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Who Is Hosting Celebrity Big Brother 2019? | CBS Celebrity Big Brother is back for its latest season. The reality series welcomes new faces like Joey Lawrence, Anthony Scaramucci, and Dina Lohan, and will premiere tonight at 8/7 c. Some fans, however, may be wondering whether Julie Chen Moonves will still be hosting the series. Celebrity Big Brother will indeed be hosted by Julie Chen Moonves. This will be the 23rd season that Moonves has hosted for CBS, following 20 summer seasons of Big Brother, one online season of Big Brother: Over the Top, and the first season of Celebrity Big Brother in 2018. Julie Chen Moonves Is Back After Hosting Celebrity Big Brother Season 1 Despite Moonves lengthy tenure as Big Brother host, there have been some rumors that CBS may be looking to replace her eventually. There have been several legal controversies surrounding her husband Les Moonves, the former head of CBS. Fansided reports that theres been lots of online chatter about replacing Moonves, with some going as far as to speculate that she was complicit in her husbands sexual misconduct allegations. That said, these speculations are not concrete, and CBS has not made any public announcements about replacing Moonves in the near future. In September, Deadline confirmed that Moonves will stay on as host until fall 2019. The news coincided with her announcement that she was leaving her role as host on The Talk. Despite Rumors Of Her Being Replaced, Moonves Will Stay On Through Fall 2019 I have been at The Talk since the day it started nine years ago, and the cast, crew and staff have become family to me over the years, she said in a video message. But right now I need to spend more time at home, with my husband and our young son, so Ive decided to leave The Talk. Moonves was replaced by Carrie Ann Inaba. Speaking with Parade, Moonves spoke about her tenure with Big Brother and what the series has taught her. Egos are so fragile, she responded. Whether youre a celebrity or a civilian, at the end of the day, if you get your feelings hurt, youre going to vote emotionally rather than logically. People always think, Oh, Im going to be the exceptionno ones going to stab me in the back. Its Big Brother; its bound to happen. Moonves Has Said That Celebrity Big Brother Is Friendlier Than Its Predecessor Moonves also spoke on the differences between Big Brother and its spinoff, Celebrity Big Brother. A big difference was because of the shorter duration, the celebrity houseguests didnt get much exposure to natural light, she revealed. We had to scale back the backyard to the little area that had the Jacuzzi and the fire pit because the main backyard had to be turned over and broken down every other day for competitions. There also was a level of familiarity, she added. Some of these celebrities knew each other from the charity circuit or being in the business, but they werent best friends. Even if they didnt know somebody, they knew their name so they already had certain ideas of how they thought they would be, sometimes with misconceptions. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/who-is-celebrity-big-brother-host/ |
Who Was Jonathan Bennett In Mean Girls? | Jonathan Bennett is slated to appear on the latest season of Celebrity Big Brother. While the actor and model is known for hosting Food Network shows like Halloween Wars and Cake Wars, his breakout role in the 2004 comedy Mean Girls remains one of his most famous. Bennett played Aaron Samuels, the love interest of Lindsay Lohans character Cady. In the film, Aaron is the former boyfriend of Regina George, the schools most popular girl and the antagonist to Cady. Over the course of the film, Aaron and Cady flirt, but Regina talks him into getting back with her a means of getting back at Cady. Eventually, they split up, and by the end of the film, Aaron and Cady have reconciled. Bennett Rose to Fame Playing Aaron Samuels, the Films Love Interest In a recent interview with Today, Bennett, 37, spoke on the lasting impact of the character and the fact that people still recognize him as the Mean Girls heartthrob. For the last 15 years, almost every day, I get recognized as Aaron Samuels, he revealed. Whether its the person at Starbucks writing Aaron Samuels on your cup before they give it to you and Im, like, My names Jonathan, or people yelling grool or fetch or Your hair looks sexy pushed back on the street. Like, everywhere you go, someone calls you Aaron Samuels, he added. I dont know what its like not to be, I guess. Like, I dont remember what its like waking up and having that not happen. Bennett also talked about what it was like to work with co-star Lindsay Lohan. Lindsay would get really nervous before takes sometimes. And it was cute because she was only 16, he recalled. Youre kind of at that age where youre awkward and you have fidgety things and youre tugging on your sweater all the time. She wanted to text her friends and be a girl. She was a kid. Bennett was 22 when the film was released. Bennett Reprised the Character In the Music Video for Ariana Grandes Thank U, Next Bennett has never strayed far from the character. He played Aaron Samuels in the music video for Ariana Grandes Thank U, Next, which included several homages to Mean Girls. They literally messaged me on Instagram and I thought it was a joke, Bennett explained to Out Magazine. I passed it along to my team and said, Someone is pretending to be Ariana Grandes manager saying they want me to be in the music video. They checked it out and called me back an hour later and said, No, its real, do you want to do it? And I said, Absolutely! I was going to be Aaron Samuels and thats when I realized how genius it was, he added. They were combining nostalgic movies with the pop icon herself, what a great combination. And I said sure It really brought me back. It gave me chills. Honestly, when I looked in the mirror and was with all the Plastics, it felt like I was seeing an old friend whos been such a part of my life for 15 years. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/jonathan-bennett-mean-girls-character/ |
Can both spouses claim HRA benefit of respective share of total rent paid? | Both spouses can claim HRA benefit of respective share of total rent paid My wife and I together pay Rs 20,000 a month as rent and the lease agreement are in both our names. Srikant Manoj Yes, there is no restriction on claiming HRA benefit by both the spouses. If you and your wife both are paying the rent then both can claim HRA benefit separately for the respective share. Total rent claimed by both of you cannot exceed Rs 20,000. Gurdip Singh Expenditure incurred on preventive health check-up for self, spouse, parents and dependent children is eligible for tax deduction of Rs 5,000 under Section 80D. Though there is no requirement for submission of any documents to claim the deduction, keep a record of the proof in case of any inquiry by the income tax authorities. I am a salaried person and had taken a home loan on which I claim tax deduction. I also have a second home with another loan. Prakash Awasti You can claim deduction of interest on both home loans but maximum deduction for a self-occupied house is `2 lakh. If the property is rented out then you can claim deduction of the whole interest amount. If the new house is vacant or used by you, you have to include notional rent. Total loss amount from house which can be set off against income is restricted to `2 lakh in a year. If it exceeds `2 lakh then the excess loss can be carried forward for next eight years. You can claim deduction for repayment of principal up to `1.5 lakh in a financial year under Section 80C . READ ALSO | Govt clarifies on Mumbai tax notices: Outcry misleading, show cause issued only in these cases I have a few shares of a cooperative bank and get dividend income every year. Deepak Kumar Dividend received from a domestic company is exempt under Section 10(34) of the Income Tax Act, 1961. Since a cooperative society is owned by its customers and thus cannot be referred as a domestic company, and also it is not required to pay dividend distribution tax on the dividends, dividend received from a cooperative bank will be taxable in the hands of the shareholder under the head income from other sources. The writer is partner, Ashok Maheshwary & Associates LLP. Send your queries to [email protected] | https://www.financialexpress.com/money/can-both-spouses-claim-hra-benefit-of-respective-share-of-total-rent-paid/1450725/ |
Will government shutdown impact security at Super Bowl LIII? | CLOSE SportsPulse: This will likely go down as the worst officiated championship weekend ever. But if you are a fan of chaos and pure insane entertainment it was incredible. Trysta Krick breaks down how the Patriots and Rams punched their ticket to the Super Bowl. USA TODAY Super Bowl LIII could be the first major sporting event in more than two decades held during a government shutdown, although federal officials told USA TODAY Sports that those attending the game or the events surrounding it shouldnt worry any more than the first 52 games that were played with a fully employed government. Nothing has been curtailed, FBI spokesman Kevin Rowson told USA TODAY Sports. We are fully operational. This years Super Bowl, scheduled for Feb. 3 between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots, is a SEAR 1 event, the federal governments second-highest security classification. The State of the Union address, categorized at the highest level (NSSE), is scheduled for Jan. 29, although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi suggested to President Trump last week that it be postponed because of security concerns surrounding the shutdown. