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Will the Government Shutdown Delay My Social Security Benefits? | Retirees who depend on their monthly Social Security checks to make ends meet can breathe a sigh of relief: Benefits won't be affected by the partial government shutdown. The Social Security Administration is already funded through September 2019, so services remain in effect and benefits checks will continue to arrive on time, according to the Social Security administration. Good thing, too, considering those Social Security checks are bigger in 2019 thanks to a 2.8% cost-of-living adjustment. It's the largest COLA increase since 2012, when benefits rose 3.6%. In the two years prior to 2012, there were no COLA increases at all due to the impact of the Great Recession. Social Security branch offices are operating at normal hours during the government shutdown; typically 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. But even without the impact of the shutdown, those offices can get crowded. You can avoid the wait by applying for benefits online. Go to www.ssa.gov/myaccount to set up an online account. You'll need to enter some personal details, answer questions to confirm your identity, and choose a unique username and a complex password. It's a good idea to set up an online account with Social Security even if you're not yet eligible for benefits. Once you've done so, identity thieves will be unable to create a fraudulent account in your name and use it to apply for benefits. In addition, you can check your earnings history against your W-2 forms or tax returns to make sure there are no gaps in your earnings record that could reduce your Social Security benefits. You can also look up estimated retirement, disability and survivor benefits and, in certain cases, request a replacement Social Security card. You can apply for Social Security retirement benefits as early as age 62, but your monthly check will be bigger if you wait until your full retirement age. (Use our simple Social Security calculator to determine your full retirement age.) In 2019, the estimated average monthly Social Security benefit is now $1,461, up from $1,422 in 2018. The average monthly benefit for a couple who are both receiving benefits is $2,448, up from $2,381. And the maximum Social Security benefit for a worker retiring at full retirement age is $2,861, up from $2,788 in 2018. EDITOR'S PICKS Copyright 2019 The Kiplinger Washington Editors | https://news.yahoo.com/government-shutdown-delay-social-security-163213095.html |
Is Netflixs Velvet Buzzsaw set to be the new Bird Box? | Bird Box has been a standout hit for Netflix since its release in December. So, naturally, everyones on the hunt for the new Bird Box. Thank God we think we might have actually found it. Just as well, as were not sure we could have coped with your disappointed faces. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Giphy So listen up: Velvet Buzzsaw is the next big thing to keep an eye out for on Netflix. The terrifying horror stars Jake Gyllenhaal, Toni Collett, John Malkovich, Rene Russo and Zawe Ashton, and is about a series of paintings by an unknown artist that appear to be haunted. But not haunted like the eyes just seem to follow you across a room, or summat. Haunted as in the paintings seek revenge of those who have allowed their greed to get in the way or art. Enter Jakes character Morf Vandewalt Netflix The art dealer comes across the pieces when Zawes character, Josephina, finds them in the artists apartment after he dies. Unfortunately, Gretchen played by Toni also feels the wrath of the artist when shes killed by one of the pieces. And the worst part is, no-one realises; everyone believes her lifeless, blood-soaked body is all part of the exhibition. Netflix Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Were trending on Instagram. Its a major hit, Josephina says. Oh - and we bet our life savings (approx. 13.78) that this will be the biggest Halloween costume of 2019... Netflix The film sees Jake, Rene and director Dan Gilroy team up again for the first time since they worked together on 2014s Nightcrawler. Velvet Buzzsaw is due for release on Netflix 1st February 2019. But remember, you have been warned. Dont come crying to us when you cant sleep because you think your Magic Eye poster is out to get you | https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/a25903115/velvet-buzzsaw-netflix-set-to-be-new-bird-box/ |
Are universities going to start offering places after A-level results day? | A new report backed by university staff argues that institutions should start offering students places after they've received their A-level results, The Guardian say. The reforms suggest school leavers should apply to universities only after seeing their A-level results - a move that would scrap unconditional university offers and Clearing all together. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Getty Images Backed by the Universities and College Union, the suggested legislation would see school-leavers in the UK apply for their chosen courses with solid results as opposed to predicted grades, as is currently the case. "The current system simply isnt fit for purpose," Angela Nartey, a UCU policy officer and co-author of the report tells the outlet. "It was designed in the 1960s, when only about 5% of school-leavers went on to study at university, and theres an urgent need for reform and greater transparency." Gordon Marsden, Labours shadow higher education minister, agrees, adding, "An urgent debate needs to be had on post-qualification admissions. From unreliable predicted grades that can underestimate the ability of disadvantaged students, to the skyrocketing number of unconditional offers, the current system is in need of a serious rethink if it is to give every student the chance to succeed." Getty Images Of course, offering students university places after they've received their exam results would mean shifting the academic year all together. The report suggests bringing forward A-level exams to Easter, and pushing back the start of term for first-year undergraduates, so that students can complete the bulk of university applications and acceptances in August. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below In response to the report, a spokesperson for Universities UK which represents the bulk of British universities - said: "One reason universities decided not adopt a new model was because disadvantaged students would not have access to one of their best sources of information for advice on university applications, their school or college, in the time they need to make a decision. "We recognise that there are still challenges to address, including improving information for students and accuracy of predicted grades, and we will be reviewing new information on this topic from UCAS with interest when it is published." | https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/worklife/campus/a25901500/universities-offer-places-after-a-level-results-day/ |
How can Corbyn call a confidence vote and what would it mean? | To win and keep power, any Prime Minister has to be able to win votes in the House of Commons - this is known as 'confidence'. Where the Opposition believes this is no longer true, it can call a vote of no confidence to demonstrate it. Theresa May is set to lose a vote on her Brexit deal tonight - potentially by the biggest margin ever recorded. Corbyn will say this is proof she does not have the confidence of the House. Corbyn has resisted demands for weeks to call a vote, insisting it will only happen when he is sure he will win. His backbenchers think it is also to avoid him having to back a new referendum on Brexit. If he makes his move, Corbyn will appear briefly at the Despatch Box to make a point of order. He will announce he has tabled a motion of no confidence. Commons rules say the Government should schedule the motion for a debate and vote 'soon'. It is widely expected to happen tomorrow - but could be delayed until Thursday and maybe even Monday. Probably not - this time. Labour and other opposition parties cannot win without help from Tory MPs. Some have suggested they might join a no confidence motion to prevent no deal Brexit but May is unlikely to back this after losing tonight's vote. Historically, losing a no confidence vote would be a trigger for the Prime Minister to resign and call a general election. This last happened in 1979, bringing down James Callaghan 311-310 - paving the way for the election of Margaret Thatcher. This is no longer true. Instead, it starts a 14-day countdown in which the Government must assemble a new coalition or the Opposition must demonstrate it can form a Government. Failure would then mean an election. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/fb-6594831/How-Corbyn-call-confidence-vote-mean.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 |
Who are the al Shabaab? | The al-Qaeda-linked al Shabaab, whose name means 'The Youth,' seeks to impose its strict version of sharia law in East Africa. The group is particularly active in Somalia, where it has an estimated 7,000 to 9,000 militants in its ranks who frequently unleash attacks targeting security and government officials, as well as hotels and restaurants in the capital. The group has also behind deadly attacks in Kenya and Uganda, which both contribute troops to an African Union peacekeeping force in Somalia. Today's attack immediately reminded many Kenyans of the Westgate Mall attack in Nairobi in 2013, when al-Shabaab extremists burst into the luxury shopping centre, hurling grenades and starting a days-long siege that left 67 people dead. The complex under attack today is less than two miles from Westgate Mall and is in what is considered one of the most secure areas of the city. The attack came three years to the day after al-Shabaab extremists attacked a Kenyan military base in Somalia, killing scores of people. The al Shabab objects to the presence of Kenyan troops in the turbulent Horn of Africa nation. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/fb-6594733/Who-al-Shabaab.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 |
Is There an NFL Monday Night Football Game on TV Today? | There is not NFL football on TV today as Monday Night Football is finished for the season. Football fans will have to wait until Sunday, January 20th for the next NFL playoff games. Four teams remain as the AFC and NFC Championship games take place on Sunday. The New Orleans Saints take on the L.A. Rams in the first conference championship at 3:05 p.m. Eastern on Fox. The Kansas City Chiefs host the New England Patriots in the primetime matchup at 6:40 p.m. Eastern on CBS. The two winning teams will square off in the 2019 Super Bowl on Sunday, February 3rd. Both games offer very intriguing matchups and rematches of early-season contests. The Rams and Chiefs are both seeking revenge after losing the initial games. Tom Brady & Patrick Mahomes Square Off in the AFC Championship Earlier this season, Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes admitted to telling Tom Brady he hoped he saw him again, alluding to a possible playoff game. Mahomes gets his wish as the two quarterbacks will square off in what is expected to be frigid conditions in Kansas City. Kliff Kingsbury coached Mahomes at Texas Tech and is a former teammate of Brady. Mahomes spent a few film sessions studying Brady with his former coach. He liked to show me some things that he did where he was in the pocket, his pocket movements and things like that, Mahomes explained to ESPN. I have definitely taken some things from him. He does it at such a high level. Its something you have to strive to be like. Tom Brady and the Patriots appear to be embracing the underdog role, a rarity for Bill Belichick teams. The Patriots have looked vulnerable at times this season but still secured the No. 2 seed in the AFC. We have TVs on from time to time, so I dont think youre completely immune to anything, but I just know a lot of people didnt think we could win yesterday, Brady said per Boston.com. And Im sure a lot of people dont think we can win in Kansas CityIts a big task, its a tough game, but thats what you expect this time of year. There are no easy games with four teams left. Youre playing against the best. The Saints Are Looking for the Season Sweep Against the Rams In the NFC, the Saints are slight favorites against the Rams. Neither the Rams or Saints offense has looked quite as potent as the units did earlier in the season, but the two teams still managed to win the majority of their recent games. New Orleans has the advantage of playing at the Superdome, which provides a major home-field advantage. Jared Goff and Sean McVay are looking to get to their first Super Bowl. Drew Brees and Sean Payton are looking to win their second Lombardi Trophy. Heres a look at the upcoming NFL playoff TV schedule. NFL Playoff Schedule 2019: AFC & NFC Championship Games DATE TEAMS TIME(ET)/TV Sun., Jan. 20 NFC: L.A. Rams vs. NOLA Saints 3:05 p.m. Fox Sun., Jan. 20 AFC: New England Pats vs. K.C. Chiefs 6:40 p.m. CBS NFL Playoff Bracket 2019 The No. 1 Chiefs will host the No. 2 Patriots in the AFC Championship. The No. 2 Rams will take on the No. 1 Saints in the NFC Championship. The winning teams will square off on Sunday, February 3rd in Super Bowl LIII. | https://heavy.com/sports/2019/01/nfl-football-today-tonight-monday-night-football/ |
Will the FOMC Minutes Point to Another Interest Rate Cut? | In its statement three weeks ago (September 18) announcing the first cut in interest rates in four years, the Federal Open Market Committee said the tightening of credit conditions has the potential torestrain economic growth. Today's release of the Committee's minutes will go a little bit more deeply into the arguments for the rate cut and test the likelihood of a similar action when the FOMC meets at the end of this month. The Committee was spooked by the report just 11 days before it last met that the economy shed 4,000 jobs in August. That employment report was revised last week to show a gain of 89,000 jobs in August, leading to suggestions the Committee might not have cut rates as sharply if it had the revised numbers. The Federal Reserve itself reported last Friday consumer credit outstanding increased a whopping $12 billion in August to $2.47 trillion the largest month-month increase since May; in the last six months, consumer credit has grown $65.6 billion compared with $47.1 billion in the previous six months. Translated, that means debt for each household grew by $582 in the last six months, compared with $418 in the previous six. Among the several possible explanations: there is no credit crunch another argument that the FOMC may have acted too quickly in lowering rates or the economy is in deeper trouble than we realize or acknowledge. The August increase in household debt (excluding mortgages) came in the same month in which personal consumption spending rose faster than disposable (after-tax) income; disposable income was up $37.2 billion, but spending was up $54.8 billion. On a per household basis, each household, on average, spent $16 more in August than it took in, while household debt increased $107. While the increased household spending is good news for an economy relying so heavily on consumption, the increased borrowing is not especially when that additional borrowing is not used to expand spending. The increased borrowing is itself a sign of stress. Since the Federal Reserve consumer credit report excludes real estate related debt, a dip or slow growth in credit card debt could mean homeowners have used less costly home equity or other mortgage debt to pay down higher interest credit card debt. With lenders at the urging of regulators tightening credit standards for mortgage debt in response to increasing mortgage foreclosures, it may be that escape route is closing. A couple of weeks ago Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke in a closed door meeting with senior financial officials left at least one attendee with the impression he is more deeply concerned about the damage the housing meltdown could do to the rest of the economy than he has said publicly. The change in household debt supports that view. Today's minutes will open the door a bit wider into the FOMC thinking. | https://www.foxnews.com/story/will-the-fomc-minutes-point-to-another-interest-rate-cut |
Will Arizona Finally Join 47 Other States and Ban Texting While Driving in 2019? | Laws banning adults from texting and driving exist in all but three states: Arizona, Montana, and Missouri. And after years of attempts, the death of Officer Clayton Townsend might motivate Arizona lawmakers to finally ban texting and driving during the new legislative session that started on Monday. Continue Reading On the evening of January 7, a driver on the Loop 101 near Scottsdale struck and killed Townsend, of the Salt River Police Department, who had pulled over another driver. The suspect told detectives that he had been texting and driving at the time of the crash, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety. There have been many attempts in the Legislature to ban texting while driving in Arizona. None have succeeded. In the legal vacuum, some municipalities have ordinances in place that attempt to prohibit the activity, including the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. The closest thing Arizona has to a texting-while-driving ban arrived last summer, when a cellular-use ban that only applies to drivers under 18 took effect on July 1. Governor Doug Ducey signed the measure into law during the previous legislative session. (In Missouri, texting is illegal only for motorists under the age of 21.) Also last session, a universal texting ban sponsored by State Senator Steve Farley received a unanimous vote to send the measure out of the Transportation Committee, but the bill never received a vote of the whole Senate. Farley, who lost the Democratic nomination for governor and just announced a bid for mayor of Tucson, sponsored one texting and driving ban after another for a decade during his time in the Legislature. He will not be able to file his customary bill this session because of Arizona's resign-to-run law, having opted to campaign for governor. Whether a GOP legislator is willing to take up Farley's crusade remains to be seen. Republicans control both chambers, and odds are that a member of the GOP will have better luck than Farley in securing a floor vote for a blanket distracted-driving ban. One official who thinks that a distracted-driving bill might be on its way is Alberto Gutier, the director of the Arizona Governor's Office of Highway Safety. In an email, Gutier relayed that over the weekend, moderate Republican Senator Kate Brophy McGee told him at a GOP meeting that she intends to sponsor a bill to ban texting and driving. "I think that is not only long coming, but our governor ... indicated last year that after signing the young drivers ban that he would wanted [sic] a more comprehensive bill," Gutier wrote. "Officer Townsend and our drivers deserve this in his memory and our officers at Salt River PD." Brophy McGee did not respond to a question on whether she plans on sponsoring the bill. Additionally, a spokesperson for the House Republican Caucus suggested that new House Speaker Rusty Bowers would support a measure banning distracted driving. Bowers "would obviously need to see the language of a proposed bill before determining whether or not he supports it, but he is generally supportive of efforts to ban distracted driving," Matthew Specht wrote in an email to Phoenix New Times. A texting and driving ban appears to have the support of the Republican governor. Ducey told reporters last week that he would've signed a distracted-driving bill last year, had one made it to his desk. "I want to make sure that we prevent and avoid this type of tragedy into the future," Ducey said in response to the fatal collision on Loop 101. According to the "Crash Facts" report issued last year by the Arizona Department of Transportation, there were nearly 3,000 crashes in 2017 involving a distraction caused by an electronic device. Among all of the crashes, speeding was the most common driver violation, ADOT found. The latest Arizona city to ban texting while driving is Glendale, where the City Council unanimously approved a distracted driving ordinance on Tuesday that bans the use of handheld electronic devices, unless the device is in hands-free mode. The ordinance takes effect next month. The West Valley city joins Surprise and El Mirage, which have also enacted similar handheld-device bans. Phoenix city code includes a less expansive ban that targets texting and says drivers cannot "send or receive a written message while the motor vehicle is in motion." | https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/news/will-arizona-finally-pass-a-texting-and-driving-ban-this-year-11108406 |
Who Is Courtney Curtis on the Bachelor? | Courtney Curtis is ready to win over Coltons heart on this season of The Bachelor. The 23-year-old hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and is vying for the ex-NFL players heart along with 29 other women. Read on. Courtney was born in Germany, but grew up in Georgia. She has four younger siblings. According to her LinkedIn, Courtney graduated from Kennesaw State University in 2017 with a BS in Public Health. While in school, she worked as a sales associate for Michael Kors for two years. She went on to work as a marketing specialist at Red Bull for one year. Since then, shes redirected her focus to something else she is passionate about: food. She has a food Instagram where she cooks the meals and caters the menus herself. Check the Instagram page out here. According to her companys website, Courtney started Creatingcourt.com in 2016 during her junior year of college. She writes, I had no idea what I was doing but I wanted to create something, so I spent hours online watching Youtube videos and teaching myself HTML mode. Without hesitation, I created my site and wrote my first blog post. Creating Court offers digital media design services as well as catering services. Check it all out here. According to ABC, the closest Courtney has ever been to marriage is a Pinterest board titled, I do. Shes afraid of almost all reptiles and her most embarrassing moment was tripping twice onstage at her graduation. Apart from that, relatively little is known about Courtney; thats likely to change as the season progresses. The former linebacker was born and raised in Indiana but grew up in Washington. Colton played football in high school and went on to play in college at Illinois State University for the Illinois State Redbirds. In 2014, he was signed to the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent. Colton spent the next two years with the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles practice squad, and the Raiders. In August 2016, he was released by the Raiders. Within months, Colton landed himself on Becca Kufrins season of The Bachelorette. He made it far on the show; all the way to hometown dates, before being eliminated. After getting sent home, Colton signed up for Bachelor in Paradise. He was on and off again with Tia Booth before finally calling it quits. Now, hes the star of the show, and is ready to find love. In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Underwood explained why hes ok exploiting his virginity for The Bachelor. He said, I dont mind making light of it and having fun with it I can roll with the punches, Underwood said. Im used to locker room banter, and I can have fun with that side of things. Of course night one was maybe over the top, but it was also nice to have those jokes and be able to laugh and smile. Only time will tell. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/courtney-curtis/ |
Who Is Elyse Dehlbom on The Bachelor? | Elyse Dehlbom is ready to put it all on the line for love on this season of The Bachelor. Along with 29 other contestants, the 31-year-old is vying for the heart of bachelor Colton Underwood. Read on for details. Elyse is a makeup artist who lives in Arizona. She has an impressive Instagram following of 12.6k followers. Chris Harrison has teased that Elyse becomes somewhat of the mom of the group this season on the show. He adds that no one should underestimate Elyse this season. According to her ABC Bio, Alyse grew up outside of Anchorage in Alaska. She spent her childhood ice skating and snowmobiling and later relocated to Arizona. She has never been out of the country. According to criminal case records from 2015, Dehlbom was once arrested for driving under the influence. In Touch Weekly adds that she pled not guilty to the charge but was found guilty and sentenced to a fine of $1,000. Her other arrests were for driving under suspension or in violation of license restriction. Its unclear if Elyse will share her history of these arrests with Colton. Other than the aforementioned facts, little is known about Elyse. As usual, we can expect to get better acquainted with the bachelor contestant as time goes on on the show. Colton is five years younger than Elyse, but it has yet to be seen if that will pose an issue for the two of them. As most people know, Colton was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was raised in Illinois. A former NFL player, he played football in college at Illinois State University for the Illinois State Redbirds. In 2014, he was signed to the San Diego Chargers as an undrafted free agent. He went on to spend the next two years with the San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles practice squad, and the Raiders. In August 2016, he was released by the Raiders. Not long after, Underwood found himself on Becca Kufrins season of the bachelor. He made it to hometown dates before being eliminated. On Bachelor In Paradise, Colton was in a relationship with Tia Booth. The two led an on-and-off again relationship before calling it quits. Colton opened up about his virginity in a recent interview. Asked by The Hollywood Reporter why he was exploiting his virginity, Colton said, I dont mind making light of it and having fun with it I can roll with the punches Im used to locker room banter, and I can have fun with that side of things. Of course night one was maybe over the top, but it was also nice to have those jokes and be able to laugh and smile. That first night can be nerve-wracking and overwhelming, so moments like that have allowed me to stay loose and in the moment. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/elyse-dehlbom-the-bachelor/ |
Is it game over for Neil Woodford flop Provident Financial after todays 20% drop? | Group adjusted profits before tax for 2018 are set to be towards the lower end of the range of Provident has lost 80% of its value over the past three years and is down 20% today after issuing a profit warning. It said full-year figures would be at the lower end of market expectations, as customers struggle to service their debt obligations. Ace stock-picker Neil Woodford seems to have lost his magic touch , making a string of bad calls over the last couple of years. Bad credit lender Provident Financial (LSE: PFG) is perhaps the most notorious of all. I would like to receive emails from you about product information and offers from The Fool and its business partners. Each of these emails will provide a link to unsubscribe from future emails. More information about how The Fool collects, stores, and handles personal data is available in its Privacy Statement. Register by giving us your email below to continue reading all of the content on the site. Soon you will also begin to receive our FREE email newsletter, The Motley Fool Collective. It features straightforward advice on whats really happening with the stock market, direct to your inbox. Its designed to help you protect and grow your portfolio. (You may unsubscribe any time.) Ace stock-picker Neil Woodford seems to have lost his magic touch, making a string of bad calls over the last couple of years. Bad credit lender Provident Financial (LSE: PFG) is perhaps the most notorious of all. Improvident Provident has lost 80% of its value over the past three years and is down 20% today after issuing a profit warning. It said full-year figures would be at the lower end of market expectations, as customers struggle to service their debt obligations. Group adjusted profits before tax for 2018 are set to be towards the lower end of the range of market expectations of 151m to 166m, with impairments modestly higher than expected. This reflects a continued increase in the use of payment arrangements at its Vanquis Bank credit cards arm. Todays drop wiped out the share price progress seen in the last three months. Subprime stock CEO Malcolm Le May did his best to reassure by reporting progress on operational objectives, as well as tightening underwriting standards in anticipation of the current uncertain UK economic environment we are facing. He said Provident has strong funding and capital positions and management actions over the last 18 months have established a solid foundation for continuing to deliver on its strategic aim of being the leading provider of credit products to 10m-12m consumers who are not well served by mainstream lenders. Badly impaired These are tough times and Provident is at the sharp end of consumer debt problems, as more of its customers go into payment arrangements, while Q4 new account bookings at Vanquis fell 18% year-on-year to 76,000. With Vanquis and the groups car finance arm Moneybarn both investigated by the FCA, you have to wonder what persuaded Woodford to go so hard into this stock. Some might see an opportunity here, with earnings forecast to grow 22% in 2019, and 20% in 2020. Provident trades at a forecast valuation of 10.6 times earnings and yields a forecast 6.2%, with cover of 1.5. It could be a good post-Brexit recovery play. I just fear further bad news in the pipeline. Kier we go Woodford-backed construction firm Kier Group (LSE: KIE) slumped 33% in December after launching a 264m rights issue, another blow to his stock selecting reputation. The group wants the money to pay down its debt pile and strengthen its balance sheet as lenders become more cautious towards the construction sector following Carillions collapse, as Edward Sheldon explains here. Things have picked up since. In fact, the group trades 25% higher than it did just one month ago, even as markets generally continue to struggle. Uppers and Downer Kier has been supported by some positive broker updates, with Peel Hunt upgrading it to a buy with a target price of 900p, which offers plenty of upside from todays 505p. The FTSE 250-listed firm has also raised 25m from the disposal of its KHSA operation to Australian firm Downer Group. The real boost came when it retained its place as a contractor on procurement body North West Construction Hubs 1.5bn high-value framework for the next four years. A forecast valuation of 5.7 times earnings will tempt some, while the forecast yield of 3.4% is covered five times. This is still a risky sector, though, as the Brexit nightmare drags on. One for risk takers. | https://www.fool.co.uk/investing/2019/01/15/is-it-game-over-for-neil-woodford-flop-provident-financial-after-todays-20-drop/ |
Who Is Heather Martin on Season 23 of The Bachelor? | The Bachelor season 23 is underway, as 30 female contestants compete for the heart of former NFL player Colton Underwood. The contestants come from diverse backgrounds and interests, including pageant stars, a phlebotomist, and a sloth. One of the ladies featured on the popular reality dating competition show is Heather Martin. In her video introduction on Youtube, ahead of the shows premiere, she said her special talent is spitting ice cubes into my best friends mouth through cars, and catching them perfectly. Martin has gotten attention on the show because she has never been kissed. This is especially significant this season since Colton Underwood is a virgin. Beyond the fact that she hasnt had her first kiss yet, which will no doubt be played up for as long as shes on the show, heres what you need to know about Heather Martin: She Has a Degree in Marketing Though Martins title on the show is Never Been Kissed, she does, in fact, have a real job. According to her LinkedIn page, she graduated from Biola University in 2017 with a degree in marketing. For 5 months in 2017, she worked as a marketing research consultant for a non-profit womens pregnancy care clinic. Presently, she works as an Assistant Program Manager for Aethercomm. Shes From California According to her bio, Heather was born and raised in San Diego, California. They also describe her as a thrill-seeker who enjoys bungee jumping, skydiving and river-rafting. This love of adrenaline-inducing activities may come into play later on in The Bachelor season, as the show loves to plan over the top dates for The Bachelor and the women competing for his love. The show lists her as being from Carlsbad, California, which is the location of her current job. She Has a Close Relationship With Her Family While Heather is not very active on Instagram, she does feature her family in many of her posts. She has two sisters, Shannon and Nicole, who also have her long blond hair and bright smile. On both sisters Instagrams, they also share regular photos with their sister. For Heathers birthday, Shannon wrote Happy birthday to the girl who I literally spend every waking second with!! I wouldnt want to do life with anyone else! You are my other half and I love you more than you could possibly know; Nicole said You are my best friend, twin, go-to dance partner, wild other half, someone who gets me better than anyone else and the person I can count on to ALWAYS have my back no matter what! Wish I could be with you today but I know you are livin it up tonight love you so much it hurts. On Christmas, she shared an adorable video of her entire family attempting to sing along to Justin Biebers Little Drummer Boy with karaoke microphones that her mom got the girls as a gift. The girls took turns singing, and mom and dad danced in the background. Tune in to ABC to watch The Bachelor on Mondays at 8pm ET, premiering January 6. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/heather-martin-bachelor-who-is/ |
What Really Is Low-Code/No-Code Development? | I was recently speaking with a good friend of mine who works in a large contact center selling and supporting multiple products and services, about New Year and New Year wishes. She said, with tongue somewhat in cheek, all I want for New Year is an application that makes my job easier and helps me to give my customers a great experience. Pushing her for more information led her to describe how her applications were disjointed and required her to enter different information to get details about the same customer, and she then had to distil that into something she could share with her customer to answer their query or close a sale. What about building your own application?, I asked. Ha she said, if only I could do that. Digital transformation has achieved buzz-word status. And enterprises around the world are waking up to the fact that they need to start making their digital transformation plans a reality so that they dont fail their customers expectations, fall behind and lose their competitive advantage. But they are stuck in a catch-22. Their IT teams are being stretched to the maximum as they spend 60% of their time just keeping current systems working. There arent enough skilled individuals to step up to the plate. Simply, businesses are lacking the resources to implement the necessary systems and processes to transform while keeping the lights on. Inevitably this results in frustrated employees. The slow pace of change harms their productivity and sometimes when new technology is finally rolled out, it doesnt quite fit the bill. New solutions, specified, built and implemented using traditional methods, arent always necessarily appropriate or efficient for that departments particular function. This has resulted in a growing need for bespoke software solutions that just arent available on the market. This is where low-code and no-code software steps in, enabling many staff in the company to become citizen developers, able to create robust applications in a safe, scalable environment that has all of the tooling and procedures to ensure appropriate security, testing and sign-off as part of a Digital Transformation program. To cite Gartner, citizen development is fundamental to digital transformation. To summarize, it is a visual integrated development environment (IDE). Within this environment, users (aka the citizen developer) drag-and-drop application components, connect them together and create a mobile or web app. Using this software, staff can design and build powerful applications that can scale for any organizationwithout writing any code. It really is as good as it sounds. Businesses are harnessing low-code development platforms to edge ahead of their peers. Take Vodafone, for example. Their IT team was under burgeoning pressure to deliver new solution capabilities, faster, as competition increased. Powerless to meet this demand, they proposed a platform that would empower business users to self-serve and create solutions with minimal IT support. By championing the citizen developer, the company was able to build a guided troubleshooting tool in just 4 months. The result was a staggering 75% improvement on time to market. Being able to innovate quickly is paramount. Updating software more frequently gives organizations a huge competitive advantage. By accelerating application development with agile delivery methodology that emphasizes short, frequent releases means that as the market evolves, technology wont be the barrier holding back the organization. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/johneverhard/2019/01/15/what-really-is-low-codeno-code-development/ |
Will The Mask Stay On? | Sophia Mattimiro Scene Editor On January 2nd, a new competition hit the screens, and of course, its a singing competition. The Masked Singer is a bit different from a normal singing competition, the competitors are already celebrities, instead of trying to become one, and hence the name of the show, they are all masked. The idea of the show is to try and guess the celebrity behind the mask. To make it harder, voices are masked except when theyre singing, and the celebrities are not necessarily professional singers. The costumes and mask cover the celebrities from head to toe and various celebrities get really into their characters. Each celebrity gives clues as to who they are, and a panel of unmasked celebrities; Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, and Nicole Scherzinger, all try and give guesses, ideas and critiques to the masked contestants. Each week there is an unmasking, but its not up to the panelists to decide who goes home. Each person in the audience gets to vote on who they want to see unmasked. So far, Antonio Brown and Tommy Chong have been unmasked. The fun in watching is trying to figure out for yourself who is under each mask, and each week brings in new clues to either help or possibly add to your confusion. https://www.fox.com/the-masked-singer/ | https://thecandor.wordpress.com/2019/01/14/will-the-mask-stay-on/ |
Should Healthcare Be Considered a Basic Right in the United States? | Omair Ali Perspectives Editor Healthcare has been a hot topic in America for a while, and many are interested in knowing whats to become of the U.S.s healthcare system in the 21st Century. Some issues pertaining to healthcare revolve around the affordability and accessibility of healthcare services. Healthcare in the U.S. is becoming increasingly urgent as more people become negatively impacted by our costly system. Recently, New York City (NYC) Mayor Bill de Blasio announced a new $100M-yearly program, whose aim is to guarantee healthcare to NYCs 600,000 non-insured individuals by directly paying for at least some, if not all, of their healthcare services. The new program will provide more primary care services and focuses more on preventive care instead of the existing plan to care for the uninsured, which has been expensive for NYC . This plan provides care to the uninsured regardless of legal status, giving undocumented immigrants access. Although this plan appears to require a significant initial investment, officials are hopeful that this move will reduce long-term healthcare costs. The plan also includes an expansion of the MetroPlus program , which is a public program that provides affordable insurance plans to NYC residents. While it is not entirely sure how NYC will allocate its resources to only the medically-indigent or why $100M will be spent yearly on ensuring care, it would certainly be wise to exercise some skepticism towards the promises of the program and wait for its outcomes at the end of 2019. Universal healthcare coverage might seem like a foreign concept to many Americans, who may equate this idea with socialism. However, several capitalistic nations have guaranteed healthcare as a basic right, including Vietnam and Switzerland .Where the United States gives people the choice to have healthcare insurance, these countries make healthcare coverage guaranteed or compulsory, respectively. Both have limited the profit-incentive of care providers, thereby making their per-capita expenditures much lower than the United States. On the other hand, prices for medical services are poorly-regulated in the U.S. systems and insurance companies reap profits beyond the imagination of the public eye. As a consequence, healthcare expenditures and medical bankruptcy rates are the highest in the United States. Despite these high costs, not everyone can access basic healthcare services , thereby making our current system largely unsuccessful relative (at least in terms of population coverage ) to other developed nations. Many who subscribe to Benedictine values might be more appreciative of NYCs efforts than others. For instance, guaranteeing universal healthcare can be ascribed to the idea of the Common Good . Bringing healthcare to the impoverished has the potential to reduce overall healthcare expenditures by offsetting costs associated with the over-utilization of emergency services, while also ensuring a basic need to many. In other words, there is an emphasis on collective fiscal responsibility and equality. As an aspiring physician, I also believe that access to healthcare, including access to primary care physicians, should be a basic right for everyone, regardless of ones ability to pay. Much like housing, food, and education, healthcare should be viewed as a necessity if we want to ensure a high standard of living to all of the United States residents. Given the success of universal healthcare in other countries, both financially and in healthcare outcomes , I think that the U.S. would certainly benefit from adopting this model. However, extensive problems remain in our healthcare system, as our given structure has been made rigid by policies and aversive to centralization. As such, we must reconsider our laws and how we can change them accordingly to approach universal healthcare. I also believe that we must reconsider how we spend our budget so that universal health care would be prioritized over other national interests. Once we can resolve the existing conflicts found among our politicians, we can move forward with a conversation on how to improve our healthcare systems ability to serve all individuals living in the U.S. | https://thecandor.wordpress.com/2019/01/14/should-healthcare-be-considered-a-basic-right-in-the-united-states/ |
When does Pure start on Channel 4? Whats it about and whos in the cast? | Pure is a brand new comedy drama centring around one womans experience of pure O an excruciating form of obsessive compulsive disorder that manifests itself in intrusive sexual thoughts. Pure will air in six parts on Channel 4 starting at the end of January 2019. An exact air date is yet to be confirmed. Pure is an adaptation of Rose Cartwrights acclaimed biography, and follows one young womans very real experience of an excruciating form of obsessive compulsive disorder, nicknamed pure O. Written by Kirstie Swain (Clique), Pure follows 24-year-old Marnie, whose mind is invaded by intrusive and often distressing sexual thoughts all the time. Having originally assumed she was a sex addict, she leaves her Scottish town and heads to London, soon discovering she has a form of OCD. In London, Marnie finds a gang of new friends, all with their own challenges. She moves in with her deceptively cheery old school pal Shereen and befriends porn addict Charlie. Marnie also meets ladies-woman Amber (who has a problematic reputation for her promiscuity) and her irresistible housemate Joe. In her first ever screen role, newcomer Charly Clive leads the cast as Marnie, and is joined by Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole as Charlie, Kiran Sonia Sawar (Murdered By My Parents) as Shereen, The Bisexuals Niamh Algar as Amber and Anthony Welsh (Fleabag) as Joe. Pure is Clives first ever television role, and she was cast for the part after one of the shows producers watched her sketch duo Britney on Vimeo. Britney was created after a tumour was found in Clives brain in 2016, and she and her best friend Ellen Robertson tried to cope with the news through comedy. They named the tumour and their play about it after the pop star because, apparently, if Britney can get through 2007, you can get through anything. Britney has had sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, the Vault Festival and most recently at the Battersea Arts Centre. Clive is an English actress, but she adopts a Scottish accent for Pure. Rose Cartwright (nee Bretcher) explains her experiences of pure O According to the mental health charity Mind, pure O stands for purely obsessional. The phrase is sometimes used to describe a type of OCD where people experience distressing, intrusive thoughts but there are no external signs of compulsions such as checking and washing. People with Pure O still experience mental compulsions, such as checking their emotions or checking whether they are aroused by a particular intrusive thought. There most certainly is. Here you go | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-15/pure-channel-4-air-date-cast-characters-plot-trailer/ |
Are Stores That Refuse to Say 'Merry Christmas' Suffering? | This is a partial transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," December 5, 2005, that has been edited for clarity. Watch "The O'Reilly Factor" weeknights at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET and listen to the "Radio Factor!" BILL O'REILLY, HOST: In the "Factor follow-up" segment tonight, as we told you in the "Talking Points Memo," 100,000 of you voted in our billoreilly.com poll. And 81 percent, 81 percent say they're not shopping in stores that banish the words "Merry Christmas". With us now, Neil Weinberg, a senior editor at Forbes magazine. NEIL WEINBERG, SENIOR EDITOR OF FORBES MAGAZINE: Well, you've got to bet this is a big topic of discussion. O'REILLY: Yes. WEINBERG: And you're a big topic of discussion, because what they're saying is, you know, we're in this no one situation. On the one hand, we got people are telling us we shouldn't have Christmas in the stores. Then we got this guy, Bill O'Reilly and all these other people, who are saying you got to put Christmas back in the stores. A couple of years ago, they were saying to us Christmas is too commercial! So they're sitting there in their boardrooms and they're trying to walk this very fine line between Bill O'Reilly and the anti-Bill O'Reillys. And that's where they're at. You know, I can't figure out 10 years ago, this wasn't even an issue. Every store said Merry Christmas, along with Happy Holidays and Happy Hanukah. It was all inclusive. Everybody said everything. Then all of a sudden, about three or four years ago, Merry Christmas began disappearing. WEINBERG: Well, I don't know that there's any unified force that said that. Maybe it's going to offend some people. Maybe we'll lose some sales." There's roughly 60 million people in the U.S. who say that they're not Christian. So they're saying, "Hey, why not take it away and see if we can get away with it," you know, to secularize the entire season. So they do that. And last year they did that and for example Federated Department Stores, Bloomingdale's, Macy's and they you know, there wasn't too much complaint. This year there's some push back from folks like you. And so they're saying, well, you know, "Maybe, we've got to back up here a little bit and put a little more Christmas back in Christmas." O'REILLY: Well, 85 percent of the country says it's Christian. Ninety-five percent, according to a FOX poll, celebrate Christmas. And you would think that these people would go, "Gee, you know, if we're going to take Christmas out of the federal holiday some people are going to be teed off," and more people are going to be teed off than the others who might get offended. WEINBERG: I don't know that they're teed off. For one thing if you look at the sales in November you'd find that it was really people were voting with their wallets. They were shopping at places that were cheap like Wal-Mart. They weren't shopping at places that were expensive like Saks Fifth Avenue. But the other thing is if you look, they're really trying to walk this fine line. If you look, for example, on the web sites of people like Target who wouldn't tell you what their policy was, you look on the web page and it's red. It looks Christmas. Of course, they're red anyway. But it looks Christmas all over. You don't see "Christmas," the word "Christmas" anywhere. O'REILLY: Target has been the target of a boycott by some Christian groups... WEINBERG: Right. O'REILLY: ... because of their treatment of The Salvation Army and because they won't mention Christmas. I'm not getting Target. I'm not getting a lot of them. Wal-Mart I'm not getting, because they market to the folks. WEINBERG: Right. O'REILLY: You know, people were the heavy emotion tied into the holiday of Christmas. WEINBERG: Well, I can tell you one thing. I went to Target's web site today and typed in "Christmas" on Target's web site. I got 39,443 hits. I don't know what all that stuff is, but that's a lot of stuff. There was about 7,000 at Wal-Mart. So while they might not be wanting to put "Merry Christmas" on the front of Target... O'REILLY: Here's what people want. They want to walk into the store and see "Merry Christmas." That's the litmus test. They don't want a clerk saying it to them; it doesn't matter. They want to see "Merry Christmas," and then you can see "Happy Holidays" or "Happy Hanukkah" or "Happy Kwanzaa." The stores are so large, you would assume that they would have room for all of that. See, that is my solution. WEINBERG: It seems to make sense for me. s you now, you walk around New York and go into the lobbies of big buildings, and you have a Christmas tree, and you have... O'REILLY: Well, there are some buildings that you won't see "Merry Christmas" and others that you will. For example, over here, Rockefeller Center. Now, there was pressure put upon NBC to call it a holiday tree. NBC would not relent to that pressure. WEINBERG: Touche. O'REILLY: NBC said, "No it's a Christmas tree here at Rockefeller Center and that's what we're going to call it." WEINBERG: Right, right. O'REILLY: But there was pressure put upon NBC not to call it a Christmas tree. WEINBERG: I think it's insane. I think, you know, this country, just because we have a separation of church and state, doesn't mean you have no church. You know, NBC is a private company. O'REILLY: It's not about church; it's about a federal holiday. WEINBERG: Christmas. O'REILLY: OK. WEINBERG: Right. A Christmas tree. WEINBERG: Exactly. O'REILLY: That's the traditional symbol. Because I do I think they're going to have to, all of them. WEINBERG: I think that they're going to move that way but they're going to do it very cautiously because they're going to see how far they can stay toward the middle. What they're trying to do. This is the season for whatever it means for you and me, it means money for them. O'REILLY: All right and money talks, boy, I'll tell you! If you don't like what they're doing don't buy. Mr. Weinberg, thanks very much. Content and Programming Copyright 2005 Fox News Network, L.L.C. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Transcription Copyright 2005 eMediaMillWorks, Inc. (f/k/a Federal Document Clearing House, Inc.), which takes sole responsibility for the accuracy of the transcription. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No license is granted to the user of this material except for the user's personal or internal use and, in such case, only one copy may be printed, nor shall user use any material for commercial purposes or in any fashion that may infringe upon Fox News Network, L.L.C. 's and eMediaMillWorks, Inc.'s copyrights or other proprietary rights or interests in the material. This is not a legal transcript for purposes of litigation. | https://www.foxnews.com/story/are-stores-that-refuse-to-say-merry-christmas-suffering |
