it might last. A review of studies performed in 2014, claims that postpartum depression symptoms usually resolve within 3-6 months. However, the same review indicates that 30+% of women were still struggling with postpartum depression mood swings beyond 6 months, and for some, even past a year. The most important thing, as a PPD patient, is to seek help and start treating it as soon as possible, to help ease and manage your symptoms. Left untreated, PPD can escalate to dangerous proportions. Postpartum Depression Treatment Options If you suspect what youre experiencing might not just be mere baby blues, and have plausible cause to believe youre suffering from postpartum mood swings or depression, seek professional help. Among the various options available is online therapy on Calmerry, which is easy to find, vet, and engage, thanks to technology. Once you establish initial contact and book a consultation, the therapist will analyze your symptoms and diagnose you, after which theyll discuss possible treatment options with you and together, you can decide which treatment method to settle for. Postpartum depression treatment options typically include therapy and medication. Your therapist will help you determine the type of treatment thats best for you, based on the severity of your symptoms. If you choose to try online therapy, remember to do your due diligence as far as vetting your therapists qualifications/legitimacy is concerned. If youre unable to do this yourself, ask someone thats part of your postpartum support system to help. Conclusion Never shy away from asking for help whenever you need it, be it with caring for the baby, chores, errands, or tasks. Seeking help is part of PPD self-care, and so is seeking treatment for this condition. And dont worry, many women have recovered fully from postpartum depression within months of starting treatment plans. The sun will shine again, and you and your baby shall one day dance together in the rain. | https://gametransfers.com/what-is-postpartum-depression-disorder-and-how-to-cope-with-it/ |
Was bedeuten die unterschiedlichen Farben in der russisch-orthodoxen Kirche? | Grn In der Dreifaltigkeitskirche im St. Iwerski-Kloster in Rostow-am-Don. Aleksander Pogotow/Sputnik Aleksander Pogotow/Sputnik Diese Farbe steht fr das ewige Leben und ist mit dem Heiligen Geist verbunden. Wenn am 50. Tag nach Ostern Pfingsten gefeiert wird (in der Orthodoxie bekannt als der Heilige Dreifaltigkeitstag), tragen die Priester grne Gewnder und die Kirchen werden mit grnen Zweigen und Blttern geschmckt. Auch der Patriarch trgt einen grnen berwurf. Rot Der russisch-orthodoxe Patriarch Kirill leitet den Ostergottesdienst in der Christ-Erlser-Kathedrale in Moskau, Russland. Oleg Warow/Sputnik Oleg Warow/Sputnik Rot ist die Farbe des Feuers und symbolisiert den brennenden Dornbusch, von dem Gott zu Moses auf dem Berg Horeb sprach. Rot ist daher auch mit Gott selbst verbunden. Rot steht fr das Blut Christi und ist die Farbe des Osterfests, an dem die Auferstehung Christi gefeiert wird. Laut Bibel kleideten die Rmer Jesus vor seiner Hinrichtung in rote Gewnder. Rot als Farbe der Knige sollte Jesus als Knig der Juden verspotten. Die Farbe steht sowohl fr Tod als auch fr Auferstehung. Blau Bijsk, die Kathedrale der Heiligen Maria. Legion Media Legion Media Blau symbolisiert den Himmel. Die Kombination von Blau und Wei sind die Farben der Mutter Gottes. Jesus Christus und die Heiligen werden oft in blauen Gewndern dargestellt, da sie Bewohner des Himmels sind. Wei Die Himmelfahrtskirche, Kolomenskoje, Moskau. Gennadiy Klimow (CC BY-SA 3.0) Gennadiy Klimow (CC BY-SA 3.0) Im Alten Testament ist Wei die Farbe Gottes: Sein Haupthaar war wei wie Wolle, seine Augen leuchteten wie die Flamme des Feuers. Wei steht fr Strahlkraft, fr das gttliche Licht. Die Mauern der Himmelfahrtskirche in Kolomenskoje, der ltesten Steinkirche sind ebenso wei wie die der Hodegetria-Kirche in Wjasma. Wei symbolisiert zugleich Reinheit. Gelb (Gold) Sergej Pjatakow/Sputnik Sergej Pjatakow/Sputnik Gelb bzw. Gold steht fr Ehre und Wrde, nicht fr Wohlstand oder Reichtum. Die Farbe steht auch fr die Wrme und Liebe Gottes. Obwohl im 12.