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host its first Super Bowl when the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots meet in Atlanta on Feb. 3. (Photo: Danny Karnik, AP) While not necessarily a terrorism target, a SEAR 1 event is of enough national or international importance to require federal support and equipment, as well as cooperation and coordination between federal, state and local authorities. The Department (of Homeland Security) takes the security of special events like the Super Bowl extremely seriously, and we continue executing our protection responsibility and supporting our local public safety partners for this event," DHS spokesperson Tyler Q. Houlton said in a statement last week. "The current lapse in government funding will have no effect on our commitment to assuring a safe and secure event. More: 32 things we learned from NFC, AFC Championship Games heading into NFL's Super Bowl LIII More: Get that gumbo: Rams CB Marcus Peters relishes revenge vs. Saints More than 1,500 public safety personnel are involved in Super Bowl security, Rowson said, though its not clear how many of those are federal agents and officials. (None of the FBI agents are currently being paid.) Or how many will be working the Super Bowl without pay if the shutdown has not been resolved. The Secret Service, FBI, TSA, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection are among the federal agencies charged with working with local law enforcement and private security to secure the Super Bowl and many of the surrounding events/ The federal agencies involved HSI (Homeland Security Investigations) , FBI, ICE and CPB are essential and will be working as usual, but many arent going to be getting paid, said John Torres, CEO of the security consulting company Guidepost Solutions and a former HSI agent. Theyll still do their jobs whether they are paid or not." Security consultant Aloke S. Chakravarty told USA TODAY Sports that federal law enforcement officials who have't gotten paid as the shutdown drags on "are professionals who don't do their jobs for money, but their families are impacted like anyone else's would be." You could ... see a drop off in efficiency," said Chakravarty, a former federal prosecutor who worked the Boston Marathon bombing case and is currently a partner at Snell & Wilmer. "While agents at the FBI, Secret Service and other agencies will be working because (Super Bowl security) was already budgeted, the people who support them, like analysts, could be furloughed. Analysts may not be at their terminals because of the shutdown." Rowson and Atlanta Police Department spokesman Carlos Campos said the shutdown will not impact security. Federal, state and local officials have been planning for the Super Bowl for two years, and are fully prepared. An event like (the) Super Bowl is all about planning, preparation and partnerships, Rowson said in an email. We want to assure the public that we have planned for this to ensure that nothing happens, Rowson added. But if something does happen, we are ready, and prepared to transition into crisis response and investigation. That means most of the federal employees working the Super Bowl will be doing it without pay if the shutdown is ongoing. DHS is one of the nine departments that is unfunded but workers who are considered essential are still expected to do their jobs. The Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, 1996 was the last major sporting event held during a shutdown. The federal government was closed for 21 days as President Bill Clinton and Congress sparred over the budget. Nebraska won the game to claim the national title. While four World Series (1977, 1978, 1979 and 1986) overlapped with prior shutdowns, the 1978 World Series (Los Angeles Dodgers vs. New York Yankees) was the only one that came during a lengthy standoff (18 days). Contributing: Michael Collins | https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2019/01/21/super-bowl-liii-government-shutdown-impact-security-atlanta/2618394002/ |
Should Retirees Worry About Bear Markets? | Authored by Lance Roberts via RealInvestmentAdvice.com, Mark Hulbert recently wrote a piece suggesting Retirees Should Not Fear A Bear Market. To Wit: Dont give up hope. Im referring to what many retirees are most afraid of: Running out of money before they die. An Allianz Life survey found that far more retirees are afraid of outliving their money than they are of dying61% to 39%. This ever-present background fear is especially rearing its ugly head right now, given the bear market that too many came out of nowhere. Retirement planning projections made at the end of the third quarter, right as the stock market was registering its all-time highs, now need to be revised. The reason not to give up hope is that the stock market typically recovers from bear markets in a far shorter period of time than most doom and gloomers think. Consider what I found when measuring how long it took, after each of the 36 bear markets since 1900 on the bear market calendar maintained by Ned Davis ResearchBelieve it or not, the average recovery time was just 3.2 years. Mark correctly used total return numbers in his calculations, however, while his data is correct the conclusion is not. Here is why. While Mark is discussing the recovery of bear markets (getting back to even) it is based on a buy and holdinvesting approach. However, Marks error is that he is specifically discussing retirees which are systematically withdrawing capital from their portfolios, paying tax on those withdrawals (from retirement accounts) and compensating for adjustments to the cost of living (not to mention spiraling health care costs.) These are the same problems which plague most of the off the shelf financial plans today: Faulty assumptions based on average historic rates of returns rather than variable rates of return, and; Not accounting for the current level of market valuations at the outset of the planning process. To explain the problems with both Marks assumptions, and the vast majority of financial plans spit out of computer programs today, lets turn to some previous comments from Michael Kitces. Given the impact of inflation, its problematic to start digging into retirement principal immediately at the start of retirement, given that inflation-adjusted spending needs could quadruple by the end of retirement (at a 5% inflation rate). Accordingly, the reality is that to sustain a multi-decade retirement with rising spending needs due to inflation, its necessary to spend less than the growth/income in the early years, just to build enough of a cushion to handle the necessary higher withdrawals later! For instance, imagine a retiree who has a $1,000,000 balanced portfolio, and wants to plan for a 30-year retirement, where inflation averages 3% and the balanced portfolio averages 8% in the long run. To make the money last for the entire time horizon, the retiree would start out by spending $61,000 initially, and then adjust each subsequent year for inflation, spending down the retirement account balance by the end of the 30th year. Michaels assumptions on expanding inflationary pressures later in retirement is correct, however, they dont take into account the issue of taxation. So, lets adjust Kitces chart and include not only the impact of inflation-adjusted returns but also taxation. The chart below adjusts the 8% return structure for inflation at 3% and also adjusts the withdrawal rate up for taxation at 25%. By adjusting the annualized rate of return for the impact of inflation and taxes, the life expectancy of a portfolio grows considerably shorter. While inflation and taxes are indeed important to consider, those are not the biggest threat to retirees portfolios. There is a massive difference between 8% average rates of return and 8% actual returns. The Impact Of Variability Currently, the S&P 500 (as of 1/18/19) is trading at 2,670 with Q4-2018 trailing reported earnings estimated to be $139.50. (S&P Data) This puts the 10-year average trailing P/E ratio of the S&P at a rather lofty 28.86x. We also know that forward returns from varying valuation levels are significantly varied depending on when you start your investing. As shown in the chart below, from current valuation levels, forward returns from the market have been much closer to 2% rather than 8%. As evidenced by the graph, as valuations rise future rates of annualized returns fall. This should not be a surprise as simple logic states that if you overpay today for an asset, future returns must, and will, be lower. Math also proves the same. Capital gains from markets are primarily a function of market capitalization, nominal economic growth plus the dividend yield. Using the Dr. John Hussmans formula we can mathematically calculate returns over the next 10-year period as follows: (1+nominal GDP growth)*(normal market cap to GDP ratio / actual market cap to GDP ratio)^(1/10)-1 Therefore, IF we assume that GDP maintains, 4% annualized growth indefinitely Which means recessions have been eliminated, AND Current market cap/GDP stays flat at 1.25, AND The current dividend yield remains at 2%: We would get forward returns of: (1.04)*(.8/1.25)^(1/30)-1+.02 = 4.5% But theres a whole lotta ifs in that assumption. More importantly, if we assume that inflation remains stagnant at 2%, as the Fed hopes, this would mean a real rate of return of just 2.5%. This is far less than the 8-10% rates of return currently promised by the Wall Street community. It is also why starting valuations are critical for individuals to understand when planning for the accumulation phase of the investment life-cycle. Lets take this a step further. For the purpose of this article, we went back through history and pulled the 4-periods where trailing 10-year average valuations (Shillers CAPE) were either above 20x earnings or below 10x earnings. We then ran a $1000 investment going forward for 30-years on a total-return, inflation-adjusted, basis. At 10x earnings, the worst performing period started in 1918 and only saw $1000 grow to a bit more than $6000. The best performing period was actually not the screaming bull market that started in 1980 because the last 10-years of that particular cycle caught the dot.com crash. It was the post-WWII bull market that ran from 1942 through 1972 that was the winner. Of course, the crash of 1974, just two years later, extracted a good bit of those returns. Conversely, at 20x earnings, the best performing period started in 1900 which caught the rise of the market to its peak in 1929. Unfortunately, the next 4-years wiped out