Did Steve Jobs's own words damn Apple in anti-trust suit? | Steve Jobs's own words have been used against Apple in suit Apple's attempts to have the anti-trust suit brought against them by the US Department of Justice thrown out of court were denied on Tuesday. Federal Judge Denise Cote cited previous statements from Apple's former CEO Steve Jobs as justification for the dispute over e-book pricing to continue. Jobs's comment was included in the DOJ's case against Apple. "We'll go to [an] agency mode, where you set the price, and we get our 30 percent, and yes, the cusomter pays a little more, but that's what you want anyway," Jobs reportedly said. He added that prices would "be the same" at Apple and Amazon, which the DOJ contested in the suit. The DOJ's suit alleges that Apple colluded with book publishers including Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin to standardize e-book prices when the publishers should have been competing with one another. "...The cusomter pays a little more, but that's what you want anyway," Jobs reportedly said. Hachette, HarperCollins and Simon & Schuster were quick to settle, but Apple insisted that the company has done nothing wrong, going so far as to say that they're eager to begin litigation. Eliminating the competition Jobs's statements were previously known, but it was unclear what importance they would play in the case until now. "It has everything to do with coordinating a horizontal agreement among publishers to raise prices, and eliminating horizontal price competition among Apple's competitors at the retail level," Judge Cote said. The suit alleges that Apple contacted major publishers in 2009, just before the launch of the iPad, and hatched a plan to force Amazon's then-low e-book prices up to make Apple's iBooks store more attractive to consumers. At the time it was widely assumed that Amazon was selling e-books at a loss in order to stimulate sales of its Kindle devices. "With the fortuitous entry of Apple into the market for e-books, and the decision by Apple to join the price-fixing conspiracy, that horizontal conspiracy became a potent weapon for engineering a fundamental shift in an entire industry," Judge Cote said. If the court rules against Apple and Macmillan and Penguin, the two publishers who have yet to settle, the companies could be forced to implement anti-trust compliance programs and pay hefty fines. Via The Washington Post | https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/mobile-computing/tablets/did-steve-jobs-s-own-words-damn-apple-in-anti-trust-suit-1080685 |
What could happen next to Rep. Steve King? | As Iowa Republican Rep. Steve King faces fierce backlash for questioning why white supremacy is considered offensive, for now hes showing no signs of stepping down amid mounting pressure to resign. In an interview with the New York Times published Thursday, King asked, White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilization -- how did that language become offensive? Those comments set off a series of rebukes from both sides of the aisle and ultimately resulted in the eight-term congressman being stripped of his committee assignments by GOP leadership Monday. Susan Walsh/AP Steves remarks are beneath the dignity of the Party of Lincoln and the United States of America, House GOP Leader Kevin McCarthy said in a statement, adding, His comments call into question whether he will treat all Americans equally, without regard for race and ethnicity. Meanwhile, Democrats have scheduled a House vote on a resolution Tuesday that disapproves of Kings statements. The resolution was introduced by House Democratic Whip Jim Clyburn, the highest-ranking African-American member of Congress, and two other Democrats, Rep. Bobby Rush and Rep. Tim Ryan, have also introduced censure resolutions, which serve as more forceful reprimands. The harshest form of punishment King could face is expulsion from the House, but the bar for that is high. There have only been five members expelled from the House in history. All of those members were charged with crimes -- the first three were expelled for joining the Confederacy. The most recent example of a member facing expulsion was in 2002 when Ohio Democrat-turned-Independent Rep. James Traficant was convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery, filing false tax returns, and obstruction of justice, among other crimes. Prior to that, Pennsylvania Democrat Rep. Michael Myers was ousted in 1980 after he was convicted of bribery. Tom Williams/Getty Images In Kings case, the terms of how the rules of expulsion would apply are murky. The Constitution requires a two-thirds majority vote to expel a member, but according to the Congressional Research Service, there are no specific grounds for an expulsion expressed in the Constitution, expulsion actions in both the House and the Senate have generally concerned cases of perceived disloyalty to the United States, or the conviction of a criminal statutory offense which involved abuse of ones official position. Meanwhile, Kings loss of committee assignments on the Judiciary and Agriculture Committees already renders him virtually powerless in terms of legislating, which would be problematic if he chooses to pursue a 2020 reelection bid. King is now one of three GOP House members with no committee assignments the others include Rep. Chris Collins and Rep. Duncan Hunter, both of whom are, respectively, under indictment for insider trading and misusing campaign funds. | https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/happen-rep-steve-king/story?id=60391518 |
Is Priya Prakash copying Deepika Padukone? | January 15, 2019 12:00 IST The 19-year-old wore a black and gold dress similar to the one Deepika had worn to the Oscars' party in 2017. Priya Prakash Varrier is no longer the winking teen in uniform that India immediately fell in love with. The Oru Adaar Love actor is all set to make her entry in Bollywood with Sridevi Bungalow. At the teaser launch of the film loosely inspired by late actor Sridevi, Priya revealed her glamorous side. The actor wore a strapless black and gold dress which instantly reminded us of a similar outfit worn by Deepika Padukone. Check the photographs below. IMAGE: Priya Prakash wore black and gold separates to her latest film's trailer launch. She styled her look with tall earrings and soft curls. Photograph: Kind courtesy Ahana Dsouza/Instagram IMAGE: Deepika's iconic black and gold style from the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in 2017. Photograph: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images IMAGE: At the Vogue beauty awards in 2012, Deepika paired a shimmery golden skirt with a black tube top. Photograph: Kind courtesy Perfect Relations Scroll down to vote and tell us who you think looked better. | https://www.rediff.com/getahead/report/glamour-is-priya-prakash-copying-deepika-padukone/20190115.htm |
What next for Plymouth Argyle striker Calum Dyson after reserve team hat-trick? | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Striker Calum Dyson must use a reserve team hat-trick for Plymouth Argyle to set him up for a strong finish to the season. That is the hope of first team coach Kevin Nancekivell after Dyson netted three times in a 7-0 rout of Cheltenham Town in the Central League on Tuesday afternoon. All of his goals came in the second half of a one-sided contest at Home Park. Dyson, 22, has endured a difficult time at Argyle since he was signed from Premier League club Everton last summer. His only two first team appearances this term have been as a substitute in Checkatrade Trophy group games. He was paired up front with Ryan Taylor against what was effectively Cheltenhams under-18s side and came up with three good finishes. Nancekivell told Plymouth Live after the match: Dyce is a centre-forward and its his job to bring goals to the table, and he did that today. He took his goals really well. He has scored three goals in a reserve team game so he should be full of confidence and take a lot from that. Dyson has now scored four goals in as many Central League games this season. He has also netted 18 times in 13 starts for the Pilgrims side in the South West Peninsula League. However, he has been very much on the outside looking when it comes to first team selection. Nancekivell said: Dyce is a motivated young man. You try and keep the training bright and you try and keep everybody involved, which we do. Its part of football unfortunately that everybody is not going to play as many minutes as they want. Dyce has had a stop-start season in that respect, but he has got his three goals today so hopefully that will kick-start into a better finish to the season for him. The game against Cheltenham saw goalkeeper Matt Macey return to action after a dead leg. The Arsenal loan signing missed two matches because of the problem, with Kyle Letheren taking over from him. Macey was then named among the substitutes for the 3-2 win away to Southend United last Saturday. The 6ft 6in shot-stopper played for 65 minutes against Cheltenham before he was replaced by first-year professional. That change was made so that 19-year-old Cooper could get some game-time, and not because of any injury issue to Macey. | https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-next-plymouth-argyle-striker-2431865 |
Why Didnt Cardinal Wuerl Come Clean? | Four possible explanations for Cardinal Wuerls puzzling and shocking behavior. Last week, U.S. Catholics learned that Cardinal Wuerl knew that his disgraced predecessor, Theodore McCarrick, had faced allegations of sexual misconduct with seminarians back in 2004. And when Cardinal Wuerl was accused of lying about his knowledge of McCarricks misbehavior, his spokesman argued last week that his public comments had been misunderstood: He had only denied prior knowledge of the allegations against McCarrick that involved minors. Heres what Cardinal Wuerl told the National Catholic Reporter back in Aug. 6, in an exclusive interview: Although Wuerl said he had not personally been aware of rumors about McCarrick's alleged abuse of young men during the former cardinal's time as a priest and bishop, he acknowledged that others have now brought forward earlier existence of such rumors. If there were [rumors], and if people heard them, there needs to be some mechanism by which there can be at least an evaluation and review of them, said Wuerl, speaking in a phone conversation. So lets state the obvious: Based on the evidence at hand, Cardinal Wuerl knew about McCarricks sexual misconduct with adults at least 14 years ago, and lied about it. That said, Wuerls refusal to acknowledge the truth is even more puzzling, given his past effort to flag McCarricks misbehavior. Back in 2004, when Wuerl served as Bishop of Pittsburgh, he informed the papal nuncio about a claim against McCarrick filed by a former New Jersey seminarian. Wuerls actual motives may come to light in the coming months, after the U.S.-based investigation into the McCarrick cover-up is completed. For now, here are some possible explanations for Cardinal Wuerls puzzling and very shocking behavior. 1. He gambled that the evidence would not come to light. Cardinal Wuerls lie might not have been exposed if Robert Ciolek a former seminarian who alleged that he had been sexually abused by McCarrick and by a Pittsburgh priest had not asked to see documents in the personnel file of that Pittsburgh priest. As The Washington Post reported last week, Ciolek was not allowed to copy the documents, but he still offered a clear recollection of a damning memorandum signed by Wuerl, when he was bishop of Pittsburgh: It memorialized Wuerls meeting with the papal nuncio earlier that week [when Ciolek provided his testimony against the priest], and indicated he had shared with the papal nuncio, Archbishop Montalvo, the details involving allegations I had made about McCarrick. The memo was in the first person, Ciolek said, and included Wuerls handwritten initials after his printed name. Wuerl may have had other reasons to expect that the facts would not surface. The U.S. bishops have approved an investigation of the four dioceses where McCarrick previously served, but McCarrick never led the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Of course, Bishop Zubik of Pittsburgh is free to conduct a forensic review of diocesan files and then forward the relevant documents to the proper authorities. If not, his hand has been forced by last weeks headlines. Perhaps the investigators appointed by Church authorities would have connected the dots and conducted a review of Pittsburgh personnel files. But when the shocking allegations against McCarrick were first confirmed, Wuerl did not know whether they would spark a comprehensive investigation. As late as August, he floated his own plan to establish a panel of bishops to investigate fellow bishops. He was also an active participant in the U.S. bishops debate on proposals to improve bishop accountability at their November meeting in Baltimore. In hindsight, its clear that his efforts to shape the outcome of such discussions were surely influenced by his own failure to remove McCarrick, but also possibly by self-protective instincts. 2. It was too late to set the record straight. Wuerl well understood the rage he would meet if he were to have admitted he knew but didnt do everything everyone would expect in retrospect to get McCarrick out, a well-placed source told me. I think he was trying to save the work he thought he could continue to do. Another way of thinking about the problem is this: Wuerl couldnt acknowledge the truth because it would be an admission of personal corruption. 3. Wuerl believed his record was credible. In a Jan. 12 letter to his priests, Wuerl emphasized that he had acted responsibly when he first learned of McCarricks inappropriate conduct. The entire report was also immediately turned over to the apostolic nuncio the papal representative in the U.S. Having acted responsibly with the allegation involving Bishop McCarricks behavior with an adult and hearing nothing more on the matter, I did not avert to this again, he said in his letter. The man asked for confidentiality to protect his own name. An archdiocesan spokesman also noted that Ciolek never claimed direct sexual engagement with McCarrick in his complaint to then-Bishop Wuerl. Meanwhile, Ciolek has since argued that his claim against McCarrick could have been made public without identifying the victim. In any case, experts have questioned whether Wuerl did, in fact, do everything he could to remove McCarrick. If Wuerl was able to get the Sacred Signatura, the Churchs highest court, to overturn its decision on a case, he is a man who would know how to make his concerns known to the right people, observed Dominican Father Joseph Fox, vicar for canonical services for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, who referenced Wuerls lengthy and ultimately successful campaign to laicize an abusive Pittsburgh priest. The Signatura had issued a decision he could not live with and he fought it, said Father Fox. So if his letter to the nuncio didnt get an answer, he could have brought the issue to the Congregation for Bishops, the Secretary of State, and to the pope. Father Gerald Murray, a New York priest and canon lawyer, echoed this point. Given the magnitude of the claim against McCarrick, said Father Murray, Wuerl could have gone back to the nuncio, to find out what had happened. He could have confronted McCarrick directly. Father Murray raised an additional concerns that required further investigation. We have to find out: Did McCarrick propose Wuerl as his replacement? he asked. You just dont know. 4. Wuerl Had More to Hide I do not rule out the possibility that there is something even more devastating to Wuerls reputation still to be revealed, Gerard Bradley, a law professor at the University of Notre Dame told the Register, as he speculated about the Washington archbishops perplexing actions. He might have judged that circling the wagons might be the better way to protect his own secrets. Experts and commentators have singled out Wuerls past record as the secretary of then-Bishop John Wright, who would later be appointed cardinal prefect of the Congregation for Clergy and was alleged to be actively homosexual. In a recent article for Commonweal, former Newsweek religion reporter Kenneth Woodward recalled the widely circulated rumors of Cardinal Wrights double life in Rome, while shaping Vatican guidelines for seminary formation. Wuerl would surely know the truth about Wright, said Woodward. Wuerls first assignment after ordination at the age of thirty-one was as secretary to then Bishop Wright of Pittsburgh in 1966. Later, Wuerl became Wrights omnipresent full-time personal assistant when the latter moved to Rome, even sitting in for him during the papal conclave that elected John Paul II. The Vatican is expected to appoint Cardinal Wuerls successor shortly. For now, Catholics across the United States are waiting to see whether Rome and the U.S. bishops are able to open a new chapter of accountability for high-ranking prelates like McCarrick and Wuerl. After this latest disclosure, the best thing Cardinal Wuerl can could do is admit he had not told the truth back in June, and then step down, said Father Murray. But, for now he concluded, the message is that a Catholic cardinal is widely considered to be a liar. He was accused of being a liar by Archbishop Vigan. Then documentary proof is offered to prove he is lying. | http://www.ncregister.com/blog/joan-desmond/why-didnt-cardinal-wuerl-come-clean?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+NationalCatholicRegisterBloggers+National+Catholic+Register+Bloggers |
Could chief financial officer be the key to Robert Lloyd Schellenberg avoiding his death penalty fate? | Credit: PA China has expressed its "strong dissatisfaction," with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau after he criticised a death sentence served to a Canadian national accused of drug smuggling in China. It's the latest move in a game of diplomatic chess between the two nations. Relations began to sour after Canadian officials detained Chinese businesswoman Meng Wanzhou at Vancouver airport in December. The 45-year-old is the chief financial executive of China's largest private company, electronics giant Huawei. She was arrested after the US issued an arrest warrant for allegedly misleading banks by breaking sanctions against trading with Iran. She now faces extradition to the US on fraud charges. The arrest of Meng Wanzhou appears to has re-stoked interest in Schellenberg's case. International commentators believe China is retaliating by using a Canadian national as a diplomatic pawn. Robert Lloyd Schellenberg was originally detained by Chinese authorities more than four years ago. The Canadian was accused of conspiring to smuggle 222 kilograms of methamphetamine from China to Australia. He denies the charges, stating he was a tourist visiting the country. He initially went on trial in 2016 and in November of last year was sentenced to 15 years behind bars in China. Supporters hold signs and Chinese flags outside British Columbia Supreme Court. The arrest of Meng Wanzhou appears to have re-stoked Beijing's interest in the case with local judiciary retrying Schellenberg, claiming the original sentence was too lenient. It was at this secondary trial that he was sentenced to death. China rarely executes westerners, but the move has still caused outrage around the world and been condemned by human rights groups. The last time it made such a decision was in 2009 when it executed a British man, Akmal Shaikh, who was accused of attempting to smuggle heroin found in a suitcase he was transporting. His family say he was tricked into carrying the bag. Canadian Robert Lloyd Schellenberg attends his retrial in China. "It is of extreme concern to us as a government, as it should be to all our international friends and allies, that China has chosen to begin to arbitrarily apply a death penalty," said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday. Beijing hit back at Trudeau, stating public safety as the motive behind its action. Speaking at a media briefing, foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said: "I think any responsible government that takes resolute measures to deal with the case just reflects the responsible attitude and strong determination of the government in protecting the lives and safety of its people". Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has hit out at China's actions. Credit: PA | https://www.itv.com/news/2019-01-15/china-criticises-irresponsible-trudeau-comments-in-death-penalty-case/ |
How could tonight's vote impact the pound? | While many are sympathizing with Theresa May today, as she tries to push through a Brexit deal no one can agree on, they should perhaps spare a thought for currency traders. A smorgasbord of political options lay ahead depending on the margin of defeat this evening, with real implications for British financial services, exporters and the economy. The British pound has been in a holding pattern since the prime minister cancelled the vote last month, clinging to a $1.27 - $1.28 handle. In the event of a small defeat: Broadly considered to be under 100 votes by currency analysts, they suggest the pound could remain relatively flat. A defeat over 200 votes could see it fall much further, but not by the dizzying drops weve seen in the last two and a half years of Brexit turbulence. The pound dropped dramatically against the dollar straight after the referendum. It dipped below the $1.20 mark at the start of 2017, in anticipation of Mays Lancaster House speech, where she would announce Britains departure from the Single Market. It soared to $1.40 at the beginning of 2018, on positive noises that the EU would agree a close trading relationship with the UK. Short of crashing out of the EU at the end of March, or a shock victory for the Prime Minister today, were unlikely to see such stomach-churning moves in the next few days. You can no longer bet on a hard Brexit versus soft Brexit there are more options than that. | https://www.cnn.com/uk/live-news/brexit-theresa-may-deal-vote-gbr-intl/h_840281b6eb0d33c7dce0b629dc57de47?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_topstories+%28RSS%3A+CNN+-+Top+Stories%29 |
How Was WWE Total Bellas Season 4 Premiere Viewership? | Sunday's season 4 premiere of WWE Total Bellas drew 505,000 viewers and ranked #35 on the Cable Top 150. This is down from the season 3 finale back in July, which drew 617,000 viewers and ranked #24 for the night. The season 3 premiere drew 517,000 viewers. To compare, the Total Divas season 8 finale drew 412,000 viewers and ranked #45 on the Cable Top 150 back in November. The Total Divas season 8 premiere drew 454,000 viewers. TLC's 90 Day Fiance topped the night in viewership and the 18-49 demographic with 2.668 million viewers. Below is our Total Bellas Season 4 Viewership Tracker: Episode 1: 505,000 viewers Episode 2: Season 3 Total: 6.342 million viewers Season 3 Average: 634,200 viewers per episode (10 episodes) Season 2 Total: 4.702 million viewers Season 2 Average: 587,750 viewers per episode (8 episodes) Season 1 Total: 3.842 million viewers Season 1 Average: 640,000 viewers per episode (6 episodes) Source: ShowBuzz Daily | https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2019/01/how-was-wwe-total-bellas-season-4-premiere-viewership-649843/ |
What exactly are MPs going to vote on in tonight's Brexit vote? | The video will start in 8 Cancel Get Weekly Politics updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Heres exactly what will happen as MPs vote tonight. The Government has proposed a motion approving the proposed withdrawal agreement between the UK and the EU. It wants MPs to vote to approve that motion. But there are also four amendments. And MPs will vote on the amendments before they vote on the Governments motion. But they may not vote on all four. And its possible that they wont even get as far as voting on the motion. Dont worry - its not as confusing as it seems. Lets look at the votes. The first vote The first vote will be on an amendment proposed by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. It rejects the Prime Ministers withdrawal agreement. If its approved by MPs then it actually replaces the Governments motion. In other words, it would mean that the House of Commons has rejected the Governments deal. There would be no need to vote on any more amendments. In fact, this would probably be the only real vote of the night. However, lets assume that Jeremy Corbyns amendment is rejected by MPs. That means we move on the second vote. The second vote This is on an amendment proposed by Ian Blackford, the Westminster leader of the SNP. It also rejects the Prime Ministers withdrawal agreement. And once again, if its approved by MPs then it actually replaces the Governments motion. It would mean that the House of Commons has rejected the Governments deal. There would be no need to vote on any more amendments. But lets assume that Ian Blackfords motion is also rejected by MPs. We would move on to the third vote. The third vote This is on an amendment proposed by Conservative backbencher Sir Edward Leigh, It calls on the Government to give an assurance that the backstop included in the withdrawal agreement will not be permanent. The backstop is an arrangement designed to prevent a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland, but some MPs fear it could force the UK to stay in the EUs Customs Union indefinitely. If Sir Edwards amendment is approved by MPs then it ADDS TO the Governments motion. So the Governments motion - which approves Theresa Mays deal - might still be approved. It would just have Sir Edwards motion added to it. There would be no need to vote on any more amendments. Instead, the House of Commons would move on to the vote on the Governments motion approving Theresa Mays deal. However, lets assume Sir Edwards amendment is rejected by MPs. Then we would move on to the fourth vote. The fourth vote (Image: PA) This is on an amendment proposed by Tory MP John Baron. It says the Government is only allowed to go ahead with the withdrawal agreement if it is changed so that the UK has the right to end the backstop without having to secure the agreement of the EU. Once again, if this amendment is approved by MPs then it ADDS TO the Governments motion. So the Government motion backing Theresa Mays deal could still be approved by MPs - although it would now be changed a bit. So the House of Commons would move on to the vote on the Governments motion approving Theresa Mays deal. The final vote This is on the Governments motion which approves Theresa Mays deal. As noted above, if the first amendment or the second amendment is approved by MPs then the Governments motion is defeated before we even reach this stage. If the third or fourth amendment is approved by MPs then the Governments motion makes it to the final vote, although it would have been changed. And if all the amendments are rejected then the Governments motion also reaches the final vote. If the Governments motion is approved by MPs in the final vote then Theresa May can go ahead with her Brexit deal. If not then she has to table a new motion by Monday explaining what she plans to do instead. | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/what-exactly-mps-going-vote-15682456 |
Is Kit Harington's Mustache Actually Hot? | Image zoom Steve Granitz/WireImage No plot twist has made Game of Thrones fans cry more than when Kit Harington broke the news that he planned to cut his hair once he wrapped up filming the show's final season. Fast forward to 2019, and Harington has stayed true to his word. The actor's cut off his glorious curls, but he didn't completely break up with his character John Snow. Harington's full beard remained untouched. That is, until he landed his first role out of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros. RELATED: Kit Harington Cried About the Game of Thrones Ending Harington is currently staring in London's West End production of Sam Shepard's play, True West. Set in '70s, the actor has adopted one of the decade's most polarizing grooming trends: the mustache. His is not too pencil thin, but not too thick, and trimmed into shape. The actor has had the stache since November, but ICYMI, he took his facial hair out on the town last night. If you don't have a ticket to True West, you can see the stache in its full glory here: Image zoom Neil Mockford/GC Images Harington isn't the only one that's making a case for the return of the '70s 'stache. The style appears in Gucci's Pre-Fall 2019 menswear collection lookbook. VIDEO: Kit Harington and Rose Leslie Make a Rare Red Carpet Appearance Whatever your stance on this facial hair style, male celebs are shaping up to be 2019's biggest beauty influencers. Both Ansel Elgort and Zac Efron recently went platinum blonde, and David Beckham further proved that green is going to be the eye makeup color of the year by wearing emerald eyeliner on his LOVE Magazine cover. (As it should be.) If Harington's facial hair is any indication, then yes. | https://www.instyle.com/news/kit-harington-mustache |
Will Merkels support of migration pact endanger German Jews? | On Dec. 10, on the same day that the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) reported on growing feelings of vulnerability among European Jews, Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel led the signing in Morocco of a 34-page U.N.-sponsored document called the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. The non-binding pact was the subject of fierce debate in Europe, which has been embroiled in debate over the impact of Merkels decision to allow more than 1 million Muslim migrants into Germany since 2015. Analysts and critics have argued that it would retroactively and going forward sanction migration as a human right, providing migrantslargely from African and Middle Eastern countrieswith generous benefits and protections regardless of their legality. Among Jewish advocacy organizations (such as the European Jewish Congress, which did not return comment), nary a word has been said about the pact, even as recent polls and experience show that Islamic anti-Semitism is a rising source of concern among Europes Jews. A leading Jewish critic of the pact, well-known German writer, Henryk Broder, believes that the European Jewish establishment underestimates, or worse, denies problems that mass Muslim migration poses for Jewry. CNN and the Americans and stupid German Jews and the German media have a very clear idea, definition and framework of anti-Semitism, and its one word: the Holocaust, he said, alluding to a recent CNN survey that found that 10 percent of Europeans hold an unfavorable attitude towards Jews, while 30 percent believe that Jews have too much worldwide influence in finance and business. The survey also cited lack of knowledge about Holocaust as a symptom of anti-Semitism. Broder, who has researched anti-Semitism since his book The Eternal Antisemite came out in 1986, is skeptical of such polls. At least two or three times a year, there is news saying anti-Semitism is on the rise, he said at an interview at a Berlin cafe. That is absolutely not true. There is a constant anti-Semitism, but what has risen is the coverage of it. What has risen, which is true, is the number of anti-Semitic incidents since our beloved Chancellor invited half the world to come to Germany. He says one must differentiate between anti-Semitic attitudes, reports and incidents. Not all incidents, at least in Germany, are tagged as anti-Semitic. For example, a German court ruled that a 2014 firebombing of a Wuppertal synagogue by Palestinians was not just a protest against Israeli policies. Reported anti-Semitic acts with no known source are automatically labeled right-wing. The main obstacle in this kind of intellectual exercise is that anti-Semitism is still being defined by the Holocaust and Auschwitz. And they defend the notion that everything else is Israel-Kritikcriticism of Israel. Fears of fueling the far-right Following the E.U.s recent FRA survey on anti-Semitism, the American Jewish Committee has again called on governments to do more to combat anti-Semitism. According to the AJC, anti-Semitism in Europe began to surge during the outbreak of the Second Intifada from 2000-2005, and is a manifestation of several factors. There are incidents coming from the segments of the Muslim community, as well as anti-Semitism generated ever more frequently by the far-right and far-left, mixed in with conspiracy theories and old-fashioned anti-Semitic tropes dating back to age-old Christian stereotypes and to European racist theories of the 19th century, and we have todays highly potent mix, said Deidre Berger, director of AJC Berlin. A more recent wave of migrants to Europe as of 2015 are coming from Muslim majority countries like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan that propagate deeply anti-Semitic stereotypes on all levels of society, she continued. There are understandable concerns in the Jewish community that the new immigration can further exacerbate rising anti-Semitism if the issue is ignored or glossed over. That is why we advocate that governments take the issue of integration and language classes more seriously in terms of the values that are being inculcated in the new arrivals. This includes knowledge of Jewish life in Germany and respect for the essential nature of the German-Israeli relationship, which Chancellor Merkel has declared to be raison dtat for the German government. Fighting anti-Semitism and promoting democracy requires a substantial boost in curricula development and teacher training in Germany, not just in programs for immigrants, but also for German schools in general. Broder, on the other hand, is pessimistic about the prospects of successfully integrating Muslim migrants, saying all efforts to enlighten them, inform them, educate themare failing. He dubs polls on rising anti-Semitism as job-creation machinery. Appointing anti-Semitism czars, like Felix Klein, Germanys recently minted commissioner on anti-Semitism, he said, is ultimately fruitless in the face of continued Muslim migration and suppression about the anti-Semitism they generate. As for the pact, said Broder: There should be concern for the Jewish community, but not because of the treatment. Because theyre coming anyway. Practical effects of the pact remain unclear. The United States, Australia, Austria, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Israel are among those who voted against it, thus diminishing the chances for the pact to evolve into soft-law, said Yonatan Jakubowicz, executive director of the Israeli Immigration Policy Center (IIPC). (Brazil pulled out this month.) Jakubowicz ran a campaign urging Israel to vote against it, arguing that it would harm Israeli security, sovereignty and humanitarian conditions for both citizens and migrants alike, given the death toll involved in increased illegal migration to Europe. There are some clauses in the compact that are very radical, like Clause 17, which tries to regulate speech on immigration, he said. There are some additional clauses that we see as very problematic. These include ones on family reunification, decriminalizing illegal immigration and minimizing detention. All these are tools that are necessary to control irregular immigration, said Jakubowicz. Case in point: Israel stemmed the tide of irregular African migration in 2012 using such methods, which has been a hot-button issue in Israel since the government cracked-down on illegal migration mostly from Sudan and Eritrea. Jewish views on the pact, he said, will invariably be divided along political lines. Some Jews fear that anti-Muslim sentiment will embolden the growing far-right, which may hold reflexive anti-Semitic attitudes. Jakubowicz argues that the pact would actually fuel far-right actors. | https://www.sun-sentinel.com/florida-jewish-journal/fl-jj-merkel-migration-pact-endanger-german-jews-20190123-story.html |
What next for Whitefriargate as Marks & Spencer plans to pull out of Hull street? | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email The impending loss of Marks & Spencer is a devastating blow for Whitefriargate and the city centre in general. The store has been a fixture in the street since 1931 when it opened in a purpose-built premises. Its closure now adds a degree of urgency to efforts aimed at breathing new life into some of the street's many empty units. First revealed last month, they involve a fledgling partnership between Hull City Council and a number of as yet unnamed local developers with a proven recent track record of recent investment in the area. Speaking about the link-up, city council regeneration director Mark Jones described it as a "Hull huddle" and suggested a way forward for Whitefriargate might involve turning the clock back to an age of local property ownership in the city centre. (Image: PA) Most of the units on the side of the street occupied by M&S are owned by remote pension and investment firms often with vast property portfolios. To them, an empty building in Hull is usually just a statistic on a balance sheet. Bringing some of them back under local ownership with more affordable rents is central to the thinking behind the huddle. "If you look at either end of Whitefriagate - Princes Dock Street, Silver Street and Trinity House Lane - they are doing well, its just the bit in the middle. WATCH: Fascinating footage of Whitefriargate filmed 37 years ago Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now Having developers on board who know the city and are willing to take these buildings on, perhaps reducing big retail spaces in the process, has to be the way forward," said Mr Jones. Making that happen will come at a cost and the council is already lobbying the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership to provide specific funding to that end. Upper floor apartments, offices and re-designed ground floor retail space are among the ideas being examined. But - and it's a big but - they need to be in local hands before anything can happen. Collapsing confidence in the high street has seen the value of bricks-and-mortar assets in the commercial property sector tumble. As a result, it might be the perfect time to strike those deals. Meanwhile, on the other side of Whitefriargate, Trinity House is slowly re-thinking the best use for its property interests which include all the shops from Princes Dock Street to Trinity House. poll loading What should happen to improve Whitefriargate 2000+ VOTES SO FAR Lower business rates so it is less expensive for traders Attract more small, independent traders to make it a unique place to shop Focus on turning it into the caf culture capital of the city centre Put a roof on it Upper floors are being converted into apartments and two charities now occupy ground-floor units. Follow Hull Live Our daily newsletter - To get the latest headlines direct to your email inbox every day, click here . Follow Hull Live on Facebook - Like our Facebook page to get the latest news in your feed and join in the lively discussions in the comments. Click here to give it a like! Follow us on Twitter - For breaking news and the latest stories, click here to follow Hull Live on Twitter. Follow us on Instagram - On the Hull Live Instagram page we share gorgeous pictures of our stunning city - and if you tag us in your posts, we could repost your picture on our page! We also put the latest news in our Instagram Stories. Click here to follow Hull Live on Instagram. | https://www.hulldailymail.co.uk/news/hull-east-yorkshire-news/what-next-whitefriargate-marks--2430791 |
What does today's vote mean? What is a 'no-deal' Brexit? And what happens next? | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Brexit seems to be literally getting more and more chaotic by the hour and by most accounts that will not change after tonight's crunch vote in Parliament on Theresa May's Brexit deal. After the referendum in 2016 which saw the UK vote to leave Europe, the Prime Minister triggered Article 50 - setting the official date for the UK to leave the European Union as March 29, 2019. That gave the government two years to negotiate a deal with the EU that would set out how the UK would cut all its many ties with the political union of 28 countries and how its relationship with them would work after Brexit. It's been a bumpy and controversial ride, which has seen many top minsters resign and has and still does divided the country. Today marks the end of five days of debates on Mrs May's deal - this evening. MPs will vote to decide whether to back her deal which would then dictate how the UK leaves the European Union and crucially what happens afterwards. The ramifications are huge on businesses and individuals alike. (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) With 650 MPs in the House of Commons, Tory Mr May needs 326 of them to support her deal for it to be successful. Tthe vote on Mrs May's deal was already supposed to have taken place in December - the Prime Minister delaying it because she said it would have been rejected 'by a significant margin'. She's been away and says she now has a deal she hopes MPs will back. But many critics claim not a lot seems to have changed since then, with her deal is very likely to be rejected and by a huge margin if how MPs have said they intend to vote. Theresa May's Brexit deal is the result of months and months of talks and negotiations with various EU leaders. What she has come up with is a deal that has components that people on all sides of the Brexit debate still have problems with. 'Transition period' - the UK would officially leave the EU on March 29 but would remain part of the single market, which allows EU countries to trade freely with each other without restrictions or tariffs, until December 2020. This would allow time for the UK to forge a new trade agreement with the EU. - the UK would officially leave the EU on March 29 but would remain part of the single market, which allows EU countries to trade freely with each other without restrictions or tariffs, until December 2020. This would allow time for the UK to forge a new trade agreement with the EU. 'Citizens' rights' - free movement between the UK and the EU would end, meaning the UK could set its own immigration rules. But the citizens' rights of EU citizens living in the UK and Britons living in Europe remain secure. - free movement between the UK and the EU would end, meaning the UK could set its own immigration rules. But the citizens' rights of EU citizens living in the UK and Britons living in Europe remain secure. 'Fisheries' - the EU has said it would not allow the UK to have tariff-free access to European fish markets without being allowed to continue fishing in British waters - the deal says tariffs will be applied on British fish until a separate deal on fishing in British waters can be struck. - the EU has said it would not allow the UK to have tariff-free access to European fish markets without being allowed to continue fishing in British waters - the deal says tariffs will be applied on British fish until a separate deal on fishing in British waters can be struck. 'The Irish back-stop' - the most controversial element of the deal, the Irish 'back-stop' is in place to ensure the Irish border remains open even if a trade deal is not in place by December 2020. If a deal has not been reached, Britain would have to go into a customs arrangement with the EU that covers the whole of the UK, which could align Northern Ireland more closely with EU rules and potentially cause problems transferring EU products between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. - the most controversial element of the deal, the Irish 'back-stop' is in place to ensure the Irish border remains open even if a trade deal is not in place by December 2020. If a deal has not been reached, Britain would have to go into a customs arrangement with the EU that covers the whole of the UK, which could align Northern Ireland more closely with EU rules and potentially cause problems transferring EU products between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. 'Divorce bill' - the UK has agreed to cover contributions to staff pensions and other EU programmes that it committed to for the funding period that ends in 2020 while it was still a member. The overall cost will be approximately 39 billiion. One of the major issues is the transition period, which keeps the UK tied to some EU rules and regulations until a new trade deal can be forged after the UK leaves the EU. Many Brexiteers believe this transition period this does not constitute a full departure from the European Union on March 29. (Image: Derby Telegraph) The fishing industry has also been a sticky point, with some believing Britain should have full control of our waters but others wary of having to suffer tariffs on fish markets in Europe. But undoubtedly the biggest problem has been the 'Irish back-stop' - the part of the deal that manages the UK's only land border with an EU member - the Republic of Ireland. If no trade deal has been arranged by July 2020, Mrs May's deal says a decision would have to be made on how to keep the Irish border open after the transition period is over in December 2020. The problems essentially boils down to: Have an open border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland which could tie part or all of the UK to EU customs rules and regulations indefinitely (many hard Brexiteers hate this as they say it is not really Brexit). Or have a closed border with border checks on all products and people passing over it, which would threaten the 1998 peace accord which ended 30 years of violence in Northern Ireland (neither the UK nor the EU wants this to happen). The way this would work would be left to a trade deal to be forged during the transition period between March 29 and July 2020. The current Brexit deal does not provide an ultimate answer to the Irish border problem, and many critics believe there never will be a sufficient answer, meaning the UK could be tied to EU regulations indefinitely. It is looking increasingly like Theresa May's deal is going to be rejected by MPs tonight - perhaps even by the biggest margin ever in a House of Commons vote. What happens after that is uncertain. An unlikely win for May would be the most straightforward outcome - although the fierce debates would continue, the deal would be in place for the EU to work with. If she loses, as is expected, there are a number of possible outcomes: More concessions - Theresa May could make a quick speech pledging to return to Brussels to try again, hoping to get more concessions from the EU on the more controversial aspects of her deal. - Theresa May could make a quick speech pledging to return to Brussels to try again, hoping to get more concessions from the EU on the more controversial aspects of her deal. Extend Article 50 - Article 50 set the deadline for Brexit after the first referendum at two years, expiring on March 29. But this could be extended, leaving time for more debates and more votes on how Brexit could work. - Article 50 set the deadline for Brexit after the first referendum at two years, expiring on March 29. But this could be extended, leaving time for more debates and more votes on how Brexit could work. More time - May could decide to completely abandon her plan and extend Article 50 to give her time to build a more widely supported deal with cross-party support from the Tories and other parties. But she has repeatedly said she would not be doing that. - May could decide to completely abandon her plan and extend Article 50 to give her time to build a more widely supported deal with cross-party support from the Tories and other parties. But she has repeatedly said she would not be doing that. No deal - if May loses and nothing is put forward in its place, a no-deal Brexit becomes the default option. The UK would leave the EU automatically on March 29 with no deal and no idea of how its relationship with the EU would work therein. No deal on Brexit when the UK leaves the EU in March would create a huge amount of uncertainty. It would mean the UK leaves the EU with no agreement on how trade or immigration would work after Brexit. There would be no transition period to fix a trade deal between the UK and the EU. This could lead to border checks and would severely disrupt travel between the UK and the EU. The Irish border would be severely affected, which could threaten the 1998 Good Friday Agreement which secured peace in Northern Ireland after 30 years of violence. UK citizens may not be able to drive in the EU without a special permit. May gets ousted - Mrs May cannot be officially ousted from her position as PM until December after winning her vote of no confidence last month, but a group of cabinet ministers could still go to Number 10 to tell her her time is up - but she would be well within her rights to tell them she's not budging. - Mrs May cannot be officially ousted from her position as PM until December after winning her vote of no confidence last month, but a group of cabinet ministers could still go to Number 10 to tell her her time is up - but she would be well within her rights to tell them she's not budging. Second referendum - many MPs have supported the idea of a so-called 'People's Vote', which would mean the public go back to the polls to vote again on Brexit. Many think this would be more likely if the whole Labour Party threw their support behind it, but Jeremy Corbyn has said he would rather try and secure a different Brexit deal. - many MPs have supported the idea of a so-called 'People's Vote', which would mean the public go back to the polls to vote again on Brexit. Many think this would be more likely if the whole Labour Party threw their support behind it, but Jeremy Corbyn has said he would rather try and secure a different Brexit deal. General Election - the only way Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn would be able to have his say on Brexit negotiations is by winning a general election. The general election would only be triggered if a vote of no confidence in the current government won in Parliament. This would leave 14 days for the Conservatives to form a new government, but if that did not happen then a general election would be called. Related stories: | https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/burton/what-todays-vote-mean-what-2429500 |