-13. Jahrhundert in Europa Gelb mit dem Verrat Christi durch Judas in Verbindung gebracht und er in der bildenden Kunst traditionell in gelben Gewndern dargestellt wurde, gibt es diese Assoziation in der russischen Orthodoxie nicht. Goldfarbene Gewnder werden von orthodoxen Priestern whrend der Sonntagsgottesdienste sowie an den meisten Tagen des Jahres verwendet, es sei denn, es findet eine Gedenkfeier statt. Wenn eine Kirche goldene Kuppeln hat, ist sie Jesus oder einem der zwlf hohen Feste der orthodoxen Ostkirche gewidmet. Schwarz Die Kirche im Pokrowski-Kloster in Moskau. Legion Media Legion Media Schwarz ist nicht nur eine universelle Trauerfarbe, sondern wird auch mit dem Mnchtum in Verbindung gebracht. Nach seiner Tonsur zieht sich der Mnch aus dem skularen Umfeld zurck, er stirbt gewissermaen fr die skulare Welt. Schwarze Kuppeln erscheinen in der Regel auf Klosterkirchen. Schwarz ist auch die Farbe der Gewnder von Bischfen, Erzbischfen, Metropoliten und Patriarchen whrend der orthodoxen Fastenzeit. In der modernen russisch-orthodoxen Kirche gibt es eine Tendenz, die Verwendung von Schwarz aufzugeben und durch dunkles Violett zu ersetzen. Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Vervielfltigung ausschlielich unter Angabe der Quelle und aktiven Hyperlinks auf das Ausgangsmaterial gestattet. | https://de.rbth.com/kultur/84946-was-bedeuten-unterschiedlichen-farben-in-orthodoxen-kirche |
Can Amazon Eat Amazon? | June 3, 2021 5 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. The world fits in a brown box. Our customers choose Amazon because of our selection, ease-of-use, low prices, and service Most Amazon customers today would agree. The Amazon experience is, indeed, built on the trifecta of convenience, better pricing, and vast assortment. Nothing unusual here, except that the quote is of 1998 vintage. The Amazon value proposition hasnt changed for 20+ years. Back in 2001, Jeff Bezos, the Amazon founder, had an epiphany. Better customer experience led to more customers. More customers attracted more sellers. More sellers offered a wider selection. A wider selection, in turn, enhanced customer experience, completing the circle. Loops around this circle led to growth, which lowered costs and enabled better prices for customers. Better prices reinforced the customer experience, making the flywheel spin faster. This flywheel became the bedrock of Amazons business model. And to this end, the retailer spent year after year eliminating all friction. Minutes to order completion became a key metric. The result was a standardised, almost clinical buying experience optimized around efficiency. Categories, as different as books, apparel and grocery were reduced to their lowest common denominator a brown shipping box. The early 2000s saw millions of these brown boxes whizzing around the United States. Wannabe online retailers followed suit. From brown boxes to Disneyland. And then, not so quietly, in the mystical lands of China emerged a new type of online store. In Harry Potter-esque style, merchants were selling scrumptious fruit directly from their orchards via video streams, customers were haggling with merchants like in local markets, friends were coming together to avail better deals, muggles were playing spin the wheel hoping to win the jackpot. The Chinese upstart, Pinduoduo, had reimagined online retail. It brought the experience closer to that of shopping in the physical world. A potpourri of fun and community with transactional buying. The meteoric rise of Pinduoduo, built on the shoulders of half a billion customers, has heralded a new type of interactive, social commerce. Numerous Davids are jumping into the fray. The Goliath Amazon, too, has taken note. Its always Day 1. The question above must not be answered without a peek into Amazons Day 1 DNA. An agile, customer-centric mindset, akin to a start-up in its earliest days. Amazon has consistently described itself as an Invention machine and Earths most customer-centric company. Nothing gives us more pleasure than reinventing normal creating inventions that customers love and resetting their expectations for what normal should be. The Kindle e-reader (disruptive for books) and a third-party Marketplace that competes with Amazons own listings, are testimony to this ethos. The Amazon of today is more than an online retailer. With Prime Video, it is a streaming video service. With Echo and Alexa, it is a home assistant. With Amazon Go, it is an automated physical store. With Amazon Web Services, it is a B2B cloud computing provider. New-age experiments are many too. A recent one is Amazon Explore. An immersive platform that lets customers shop at physical stores via virtual interactions with a personal shopper. Amazon seems to be in part disrupting itself, in part diversifying. The glue that holds it all. Back in 2005, Amazon launched an all-you-can-eat membership program, called Prime. Members would get unlimited, prioritized delivery for a flat fee. The program has been highly successful. Members spend 2x non-member spends. Every Amazon innovation since is in service of these valuable