roughly 85% of those gains. However, outside of that one period, all of the other periods fared worse than investing at lower valuations. (Note: 1993 is still currently running as its 30-year period will end in 2023.) The point to be made here is simple and was precisely summed up by Warren Buffett: Price is what you pay. Value is what you get. This idea becomes much clearer by showing the value of $1000 invested in the markets at both valuations BELOW 10x trailing earnings and ABOVE 20x. I have averaged each of the 4-periods above into a single total return, inflation-adjusted, index, Clearly, investing at 10x earnings yields substantially better results. Not surprisingly, the starting level of valuations has the greatest impact on your future results. But, most importantly, starting valuations are critical to withdrawal rates When we adjust the spend down structure for elevated starting valuation levels, and include inflation and taxation, a much different, and far less favorable, financial outcome emerges the retiree runs out of money not in year 30, but in year 18. As John Coumarionos previously wrote: And, if youre retired and withdrawing from your portfolio, the sequence-of-return risk the problem of the early years of withdrawals coinciding with a declining portfolio can upend your entire retirement. Thats because a portfolio in distribution that experiences severe declines at the beginning of the distribution phase, cannot recover when the stock market finally rebounds. Because of the distributions, there is less money in the portfolio to benefit from stock gains when they eventually materialize again. I showed that risk in a previous article where I created the following chart representing three hypothetical portfolios using the 4% rule (withdrawing 4% of the portfolio the first year of retirement and increasing that withdrawal dollar value by 4% every year thereafter). I cherry-picked the initial year of retirement, of course (2000), so that my graphic represents a kind of worst case, or at least a very bad case, scenario. But investors close to retirement should keep that in mind because current stock prices are historically high and bond yields are historically low. That means the prospects for big investment returns over the next decade are dim and that increasing stock exposure could be detrimental to retirement plans once again. In my example, decreasing stock exposure benefits the portfolio in distribution phase, and that could be the case for retirees now. As John correctly notes, there is a case for owning stocks in a retirement portfolio, just maybe not as much as your run of the mill financial plan suggests. To wit: Returns from cash and bonds may not keep up with inflation, after all. But stock returns might fall short too. And if stocks do lag, they probably wont do so with the limited volatility that bonds tend to deliver, barring a serious bout of inflation. So, if youre within a decade of retirement, it may be time to think hard about how much stock exposure is enough. The answer might be less than you think for a portfolio in distribution phase. Questions Retirees Need To Ask About Plans Importantly, what this analysis reveals, is that retirees SHOULD be worried about bear markets. Taking the correct view of your portfolio, and the risk being undertaken, is critical when entering the retirement and distribution phase of the portfolio life cycle. If the answer is no to the majority of these questions then feel free to contact one of the CFPs in our office who take all of these issues into account. With debt levels rising globally, economic growth on the long-end of the cycle, interest rates rising, valuations high, and a potential risk of a recession, the uncertainty of retirement plans has risen markedly. This lends itself to the problem of individuals having to spend a bulk of their retirement continuing to work. Two previous bear markets have devastated the retirement plans of millions of individuals in the economy today which partly explains why a large number of jobs in the monthly BLS employment report go to individuals over the age of 55. So, not only should retirees worry about bear markets, they should worry about them a lot. | https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-21/should-retirees-worry-about-bear-markets?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zerohedge%2Ffeed+%28zero+hedge+-+on+a+long+enough+timeline%2C+the+survival+rate+for+everyone+drops+to+zero%29 |
What does the future hold? | Deloitte Global forecasts that smart speakers will be worth $7-billion in 2019, becoming the fastest-growing connected device category. This is according to Deloittes 18th edition of Technology, Media & Telecommunications Predictions. Smart speakers are continuing to fly off shelves, selling 164-million units at an average selling price of $43 per unit. Total industry revenues will be up 63%, compared to $4,3-billion in 2018. However, the industry will have to overcome looming obstacles to reach its full growth potential. Speech recognition technologies continue to improve, but wider language support will need to be developed for the technology to be inclusive and experience global adoption. The democratisaion of AI Deloitte also predicts that in 2019 companies will further accelerate usage of cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) software and services. Among companies using AI, 70% will obtain AI capabilities through cloud-based enterprise software, 65% will create AI applications using cloud-based development services, and by 2020, the penetration rate of enterprise software with AI built in, and cloud-based AI development services will reach an estimated 87% and 83% respectively. So far, AIs initial benefits have been predominantly accrued by tech giants with extensive financial resources, strong IT infrastructure, and highly-specialised human capital, says Paul Lee, head of global TMT research at Deloitte. However, the cloud will power increased efficiencies and better returns on investment, and we expect these benefits to rapidly extend beyond AIs pioneers to the wider enterprise. The new network arrives Fifth-generation (5G) wireless networks are expected to arrive in scale, providing faster connections for consumers and enterprises, and opening revenue opportunities for telecommunication companies. Wireless operators have been pouring resources into 5G network development in fact, 72 operators are currently testing this offering and Deloitte forecasts that in 2019, 25 wireless operators will launch 5G service, a figure that will likely double by 2020. In total, over one million 5G handsets are expected to be sold in 2019, and that number should expand to 15-million to 20-million units by 2020. A further 1-million 5G pucks/modems are also predicted to sell in 2019. Wide-scale adoption of 5G devices will take time, but we believe 2019 will be the starting point for sweeping change for the wireless industry, says Lee. 5G can provide hundredfold increases in traffic capacity and network efficiency over 4G, and this has transformative potential on the future of connectivity worldwide. Additional highlights from Deloittes 2019 TMT Predictions include: * Chinas connectivity nurtures new digital business models Deloitte predicts China will have world-leading telecommunications networks in 2019 and most likely in the medium term. Its communications infrastructure will provide a foundation for at least three significant new industries, each of which could generate tens of billions of dollars in revenue annually by 2023. * Betting on sports broadcasting Deloitte predicts that 60 percent of North American men ages 18-34 who watch sports on TV will also bet on sports. As a result, about 40% of all US-based TV watching by men 25-34 years old will be driven by sports betting. * 3D printing breaks through Sales of enterprise 3D printers, materials, and services from large public companies will surpass $2,7-billion in 2019 and top $3-billion in 2020, growing 12,5% annually each year. The list of possible 3D-printable materials has more than doubled in the last five years, which (along with other improvements) has led to a rebound in the industrys growth potential. * eSports continue to surge The North American eSports * Radio remains relevant Deloitte predicts that over 85% of the adult population will listen to radio at least weekly in the developed world (the same proportion as in 2018), although reach will vary in the developing world. Combined, nearly 3-billion people worldwide will listen to radio weekly. In the US, Deloitte expects that more than 90% of 18 to 34-year-olds will listen to radio at least weekly in 2019 and will likely spend more time listening to radio than watching traditional TV by 2025. * Evaluating quantum computing Quantum computing will emerge as one of the largest new technology revenue opportunities over the next decade but is unlikely to replace classical computers. The future quantum computing market is expected to be comparable to that the supercomputer market around $50-billion per year by the 2030s. * China expands technological prowess Revenues for Chinese-manufactured semiconductors will grow by 25% to $120-billion, solidifying China as a globally-significant player in manufacturing and AI development. China will also have world-leading telecommunications in 2019, expanding possibilities for enterprise capabilities and interpersonal communication. 2019 will be defined by how new technologies steadily reshape how we live and work, says Mark Casey, Deloitte global telecommunications, media and entertainment sector leader. From smart speakers to 5G networks, and everywhere in between, accessibility to advanced technologies is quickly improving. As the barriers continue to fall, the potential for greater connectivity and further innovation will increase exponentially. | https://it-online.co.za/2019/01/21/what-does-the-future-hold/ |