Are Toronto Maple Leaf Fans Giving William Nylander a Fair Shake? | I feel sorry for William Nylander. Im sure my opinion isnt a popular one; still, I cant help but think that hes just a 22-year-old kid who must be incredibly frustrated with the lack of success hes having on the ice. Things used to be much easier than theyve been this year, and Im sure he doesnt understand whats going on. Nor does anyone else. Im thinking that it must be tough for a kid to experience such a profound lack of success when success used to come more naturally. Nylanders not perfect. Sure, he postured and threatened and held out until the Toronto Maple Leafs capitulated with a huge $45 million contract. Im thinking he was following the advice of counsel, but it did seem so entitled. Sure, his contract gives him the ability to afford lots of toys most of us will never play with. But, hes an NHL hockey player and Im a retired teacher. Still, Im not slammed day-after-day in the media either. I have to believe Nylander is doing his best, even though hes certainly been on the short end of the stick as far as scoring goes since hes returned. Sadly, his lack of success, coupled with the current lack of team success, is quickly teaching Nylander that the fans can love you one day and want to run you out of town the next. Attitudes Towards Nylander Have Changed For Maple Leaf fans, the drama has lasted the entire year. During his contract negotiations with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nylander seemed to have a consistent level of support from Maple Leaf fans. Fans might not have liked what they perceived to be a self-focused attitude, but they always seemed to believe in his value to the team. In fact, in one of my early posts when I began covering the Maple Leafs for The Hockey Writers, I suggested that perhaps an on-ice Tyler Ennis was more valuable to the team than an off-ice Nylander. One reader disagreed and noted: Nylander is a top-skilled player to make any suggestion that Ennis is more valuable then Nylander is ridiculous. In a Sportsnet interview last week, Nylander addressed his on-ice issues and spoke about blocking out the critical commentary from the media about his lack of production. When Mike Babcock was asked about the same topic, he made a point to discuss both the benefit and the difficulties of living in a hockey market such as Toronto. Babcock also noted that sometimes the bad things people write about you reflect how youre playing. He also noted that the Hunting Channel and Country Music were good distractions. They dont mention hockey at all, he suggested. The fans have seemed to turn on Nylander. While once supportive of him, they are no longer. As a specific example, in a recent post, I wrote that it might be time to trade hard-working, third-line Maple Leafs center Nazem Kadri. I added that Nylander could move into the third-line center position a Kardi trade would vacate, which would give the team a solid offensive third line. The reactions to that post were interesting. Fans comments soundly disagreed that Kadri should be traded, but they went further. Fans comments compared Kadris play favorably to Nylanders. They also compared Nylanders work ethic and team loyalty to Kadris. Its no understatement to say that Kadris value to the team was seen as more pronounced by Maple Leaf fans than Nylanders. Dont make me laugh. Nylander hasnt done anything but float around the ice. Another suggested, Trade Nylander, the most self-centered player in the NHL, NOT a guy who bleeds Leaf blue. Kadri was the guy who kept grinding it out all through the bad years, and there were plenty of them. Now he deserves a chance to win it all, something I doubt Nylander really cares about as long as he is being well paid. And thats only two of several comments. You can read the rest on that post, above, if youre interested. To summarize the comparisons, Nylander was seen as an inferior player, lacking talent, and self-centered. Kadri, on the other hand, was described as loyal, team-centered, long-serving, hard-working, and deserving. Certainly, these comments dont represent all Maple Leaf fans, but its interesting to see the shift since Nylanders signing. These comments, taken together, suggest that fans patience with Nylander is thin. Things Might Change in a Score Sheet Yet, fans perceptions of the young Maple Leaf winger might easily begin to change the first time Nylander scores a hat trick or leads his team to a comeback victory. I for one hope he does. And, I hope it happens soon. But tonight wasnt the night. The Maple Leafs lost again 6-3 to a Colorado Avalanche team that came into town on a losing skid. Again, Nylander did not make the score sheet. Im sure hes had another frustrating night, wondering if the game of hockey will ever get back to what he remembers it used to be. Easier than now. | https://thehockeywriters.com/toronto-maple-leaf-fans-nylander-fair-reaction/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheHockeyWriters+%28The+Hockey+Writers%29 |
Are Baby Boomers the suicide generation? | Its likely the tide is still far from cresting. Thats among the more certain news from the not-so-far country of suicide, where Don Gillmor has spent so much time in the 13 years since his brother, David, died by his own hand. Not as a citizen like David, but as a sojourner, someone trying first to understand his brothers choice, and, later, their generations choices. Even for one of Canadas more admired writersGillmor, 64, is the author of critically acclaimed novels and award-winning journalismit was a painfully difficult process, and not just because of the personal loss. The more Gillmor immersed himself in the vast literature on suicide, the more opaque the subject became. In the end, the book that grew out of his explorations can be described in terms the author applies to himself in it: a wraith drifting around the suicide world. To The River: Losing My Brother is haunting, beautifully written and rightly hesitant about any certainties regarding an act as ultimately unknowable in social terms as it is in individual decisions. Perhaps the clearest signal to emerge reveals the striking openness of the Gillmor brothers generation, the Baby Boomers, to the idea and act of suicide, even during the years of their lives when previous (and succeeding) generations have shown lower ratesmeaning that as Boomers move into old age, when every generation shows a spike in numbers, the floodgates may open. It was a hard time and a long time writing this, Gillmor recalls in an interview, but now I think Ive explored it as far as I really can. Like many surviving family members, Gillmor didnt for a long time know what to say to anyone about Davids death, but once he wrote a three-part series for the Toronto Star, others opened up to him about their family or personal stories. He has now known eight men who have killed themselves and three people, two of them women, who have attempted it. That fits one of suicides well-known patterns: more women attempt it, while men, primarily because their means are often more lethal (firearms), make up 80 per cent of the deaths. But patterns abound in suicide. Depression is known to be involved in half the attempts and is suspected in many more; substance abuse is prevalent; the unmarried and less educated make up a disproportionate percentage; the wealthier the country, the higher the rate; and the same goes for the higher the latitude. Some professions display particularly elevated rates, including dentists, doctors andan old, old storywriters, from Virginia Woolf (who walked into the River Ouse with her pockets full of stones) to Ernest Hemingway to David Foster Wallace. Yet the patterns do not form an overarching theory, and their predictive power borders on nil. The recent trend in suicide studies to focus on the moment, to ask survivors what they were thinking when they veered the car toward the concrete wall, drew the knife across their wrists or swallowed the pills, has disappointed pattern-seeking researchers. Suicide notes, the testaments of people agitated and/or depressed, are often studded with prosaic details (Dont forget to feed the dog) and not very informative, even on a personal level. When Gillmor attended one of the many suicide conferences that dot the calendar, this one in the suicide magnet of Niagara Falls, the keynote speakerDavid Lester, the author of more than 100 books and known as Mr. Suicidologybegan his remarks with: We really have no idea why people kill themselves. Later asked by Gillmor if he would continue his research in retirement, Lester, 72, replied, Im quitting cold turkey. Im putting it all behind me. That was more than Gillmor could do, even as he came to share Lesters conclusion in the wake of his brothers death. At age 48, in December 2005, David Gillmor parked his truck 30 km south of his Whitehorse home and walked into the Yukon River, not to be found for six months. A riversometimes the Red River of the Gillmors Winnipeg childhood, sometimes the Yukon, most often a conceptual river of life, death and timeruns through Gillmors book. There is their mothers warning to stay away from it; Winnipegs collective memory of the Great Flood of 1950before the boys were born, but hanging perceptibly over their childhoodwhen 100,000 residents were forced from their homes; what Gillmor calls Davids curious choice for the means of his death; the books conclusion, where Gillmor and his two teenaged children walk along the Red River. And in particular, the books evocative opening, as one brother imagines himself into the others mind: The distance to the open water is shorter than you think . . . There are no thoughts left, only a faint melody. You take one more step and the river carries you away. Gillmor was in Whitehorse the following Junewhen the body was found kilometres downstreamalready convinced of his brothers suicide and trying to piece together not only Davids last days, but his brothers whole life. Gillmor began to question everything he thought or remembered or thought he remembered about their childhood. You know, he says slowly, you have your own memories of childhood, and who knows how accurate they are, but they do get cemented. And theyre so rich in detail that they convince you this is absolutely what happened. My memory is of this really quite idyllic childhood. He did move as far away from it as possible, and I think there is something in that. My father, who has an incredibly logical, mathematical mind, went back to the photos from our childhood and noticed that David was never smiling, which led him to believe that his death was something ingrained in him, a thread of explanation for a son without known depression or major substance abuse issues. But as with so many suicides, there are all kinds of theories, and not much hard data. What Gillmor found, poking in the ashes of Davids life, was contradictory and frustratingly indeterminate. David, who had one child he did not see very often, was recently remarried. His wife insisted he was clean, sober and faithful, but a bandmate told Gillmor his musically talented brother was regularly getting high and sleeping with whomever he could. (The autopsy showed traces of alcohol and cocaine.) An old girlfriend told Gillmor about a previous suicide attempt, unknown to the other Gillmors, while Gillmor reconsidered his brothers intense aversion to boredom, to the prospect of unfilled minutes stretching into the future. David had been about to start a new job managing a store, meaning more economic security but less freedom than playing in a band. When another friend noted that David simply didnt like anything that wasnt easy, Gillmor recalled their childhood and agreed. There is truth in that. He did have this incredible gift for music, but he wasnt a kid who sat down to practise three hours a day. He just went off on his own, and as soon as things got difficult he went off somewhere else. Gillmor had always thought his brother a born runaway. Then there was Davids place in his age cohort. For all Lesters pessimism, researchers still search for patterns, with many focusing on a new pebble in the mosaic. The suicide rate for Baby Boomers is 60 per cent higher than for their parents generation, and higher, so far, than the generations after their own. Historically, adolescence and old age were suicides fertile times, and mid-life its lull. Not anymore. For the past decade, experts have explored the spiking suicide rate among middle-aged Boomers. Socio-economic explanations dominate their discourse: Boomers have high divorce, family breakdown and substance abuse rates; a high incidence of depression (or perhaps a willingness to talk about it, an openness not shared with their parents cohort, the aptly named Silent Generation); and an intense sense of entitlement that many experts believe results in feelings of comparative disadvantage. The less-educated suffer from the offshoring of jobs and, in the case of men, from what Gillmor sums up as an increasingly blurry definition of what it means to be male. It all sounds reasonable, if depressing, when plotted against recent economic crises, as does the associated idea that the Boomer contagion hasnt spread to the generations after because, as Gillmor sardonically puts it, they were born to itthey expect their parents to get divorced and to have seven different jobs and probably not own a house. But that explanation centres on middle-aged Boomers in the recent past, and misses the big picture. Even in the optimistic days of their youth, 20-to-24-year-old Boomers had a suicide rate triple that of their parents at that age. I was at a friends birthday party a few weeks ago, and I ended up in three conversations about assisted dying. I think the assisted right will be broadened, and I think that if that process takes too long, we wont bother waiting. As soon as we forget the car keys two days in a row, we will take care of it ourselves. Suicide is already hovering between an option and a right in our society, Gillmor believes, and its moving toward the place already occupied by assisted dying. The idea is now embedded. Gillmor was surprised, after people began baring their souls to him, that far more of them than he expected had some sort of Nietzschean idea that suicide is this comforting, I can always kill myself if things get really bad companion that goes everywhere with you. Soon, those thoughts will be more openly expressed and there will be no acceptable language to counter them. The negative constraints on suicide are gone, from the ancient laws that mandatedwith a fair degree of irony, Gillmor notesthe execution of attempted suicides, to the refusal to make life insurance payments to the heirs of those who died by their own hand. And gone, too, for much of the Boomer generation, are the less tangible positive constraints, moral and religious. Whatever responsibility my Scottish Presbyterian grandmothers would have felt to stay alive under any circumstances, says Gillmor, we dont carry anymore, except, perhaps, parenthood. Thats the last line for people to cross, to leave their children. Except, of course, people do that all the time. If David Gillmor was, in the words of his brother, a quintessential Boomer in his flight from difficulties and his dedication to sex, drugs and rock n rollthat is, to dragging his youth as far into middle age as he couldthen perhaps he was also emblematic in his readiness to choose his exit to suit himself. Its impossible to say with certainty. Worldwide, a million people end their own lives every year. If suicidology has one sure conclusion, its that at least a million reasons are involved. MORE ABOUT BABY BOOMERS: | https://www.macleans.ca/society/are-baby-boomers-the-suicide-generation/ |
Are criminals using the hit game Fortnite to launder money? | The wildly popular game Fortnite is proving to be a big hit with criminals, its been claimed. Its been alleged that crooks are buying the games virtual currency using stolen credit cards and offering it for sale on the dark web. Fortnite is a battle royale title made by Epic Games which is free to play but allows players to make purchases by using real cash to buy tokens called V-bucks. These can be traded for various items which can be used in the game. But The Independent and cybersecurity firm Sixgill have found that V-Bucks are being sold on the dark web, often at a massive discount. Criminals are executing carding fraud and getting money in and out of the Fortnite system with relative impunity, said Benjamin Preminger, a senior intelligence analyst at Sixgill. They are scoffing at Epic Games security measures. However, its not clear how the V-Bucks are being transferred to players because Epic does not allow people to give their virtual money to other people. Advertisement Advertisement Some gamers on web forums reported paying crooks to access their account and buy credits which is a huge security risk as well as a contravention of Epics terms of service. Its also likely that some of the V-bucks sellers are scammers. Last year, Epic Games issued a warning about hoax websites which claim to offer free V-bucks but are designed to rip players off. While completely stopping such criminal activity is extremely difficult, several steps could be taken to mitigate the phenomenon, including monitoring the transfer of high-value goods in the game, identifying players with large stockpiles of V-bucks, and sharing data with relevant law enforcement agencies, Preminger added. We have contacted Epic Games for comment. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/15/criminals-using-hit-game-fortnite-launder-money-8348335/ |
Does the age of consent push people to have sex too soon? | Half of young women reported having a first sexual experience before they were competent. The headline was enough to make you drop your marmalade: half of young women, and 43% of young men, said that they were not competent when they lost their virginity, in a survey of nearly 3,000 17- to 24-year-olds released this week. If the idea of sexual competence strikes you as inherently droll, Melissa Palmer, who conducted the study as a research fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, helpfully subdivided it into four areas: consent, autonomy, contraceptive use and readiness. The study looked only at heterosexual encounters. This yielded the finding that nearly 20% of women felt less willing than their partner. Autonomy depended on the circumstances of the encounter, which ranged from I was drunk/under the influence of drugs and All my friends were doing it to It felt like a natural follow-on and I was in love. Palmer notes: Those questions basically established whether the influencer was external to the self peer pressure or alcohol or internal to the self, driven by your own feelings. Many in UK lose virginity before they are ready study Read more Contraceptive use is straightforward, and most young people almost 90% had used reliable contraception. The question about readiness was: Thinking about the first time you had sex, was it about the right time, do you wish you had waited longer or do you wish you hadnt waited so long? Just under 40% of women, and just over a quarter of men, did not feel theyd had sex for the first time at the right time. Very, very few wished it had been sooner, Palmer says. Only those respondents who answered positively in all four categories were deemed sexually competent. The report points out that there are implications beyond sexually transmitted infections and teenage pregnancies which have been in steady decline for the past 20 years for young peoples wellbeing. By definition it must be arbitrary, for as long as human beings are different, and mature at different rates, there can be no objective standard for sexual readiness. Self-evidently, though, an age of consent that would result in a pregnancy that would be physically harmful to the mother must be prioritising something other than the womans wellbeing. For that reason, I would put 14 as too young, although thats the age of consent (at least for heterosexuals) in many countries, from Germany and Macedonia to Madagascar and Malawi. Eighteen seems pretty stringent, though, and is far more common in Africa than in Europe. In South Korea, the age of consent is 20. In the US, sexual consent laws vary from state to state, tending to put consent at 16 (though sometimes 17 or 18). Many states also have Romeo and Juliet laws, which reduce or eliminate penalties when parties are close in age. Suffice to say, there is no direct correlation between what we would think of as the liberalism of a country and its age of consent, nor between the age of consent and the prevalence of sexual violence and/or gender discord, except at the extreme ends. Countries where the age of consent is at marriage tend to have extremely high levels of violence against women and girls, although in the Republic of Congo, the so-called rape capital of the world, the age of consent is 18. The age of consent is a legal issue, which is something that we cant talk about as public health researchers, Palmer says. The countries that have close-in-age type laws, so they dont focus on the age of young people but the age difference between partners, seem to take a more nuanced approach. Historically, the age of consent in Britain was 10 or 12 until the end of the 19th century, but the concept of consent was so different women having no sexual agency, marriage being taken as a blanket consent that its not comparable. The drive in the 1880s towards an age of consent of 16 was politically underpinned by the child labour elements of the factories acts of the previous two decades, which did more of the heavy lifting in terms of differentiating between adults and children than any moral, sexual crusade. And 16 is where the age of consent has stood since, only examined in recent memory as an equality issue when the age of gay consent was brought down from 18 to 16, in 2001. Palmer refers to some evidence not from her own study that having 16 as a legal age of consent can provide a useful safety net, in that people can say, Its not legal, as a way of resisting pressure to have sex. But it doesnt always work that way. Paula Hall is a sex therapist, and clinical director of the Laurel Centre. She says: Ive heard a lot of young people say, Rather than the age of consent, 16 is the deadline. In tandem with that pressure is the availability of porn. That becomes the easier option, Hall says. You can have sexual experience without risk. But there are things you could never learn from pornography. They dont have minor mishaps in porn. You rarely even see anyone put a condom on, and never the fiddly bit. Certainly in porn you do not see a guy losing his erection putting a condom on its all so seamless. Faced with these professional standards, some people are deferring actual sex for longer. A lot of the guys that Ive worked with who use porn compulsively are still virgins at 23, 24, 28, Hall says. The longer theyve gone without a real-time partner, they start making out theyve got more experience than they have, and they become absolutely terrified of it. They develop porn-induced erectile dysfunction. They worry about living up to the standards they see in pornography; they worry about losing their erection. The idea of people having sex when they are not autonomous, or not ready, suggests immediately the world of victims and culprits, but thats not what people describe. Theyre not necessarily a victim of someone else, but a victim of failure, a victim of their own insufficiency. Porn also interrupts the development of emotional readiness, if only because it never mentions it. Theres a biological readiness, knowing your body is ready, says Hall. But theres the psychological and the emotional bit as well. It has the potential to be the most wonderful, most amazing, most intimate encounter in the world. But it also has the potential to be really quite soul-destroying. And theres a very 21st-century answer, which is: dont let anyone do anything until they have hit full resilience, which is probably at about 35. Hall thinks the age of consent is a red herring. If we lowered the age of consent to 14 or upped it to 18 or 20, it wouldnt make the difference we think it would make. What matters is how we talk about sex to young people, and to each other. | https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/jan/15/does-the-age-of-consent-push-people-to-have-sex-too-soon |
How are consumers protecting themselves against online fraud? | Whether youre the millionth visitor on a website, the sole recipient of your long-lost aunts exorbitant inheritance, or youve simply been randomly selected for some sort of bumper prize, everyone has likely experienced an unbelievable offer on the internet that is simply too good to be true. However, online fraud has come a long way since the days of these desperate email scams, and is now a rapidly-growing organised criminal effort that poses a serious threat to internet users. In fact, the latest Office for National statistics found that over half (1.8 million) of the 3.2 million incidents of fraud in England and Wales were cyber related in the year ending September 2017. Figures from the UK anti-fraud organisation Cifas further corroborate these statistics: revealing that identity theft is at epidemic levels, with a record high of 89,000 reported cases in the first six months of 2017 alone. To better understand how people are responding to the growing threat, we spoke to 2,000 consumers to find out more about the strategies they are using to combat fraud. Taking back control of data As the level of online fraud continues to rise, consumers are attempting to get a better grip on their data, as they become more concerned about its security. The majority (74%) of those we surveyed are taking active steps to block or control access to it. One of the reasons for this appears to be that over half (52%) of the people we spoke to are disappointed and frustrated with how their personal data is used by businesses. As a result, 62% of consumers are now more selective about what data they share with businesses than they were two years ago. Whilst this paints a negative picture for organisations, encouragingly, 75% of consumers said they are more likely to share information with companies when the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is implemented in May of this year. In this environment, companies that are deemed trustworthy and seen as transparent and responsible by consumers are more likely to be considered a preferred supplier. Clear communication with customers is also key, as we found that consumers would be more likely to share personal information with businesses if they had a better understanding of how their data is being used and how sharing it can benefit them. A lack of trust in businesses use of data Trust, or lack thereof, in how data is being used by organisations was a common theme in our research. The sharp rise in the number of high-profile data breaches has resulted in fears amongst some consumers that the companies they do business with cannot adequately protect them against fraudsters. Interestingly, more than half (60%) of consumers we surveyed think that businesses are getting smarter at fraud prevention. But, three in four (74%) believe that fraudsters are always one step ahead of the organisations they seek to defraud. Indicating a lack of trust amongst consumers in businesses. To win back and, most importantly, keep consumer confidence, businesses need to demonstrate that they are doing everything they can to keep customers money, data and identities safe. Implementing better ways of verifying their customers identity is key to this. Rather than asking people to provide copies of their passport, for example, businesses should move towards a more secure model that doesnt risk leaving key personal information vulnerable to being exposed. Implementing smarter, more dynamic fraud prevention strategies, such as artificial intelligence, alongside traditional fraud prevention methods and consistently communicating these to their customers - can go a long way towards easing their security concerns. Fraud prevention strategies Beyond being selective about the businesses they want to share data with, we also found that consumers are upping their game with passwords. Over half (57%) use strong passwords and 42% say they regularly change these. Whilst this is encouraging, simple fraud prevention techniques are clearly still not being used as widely as they should be: by everyone. A strong password should include a mixture of upper and lower-case letters, numbers and symbols, and avoid use of any short of personal information. This will help put as many obstacles in place as possible for potential hackers. Whats more, 50% of people surveyed also block cold or unsolicited calls and 43% have downloaded data security or anti malware software. Consumers also respect the need for businesses to carry out thorough checks to protect them against fraud, with 42% valuing a secure service over a fast and efficient one. As business fraud prevention tactics become smarter and more dynamic, companies should find providing a secure as well as an efficient service easier. Educating people about existing risks and fraud prevention tactics they can use is important. As peoples digital identities increasingly form part of the checks that organisations perform, businesses could, for example, encourage customers to regularly check their credit report to help spot unusual activity and making use of two-factor authentication if available on websites. Whilst this may seem obvious, our research shows that there is also still room to educate consumers about simple techniques they can use to protect themselves, such as warning them to avoid using a password more than once. As well as focusing on better verification techniques, businesses should look to use cutting edge technology such as machine learning alongside more traditional techniques - throughout the customer journey and lifecycle. As incidents of fraud have risen, consumers have become increasingly aware of the threat it poses. As a result, they will begin to turn their backs on institutions that they believe are unable to protect their personal information. Building a reputation as a business that takes its responsibility for customer data safety seriously will deliver a significant competitive advantage. In addition, by educating consumers on fraud prevention practices, businesses can ensure that all parties are doing everything they can to fight online fraud. John Cannon, Commercial Director - Fraud and ID at Callcredit Information Group | https://www.techradar.com/news/how-are-consumers-protecting-themselves-against-online-fraud |
Could maths really solve our future fashion dilemmas? | Unlike many, Im a fan of the beginning of the year. It feels pregnant with hope and possibility. It also brings with it interesting predictions and assertions about what the next 12 months may bring. The current woeful state of the high street, which can only hope for Christmas trading results to reach the heady heights of not as bad as expected, is depressing. But with a downturn comes creativity of thought and a renewed interest in how to change things for the better. Personally, I dont blame Brexit or the rise of online shopping for the decline in high-street sales. Shops, often governed by out-of-touch corporations, have been slow to adapt and innovate. Crucially, there is a lack of... | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/news/could-maths-really-solve-future-fashion-dilemmas/ |
Is Zion Williamson the Best Collegiate Dunker Ever? | Since the beginning of this college basketball season, not one week has gone by without a clip or two of the incomparable Zion Williamson putting on some sort of highlight reel dunk. The replays make their rounds on social media and have reactions along the likes of "OMG" or "This guy is a monster!" It's can't-miss TV whenever Zion and his Duke Blue Devils hit the floor. He has had an amazing freshman season so far and has all but assured himself as the No. 1 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. But amidst the ooohs and ahhs that are provided whenever Williamson throws down one of his thunderous dunks, I couldn't help but wonder if he is the greatest college dunker of all-time. A crazy thought to think considering he's played just about half a freshman season so far, but it absolutely may be accurate. It also had me thinking of who some of those other great college dunkers were, and where they rank in comparison to Williamson. So I decided to do some research and devise a list of the five best college basketball dunkers of all-time. 5. Jerome Lane (Pittsburgh, PF, 1985-88) A name that many might not have expected to see so high on this list, but if we are talking about thunderous dunkers that left an impression on the game of basketball, we cannot leave off Jerome Lane. Lane was a 6'6", 230 lb. athletic freak who could play his game above the rim. An alum of the same high school as LeBron James in St. Vincent-St. Mary of Akron, Ohio, Lane was an absolute monster during his years at Pitt. While he was better known for his rebounding and defensive skill than his offense. When he did decide to throw in a dunk, it had defenders running for their lives to get out of the way. No better example than the "Send it in, Jerome!" dunk that occurred against Providence College in 1988. Jerome ran the break with point guard Sean Miller and took off from about 15 feet and slammed home one of the most infamous dunks in college basketball history. He ripped the hoop right off the backboard and completely shattered it! It was one of the most impressive feats of athletic prowess that the basketball world has ever seen and is still considered one of the greatest dunks in the history of the game. 4. Dominique Wilkins (Georgia, SF, 1979-82) The man known as the "Human Highlight Reel" was throwing down ridiculous dunks far before he was an NBA all-star for the Atlanta Hawks. During his time as a Georgia Bulldog, Wilkins was known across the SEC and the entire college basketball landscape as the premier dunker of his time. If we want to talk about someone that would be the closest comparison to the nastiness and viciousness in which Zion Williamson dunks the basketball it would have to be Wilkins. His ability to throw down thunderous slams and the ease in which he bounced off the floor was jaw-dropping. It was in college at Georgia where Wilkins first showcased his legendary double-clutch dunk that he would later become famous for in the NBA. He would literally get enough hang time on his dunks that he was able to cock the ball to the side before hammering it home. When you watch old highlights of him in college, he looks like a man amongst boys out there. He was truly remarkable and not only one of the greatest dunkers, but also one of the great college basketball players of all-time. 3. Michael Jordan (North Carolina, SG, 1981-84) Before he went on to dominate the NBA, The GOAT himself was one hell of a dunker during his college years at North Carolina. Jordan was another player who seemed to fly through the air and get more hang time than seemed possible for any normal human being. As we soon found out, Jordan was not normal. He revolutionized many dunks over his time at North Carolina. He had the infamous "leaner" where he would take off from about 15 feet and lean his body and just float through the air towards the basket. He was also one of the only players to be able to complete a double-clutch that was likely inspired by Mr. Dominique Wilkins himself. But Jordan's most famous college dunk occurred during the last seconds of a game vs the Maryland Terrapins. He stole the ball at the end of the game and "rocked the cradle" and slammed it home behind him as he flew by the basket, his famous tongue sticking out the whole time. It's one of basketball's most famous dunks of all-time, college or pro. 2. Darrell Griffith (Louisville, SG, 1976-80) When your nickname is "Dr. Dunkenstein" you better be a tremendous dunker, and Darrell Griffith was certainly that. He was one of the first players that revolutionized the dunk with it being reinstated his freshman season after being banned since 1967 due to the "Lew Alcindor, aka Kareem Abdul-Jabbar" rule. Griffith was the first guy to bring "style" to dunking amongst the NCAA ranks. He could often be seen throwing down 360s and behind the back dunks during games. His hang-time was absolutely absurd with it being reported that he had a 48" vertical. That's four feet for you wizzes that skipped math class, it's simply unreal. One of the most impressive facts that I have learned about Griffith was that he wasn't able to palm the basketball, but yet was still able to slam home some of the most impressive dunks in history. Anyone that has tried to dunk on even an 8-foot rim will tell you that it's not easy without being able to palm the ball. I guess when you have a 48" vertical like Griffith did, it isn't too much of an issue. 1. Vince Carter (North Carolina, SG/SF, 1995-98) If we are talking about hang time and dunking ability, there is no one in the history of the world that had more of it than Mr. Carter. Sure, he went on to become maybe the greatest dunker in the history of the NBA, but it all started at Chapel Hill where he would do something jaw-dropping almost each and every game. His dunks became the stuff of legend and he had the whole package, he possessed the entire repertoire of dunks that we had seen from all the other greats on this list, but Carter just did them ... better. Arguably his most famous dunk came against Virginia where he took off from outside the key and slammed home a two-handed 180 windmill that he dunked behind his head and did it with ease. I think the thing about Carter that sticks out the most was how easy it looked for him, sure he dunked with ferocity, but it looked effortless the way he would just explode off the floor like he had spring-loaded legs. There was no one in college basketball at that time that could jump with Carter. While he may possibly go down as the greatest dunker in the history of the NBA, I think there is no debate that he was the greatest dunker we have ever seen amongst the college ranks. So, while Zion Williamson is currently the NCAA's dunk king, he clearly has some stiff competition ahead of him if he wants to be considered one of the greatest of all-time. Knowing that in this one and done era he will be leaving for the NBA after this year, he has half a regular season and an NCAA tournament to prove he belongs on this list. It may sound crazy, but I believe he is completely capable of it. The one thing I believe he needs to crack this list is his own legendary dunk, a dunk that will forever live in infamy and the replays will be shown for the rest of time. Almost all of these all-time greats have one, and if Williamson can somehow find a way to create his own during the ACC or NCAA tournament, he may be able to cement his place on this list or even challenge the legend that is Vince Carter for the top spot. | http://www.sports-central.org/sports/2019/01/14/is_zion_williamson_the_best_collegiate_dunker_ever_.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+SportsCentral+%28Sports+Central%29 |
How will Ohios 3 new medical marijuana dispensaries manage high demand? | COLUMBUS, Ohio At least two of Ohios first medical marijuana dispensaries are going to limit how much patients can buy to ensure everyone will have product in the first days of sales. Lines are expected to be long at the three dispensaries scheduled to open at 9 a.m. Wednesday -- one in Sandusky and two in Wintersville, near Steubenville. Patients have been waiting 33 months since the Ohio General Assembly passed the law legalizing medical marijuana. The law required the medical marijuana program to be fully operational Sept. 8. But that day passed without product on shelves, due to litigation, and issues the state had reviewing applications of medical marijuana businesses. First three Ohio medical marijuana dispensaries open at 9 a.m. Wednesday Our goal is to accommodate all the patients and make sure they can get their medicine -- thats what theyve been waiting for, said Jason Erkes, a spokesman for the CY+ Dispensary in Wintersville, owned by Cresco Labs, a cannabis company that operates in several states. CY+ is going to limit sales to 2 ounces per person in the first week, Erkes said. CY+ will have product from cultivators coming in all week to replenish supply that is sold. The dispensary will have close to 30 strains from three growers, he said. On Wednesday, CY+ employees will give patients a number so they dont have to stand in line, Erkes said. We have a hospitality tent set up so people can have hot chocolate and coffee and tables and chairs where they can fill out paperwork, he said. The first marijuana for sale will be in flower form since Ohio hasnt given certificates of operation to processors who use THC from marijuana plants in edibles, oils, lotions and other products. Ohio law prohibits people from smoking marijuana, but they can vape the plant form. Inside the Forest Sandusky, an Ohio medical marijuana dispensary in Sandusky. The Forest Sandusky is one of the first dispensaries expected to open. In Sandusky, patients at The Forest Sandusky will be limited to 1 ounce, said CEO Erik Vaughn. Our consultants and advisers that are an important part of our team have been through these launches in a dozen other states, Vaughn said. We are prepared for whats going to be a lot of interest in this historic moment. We expect to have adequate supply. The Forest Sandusky is expecting patients to purchase anywhere from about $60 to several hundreds of dollars in the first day. The company will charge about $50, plus tax, for a daily unit -- which is a 10th of an ounce of bud, Vaughn said. Military veterans will get a 20 percent discount, he said. Each store is only accepting payment in cash. Patients must have one of 21 qualifying conditions, a recommendation from a physician who is certified in the medical marijuana program and be registered with the state to buy medical marijuana. Also opening Wednesday is Ohio Valley Natural Relief, also in Wintersville. Its unknown whether there will be sale limits. A message left at the dispensary was not immediately returned. | https://www.cleveland.com/open/2019/01/how-will-ohios-3-new-medical-marijuana-dispensaries-manage-high-demand.html |
Why was Halston Sage written off The Orville in season 2? | In last week's episode of Seth MacFarlane's The Orville, titled "Home," the USS Orville's security officer Lt. Alara Kitan abruptly resigned her post so that she could return to her home planet. Alara is a Xelayan, a race whose home planet exerts a great deal of gravity on them and thereby gives them increased strength in lower-gravity environments, like the one on Earth. However, over time Xelayans begin to degrade in these lower-gravity environments and must return home to be revived. This was the narrative's reason for Alara's departure. Yet when ComicBook.com asked FOX if Halston Sage, the actress who plays Alara, was officially gone for good, the network confirmed that she was. After the entire first season and only the first two episodes of the second, the American actress is no longer a part of MacFarlane's Star Trek fever dream, and no official reason has been given to explain why. To be fair to MacFarlane and The Orville team, Sage's exit was given an entire episode to explain in equally expositional and moving fashion. Even so, ComicBook.com and other outlets have noted that Jessica Szohr, who was announced as a new regular cast member a few months ago, is playing a new character named Talla who may also be a Xelayan. In other words, it's beginning to sound like Alara (and Sage) were replaced with a simple switcheroo. In confirming Sage's exit from the show, FOX also revealed that should she ever want to return to the series, or if the opportunity ever presents itself in the narrative, that door is still open. Yet the abruptness of her and her character's departure from the show have left many fans wondering if something else had happened (or was happening) behind the scenes. No one involved in the production has said anything to contradict FOX's statement so far, and Sage has not addressed the matter at all on social media. New episodes of The Orville air Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX. | https://www.metro.us/entertainment/tv/the-orville-halston-sage |
When is Heung-Min Son back from the Asian Cup and what Tottenham games will he miss? | Heung-Min Son will miss the next few Spurs games (Picture: Getty Images) Heung-Min Sons commitment to the Asian Cup could not have come at a worse time for Tottenham as it has been announced that Harry Kane will be out until March. The England captain limped off the field with an ankle injury after defeat to Manchester United on Sunday and will now miss at least 10 games for Spurs. Chelsea to avoid Arsenal's Patrick Vieira mistake with plan for Petr Cech Son has flown to Dubai to play in the Asian Cup for South Korea and, depending on how far his nation go in the competition, could miss the next four Tottenham fixtures. Spurs are left with just Fernando Llorente as their only available striker after manager Mauricio Pochettino said Vincent Janssesn was not in his plans. Advertisement Advertisement Son played for Spurs against Manchester United on Sunday 13 January and flew to the UAE after that match. This means he misses South Koreas first two group games against Philippines and Kyrgyzstan (South Korea won both 1-0), arriving in time for their clash with China on 16 January. The tournament then moves into a Round of 16 on 20-22 January, quarter-finals on 24-25, semi-finals on 28-29 and the final takes place on 1 February. If South Korea were to reach the final of the Asian Cup then he would miss four games. 20 Jan Fulham (a) Premier League 22 Jan Chelsea (a) League Cup 30 Jan Watford (h) Premier League 2 Feb Newcastle (h) Premier League South Korea have reached at least the semi-finals in four of the last five editions of the Asian Cup. If they were to lose out at the semi-final stage in 2019 then Son would be available for the Newcastle game, but almost certainly not the Watford match. Defeat in the last 16 (20/21/22 Jan) or quarter-finals (24/25 Jan) would see Son back in time for the Watford game. MORE: Cagliari send message to Chelsea over Nicolo Barella transfer MORE: Thibaut Courtois sends message to Petr Cech as Arsenal goalkeeper announces retirement | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/15/heung-min-son-back-asian-cup-tottenham-games-will-miss-8348683/ |
Was Gillette inspired by its own Mad Men episode? | Gillette's divisive new ad tackling the issue of 'toxic masculinity' has echoes of a Mad Men episode featuring the brand, fans have noted. The shaving brand is featured in an early episode of the hit TV show, where Don Draper (Jon Hamm) and his team are tasked with creating a new ad for Gillette's Right Guard deodorant for men. During the brainstorming session they question what qualities the 'modern man' should posses, acknowledging that they need to be more than just 'quiet and strong' to appeal to women. Similarly, the new Gillette ad urges men to ditch sexist and bullying behavior in favor of being the 'Best A Man Can Be'. Gillette's controversial new ad echoes an episode of Mad Men, in which Don Draper (Jon Hamm) has to create a new ad for the brand focusing on the qualities a man should possess Similarly, the Gillette latest ad (pictured) urges men to ditch sexist and bullying behavior in favor of being the 'Best A Man Can Be', while trying to combat 'toxic masculinity' The link was noted by several Twitter users, including fan account Mad Men Bon Mots which shared a clip from the episode with the caption: 'Brainstorming for the Gillette campaign in #MadMen. Time is a flat circle.' Others drew comparisons between how Mad Men ads were marked by the way they cloaked product promotion under a seemingly deeper message, as the new Gillette ad has been accused of doing. One comedian posted: 'I can see the f*****g Mad Men pitch meeting now "Gillette - 'The Best A Man Can Get' but what does it MEAN to be a man any more?!" '*roaring applause from 10 men in business suits who have all called basic household hygiene "womens work" at one time or another*' Twitter users pointed out the similarty in the way the Gillette ad cloaks product promotion within a seemingly deeper message, much like the fictional Mad Men ad often did The new Gillette ad takes on bullying, sexism, and sexual harassment while attempting to put an end to 'toxic masculinity.' For the past 30 years, the shaving brand has used the tagline 'The Best A Man Can Get,' but the new ad puts a spin on the slogan by putting the responsibility on men to change social norms and stop the mistreatment of women. However the socially conscious campaign has been met with criticism from some on Twitter who claimed Gillette had 'just insulted their own user base.' Looking to the future: Titled 'We Believe,' the ad depicts a group of bullies chasing a boy through a movie screen showing a vintage Gillette ad Full of meaning: The boy runs through a living room as a mom consoles her son who is a victim of bullying Challenging social norms: The commercial highlights all the different ways the mistreatment of women has been normalized over the years Mansplaining: In one scene, a man speaks over his female colleague and explains what she means The majority of those who spoke out against the ad are male, and many proudly used the hashtag #GetWokeGoBroke while swearing off the company's products. 'So we just started 2019, and already a company has started pushing sexism towards Men... @Gillette have no become a Leftist Bigot Company that insulted their own user base by calling them "Sexists,"' one person tweeted. 'Well done, Gillette.' That same Twitter user concluded their post by adding the hashtag #GetWokeGoBroke, which has been used by a number of people who have offered up less-than-positive thoughts on the topic. Ironically, some took issue with the fact that the shaving brand's ad was directed by a 'feminist' woman. While some have praised the forward-thinking Gillette ad online, others have criticized it for the patronizing way it addresses the brand's customer base 'A shaving ad written by pink-haired feminist scolds is about as effective as a tampon ad written by middle aged men,' wrote Canadian conservative media personality Ezra Levant. The ad, titled 'We Believe,' begins with shots of different men looking in the mirror as audio of news about the #MeToo movement plays in the background. Is it?' a voiceover asks as a group of bullies chase a victim through a movie screen showing a vintage Gillette ad. The commercial continues by highlighting all the different ways the mistreatment of women has been normalized over the years, including a group of male cartoon characters whistling at a woman and a sitcom scene that shows the lead character grabbing his maid's backside while the audience laughs. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-6594825/Was-Gillette-inspired-Mad-Men-episode.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ito=1490&ns_campaign=1490 |