Prime members. Heres an example. In 2011, Amazon launched its streaming service. While streaming in itself is big business, Amazon saw it as a benefit for Prime members making the Prime bundle more attractive. Today, Prime Video is a major acquisition channel for Prime. were the first company to have figured out how to make winning a Golden Globe pay off in increased sales of baby wipes, Bezos on Prime original content driving sales. Heres the point. By design or default, Amazon has the building blocks for interactive commerce: video streaming, smart devices, gaming. The question then isnt, can Amazon eat Amazon. The Amazon of tomorrow. In this decade, the third of its life, Amazon could transform into an immersive experience. Or it could remain steadfast to its flywheel, letting start-ups munch into the long-tail of its categories. Or it could blend both retain a standardised experience for categories that benefit from it, like electronics; spin off and build newer experiences for categories that dont, like grocery. At the end of the day, for Amazon as it is for you and me, it isnt what you do, but what you choose not to do. All views in this article are the authors own and may not reflect those of this publication or her current and past organizations. The author has no affiliation with Amazon, except as a keen observer. | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/373590 |
Which golfer has the most career PGA Tour wins? | In professional golf, the PGA Tour all-time wins list is a who's who of the best golfers ever to play the game. Just to get into the top 10 of the list of most career PGA Tour wins, a player needs 42 PGA Tour titles, a staggering figure. Two men share the record for the most PGA Tour wins. With his win in the 2019 Zozo Championship in Japan, Tiger Woods tied Sam Snead for the all-time PGA Tour wins record at 82 official victories. Of course, Woods has plenty more wins than that in his career, as both an amateur and pro, but Woods has wins in 82 PGA Tour-sanctioned tournaments. Sam Snead has 82 PGA Tour-recognized wins. Snead's career, however, unfolded at a time when the modern PGA Tour didn't exist. The PGA Tour has recognized specific wins in Snead's career as being PGA Tour official. However, the record was always a little dubious. Jack Nicklaus is third on the all-time wins list with 73 wins, with Ben Hogan (64) and Arnold Palmer (62) rounding out the all-time top five. In total, 18 players have amassed 30 or more wins in their PGA Tour careers. Only two players born after 1975 have at least 30 wins: Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Players that win at least 20 times on the PGA Tour are awarded a lifetime membership. PGA Tour all-time wins list | https://thegolfnewsnet.com/golfnewsnetteam/2021/06/03/which-golfer-career-most-pga-tour-wins-107009/ |
Why are golfers teeing off on Nos. 1 and 9 at The Olympic Club in the 2021 US Womens Open? | The 2021 US Women's Open marks the first time the USGA has brought the women's national championship to The Olympic Club in San Francisco. With a field of 156 of the best golfers in the world teeing off on Thursday and Friday, the field has to be split into teeing off from two tees for the opening two rounds. Most weeks, golfers are split up and go off the first and 10th tees at golf courses. However, at The Olympic Club, there's a unique routing that means the golfers go off the first and ninth tees. That's right. The Olympic Club's Lake Course -- one of three that the club has and is serving as host this week -- has a front eight holes, with the eighth hole coming back to the clubhouse. Then there's a back 10, more or less, with the ninth hole starting at the clubhouse and working out for the final portion of the round. For players who go off the first tee, they'll, of course, play in ordinal fashion all the way through to the 18th hole. However, for the players who tee off on No. 9, they'll start there and then play around through the 18th hole. They'll then head to the first hole and play the final eight holes of the course to wrap up their round. That makes leaderboard watching a bit confusing, with players starting on the ninth hole. After all, the scorecard shows a front nine and a back nine, even though that's not how Olympic Club's Lake Course plays logistically. It's a cool quirk, something unique in the game, and it's a good thing that the players are able to experience it as intended. | https://thegolfnewsnet.com/golfnewsnetteam/2021/06/03/why-are-golfers-teeing-off-on-nos-1-and-9-at-the-olympic-club-in-the-2021-us-womens-open-123010/ |
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