Could Origin eventually use a dedicated set of players and not share them with the NRL? | January is not usually a time for rugby league teams to join, rejoin or quit competitions or for State of Origin sides to go into camp. But surely an NRL summer league cant be far away when the clamour for the time of players and fans at this time of year is so great. The only piece of the puzzle missing is the Adelaide Rams and North Sydney Bears playing nines in an air conditioned arena of a Wednesday night, televised live on Fox League. Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Reddit Email Share In England, the Challenge Cup yesterday finally found a sponsor, replacing one bookmaker with another. Catalans, who refused to pay a foreign team tax of 500,000 to compete, will defend their title after a deal was done with the RFL about which the RFL are telling us almost nothing. Toronto, who also refused to pay the bond levelled in case the crowd at the Wembley final is affected by the fact they are from very, very far out of town, are still out. Dunno why. So while we can accuse the RFL of gross unfairness to Toronto, as long as the details of the deal with Catalans remains secret we cant actually catalogue just how egregious this self-evident prejudice has been. Advertisement Advertisement Toronto havent taken a slice of TV money, paid to host the million pound game, paid for incoming teams the last two years and now find themselves singled out for exclusion from the Challenge Cup because they refused to bend over once more. (Toulouse chose not to compete last year and, for all we know so far from public statements, also volunteered to stand down in 2019). The RFL is not obliged to invite Catalans, Toulouse or Toronto because they are not members of the RFL. Imagine Brisbane being excluded for all decision making from 1988 to 1995 because they were not situated in NSW! Red Star Belgrade and Dublin Longhorns play this weekend, bond free, so the governing body of the competition is making it clear it believes they are wasting their time. One can only hope Huddersfield and Salford are this years finalists and the crowd is even smaller than it was in 2018 which at 50,000 wasnt really small at all. Meanwhile, in areas where games being snowed off is not a problem, Brad Fittler has taken the Blues into camp in Armidale; Origin continues to swallow Australian Rugby League whole. Advertisement Advertisement Club coaches used to take solace in the fact that at least in the pre-season, there was no impingement of representative football. The pre-season was for clubs including international club competition the mid-season was for Origin and non-Australian Tests and the post-season was for internationals. We thought we finally had it figured out. But no, Origins financial muscle has now muscled in on January. A representative team that should be just a shell, brought into play for a couple of months each winter, continues its commercial and cultural growth at the expense of other parts of the sport. Perhaps State players shouldnt play club football at all. If the NSW and Queensland leagues are such big businesses, let them take the players on full-time, find some more opposition to play against and leave the club and international scenes alone. The tug of war over players might eventually end with the rope breaking. Sports opinion delivered daily Advertisement | https://www.theroar.com.au/2019/01/22/could-origin-eventually-use-a-dedicated-set-of-players-and-not-share-them-with-the-nrl/ |
Has Pakistan come out on top in the war in Afghanistan? | what a dumb article!Kid! that Rupert Stone for whatever who has written it, The only reason why Iran, or the rest of region is in contacts with Taliban is because of Pakistan herself.......It was a Chinese suggestion that has worked wonders for us, and has rallied the whole region behind Pakistan's cause in Afghanistan. Now Pakistan is no longer a security state, its a regional economical integration state. Now we will beat them in their own game! the game of greed.Regarding the Murree round 2015, it wasnt because of us but because of Kabul regime it was scuttled because they leaked the news of Mullah Umer's death, its funny that this British journalist mere sitting in British is claiming what is already cleared by our ex DG ISI Asad Durrani and on top of it was no clue whatsoever of what the goals and objectives are of this war and winning it.....but is rather sitting and basing his analysis of the outdated concept of conventional wars where one has to gain territory enough to completely deny enemy any of theirs and hence winning like that...Guerilla warfare is not won this way, its a war of attrition, a war of nerves........and then goes on at calling Pak Afghan border a controversial Durand line forgetting purposefully that it was their own government who made it and called it Durand line to begin with, this particular line has really exposed this controversial journalist, and his true agenda!If we didnt brought the Taliban in Moscow dialog, the very first one this wouldnt have happened. Regarding Trump(the man whom we have made to lick his own spit and is today begging us for saving grace) or India, haha dont worry abt them, they will simply have to give up and join us or else they stand to lose, Americans seems to have realized that but India, who is only the 5th largest donor not even in top 3, stands to lose most as post war China will have the highest share in the reconstruction and for economic aid for Taliban government there..Rest of this article is more of fairy tales and his own wishlist. | https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/has-pakistan-come-out-on-top-in-the-war-in-afghanistan.598019/ |
Is Nicole Malliotakis running for Congress? | Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis, who mounted an unsuccessful bid against Mayor Bill de Blasio in 2017, stoked speculation that she might be running for Congress by posting a photo of herself posing with the GOP leader of the House. Malliotakis stood with Rep. Kevin McCarthy of California in front of a painting of President Ronald Reagan in the photograph on her Twitter account, noting that she had spoken to President Trump. Thank you @GOPLeader McCarthy for meeting with me and facilitating a phone call with the President @realDonaldTrump, she wrote last Friday. The posting could be a hint of her future plans to challenge Democrat Max Rose, who upset Republican incumbent Dan Donovan in the 11th Congressional District on Staten Island last November. Malliotakis, who represents parts of Staten Island and Brooklyn in the Assembly, lost handily to de Blasio citywide but won Staten Island with 70 percent of the votes compared to the mayors 25 percent. She initially backed Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in the 2016 presidential election but switched to Trump after he received the partys nomination. Malliotakis did not immediately respond to a request for comment. | https://nypost.com/2019/01/21/is-nicole-malliotakis-running-for-congress/ |
Can Quebecs Bloc Qubcois win back party status in the House of Commons? | MONTREALJustin Trudeau is not the only federal leader who could benefit from the decline of the NDP in Quebec come next falls general election. The Bloc Qubcois, under its latest leader, is also banking on the weakness of the New Democrats under Jagmeet Singh to help it earn back official party status in the House of Commons next fall. Yves-Francois Blanchet makes an announcement on the leadership race of the Bloc Qubcois in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Nov. 26, 2018. Blanchet was acclaimed as leader on Jan. 17. As a former environment minister in Quebec his green credentials should help him in the upcoming federal campaign, Chantal Hbert writes. ( Justin Tang / THE CANADIAN PRESS ) It might just work. Winning a dozen seats up only two from the sovereigntist partys current MP complement might seem like a modest goal for a parliamentary group that once held the lofty title of official opposition but it was only a few months ago that the Bloc was given up for dead. Having narrowly avoided implosion, the party has put its divisions behind it or at least set them aside to kick off the election year under a just-acclaimed new leader. Article Continued Below Yves-Franois Blanchet sat in the national assembly as a Parti Qubcois member from 2008 to 2014. After his defeat, he joined the ever-expanding cast of political pundits. The experience both raised his public profile and allowed him to acquire a serious amount of federal background knowledge he might otherwise have spent the next few months trying to acquire. In his previous political life, Blanchet spent a bit more than a year serving as premier Pauline Marois environment minister. With climate change expected to hold pride of place in the upcoming federal campaign those green credentials could hold him in good stead. They could make the Bloc more attractive to the score of young voters who were drawn to Qubec Solidaires militant environmental agenda in last falls provincial election. As counterintuitive as it may seem, the sharp downturn in Parti Qubcois fortunes provincially could turn out to be a saving grace for the Bloc next fall. Since 1993, the federal party has achieved its best scores at times when its sovereignist cousins were out of power in Quebec. The more remote the possibility of another referendum on the provinces political future, the more comfortable some Quebec voters are with supporting a federal party devoted exclusively to their interests, especially if Justin Trudeau collides with Premier Franois Legault between now and the election. At the same time, with a majority Coalition Avenir Qubec government in place and the leaderless PQ twice removed from provincial power for at least the next few years, the survival of the Bloc has become, if only by default, job one for the sovereignty movement. The announcement in late November that Blanchet was running for leader seems to have already had a positive impact on the partys finances. December turned out to be its best fundraising month since the last election. Article Continued Below All 10 Bloc MPs have now confirmed they will be seeking re-election next fall. When it comes to holding a seat, incumbents usually have an edge on newcomers. The first test of the Blocs claim that it can still bounce back from quasi-oblivion will be the Feb. 25 byelection