When does season five of Peaky Blinders start on BBC One? | Weve still got a while to wait for more Peaky but filming is underway (Picture: BBC) Peaky Blinders fans have been waiting a while for the fifth series of the show and weve still got a way to go in spite of early footage emerging. An all too brief clip of action from the new season dropped on New Years Day in a trailer for the BBCs forthcoming drama content with Cillian Murphys character Thomas Shelby making several quick appearances on the chaotic Birmingham streets. There was also a clue in the footage that the characters life might be left hanging in the balance after a car fire. Further excitement rose when Cillian Murphy and Charlie Murphy were spotted filming in Stockport with the towns Plaza doubling for Bingley Hall in the scenes. The BBC wasted no time in confirming that a fifth series of the show would be made, pretty much announcing it as soon as the final credits had rolled on season four. Theres still no confirmed date for the series itself but itll be landing some time in the spring. The move to BBC One in a bid to attract younger viewers was revealed back in August at the Edinburgh TV Festival. Director of BBC Content Charlotte Moore explained: Steven Knights epic storytelling is authentic and utterly compelling, Charlotte said. I want to give it the chance to be enjoyed by an even broader audience on BBC One. Cillian Murphy will be back as Tommy (Picture: BBC) Theres more good news for Peaky fans also as the writer has also confirmed the show will likely have two more seasons after series five before coming to an end after its seventh series. My ambition is to make it a story of a family between two wars, so always Ive wanted to end it with the first air raid siren in Birmingham in 1939, he explained. Cillian Murphy will be back as Thomas Shelby (Picture: BBC) Joe Cole will not be returning of course but you can pretty much expect to see everybody else back as the story of the Shelby clan continues. Advertisement Advertisement Cillian Murphy will be back for season five, as will co-stars including Paul Anderson, Helen McCrory who was recently seen filming in Birmingham alongside Murphy Finn Cole and Sophie Rundle. Aiden Gillen will also be a part of the fifth season as Aberama Gold. However you wont be seeing Charlotte Riley, whose character, horse trainer May Carleton, wont be returning. I dont think that my character will be coming back, she told Digital Spy. Anya Taylor-Joy is new to the cast (Picture: BBC) Series five introduces us to cast newcomers Sam Claflin and Anya Taylor-Joy known for her roles in M Night Shyamalans Split and horror hit The Witch. The official synopsis teases: Series five finds the world thrown into turmoil by the financial crash of 1929. Opportunity and misfortune are everywhere. When Tommy Shelby MP is approached by a charismatic politician with a bold vision for Britain, he realises that his response will affect not just his familys future but that of the entire nation. Season five will have a whole new arena for Tommy to play in, but star Paul Anderson, who plays fan favourite Arthur Shelby, says not to expect the family to suddenly change their ways now theyve got an elected official in their midst. Speaking to metro.co.uk earlier this year he explained: Arthurs not gonna be a politician. Hes got political ties now, lets put it that way. But you wont see him at no rallies or in Parliament. What it gives Arthur and his family is more power. Tommy is in a position of power, and he can only get stronger in that position. Advertisement So well all have more cover, well have more opportunity, and more protection. And by protection I mean by society and the police and so on. Well be able to get away with things under the guise of, were politicians, were respectable. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Chris Pine finally confirms romance with Peaky Blinders Annabelle Wallis after getting pied off by Love Islands Samira | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/15/season-five-peaky-blinders-start-bbc-one-8348336/ |
What is up with the Medley Centre carousel? | CLOSE D&C columnist David Andreatta chats with the mall carcass that was Medley Centre about plans for its redevelopment. David Andretta Irondequoits Medley Centre closed to the public and went dark nine years ago this month. So it was weird to drive by it Friday night and see the malls carousel, which sits behind a massive glass entrance facing Route 104, all aglow. Spooky, wrote the @i_heart_roc Twitter account. itsbeautiful, added @shibez1. But why tho,asked @SusieKQ. We wondered, too especially since the merry-go-round also was illuminated Saturday night, and the lights around it have been on and off over the past few days. Plus, late last week, Irondequoit Supervisor David Seeley told the Democrat and Chronicle that Angelo Ingrassia, who bought the property in January 2016, has been making slow but steady progress turning the site into a mixed-use development and that the town is in the final phase of compiling a budget to create a community center in the closed shopping center, now called Skyview on the Ridge. Buy Photo The carousel inside the former Medley Centre at around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12. (Photo: Marcia Greenwood/Rochester Democrat and Chronicle) We called the town and talked with Kerry Ivers, director of development services. She said she didn't know why the children's ride is suddenly showing signs of life. We also left a message for Ingrassia, but he hasnt called us back. So, the lights are on, but nobodys answering. We'll keep trying to find out. Meanwhile, feel free to pass along any tips to [email protected]. More: Medley Centre redevelopment expected to take shape in 2019 More: Medley Centre, a timeline Read or Share this story: https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2019/01/15/why-medley-centre-carousel-lights-back-on-roc-irondequoit-ny/2578858002/ | https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2019/01/15/why-medley-centre-carousel-lights-back-on-roc-irondequoit-ny/2578858002/ |
What is CoHo? | 1 SHARES Share Tweet CITY living has been radically transformed over the years. There was a time when Metro Manila consisted of just a few urban pockets and many areas of open spaces. You ask your elders what your area previously looked like and you would probably get this reply: Ay naku, dati puro talahiban lang yang condo na yan. The primary driver of Metro Manilas rapid urbanization is population. According to the projected population by the Commission on Population, NCR has 13,569,353 inhabitants as of Jan. 13, 2019. This is based on the 2015 Census of Population of 12,877,253 and 1.58 population growth rate. This makes Metro Manila the 8th largest city in the world in 2018 (City Mayors Foundation) and one of the most densely populated place to live in ranking fourth behind Dhaka, Mumbai, and Medellin (UN Habitat). The Metro Manila urban center represents more than 50 percent of the urban population in the entire country. The projection of experts is that by 2050, NCRs population would balloon to a staggering 45 million. One consequence of such rapid urbanization and growth in population density is the prevalence of vertical structures. Condominiums have become the preferred choice among urban dwellers. Primarily because they are still cheaper than owning a house, condos are also preferred because they reflect the urban, lock-and-go lifestyle in the metropolis. People are attracted to urban areas not just because of employment opportunities but the lifestyle it offers convenience, shopping, restaurants, theater, arts, culture, among others. So while the city is becoming more dense, it is possible to make it more livable. This was our vision when we introduced Condo Homes or CoHo Lifestyle. Condo Homes, which will be offered by Camella nationwide, offers urban dwellers with much more space beyond the condo unit as each development is poised to have a commercial complex that will house its own unique lifestyle amenities. This is designed for the lifestyle of young urban professionals and those who are just about to start raising families. There is no point in simply being trapped in the four corners of your condo unit. Hindi dapat de-kahon ang kaisipan natin sa condo. We envision city dwellers living just a few steps away from a luxurious Vista mall that offers global retail selections. It means having world-class cinemas as your home theater. It means having the Coffee Project as an extension of your living and working space. It means having an innovative, fun and fresh AllDay supermarket as your pantry. The term CoHo, or co-housing was a phenomenon in the US in the 1990s characterized by cooperative living as an answer to a host of modern problems relating to housing, use of resources and social needs. Basically, it meant people living in one area and running their community as a collective marked by shared activities. While we cannot exactly duplicate the CoHo living of that era, the principle remains: condo living should not box you in. Instead, it should allow you to explore social activities. Instead of shunning your neighbors while inside your unit, you can meet them in the supermarket or while watching movies. Your kids can have coffee with theirs. With CoHo focusing on urban areas outside Metro Manila, we also hope to help spread development in the countryside. We should endeavor to create more urban areas outside NCR to ensure equitable development. And as other areas like Davao, Iloilo, CDO, Bacolod and others expand, let us help them make sure that urban living becomes livable. As we strive for economic development, we need to face the problems that come with urbanization. We need to make sure that our city remains livable for our families. We need to make sure that while our material surroundings expand our life also improves. Related comments | http://tempo.com.ph/2019/01/16/what-is-coho/ |
How did Hull City trialist Adam Curry get on for Grimsby Town's reserves? | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Michael Jolley got the chance to take a look at some of the players vying for a return to the starting XI in League Two as Grimsby Towns reserves were beaten 3-1 by Port Vale. Among those looking to impress the Mariners boss was Adam Curry, who was playing as a trialist from Hull City. Sports writer James Findlater runs the rule over the reserves performances at Blundell Park Sam Russell 7/10 Made a few comfortable saves, and couldnt have done much about any of the goals especially the second, which proved a cruel blow after Towns hard work. The Mariners are certainly in safe hands with their goalkeeping coach. Reece Hall-Johnson 6/10 Made a few useful bursts going forward as he returned to a more regular position at wing-back, and looked as solid as he usually does in helping out his back three. Its good to see plenty of competition at full-back for Town. Harry Davis 6/10 A welcome return for the defender after serving his concussion protocol, and he looked calm and composed at the back as well as being steady on the ball before making way at the break. (Image: Rick Byrne / Grimsbylive) Ludvig Ohman 6/10 There doesnt seem to be much danger of the Swede missing a header! Looked to have built up a decent understanding with his new team-mates, although its still very early days for him yet. Adam Curry (trialist) 7/10 A solid showing from the young Hull City defender, who looked to have a good understanding with his team-mates for the day despite only being on trial. Certainly worth consideration based on his performance. Sebastian Ring 7/10 Looked confident on the ball, and the wing-back role appeared to suit him well. Proved to be a danger with his crosses in from the left, which could have easily led to Town taking the lead before the break. John Welsh 7/10 A good showing in the engine room from the Mariners skipper. He showed the strength and guile which has brought him success over the years, and made a case to earn his place back in the regular side. (Image: Rick Byrne / Grimsbylive) Martyn Woolford 6/10 Had a couple of shots from distance which didnt quite come off for him, and aimed to offer some support to the front three whenever the opportunity arose. Jordan Cook 7/10 (STAR MAN) Worked his socks off to stake a claim for a return to the starting XI in the league. Could have easily opened the scoring in the first half but for a superb save, before showing great composure from the spot. Rumarn Burrell 6/10 Showed great pace and energy up front without getting any results. Had a great opportunity to take the lead before the break after bearing down on goal. Ahkeem Rose 6/10 Perhaps didnt see as much of the ball as he would have perhaps liked, but still played a big part by winning the penalty that drew Town level for a short time. (Image: Rick Byrne / Grimsbylive) FROM THE BENCH Alex Whitmore (Harry Davis 45): A fairly solid return for the defender on his return from suspension, and hell be eyeing up an immediate return on Saturday 6/10 Mattie Pollock (Ohman 61): Continues to show why hes so highly thought of, and even offered some support going forward. Ollie Saunders (Ring 61): An able replacement at wing-back as Town rang the changes. Tom Jamieson (Hall-Johnson 61): Showed plenty of energy in getting the Mariners forward. Kyle Richardson (Woolford 77): A cameo for the midfielder as Town continued to search for an equaliser. Follow or contact Grimsby Live Contact us: Email the reporter who wrote this story . Follow Grimsby Town Live on Facebook - Like our Facebook page to get the latest Town news in your feed and join in the discussions in the comments! Click here to like our page and keep up to date with the latest from the Mariners! Follow us on Twitter - For breaking news and the latest stories, click here to follow Grimsby Town Live on Twitter . | https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/adam-curry-hull-city-grimsby-2432438 |
How Would Al Franken Question Attorney General Nominee William Barr? | Then-Sen. Al Franken questions Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch at his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in March 2017. Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Two years ago, during Jeff Sessions hearing to become Donald Trumps attorney general, then-Sen. Al Franken questioned the nominee about whether he was aware of a breaking news report about an exchange of information between the Russians and the Trump campaign during the 2016 election. Sessionstaken abackreplied that he was not aware of any of those activities and that he did not have communications with the Russians during the campaign. That proved to be untrue. Less than two months later, Justice Department officials told the Washington Post that Sessions had in fact met with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak at least twice during the campaign. Shortly thereafter, Sessions was forced to recuse himself from all Department of Justice investigations related to the 2016 election. As a result of this recusal, and Sessions subsequent failure to exercise oversight over the Mueller investigation, Trump expressed repeated frustration with his AG, including, in 2017, reportedly ordering White House Counsel Don McGahn to stop Sessions from recusing himself. Last November, after nearly two years of being insulted and berated by his boss, Sessions resigned at the presidents request. This week, William Barr is having his own confirmation hearings to replace Sessions as the nations top lawyer. While Democrats probably dont have the Senate votes to block Barr from confirmation, his record is troubling them on various fronts, from his capacious view of presidential authority, to his zeal for mass incarceration during his tenure in the George H.W. Bush administration, to his record on civil rights, to his handling of presidential pardons in the Iran-Contra probe. Hovering over all of it is the little matter of the Mueller investigation, and the unsolicited 19-page private memo Barr sent to Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein in June calling the Mueller probe into whether Trump obstructed justice fatally misconceived. Barr opined in that same memo that Mueller shouldnt be allowed to subpoena Trump, calling it an interrogation. In a Facebook post on the firing of Andrew McCabe from March, Franken wrote that he hadnt known his gotcha questions about Sessions and Kislyak would turn out to be gotchas, nor that they would lead to the Mueller probe. Nevertheless, leading up to Tuesdays confirmation hearing, I couldnt help but wonder what Franken would have planned to ask Barr during his hearing, were he still on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Franken no longer sits on that committeehe left the Senate in 2018, in the wake of reports that he had touched women inappropriately, a decision I thought was warranted given the allegations against him. He has also apologized for his past behavior, and Ive watched from afar as he has continued to weigh in on questions before the Senate Judiciary Committee, ranging from how he would have questioned Brett Kavanaugh at his Supreme Court confirmation hearings to his excoriation of Sessions last March when the then-AG fired former Deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe just hours before McCabe was to have retired with full benefits. Each of these accounts show, in my view, Frankens continued aptitude for cutting through the crap. Our conversation has been edited and condensed for clarity. Barr should recuse himself twice for good measure. Al Franken Dahlia Lithwick: As of this writing, nominee Barr has announced that its vitally important that Mueller be allowed to finish writing his report and that its very important that Congress and the American public be informed of his findings and conclusions. Al Franken: No. No. Not really. No. Barr believes the president is the prosecutor-in-chief, and told George H.W. Bush that he was the top law enforcement officer in the country. So, it seems to me Barr thinks that what the AG finds vitally important is less vitally important than what the president thinks is vitally important. And the president is Donald Trump. So, I think its vitally important that Barr not be the AG. At the very least, given Barrs very long memo, which no one forced him to write, stating that Mueller has no right to investigate Trump for obstruction of justice, I think he has to recuse himself entirely from the Mueller investigation. Also, given that Trump asked Barr to be his personal attorney in the Mueller investigation and that we have no idea what the president said to him, Barr should recuse himself twice for good measure. Barr has espoused some very broad ideas about executive powers, which feel extra troubling as the president mulls declaring a state of emergency to appropriate funds he cannot exact from Congress through negotiation. Yes. And let me tell you why. The attorney general should be a check on the presidents worst impulses, and this president seems to have poor impulse controlwhether its declaring an emergency in order to build a big wall or ordering DOJ to investigate his political adversaries. Barrs belief in expansive executive power suggests that he wont be that check. Hard to miss the cry for civility and voting rights. In his testimony, Barr said that he would protect our elections from foreign interference, but he stopped short of pledging to defend voting rights from ALL threatsforeign AND domestic. Barr should make clear whether DOJ, under his leadership, will protect the right to vote by suing to block states from enacting racist policieslike voter ID measuresthat are designed to keep black voters from casting a ballot. Barr should also say whether he supports DOJs role in protecting civil rights more broadly. During my time in the Senate, I successfully pushed the Obama administration to adopt policies that protected LGBT people under existing federal civil rights laws. But late last year, Barr wrote an op-ed with former Attorneys General Ed Meese and Michael Mukasey that praised Sessions for rolling back those very same policies. So, Im skeptical that Barr is capable of being an attorney general who protects the rights of all Americans. Stipulating, as you noted last March, that you were not prescient with your line of confirmation questions for Sessions, you were nevertheless Russia-curious. As I said, Barr should recuse himself from the Mueller investigation. So, to be clear, I would not encourage anyone to ask him what he would do to investigate Trumps many, extremely suspicious connections to Russia and their interference in our election. That said, there are any number of questions I have about Trump and Russia. Thats also interesting. I have a lot of questions about the American interpreters in his meetings with Putin. I certainly hope so. | https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/01/how-al-franken-would-question-william-barr.html |
Should the Detroit Red Wings Trade Jimmy Howard? | As the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline approaches, the Detroit Red Wings have a series of important discussions ahead of them regarding potential trade chips and pending free agents. There are a number of factors that come into play with Detroits netminder that dont impact typical rental players. Most notably, how he has been instrumental in the little bits of success the Red Wings have had this season. Hes been their backbone and has given the organization a chance to win every night regardless of the output in front of him. But Howard could become a valuable commodity on the trade block if a contending teams starter goes down or they need to look elsewhere for top-notch goaltending, which may be in the case with the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Case for the Red Wings Trading Howard In a vacuum, the decision to trade Howard should be a no-brainer. The Red Wings are in the middle of a rebuild and they have an asset with an expiring contract. Though he wants to re-sign with Detroit, they shouldnt risk losing him for nothing, especially if hes one of the few rentals within the organization who doesnt own a no-trade clause. As the trade deadline approaches, they should absolutely deal the veteran netminder for the best deal on the table whether thats the preferred first-round pick or a third-round pick or decent prospect. If a goalie market materializes, the Red Wings should key in on the demand. Howard is probably the best goalie available unless the Blue Jackets try to offload Sergei Bobrovsky. Howards .916 save percentage (SV%) is 15th-best in the league and tops that of Pekka Rinne, Matt Murray and Braden Holtby, who all play behind much better defenses than Howard. Stockpiling picks and prospects should be the goal right now. The Red Wings could use a couple more lottery tickets in the draft to find a difference-maker or some sort of NHL contributor. Moving Howard would also increase their chances of landing the first-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, per Dimitri Filipovic in a recent article for ESPN: For a team thats firmly in the asset-collection phase of their rebuild, anything the Red Wings are able to get for Howard at the deadline is found money in and of itself. But beyond that, once they trade him theyll presumably fall even further down the standings and improve their lottery odds in the process, because he has been one of the few things keeping them competitive in the first half of the season. Even if the Red Wings trade Howard, they have the ability to re-sign him after July 1. They wouldnt have the same negotiating period as if he stayed put, but can still offer the netminder a chance to return home on a market-rate deal. If this were to happen, any decent return for renting him out for a few months would be adequate. Related: Detroit Red Wings: Grading Ken Hollands Rebuild Moves The Case Against the Red Wings Trading Howard Because human beings play the sport, trades and player management cannot be 100 percent approached in a vacuum. For one, trading Howard signifies the Red Wings waiving the white flag for the season, which is not good for Detroits young core. The fact is, Howard has given the Red Wings a chance to win every night. The same cant be said for Jonathan Bernier and his sub-.900 SV% behind the same defense, though he could feel empowered to step up his game if anointed the starting role. Either way, Dylan Larkin and the rest of the Red Wings young players need to be given the opportunity to win games rather than watch management give up and sell the farm. Another consequence of a Howard trade could be a feeling of disloyalty rippling through the organization. GM Ken Holland has always been loyal to his playersalmost to a faultand moving the long-time Red Wing out could influence future contract negotiations, including a potential reunion with Howard. Hometown discounts dont really exist anymore, but organization reputation does. The Red Wings dont seem ready to settle on a Howard trade, per The Athletics Craig Custance: The Red Wings like Howard. Theyd like to bring him back after this season. There isnt a lot of internal interest in trading him for a third-round pick or whatever a team looking for insurance might pay. (from NHL Trade Big Board: 20 players who could move before the deadline The Athletic NHL 1/7/19) And finally, most people would have some empathy when considering a scenario to ship out a father of three young children. If that same person, in this case Holland, wanted to re-sign the player later on, he should be doing everything he can to stay in that players good graces. Related: Worst Trades in Red Wings History Final Word As mentioned in a recent The Grind Line column, the return for 1B or backup goalies is not great around the trade deadline. Moving Howard for a meager return isnt worth the trouble, especially if the Red Wings are serious about re-signing him. However, if the Red Wings can pry a first or second-round pick from a contender, they should pull the trigger on a Howard trade. A middle-six forward or middle-pairing defense prospect would also work. The word loyalty may incite nausea and anger among Red Wings fans. But in the case of Howard, a little loyalty from management is acceptable. Along with Larkin and Gustav Nyquist, hes been one of their best players this season and definitely has some gas left in the tank as the Hockeytown rebuild rolls along. Share your thoughts below. | https://thehockeywriters.com/detroit-red-wings-trade-howard-options/ |
What Will It Take To Close The Funding Gap For Black Female Founders? | Viola Llewellyn, cofounder of African fintech platform Ovamba, spoke at the Black Women Raise event in mid-January about the challenge in getting investors to invest in a company led by a black woman. AFP/Getty Images If youve heard the statistics once, youve probably heard them a thousand times: of the nearly $100 billion in venture funding that goes to entrepreneurs in America, less than 3% goes to female founders and just 0.2% goes to black female founders. Theres a growing consensus that venture capitals race problem needs to be fixed. Whats less clear is precisely how to start closing the massive gulf. And at the inaugural Black Women Raise conference in Manhattan on Friday, a gathering of some 80 black female founders, a series of candid conversations laid bare the frustrations around the lack of an obvious path forward. In several raw moments of interchange, however, some answers started to emerge. Investors "could ask different questions, Charles Hudson, founder and managing partner of Precursor Ventures, said during a panel conversation with BBGs Susan Lyne, First Round Capitals Hayley Barna, and Female Founders Fund Sutian Dong. Do you think she can hire? I know whats behind that question. Its, Do you think she can get people to work for her because shes a black woman? And people ask these, what on the surface sound like innocent enough legitimate questions about investments, but theyre not innocent. Theyre loaded. And you learn a lot by the questions people ask. Despite the existence (and, arguably, preponderance) of these loaded questions, Hudson and the others cautioned the entrepreneurs in the room against becoming too disillusioned with the traditional venture capital community. Instead, they said, minority founders should prioritize investors who have a proven track record of investing in entrepreneurs who look like them. Vet investors upfront. Dont let them waste your time only to give you a half-ass answer after you spend an hour with them or even two weeks later, said Barna, who started her venture capital career after successfully cofounding e-commerce darling Birch Box. Just ask, is this in your sweet spot? From left to right, Susan Lyne of BBG Ventures, Charles Hudson of Precursor Ventures, Hayley Barna of First Round Capital, and Sutian Dong of Female Founder's Fund. Black Women Raise Dong noted that investors should be self-monitoring for where theyre over- and under-indexing, too. Weve said we dont like the ratio of founders in our portfolio. About half are non-white but only two are African American. So we asked our network who we should be talking to, she said. It can be hard, in an open and on-the-record forum, to ask the hard questions about investing in underrepresented founders much less to receive forthright answers to those questionsbut to the credit of the Black Women Raise attendees, no one shied away from speaking about the reality of her experience as a founder of color. Everyone talks about the friends and family round. I raised $63,000; I am the friends and family round, quipped Star Cunningham, founder and CEO of health management platform 4D Healthware. But underpinning her self-funding, Cunningham continued, was a lack of capital access. I have debt, because I had to get it, because no one wanted to give me any money. So what are you, as investors, going to do to look at our companies differently? Barnas reply: Dont be afraid to talk about your distance traveled. The same stories about people getting straight As from Ivy League schools isnt what gets us fired up; its instead hearing about how someone put themselves through med school from driving an ambulance, she said. You might think that your not supposed to talk about your life story, but I think its an important data point in helping [investors] make the right decision. This isnt to say that a little bit of information and clever storytelling will fix the funding gap for founders of color. Viola Llewellyn, cofounder of African fintech platform Ovamba, pointed out as much, saying that many of the investors shes come across dont seem interested in asking the questions that lead to the sorts of decisions Barna is referencing. Heres the problem: no one gets punished intellectually, emotionally, or financially for saying no to black women or to Africans. You will instead be congratulated if you dont make the foolish mistake of investing in something that doesnt fit into the preconceived ideas of what success is, Llewellyn said to Hudson, Lyne, Barna and Dong. At what point do we find a way to tell the story of the fool that said no? she continued, to applause from the room. Hudson waited a beat, and responded with empathy. Theres a million reasons [for investors] to say no, but until we have more success stories, I think theres always an easy out for people to say, No one has proven to me that investing in this way and this type of person works out. Its intellectually lazy and its wrong, he said. You have every right to be angry. Angry, yes, but also motivated. Among the clearest takeaways of the conversation is that one of the best ways to change the system is to start from within. In Silicon Valley and Arlan Hamilton parlance, fight pattern-matching with pattern-matching. More black women need to control capital, in whatever form that may be, Dong said. More black women need to be controlling capital to put that into companies run by black female founders. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiemcgrath/2019/01/15/what-will-it-take-to-close-the-funding-gap-for-black-female-founders/ |
What Is A Home Equity Line Of Credit And How Does It Work? | If you own a home, you've probably heard of a home equity line of credit before. However, these products can often be the something of a mystery, especially to those newer to homeownership. With that in mind, I've decided to put an end to the confusion once and for all. Below is your guide to home equity loans. It will cover what a home equity line of credit is, how it works, and how to qualify for one of your own. A home equity line of credit, commonly abbreviated as a HELOC, is essentially a second mortgage that functions similarly to a credit card. It's a line of credit that allows you to borrow against the equity in your home, as needed. Typically, this type of credit is used to cover big expenses such as medical debt, home renovations, or financing a child's education. Since HELOCs are secured by your home, meaning that the lender can foreclose on you if you decide not to pay back the loan, they often come with better interest rates than most traditional credit cards. However, their interest rates are adjustable, so you'll want to be sure to pay close attention to how much interest you could be paying over the life of the loan. HELOCs handle repayment a little differently than traditional credit cards. Instead of paying off as much of the balance as possible each month, this type of credit comes with two separate payment periods, each with their own set of rules. The first period is known as the "draw period." During this time, you're allowed to draw on the line of credit whenever you want. You also will likely only have to make payments on the interest accrued by the amount that you borrowed. After the draw period is over, you enter what's known as the "repayment period." Now, your monthly payment will likely go up substantially because you'll be responsible for repaying both the principal and the interest on whatever money you borrowed during the draw period. You'll continue making these payments over the remaining life of the loan. Qualifying for a HELOC For the most part, qualifying for a home equity line of credit is a lot like qualifying for a mortgage. Your lender will want to see proof of income through tax documents and pay stubs, your credit history, and any records of your debts and assets. However, there's one other piece that your lender will look at, as well: the amount of equity you have in your home. (Remember, equity is the percentage of your home that you own outright.) In this case, the amount of equity that you've built up by paying down your mortgage will play a key role in determining how much money you'll be allowed to borrow. Most lenders will only let you borrow against up to 85% of the equity you have in your home. Finding your maximum credit limit works like this: It's the amount your home is worth x the percentage of home equity you're allowed to borrow - how much you owe on your home For example: Let's say your home is worth $300,000 (according to a recent appraisal) and you're allowed to borrow up to 85% of your home equity, but you still have a $100,000 balance on your mortgage. $300,000 x 0.85 = 255,000 $255,000 - $100,000 = $155,000 In this case, you'd be approved for a $155,000 line of credit The difference between a home equity line of credit and a home equity loan Home equity lines of credit and home equity loans are similar in that they are both second mortgages on your home, but they function in different ways. Unlike the continuous line of credit that comes with a HELOC, home equity loans work in much the same way as your first mortgage. To start, the funds from a home equity loan are disbursed in one lump sum. Additionally, these loans often come with fixed interest rates and fixed monthly payments. If you're not sure which of the two is right for you, talk to your current loan officer and/or a financial advisor. They can help you take a more in-depth look at your options in order to decide which one will serve you the best. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/taramastroeni/2019/01/15/what-is-a-home-equity-line-of-credit-heloc-how-does-it-work/ |
What Were The Most Significant Machine Learning Advances Of 2018? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Xavier Amatriain, Former ML researcher, now leading Engineering teams, on Quora: If I had to summarize the main highlights of machine learning advances in 2018 in a few headlines, these are the ones that I would probably come up: AI hype and fear mongering cools down. More focus on concrete issues like fairness, interpretability, or causality. Deep learning is here to stay and is useful in practice for more than image classification (particularly for NLP). The battle on the AI frameworks front is heating up, and if you want to be someone you better publish a few frameworks of your own. Lets look at all of this in some more detail. If 2017 was probably the cusp of AI fear mongering and hype (as I mentioned in last years answer), 2018 seems to have been the year where we have started to all cool down a bit. While it is true that some figures have continued to push their message of AI fear, they have probably been too busy with other issues to make of this an important point of their agenda. At the same time, it seems like the press and others have come to peace with the idea that while self-driving cars and similar technologies are coming our way, they wont happen tomorrow. That being said, there are still voices defending the bad idea that we should regulate AI instead of focusing on regulating its outcomes. It is good to see that this year though, the focus seems to have shifted to more concrete issues that can be addressed. For example, there has been a lot of talk around fairness and there are not only several conferences on the topic (see FATML or ACM FAT) even some online courses like this one by Google. Along these lines, other issues that have been greatly discussed this year include interpretability, explanations, and causality. Starting with the latter, causality seems to have made it back to the spotlight mostly because of the publication of Judea Pearls The Book of Why. Not only did the author decided to write his first generally accessible book, but he also took to Twitter to popularize discussions around causality. In fact, even the popular press has written about this as being a challenge to existing AI approaches (see this article in The Atlantic, for example). Actually, even the best paper award at the ACM Recsys conference went to a paper that addressed the issue of how to include causality in embeddings (see Causal Embeddings for Recommendations). That being said, many other authors have argued that causality is somewhat of a theoretical distraction, and we should focus again on more concrete issues like interpretability or explanations. Speaking of explanations, one of the highlights in this area might be the publication of the paper and code for Anchor, a follow up to the well-known LIME model by the same authors. While there are still questions about the Deep Learning as the most general AI paradigm (count me in with those raising questions), while we continue to skim over the nth iteration of the discussion about this between Yann LeCun and Gary Marcus, it is clear that Deep Learning is not only here to stay, but it is still far from having reached a plateau in terms of what it can deliver. More concretely, during this year Deep Learning approaches have shown unprecedented success in fields different from Vision, ranging from Language to Healthcare. In fact, it is probably in the area of NLP, where we have seen the most interesting advances this year. If I had to choose the most impressive AI applications of the year, both of them would be NLP (and both come from Google). The first one is Googles super useful smart compose, and the second one is their Duplex dialog system. A lot of those advances have been accelerated by the idea of using language models, popularized this year by Fast.ais UMLFit (see also Understanding UMLFit). We have then seen other (and improved) approaches like Allens ELMO, Open AIs transformers, or, more recently Googles BERT, which beat many SOTA results out of the gate. These models have been described as the Imagenet moment for NLP since they show the practicality of transfer learning in the language domain by providing ready-to-use pre-trained and general models that can be also fine-tuned for specific tasks. Besides language models, there have been plenty of other interesting advances like Facebooks multilingual embeddings, just to name another one. It is interesting to note that we have also seen how quickly these and other approaches have been integrated into more general NLP frameworks such as AllenNLPs or Zalandos FLAIR. Speaking of frameworks, this year the war of the AI frameworks has heated up. Surprisingly, Pytorch seems to be catching up to TensorFlow just as Pytorch 1.0 was announced. While the situation around using Pytorch in production is still sub-optimal, it seems like Pytorch is catching up on that front faster than Tensor Flow is catching up on usability, documentation, and education. Interestingly it is likely that the choice of Pytorch as the framework on which to implement the Fast.ai library has played a big role. That being said, Google is aware of all of this and is pushing in the right direction with the inclusion of Keras as a first-class citizen in the framework or the addition of key developer-focused leaders like Paige Bailey. In the end, we all benefit from having access to all these great resources, so keep them coming! Interestingly, another area that has seen a lot of interesting developments in the framework space is reinforcement learning. While I dont think RL research advances have been as impressive as in previous years (only the recent Impala work by DeepMind comes to mind), it is surprising to see that in a single year we have seen all major AI players publish an RL Framework. Google published the Dopamine framework for research while Deepmind (also inside of Google) published the somewhat competing TRFL framework. Facebook could not stay behind and published Horizon while Microsoft published TextWorld, which is more specialized for training text-based agents. Hopefully, all of this open source goodness will help us see a lot of RL advances in 2019. Just to finish up on the frameworks front, I was happy to see that Google recently published TFRank on top of Tensor Flow. Ranking is an extremely important ML application that is probably getting less love than it deserves lately. It might seem like Deep learning has ultimately removed the need to be smart about your data, but that is far from true. There are still very interesting advances in the field that revolve about the idea of improving data. For example, while data augmentation has been around for some time and is key for many DL applications, this year Google published auto-augment, a deep reinforcement learning approach to automatically augment training data. An even more extreme idea is to train DL models with synthetic data. This has been tried in practice for some time and is seen as key to the future of AI by many. NVidia presented interesting novel ideas in their Training Deep Learning with Synthetic Data paper. In our Learning from the Experts, we also showed how to use expert systems to generate synthetic data that can then be used to train DL systems even after combining with real-world data. Finally, also interesting is the approach of reducing the need to have large quantities of hand-labelled data by using weak supervision. Snorkel is a very interesting project that aims at facilitating this approach by providing a generic framework. As far as more foundational breakthroughs in AI, it might be me and my focus, but I havent seen many. I dont entirely agree with Hinton when he says that this lack of innovation is due to the field having a few senior guys and a gazillion young guys although it is true that there is a trend in science where breakthrough research is done at a later age. In my opinion, the main reason for the current lack of breakthroughs is that there are still many interesting practical applications of existing approaches and variations so it is hard to risk in approaches that might not be practical right away. That is even more relevant when most of the research in the field is sponsored by large companies. In any case, an interesting paper that does challenge some assumptions is An Empirical Evaluation of Generic Convolutional and Recurrent Networks for Sequence Modeling. While being highly empirical and using known approaches, it opens the door to uncovering new ones since it proves that the one that is usually regarded as optimal is in fact not. Another highly exploratory paper is the recent NeurIPS best paper award winner Neural Ordinary Differential Equations, which challenges a few fundamental things in DL including the notion of layers itself. Interestingly, this last paper was motivated by a project where the authors were looking into healthcare data (more concretely Electronic Health Records). I cannot finish this summary without referring to the area of research in the intersection of AI and Healthcare since that is where my focus at Curai is at. Unfortunately, so much is going on in this space that I would need another post only for this. So, I will only point you to the papers that were published at the MLHC conference and the ML4H NeurIPS workshop. Our team at Curai managed to get papers accepted at both, so you will find our papers there among many other interesting ones that should give you an idea of what is going on in our world. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/01/15/what-were-the-most-significant-machine-learning-advances-of-2018/ |
How Serious Is Borderline Personality Disorder? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Answer by Elinor Greenberg, PhD Psychologist, on Quora: Borderline Personality Disorder exists in that middle zone between the neurotic disorders that occur after the basic personality is formed (age 5 and over) and the psychotic disorders that are thought to have a biological basis. Psychotic Disorders I consider the psychotic disorders to be the most serious and debilitating. These include Schizophrenia, Schizo-Affective Disorder, and Bipolar Disorder. (This is not a complete list). During a psychotic episode, people lose touch with reality, may have hallucinations and/or delusions, and are likely to experience other people and events in a highly distorted way. They often cannot think clearly. The choices that people make during a psychotic episode can be destructive to their life goals and very disruptive to the lives of the people who care about them. We have medications that can help with the symptoms, but they are chronic illnesses for which at present we have no cure. Psychotherapy aimed at people with psychotic disorders generally focuses on getting clients to pay attention to their stress levels to head off a psychotic episode or minimize a recurrence, educating the patient and the family about the nature of the disorder, and evaluating the effects of the medication. Neurotic Disorders The term neurotic is not actually used very often these days. It had been used to describe conflicts that arose during what Freud called the Oedipal Period of child development at about age 5. The personality is basically already formed by then. The later problems are add-ons to the existing personality, so they are fairly easy to treat by most therapists, unless they involve severe trauma. Their main symptoms are anxiety, depression, and various types of inhibitions. Personality Disorders This is the middle zone of seriousness. Personality Disorders, such as Borderline PD, Narcissistic PD, and Schizoid PD start before the age of four when the personality is still being formed. They are believed to result from the interaction of children (each with his or her own inborn temperament) with their caregivers. Personality disorders can be viewed as an adaptive attempt by a particular child to maximize the amount of love, attention, and support that he or she can get from parents or other primary caregivers. Unlike the psychotic disorders, Personality Disorders are treatable by appropriate psychotherapybut they are more complex and harder to treat than the neuroses. The Role of Object Relations: From an object relations theoretical point of view, in order to be diagnosed with a personality disorder, you need to lack whole object relations and object constancy. This essentially means that the person cannot form and maintain a stable, integrated, and realistic view of him/herself and other people. Instead they only can switch back and forth between two equally unrealistic points of viewsomeone is either all-bad or all-good. During a fight, they will not be able to maintain their positive feelings for someone they love when they feel hurt, disappointed, frustrated, or angry with them. They can go from the extremes of love to hatred, and back again. Obviously this makes their sense of identity and their relationships with other people inherently unstable and easily disrupted. Borderline Personality Disorder BPD fits into the personality disorder category. How serious it is depends on the persons level of functioning. Basically, most people with BPD have similar issues. Here are a few of the most common issues associated with BPD. Love An obsessive preoccupation with love and reparenting (under the guise of an adult romantic relationship) as the solution to all their problems. An obsessive preoccupation with love and reparenting (under the guise of an adult romantic relationship) as the solution to all their problems. Fear of Abandonment A very strong, often unwarrented concern, that someone they value will abandon them. A very strong, often unwarrented concern, that someone they value will abandon them. Fear of Engulfment Many people with BPD were used as an emotional caretaker for one of their parents. As adults, they fear that instead of their partner meeting their emotional needs, they will become engulfed by their partners emotional needs. Many people with BPD were used as an emotional caretaker for one of their parents. As adults, they fear that instead of their partner meeting their emotional needs, they will become engulfed by their partners emotional needs. Feel More Childlike, than Adult Many clients with BPD report that even when they are competently dealing with adult responsibilities, they feel as if they are really still children or teens. They wish that some real adult will come along and take care of them. Many clients with BPD report that even when they are competently dealing with adult responsibilities, they feel as if they are really still children or teens. They wish that some real adult will come along and take care of them. Emotional DisregulationThey have stronger emotional reactions to most situations and often find their negative emotions very hard to tolerate. Level of Functioning: How serious their disorder is and how much it interferes with their daily life and the lives of their loved ones depends on their level of functioning. Generally, only the lowest functioning clients who qualify for a diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder ever get the diagnosis. Brief History of the Borderline Diagnosis The very low functioning group of people who tend to act impulsively, spray everyone else with their problems, become suicidal or briefly psychotic is the group that was first called Borderline. They were considered untreatable by psychoanalysis. In the earliest use of the term Borderline, it was not yet differentiated into the separate personality disorders that we recognize today. It was a catchall term to describe the varied group of people who were thought to inhabit the border between neurosis and psychosis. As time went on, different theorists separated this rather large group of people into separate subgroups depending on their pattern of symptoms and behaviors. There are different schools of thought about how many subgroups there are, whether these subgroups are variations of one thing or entirely different disorders, and so on. I subscribe to James F. Mastersons system of classification that divides most of the various permutations of personality disorders that are listed in the DSM5 into only three main groups, and includes some of the others as subsets of these main three: Borderline Narcissistic Schizoid As you can see, the meaning of the term Borderline has shifted from being the name for every disorder between psychotic and neurotic to only one specific type of this larger group. The Good News: Borderline Personality Disorder is very treatable. We now have a variety of therapies designed to help people with these issues. In addition, studies show that for most people, a great deal of the emotional turmoil decreases with age. Often, the moderate to high functioning Borderline clients who I see in private practice are handling their lives well enough that only their close friends, spouses, and relatives are likely to recognize that they have problems that qualify for this diagnosis. The General Rule: The higher the persons functioning level, the easier they are to help in psychotherapy. Borderline Personality Disorder becomes very serious at the lowest level of functioning. This is the group that finds it hard to form stable relationships, show up for work everyday, come to therapy regularly, and manage their adult responsibilities. They have trouble maintaining themselves between psychotherapy sessions and often feel quite desperate. Members of the low functioning group of people with BPD are more likely to threaten to commit suicide, cut themselves, develop severe eating disorders, and abuse alcohol and drugs. They have a much higher rate of suicide than higher functioning people with BPD. Some may decompensate and briefly become psychotic and may need to be hospitalized for a few days. However, unlike the clients with psychotic illnesses, they usually reconstitute and stop having psychotic symptoms fairly quickly. Punchline: Having Borderline Personality Disorder is serious enough to cause you a great deal of emotional pain and may interfere with your ability to stay motivated to achieve your goals. But, the higher functioning you are, the easier life will be for you. No matter what your level of functioning, there are now a variety of effective therapies available to help you heal. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/01/15/how-serious-is-borderline-personality-disorder/ |