in Outremont. Over Thomas Mulcairs dozen years as the Montreal ridings MP, the Blocs share of the vote averaged just a bit less than 10 per cent. Over the five federal elections fought in the pre-Mulcair era, it used to average 30 per cent. The Liberals have been counting on an NDP collapse to make gains in Quebec next fall. It is not a coincidence that both last weeks cabinet retreat and Trudeaus prime ministerial town hall took place in New Democrat territory. But Trudeau may have already brought home most of the Quebec voters who are liable to float between the Liberals and the NDP. In 2015, the Liberal vote in the province went up 21 points while the New Democrats take went down 17 points. Moreover, the prime ministers climate change record which Blanchet has in his sights is hardly bulletproof. The notion that the Bloc could become the focus of a sovereigntist save-the-furniture bid crusade is also not good news for Andrew Scheers Conservatives. Coming on the heels of the founding of Maxime Berniers breakaway, the possibility of a Bloc resurgence throws yet another unwelcome unknown in the Conservative partys Quebec calculations. It does not help that the Conservative foothold in the province is in francophone territory, where the Bloc is best placed to split the non-Liberal vote. The Bloc has been on a downward spiral for eight years and two federal elections. The next campaign is a make-or-break one for the party and increasingly for Quebecs once mighty sovereignty movement. It could still upset the best-laid plans of its national rivals. Chantal Hbert is a columnist based in Ottawa covering politics. Follow her on Twitter: @ChantalHbert Read more about: | https://www.thestar.com/politics/political-opinion/2019/01/21/can-quebecs-bloc-qubcois-win-back-party-status-in-the-house-of-commons.html |
Whats behind the increase in bowel cancer among younger Australians? | Bowel cancer mostly affects people over the age of 50, but recent evidence suggests its on the rise among younger Australians. Our study, published recently in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, found the incidence of bowel cancer, which includes colon and rectal cancer, has increased by up to 9% in people under 50 from the 1990s until now. Our research examined all recorded cases of bowel cancer from the past 40 years in Australians aged 20 and over. Previous studies assessing bowel cancer incidence in young Australians have also documented an increase in the younger age group. This trend is also being seen internationally. A study from the United States suggests an increase in bowel cancer incidence in people aged 54 and younger. The research shows rectal cancer incidence increased by 3.2% annually from 1974 to 2013 among those aged age 20-29. Bowel cancers are predicted to be the third most commonly diagnosed cancer in Australia this year. In 2018, Australians have a one in 13 chance of being diagnosed with bowel cancer by their 85th birthday. Our study also found bowel cancer incidence is falling in older Australians. This is likely, in part, to reflect the efficacy of the National Bowel Cancer Screening Program, targeted at those aged 50-74. Bowel cancer screening acts to reduce cancer incidence, by detecting and removing precancerous lesions, as well as reducing mortality by detecting existing cancers early. This is important, as bowel cancer has a good cure rate if discovered early. In 2010 to 2014, a person diagnosed with bowel cancer had a nearly 70% chance of surviving the next five years. Survival is more than 90% for people who have bowel cancer detected at an early stage. That is why screening is so effective and we have previously predicted that if coverage rates in the National Bowel Screening Program can be increased to 60%, around 84,000 lives could be saved by 2040. This would represent an extraordinary success. In fact, bowel screening has potential to be one of the greatest public health successes ever achieved in Australia. Our study wasnt designed to identify why bowel cancer is increasing among young people. However, there are some factors that could underpin our findings. The increase in obesity parallels that of bowel cancer, and large population based studies have linked obesity to increased cancer risk. Read more: How obesity causes cancer, and may make screening and treatment harder Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours, such as increased intake of highly processed foods (including meats), have also been associated with increased bowel cancer risk. High quality studies are needed to explore this role further. Alcohol is also thought to be a contributor to increasing the risk of bowel cancer. Evaluating a cancer screening program for the general population requires a careful analysis of the potential benefits, harms, and costs. A recent Australian study modelled the trade-offs of lowering the screening age to 45. It showed more cancers would be potential for detected. But there would also be more colonoscopy-related harms such as perforation (tearing) in an extremely small proportion of people who require further evaluation after screening. A lower screening age would also increase the number of colonoscopies to be performed in the overstretched public health system and therefore could have the unintended consequence of lengthening colonoscopy waiting times for people at high risk. How to reduce bowel cancer risk One of the most common symptoms of bowel cancer is rectal bleeding. So if you notice blood when you go to the toilet, see your doctor to have it checked out. A healthy lifestyle including adequate exercise, avoiding smoking, limiting alcohol intake and eating well, remains most important to reducing cancer risk. Aspirin may also lower risk of cancer, but should be discussed with your doctor because of the potential for side effects including major bleeding. Most importantly, we need to ensure eligible Australians participate in the current evidence-based screening program. Only 41% of the population in the target 50-74 age range completed their poo tests in 2015-2016. The test is free, delivered by post and able to be self-administered. | http://theconversation.com/whats-behind-the-increase-in-bowel-cancer-among-younger-australians-105484 |
Did the Government Censor an Expert Witness Who Changed His View on Vaccines? | On 9 January 2019, the Full Measure Sinclair Broadcast Group program hosted by Sharyl Attkisson, alleged to have uncovered new information about the vaccine-autism debate that would expose one of the most consequential frauds in human history. Attkissons report was picked up by medical conspiracy theorists such as Mike Health Ranger Adams of the Natural News website and Alex Jones of Infowars. Gov Official Confirms Link Between Vaccines and Autism, read the factually deficient Infowars headline. Attkissons segment revived discussion of the alleged suppression of testimony by pediatric neurologist Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, who had provided that testimony for the government in a series of court cases used to determine the plausibility of a link between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and vaccines. Attkissons Full Measure segment opened with this teaser: Dr. Zimmerman was the governments top expert witness and had testified that vaccines didnt cause autism. The debate was declared over. But now Dr. Zimmerman has provided remarkable new information. He claims that during the vaccine hearings all those years ago, he privately told government lawyers that vaccines can, and did cause autism in some children. That turnabout from the governments own chief medical expert stood to change everything about the vaccine-autism debate. If the public were to find out. And he has come forward and explained how he told the United States government vaccines can cause autism in a certain subset of children and United States government, the Department of Justice suppressed his true opinions. This was one of the most consequential frauds, arguably in human history. Though the segment suggested in its opening sequence that Zimmerman came forward to Attkisson publicly as a whistleblower, it should be noted that Attkisson did not speak with him. We reached out to Zimmerman ourselves, but he would only speak to us if given the opportunity to review our story before publication, a condition we declined. Instead, Zimmerman issued us a written statement via his employer, the University of Massachusetts Medical School (displayed in full at the end of this story). In that statement, Zimmerman said (in part) that, media reports have mischaracterized an affidavit I provided in September 2018 regarding my opinion about the complex interplay of inflammation, mitochondrial disorders and the risk of developmental regression in children with autism, expressed in the context of the US Department of Health and Human Services Omnibus Autism Proceedings in 2007. Here we will explain the controversy behind those media reports, which has its origins in a set of court cases (the Omnibus Autism Proceeding) that sought to investigate alleged links between autism and vaccination. After providing that context, we pick apart some misleading claims in the Attkisson piece. The Omnibus Autism Proceeding In 1986, President Ronald Reagan signed into law an act that created the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP, also sometimes referred to as the vaccine court) as part of a compromise between vaccine producers and the federal government, a forum that allows litigants to seek restitution for alleged vaccine injuries. Although rarely issued in response to a clear medical findings, the court frequently settles cases that result in compensation for the litigants. Over a decade after the NVICPs creation, in 1998 and 1999, a series of events raised the fear that patients could develop autism as a result of vaccination, and this fear resulted in a massive increase in the number of autism claims put before the vaccine court. In February 1998, Dr. Andrew Wakefield published a (since retracted) case study in the medical journal The Lancet suggesting a connection between the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, bowel