Can The Government Shutdown Really Drive GDP To Zero? | The quick answer to that question is long term it could, but the shutdown is unlikely to flat-line growth this quarter. The Trump administration is now in charge of the longest running government shutdown, beating the Newt Gingrich shutdown that took place in the early 1990s over a similar budget battle. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon was quoted by CNBC saying the shutdown will kill the economy. Dimon was not coming up with the number by himself. He wisely hedged his bet. Someone estimated that if it goes on for the whole quarter, it can reduce growth to zero, Dimon said in his fourth-quarter earnings call. We just have to deal with that. Its more of a political issue than anything else. The Trump administration seemed to have corrected their original forecast today regarding the impact the shutdown would have on the economy. The original estimate was a 0.1 percentage point cut in GDP every two weeks, but they have corrected that to mean 0.1 percentage points. This figure should not surprise economists or Wall Street. Last week, Mike Gapen, an economist for Barclays Capital in New York said that 0.1% per week was the figure to watch. The Dow, S&P 500 and the Nasdaq all opened higher this morning. The market will be paying more attention to the shutdowns impact the longer it continues. I wasnt worried about the shutdown impacting GDP last week, but if it continues into this week then I will start discounting growth, says Steve Friedman, a senior economist for BNP Paribas and a former monetary policy director for the Federal Reserve in New York. Federal employees make up less than 10% of the American workforce. But many businesses depend on those workers for revenue, especially in the Beltway. You have to think of all the people that are not getting museum tickets, not going out to eat. And then consider around a million government staffers themselves who are not spending money, Friedman says. Thats where the shutdown impacts the private sector. Some 800,000 federal workers have been furloughed. Deltas CEO Ed Bastian told CNBCs Becky Quick today that the airline will lose an estimated $25 million this month. He blamed part of that loss on the government. Its not a huge loss, but its due to the fact that contractors and some officials are not traveling the way they would anticipate due to the shutdown, he said, adding that new airplanes are not getting inspected on time by the Federal Aviation Administration, a government agency. I think its a manageable situation, he said. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) estimates that third-quarter GDP was 3.5%. If 0.1% was trimmed from that over the last four weeks, then GDP would be 3.1%. The U.S. government would have to be shut down for at least the entire half of 2019 for GDP to shrink to zero. Every 10 weeks would take one full percentage point off GDP. Assuming U.S. GDP was 2.5% in the fourth quarter, a full first-quarter shutdown would drive GDP to around 1.5%. In current dollar terms, U.S. third-quarter GDP increased 4.9%, or $247.1 billion, to a level of $20.66 trillion , according to the BEA. In the second quarter, current-dollar GDP increased by 7.6% or $370.9 billion. The government had a hand in that growth. Third-quarter GDP expansion was due to personal consumption, private inventory investment from companies, and state and federal government spending. Dimon, who kicked off the morning telling investors the shutdown could push the U.S. into recession territory, reportedly said during the earnings call this morning that the underlying statistics for the economy were not bad. He noted that JPMorgan will be prepared for the eventual downturn. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/kenrapoza/2019/01/15/can-the-government-shutdown-really-drive-gdp-to-zero/ |
Do young people feel pressured to have sex? | Image copyright Getty Images "We talk about it all the time," says 16-year-old Maja. "Sex has been normalised a lot. People aren't scared of talking about it anymore." We're at Maja's sixth-form talking about sex because it's been suggested that the biggest regret young people have about losing their virginity is having sex "too soon". A National Survey of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles (Natsal) poll, suggests a third of women and a quarter of men between 17 and 24 feel like they lost their virginity at "the wrong time". It also claims many "may not be ready" at 16, the legal age of consent. "I probably wouldn't tell everyone on Snapchat if I was about to have sex - some things you keep to yourself," Maja says. "But I do feel like I'm completely in control of the choice." Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Messages and images on social media are said to add to peer pressure around people losing their virginity Sazali, who's also 16, feels "pretty confident" he's in control of when he has sex, but also says there's "a lot of peer pressure" involved. "Sex pops up in group chats day-to-day. "I feel like it's more of a norm for people our age to not be virgins anymore." Sixteen-year-old Beth agrees: "I know a lot of my friends do feel pressured to have sex because they know other people in the year have. "Because they know other people are doing it, they're worried when they get to university they'll be on the outside because they haven't done it and they'll feel uncool." But Nicole, who at 18 is slightly older than the other people in the discussion, suggests her friends are more comfortable to wait until they feel "right with the person that you're doing it with". "I feel like it shouldn't be rushed because you have a lot of time in your life." Image copyright Channel 4/ Skins Image caption Some claim shows like Skins encourage people to have sex at a young age Beth thinks that having more access to TV shows and social media that openly refers to sex is "helping the conversation". "But I think it's also making people think they have to have sex earlier," she says. "In shows like Skins, pretty much all the characters have had sex. "Loads of people watch those shows and it makes them feel like it's a normal thing that they should be doing." Maja adds: "You see 13 or 14-year-olds putting up racy pictures. "It's becoming a bit dangerous because I know a couple of people that age who have had sex and I wonder if they're really ready for that." For Nicole, social media is "making younger generations evolve too quickly". "It shows you what you can have but not necessarily when you should have it, so that encourages a certain type of behaviour. "People are starting to have sex younger and they might go on to regret that." Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The group agree with the findings that women are more likely to regret when they have sex than men The Natsal survey claimed nearly 40% of women didn't feel like their first sexual experience happened at a time they were happy with. Only 26% of men said the same thing. Sazali suggests: "Girls seem to think more about how they'll do or feel more conscious about their bodies. "Guys on the other hand are more ready to talk about it and they want to do it." Image copyright Getty Images Image caption The group say being taught about STIs and contraception added to their decision around having sex for the first time The rest of the group also think men might regret losing their virginity less than women because it's easier for them to cope socially when they first start having sex. "With girls, if you're having sex and you're not in a relationship especially - it's like 'Oh she's sleeping around'," says Maja. "Yeah you could get called a slut and stuff," adds Beth. Nicole agrees. "If a boy did that his friends might be like 'Go on mate' but girls would go 'Oh my God, I can't believe she did that', and more gossip comes out of it. "It makes you think about it all way more." Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 every weekday on BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra - if you miss us you can listen back here. | https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-46876617 |
When will Delta IV Heavy rocket launch from Vandenberg CA? | The much-delayed Delta IV Heavy rocket launch has a new date, the United Launch Alliance tweeted Tuesday morning. The rocket is now set to launch from Vandenberg on Saturday, Jan. 19, at 11:05 a.m., according to the ULA. The launch has been delayed multiple times since early December. On Jan. 5, ULA representatives said that a new launch attempt was pending the results of additional testing. Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. The rocket had previously been delayed for various reasons, including a hydrogen leak and high winds. The launch will carry a top-secret payload into orbit for a mission dubbed NROL-71. Information about a live broadcast of the launch has not yet been released, according to the ULA. | https://www.fresnobee.com/news/state/california/article224565170.html |
Could Chiefs-Patriots be one of the NFL's coldest games in league history? | Hope the New England Patriots are packing Tom Bradys ginormous jacket for Sundays AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs. From the Associated Press: The National Weather Service is projecting an arctic blast to settle over Kansas City for the Chiefs game against the New England Patriots. Temperatures at kickoff could range from 10 degrees to well below zero, potentially making it the coldest game in Arrowhead Stadium history. Arctic blast!! The game could end up on this list compiled in 2016 before the Vikings and Seahawks played in minus-6 degree temperature at kickoff, making it the third-coldest game in NFL history: Here is the top 10 coldest NFL gamesthe @vikings game this Sunday is almost a lock for this list @myfox9 pic.twitter.com/othqGcbwbE ian leonard (@ian_leonard) January 5, 2016 It's -6 at the stadium with a -25 wind chill. It's officially the coldest game in #Vikings history, 3rd coldest in NFL history. Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) January 10, 2016 Just for fun, here are the 15 coldest games in #Chiefs' history, per @pfref. pic.twitter.com/GLexRVDmqp Christopher Price (@cpriceNFL) January 15, 2019 Once the snow is over, we'll be dealing with the coldest air of the season so far & it's just not the air temperatures. Look at these projected wind chill values on Sunday around kickoff time for the Chiefs vs. Patriots game. Bundle up!!! #KQ2 #Weather pic.twitter.com/0mmnWyIWzR Meteorologist Vanessa Alonso KQ2 (@VAlonsoKQ2) January 15, 2019 BRRRRR! Brady looks like three kids standing on top of each other in that coat pic.twitter.com/HFhtaXgBoe My good friend, Tom (@TJFsports) January 23, 2017 | https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/01/kansas-city-chiefs-patriots-forecast-coldest-games-nfl-history-list |
When is Burns Night? Who was Robert Burns and when is it? | For those of you unfamiliar with this particular lingo neeps is more commonly known as swede and tatties as potatoes, two traditional side dishes for the Scottish delicacy. Another common pairing with haggis is whisky, mainly for its Scottish origin than any notion of being a complementary option. For 2019, the Scottish celebration falls on Friday, January 25 but the occasion will have people across the UK taking part. Burns Night is a celebration of the life and poetry of the Robert Burns, who was born on January 25 in 1759. While Robert only lived to the age of 37, his poetry is still widely recognised globally, perhaps most significantly Auld Lang Syne, which is sung across the world when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve. From humble beginnings the former national poet of Scotland spent his life writing poetry to not only impress women but as an outlet for his own personal experiences. His first collection of printed poems was a big hit in Edinburgh, Scotland in particular before being more widely spread. His funeral, attended by hundreds, took place in July of 1796 in Dumfries, the small market town in which he died. While there are plenty of unique ways to celebrate burns night, there is a common theme... To remember the poet, people in Scotland and across the UK celebrate his birthday with haggis, whisky, poetry and renditions of Auld Lang Syne. Watch this space! Let us know by emailing [email protected] and we'll look at adding it in! Don't forget you can get all your latest local news updates by signing up to our newsletter. | https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/when-is-burns-night-who-was-robert-burns-and-when-is-it/ |
What Are the Different Types of Credit Cards Available Today? | Credit cards allow you to buy something today and pay for it in the future. On top of this convenience, some cards let you earn rewards for spending, give you a break on paying interest Credit cards allow you to buy something today and pay for it in the future. On top of this convenience, some cards let you earn rewards for spending, give you a break on paying interest or offer you a chance to rebuild your credit history. With several types of credit cards available today, you have the flexibility to pick one that makes sense for your spending habits. And understanding the major categories of credit cards available can help you find the right fit. Major Types of Credit Cards Secured credit cards Student credit cards Retail credit cards Balance transfer credit cards Zero percent APR credit cards Rewards credit cards Secured credit cards. Secured credit cards require cardholders to pay a security deposit to open a credit card account. Typically, the cardholders security deposit is about $200 to $500 and often equal to the cards credit limit. Secured credit cards are excellent for people who either have very little credit history or are attempting to rebuild credit, says Janet Alvarez, executive editor at personal finance advice site Wise Bread. Secured cards offer consumers who may not be able to get approved for other types of credit a way to build or improve their credit history. With a security deposit, credit card companies dont have as much to lose if a borrower defaults. [Read: Best Secured Credit Cards.] These credit cards may have higher interest rates than others and often come with annual fees. Secured credit cards do not typically offer as many features as unsecured credit cards, says Alvarez. Secured credit cards are best for people who: Want to improve their credit score. Have no credit. Have damaged credit. Student credit cards. Brian Canning, financial advisor and chair of the wealth management committee at Abacus Wealth Partners, says, Its important to start building credit once you turn 18. Student credit cards are typically marketed to college students as a way to start building credit while attending school. These cards may be secured or unsecured depending on the particular card. Alvarez says, Often, theyll have rewards in categories that are particularly useful for students. These credit cards may provide the opportunity to earn rewards or cash back and often dont come with annual fees. Cards make it enticing for young people to apply by offering student-centered benefits, such as a free year of Amazon Prime for students or extended warranty coverage. You generally have to be 18 or older to get a student credit card solely in your name. If youre younger than 21 and dont have a reliable source of income, youll need to get a co-signer to get approved. This protection was enacted with the Credit CARD Act of 2009. Student credit cards are best for people who: Are currently students. Want to build credit. Have a short or no credit history. Retail credit cards. Retail stores offer branded credit cards to entice loyal customers. While you can use a general credit card anywhere its network is accepted, retail credit cards may be limited to the specific store and its partnering stores. According to Canning, The enticing factor is the fact you can get discounts for using these cards. For example, you might get 20 percent off your first purchase when you sign up. These credit cards may also offer ongoing discounts or coupons for cardholders. Store cards are usually easier to get approved for than regular cards. However, retail credit cards ordinarily have lower credit limits and higher interest rates than other types of credit cards. Retail credit cards are best for people who: Are loyal shoppers of a particular store that offers frequent discounts for retail credit card holders. Are making a large purchase and can get a significant discount by signing up. Balance transfer credit cards. Balance transfer credit cards give you the opportunity to pay low or no interest for a limited period on the credit card debt you owe if you transfer it to your new card. The promotional balance transfer interest rate offer can last up to 21 months. If you move your credit card debt, youll have to pay a balance transfer fee. Expect to pay a 3 to 5 percent balance transfer fee with a minimum of $5 or $10 in most cases, says Canning. Some cards waive balance transfer fees entirely or during the first 45 to 60 days your account is open, but thats rare. When using a balance transfer credit card, set a goal to pay off your balance before the introductory rate expires. Youll have to pay the balance transfer APR specified in your cardholder agreement on any balance transfer amount remaining after the introductory period is over. [Read: Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards.] Balance transfer credit cards are best for people who: Want to save money on interest payments. Plan to pay off balances during the introductory period. Zero percent APR credit cards. Zero percent APR credit cards give new cardholders a break on paying interest on their purchases during the introductory period. Cards in this category often dont charge interest on balances transferred during the introductory period. While purchases made within the promotional period wont incur interest, you have to make the minimum payment in accordance with the cardholder agreement to keep the zero percent rate. Zero percent APR periods on purchases may last as long as 20 months. Youll have to start paying the regular purchase APR on any balance remaining at the end of the promotional period. But if you make an error and fail to comply with the terms and conditions of your credit card offer such as missing a payment you may lose your introductory APR immediately. Similarly, low-interest credit cards can help you save money on interest, which is especially helpful when making a large purchase. But unlike zero percent APR cards, they charge interest, even if its lower than average, from the start. Zero percent APR credit cards are best for people who: Need to make a large purchase. Can pay off the balance before the promotional zero percent APR period expires. Rewards credit cards. Rewards credit cards offer a wide range of rewards-earning opportunities and redemption options, depending on the credit card you pick. [Read: Best Rewards Credit Cards.] There are certain cards that benefit certain types of spending behaviors, says Canning. Rewards cards may offer varying rewards rates depending on which category your purchase falls into. Some even have bonus categories that rotate on a quarterly basis. Popular categories include travel, dining, gas and groceries. Rewards credit cards may offer flexible redemption options or redemption geared toward specific goals, such as general travel, hotels, airlines and cruises. Some rewards credit cards do not have annual fees, but they may have lower rewards earning levels or fewer benefits than cards with annual fees. To get the full value from rewards credit cards, youll need to make sure youre earning enough points or miles to offset the annual fee, if your card has one. And you should pay your balance in full each month so youre not offsetting rewards earning with interest charges. Rewards credit cards are best for people who: Pay their credit card balance off in full each month. Want to get rewarded for purchases. Travel frequently. originally appeared on usnews.com | https://wtop.com/news/2019/01/what-are-the-different-types-of-credit-cards-available-today/ |
What Role Should Faith Play in Selecting Senior Care? | While the nightly news often carries stories of how religious affiliations can be a force behind terrorism and wars, for many people, religion, faith and spirituality are important aspects of being a whole and healthy While the nightly news often carries stories of how religious affiliations can be a force behind terrorism and wars, for many people, religion, faith and spirituality are important aspects of being a whole and healthy person. In a recent small survey, Seniorly, a senior living referral company that uses technology to track short- and long-term openings in communities, found that respondents ranked health and faith highest among factors that people feel are most important as they age. Arthur Bretschneider, founder and CEO of Seniorly, says the company wanted to look at faith as a dimension of healthy aging because historically speaking, religion and faith have often been seen as a means of coping with a fear of aging or death. The survey of 242 respondents from the companys database of contacts seemed to indicate that people who cultivated some form of spiritual or religious life had less fear about aging. One big takeaway from this survey is that theres clearly a belief that religion or spirituality leads to more healthy aging, and the reason why is because a lot of faith and religion is about rituals, and these rituals are activities, such as going to church where people socialize and interact with each other. The data is clearly showing that activities are the No. 1 reason that people do not fear aging, so less fear and less anxiety lead to healthier aging, he explains. Other studies have also drawn a connection between our inner worlds and our ability to cope with lifes difficulties. A 2016 report from the Melissa Institute for Violence Prevention and Treatment in Miami linked a spiritual outlook with resilience in the face of trauma, which may have similarities to aging. The challenges facing older adults could easily be viewed through the lens of trauma, says Rev. Jennifer L. Brower, a minister with the Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock in Manhasset, New York, who has worked extensively with older adults as they near the end of their lives. So much changes as we age, and theres a lot to come to terms with as lifes hourglass empties that can be difficult for many people to reconcile. For some, a connection to religion, faith or spirituality can help, but Brower notes these needs often change over time. Finding appropriate ways to tend to that area of life is something we should all consider, whether we think of ourselves as religious or secular. [See: 10 Lessons From Empowered Patients.] Although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there are differences among faith, spirituality and religion. Brower defines faith as trust without reservation, spiritual practice as connecting with that which makes us come alive and religion with feeling bound to others or a higher power. She says all three can be sources of strength and grounding in times of trauma. Having those tools in your toolbox would certainly improve ones experience of aging. Spirituality and Aging Spirituality typically refers to the breath of life or the animating force that makes one feel alive. Your spirituality is the expression of that vital or animating force and what brings it most to life, Brower says. The term spirituality could describe the feeling you get from most anything whether its gardening, painting, spending time with family or being engaged with a religious community. When were talking about cultivating or tending to our spiritual lives, were tending to that part of us that feels most vibrant or lights up, thats connected to the force of life that runs through all living things. This connection to spirituality often changes over the course of ones life. We experience the world differently as we move through different stages of life, and were brought to life by different things. How we experience life through the vector of a changing body that perhaps loses ability with time can alter a persons engagement with spiritual offerings. For example, where a younger person might enjoy long walks in nature, an older adult may need to find that spiritual connection to nature in another way as walking becomes more difficult. Brower notes that for many people, opportunities to find new spiritual connections increase over time as we learn more about the world and have new experiences. The thing that lights us up at 75, we may have had no idea about at 35. We hadnt yet climbed a mountain or discovered meditation, so the opportunities for an expanding spiritual life grow over the course of our lifetime if were open to growing in that way. Faith and Aging Religion and faith, again often used interchangeably, connote different aspects of our internal life. Brower says faith relates to a sense of trust. Citing a quote commonly attributed to the late William Sloane Coffin, a Christian clergyman and peace activist, there is nothing anti-intellectual in the leap of faith, for faith is not believing without proof but trusting without reservation. Faith is a trusting in God or Christ if youre Christian. Or in the universe if youre an atheist, and so on, Brower says. Can you openly accept and trust in those who maybe now need to be part of your life, such as doctors or medical professionals or a home health aide or your own adult children? Religion and Aging Religion, on the other hand, comes from the Latin word religare, meaning to tie or bind, Brower says. Were bound together in whatever religious group or congregation were part of, which truthfully could be said of any community whether (its based on a religious) creed, culture or commitment to common purpose. Members of the same religious group subscribe to similar ideas about what it means to be part of that religious group and often engage in religiously-based activities together, as well as other community functions. The Pew Research Center reports that about 70 percent of Americans identify as Christian, and about 6 percent classify themselves as non-Christian, including Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or another religion or faith. Nearly 23 percent of Americans describe themselves as religiously unaffiliated, which includes atheist, agnostic or nothing in particular. Brower says that religion-based connection to other people who share similar beliefs or goals gives many people comfort, because as is often said, there is strength in numbers. If youre weathering a particularly difficult aging process, having others to rely on, whether its a religious community or other group, can help you withstand the hardships youre facing. The power of the community to hold you up when you would otherwise fall counts for a lot and can be incredibly helpful as we age and as were facing new pressures and sorrows, Brower says. Bereavement and loneliness are some of these pressures that most older adults face, and whether the support comes from a religious source or a more secular community, the fact remains that support when dealing with loss or grief is important. Similarly, continuing to find a sense of purpose in the changed landscape of ones life after children are grown or a spouse dies, can be challenging, but is an important aspect of healthy aging. Many studies have connected depression and isolation among seniors with a shortened life span. The great challenges for the well elderly (meaning those 80 years and older) is if you live long enough, you outlive everyone. Thats a terribly lonely place to be. Nobody wants to be the last one standing, but for those folks, the presence of community matters a great deal, Brower says. [See: On a Scale From 1 to 10: The Most Painful Medical Conditions.] Spirituality, Faith, Religion and Assisted Living Options For some people, a connection to spiritual pursuits or a religious community can help alleviate depression and loneliness and provide a sense of purpose. Finding a way to cultivate these connections may become increasingly important for some people as they move further into old age. Having a compassionate guide or community of like-minded individuals to help you explore such opportunities may be an important factor to consider when determining whether a particular assisted living community or nursing home is right for you or a loved one. Many facilities have religious services on site or a chaplain or other spiritual or religiously-affiliated staff member to work with residents, but not all do. In any case, you should consider this dimension of life when selecting an assisted living community or nursing home for yourself or a loved one. For some people, continuing to maintain a connection to their parish or temple even after entering a long-term care facility may be important. This can often be challenging because of mobility issues and accessibility not every place of worship is easy to get to if you no longer drive or are wheelchair-bound. As difficult as it may be, Brower says keeping these older adults connected to their communities, whether its a religious group or another community, is important. We do best if we have the companionship of others that are younger who listen to our stories and tell us something about the world as it is now, she says. Consider how important access to religious services is to you, and whether thats available nearby. For some, streaming worship services online can help them remain connected; for others, a visiting clergy member can help feed that spiritual or religious need. If someone has been a regular participant in a religious community, Brower says, finding any way to keep them connected by getting them there is important and should be a function of the religious community to help make that happen either by transporting older adults who want to attend services or finding other ways to help integrate them into the community in a way that accommodates older adults mobility challenges. Having them there at worship helps us maintain that connection and relationship, she says. In addition, Brower says most of us arent well prepared for whats to come as we age. Were all only temporarily able, she says, and finding a way of being more accommodating of changing needs and abilities can help older adults remain in the community longer. She says congregations should be clear in communicating that people should take care of their physical needs during services. If someone needs to use the restroom, they should go and not sit uncomfortably until the end of the service. In her congregation, Brower says the wiggle room its for anyone who needs to wiggle a little exists just outside the sanctuary and is a great place for the elderly to see and hear the service while having the ability to move around as needed without disturbing other parishioners. (This area is also good for young children and babies who might need some space to squirm during a service separate from the rest of the congregation.) This physical gathering with people is an important aspect of how faith, religion or spirituality can be components of healthy aging, Bretschneider says. When you think about spirituality or these different faith-based approaches to life, a lot of it has to do with physically gathering with people in a community setting. Its this concept of youre getting out of bed; youre getting out of your room; youre going and walking and meeting with people and having to engage with those people. That communication, especially if its a meaningful conversation, may help keep your mind sharper, but theres a physical aspect of using your body to communicate, too he says. To aid in that, Brower says congregations should look to use a microphone or a video display to help those with visual or hearing impairments remain better in tune with whats going on during a service. In accommodating these various abilities, Brower says theres a responsibility of the community to pay attention and keep it comfortable, and doing so will make it easier for families to keep loved ones connected to the community in a positive way. [See: Easy Ways to Protect Your Aging Brain.] If actually visiting a church or temple for a religious service is not an option, there may be other opportunities to tend to older adults needs for spiritual or religious support. A visiting chaplain can play an important role here, and this service isnt reserved only for people who subscribe to a specific religious practice. Its always a good idea to speak with a chaplain, Brower says. Even if you are an atheist, you should still have a chaplain, as this person can function as simply someone to talk to and help you work through some of the changes you may be experiencing, similar to how a social worker might be a supportive presence for some people. The chaplain can talk about what has driven you in your life and what your thoughts are now. For the most part, clergy arent looking to fix anything. Were going to let you say what you need to say. This person may also be able to help facilitate difficult conversations between adult children and their parents that could help ease strained relationships before the parent dies. Lastly, Brower says that people die the way they live. If you are spiritually curious and you enjoy the company of other human beings and you like dogs, thats going to continue until you die. And if youre a hard or bitter person, a person whos carrying a lot of scars that have not had a lot of tender care to heal, your dying will reflect that. For many people, an imminent death causes them to reflect back and consider their lives, and having an opportunity to do that with appropriate support may be very important to them. There can be much power in those reflections, and being able to engage in them can be an important part of making the most of the time remaining. originally appeared on usnews.com | https://wtop.com/news/2019/01/what-role-should-faith-play-in-selecting-senior-care/ |
What Is Multiple Myeloma? | You dont expect to break a rib while doing light housekeeping. Similarly, you wouldnt think your worsening back pain might be caused by a type of blood cancer. However, these are among classic scenarios for You dont expect to break a rib while doing light housekeeping. Similarly, you wouldnt think your worsening back pain might be caused by a type of blood cancer. However, these are among classic scenarios for patients who develop multiple myeloma, says Dr. James Berenson, the founder, president and CEO of the Institute for Myeloma and Bone Cancer Research in Los Angeles. Multiple myeloma is a relatively uncommon cancer. Older adults are most at risk, with cases rarely occurring in people under 45 years old, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Men are somewhat more likely than women to be affected by myeloma, which is more than twice as common among African-Americans than whites. Nearly 30,800 new cases of multiple myeloma were expected in 2018, according to the American Cancer Society, with nearly 12,800 deaths expected. Multiple myeloma is expected to increase as the U.S. population ages. There is no cure for multiple myeloma. However, with proper treatment and ongoing care, patients can go into remission for longer periods. Recent strides in treatment and research offer reason for encouragement. [See: 10 Reasons You May Be Feeling Fatigued.] Multiple Myeloma Cancer Multiple myeloma is the most common form of myeloma. Myeloma involves the white blood cells in the bone marrow, called plasma cells, part of the bodys immune system. Plasma cells respond to infections by creating antibodies. In myeloma, plasma cells become malignant. These cancerous cells, called myeloma cells, grow out of control, forming masses or tumors within the bone marrow. Myeloma cells can crowd out normal, red-blood producing cells, causing people to become anemic. Myeloma tumors may interfere with normal bone regrowth, weakening bones and putting people at risk for fractures, even with minimal trauma. Bones of the spine, skull, pelvis, ribs, hips and shoulders where bone marrow is active are most affected. Back pain can be a symptom. Spinal cord compression may result. In addition, with fewer normal plasma cells, the body loses its ability to fight infections. Kidney failure is another complication as abnormal, myeloma-related proteins clog the kidneys. Unexplained kidney problems in patients who dont have diabetes or other likely causes may be signs of myeloma. Multiple Myeloma Symptoms Because symptoms of multiple myeloma are nonspecific they could be caused by any number of conditions its not an obvious diagnosis. Sometimes patients just present with fatigue and tiredness because blood counts are low, says Dr. Adriana Rossi, associate director of the Myeloma Center at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Other times, it can be bone pain. Sometimes it can be foam in the urine. Primary care providers may see patients for vague symptoms, order standard blood tests and realize they need more information. The doctor will hopefully order the next level of tests specifically looking for myeloma, Rossi says. Because its something that you wouldnt find unless youre looking for it. Routine testing for blood counts, for instance before a patient has surgery, may pick up unexpectedly low blood counts. That would then spur further testing that could pick up an abnormal antibody thats a marker for multiple myeloma. In other cases, unsuspected multiple myeloma can become advanced and do a lot of damage to the body. Patients who end up in the emergency room with kidney failure are emergent, Rossi says. Or someone who presents because theyve broken a bone in their spine. Treatment Considerations A three-drug combination is typically used to treat patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma. Different drug classes work together against the disease. Berenson notes that todays plethora of drug treatments for myeloma are much more effective than in the past. With better targeting to cancer cells, he says, drugs now available cause far less collateral damage to the body and fewer side effects than just a dozen years ago. Multiple myeloma drugs from each class include the following: Drugs that destroy cancer cells: Proteasome inhibitors such as Velcade, Kyprolis and Ninlaro. Drugs that modify the immune systems response: Immunomodulatory agents such as Revlimid and Pomalyst. Steroids such as Decadron and Medrol. In his clinic, Berenson says, patients may also receive low-dose chemotherapy such as Doxil, Cytoxan or Bendamustine. Patients undergoing multiple myeloma treatment face a variety of side effects. Loss of appetite and mouth sores, hair loss, nausea and vomiting, anemia and sleep problems are among treatment side effects that patients may need help to cope with. [See: 10 Innovations in Cancer Therapy.] Stem Cell Transplant Option In some cases, patients undergo stem cell transplants using their own blood-forming stem cells, known as autologous transplants. Transplant complications can include infections, bleeding and anemia. Berenson says his group no longer recommends stem cell transplants, although others may recommend it highly. The transplant (clinical) trials are not really showing any benefit in terms of overall survival, Berenson says. They are showing a benefit in terms of delayed progression of the disease, but that may be a function of your inability to measure the tumor marker more than the ability to really delay the progression of the myeloma. However, Rossi says that improved testing means doctors are now better able to detect how well patients are responding to drug treatment. We test for what we call minimal residual disease and if you cant find it, that correlates with the best outcome, Rossi says. My practice is to start a patient on a three-drug combination and see how deep of a response I can get. If I can get them all the way until I cant find any myeloma, I may not use a transplant, she says. Ill save it for when they relapse. Some are high risk and some are standard risk, Rossi says. Understand that while its still considered an incurable disease, its a very highly treatable disease, Rossi says. Patients looking for accurate, current information on multiple myeloma including treatment outcomes and survival data should resist the urge to use Google, Rossi advises. People put out (information) online but dont go back to edit it, she says. So there are many things that are very out of date and no longer relevant. Seek information from a physician, not the internet. See a Specialist For patients with suspected multiple myeloma, it makes sense to see a specialist who is familiar with the condition to confirm the diagnosis and develop a treatment plan. The important thing is to get an accurate diagnosis, Rossi says. And its always helpful to get an opinion from a specialized center, because general oncologists in the community may not see a lot of myeloma. With rapid advances in research, emerging therapies and continually evolving approaches to treating multiple myeloma, getting a second opinion at a specialized center is worthwhile. It is a very good time for the field, Rossi says. Weve had a number of drug approvals with more emerging in the next year or two. Survival has quadrupled since 2005, which is just wonderful and hopeful. But every year we change the guidelines and the rules, and we have different ways of approaching things. Multiple myeloma specialists work in conjunction with local physicians, Rossi emphasizes, so patients can receive most of their care near home. One thing patients can do at home is make sure theyre drinking enough water to protect their kidneys. Dehydration is a concern with multiple myeloma, Rossi says, as patients kidneys are more vulnerable. Its unclear what people can do to prevent multiple myeloma beyond being aware of risk factors for cancer in general. Avoiding tobacco, reducing alcohol, following a healthy diet, being careful about chemical exposures and staying physically active are all tied to cancer prevention. Environmental toxins play a role in cancer risk. World Trade Center first responders during the 9/11 attacks have been shown to have a higher risk for multiple myeloma. For New York City firefighters exposed to Ground Zero toxins who are diagnosed with multiple myeloma, it tends to occur at a younger age and with more aggressive cancer than otherwise expected. [See: 7 Alternatives to Toxic Cleaning Products.] Multiple Myeloma Prognosis Advances in myeloma care are expected to continue with therapies early in the research pipeline and in clinical trials. For example, CAR-T cell therapy involves taking a patients T cells a type of cell in the immune system from the blood and altering them in the laboratory so they attack cancer cells. Quantities of these modified cells are grown in the lab and given to patients intravenously. However, therapies like these are still works in progress, Berenson says. CAR-T therapy is costly, he notes, and it remains to be seen whether its an improvement over conventional treatments for multiple myeloma. Antibody approaches that attack more specific myeloma markers have shown high effectiveness against myeloma, Berenson says. His group is also working on genetic approaches to targeting myeloma tumors. Patients are now living longer with multiple myeloma, with average survival rates on the rise. In our clinic, its approaching thankfully a decade, Berenson says. It was much different 30 years ago, he adds, when median survival after diagnosis was about two to two-and-a-half years. With all the new treatments, we have a dramatic improvement in overall survival of these patients, Berenson says. originally appeared on usnews.com | https://wtop.com/news/2019/01/what-is-multiple-myeloma/ |
Why are men so afraid of Gillette's toxic masculinity ad? | The razor company has a new commercial that takes its decades-old slogan, The best a man can get, and turns it on its ear. The ad, which depicts bullying, sexual harassment and more toxic masculinity, in other words asks, Is this the best a man can get? And a lot of men have taken to social media to lash out at Gillette and the commercial on YouTube, the spot has garnered 82,000 likes and a whopping 342,000 dislikes. It doesnt take a sociologist or a psychologist to recognize a lot of guilt and fear masquerading as anger. Piers Morgan, the TV personality never above digging in on an iffy position if it means attention, tweeted, I've used @Gillette razors my entire adult life but this absurd virtue-signaling PC guff may drive me away to a company less eager to fuel the current pathetic global assault on masculinity. Let boys be damn boys. Let men be damn men. I've used @Gillette razors my entire adult life but this absurd virtue-signalling PC guff may drive me away to a company less eager to fuel the current pathetic global assault on masculinity. Let boys be damn boys. Let men be damn men. https://t.co/Hm66OD5lA4 Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 14, 2019 Let Piers be Piers, more like. You wonder if hes actually seen the commercial, since let boys be boys is one of the excuses it challenges. Sending a message More responses: I will NEVER buy another @Gillette or @ProcterGamble product ever again. There latest commercial attacking men of disgusting. Attacking your customers is really smart! I will NEVER buy another @Gillette or @ProcterGamble product ever again. There latest commercial attacking men of disgusting. Attacking your customers is really smart! #GilletteAd Sean (@imgoingtomars1) January 15, 2019 Its not an attack on men, by the way. Its an attack on inappropriate and abusive behavior by men. This one is more direct: (Expletive) you @Gillette Im not buying your (expletive) ever again. Even former New Jersey Gov. Mike Huckabee weighed in. Get woke, go broke. @Gillette might be next to suffer that fate, after video by female director Kim Gehrig, depicting oafish male behavior and lecturing men on toxic masculinity. Why don't they sell soap-not their soap box? Get woke, go broke. @Gillette might be next to suffer that fate, after video by female director Kim Gehrig, depicting oafish male behavior and lecturing men on toxic masculinity. Gov. Mike Huckabee (@GovMikeHuckabee) January 15, 2019 Evidently he didnt read about the rise in value of Nike stock after their controversial Colin Kaepernick commercial. The company's stance On its website, Gillette says, Its time we acknowledge that brands, like ours, play a role in influencing culture. And as a company that encourages men to be their best, we have a responsibility to make sure we are promoting positive, attainable, inclusive and healthy versions of what it means to be a man. The company says it will donate $1 million a year to non-profits in the U.S. that help men become role models for the next generation. RELATED: Mid90s actors grapple with toxic masculinity Now, a couple of things here. Yes, it is a commercial Gillettes motives arent all altruistic. Their competitors have been gaining ground on them for some time. A little social consciousness cant hurt. They could have gone a different route, maybe tried to tap into the bro culture the guys whose behavior the company is challenging shave, too, after all. Good for Gillette for making such a thought-provoking ad. CLOSE Ben Brooks profiles 75 different men like Barack Obama, Patch Adams, and Bill Gates in a colorful picture book aimed to redefine masculinity for young boys by promoting kindness, sensitivity, and selflessness. Buzz60 Also: Its really in-your-face. Some of the more-reserved criticism claims that the bad behavior is stereotypical and not representative of all men. Duh. It's a commercial. They paint with a broad brush, in an attempt to reach as wide an audience, and attract as many eyeballs, as possible. Finally, not all of the reaction is negative. In fact, some people praise Gillette for the ad, and for addressing the issue head-on and in such a dramatic way. Simmer down But honestly, some of the anger directed at the ad floating around on social media is so overdone it almost seems like parody. Like this from a woman: (Expletive) Gillette. Men are meant to be masculine. Men and women are different. Not all men harass women and not all women are innocent. I LOVE MASCULINE MEN. Do not listen to their (expletive)! Simmer down. If calling men out on toxic behavior somehow offends you, no matter whos doing the calling, well, maybe a razor commercial isnt your biggest issue. And the last time I checked, Schick was still in business. Reach Goodykoontz at [email protected]. Facebook: facebook.com/GoodyOnFilm. Twitter: @goodyk. Click here to subscribe to azcentral.com. Go to connect.azcentral.com for a staff list, for more information about the newsroom and for details about upcoming events. FOLLOW AZCENTRAL'S THINGS TO DO Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/media/2019/01/15/why-are-men-afraid-of-gillette-metoo-commercial/2581893002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/media/2019/01/15/why-are-men-afraid-of-gillette-metoo-commercial/2581893002/ |
Did Joanna Jedrzejczyk Tease A Move To ONE Championship? | Former UFC womens strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk recently caused quite the stir online. The former Joanna Champion incited a minor uprising on social media when she tagged up-and-coming MMA promotion ONE Championship in a since-deleted Instagram post. Check it out: Jedrzejczyk was last seen losing a unanimous decision to Valentina Shevchenko for the womens flyweight title at December 8s UFC 231. After the loss, she hinted she would return to 115 despite the increasingly draining weight cut. After beginning her MMA career 14-0 with five consecutive UFC title defenses, Jedrzejczyk has fallen on tough times. She lost the 115-pound title to Rose Namajunas via shocking first-round knockout at UFC 217. Jedrzejczyk subsequently lost the rematch by decision at UFC 223. Although she rebounded with a win over Tecia Torres in her next bout, the loss to Shevchenko meant shes dropped three out of her last four bouts. Shes still under contract with the UFC. But theres no doubt ONE Championship made waves throughout 2018 in terms of adding elite talent to their growing roster. That includes former UFC champs Demetrious Johnson and Eddie Alvarez and former UFC poster boy Sage Northcutt. Jedrzejczyk had a public spat with the UFC recently as well. The UFC decided to book Sijara Eubanks vs. Shevchenko for the womens flyweight belt at last November 3s UFC 230 when Jedrzejczyk couldnt make the date. Although she eventually got the fight she was promised at UFC 231 when Daniel Cormier stepped in to fight Derrick Lewis at UFC 230, Jedrzejczyk professed her anger at supposedly being lied to by her employers. Of course, this is all speculation. But with Jedrzejczyk tagging ONE Championship and then deleting it coupled with ONEs big moves in the sport, the fans who got riled up cant be blamed. There just isnt a place Jedrzejczyk can really go right now in terms of title contention in the UFC. If Namajunas loses to Jessica Andrade at UFC 237, that may change. With her title reign fizzling out, she could be another fighter the UFC decides theyve used up for their purposes. It may not be the most professional move, yet theyve shown theyre more than willing to do it. | https://www.lowkickmma.com/did-joanna-jedrzejczyk-tease-a-move-to-one-championship/ |
Why do some farmers make the switch to once-a-day milking? | A growing number of farmers are giving serious consideration to once-a-day (OAD) milking; that was the general consensus at todays Teagasc once-a-day milking conference in Co. Tipperary. Following on from the success of last years event, another packed house in the Horse and Jockey Hotel was witnessed. Farmers a mixture of established dairy farmers and potential converts from beef farming attended the event to hear about the pros and cons of OAD milking. Many travelled to find out if OAD milking could be a potential solution to ease some of the pressures associated with modern-day, spring-calving, dairy systems. In the coming weeks, dairy farmers will enter into a peak-pressure period which will only intensify with a move towards a 90% six-week calving rate. The benefits and potential downfalls of OAD milking were discussed at length. Brian Hilliard, the organiser of todays event, has undertaken extensive work in this area over the years. While there was a lot of interest in the conference, only 70 farmers in Ireland currently operate an OAD milking system. During Brians presentation, he said: We had more and more queries last year because of the labour issues on farms; some farmers cant get good labour. This was especially evident last year, given the difficult [conditions]. Lifestyle is another huge factor when it comes to OAD milking. Some people are tired of being tied down milking cows twice-a-day (TAD), seven days a week, but OAD really changes that. It also might make farming more attractive to their sons or daughters. Brian also touched on walking distance from the parlour as a reason why farmers are making the switch, stating its a lot easier moving cows long or hilly distances when milking OAD and there is less lameness. Some people have switched so they can make better use of an outlet farm; some farmers are establishing a second unit and milking OAD on this block, he explained. Advertisement Other reasons Brian highlighted included: an off-farm job; drystock or beef farmers converting to dairy farming; and as a way of retiring and reducing the workload. Reasons for making the switch: Labour; Lifestyle; Walking distance; Outlet farm; Off-farm job; Drystock farmers; Means to retirement. A rough figure given is a 20% reduction in milk solids when farmers switch from TAD to OAD, but it affects different cows in different ways. But you are going to take a drop in yield so you will take a drop in income. However, this drop in income is partially compensated by a higher price which is on average approximately 5c/L more. While you have lower volume, you will have a higher fat and protein percentage. He also highlighted that farmers will have lower costs such as labour, electricity and parlour running costs, coupled with better health and fertility. The Teagasc advisor also outlined that farmers will have more time to manage their farms, with less resultant stress on the farmer and the cow. However, Brian highlighted that it is important that farmers plan ahead if thinking about making the switch and that getting to know the cows that suit the system is paramount. A successful OAD system requires cows that suit the system. Poor-performing, high SCC cows with bad udders need to be culled from the herd; grassland management also needs to be of a high standard. Farmers need to select bulls that produce cows of medium size, that have good resistance to mastitis and that have good udder support, he explained. Finally, Brian recommended visiting other OAD farms and joining discussion groups if farmers are serious about transitioning. Other speakers Todays event featured a number of presentations from Teagasc advisors. Teagascs George Ramsbottom presented a paper on a case-study where a dairy farmer was entering the second season operating a OAD milking system. Teagascs Dr. Joe Patton outlined the nutrition guidelines involved, when it comes to an OAD dairy herd. In addition, Gillian OSullivan (Co. Waterford), Declan White (Co. Cork) and Ed Payne (Co. Roscommon) spoke of the benefits they have witnessed since making the switch to OAD milking. | https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/why-do-some-farmers-make-the-switch-to-once-a-day-milking/ |
Why Hasnt Everything Already Disappeared? | Als Bradford Cox met zijn sublieme groepje Deerhunter een Nick Cave -iaanse song als Death in Midsummer schrijft, dan tuigt hij die nog wat op, met een klavecimbel (tingeltangel!) en meer. 4.0 5 0 Het resultaat is geen pretentieuze onzin, maar een grand cru. Dit is Deerhunters achtste plaat, hij klinkt helemaal als Deerhunter en toch als geen enkele voorganger. Aan pretentie overigens geen gebrek. Er zijn songs als a postcard from the slipstream (Dtournement), er is een track over de vermoorde politica Jo Cox (No Ones Sleeping). Ze vallen allemaal in een unieke plooi zoals alleen speciale groepen die kunnen vormgeven. Op deze plaat zijn toetsen belangrijker dan gitaren, en toch is de onderbuik nooit ver weg. Geen idee, Bradford, maar je nieuwste plaat is fan-fucking-tastisch. | https://www.humo.be/cd-reviews/397709/deerhunter-why-hasnt-everything-already-disappeared?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HumoAlgemeen+%28Nu+op+humo.be%29 |
Is het vandaag nog mogelijk een song te schrijven zonder van plagiaat beschuldigd te worden? | Een jury moet binnenkort uitmaken of de Britse popster het ritme en de melodie van Marvin Gayes Lets Get It On geplagieerd heeft voor de hit Thinking Out Loud. Dat heeft een rechter in New York vorige week beslist. Die opperde dat er wezenlijke gelijkenissen bestaan tussen beide songs. De klagers zijn erfgenamen van producer Edward Townsend, die Lets Get It On samen met Gaye schreef. Het doet denken aan het proces dat de erfgenamen van Gaye aanspanden tegen Robin Thicke en Pharrell Williams, wier Blurred Lines in hun oren te veel klonk als Got to Give It Up. Een lucratieve zaak: Thicke moest ruim 6 miljoen euro ophoesten. 'Onze grootste angst is tegenwoordig om ooit een wereldhit te schrijven', vertelden de jongens van het soulduo Jungle ons vorig jaar. 'We hebben het buskruit niet uitgevonden, h. Zowat elke song van ons is door een van onze muzikale helden genspireerd. We zijn het haasje als de erfgenamen van deze of gene soulzanger geld riekt.' Ook Tom Barman van dEUS vertelde eerder al in De Morgen dat 'honderden, zo niet duizenden liedjes' tot zijn muzikale DNA behoren. Een van de riffs in Suds & Soda werd bijvoorbeeld gelicht uit Are You Gonna Go My Way van Lenny Kravitz. 'Bewust of onbewust heb ik eindeloos veel geplunderd uit het werk van mijn grote voorbeelden. Sommigen beschouwen dat als een eerbetoon, anderen als bewerking, maar voor mijn part noem je het ook gewoon fuckin diefstal.' 'Bewust of onbewust heb ik eindeloos veel geplunderd uit het werk van mijn grote voorbeelden' Tom Barman, dEUS Maar op fuckin diefstal staat natuurlijk een straf. En in de popmuziek wemelt het vandaag van claims. Zo werd vorig jaar onder meer Lana Del Rey (door Radiohead) op het matje geroepen, evenals Nicki Minaj (door Tracey Chapman) en Eurovisie-winnares Netta (door The White Stripes). Ook Taylor Swift en Bruno Mars hadden wat uit te leggen. Inspiratiebron en meer Of er in muzikale disputen sprake is van een inbreuk op het auteursrecht, is bij popmuziek niet zo eenvoudig te duiden. Sabam verzamelt bij zon dispuut een expertencommissie van musicologen, die een technisch rapport opstellen met een gedetailleerde conclusie, maar zonder oordeel of het om plagiaat gaat. Met dat rapport kunnen artiesten dan wel eventueel naar de rechtbank stappen. 'Maar dat gebeurt in Belgi eigenlijk zelden', zegt Olivier Maeterlinck van Sabam. 'Meestal proberen auteurs en componisten dat in der minne te regelen.' Zoals Johnny Cash die Gordon Jenkins ooit een envelop met 75.000 dollar (65.000 euro) stuurde, toen die laatste terecht had opgemerkt dat Folsom Prison Blues wel rg leek op Crescent City Blues. Of zoals Sam Smith, die spontaan royaltys aanbood toen bleek dat zijn nummer Stay with Me onbedoeld overeenkomsten vertoonde met een song van Tom Petty en Jeff Lynne. Beide heren werden daarop in de credits opgenomen. Tussenbeide komen doet Sabam zelf nooit. 'Plagiaat moet uitgevochten worden in de rechtbank. We beheren wereldwijd de rechten van auteurs en componisten. Partij kiezen is niet mogelijk.' Advocaat Didier Deneuter, expert intellectuele rechten, media- en entertainmentrecht, merkt dat hij steeds vaker vragen over plagiaat krijgt op zijn bureau. 'Het is schering en inslag dat een artiest elementen uit zijn eigen werk herkent bij de song van deze of gene artiest. Of dat die zlf schrikt wanneer zon beschuldiging hem of haar bereikt. Nh. (lacht) Dat mag ik natuurlijk niet, behalve als de zaak ook effectief voorkomt.' 'Hedendaagse composities zijn eenvoudig en liggen dichter bij elkaar dan pakweg een decennium geleden' Didier Deneuter, expert media- en entertainmentrecht Meestal wordt zon dispuut buiten de muren van de rechtbank afgehandeld, weet hij. 'Procederen duurt lang en is kostelijk. Een regeling valt dan te verkiezen. De vraag of er sprake is van plagiaat is ook niet zo eenvoudig te beantwoorden: de loutere gelijkenis van een passage is niet noodzakelijk een inbreuk op het auteursrecht. En maar goed ook. Anders zou er binnen de popmuziek eenvoudigweg geen ruimte meer zijn voor nieuwe nummers. Hedendaagse composities zijn eenvoudig, en liggen dichter bij elkaar dan pakweg een decennium geleden, door het gebruik van veel mineurakkoorden of de millennial whoop: een alomtegenwoordig melodieschema.' Plagiaatzaken zijn er altijd geweest in de popwereld. 'Nee', vertelt succesartiest en producer Nile Rodgers ons. 'Je wilt echt niet weten hoe vaak ik mijn eigen melodien en riffs al elders heb gehoord. Ik zou schatrijk kunnen zijn! Maar ik ben zelf ongetwijfeld ook niet vrij van zonde. Alle muziek, mode en architectuur is nu eenmaal genspireerd door iets anders. Dat verbieden betekent het einde van creativiteit. Plagianoia is catastrofaal voor muzikanten en artistieke vrijheid. Niet bij ons, zegt Deneuter. Elementen zoals stijl, sound of gebruikt instrumentarium, die gelijkenissen vertonen zijn in ons land in se irrelevant voor de beoordeling van een auteursrechtelijke inbreuk.' In USA Today werd naar aanleiding van de vele auteursrechtszaken niettemin verontrust geschreven: 'Has a new ambulance-chasing business been born in the music industry?'Ambulancejagers zijn advocaten die hun potentile clinten na een ongeval aansporen tot de meest waanzinnige aanklachten. Dat net de meest succesvolle artiesten onder vuur worden genomen, is dus geen wonder. 'En een retroartiest als Bruno Mars zet zichzelf dan nog eens recht in de vuurlinie door zo met het verleden te dwepen,' vult Rodgers aan. Sluipwegen Sheerans advocaten ontkennen alvast de beschuldiging. De song Thinking Out Loud heeft volgens hen een 'sombere, melancholische toon en gaat over langdurige romantische liefde', terwijl Lets Get It On een 'seksuele hymne' is. Of dat argument overeind blijft in een proces, is maar de vraag. 'Bij de beoordeling van auteursrechtelijk plagiaat moet in de eerste plaats gekeken worden naar de gelijkenissen', weet Deneuter. 'Verschillen zijn daarbij ondergeschikt.' Het risico op plagiaat finaal omzeilen, is helaas niet mogelijk, gelooft het duo achter Jungle. 'Pop en dansmuziek zijn op dat vlak veel lastiger dan klassieke composities. Hitgevoelige songs gebruiken minder akkoorden, waardoor een catchy melodie al snel lijkt op een bestaand werk. Maar er zijn wel enkele sluipwegen. Een tegendraads basriedeltje kan de groove en melodie van je song helemaal omgooien. Een veelzijdige drummer is ook geen overbodige luxe. En verder: als je dnkt dat je je eigen song al eens eerder hebt gehoord, is het vast ook zo. (lacht) Maar dat mag je niet tegenhouden: de beste muziek en andere kunstwerken moeten het vaak net hebben van respectloosheid. Daar is zeker iets van aan.' De Morgen | https://www.humo.be/muziek/397715/is-het-vandaag-nog-mogelijk-een-song-te-schrijven-zonder-van-plagiaat-beschuldigd-te-worden?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+HumoAlgemeen+%28Nu+op+humo.be%29 |
Does Apple want to be more like Dixons? | Good news for anyone who's ever wished Apple Stores were a bit less friendly, a bit more incompetent, a bit more you're-not-leaving-until-you-buy-an-extended-warranty. Apple has decided that it needs some expertise from Dixons, and it's poached Dixons CEO John Browett to become its senior vice president of retail. Er, probably not. There are only two possible explanations for Browett's appointment. Either there's more to Dixons - and to Browett - than most people imagine, or Tim Cook has gone completely and utterly insane. I don't know about you, but I'm betting on the first option. National service If your experience of Dixons is limited to the airport shops or a dim memory of a buck-toothed simpleton trying to sell you Coverplan on a pack of triple-A Duracells then you're bound to think Tim Cook's gone crazy, but the truth is that Dixons is very different to the way some - perhaps even most - of us see it. While most of the consumer electricals market is firmly in the toilet - Best Buy blew it, Comet's currently worth about ten pence, most of the industry only really exists online - Dixons is still hanging in there, helped considerably by a change of approach that improved store layouts, integrated online ordering and introduced the KnowHow installation, support and repair service. It's easy to mock KnowHow, especially if you're reasonably tech-savvy, but it's part of a wider change that's seen Dixons try to differentiate itself from rivals by concentrating on service, not box-shifting. I think Browett's focus on service, along with Dixons' sheer scale - it's an enormous, pan-European operation - is what's attracted Tim Cook's attention. Apple wants somebody who cares about service and who can handle a truly massive retail operation. John Browett ticks both boxes. Maybe I'm wrong and maybe Tim Cook has gone completely nuts, and the future of Apple Stores involves red-jumpered loons with no product knowledge breaking Macs all over the place. It would certainly be quite funny, but given that Apple's just posted yet another record-breaking quarter and annexed yet more of the world's money, I'm inclined to think Tim Cook knows exactly what he's doing. Although I bet you'll get asked more often about AppleCare. Then check out Apple's numbers have a story to tell Sign up for TechRadar's free Week in Tech newsletter Get the top stories of the week, plus the most popular reviews delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up at http://www.techradar.com/register Follow TechRadar on Twitter * Find us on Facebook * Add us on Google+ | https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/computing/apple/does-apple-want-to-be-more-like-dixons-1058886 |
Can Hogan lead the GOP sanity caucus in his second term? | Gov. Larry Hogan spent much of his re-election bid fending off complaints from Democrats that he wasnt opposing President Donald Trump forcefully enough. Hardly a day went by when one candidate or another wasnt after him to denounce his fellow Republican about something his treatment of immigrants, climate change, health care, tax policy, race relations, you name it. Mr. Hogan sometimes did rebuke the president usually calmly but just as often, he would shrug off the complaints and say he was focused on Maryland, not whats going on in Washington. But with his inauguration for a second term tomorrow, the idea that Mr. Hogan could rise to lead the GOPs anti-Trumpers is gaining some currency among his supporters, with his decision to invite former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush sparking a fresh round of tea leaf-reading about how the governor intends to position himself in his partys national firmament. That seems unlikely to us, or at least Quixotic, but the idea that Mr. Hogan could become a national symbol of prudence and sanity in the Trump-hijacked GOP is entirely plausible. In fact, if he intends to stand up for his constituents, its inevitable. Maryland is without question one of the states most severely hurt by the partial federal government shutdown precipitated by President Trumps insistence that Congress approve $5.7 billion to build a wall along part of the Mexican border. The Bureau of Revenue Estimates reported Monday that 172,000 Marylanders have been impacted directly by the shutdown, including 90,000 federal workers and 163,000 federal contractors. Combined, that translates to $778 million in lost wages (and about $60 million in missing state and local tax revenue) every two weeks. The direct federal employees will most likely get paid their back wages when the shutdown ends, but many of the federal contractors wont, meaning the economic damage will be permanent. Mr. Hogan has sent two letters of protest (one, along with Montanas Democratic governor, as the shutdown loomed and another with the Democratic governor of Virginia and mayor of Washington as it dragged on), but the situation is too grave for him to leave it at that. Mr. Hogan can and should be a leading voice within his party to pressure Republican Senate leaders to move legislation to re-open the government. The anti-immigrant politics at the heart of Mr. Trumps demand for a wall also clash with Marylands interests. Though not a border state, Marylands economy is highly dependent on immigrants, who make up a disproportionate share of its entrepreneurs as well as its workers in the top echelons of its economy (medicine, biosciences, engineering, etc.) and its lower rungs (construction, agriculture, etc.). A 2016 report by the Department of Legislative Services found higher workforce participation and lower unemployment among the states immigrants than its native born population. Particularly in the Washington region, immigrants (legal and otherwise) are the prime drivers of Marylands growth. Its not surprising, then, that Mr. Hogan does not traffic in anti-immigrant rhetoric and has publicly objected to some Trump administration policies, including forced family separations at the border and limits on guest worker visas. But he could do more. Touting the benefits of immigration was once a mainstream position in the Republican Party, and Mr. Hogan is ideally positioned to give voice to it again. Maryland stands to lose more than most if Republican attacks on the Affordable Care Act succeed. Not only would hundreds of thousands of Marylanders lose their health insurance but the state's hospitals would stand to lose billions in federal payments they receive under a waiver from traditional Medicare rules. Maryland has served as a national model in constraining the growth in health care costs while simultaneously improving quality through a policy experiment authorized under the ACA that was conceived by the OMalley administration and solidified and expanded under Mr. Hogan. And at a time when rising premium costs and declining support for outreach and marketing drove down enrollment in other states, Governor Hogan and the General Assembly enacted policies that led to premium reductions and higher enrollment here. The ACA was in its conception a hybrid of Republican and Democratic ideas about health care reform (though few in the GOP would be willing to admit it), and Mr. Hogan is well positioned to make the case to a national audience that it can succeed if both parties try to make it work. (He would be better positioned to do so if he championed the next steps Maryland should take to constrain health care costs and expand access a state-level individual mandate that allows Marylanders to use any fines they owe as a down payment on qualifying health insurance and a prescription drug price review board.) Maryland is also particularly vulnerable to climate change, given the effects of sea level rise on its coastline. Mr. Hogan has taken steps to oppose the Trump administrations willful ignorance on climate science (for example, penning a Washington Post oped with Virginia gov. Ralph Northam urging states to lead on reducing carbon emissions in the absence of federal action). He can do more here, too, by backing legislation to increase Marylands renewable energy targets. | https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/editorial/bs-ed-0116-hogan-trump-20190115-story.html |
How about negotiating with Mexico over wall? | Republicans have stated over and over and over that they would build the Southern border wall and Mexico will pay for it. It is a dominant chant at their rallies. As we know, Republican leaders brag about using distraction as a negotiating tactic. The agenda we are not seeing appears more important than solely maintaining stable government operations, border security, economic security, or even national security. Otherwise, Republican leaders, please stop flip-flopping on your promise, quit your whining (Trump walks out of talks, Jan. 10), and get on down to Mexico. You have by your own admission the best negotiator in the world, if not recorded history. Use your artistry to make a deal for the $5 billion. While you are at it, get the whole $50 billion and be done with it. At least you can say you tried. C.W. Anderson, Pasadena Become a subscriber today to support editorial writing like this. Start getting full access to our signature journalism for just 99 cents for the first four weeks. | https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/readersrespond/bs-ed-rr-mexico-wall-letter-20190114-story.html |
Is Oppo About to Reveal a Smartphone With a 10x Optical Zoom? | Share It looks like Oppo is set to reveal a revolutionary new piece of tech that allows for a 10x optical zoom within the narrow confines of a smartphone. According to an invite sent out to some members of the Chinese press, Oppo will be showing this off in a media event on Wednesday, January 16. According to TechSpot, the tagline at the bottom of the invite roughly translates to 10 times the view, see you soon clearly implying an advance in zoom tech. This isnt the first time weve seen Oppo barge to the forefront in camera zoom technology either. Back in 2017, it showed off a 5x optical zoom for smartphones, and though the tech never made its way to any consumer phones, its possible Oppo wanted to refine and advance it before releasing it. This level of optical zoom would have previously been thought to be impossible on such a small device but Oppos method of achieving lossless zoom is pretty ingenious. Rather than extending the camera lens out from the smartphone, Oppo lays the cameras lens vertically down the phone, then uses a prism to bend light 90 degrees to reach it. With an optical image stabilization system at the end, Oppo ensured the 5x zoom system could get steady, clear images. While theres little information on the 10x zoom, its likely it works on a similar idea. If youve ever zoomed in a smartphone camera its likely you were disappointed with the results. Getting a clear zoom usually requires a telephoto lens, and a telephoto lens needs room to work its magic room that isnt generally available in ever-thinner smartphones. Smartphone manufacturers have been working on this problem for years, and though 2x zoom lenses are now common in many dual-lens setups, zooming past that is rare. The Huawei P20 Pro uses a 3x telephoto lens and digital enhancements to create a 5x Hybrid zoom, while the Pixel 3s Super Res Zoom uses A.I. to boost zoomed shots. With Oppo having previous in this category were willing to give them the benefit of the doubt and assume it has cracked a 10x optical zoom. However, it remains to be seen how good it is in practice, and whether Oppo will actually sell this tech in a consumer phone. If its at MWC 2019, well be sure to check it out. | https://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/oppo-10x-optical-zoom-smartphone/ |
Can the best line in hockey save the Colorado Avalanche? | Before Colorado Avalanche third-line centre Carl Soderberg jabbed the final dagger into the heart of the Toronto Maple Leafs with his third goal of the game. Before Maple Leafs defenceman Jake Gardiner was booed by the local supporters for his lack of determination. Before Colorado's 6-3 win in Toronto on Monday evening, the debate was whether or not it was time for Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar to break up the best line in hockey. The 46-year-old former defenceman from Yorkton, Sask., had done it before, just after Christmas. But the brief move did not turn around his side's fortunes. Colorado kept losing a lot. The Avalanche had turned a solid 17-7-5 start into a fight for its playoff lives. The victory over the Maple Leafs only was Colorado's fourth in 17 outings, a reversal from last year when Colorado began with a middling 12-13-2 record and finished in a flurry with a 31-17-7 run. So Bednar stuck with Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and captain Gabriel Landeskog. The Avalanche was the dominant team early but fell behind Toronto 2-0. But then the best line in hockey went to work. Landeskog had an all-world deflection for his team's first goal. Rantanen then stripped Maple Leafs centre Nazem Kadri to score a dandy unassisted goal. All of sudden, the Avalanche were tied against one of the better clubs in the game. Thanks to Soderberg's first career hat trick the Avalanche scored a massive victory, with the hope of better times ahead. WATCH | Highlights from Colorado's win: Colorado beats Toronto 6-3, 1st career hat trick for Carl Soderberg. 1:41 Teams can't get by with 1 player There's no secret the NHL is a league you can't get by with only one good player, or one good line or one dominant d-man or a sensational netminder. The difference between the Avalanche's finish a year ago and start in the first eight weeks of the season is the secondary scoring was there, the goaltending was better and so was the penalty kill. But those three areas were abysmal in this slide. Colorado was a decent team because of the success of MacKinnon, Rantanen and Landeskog, and it was Bednar's belief that's how his team was going to skate out of its slump. "I think they're one of the best lines, if not the best line, in the league," Bednar said before the game. "So if we're going to get out of this thing, we're going to lean on those guys heavily." The two goals by Landeskog and Rantanen expanded the big line's total to 75 in 46 games, meaning it has accounted for 47.7 per cent of Colorado's 157 goals. In comparison, Calgary's Sean Monahan, Johnny Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm have scored 73 of the Western Conference-leading Flames 173 goals (42.2 per cent). There is something extra special about the dazzling play of MacKinnon, Rantanen and Landeskog. The Canadian, MacKinnon, combines speed and power like no other. The Finn, Rantanen, can finish. Landeskog, a Swede, is a complete 200-foot player. All three will be going to the all-star game in a couple of weeks, but before they get to San Jose it will be interesting to see what's in store for this talented trio and its teammates. Boiling point Frustration hit the team hard in Calgary last week when MacKinnon was caught on camera yelling at Bednar, tossing a water bottle in disgust and telling his coach to "do your job." Two days later, MacKinnon handled the controversy with class. He was apologetic and acknowledged he made a mistake with his tantrum. He felt Bednar should have been pulled the Avalanche goalie earlier in that game for an extra skater. But times didn't get better that evening in Montreal as the Canadiens shut out the visitors 3-0 on Saturday. It only was the fourth time all season that the big line had failed to score. Like most of the good ones in this game, there is something about MacKinnon that makes you believe the Cole Harbour, N.S., native will push the Avalanche through these problematic times. "I said it the other night, that's what makes him so good," Bednar said rehashing the incident with MacKinnon. "He's a fiery guy, an emotional guy, and you have to play this game with passion and emotion. He does that on a nightly basis. It was a non-issue after the game and it's a non-issue now." | https://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/can-the-best-line-in-hockey-save-the-colorado-avalanche-1.4978781?cmp=rss |
Can Red Wings extend Ducks' losing streak to 12 games? | It's OK if you're not, but Tuesday night's game against the Anaheim Ducks might be worth seeing. Game time: 7:30 p.m. in Detroit 7:30 p.m. in Detroit TV: PRIT, FSDT PRIT, FSDT Last meeting: Oct. 8, 2018 -- Anaheim W, 3-2 (SO) And on second thought: No, it's not OK if you're not paying attention to the Red Wings. This is a team with a group of young players who will -- hopefully -- collectively grow into a good hockey team, eventually. For now, it's time to take it game-by-game and watch these guys grow. And we are all waiting to see what the team does at/before the NHL trade deadline in Feburary. We shall see. Here's a quick look at the Red Wings' past five games: Jan. 4, 2019 vs. Nashville W 4-3 (OT) Jan. 6, 2019 vs. Washington L 2-3 | Game Recap Jan. 8, 2019 vs. Montreal (7:30 p.m.) L 2-3 | Game Recap Jan. 11, 2019 @ Winnipeg L 2-4 Jan. 12, 2019 @ Minnesota (8 p.m.) W 5-2 | Game Recap Yes, as you can see the Red Winsg are 2-3-0 in their past five. The anwser is ... maybe, but probably not. Detroit is 13 points out of a playoff spot and just 2 points out of last place in the Eastern Conference. Saturday night's victory over the Minnesota Wild featured a hat trick from Tyler Bertuzzi -- that was fun. It also was defenseman Mike Green's second game back from an injury. When Green is healthy and in the lineup, the Red Wings are better -- there are numerous stats to back this up that I don't have the time to look up right now, but the bottom line is they win more with Green in the lineup than they do without him. Injury report: Trevor Daley is on injured reserve with a broken foot and is expected to miss three-to-five weeks of action. is on injured reserve with a broken foot and is expected to miss three-to-five weeks of action. Dan DeKeyser is on the injured reserve list with a hand injury but is slated to return Tuesday against the Ducks. is on the injured reserve list with a hand injury but is slated to return Tuesday against the Ducks. Michael Rasmussen has been held out of the previous four games with a lower-body injury and it is unclear if he will be available against the Ducks on Tuesday. Let's take a moment to stare at the Red Wings points leaders through 47 games: Games Played Goals Assists Points Dylan Larkin 47 18 26 44 Gustav Nyquist 47 10 29 39 Andreas Athanasiou 41 17 10 27 Frans Nielsen 43 7 18 25 Tyler Bertuzzi 45 13 12 25 Here are the next five games on the schedule: Jan. 15, 2019 vs. Anaheim (7:30 p.m.) Jan. 18, 2019 @ Calgary (9 p.m.) Jan. 20, 2019 @ Vancouver (4 p.m.) Jan. 22, 2019 @ Edmonton (9 p.m.) Feb. 1, 2019 vs. Toronto (7:30 p.m.) And that brings us to Tuesday's game against Anaheim ... The Ducks are drowning Now would be the perfect time for the Ducks to get their feathers in line and win a game. They're visiting one of the bottom teams in the Eastern Conference. Head coach Randy Carlyle's job might depend on it. Bob Murray may not have a track record of firing coaches before the season's end, but when you lose this many games in a row and potentially a playoff spot ... something has got to give. Forward Rickard Rakell, who scored 34 goals and 35 assists last season for the Ducks, is back in the lineup. He's played the past three games, his first three since Dec. 5. That's the good news for the Ducks. The bad news is Corey Perry remains out of the lineup with a torn MCL. He is not expected back until March. No one on this team has more than 12 goals, and that's a huge problem. Rakell's return could help this cause -- he scored on Sunday. The even worse news for Anaheim is their division -- the Pacific -- is really good. The Ducks are in a battle for a Wild Card spot with Edmonton and Vancouver while they remain 13 points behind the Vegas Knights, who hold the 3rd spot in the Pacific. The Calgary Flames are -- get this -- 17 points ahead of the Ducks right now. And guess what: The Red Wings' next three games are against Calgary, Vancouver and Edmonton. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. | https://www.clickondetroit.com/sports/can-red-wings-extend-ducks-losing-streak-to-12-games- |
Who Is James Turrell And Why Did Kanye West Just Give Him $10 Million? | ! Backing up a bit Kanye had quite the 2018, it led many of his once loyal fans to wonder if all the great art hes given us is really worth the shenanigans. The jury is still out on that one for a lot of us, so Kanye making a sizable donation to anyone has us all giving Mr. West the side-eye treatment. On one hand, James Turrell might just be some young designer trying to make his way in the fashion world, or he could be involved with some sort of Super PAC and this is related to Kanyes future Presidential run, he might even just be some legendary 20th century pornographer the point is, when it comes to Kanye West, this can be anyone. Well, we can all breathe a sigh of relief because James Turrells hat is placed pretty firmly in the world of fine art, which might come as some surprise since Kanye seemed to be drifting further from that world with each passing year. Turrell is an American artist best known for his work within the Light and Space art movement, particularly his Skyspaces and the sensory overloading Ganzfelds named for the German word used to describe the phenomenon of a total loss of depth perception. Looking at a Turrell Ganzfeld might bring something else to mind though the once-inescapable Hotline Bling video. VEVO Florian Holzherr Hotline Bling owes a lot to Turrell (its a straight rip), but he had nothing to do with it aside from his work being such a big influence that he had to release a statement clarifying his lack of involvement. Aside from his Ganzfelds, for over 40 years Turrell has been hard at work trying to make his biggest project The Roden Crater a reality. Now, thanks to Wests $10 million donation he may actually finish it. The Roden Crater project seeks to transform the Flagstaff Arizona crater into an observatory and is described on Turrells website as a distinct set of changing experiences of light, Turrells intervention in the natural form of Roden Crater consists of a series of chambers, pathways, tunnels, and openings onto the sky from within and around the craters surface. Sounds pretty future to us, or at the least from a galaxy far far away because were pretty sure theyre describing Tatooine. A description is one thing though, seeing is believing, and after Turrell took West to visit the work in progress last month he seemed instantly won over, relaying his experience via Twitter. Went to visit the James Turrell crater two days ago. This is life changing. We all will live in Turrell spaces ye (@kanyewest) December 13, 2018 Kanye and team visiting the Roden Crater by James Turrell in Flagstaff, Arizona earlier this week. Kanye also visited the location on December 11. pic.twitter.com/4rySiP5Ujs TeamKanyeDaily (@TeamKanyeDaily) December 21, 2018 While we dont yet know just what exactly Kanye experienced at the Roden Crater, we can at least confidently say it left a pretty profound effect on him, worth 10-freaking-million dollars. If youre not familiar with James Turrells work, get on it now the man didnt receive the genius-grant in 1984 (and $10 million of Kim Kardashian-Wests money) for being only so-so. | https://uproxx.com/life/who-is-james-turrell-kanye-west-10-million-dollars/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+uproxx%2Ffeatures+%28UPROXX%29 |
Is "market-based" philanthropy just colonialism in a friendlier form? | Anand Giridharadas 2018 book, Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World, takes a deep dive inside the world of elite philanthropy. Andy Douglas (Photo: Special to the Press-Citizen) The journalist and political analyst describes a burgeoning network of financiers, venture capitalists, and tech entrepreneurs who gather at sites like the Aspen Institute Conference, Ted Talks and luxury cruises to discuss big ideas aimed at solving the worlds problems. At the Clinton Global Initiative conference, for example, corporate types shell out to mingle with politicians to champion globalization and embrace of markets, and a vision of the rich and poor rising together. In Giridharadas view, this philanthropy is often top-down, paternalistic, and most importantly, doesnt interrogate the root causes of poverty, or the wealthys role in creating those problems. He describes the market-based protocols such entrepreneurs blithely use to determine the best way to solve world problems, quoting business exec Sean Hinton who sees these as a continuation of colonial arrogance, the enlightened white man arriving with money and science and noble intentions. At the root of this outlook are fundamental capitalist ideas, as expressed by Adam Smith: the selfish pursuit of prosperity takes care of everyone just as well as actually trying to take care of everyone. Contemporary books like "Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business" tout this gospel. Talented and idealistic university students are increasingly encouraged to enter the world of finance, thinking they need to master the systems tools in order to help the poor, only to find their ideals inevitably bending toward serving the market. A prime example of this myopic philanthropy is the Sackler family, one of the countrys wealthiest. While they have many charitable interests, theyve also relentlessly pushed their product Oxycontin as the primary pain drug, ignoring a booming addiction problem. Such elites employ rationalizations even though our economic system has problems, its what we have. This gives rise to watered-down approaches to change that are depoliticized and too respectful of the status quo. For even as execs mingle and imbibe ideas, tech-based companies like Uber, Airbnb and Amazon face charges of exploitative behavior. Since 1973, the hourly wage of most American workers has not risen in line with economic productivity. The countrys wealth has become concentrated in few hands. Stagnant health care, unaffordable drugs, student debt, and decreasing labor protections add to the uncertainty, while corporations shuttle any losses onto the shoulders of workers or consumers. After 9/11, and now with the rise of Trumpian nationalism, the question has arisen for elites, why are the masses gravitating toward nationalism, demagogy, resentful exclusion, and rejecting the cherished beliefs of borderlessness, the market, and benign technocratic stewardship? One answer, Giridharadas says, is that politics is about actual places, and globalism risks belonging to no one. Giridharadas also makes an interesting distinction between what he calls critics and thought leaders. The critic is a public intellectual and foe of power, with no qualms about pointing out the emperor has no clothes. Thought leaders, who dominate the kind of landscapes hes describing, tend to know one big thing and believe that their idea will change the world. A critic might call for an end to funding schools by local property taxes and creation of a national pool that funds schools equally. Thought leaders on the other hand might compensate star teachers and weed out bad ones. Where a critic calls for economic redistribution, a thought leader calls for higher salaries to improve leadership. Giridharadas himself was part of this lecture circuit. He is critical not only of the feel-good business philanthropists who populate it, but of other popular speakers like Steven Pinker. Pinker, he says, cites the long-term direction of history to minimize the concerns of those without power: things are getting better; your problems are not that bad. Writers' Group member Andy Douglas is the author of "The Curve of the World: Into the Spiritual Heart of Yoga." Read or Share this story: https://www.press-citizen.com/story/opinion/contributors/writers-group/2019/01/15/market-based-philanthropy-just-colonialism-friendlier-form/2566865002/ | https://www.press-citizen.com/story/opinion/contributors/writers-group/2019/01/15/market-based-philanthropy-just-colonialism-friendlier-form/2566865002/ |
What Will VAT Mean For Companies In The UAE? | April 30, 2017 7 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Following the announcement last year that the UAE will introduce VAT on the 1st of January 2018, those of us working here must prepare for a huge shift in the economic and financial landscape. In most cases it will not be cost-effective for smaller businesses to rely on giant firms, so there is a very real opportunity for independent consultants and startup businesses to step in and help with the journey to VAT readiness and compliance. Advisors with direct VAT knowledge will be needed to help prepare businesses in the run-up, while advisors with compliance and supervisory qualifications will be required once tax is being collected from next year. This is opening the door for consultants with the right backgrounds and blend of skills, and it will certainly create many new positions across the Gulf for tax and accountancy specialists. The framework for VAT VAT (Value Added Tax) is a consumption levy imposed on goods and services, and is near universal across the world. The decision to introduce it to the Gulf states has been prompted by the need to diversify the regional economy and boost revenue generation, and in particular to reduce dependence on oil revenues. The change has far-reaching implications both for businesses in the region and for the service companies and professionals who advise them on accountancy and financial matters. Its a complex topic and the fine details are still being worked out as the countdown to January 2018 begins, but the framework is reasonably clear. The tax will apply to almost all goods and services except basic food items, education and healthcare, and it will be set at 5%. Every business function will be affected, from IT and human resources through to procurement, finance, and marketing. This is because VAT is a requirement at every stage in the supply chain. Although large corporations, SMEs and small family businesses all have potential liabilities, only companies with revenue over a specific amount will have to register for VAT by law. The Ministry of Finance has confirmed that businesses with an annual revenue of more than AED 375,000 will be required to register for VAT, while those with a revenue of between AED 187,500 and AED 375,000 can choose whether they wish to register during the initial roll out or postpone it until later. Businesses will be able to register for VAT with the Ministry of Finance from October 2017, by which time all the requirements will be known. Free zones and VAT The VAT position in the free zones begs a few questions and needs some clarifications before the ground rules are fixed. For example, assessors must consider how to class goods and services that are obtained inside a free zone but which have originated outside the zone, be it from the same region or from overseas. And they must also consider how to treat suppliers between different free zones, as well as be aware of any tax nuances and variations between the six member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), who will apply VAT in accordance with specific local rules and regulations. VAT planning and advice With less than 10 months to go before VAT is introduced, comprehensive planning, preparation and checking is essential to ensure a smooth transition. Businesses must educate their staff, customers and vendors, and reconfigure all their systems. This is no small undertaking in a region that is used to subsidies and has no experience of taxation. It is a cultural change as much as an economic one, and requires detailed impact assessment and change management. If VAT is not applied correctly, businesses will find themselves in an administrative and financial mess, and failure to comply with the new tax laws will also incur penalties. Research has shown that many companies have been slow to respond. According to an EY survey in 2016, more than 50% of companies in the GCC had made no preparations. Glancing further afield, the example of Malaysia, which introduced a goods and services tax in 2015, but without adequate preparation on the part of many businesses, underlines the importance of timely planning, and companies that delay their preparations may well be compromised when the tax becomes law. Related: An Introduction To The Legal Landscape Of The UAE Key steps for compliance During 2017, businesses must assess the capability of their existing systems, flag contracts that need VAT action, identify inter-company transactions, and provide appropriate training for staff. All goods sold and all services offered must be VAT rated, and all taxable items from suppliers will need to be properly recorded and charged. Scrupulous cash accounting and record-keeping are crucial at all levels throughout the business in order to satisfy the tax authorities and ensure that tax returns are filed when due, which is likely to be every three months. This means tighter controls and professional oversight at every stage in the business cycle. Invoices and records, filing systems, collection and payment procedures, remittance of VAT returns: all need to be brought into line and rigorously checked so that VAT can be collected smoothly and efficiently, and with clear audit trails. This can be particularly demanding for smaller businesses with fewer resources, but every enterprise now faces the same challenge to navigate the steps to become VAT ready and then meet a new and ongoing tax obligation. And even businesses that currently fall outside the VAT threshold must still review their positions. Boom time for VAT specialists It is a challenge that is bringing accountants and other financial advisers to the fore, as they have an important role to play in helping the local community to adjust to the new tax regime. Lack of familiarity with VAT is a significant obstacle, particularly for businesses that have relatively basic accounting systems, and some small businesses may not even keep formal records. Expert advice and guidance is needed so that businesses can map their activities and understand their VAT liabilities across the supply chain. Businesses in the Emirates would be well advised to seek professional help as soon as possible. Opportunities for entrepreneurs Business-to-business opportunities in the UAE will grow as the year progresses and the urgency to be ready for the VAT D-Day increases. Many vacancies are being posted for tax and accountancy professionals who can advise companies or work with the government, and there is a gap in the market for VAT-savvy entrepreneurs with the right skillsets to steer companies through the many changes required between now and January 1st, 2018 and of course thereafter. VAT managers, auditors, IT experts, accountants, and analysts of all descriptions are in demand to oversee the transformation. While the big accountancy firms will reinforce their existing teams and enhance their tax advisory services, some businesses will increase in-house capabilities by hiring their own teams. But there is a real opportunity for independent consultants and startup businesses to step in and assist smaller companies to become compliant. Time is running out, and businesses in the UAE must start preparing with haste if they want to be ready for 2018. For many, taxes are now a certainty, and even if your business currently falls below the VAT threshold, you must still be tax-aware and financially focused. Related: Redefining Pricing Strategies As GCC Gets Set To Welcome VAT | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/293417 |
What happens now Jeremy Corbyn has called a vote of no confidence in the government? | Theresa May's Brexit deal has been defeated by 230 votes - the biggest government defeat in history. And now Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has tabled a motion of no confidence in the government. The vote itself will be held on Wednesday at 7pm. MPs will be asked to vote on a motion: "That this House has no confidence in Her Majesty's Government." This gives Mrs May less than 24 hours to fight for her job. Image: A defeat for Mrs May is not a surefire outcome There is no limit to the number of times Mr Corbyn can call a no confidence vote, but it is unlikely that the leader of the opposition would started a fight he did not think he could win. And with the DUP saying they will stand by their agreement with the Tories, a defeat for Mrs May is not a surefire outcome. If the government wins, the consequence is simple: Mrs May continues in office. But, if she loses, all bets are off. The government would fall and there would be a period of 14 days in which a new government can be formed. There are no rigid rules of what must happen during this fortnight period. Mrs May, who has previously said she would not fight the 2022 election, could attempt to cling on and form a new administration. She is safe from a vote of no confidence from her own party for another 12 months, after the ballot against her failed late last year. Image: There is a chance the country could face another early general election However, she may decide it is time to go and hand the reins over to someone else. A new Conservative leader would then have the chance to form a government - as would opposition parties. The current make-up of parliament means the Conservatives remain the only party with enough numbers to have a likely chance of controlling the Commons. The new government is confirmed in office through passing a resolution in the Commons "That this House has confidence in Her Majesty's Government." However, if no government is presented after 14 days, there would be another general election. | https://news.sky.com/story/what-happens-if-jeremy-corbyn-calls-a-vote-of-no-confidence-in-the-government-11608331 |