disease, and autism. The link, which could not be replicated in other studies, relied on manipulated data and suffered from serious ethical and methodological problems, leading to its retraction 12 years later. In 1999, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced a precautionary measure requiring vaccine manufacturers to phase out the mercury-containing chemical thimerosal from their vaccines, spurring speculation that the government was hiding a link between thimerosal and autism. This notion was further popularized in a (heavily corrected and ultimately retracted) Rolling Stone/Salon article penned by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. in 2005. In response to the increased numbers of autism claims following these controversies, the vaccine court and a Petitioners Steering Committee (PSC) representing over 5000 litigants agreed to test three specific theories of a vaccination-autism link, using lawsuits selected by the PSC to be the strongest cases: (1) that MMR vaccines and thimerosal-containing vaccines can combine to cause autism; (2) that thimerosal-containing vaccines can alone cause autism; and, (3) that MMR vaccines alone can cause autism. (The PSC chose not to present the third theory, ultimately, as much of that evidence was produced in cases selected to test theory 1.) The Andrew Zimmerman Controversy Zimmerman, a pediatric neurologist who studies autism spectrum disorders, initially submitted testimony in 2007 regarding the case Cedillo v. Secretary of Health and Human Services, in which he stated his view that there is no evidence of an association between autism and the alleged reaction to MMR and [Mercury]. Later, however, Dr. Zimmerman he told Department of Justice (DOJ) lawyers that he wanted to add one narrow and specific exception to his original statement (our emphasis): that there may be a subset of children who are at risk for [developmental] regression if they have underlying mitochondrial dysfunction and are simultaneously exposed to factors that stress their mitochondrial reserve. Vaccination, Zimmerman argued, could potentially be a factor that stress[ed] mitochondrial reserve. Zimmerman maintained that after informing the DOJ of his revised opinion three days before his scheduled testimony, DOJ lawyers asked him not to testify. He later learned that his original opinion, without the mitochondrial dysfunction modifier, was cited as evidence in both the Cedillo case as well another case: Hazlehurst v. Secretary of Health and Human Services, a test case for the alleged thimerosal and MMR combined autism mechanism. A respected pro-vaccine medical expert used by the federal government to debunk the vaccine-autism link says vaccines can cause autism after all, Atkisson reported in her segment. To understand why this statement is a flawed reading of the controversy, one first has to understand the scientific case that opened the door for Zimermans equivocation on the autism question in the first place. In 2006, Dr. Zimmerman was a co-author of a case study about a 19-month-old girl who developed ASD symptoms shortly following vaccination. The girls family went public with her story in 2008, revealing her name to be Hannah Poling, the daughter of a pediatric neurologist who co-authored the 2006 report with Zimmerman. Later testing, the case study reported, revealed that the girl suffered from pre-existing mitochondrial disorders, a suite of conditions that affect a cells ability to use energy properly. In an effort to test the notion that autism is commonly associated with such disorders, the researchers did a retrospective review of autism cases, finding some evidence in support of such an association. Based on that retrospective review, the authors of the 2006 study speculated that Young children who have dysfunctional cellular energy metabolism might be more prone to undergo autistic regression between 18 and 30 months of age if they also have infections or immunizations at the same time. This speculation formed the basis of an argument that resulted in the Poling familys receiving the first-ever compensation from the NVICP for an autism claim (in proceedings unrelated to the omnibus cases). The Poling conclusion remains controversial, and over 10 years later, a lack of clarity still exists regarding the links between mitochondrial disorders and autism, if any. A 2018 review written by one of Zimmermans 2006 case study co-authors argued that the etiology of mitochondrial dysfunction and how to define it in ASD is currently unclear Further research is needed to better understand the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in the pathophysiology of ASD. Regardless, Zimmermans experience in this case, according to the statement provided to us, underlay his request for an alteration to his testimony. Attkissons Claims, Addressed: Claim: The legal decisions refuting a connection between autism and vaccination during the Omnibus Autism Proceeding rested primarily on the written testimony of Andrew Zimmerman: FALSE In her report, Attkisson claimed that Andrew Zimmermans unmodified, written testimony formed the primary basis for the omnibus cases that were ultimately unsuccessful, including that of Yates Hazlehurst, the subject of a trial case testing the theory that thimerosal and MMR combined could cause autism: In 2007, Yates case and nearly all the other vaccine autism claims lost. The decision was based largely on the expert opinion of this man, Dr. Andrew Zimmerman, a world-renowned pediatric neurologist. In point of fact, the government called nine expert witnesses to testify orally on the alleged connection between thimerosal, MMR, and autism, and they also viewed the written testimony of seven other scientists, one of whom was Zimmerman. The special master in charge of the Hazlehurst case explicitly stated in her decision that Zimmermans written statement played a less significant role than the testimony of other experts who testified in person: Dr. Zimmerman opined [in a written statement] that there is no scientific basis for a connection between the MMR vaccination, mercury intoxication, and autism. The [Special Master] has reviewed and considered the filed reports from these experts and finds that the opinions of the experts lend support to the conclusions reached in this decision. In reaching the conclusions set forth in this decision, however, the [Special Master] relies more heavily on the testimony and reports of the experts who were observed and heard during the hearings. This view was also explicitly stated in the Cedillo case: Dr. Zimmermans report certainly supports the result that I have reached in this case. However, because he did not testify at the evidentiary hearing, his opinion has been far less important than that of the respondents experts who did testify, in leading to my conclusion, wrote the special master in that case. Regardless, Zimmermans proposed amendment to his testimonial statement would have been irrelevant in these cases, as neither the Hazlehurst family nor the Cedillo family ever alleged exacerbation of a mitochondrial condition as the mechanism they were claiming for a link between vaccination and autism in their cases. These court cases tested specific mechanisms of causation, not simply any plausible-sounding mechanism. Claim: Zimmermans knowledge about a potential circumstance in which a vaccine could theoretically affect ASD was hidden from the public until he came forward in 2018: FALSE In her report, Attkisson states that Dr. Zimmerman privately told government lawyers that vaccines can, and did cause autism in some children. That turnabout stood to change everything about the vaccine-autism debate. If the public were to find out. In point of fact, the theory that vaccination could potentially be a stressor leading to autism in children with a specific form of mitochondrial dysfunction was explicitly stated in Zimmermans 2006 case report. That topic has been studied in the public forum for over a decade now. The existence of an alleged mitochondrial disorder-autism link, which remains murky to this day, is not news now, and it would not have been news during the time the omnibus cases were deliberated. Additionally, following the omnibus cases, Zimmerman has served as an expert witness in autism cases for petitioners to the vaccine court in cases in which his mitochondrial dysfunction mechanism has been argued, and his statements are easily found in filings made public by the federal government. In a case heard by the vaccine court in 2012, for example, the petitioners argued that a pre-existing mitochondrial dysfunction caused their child to develop autism symptoms after vaccination. They used Dr. Zimmerman, who had treated the patient years later, as one of their expert witnesses, and his testimony is described in detail in the court filing. In that case, the special master characterized Zimmermans views as anecdotal in rejecting the petitioners claim: Whether vaccination can [can cause decompensation or regression in children with inborn errors of metabolism], even in these most vulnerable children, has not been established The most glaring problem, however, is that no evidence adduced in this case, other than the anecdotally based opinions of Dr. Zimmerman, demonstrates that the decompensation or regression induced by illness in children with metabolic or mitochondrial disorders looks like, mimics, or actually results in ASD. These views have been in the public record for years. The only reason Zimmermans testimony is in the news again is that he was compelled to write an affidavit about the 2007 incident by someone with a desire to re-introduce an old controversy back into the news cycle. The Bottom Line Zimmerman, a scientist with serious credentials who was once a government expert on vaccines, believes that narrow circumstances might exist in which the combination of pre-existing mitochondrial dysfunction and vaccination could trigger ASD. This view is not held by many scientists, and from a scientific-evidence standpoint it remains speculative. The 2018 deposition given by Zimmerman regarding the 2007 sequence of events during omnibus proceedings was compelled by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., an anti-vaccine activist with a dubious commitment to scientific accuracy, and Rolf Hazlehurst, a litigant in one of the omnibus cases. Finally, it bears mentioning that Dr. Zimmerman supports vaccination. As a pediatric neurologist and member of the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Child Neurology Society, the American Academy of Neurology and the American Neurological Association, I strongly support the importance of vaccines for all children, he wrote in his statement: Statement from Andrew Zimmerman: | https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/01/21/witness-view-vaccines-autism/ |
Why Is Gwyneth Paltrow so Weird on Instagram? | Free-spirited It girl Gwyneth Paltrow has always conducted herself in a perfectly Goop-y and FOMO-inducing manner. An Oscar winner, businesswoman extraordinaire, and lifestyle guru who also somehow manages to raise two kids and age in reverse the 46-year-old is the epitome of what we want to be when we grow (er, glow) up. Lately, however, Paltrow has surprised us in ways that dont seem to conform to the persona weve come to know. The change began where all great things do, on Instagram. Explore G.P.s unusual, three-pronged social media evolution below. Image zoom Jim Spellman/Getty Images 1) A Guise of Normalcy At first glance, Paltrows feed is that of any other lifestyle and wellness-minded influencer and mom. She does yoga on the beach! She hangs with fellow Oscar winners! She eats awesome (and pretty) food! It all goes down easy like a dairy-free vanilla milkshake, until you take a closer look 2) ALL. THE. COMMENTS. If you have a meme of any kind or quality (spelling and grammar mistakes are no deterrent), theres about a 70 percent chance Gwyneth will be adding her two cents in the comments section. Topics shell address include (but are not limited to) butt play, BDSM, Brad Pitts hair, dancing to Drunk in Love, and the misrepresentation of her breasts. RELATED: Kate Hudson Admits She "Stalked" Gwyneth Paltrow as a Teen 3) Odd Birthday Tributes to Her 14-Year-Old Daughters Friends Recently, Paltrow has begun posting birthday tributes to daughter Apples friends. Does G.P. Just this week, Paltrow created another post for one of Apples friends. This time, she herself wasnt included in the photo, and instead of tagging the intended teen, she accidentally (though well never truly know) tagged an amazing account that consists of three dogs wearing wigs. For now, were going with the latter. | https://www.instyle.com/news/gwyneth-paltrow-weird-instagram |
Is it OK to take the pill every day without a break? | Image copyright Getty Images Newspaper headlines this week have advised women that they can take contraceptive pills "every day of the month, without any break" to avoid monthly bleeds and period pain. But the professional body behind the guidelines that prompted the news reports says their recommendations have been misinterpreted. The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) says while some women may safely try it, it won't suit everyone. Women should still talk to their doctors about what method of contraceptive is best for them. The combined oral contraceptive pill contains hormones that can prevent pregnancy by stopping the user from releasing any eggs from her ovaries. When taken correctly, it is more than 99% effective - fewer than one in every 100 women who use it will get pregnant in one year - but it's around 91% effective based on "typical use". There are lots of different brands but the most commonly-taken packs contain 21 tablets - one to be taken each day for three weeks, with a seven day pill-free period at the end of the month when a woman will usually bleed. The pill only works well as a contraceptive if you remember to take it as recommended. You've "missed a pill" if you take it more than 24 hours later than your chosen time. Some brands contain 28 tablets - 21 real ones and seven inactive ones - to make it easier for women, meaning there is no break between packets of pills, although they will still probably have some bleeding each month. The FSRH says some women could take packets of 21 pills continuously, dropping the seven-day break entirely. Their recommendations, which are intended to guide healthcare professionals prescribing to women, say there is no health benefit from the seven-day pill break and some women can safely take fewer or no breaks to avoid monthly bleeds and cramps. It might make it easier for women to take them without forgetting a pill and reduce the risk of unwanted pregnancy, they say. FSRH spokeswoman Dr Diana Mansour said: "Pill-taking often isn't perfect; the riskiest time to miss pills is at the beginning and the end of a pill-free interval." Dr Jane Dixon, from the FSRH, told the BBC a lot of people stuck to the pattern of three weeks on, one week off, because they felt some reassurance that having a bleed meant they weren't pregnant. However, that bleed, she explained, actually doesn't give any such guarantee - it's just a reaction to no longer having the contraceptive chemicals in your system. She goes on: "There's no build-up of menstrual blood if you miss your break. And actually, for many women, it's not convenient to have a monthly bleed when they don't need one. "Also we know that quite a lot of women develop side effects in that week, like headaches and mood change." The pill can cause some side effects and it does not offer any protection against sexually transmitted infections. It has been linked to some serious health conditions, such as blood clots and breast cancer, although the risk is small. Dr Sarah Hardman from the FSRH said: "We are all different: there isn't any one method of contraception that is the 'best' method for every woman, so it's really important that women have choice. "Women need to know that there is a small increase in some health risks with combined hormonal contraception, so it isn't suitable for everyone." The combined pill is not suitable for women over 35 who smoke, or women with certain medical conditions. You should not take it if you are pregnant. The progesterone-only pill can be used by women who can't use contraception that contains oestrogen. It's taken daily without any breaks. Some progesterone-only pills are not effective if taken more than three hours late, while others can be taken up to 12 hours late. Follow the prescribing instructions that come with your medication. | https://www.bbc.com/news/health-46952694 |
Is this years Royal Rumble bound to disappoint WWE fans? | Twitter Facebook Google+ WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Email WWE, heading into Royal Rumble, usually my favorite pay-per-view, even including WrestleMania, is a mess right now. The thinking is that were headed toward a Brock Lesnar-Seth Rollins main event at WrestleMania 35, which would seem to foretell a Rollins win in the Mens Royal Rumble match. Except that: last year, WWE used its Elimination Chamber show in February as a Royal Rumble re-do, after Shinsuke Nakamura was given the win in the Rumble, and challenged then-WWE champ A.J. Styles. So: could be Rollins winning Sunday night; could be Styles, now the top challenger to WWE champ Daniel Bryan. The way WWE has been booking lately, it could be anybody, literally, who then loses the promised championship match at Elimination Chamber, or Fastlane, in March, or on some random episode of Raw or Smackdown. Thats how unpredictable, and not in a good way, WWE has been creatively of late, and of late, Im meaning, basically back to SummerSlam. In part, this is due to the unfortunate, and unforeseen, leukemia diagnosis for Roman Reigns, who had been built up for nearly four years toward his Universal title win over Lesnar at SummerSlam, and is now on the sidelines, obviously, indefinitely, focused on fighting for his life right now. Its likely we dont have even have Lesnar around for another WrestleMania season if Reigns isnt on the shelf, but, that is what it is. Braun Strowman, the hottest talent on the roster even before Reigns briefly dethroned Lesnar at SummerSlam, has cooled off significantly, the victim of, surprise, god-awful booking by WWE. Strowmans booking has been so bad that he was abruptly dropped from the Universal title match at Royal Rumble in favor of Finn Balor, a move so sudden in the making that Balor heads into the match on Sunday with as close to no push as you can imagine for a former champ challenging the current guy on a major show. The Styles-Bryan story has been fine, but runs the risk of running stale by the time we get to WrestleMania in April, much like how WWE somehow ruined Styles-Nakamura last spring. The womens division, meanwhile, has been reduced to the T&A of yesteryear, with Mandy Rose and Alexa Bliss in awkward non-wrestling segments in lingerie (or less) taking the place of anything meaningful in-ring. A distant memory now, as we slog toward the spring, with Lynch, Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey all diminished. though, buzzkill, it looks like its going to be a while before we see anything of substance from AEW. The folks at WWE would be well-advised to up their game in advance of whatever AEW has in store, and what were hearing may be in store includes a possible major broadcast cable TV deal that could put that company on something of an interesting footing vis--vis WWE, so, we could be talking serious competition here. Its not looking to me that WWE is ready for its first real competition in almost two decades, but Im hopeful nonetheless. Im a pro wrestling fan more than Im a fan of just WWE or any one company or brand, and as a fan of the business, more to the point, the product, I want to see good wrestling from all corners. WWE has some work to do to get my interest back into its product. Royal Rumble would be a good place to start. Column by Chris Graham Related News From Around the Web Shop Google | https://augustafreepress.com/is-this-years-royal-rumble-bound-to-disappoint-wwe-fans/ |