Do Workplace Wellness Programs Really Work? | Not always. But there are practical steps managers can take to motivate their employees to participate and reap their value. advertisement Corporate wellness programs are a lot like New Years resolutions. While announced with the best of intentions, they dont lead to enough real action let alone the kinds of transformations theyre designed to bring. Just as numerous reports bemoan the way our personal resolutions quickly fall to the wayside, analyses of corporate wellness programs bring similarly dispiriting news. The most credible research, Fortune reports, suggests mixed, if not ambiguous, results. A 2018 study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that spending on corporate wellness programs has tripled to $8 billion since the passage of the Affordable Care Act, and today 50 million workers have access to them. These programs promise all sorts of economic benefits, such as reduced medical spending and absenteeism, and increased employee productivity and satisfaction. But the researchers found that the people who chose to take part in such a program already had lower medical expenditures and healthier behaviors. The study did not find causal effects of treatment on total medical expenditures, health behaviors, employee productivity, or self-reported health status in the first year of most programs. Email updates on the Future of Work Get monthly email updates on new methods of performance management, team learning, collaboration tools, and work life cycles. Sign up Please enter a valid email address Thank you for signing up Privacy Policy Through my work founding and growing companies, Ive discovered ways to make wellness a corporate value that leads to concrete changes and positive results. Managers play a crucial role in making this happen by working with their reports to change workplace habits and boost participation in all health-related activities a company offers. Get your employees to take vacation. Americans stress levels are on the rise. A report by the American Psychological Association in 2017 found the country at its highest stress level yet. As Rice University professor Akane Sano cited in research published while at the MIT Media Lab, 83% of Americans are stressed at work, which reduces productivity, can lead to insomnia, and increases absenteeism in the workplace. People need vacations to rejuvenate. But the majority of employees dont use all their paid time off. In its State of American Vacation 2018 report, Project: Time Off found that 52% of employees have unused vacation days at the end of the year a figure thats been dropping slightly in recent years, but remains far too high. A whopping 705 million vacation days went unused in the most recent year surveyed. The three biggest reasons involve the culture of the workplace: People fear looking replaceable in their jobs, they have workloads that are so heavy they dread the pile of tasks theyll come back to, and theres a lack of coverage for them at work. Its up to managers to allay these concerns. When evaluating corporate wellness, managers should take time to examine policies already in place, such as paid time off. Leaders should ensure their organizations and teams are structured so that business-critical tasks are covered during breaks. This also means having more open communication with employees about the importance of using their paid time off. One way to set the standard is to walk the walk: When employees see their manager taking vacation time and encouraging them to use theirs, it sets the right example. Make healthy food available. According to the CDC, people are gobbling up an average of 1,300 calories a week from their workplaces, and the vast majority of it is what theyre given to munch on for free. Research has found that workplace-provided food is often high in empty calories; one only needs to see the dessert tray at a catered lunch to understand how little nutrition most workplace-provided food is giving employees. When managers hold team meetings or one-on-one get-togethers with individual employees, make a habit of providing healthy options for people to grab. When veggie trays, whole fruits, and nuts are around, people eat them. The American Heart Association also recommends limiting when free food is available and organizing a potluck build-your-own-salad bar. Offer a range of wellness activities. Meditation isnt for everyone. Neither is yoga or cycling. So bringing in trainers and teachers to run these kinds of sessions may attract some employees, but others will stay away. Most people have some form of exercise they might enjoy. Managers should ask their reports what kinds of wellness activities they are interested in and help to organize them. For example, if an employee likes going for walks, make your next meeting with that employee a walking meeting. Some physical activities can fall under learning or education, which may help managers find funding in their budgets. Read Related Articles Provide stipends. More and more businesses are starting to offer employees monthly stipends for health and wellness activities, such as gym memberships. But these often go unused. As with paid time off, managers are in a strong position to encourage employees to put these to use. Without pressuring any individual employee, managers can provide frequent reminders about the benefit and the various ways the reimbursement can be used. Wellness programs can take many forms. As the Bureau of Labor Statistics points out, wellness programs can include programs to quit smoking, fitness challenges, weight control and nutrition guidance plans, and more. Just like with any other investment or KPI, managers, not just HR, should revisit these programs, analyze their effectiveness, and use them throughout the year. When businesses make it a habit to check up on just how well their wellness programs are going, they can help their employees make this the year that some of the most popular New Years resolutions to eat healthier, get more exercise, and increase self-care finally stick. advertisement | https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/do-workplace-wellness-programs-really-work/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+mitsmr+%28MIT+Sloan+Management+Review%29 |
How Is Land Ownership Determined In Rural Settlements? | 8 SHARES Share Tweet QUESTION OF THE DAY The land tenure system in The Gambia requires careful review if we are going to avert confrontation between families. The Chief Justice should hold seminars with those who preside over District Tribunals on how to handle land cases. Foroyaa has witnessed many deliberations and decisions do not appear to be always uniform. This is due to the fact that precedents are not well established and conveyed to the adjudicators to enable them to be systematic in the dispensation of justice. One principle that has been established is being a first settler on a land. This concept of first settler is often used in a loose manner because of the fact that other families do come to join the first settler family. When they do, the first settler family would ask the new comers to go to areas where there is thick bush so that they would clear the land and establish their own frontiers of settlement. This is why the second principle was established that a family that first clears a thick bush as a result of the permission of their host would become owners of the land cleared. Population growth has now given rise to the habitation of many families on land that the original settlers ceded to new settlers. However as the original settlers experienced land shortage, they are tempted to make claims that the land cleared by the new settlers belongs to them. This is creating many conflicts which need proper handling if it is to be prevented from creating endless tensions in the community. | https://foroyaa.gm/how-is-land-ownership-determined-in-rural-settlements/ |
Can Harmonic Centrality Be the New PageRank? | Graphs help us understand the real world better by mathematical abstractions and models in order to define the entities and the relations between them in structures. Many real-world applications use graphs, including search engines. Search engines use graphs for different purposes, such as understanding the popularity of pages or detecting spam links. Centrality is an important concept used for graphs. We use a quantitive measure called centrality measure to discover the importance of the nodes which are essential units forming a graph. A very popular search engine is known to identify the popularity of nodes (webpages) by using PageRank as the measure of centrality. PageRank has been the most famous centrality measure for graphs. There are some other measures such as: Eigenvector. Betweenness. Katz. Closeness. Hits (Hyperlink-Induced Topic Search). Harmonic Centrality. In this article, I will focus on Harmonic Centrality because it is a promising and, in theory, low-cost measure of centrality. Harmonic Centrality Harmonic centrality is a much recent measure than most of the other centrality measures and a variant of another measure that is closeness centrality. It was first proposed by Massimo Marchiori and Vito Latora in 2000, then by Dekker (2005) and Rochat (2009). Harmonic Centrality is the distance-based centrality measure, unlike PageRank. In the PageRank algorithm, the importance of a node is given by the importance of the neighborhood but not the distance. The more important pages point a page, the more important that page becomes. To understand harmonic centrality in simple terms, heres an example. Imagine there is a page called example. If there are 50 pages linking directly to this page, they are called as pages at Distance 1, and you begin your count as 50. There may be pages linking to example page but not directly so we call them Distance 2. Lets say there are 100 such pages, this time we count as 50 and add to the 50 we have making our score 100. There can be pages in Distance 3 with 150 links this time. So we count as 50 which makes our total score of 150. Best Centrality Measure Harmonic centrality can be selected as one of the easiest centrality measures to understand and we can stop there. However, it has also been selected as the best centrality measure in a scientific paper. The authors of the research, Paolo Boldi and Sebastiano Vigna describe the best centrality measure with these words: Our results suggest that centrality measures based on distances, which in the last years have been neglected in information retrieval in favour of spectral centrality measures, do provide high-quality signals; moreover, Harmonic Centrality pops up as an excellent general-purpose centrality index for arbitrary directed graphs. There is a compelling video titled A Modern View of Centrality Measures where Boldi talks about the centrality measures in general and harmonic centrality in particular. In the video, he also presents a comparison of PageRank and harmonic centrality measurements on the Hollywood graph. In his specific example, harmonic centrality selects top nodes better than the PageRank. Additionally, nonprofit organization Common Crawl which has been crawling the web since 2011 prefer this centrality measure. Since 2017, Common Crawl has been using harmonic centrality in their crawling strategy for prioritization by link analysis. When they list domain level information in their blog posts, the domains are ranked according to their harmonic centrality values, not to their PageRank values. In this article, I will conduct data analysis to find out if its calculation cost is less than PageRank. There is software that approximates harmonic centrality for very large graphs in order to further reduce its computation cost. I havent used it but its worth mentioning in case you want to try it out yourself. For search engines and for SEO, harmonic centrality is a useful centrality measure because it: Is simple to understand and explain. Gives intriguing results on web graphs. Is not a metric which needs iteration, thus its calculation cost can be less in theory. Comparing Harmonic Centrality & PageRank Comparison on Small Graphs Homemade Graphs Dataset information I created some very small web graphs and calculated the nodes(pages) PageRank and five other centrality measure values in order to compare them and give you a better understanding of Harmonic Centrality measure. Imagine very small websites having a homepage, as well as category and product pages. Lets use H, C1, C2, P1, P2, P3, P4 as aliases for the homepage, first, second category pages and first, second, third and fourth product pages, respectively. H = Homepage C1 = Category page 1 C2 = Category page 2 P1 = Product page 1 P2 = Product page 2 P3 = Product page 3 P4 = Product page 4 I calculated PageRank and five centrality measures on these very small datasets and visualized them as graphs. For simplicity, only PageRank and Harmonic Centrality graphs are presented. On these graphs, the node sizes show the importance of their chosen centrality measure values. Centrality measure values compute times on homemade graphs and Stanford-web graph are calculated on MacBook Pro with four cores and 16GB RAM. Graph 1 Dataset Information Pages: 7 Links: 16 Compute Time PageRank CPU times: user 1.01 ms, sys: 0 ns, total: 1.01 ms Wall time: 1.02 s Eigenvector CPU times: user 392 s, sys: 1 s, total: 393 s Wall time: 398 s Betweenness CPU times: user 242 s, sys: 1e+03 ns, total: 243 s Wall time: 247 s Katz CPU times: user 576 s, sys: 13 s, total: 589 s Wall time: 613 s Closeness CPU times: user 235 s, sys: 1e+03 ns, total: 236 s Wall time: 240 s Harmonic CPU times: user 665 s, sys: 9 s, total: 674 s Wall time: 689 s Statistics Correlations with PageRank Eigenvector: 0.990128 Betweenness: 0.995301 Katz: 0.973233 Closeness: 0.966720 Harmonic: 0.987344 Graph 1 PageRank Graph 1 Harmonic Centrality Graph 2 Dataset Information Pages: 7 Links: 14 Compute Time PageRank CPU times: user 1.01 s, sys: 0 ns, total: 1.01 s Wall time: 1.01 s Eigenvector CPU times: user 393 s, sys: 1e+03 ns, total: 394 s Wall time: 398 s Betweenness CPU times: user 241 s, sys: 0 ns, total: 241 s Wall time: 247 s Katz CPU times: user 499 s, sys: 1 s, total: 500 s Wall time: 505 s Closeness CPU times: user 224 s, sys: 1 s, total: 225 s Wall time: 229 s Harmonic CPU times: user 597 s, sys: 9 s, total: 606 s Wall time: 625 s Statistics Correlations with PageRank Eigenvector: 0.999605 Betweenness: 0.917375 Katz: 0.986605 Closeness: 0.946069 Harmonic: 0.975830 Graph 2 PageRank Graph 2 Harmonic Centrality Graph 3 Dataset Information Pages: 7 Links: 10 Compute time PageRank CPU times: user 2.85 s, sys: 148 s, total: 2.99 s Wall time: 2.92 s Eigenvector CPU times: user 505 s, sys: 1e+03 ns, total: 506 s Wall time: 510 s Betweenness CPU times: user 153 s, sys: 1 s, total: 154 s Wall time: 158 s Katz CPU times: user 436 s, sys: 0 ns, total: 436 s Wall time: 442 s Closeness CPU times: user 142 s, sys: 0 ns, total: 142 s Wall time: 146 s Harmonic CPU times: user 283 s, sys: 1e+03 ns, total: 284 s Wall time: 289 s Statistics Correlations with PageRank Eigenvector: 0.930335 Betweenness: 0.873700 Katz: 0.996401 Closeness: 0.979220 Harmonic: 0.952115 Graph 3 PageRank Graph 3 Harmonic Centrality Graph 4 Dataset Information Pages: 7 Links: 10 Compute time PageRank CPU times: user 2.76 s, sys: 374 s, total: 3.13 s Wall time: 2.77 s Eigenvector CPU times: user 730 s, sys: 177 s, total: 907 s Wall time: 722 s Betweenness CPU times: user 242 s, sys: 0 ns, total: 242 s Wall time: 248 s Katz CPU times: user 330 s, sys: 0 ns, total: 330 s Wall time: 335 s Closeness CPU times: user 210 s, sys: 0 ns, total: 210 s Wall time: 215 s Harmonic CPU times: user 740 s, sys: 1 s, total: 741 s Wall time: 745 s Statistics Correlations with PageRank Eigenvector: 0.993543 Betweenness: 0.998952 Katz: 0.962346 Closeness: 0.998952 Harmonic: 0.997933 Graph 4 PageRank Graph 4 Harmonic Centrality Plot of the Correlations of 5 Centrality Measures with PageRank on 4 Homemade Graphs Labels on X-axis ec: Eigenvector Centrality bc: Betweenness Centrality kc: Katz Centrality cc: Closeness Centrality hc Harmonic Centrality Mean of the Correlations of 5 Centrality Measures with PageRank on 4 Homemade Graphs Eigenvector: 0.979369 Betweenness: 0.938920 Katz: 0.976432 Closeness: 0.975019 Harmonic: 0.97649 Harmonic Centrality has the second highest mean of correlations on four graphs with PageRank after Eigenvector Centrality which is a cousin of PageRank. Comparison on Large Graphs Stanford-Web Graph Dataset Information This web graph is available here. Nodes represent pages from Stanford University (stanford.edu) and directed edges represent hyperlinks between them. The data was collected in 2002. Nodes: 281 903 Edges : 2 312 497 Compute Time PageRank CPU times: user 1min 17s, sys: 2.3 s, total: 1min 19s Wall time: 1min 19s Harmonic Centrality CPU times: user 1min 18s, sys: 1.96 s, total: 1min 20s Wall time: 1min 20s Statistics PageRank mean, min, max of pr_val = 3.547319e-06, 5.681687e-07, 6.512977e-03 Harmonic Centrality mean, min, max of harmonicc_val = 31132.897898, 1.001467, 106023.735213 Statistics Correlation on 282 K pages correlation(pr_val, harmonicc_val) = 0.013566 Correlations of Top Pages Sorted According to Harmonic Centrality Values Top 100 Correlation(PageRank.Harmonic Centrality) = 0.916071 Top 1000 Correlation(PageRank.Harmonic Centrality) = 0.691981 Top 10 000 Correlation(PageRank.Harmonic Centrality) = 0.682505 Top 100 000 Correlation(PageRank.Harmonic Centrality) = 0.012681 These correlation scores above show us that PageRank and Harmonic Centrality algorithms agree on almost the top 10 K pages (not on the pages but the distribution of the importance of the pages) but afterwards, they dont share the same opinion on other pages popularity distribution. Number of Intersected Top Pages Between Pagerank and Harmonic Centrality In top 100: 8 In top 1000: 66 In top 10 000: 299 In top 100 000: 41 138 Number of Intersected Weakest Pages Between Pagerank and Harmonic Centrality There is no intersection till 10 000 weakest pages but for 100 000 weakest pages the intersection is 23 417. Data Visualization PageRank Distribution The PageRank distribution graph shows us that this distribution is highly right-skewed meaning the majority of the pages have very low PageRank. Harmonic Centrality Distribution The Harmonic Centrality distribution is not highly right-skewed so we cant say that majority of the pages have low values like PageRank. This distribution is multi-modal. Scatter Plot of PageRank and Harmonic Centrality When we scatter plot the PageRank and Harmonic Centrality values of pages we observe what we have seen in the statistics part which is PageRank and Harmonic Centrality values of domains are not correlated. Common Crawl Graph Dataset Information On Common Crawls recent blog post, they shared a file (cc-main-2018-aug-sep-oct-domain-ranks.txt.gz [1.89 GB]) that provides 87 million domains most recent Harmonic Centrality and PageRank values. Below are the statistics from this file about PageRank and Harmonic Centrality values of 87 million domains. Compute Time Sebastian Nagel from Common Crawl technical team kindly answered my question about computing time differences between PageRank and Harmonic Centrality algorithms calculations on Common Crawl graph and also allowed me to share his response with you: Computation was done on a machine with 48 CPUs and 384 GB RAM using the web graph resp. the law library which was written by Vigna and Boldi. At a first glance, a look on the real wall-clock time and user time (used CPU-seconds) would even suggest that the harmonic centrality is faster for the larger host-level graph. However, my guess would be that the processing time is mostly influenced by: Graph structure (e.g., amount of dangling nodes). The number of iterations until the scores converge. (Hyperball / harmonic centrality) size of the hyperloglog counters. Statistics PageRank mean, min, max of pr_val = 1.1473075614418515e-08, 4.48131407e-09, 1.72100302e-02 Harmonic Centrality mean, min, max of harmonicc_val = 9421776.2697027, 0. , 24993276. Correlations Correlation on 87 Million Domains correlation(pr_val, harmonicc_val) = 0.00432823 Correlation of Top Pages Sorted According to Harmonic Centrality Values Top 100 Correlation(PageRank.Harmonic Centrality) = 0.94826372 Top 1000 Correlation(PageRank.Harmonic Centrality) = 0.87727728 Top 10 000 Correlation(PageRank.Harmonic Centrality) = 0.63744096 Top 100 000 Correlation(PageRank.Harmonic Centrality) = 0.31725445 Data Visualization Pagerank Distribution The graph below presents the plot of the count of PageRank values. It shows us that the distribution of PageRank on 87 million domains is highly right-skewed meaning the majority of the domains have very low PageRank. Harmonic Centrality Distribution The graph below presents the plot of the count of Harmonic Centrality values of 87 million domains. It shows us that the distribution of Harmonic Centrality on 87 million domains is not highly right-skewed like the PageRank. It is not a perfect Gaussian distribution but more Gaussian than the distributions of PageRank. This distribution is multi-modal too. Scatter Plot of Pagerank and Harmonic Centrality When we scatter plot the PageRank and Harmonic Centrality values of domains we observe what we have seen in the statistics part which is PageRank and Harmonic Centrality values of domains are not correlated. However what is also interesting to point out is that we observe the beginning of the domains PageRank values detachment when their Harmonic Centrality value is closer to 1e7 and accelerates when it is greater than. What we remark from web Stanford and Common Crawl, large web graphs data analysis above is that Harmonic Centrality and PageRank agree more or less on the popularity of top and middle tail nodes but not the long tail. Conclusion To begin with, Harmonic Centrality is a measure of centrality that is easy to understand and explain. Furthermore, it gives interesting results, especially for the top nodes of the graphs. Last but not least, some organizations are already using this measure, for instance, Common Crawl, a nonprofit organization that has been crawling the web for several years, uses this measure in its crawling strategy. On small graphs: PageRank and Harmonic Centrality give resembling results with PageRank. The computation time of Harmonic Centrality is much less than PageRank. As the size of the graph increases their computation times tend to be similar. For the sake of clarity, computation times are calculated on small graphs and web Stanford graph with an unoptimized Harmonic Centrality algorithm on a MacBookPro with four cores and 16 GB RAM. On larger graphs, although PageRank and Harmonic Centrality have similar considerations on the distribution of the importance of top pages, at least for top 10 K pages, their opinions on the popularity distribution of the rest of the pages change dramatically afterwards. They agree more on top and middle tail nodes but less on the long tail. Common Crawls technical team calculated Harmonic Centrality and PageRank on the recent Common Crawl graph with 48 CPUs and 384 GB RAM. Consequently, Harmonic Centralitys compute time is less than PageRank on paper. However, there are some lurking variables which may affect the result. Therefore, this issue requires further study. In conclusion, I highly recommend you to look further into Harmonic Centrality. Its differences with PageRank arent negative points, on the contrary, they are positive since it brings us new insights. Therefore, it will be beneficial for SEO to calculate the Harmonic Centrality values for the pages of your clients sites. Accordingly, this may reveal striking information on those pages which you have not discovered by the help of PageRank. Besides, it is always a good idea to listen to what other algorithms want to tell us. More Resources: Image Credits In-Post Images: Created by author, January 2019 | https://www.searchenginejournal.com/harmonic-centrality-pagerank/283985/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedpress.me&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+searchenginejournal |
What Would Michael D Order For An ras Fast Food Party? | Donald Trump spent the day parading a load of fast food he ordered for the visit of an NFL team to The White House. According to varying figures he ordered between 300 - 1,000 burgers, a skip full of french fries, a shed load of pizzas, and a ton of other "all American food" Heres a video I shot of President Trump showing off his 300 hamburgers. Well top of the list would have to be the Spicebag: Then, of course, we'd have to see something from the Supermac's lads. Micky D already has an affinity with their Galway birthplace so he'd defo be ordering a crate load of Snack Boxes: Maybe, he'll throw a few of these beauties into the mix. As they say in France, "Jam Tres Bon" He could opt for several bucket of chips. He could keep it County and go for a Macaris in Tallaght or send the private jet for a special mission to Donkey Fords in Limerick KIIIIIId! | https://www.todayfm.com/Trending/What-Would-Michael-D-Order-For-An-ras-Fast-Food-Party |
Is Gillette's Disingenuous Lecture The Best A Man Can Get? | Gillette has long propagated its role in a man's life as the great confidence-builder, telling us a clean shave means you look good, you can get what you want and, yes, the ladies will take notice. But with its new ad under the banner, "The Best A Man Can Get," Gillette does an about-face. Whoops. No. Instead, the brand appears to blame men--all men--for aspiring to the best a man can get. It's brand whiplash. Consider this copy from a Gillette ad circa 2006 featuring David Beckham: You know the feeling. Every guy's had it. You're unbeatable, unstoppable, you've got that walking on water feeling. You look, they smile. And just as we hear the VO say "they smile" we see a beautiful woman smile at a man's rather aggressive, shadowy, even sinister gaze. And that's just one ad, there were hundreds over the years that effectively said, shave with Gillette, get the girl. I've never experienced such brand whiplash in my life. This campaign would have been wildly more powerful had the brand looked inward, not out. Gillette could have overtly admitted its role in encouraging the very behavior it's now lecturing men to resist. Oh, there's a short frame in the new spot at the :10 mark of what appears to be an old Gillette spot with a woman kissing the shaved cheek of a Gillette man, but it's way too subtle. CYA, at best. Instead Gillette chooses to draft off the political winds of the times and dissolve its brand equity around "male confidence" in the process. The brand made a calculated choice to support the newly-formed social convention that "men are bad." Did you notice at the 1:06 mark, the VO says, "To act the right way. Some already are." Meaning, some men are acting the right way. Not "most," but "some." Therefore, one can only conclude Gillette believes most men behave badly. Now, regardless of whether the correct answer is "some" or "most" here's why that decision may cost Gillette dearly. Lecturing your market is dangerous. Most individual men watching this new Gillette ad probably do not consider themselves to be bad men. Yet this ad suggests that most men are, indeed, bad. I predict a collective defensive reaction to this ad by most men--by any man who believes he is not bad. A reaction where these men are perfectly willing to acknowledge the problem (men know the #metoo movement is real), but are unwilling to be painted with the same brush as, say, Harvey Weinstein. Not to mention the painter here, as I said, is a brand who for decades was encouraging men to use Gillette to get the girl. Just a horrible brand decision. This ad is not like Nike's Colin Kaepernick ad. I know what you're thinking. Nike did an equally controversial ad using Colin Kaepernick. Raised quite a stink. I even wrote about it on these virtual pages, wondering if Nike was taking a stand on the NFL "kneeling controversy" or just celebrating a man who lived his conviction. The Nike ad says, Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything. That is not a lecture. That is not blaming an entire market for the wrongdoing of some. That's a brand celebrating a man who truly believes in something and is willing to stand his ground. It's very on brand. It's very Nike. Nike's controversial ad increased sales during that period, but I predict Gillette's controversial ad will decrease sales. The Gillette ad is a lecture, it blames an entire market for the wrongdoing of some and celebrates nothing but the current social convention that "men are bad." Remember these men are exactly the people Gillette needs to buy their more expensive products now that the likes of Dollar Shave Club have come around. I am not suggesting there is not a problem with men, culturally. That's not my expertise, other than happening to be be a man. And I'm not saying it's a bad message for some brand to take on. But I am saying it's a bad message for this brand to take on. For Gillette, after decades of advertising emboldening men to be men (and all that goes with being men), to suddenly lecture them on their bad behavior is utterly disingenuous, inauthentic and likely a result of echo-chamber marketing teams looking to tap into the latest social movement for some "talk value." Well, we're talking. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/willburns/2019/01/15/is-gillettes-disingenuous-lecture-the-best-a-man-can-get/ |
Will Jewish women attend the Womens March amid allegations of anti-Semitism? | Rachel Nadelman at home with her dog Junot in Washington on Jan. 11. Nadelman is considering whether or not to participate in the Womens March. (Bonnie Jo Mount/The Washington Post) In 2017, Janet Harris flew from her home in Eugene, Ore., to Washington, D.C., to march alongside other women reeling from the election of Donald Trump, in one of the largest protests in U.S. history. It was like capturing lighting in a bottle, Harris said of the event that came on the heels of President Trumps inauguration. She returned for the Womens March in 2018. Once again, the 52-year-old media analyst had been looking forward to joining the demonstration Saturday, this time to celebrate the record number of women elected to Congress. Then about two months ago, Harris read reports criticizing the demonstrations leaders for refusing to cut ties with the Nation of Islam and denounce its black-nationalist leader, Louis Farrakhan. Harris, who is Jewish, began to have second thoughts. She did not want to appear to be endorsing a man known for making anti-Semitic statements. Yet she also worried that by sitting out, she would be feeding into an attempt by some trolls to sow division between black and Jewish women. As a moral issue, I really dont know where to come down on this, said Harris, who as of last week still hadnt purchased a plane ticket. Her experience is shared by Jewish women across the country for whom the decision of whether to attend the march has become unexpectedly personal and fraught. Like Harris, some say they feel forced to choose between their Jewish identity and their desire to demonstrate for womens rights and social justice. Yet others said the recent controversy should further motivate Jewish women to be present at the Womens March, to spark a dialogue about anti-Semitism and serve as a bridge between the Jewish community and other groups on the progressive left. We need to seek more common ground, said Laurie Solnick, a 65-year-old federal retiree who lives on Capitol Hill. You dont do that by turning your back. The controversy also has prompted some Jewish organizations, including the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, to severe ties with the D.C. march. Its unclear how many people the Womens March in the District will draw this year. In an application to the National Park Service, organizers estimated more than half a million people would attend. But Dana R. Fisher, a sociology professor at the University of Maryland who studies and tracks protest movements, said turnout probably will number in the tens of thousands, weather permitting. So far about 9,400 people have expressed interest in attending the event on Facebook. The marchs leaders have outlined a political platform prioritizing reproductive rights, equal pay, raising the federal minimum wage and passing the Equal Rights Amendment, among other items. Meanwhile, amid the allegations of anti-Semitism, local womens marches in cities across the country, such as New York City, have made a point of distancing their events from the national Womens March, Inc., which is hosting the D.C. march. [Anger over Farrakhan ties prompts calls for Womens March leaders to resign] Progressive rift The controversy began brewing in February, when one of the national co-chairs of the march, Tamika Mallory, attended the Nation of Islams annual Saviours Day event in Chicago, where Farrakhan made incendiary remarks about Jews. Then in news reports last month, one of the early organizers of the Womens March, a Jewish woman named Vanessa Wruble, accused two of the marchs current leaders, Mallory and Carmen Perez, of making anti-Semitic comments about the roles Jews have played in racism, the slave trade and the prison industry. As a result of the divisions, the Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington released a statement last week saying it could not endorse the march or encourage Jewish women and their allies to attend. But the council encouraged Jewish women to attend independent local marches in nearby cities such as Baltimore, Annapolis and Philadelphia. Nancy K. Kaufman, chief executive of the National Council of Jewish Women, a sponsor of the 2017 Womens March, said the allegations of anti-Semitism have alarmed many Jews who are already on edge following a recent spike in anti-Semitic hate crimes and the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting that left 11 people dead. Until the Womens March thoroughly addresses its issues with anti-Semitism, Kaufman said, we cannot as an organization engage with this years event. Zioness, an advocacy group promoting Zionism in progressive spaces, is hosting a teach-in in Washington on Tuesday to discuss alternative forms of activism for Jewish women who feel marginalized by the Womens March. Meanwhile, Womens March leaders have doubled down on denouncing anti-Semitism and reaching out to Jewish women. The organization updated its Unity Principles to incorporate Jewish women and Monday announced a new steering committee that includes three Jewish women. In an interview with The Washington Post, Linda Sarsour, one of the four co-chairs of the Womens March, said the leaders reject Farrakhans anti-Semitic, homophobic and transphobic statements. But Sarsour declined to specifically reject Farrakhan, saying that she has never met him and that the organization believes in attacking the forces of evil and not individuals. Mallory has said the Nation of Islam came to her aid after the death of her sons father about 17 years ago. In recent days, the co-chairs have met for hours-long meetings with rabbis and Jewish leaders to discuss how anti-Semitism intersects with other types of racism and oppression, Sarsour said. [Womens March rolls out its political platform before Washington rally] I have never seen anti-Semitism discussed in the way its being discussed right now in the progressive left, Sarsour said, adding that she respects the choices of Jewish women opting out of this years march and is grateful for the time that many Jewish women are taking to reflect on these moments. I say to all my Jewish sisters that you are welcome, and we have a common enemy, that is white supremacy, Sarsour said. To Sarsour and some Jewish women, the rifts highlight the challenges the progressive left has faced in organizing and sustaining an intersectional feminist movement, which recognizes that womens identities are shaped in different ways by race, class, gender and ethnicity. Alliances between Jewish and black communities have been instrumental to decades of social justice movements. The NAACP worked closely with the Anti-Defamation League and other Jewish groups during the civil rights movement of the 1950s and 1960s. In 1965, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel marched side by side in Alabama from Selma to Montgomery. But the close relationship between the groups has become strained over the years, particularly amid tension over the Nation of Islam and Israel. In 2016, for example, some Jewish leaders condemned the Black Lives Matter movement for releasing a platform that accused Israel of committing genocide against the Palestinian people. 'Tipping point' Elizabeth Sternberg, 61, of Silver Spring, is a lifelong marcher, growing up in the District and going to antiwar marches in the 1960s and 1970s. And she realizes the privilege shes had as a white, educated woman. I want to show up as an ally for people who do not have the privilege that I have, she said about this years Womens March. Its sort of an obligation. She also acknowledges the positive role the Nation of Islam has played in many black communities abandoned by the government. But as a Jewish woman, she finds it unacceptable that the co-chairs of the march refuse to disavow Farrakhan. And I think that may be, for me, the tipping point. Shari Schwartz, a 56-year-old retired federal analyst, compared the Womens March leaders resistance to decrying Farrakhan to Trumps hesitation to disavow white nationalists after the deadly 2017 clash of protesters in Charlottesville. I cant march with women who oppose one hate monger but refuse to condemn another, said Schwartz, a resident of Vienna, Va. Rachel Lachenauer is a 29-year-old D.C. resident who works for a reproductive health organization and identifies as a progressive queer woman. But shes also the grandchild of a Holocaust survivor, and she resents progressive circles that make her feel unwelcome due to her support of Israel. My Jewish identity is so inextricably linked to who I am as a person, said Lachenauer, who is leaning toward not participating in the Womens March. I wont participate in a situation that makes me choose between my identities. Ive been a Jew my entire life, and Ive been a feminist my entire life. There is no way to separate those things for me. But Rachel Nadelman, a 41-year-old Jewish D.C. resident, says that some people are too quick to get on the bandwagon claiming that something is anti-Semitic without looking through it. In general, white people who want to be a part of change need to get a little more thick-skinned about criticisms coming out about white people, Nadelman said. In her view, opting out of the Womens March would be taking the easy route. She harked back to last year, when D.C. Council member Trayon White Sr. (D-Ward 8) espoused an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory. Instead of calling on him to resign, many Jewish leaders offered forgiveness and invited him to take part in Seders during Passover. [How the Nation of Islam came to be at the center of a D.C. political flap] We all come with our biases, and the only way that we can really change that is not if Jewish people completely remove themselves, Nadelman said. Sabrina Sojourner is a spiritual leader in a group straddling both sides of this debate African American Jews. She is bringing together a group of about 100 Jewish women of color from across the country to march in Saturdays D.C. event. Sojourner expressed frustration with times in which she has felt the white Jewish community has aimed its anger at black groups such as the Nation of Islam for alleged anti-Semitism. She argued Jews should instead maintain their focus on white-nationalist groups, where the violence is coming from. Im not saying that anti-Semitism is not real within the black community, but to equate it or even raise it higher than white supremacy is just disproportionate, and it also undermines our Jewish values, she said. Sojourner referenced the Jewish concept of tikkun olam, or repairing the world, a call to social action against injustice. Were not supposed to be repairing the world just when people are treating us nicely, Sojourner said. Marissa J. Lang contributed to this report. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/social-issues/will-jewish-women-attend-the-womens-march-amid-allegations-of-anti-semitism/2019/01/15/54bd5ee0-15c7-11e9-b6ad-9cfd62dbb0a8_story.html |
Can Broncos' new offensive line coach Mike Munchak fix Garett Bolles? | The Denver Broncos made a splash on Monday, announcing plans to hire Mike Munchak as their new offensive line coach. Munchak, one of the leagues most respected position coaches, was the runner-up to Vic Fangio in the Broncos search for a new head coach. The fact that his daughter and grandchild live in the Denver area was probably huge selling point. Munchak oversaw a terrific offensive line with the Pittsburgh Steelers but he also has experience as a head coach, holding that role with the Tennessee Titans for three seasons. The hope is that he will come in and transform the offensive line in Denver, a unit that has long been a weak spot for the team. One player that will have a huge spotlight on him once Munchak gets to town is left tackle Garett Bolles. The former first-round pick has struggled mightily in his first two seasons. But the Broncos shouldnt give up on him. They knew Bolles would be a project when they took him and perhaps he just needs the right guy showing him the ropes. Munchak is a good choice for that role. Drafted No. 8 overall in the 1982 NFL draft by the Houston Oilers, Munchak spent 12 seasons at guard, earning nine Pro Bowl selections during his career. As a member of the 1980s All-Decade Team, he was clearly one of the best offensive linemen in all of the league during his Hall of Fame career. Hes also one of just six players to ever have their jersey retired by the Oilers/Titans franchise. Munchak knows a thing or two about being an offensive lineman drafted in the first round. He knows what Bolles is dealing with. To say that Bolles has struggled would be an understatement. He looks lost on the field at times and is a magnet for penalties. He has drawn the ire of many Broncos fans that have already given up on him. But Munchak might be able to get the abilities out of him that the Broncos saw when they drafted him. In the five years that Munchak coached the Steelers offensive line, seven of their offensive linemen were selected to the Pro Bowl. That includes having three of the five starters on the 2018 AFC Pro Bowl roster. David DeCastro, a first-round pick in 2012, had never been selected to the Pro Bowl before Munchak joined the Steelers and now, hes going for the fourth straight year. On the other side of the spectrum, Alejandro Villanueva, an undrafted player in 2010, has been selected to back-to-back Pro Bowls. He had never made a single trip there before. In other words, Munchak has a history of getting the most out of his guys. The move to bring in Munchak is one that instantly makes the Broncos a better team. But finding out where Bolles fits in with that team is the big question right now. It will answer the questions that the Broncos brass has about him. If he has the talent in him, Munchak will get it out. | https://broncoswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/15/denver-broncos-can-mike-munchak-fix-garett-bolles/ |
Whats next for Nick Foles? | Nick Foles has to be considered the best backup quarterback in the league at this point, and hes shown enough in that role that he could earn a job as a starting quarterback. In relief of Carson Wentz last season, Foles guided the Eagles to their first-ever Super Bowl. This season, Foles pushed the Eagles to 9-7 down the stretch and into the playoffs, where they won their wild card game against a tough Bears team and had a spirited contest with the Saints in the Divisional Round. Foles didnt have a great game against the Saints, but the most pivotal play, an interception of his, was on another player, as the pass went right through the hands of Alshon Jeffery. Foles finished that game 18-of-30 for 201 yards, a touchdown and (technically) a pair of interceptions. Perhaps that game hurt his stock a little bit, but the Eagles wouldnt have been there if not for him in the first place. Now that Philadelphias season is over, Foles could be available for any team that needs a quarterback in 2019. Foles isnt guaranteed to depart from the Eagles, but his deal with Philadelphia escalates to him being owed $20 million in 2019, with both sides having the ability to agree to it or part ways (if the Eagles pick it up and Foles were to decline, hed have to pay back a $2 million signing bonus). The Eagles could even pick up Foles option and then try to trade him. But it wouldnt be the craziest thing for the Eagles to pick up his option and pay Foles, still Wentzs backup, $20 million in 2019. As long as Wentz is still on his rookie deal, that would still only add up to about $29 million of the Eagles salary cap going to quarterbacks which is less than some quarterbacks get on their own. It would also give them the security of having a proven and stable backup quarterback. But provided Wentz makes a full recovery, the $20 million could potentially be better spent elsewhere. Lets take a look at where Foles has been, where he is and where he might be going. What Foles has done recently Foles replaced Carson Wentz, who is dealing with a back injury and is expected to be fine after some rest, in December. He led the Eagles to three consecutive wins to just barely make the postseason. In those three games, he threw six touchdowns against three interceptions while completing well over 70 percent of his passes. That was a marked improvement from Foles first two games of the season, before Wentz made his 2018 debut. Foles threw just one touchdown and one interception with a 78.9 passer rating. That number jumped to 108.4 in his final three games of the regular season. He added another win in the playoffs, this time against the Bears, before falling to the Saints. His postseason numbers dipped, though. In those two games, he completed 60.6 percent of his passes for 467 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. However, he led the Eagles on a game-winning drive against the Bears and might have pulled off the same against the Saints if Jeffery hadnt dropped his pass. In 2017, Foles took over for Wentz for the first time after the starter tore his ACL in December. He went on to lead the Eagles to three consecutive wins before the playoffs. There, he bested the Falcons in the Divisional Round, the Vikings in the NFC Championship and the Patriots in the Super Bowl, earning Super Bowl MVP with three touchdowns and 373 yards in the game. Thats a pretty stellar recent history. In truth, Foles wasnt particularly great in eight games for the Eagles in 2014, completing just 59.8 percent of his passes for 2,163 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions a clear regression from his 27:2 touchdown-to-interception ratio from 2013, his breakout year. But it got worse in St. Louis, where he completed just 56.4 percent of his passes for 2,052 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 11 games with the Rams. His play was simply not good under Fisher, and after such a harrowing experience, he was considering retirement. Yes, retirement. Foles stepped away from the game and was mulling his future when he got the opportunity to work with Andy Reid again on the Chiefs. He came back to do just that, and said it was entirely because of Reid that he did. He didnt play much as a backup in Kansas City, but his NFL career was revitalized, leading to him re-signing with the Eagles in 2017. Looking at his body of work as a whole, Foles would appear to be one of the better veteran options likely to be available this offseason, including guys like Blake Bortles, Ryan Tannehill, and Teddy Bridgewater. In 54 career games, hes completed 61.6 percent of his passes for 11,165 yards, 68 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. He posted a completion percentage of 72.3 this past regular season. And, of course, you have the intangibles. He plays his best when the stakes are high, an incredibly valuable trait for a starter, and one that is rare for a backup. Hes been well-liked in the locker room in Philadelphia, and hes been durable throughout his career. The biggest concern, of course, is his lacking play in previous years. Thats the gamble, but hell almost assuredly get a chance to start going forward. Its always possible that Foles remains in Philadelphia he means a lot to that team and his salary is something the Eagles could handle. Or, if starting opportunities dont seem that great, Foles could always re-work his deal with the Eagles to make them more likely to keep him if hes happy staying put. Philadelphia could also franchise tag Wentz, to the tune of about $25 million, and then try to trade him. NFL Networks Ian Rapoport reported there should be a quality trade market for Foles services. Beyond that, there are quite a few teams around the league in need of a reliable quarterback, whether the Eagles sign and trade him or let him hit free agency. Currently, the Jacksonville Jaguars, Denver Broncos and Washington are the most starter-needy teams (Denver can get out of its large deal with Case Keenum, if John Elway wants to). There is also, of course, the possibility of retirement. Foles hasnt ever seemed concerned with his reputation and has talked often about his plans after football. Its not out of the realm of possibility that Foles decides the best move is to move on. Neither Foles nor the Eagles committed to anything after their loss to the Saints. No matter what happens its been a joy being here every single day, being in this locker room, wearing this jersey, being a part of this city, Foles said. Well see what happens. Hell always be remembered in Philadelphia for bringing a Super Bowl to this city. So, a lot of great things for him and weve got these next few weeks, few months to make some tough decisions, but well make them at that point, head coach Doug Pederson added. Until theres more certainty, Foles future will be one of the major storylines to watch this offseason. | https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2019/1/11/18171121/nick-foles-contract-eagles-free-agent-trade-2019-nfl-playoffs |
What's really in gluten-free bread? | Its really not so long since gluten-free bread came in tiny loaves that crumbled on a whim and didnt taste very good. That has changed in recent years and it can now be hard to tell whether the sliced pan you are eating is gluten-free or not, especially with brown loaves. January is Health Month in The Irish Times. You can find articles, columns, advice and tips at irishtimes.com/health, as well as in print every Tuesday in the Health & Family Supplement. Gluten-free bread looks the part and tastes good too, though it is expensive. For coeliacs, the answer is yes. Thats because taking in gluten, which is a name for a family of proteins found in wheat, barley and rye, can cause a severe response in their digestive systems. The lining of the small intestine can be damaged hampering the bodys ability to absorb nutrients from food properly. So its gluten-free bread or none for them. For others, it may be a waste of money. First glance The label on gluten-free brown bread can help to show why. At first glance it is quite shocking. On most brands, the list of ingredients is long. Some, such as the brown seeded loaves from Marks & Spencer and Dublin brand BFree, have more than 30 ingredients with some very unfamiliar ones such as glucono-delta-lactone (E575). M&S Brown Seeded Loaf has more than 30 ingredients with some very unfamiliar ones such as glucono-delta-lactone Thats because gluten is a large part of what makes bread look and taste like bread. It gives dough strength and elasticity, allows it to rise and creates that chewy texture. Recreating the sensation of eating wheat, barley and rye bread mostly flour made from rice, potato or corn is not easy. Irish Times Food&Drink Club Join now Brennans gluten-free brown bread is a case in point. To create a flour mix, it uses rice flour, tapioca starch, maize starch, potato starch, rice bran, hulled millet and wholegrain maize flour. For added fibre and texture, it uses sugar beet fibre, psyllium husk powder, methyl cellulose, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, xanthan gum and chia seeds. These are generally plant-derived, though hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is an odourless and tasteless powder that is a synthetic modification of cellulose. Psyllium husk powder, which comes from a type of plantain, is sold in health food shops and can be taken to help ease constipation. It is the main active ingredient in Metamucil. Some can find these ingredients upset their tummies. Brennans gluten-free bread: to create a flour mix, it uses rice flour, tapioca starch, maize starch, potato starch, rice bran, hulled millet and wholegrain maize flour Dublin brand BFree has a long list of ingredients which amounts to over 30 Among the other ingredients you might not see in standard processed bread are the preservatives, sodium propionate and sorbic acid. Sweetness and colour is achieved with the use of concentrated prune juice, dried plums and sugar. Marks and Spencers long list of ingredients in its brown seeded loaf includes bamboo fibre, which sounds off-putting but is just another plant fibre really. It includes added B vitamins and vitamin D. German brand Schar, a favourite with coeliacs, has a much smaller list of ingredients in its wholesome seeded loaf, though it relies on soya, another allergen, as a main ingredient. It has just one added thickener. Dedicated Most gluten-free options are highly processed and no better or worse than other such breads. An exception may be those loaves made using oats. There is no gluten in oats, but they can be contaminated if processed in the same factory as wheat, barley or rye. Coeliacs can respond severely to even a few crumbs, hence the need for separate production facilities. McCambridge uses gluten-free oats to make its gluten-free soda bread at a dedicated facility in Rathcoole, Co Dublin. The staff even have separate a changing areas from those involved in making regular soda bread. The soda bread is made from buttermilk (40 per cent), oatmeal, pea flour, oatflakes, oat flour, sodium bicarbonate, coconut sugar, salt and rice flour. When dieticians say that gluten-free diets are unhealthy for those who are not coeliacs, the real concern is that those cutting out gluten miss out on the fibre, vitamins and minerals in wheat, barley and rye. German brand Schar uses much fewer ingredients in its gluten-free bread than other brands Having gluten-free bread some days and regular bread on others wont do the average person any harm. It is unlikely to do any good either particularly for those with real digestive issues as there is gluten in some form in most ready meals, cakes, biscuits and sauces. Anyone with concerns would do better to consult a doctor who can do a blood test for diagnosis. Do that before going gluten free. Once a person has avoided gluten for a while, it becomes more difficult to establish if that is the problem. FOOD LABELS SERIES - Bread - Soup - Crisps - Sliced ham - Cream crackers (search other food labels articles here) | https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/what-s-really-in-gluten-free-bread-1.3752266?localLinksEnabled=false |
Why dont women find me attractive? | Dear Bunmi, Im in my mid 40s and need to know how to be more successful with women. When I think about women, it isnt only for sex but desperation to find some tenderness in a relationship. Ive hardly ever known this. Even as a child, I was raised by a mother who didnt show us that much love. I am a graduate, polite and caring and resent this unkind attitude women have towards me. They either ignore me or treat me very casually. Even though Im big, tall and not ugly, women dont seem to fancy me. In spite of the education, I havent really been that successful in life and I believe this is why they dont fancy me. The few Ive had dropped me as soon as they realised I wasnt a cash register. Its obvious that women are really interested in a relationship because of the money they can get out of it. My life has been horribly desolate and I have a low self-esteem. Samuel, by e-mail. Dear Samuel, A woman will eagerly give her affection to a man who is penniless if he offers her passion, protection and love. Instead, you seem to be on an endless search for the love you felt your mother denied you. This sends the message that you are someone who, although gentle and nice, has litlle to give. Also, the anger you feel towards women because you have been unable to win their affection shines through. Thats why they turn away. Your childhood greatly influences you, but it doesnt dictate the adult you become. So, push aside the urge to measure your worth by the love you receive from women, take stock of the person you are and learn to love yourself. Then ask yourself: In what sense am I a failure? Our worth is measured not by money but in the love we give to ourselves and others. Youll soon discover that women are attracted to a self-confident man. | https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/why-dont-women-find-me-attractive/ |
Do ktorch oblast investuje tento rok Trenianska upa najviac prostriedkov? | Odpoved predseda Trenianskeho samosprvneho kraja Jaroslav Baka. Regionlna hokejov akadmia, ktor bude v rozpote v hodnote cez sedem milinov eur. Zo kolstva stredn zdravotncka kola, ktor vznikne od 1. septembra tohto roku v Prievidzi. alou investciou v kolstve okrem modernizci a uebn bude zriadenie malho campusu v Pchove po vzore Trenna, kde sa spoj sklrska kola so strednou odbornou kolou a 1. septembra vznikne spojen kola. Ich spojenm chceme zachrni tto jedin sklrsku kolu na Slovensku. Vekou investciou bud aj cesty, v januri by sme mali podpsa obstarvanie na rekontrukciu tyroch ciest II. triedy. V tomto roku sa bud robi aj vruby na cyklotrase z Trenianskeho hradu na Nemov kpalisko. Vekou investciou, ktor budeme schvaova cez eurofondy, je za 4,5 milina eur druh sek Vskej cyklotrasy z Novho mesta nad Vhom do Trenna. Z eurofondov na to chceme zska 95 percent prostriedkov. | https://mytrencin.sme.sk/c/22028898/do-ktorych-oblasti-investuje-tento-rok-trencianska-zupa-najviac-prostriedkov.html |
Is Mickelson going to skip Torrey Pines after 28 straight starts there? | When Phil Mickelson began the 2018-19 PGA Tour season at the Safeway Open in October, he said he was going to trim his schedule and some tournaments might not be happy about it. His hometown event at Torrey Pines may feel the first pinch. As of Tuesday morning, Mickelson had yet to commit to the Farmers Insurance Open scheduled for next week. The deadline is Friday. The circumstance is highly unusual because the native San Diegan has always been among the early entrants for Torrey Pines. Mickelsons commitment usually arrives sometime in December, according to Farmers Open Tournament Director Peter Ripa. Ripa said he has yet to hear from Mickelson or his representatives. Ive reached out and havent gotten any response, one way or another, Ripa said. Messages to Mickelsons representatives on Tuesday werent immediately returned. Maybe Mickelson who is entered in this weeks Desert Classic in La Quinta has every intention to play and hasnt gotten around to officially entering. Or possibly he has decided there are other tournaments in which he has a better chance to contend. If Mickelson has decided to skip the Farmers Open, it will break a streak of 28 consecutive years he has played in the tournament, which is about 20 miles from his boyhood home and 12 from his current residence in Rancho Santa Fe. Mickelson competed three times as an amateur, including 1991 and 92, and won his first event as a pro on tour in 1993 in what was then the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines. At the Safeway Open, the 48-year-old Mickelson said he planned to cut back on his schedule because he found it difficult to maintain his focus, especially in consecutive weeks. He didnt mention it, but he also has to manage the effects and treatment for psoriatic arthritis I love what I do, Mickelson said in Napa in October. But now, as opposed to playing the tournaments youre expected to play in or whatever, now Im going to play in the tournaments that I like, that are best for me, even if it doesnt make sense or people have a problem with it. Im able to play at a high level, but its so difficult without physical and mental sharpness, to play at a high level. It doesnt come easy anymore. I need to recover. As I looked at my schedule next year (2019), and the way some of the tournaments are, yeah, there will be some that I miss that people will be upset about, but Im not going to worry about it. Though his hometown tournament might seem like a surprising choice to cut, its not when a number of factors are considered. It seems likely Mickelson will skip at least one of the tournaments on the mainland West Coast Swing, because if he doesnt, hed play six in a row: at La Quinta, San Diego, Phoenix, Pebble Beach, Los Angeles and Mexico City. The latter is where he won a World Golf Championships event last year to end a six-year victory drought. Mickelson, a 49-time tour winner and World Golf Hall of Famer, has captured all five events on the West Coast Swing multiple times for a total of 14 victories but Torrey Pines is where hes experienced his longest dry spell. He hasnt won on the cliffside courses in La Jolla since the redesign of the South Course before the 02 tournament. Hed previously captured back-to-back titles in 2000 and 01. Since 02, Mickelson has five top-eight finishes at Torrey, but his last came as a runner-up in 2011. Since then, hes missed the cut twice, withdrawn once and has a best finish of a tie for 14th in 2017. Mickelson last won at the Desert Classic in 2004, Phoenix in 13, Pebble Beach in 12 and Riviera in 09. Throw in losing the chance to do the North Course renovation by a legal technicality, and if theres not bad blood, there may be a bad taste in Mickelsons mouth about Torrey, Pines whose courses are now barely recognizable to those he grew up playing. Let Eddie Brown tell you what will happen. Let Eddie Brown tell you what will happen. Let Eddie Brown tell you what will happen. Let Eddie Brown tell you what will happen. CAPTION Opened in 2017 and designed by the same architects, Colorado State's Canvas Stadium is a real-life rendering for what San Diego State hopes to achieve with a new football venue. Opened in 2017 and designed by the same architects, Colorado State's Canvas Stadium is a real-life rendering for what San Diego State hopes to achieve with a new football venue. CAPTION At Navy, which is preparing for its annual game against Notre Dame, which this year will be played in San Diego, college football requires an unforgiving grind that forges unique athletes and people. At Navy, which is preparing for its annual game against Notre Dame, which this year will be played in San Diego, college football requires an unforgiving grind that forges unique athletes and people. CAPTION Quarterback, who began career with Chargers in San Diego, throws for more than 300 yards in win over Washington to surpass Peyton Manning's career mark. Quarterback, who began career with Chargers in San Diego, throws for more than 300 yards in win over Washington to surpass Peyton Manning's career mark. CAPTION The Chiefs face a steep learning curve in their secondary, but Kansac City isn't the only AFC West team that saw a flashing yellow light in the summer's first exhibition. The Chiefs face a steep learning curve in their secondary, but Kansac City isn't the only AFC West team that saw a flashing yellow light in the summer's first exhibition. [email protected]; Twitter: @sdutleonard | https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/sports/sd-sp-pga-tour-phil-mickelson-farmers-open-torrey-pines-20190115-story.html |
Who has earned the right to wear the number one? | GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Not all jerseys are created equal. There are certain numbers at certain schools that simply carry more weight. At Florida, the number one jersey has become coveted and only handed out to the best player on the team. Youve got to be a baller to be No. 1, head coach Dan Mullen said back in May. Only the best of the best will be allowed to wear it for the Gators and the history behind the jersey backs that up. In recent times, Vernon Hargreaves, Reggie Nelson and Percy Harvin all lived up to the billing of the jersey. They were difference makers throughout their careers at Florida and all went on to be first round draft picks to the NFL. Great players in the one is not just a recent phenomenon though. Floridas all-time interception leader, Keiwan Ratliff, wore it while he was a Gator in the early 2000s. Feared defensive back from the mid-to-late 90s Tony George and the fantastic receiver/return man Jack Jackson from the early 90s Jack Jackson both wear it under Steve Spurrier. Over the last few seasons no Gator has earned the right to wear the number one. Hargreaves was the latest in 2015. Mullens return brought up the question and he felt no one on last years team had done enough ahead of the season to wear it. There are certainly some great candidates. | https://florida.rivals.com/news/who-has-earned-the-right-to-dawn-the-number-one- |
Will the Government Shutdown Delay My Tax Refund? | Despite the shutdown, the IRS says it will provide refunds to taxpayers without delay. We're not so sure. As the record-setting government shutdown drags on and thousands of IRS employees sit at home, many Americans are understandably concerned about getting their tax refunds on time. However, the IRS has said that refunds will go out "as scheduled." Whether that actually happens remains to be seen. The IRS says that a significant portion of its workforce will be called back to work to process tax returns and issue refunds. More details regarding the IRS's plans are expected soon, but there's already resistance from the National Treasury Employees Union. The union has filed a lawsuit challenging the IRS's ability to force employees to work without pay. If the IRS can't recall enough employees, then the plan to issue refunds in a timely manner seems shaky. Back in 2011, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) instructed the IRS not to pay refunds during government shutdowns. As a result, almost $4 billion in tax refunds were delayed following the October 2013 shutdown. Now, however, the OMB says the IRS may pay tax refunds during a lapse in funding. Legal challenges to this opinion could also sink the IRS's plan. We won't have to wait too long to see if the IRS is able to keep its promise. Filing season begins January 28, 2019. If the IRS is indeed on schedule this year, refunds for early-bird filers could be issued as soon as mid-February. Our advice: File as early as possible. If the IRS falls behind schedule due to the shutdown, you don't want your return at the back of a potentially massive backlog. EDITOR'S PICKS Copyright 2019 The Kiplinger Washington Editors | https://news.yahoo.com/government-shutdown-delay-tax-refund-191824486.html |
Is Hulu's 'Fyre Fraud' Fyre Festival Documentary Good? | Bless this week! It brings not one but two documentaries about Fyre, the failed influencer-targeted music festival that instantly defined a generation when it went viral in 2017. The first, Hulu's Fyre Fraud, got a surprise Beyonc-style drop last night. The second, produced by VICE, will stream on Netflix from Friday. Fyre Fraud centers on a rotating series of talking heads, most notably the festival's founder Billy McFarland, who is currently doing time in federal prison. Also featured are journalists from the New Yorker, Billboard, and Mic, ex-Fuck Jerry employee Oren Aks, and some of McFarland's former friends and employees. If you didn't tune in yet, here are the five main things to know. The whole thing was definitely Fuck Jerrys fault I CANNOT OVERSTATE THIS: FUCK JERRY AND FYRE FESTIVAL SHOULD NEVER NOT BE MENTIONED IN THE SAME SENTENCE. While McFarland was the longtime scam artist (Fyre Fraud goes deep on his pre-festival organizer past, which is dotted with smaller instances of financial fraud) who orchestrated Fyre, and should obviously shoulder the legal blame, the documentary also emphasizes how employees of @fuckjerry's spinoff marketing agency Jerry Media were the taste makers who made it appealing in the first place. Absolutely no one would have bought tickets to some random event fronted by Ja Rule (Ja Rule!) if smart people hadn't taken over its Instagram. The dudes at Jerry did an incredible job at creating a marketing campaign so squarely targeted at vapid millennial wannabe influencers that it tiptoed around the edge of parody. They knew to get Kendall, Bella, and Emrata on board. They knew how to minimize facts and specifics but maximize hype. They also definitely knew, almost from the beginning, that Fyre festival would be a total failure. Gloriously douchey ex-employee Oren Aks literally admits this on camera. But Jerry Media accepted that paycheck and did the work anyway, which truly does demand grudging respect. As Instagram's OG meme account, Fuck Jerry has been cynically manipulating social media trends and algorithms for years now. Fyre was the inevitable culmination of their skills. On that note, though... Adults don't know what memes are Fyre Fraud is understandably obsessed with the concept of "millennials" and "influencers" and "social media," and with the help of various experts the documentary does manage to paint a fairly accurate picture of the image-obsessed internet culture which made a music festival scam of Fyre's scale possible. Unfortunately, there are also some super cringey references to memes. I'm not sure that everyone involved in the making of this documentary was actually aware of what a meme is there are some dated definitions thrown around, and liberal use of that ancient Wordart-style Chuck Norris-y imagery from ten years ago. Literally someone (a dead-eyed venture capitalist, to be fair) brings up the dramatic chipmunk. Luckily, the New Yorker's Jia Tolentino swoops in to save the day. Her commentary on how a precarious socio-political environment has led millennials to live out their fake lives on the internet making them easy scam victims, as well as gifted potential scammers themselves feels important and real. Billy has an adoring girlfriend An unexpected highlight of Fyre Fraud is the appearance of McFarland's beautiful model girlfriend, Anastasia Eremenko. Please. For some reason she is delighted to appear on camera and talk about how in love with him she is. She seems nice and I want to help her but don't know how. Anastasia, if you're reading this, please note that Billy! Is! A! Conman! Although he definitely has a Trump-ish aspect to him in that you're never sure if what you're seeing is pure evil or pure idiocy. The documentary cruelly cuts between footage of Anastasia talking adoringly about her criminal boyfriend and more knowledgeable people characterizing him as a diabolical fraudster and pathological liar. Related | The 2018 Scammer Power Ranking Some people DID get luxury villas Much of Fyre Festival's inherent virality comes from that vast gap between expectation and reality that attendees fell into they arrived on commercial jets instead of sleek private planes, they ate cheese sandwiches instead of sushi, and they were told to sleep in half-constructed tents instead of luxury villas. This outcome, combined with the fact most attendees appeared to be wealthy assholes, meant Fyre was absolutely the funniest thing that has ever happened on the internet, ever. Except some influencers did get given villas and other luxuries. One of them, Alyssa Lynch, makes an amusingly clueless appearance in the documentary. What becomes clear is that the VIPs who actually showed up (many, including all musical acts, sensed something was up and didn't) had a totally different experience to people who paid slightly less money for tickets. They were sent to a nicer part of the island and put up in private accommodation, swam at the beach, and partied at actual bars as opposed to drinking stray bottles of booze found on the ground. In retrospect, this dynamic makes Fyre feel even more sinister. Fyre Fraud reveals that the Bahamians who worked day and night on the impossible task of getting Fyre ready on time are still owed thousands of dollars by McFarland. They weren't paid, despite enduring what the documentary implies were awful working conditions in the days preceding the failed event, it doesn't sound like anyone got much sleep. McFarland and Ja Rule did approximately zero research into the local culture, and didn't even bother to pay taxes on the food and booze they imported. They also failed to realize that Fyre coincided with the biggest event of Exuma's calendar year: the National Family Island Regatta, which draws thousands of attendees from neighboring islands and means most private accommodation is all booked up. Also, there's not much room in the water for supermodels on luxury yachts. Not that they were ever planning to show up. | http://www.papermag.com/hulu-fyre-fraud-documentary-2626075869.html |
Is it common for people to steal hedges? | Heres a clue - its not a hedge! The gap where there should be a hedge in Church Road, Tostock Picture: MARIAM GHAEMI MARIAM GHAEMI Stealing hedges can be the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what thieves will take, as Lynne Mortimer discovers. Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. A glacier in Chile... probably not the one that was stolen. Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto A glacier in Chile... probably not the one that was stolen. Someone did, making off with 12m of greenery from a garden in Tostock, near Bury St Edmunds. It will not surprise you to learn that hedges do not crop up (no pun intended) as one of the items most commonly stolen in domestic burglaries... if indeed taking a garden hedge qualifies as a burglary. Apparently, the most stolen food item in the world is cheese. Yes, cheese. Think back to Pepys diary. His entry for the day the Great Fire of London ravaged the capital in 1666, tells us that he wrapped up his Parmesan cheese and buried it in the garden to ensure it came to no harm. Today, Parmesan is still a high-value cheese. A whole 36-month aged Parmesan weighing 39kg might set you back 994.50... mind you, it would last a lifetime methinks. The theft of hedges is not without precedent. In August 2016 a couple in West Sussex had 30ft of laurel hedge stolen from the front garden of their home. The owners, like those in Tostock, were baffled. But the cost of a mature hedge might make the theft understandable. A 225-250cm laurel hedge plant with an eight-year-old root ball costs around 75. Hedge heists, therefore, might be quite a nice little earner - even if the incidence is, happily, infrequent, An inflatable gorilla like the one stolen - no-one noticed because it had a tendency to deflate Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto An inflatable gorilla like the one stolen - no-one noticed because it had a tendency to deflate Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto Looking at the more usual proceeds of crime the 2015 Crime Survey for England and Wales show that in that year burgled items were: Jewellery (including watches): stolen in 43% of burglaries Purses, wallets, or cash: 38% Computers (mostly laptops): 34% Cameras, MP3 players, TVs, stereos and other electrical equipment: 19% Mobile phones: 13% Clothes: 9% Food, perfumes, cigarettes: 8% Bags like purses or briefcases: 8% Furniture: 6% Documents like passports, and financial information, house keys or car keys: 5% Shoplifters in the UK meanwhile, according to www.retailresearch.org go for: 1. Alcohol, mainly well-known spirits, beer and cider. 2. Cosmetics, perfume, makeup, lotions, hair treatment, shampoo, skin creams, and sun-tan lotion. 3. Razor/ shaving requisites - this was no 1 for many years but is falling down the rankings due to new security systems and display limitation. 4. Clothing accessories, handbags, leather goods, earrings, scarves, etc: often small expensive and very desirable things. 5. Coffee (in other countries, coffee and tea). 6. Meat and cheese with growing interest in the more expensive cheeses. 7. Electrical goods and accessories such as, headphones, data sticks, toothbrushes, electronic medical equipment, batteries. 8. Smartphones, iPhones 9. Jeans, branded items, childrenswear, men and womens clothing 10. Sport fashion, branded items, trainers/sports shoes, club strips. Then there are the more bizarre items: A 10-ton bridge was stolen from the Czech city of Slavkov by thieves who said they were hired to demolish it. They dismantled the whole bridge and 650ft of track and sold it for scrap metal. In 2013, 11,000lbs of Nutella, (cost approx $20,000( was stolen from a cargo truck in Germany. It was speculated that the theft was related to other food thefts in the area, including coffee and Red Bull. Thieves in Ukraine forged documents and convinced guards at a railway museum in Donetsk that they were moving one of the museums trains to another location. The 1924 train was then sold for scrap. A man in Chile stole five tons of ice from the Jorge Montt glacier in 2012, intending to sell it in bars as designer ice. Police seized his refrigerated truck and the man was charged with theft and violation of a national monument. In Simi Valley, California, in 2010, a car dealership was robbed of its 350lb inflatable mascot gorilla. As it had a tendency to deflate no one noticed it had gone until someone climbed on to the roof. In 1990, in Los Angeles 300 hefty manhole covers were stolen across the city. It turned out that the manhole thief was selling the covers for $6 a piece to scrap metal dealers. Share your story. | https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/glaciers-hedges-manhole-cover-cheese-they-all-get-stolen-1-5851160 |
Did Ariana Grande just confirm the size of Pete Davidson's manhood? | Recently, in a tweet (that later got removed), a fan had asked Arian Grande about "how long Pete is". To which Ariana did not hold herself back and replied, "Like 10 inches?" But the fan, who quickly clarified that he wanted to know the duration of the song, Sweetener, the song that is supposedly dedicated to Pete, unfortunately, fell on deaf ears. Grande had first revealed, earlier this week, that she has dedicated a song from her forthcoming album to the Saturday Night Live star. She also gave a short clip of the song on social media and clarified succinctly that the track would be called "pete" when a fan enquired. Now, when Pete found out he did not shy away from talking about 'it' either. The SNL star was performing a show in New York, and there he spoke at length about her ex's comment on her private part. In a typical Davidson style, he joked about why he thought it was a "mean" thing to say but at the end was a "genius" move. "Everything is huge to her," he said. Then he later moved on to how he thought it was a genius move, "So that every girl who sees my dick for the rest of my life is disappointed." Pete and Ariana broke up in October 2018. Though the comedian admitted to having had a tough time since then, he seems to have been recovering when he was spotted getting cosy with Kate Beckinsale at Golden Globes after party in LA. | https://www.ibtimes.co.in/did-ariana-grande-just-confirm-size-pete-davidsons-manhood-790002 |
Can Kentucky beat an egg and Kylie Jenner for record Instagram likes? | CLOSE The Internet is a weird and magical place that can accomplish almost anything when people come together, like getting a picture of an egg to beat Kylie Jenner's photo off Instagram's throne. USA TODAY Kentucky may have its toughest opponent yet: A world-record egg and reality TV star Kylie Jenner. Because the internet makes no sense, a Kentucky Instagram account posted a simple picture of the Bluegrass State with the goal to become the most-liked post on Instagram. The post takes on a picture of an egg, which amassed more than 40 million likes this week to beat Jenner's post announcing the birth of her daughter, which has about 18.5 million likes. The Instagram account, worldrecordkentucky, posted the outline of the state Monday. You may like: How Iroquois Park plays a key role in this drug-fueled Kentucky thriller "Lets set a world record for the state with the most likes on Instagram. Tag your Kentucky friends. We got this Kentucky," the caption said. This is picture of Kentucky is taking on Kylie Jenner and an egg for the most liked thing on Instagram. (Photo: Rick Paynter) As of Tuesday morning, it has nearly 20,000 likes. The mastermind behind the post was Rick Paynter, the owner of Shop Local KY, an apparel and clothing company that rocks Bluegrass pride. The world record egg account has 2.7 million followers and now boasts the title of "official world record holders of the most liked picture on Instagram" in its bio. Paynter said he was inspired. "I thought it was fantastic," Paynter said. "This random egg just took on the world ... If an egg can do this, why can't Kentucky be the most liked state on Instagram?" he said. Uh oh: Bad news, Netflix fans. All plans are getting a higher price tag Paynter said his phone has been buzzing nonstop with Instagram notifications. He noted that there have been at least 300 shares just from Instagram stories alone. "We're probably not going to beat the egg," Paynter said. "But we've had a lot of response. We've always been at the forefront of fostering state pride." Reach Thomas Novelly: [email protected], 502-582-4465 or @tomnovelly Read or Share this story: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2019/01/15/kentucky-challenges-most-liked-instagram-post-kylie-jenner-world-record-egg/2579546002/ | https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/2019/01/15/kentucky-challenges-most-liked-instagram-post-kylie-jenner-world-record-egg/2579546002/ |
Who will be on the April 2019 ballot? | Interested candidates had until 5 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 2 to submit papers or declare non-candidacies. However, some townships have yet to hold their caucuses where candidates will be nominated for open positions on town boards. Those include the towns of Erin Prairie and Warren. While the town of St. Joseph held its caucus, the town clerk is not releasing nominees' names until after 5 p.m. Jan. 15, which is after the News' print deadline. Information obtained for formalizing the municipal and school candidacies to appear on the ballot shows races for District 2, Wards 3-4 and District 3, Wards 5-6 in New Richmond, town of Somerset supervisor, Hammond village president and village of Star Prairie president and trustee. In other races, incumbents are largely running unopposed. In Star Prairie, Village President Chad Peterson announced his resignation Jan. 9. He is moving outside of village limits. Trustee Craig Matthys is assuming president duties until the April election, in which Patsy Johnson and Rita Keating will vie for that seat. In the town of Cylon, no nominees are running for the clerk and treasurer positions. "If anyone comes forward for clerk or treasurer, we have 10 days in which to reconvene the caucus," said current Clerk Brenda Kaczmarski, who is on the ballot for a town supervisor position after serving as clerk for 10 years. " There has never been a female supervisor or chair in Cylon." The names of candidates appearing on ballots this spring (as of Jan. 8, 2019) are: (* denotes incumbent): TOWN OF CYLON: (two-year terms) Town Board Chair Randall Zemke* Two supervisor seats open: Supervisor Dennis Erickson*, Supervisor Kevin Derrick* and Brenda Kaczmarski Town Clerk: no nominations. Current Clerk Brenda Kaczmarski was nominated for supervisor. Town Treasurer: no nominations. Jenny Arduser* is not running VILLAGE OF DEER PARK (two-year terms, all seats running unopposed) Village President Randy Olson* Trustee Arlyn Severson* TOWN OF ERIN PRAIRIE (caucus Jan. 21, two-year terms) The nominees have five days after the caucus to finalize their paperwork. Open positions are those currently held by: Town Board Chair John Van Dyk Supervisor Dennis Mitchell Supervisor Mike Monteith Town Clerk/Treasurer Jackie Mitchell TOWN OF HAMMOND (two-year terms, all seats running unopposed) Town Board Chair Paul Hueg* Supervisor Bob Aune* Supervisor Joe Miller* VILLAGE OF HAMMOND (two-year terms) Village President: Mark Benton and Tony Bibeau* Village Trustees (three seats open): Laurie Gruber* Kristy Olson* Bob Trudell. Sandy Brecht* filed non-candidacy papers. CITY OF NEW RICHMOND (two-year terms, unless noted) Alderperson (Districts 1, Wards 1-2): Craig Kittel* Alderperson (District 2, Wards 3-4): Scottie Ard* and challenger Kirk Lindell Alderperson (District 3, Wards 5-6): Jim Jackson* and challenger Thomas Weinmeyer. Municipal Judge Renee Keating* (four-year term) NEW RICHMOND SCHOOL BOARD (three-year terms, all seats running unopposed) Neal Melby* Bryan Shafer* Greg Gartner* TOWN OF RICHMOND (two-year terms, all seats running unopposed) Town Board Chair Gary Knutson* Supervisor James Peirson* Supervisor David Stephens* VILLAGE OF ROBERTS (two-year terms, all seats running unopposed) Village President Willard Moeri* Village Trustees (three seats open) Trustee Chuck Pizzi* Trustee Mary Shemon* Trustee Cheryl Johnson* VILLAGE OF SOMERSET (two-year terms, all seats running unopposed) Village President John Melvin * Municipal Judge Brad Nemec* Trustees: Tony Lueck* Ali Peterson* Kelsey Parnell SOMERSET SCHOOL BOARD (three-year terms, all seats running unopposed) Katie Thurmes* (Clerk) Courtney Kurkowski* (Treasurer) did not file candidacy papers. Patricia Jo Forsberg will run for her spot. TOWN OF SOMERSET (three seats, two-year terms) Town Board Chair Ed Schachtner* Town Board Supervisor (two seats open): Douglas Plourde* Larry Rauch* Lenny Germain TOWN OF STANTON ( two-year terms, all seats running unopposed) Town Board Chair Richard Hesselink* Supervisor I Gerald Croes* Supervisor II Steven Hoogheem* TOWN OF STAR PRAIRIE (two-year terms, all seats running unopposed) Town Board Chair Tom Heintz* Supervisor Steve Lewis* Supervisor Darryl Wendt* VILLAGE OF STAR PRAIRIE (two-year terms) Village President: Rita Keating and Patsy Johnson Trustees (two seats open) Dan Scheeringa* Patsy Johnson* Greg Gibson ST. CROIX CENTRAL SCHOOL BOARD (three-year terms, all seats running unopposed) Director at Large Kirk Lyksett* Director at Large Jeff Redmon* TOWN OF ST. JOSEPH (caucus Jan. 10, two-year terms) The nominees have five days after the caucus to finalize their paperwork. Open positions are those currently held by: Town Board Chair Theresa Johnson Supervisor 2 Michael Long Supervisor 4: Position vacant TOWN OF WARREN (caucus Jan. 21, two-year terms) The nominees have five days after the caucus to finalize their paperwork. Open positions are those currently held by: Town Boar Chair Geno Hanson Supervisor Joey Waalen Supervisor Grace M. Hoyer St. Croix County Circuit Court Judge Branch 2, Edward Vlack* is running unopposed for another six-year term. Statewide The term of Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Shirley Abrahamson will expire on July 31, 2019. Abrahamson announced that she would not be seeking re-election in May 2018. Two candidates are running to fill the seat: Appeals Judge Brian Hagedorn and Appeals Chief Judge Lisa Neubauer. Hagedorn, who announced his candidacy in August, is the former chief legal counsel to former Gov. Scott Walker. Neubauer announced her candidacy in July. She serves on the District 2 Court of Appeals with Hagedorn. Court of Appeals Judge District 3 Lisa K. Stark* will run unopposed for another six-year term. | https://www.newrichmond-news.com/news/government-and-politics/4557014-who-will-be-april-2019-ballot |
Are local districts prepared for active-shooter drill law? | A new state law is mandating that school districts conduct active shooter and threat drills while school is session, with law enforcement present, within the first 90 days of school being in session. But for many schools are around Illinois, the law won't mean many changes because school officials say they've already been conducting such drills. Because Peoria Public Schools used to have its own police department until it was dissolved in a few years ago, local police are already heavily involved with school safety drills. We were already on board for the law before it went into effect, said Demario Boone, chief of Peoria Public Schools Safety department. Boone said the drills done in the district are fluid. Students are given a presentation on the run, hide, fight technique, then are given opportunities to practice it. Schools have been using this more fluid drill for about a year now, Boone said. They are not just done when students are in class, but also during lunch, recess or class changes. An assailant is not going to wait for class to do something, Boone said. Because of the close relationship between local law enforcement and the district, he said it will be easy for them to follow the 90 day deadline. Every single one of our schools has done active assailant training, Boone said. State Sen. Julie Morrison, D-Deerfield, one of the chief sponsors of the original bill, said the law is just one more tool to help assure school safety. She acknowledged that some schools already have drills and plans in place, but said the new language in the law was needed to make these rules consistent across every district in Illinois. Every child in the state deserves the same level of safety, and this provides uniformity, Morrison said. Though it is unfortunate the state has to require schools to have drills like these, she said they give teachers, administration and law enforcement an actual plan should these instances arise. Districts submit a written documentation to the Regional Office of Education annually showing that the rules outlined in the School Safety Drill Act have been followed. Schools that are not compliant with the law would be reported to the Illinois State Board of Education. Sgt. Joe Behl, training coordinator for the Springfield Police Department, said the SPD schedules a day and time to hold the drills with each school in Springfield. When officers walk through the halls with a school administrator, they are making sure people are not out in common areas, not in cafeterias and essentially out of sight, with all doors locked and lights off, he said. We have been doing this with the Springfield School District for probably five years, Behl said. We make the schedule before the school year starts, we know where we have to be and when. We get it done within the 90 days. Though some people might think these situations wont happen where they are, Behl said schools have done a good job of getting past that mindset. I think America as a whole has realized its a nationwide problem that has to be addressed, he said. | http://www.pekintimes.com/news/20190115/are-local-districts-prepared-for-active-shooter-drill-law |
Has Ole Gunnar Solskjaer proved he has the tactical nous to be Man Utds next permanent manager? | Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer came through the match billed as his first serious test with flying colours and three points last weekend. Solskjaer and his side recorded a 0-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Sunday afternoon in a game that will go some way to answering the key question that has been hanging over the Norwegian coach. His impact in rejuvenating the players and his United credentials were not in any doubt, but some pundits have been questioning whether he has the tactical nous to take the job on a permanent basis. The Spurs game suggested that he does. His plan of leaving Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial high up the pitch to take advantage of the space left behind by Mauricio Pochettinos marauding full-backs ultimately won the match for United. That doesnt really matter as long as the coaching staff are reaching the right tactics together. Certainly Sir Alex Ferguson was not afraid to take tactical guidance from Phelan or any of his other assistants. Indeed, weve written elsewhere about how Uniteds win over Spurs had Fergusons fingerprints all over it. Choosing the personal and tactics to negate strong opponents was part and parcel of that. Its still early days, of course, but United fans can take considerable heart from events at Wembley. Solskjaer now has just under a month to maintain momentum and further impose himself on the squad before the four weeks that will make or break his tenure. That starts with the Champions League last-16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain, followed by the Premier League game against Liverpool at Old Trafford. After games against Crystal Palace and Southampton, United play the return game at PSG, Arsenal away and Manchester City at home. That run of fixtures will really test Solskjaers mettle. If he conjures up the tactics and squad management to succeed between mid-February and mid-March, he is likely to be in the dugout next season. | https://www.offthepost.info/blog/2019/01/ole-gunnar-solskjaer-proved-tactical-nous-man-utds-next-permanent-manager/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+offthepost%2FTLAa+%28Off+The+Post%29 |
How many guns can a personal legally have in Costa Rica? | Legislators of the Security and Drug Trafficking Commission (Comisin de Seguridad y Narcotrfico) have been engaged in a debate about the number of guns a person in Costa Rica can have. Currently, the legislation allows an individual to legally have three weapons. However, a reform of the Weapons and Explosives Law (Ley de Armas y Explosivos) would reduce the amount to one. At the committee level, the proposal to reduce the number of guns was initially supported by the Partido Liberacin Nacional (PLN), Partido Accin Ciudadana (PAC), the independents of the Nueva Repblica bloc and the Partido Republicano Social Cristiano (PRSC). The problem is not with the legal owners of guns, but the criminals who get them back in the black market Legislator Zoila Rosa Volio However, on Monday, the legislators of the committee voted for a motion to leave the number unchanged, despite the insistence of the Minister of Security, Micheal Soto. Soto argued that the greater the number of weapons, the more likely they up in the hands of criminals. The argument did not sway the majority of the legislators. PLN legislator Gustavo Viales, chairman of the Security and Drug Trafficking Commission (Comisin de Seguridad y Narcotrfico) explained that his party bloc is demanding valid technical criteria from the Ministry of Security before it would support the reduction initiative to the full legislative assembly. The number of legal guns in Costa Rica went from 99,000 in 1997 to 244,000 in 2017. However, there is a large black market, that could easily double or more the actual number of guns in the possession of the public. According to data cited by PAC legislator Enrique Snchez, 80% of the owners of legally registered weapons have only one, while 16% have two and 4% have three or more. The legislator added that the idea of registering firearms every three years is aimed at traceability, but that does not happen. The Ministry of Security said that it confiscates, on average, an illegal firearm every four hours. Punishment for the illegal possession of a weapon is minimal, in most cases, only community work is considered as punishment. For her part, Zoila Rosa Volio, legislator of the Partido Integracin Nacional (PIN), who did not support the bill to reduce the number of guns in legal possession of the public, said that if a person uses their legal weapon to defend themselves, it would be confiscated by the Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ) leaving them defenseless, however, when it comes to criminals, they can easily obtain another weapon in the black market. The problem is not with the legal owners of guns, but the criminals who get them back in the black market, said the legislator. In addition, Volio assured that Russian made weapons are entering Costa Rica directly from Nicaragua that can be purchased in the black market. No criminal will go to get a permit to carry weapons, lets not be ridiculous. Lets call things the way they are, she emphasized. Volio Related | http://qcostarica.com/how-many-guns-can-a-personal-legally-have-in-costa-rica/ |
How did my MP vote on the Brexit withdrawal agreement? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Our MPs tonight finally got their chance to vote on Theresa May's Brexit deal. Graham Stringer (Labour) (Image: MEN) Blackley and Broughton Constituency How did they vote: Against Lucy Powell (Labour) (Image: Joel Goodman) Central Constituency How did they vote: Against Afzal Khan (Labour) (Image: Joel Goodman) Gorton Constituency How did they vote: Against Jeff Smith (Labour) (Image: Joel Goodman) Withington Constituency How did they vote: Against Mike Kane (Labour) (Image: Manchester Evening News) Wythenshawe and Sale East Constituency How did they vote: Against Sir Graham Brady (Conservative) Altrincham and Sale West How did they vote: Against Angela Rayner (Labour) Ashton-under-Lyne How did they vote: Against David Crausby (Labour) Bolton North East How did they vote: Against Yasmin Qureshi (Labour) (Image: UGC) Bolton South East How did they vote: Against Chris Green (Conservative) Bolton West How did they vote: Against James Firth (Labour) Bury North How did they vote: Against Ivan Lewis (Labour) (Image: Manchester Evening News) Bury South How did they vote: Against Mary Robinson (Conservative) Cheadle How did they vote: In Favour Andrew Gwynne (Labour) (Image: Andrew Gwynne) Denton and Reddish How did they vote: Against William Wragg (Conservative) (Image: UGC) Hazel Grove How did they vote: Against Liz McInnes (Labour) Heywood and Middleton How did they vote: Against Joanne Platt (Labour) Leigh How did they vote: Against Yvonne Fovargue (Labour) Makerfield How did they vote: Against Debbie Abrahams (Labour) (Image: Daily Mirror) Oldham East and Saddleworth How did they vote: Against Jim McMahon (Labour) Oldham West and Royton How did they vote: Against Tony Lloyd (Labour) (Image: Sean Hansford) Rochdale How did they vote: Against Rebecca Long-Bailey (Labour) Salford and Eccles How did they vote: Against Jonathan Reynolds (Labour) (Image: Staff) Stalybridge and Hyde How did they vote: Against Ann Coffey (Labour) Stockport How did they vote: Against Kate Green (Labour) Stretford and Urmston How did they vote: Against Lisa Nandy (Labour) (Image: Daily Mirror) Wigan How did they vote: Against Barbara Keeley (Labour) (Image: Jen Urwin) Worsley and Eccles South How did they vote: Against Mike Kane (Labour) (Image: Manchester Evening News) Wythenshawe and Sale East How did they vote: Against | https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/how-mp-vote-brexit-withdrawal-15682703 |
Is Hayley Slater dead after booze bender on EastEnders? | EastEnders fans have been left worried about the welfare of troubled Hayley Slater (Katie Jarvis) after she was found unresponsive in Tuesdays episode. Advertisement Tonights drama saw Hayley storming off with baby daughter Cherry in tow after overhearing Kat (Jessie Wallace) doubting her parenting skills. Later on, while sitting out in the cold on the Square, Hayley bumped into Max (Jake Wood), who unintentionally gave her further doubts about her abilities to be a mother. As Max told Hayley to wrap up warm so she wouldnt get sick, the new mum ended up feeling that she hadnt been putting Cherry first. Hitting self destruct, Hayley proceeded to buy a bottle of vodka and drink half its contents before retuning home in order to tend to Cherry. Despite assuring Mo (Laila Morse) that she hadnt been drinking, it was obvious that Hayley was at that moment in time in no fit state to care for her daughter. After heading to the bathroom, Hayley ended up putting Cherry in the empty tub while she sat down on the lavatory seat. But a cliffhanger scene then saw the Slaters break down the locked door to find Hayley passed out or maybe even dead on the toilet and having left Cherry in the potentially dangerous situation of being unattended in the bath. Viewers will now have to wait until Thursday at 7.30pm to discover how the Slaters react to this latest drama and whether Hayley will make it through her current crisis Advertisement Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2019-01-15/is-hayley-slater-dead-after-booze-bender-on-eastenders/ |
Where Did the North Pole Go? | As the humans go about their affairs, living atop a thin crust floating on molten rock, the liquid iron in the Earths core is churning in strange, erratic ways. This is a problem because those humans, clever in some ways, have figured out that the movement of the liquid iron creates a magnetic field. For centuries, their compasses have pointed north. But where that is, exactly, is changing. After observing, if not exactly understanding, the magnetic fields recent behavior, scientists decided to update the World Magnetic Model, which underlies navigation for ships and planes today. As Nature reported, the update was supposed to come January 15. But the model is jointly developed by the British Geological Survey and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. government is shut down. The NOAA web page for the World Magnetic Model currently says, The website you are trying to access is not available at this time due to a lapse in appropriation. Read: The upheaval at the end of the world This isnt a big crisis: The north magnetic pole has always drifted. Since scientists began tracking its location in the 19th century, it has moved from Canada toward Siberia. (The north magnetic pole is close to but distinct from the north geographic pole, whose location is determined by the axis on which the Earth spins.) For most of the 20th century, the pole moved about nine miles a year. Then, beginning in the 1990s, it moved about 35 miles a year. | https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/01/north-pole-moving-shutdown/580330/?utm_source=feed |
Why Is NBC News Afraid of the Word Racist? Why Does CNN Want Us to Give Bigots a Pass? | Advertisement Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) made headlines (again) recently for racist remarks he made during an interview with the New York Times. White nationalist, white supremacist, Western civilizationhow did that language become offensive? King asked. Why did I sit in classes teaching me about the merits of our history and our civilization? After the interview went public, King went on to clarify that he is neither a white nationalist nor a white supremacist; he is simply a nationalist. Advertisement OK, sir. Never mind that this isnt the first time King has been caught on the record saying racist things. This is the man who once compared immigrants to dirt, after all. Regardless, NBC News thinks its staffers should be careful when reporting on Kings remarks. Advertisement Two NBC News staffers shared an internal email from their standards department with the Huffington Post, in which Susan Sullivanan NBC standards department senior employeecautioned them to not refer directly to Kings comments as racist. Be careful to avoid characterizing [Kings] remarks as racist, Sullivan wrote. It is ok to attribute to others as in what many are calling racist or something like that. In other words, NBC is telling their employees that its OK for them to say Monique Judge at The Root said Steve King is a racist, but it is not OK for their employees to say it on their own. Advertisement The cowardice jumped out. What he said is racist, plain and simple. John Blake recently wrote a column for CNN in which he confessed that he is a bigot, a sexist and a homophobe. Blake said he made his confession because of a growing unease Ive experienced over the way social media mobilizes to condemn people caught using slurs or acting in other intolerant ways. Like the New York meteorologist who was recently fired after he said Martin Luther Coon during a broadcast. Advertisement Blake is of the belief that going after people who make racist or bigoted remarks may actually reinforce racism and bigotry instead of combating them. Shorter Blake: Youre the real racist if you even talk about racism, and its your fault that racism is a thingnot the people who are actually racists and bigots. Before we drag Blake for filth, its worth noting that he himself is black. That makes his take even more egregious. Advertisement Blake is basically taking up the mantle of the same argument white racists and bigots make all the time when trying to silence the voices of those who call them out for their actions and rhetoric. For his defense, Blake shares an anecdote about him choosing a white person to help him over a black one at Lowes one weekend. Some people go to Lowes to build. I went there and had my self-image torn down. I went to the home improvement store one Saturday morning to buy some equipment to paint my deck. I wanted to know the best paint and brushes to use but didnt know where to start. I walked up to a counter to ask for help. Two men stood behind the counter, a shaggy-haired white man busy on the phone and a young black man with a military bearing who was alone, not attending to any customers. I didnt ask the black guy for help, though he was free. It wasnt until I got home and started staining my deck that it hit me: Damn, I thought. I just racially profiled a black man and Im black! I was totally unaware what was happening when I decided to ignore the black guy. It was unintentional. My decision was made in a millisecond. Advertisement This is an easy one, and I can answer that for you, John. The difference is the power structure. Racism involves powerone group having the power to create systematic and institutionalized policies that discriminate against another group. In this case, that would be whites over blacks. Blakes wanting the white clerk to help him instead of the black one is not racismits prejudice, and until people understand the fundamental difference between the two, we will never be able to create any type of change as far as both are concerned. Advertisement Blake also demonstrated implicit bias against the black man, and this is something that black people are not immune from. We all have implicit biases against someone. So Blakes entire premise is based on faulty logic. We dont need to give bigots a break and we dont need to be afraid to use the words racist or racism. Both are very real and very prevalent in our society. Shying away from calling them what they are wont make them go awayit simply gives them even more power. Advertisement Shame on any journalism and media institution that thinks otherwise. You are part of the problem. | https://www.theroot.com/why-is-nbc-news-afraid-of-the-word-racist-why-does-cnn-1831778008 |
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