Which Tiger Woods Will We See in 2019? | Tiger Woods will make his 2019 PGA Tour debut on Thursday when he plays the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Eleven years and four back procedures later, Woods returns to the same golf course he limped around to earn arguably the signature win of entire career (the 2008 U.S. Open) with a fused spine, a 43-year-old body and the same number of major championships. The above sentence sounds rather morbid when read aloud, and it would suggest the mood surrounding Woods and his camp is one of pessimismbut that isn't the case. The good vibes have carried over from Tiger's 2018 season, which was nothing short of a miraculous revelation: He successfully completed (no withdrawals) 18 official events; He notched seven top-10s; He picked up his 80th PGA Tour win and nearly claimed the FedEx Cup in the process; He had as many legitimate chances to win a majortwoas he did missed cuts. A nice thing about annual golf tournaments is that they serve as markers in time. Its not exactly apples to apples, but stick with me here. You remember where you were on your birthday, on New Years, on Christmas. Golfers remember what the state of their games were at specific events and particular courses that, for whatever reason, remain fresh in their minds. Given Tigers rich and well-documented history at Torrey Pineseight victories as a professional, not to mention his triumph in the 1991 Junior Worlds as a 15-year-oldone would think any visit there sticks out in his memory. Twenty years ago, in 1999, he arrived there as the worlds top-ranked player, a 23-year-old who was about to rip off the most lucratively dominant tear the sport has ever seen. He won that week, the first ofwait for it17 Tour wins over two seasons, including four majors. At the U.S. Open in 2008, he arrived with a ruptured right anterior cruciate ligament and two stress fractures in his left tibia, determined nonetheless to win the first U.S. Open at a course so dear to his heart. Last year, he showed up to La Jolla excited about the speed he was able to produce but rightfully unsure about a pieced-together, shaky golf swing that was still a work in progress. He was about to make his first official PGA Tour start since that fusion surgery, and no onenot even Woodsknew what the year ahead had in store. Fast forward 12 months and Woods is back at his familiar stomping grounds as the No. 13 player in the world and the oddsmakers fourth favorite to win the title. To employ an all-time clich: What a difference a year makes. Woods comeback was steady, not sudden. First he made a cut, then a top-15, then he had his first real chance to win, then he had his first real chance to win a major, and finally he got back in the winners circle at East Lake. Because the progress was incremental, it almost felt like each successive step was a natural progression. In that sense, the sheer unlikeliness of it all risks being overlooked. But looked at holistically, it truly is hard to believe how different the Tiger Woods narrative of today is than the Tiger Woods narrative of January 2018. One question Im eager to see answered is whether well see Woods on-course demeanor match the heightened expectations. For most of last year, Woods carried himself with an amiable lightness that suggested he was overjoyed simply to be competing again. But we know thats not how peak Tiger Woods operated. At his best, Woods was a cold-blooded competitor who could put the proverbial blinders on with the best of them. Watch footage of him winning any of his majors and you wont see him crack a smile until the final putt on the 72nd hole drops. We saw a bit of that at the British Open, PGA Championship and Tour Championshiponce he realized that he had a realistic chance to win those events, Mr. Nice Guy was replaced by Mr. Im Going to Win Guy. There was noticeably less banter with playing partners and interaction with fans. Thats how Tiger is when he smells victory. Now that victory is a realistic expectation rather than a far-off pipe dream. A storybook, worth-the-wait victory for Adam Long(shot) The scene was one Adam Long has likely been dreaming of his whole life: He found himself tied for the lead on the 72nd hole of a PGA Tour event, with an uphill, 12-foot, right-to-left birdie puttevery rightys favoriteto win the tournament by a shot over Phil Frickin Mickelson. Then he did exactly what you do in the dream: he buried the putt right in the heart, punctuated it with a fist pump and gave his caddie a bear hug. His path to that life-changing moment. Long, 31, turned pro way back in 2010 after a solid but unspectacular career at Duke. He would spend the next eight years oscillating between the Web.com, Latinoamerica and Mackenzie Tours, accruing precisely zero wins over that period. His career earnings before Sunday amounted to $585,563, which means he made, on average, $73,195 on the golf course per year. When you factor in the exorbitant expenses professional golf sucks out of youpaying for travel, lodging, caddie, and management shrinks paychecks really quicklyyou get a better picture of just how much a grind this process has been for Long. And its not like anyone saw this win coming based off his recent play. Long finished 26th on the Web.com Tour moneylist last year and missed the cut in all four tournament of that tours Final Series, the last four events of its season. He started his rookie season on the big boy tour by missing three of four cuts, finishing T63 in the one tournament he played the weekend. Then he shoots 63-71-63-65, the final round a bogey-free masterpiece while playing alongside Mickelson and PGA Tour winner/Presidents Cupper Adam Hadwin. Sundays result was a heartening reminder thatdespite the overall sports earned reputation as elitist and expensiveprofessional golf is a meritocracy. Whoever plays better wins, no matter their background or standing within the game or bank account. Mickelson entered that final round with a two-stroke lead and five majors and 43 PGA Tour victories and hundreds of millions of dollars to his name. Long entered with a hot putter and steadfast belief that, despite eight long professional years without a victory of any kind, he could get it done. And he did, and now he gets to tee it up at some golf course in eastern Georgia in three months time. G What Phil can learn from Roger Federer Mickelson will rue a missed opportunity, particularly given the way he putted on Sunday, but there are so many positives to take from his week in the desert. He made 10 birdies without a bogey en route to a 12-under 60 on Thursday, the lowest round in relation to par of his illustrious PGA Tour career. His short game looks as sharp as ever. And, perhaps most encouraging for Phil stans, he still has so much speed! At 48, he averaged 318 yards off the tee. He hit the longest drive on the 11th on Sunday of the entire field by seven yards, out-driving all the 20-somethings. In a word, Phil looked fresh. Thats what a couple months of rest will do for youit was Mickelsons first start since the first week of October. Id posit that Mickelsons performance this week was no coincidence. He was rested and ready largely because of all that time off. As he approaches the half-century mark, Mickelson would do well to look at another aging legend for inspiration: Roger Federer. As Federer aged, he realized having his body ready to go was paramount if he was to continue competing at an elite level. Thus, he cut back significantly on his schedule, opting to skip the clay court seasons entirely in 2017 and 2018. He wouldnt have won three more majors had he not limited how often he plays. Mickelson is in a similar position. When hes fresh, he obviously still has the game to compete for the sports biggest prizes. Last year, Mickelson had a four-tournament stretch of T5-T2-T6-1all coming before March. Thats called fatigue. Thats having a 48-year-old body that cant handle the rigors of a full PGA Tour campaign quite like it used to. Mickelson typically plays 22-24 events a year; moving forward, a 17-ish tournament slate would give him a better opportunity to contend in the events he does play, as well as added time with his family as an ancillary benefit. Seems like a no-brainer to me. Chip-ins Of all time has been overused to the point of it being rendered near meaninglessness, but this Jerry Kelly eagle may be the luckiest eagle of all time. Rickie Fowler announced hes signed a deal with TaylorMade to play its TP5 ball. TaylorMade is all-in on its quality-over-quantity sponsorship approach. Theyve downsized their significantly in recent years but have signed some of the games biggest stars. Heres their current roster of endorsers: Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Jason Day and now Rickie Fowler. Hosung Choi played in an event televised by Golf Channel this week, which means we were treated to some unbelievable Hosung Choi video clips. My two favorites: this innovative backwards-squat maneuver and the mid-putt twirl. My back hurts just watching this: Your goal for the weekend: Complete the 300 drill pic.twitter.com/6oEJrLig7F Skratch (@Skratch) January 18, 2019 Zecheng Marty Dou won the Web.com Tours Bahamas Great Exuma Classic earlier in the week, which is awesome for the 21-year-old from China. Whats perhaps more noteworthy: this tournament took place on the same island that Fyre Festival was supposed to! Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz won the celebrity portion of the LPGA Tours Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions pro-am, finishing with 149 points in the modified Stableford format. He shot three-under for the week and said hes going to try to qualify for the Senior U.S. Open again. Eun-Hee Ji won her fifth LPGA Tour event at the same tournament. Lucas Glovers wife Krista entered a deferred prosecution agreement following her May arrest on charges of battery. Remember, she berated Glover for his poor on-course play. Glover said hes excited to be moving into a new beginning with his wife. When Alvaro Ortizs group was put on the clock at the Latin American Amateur Championship, he took matters into his own hands: per Golf Digest, he started playing half a hole ahead of his playing partners to speed things up. He went on to win the event and earn a Masters berth. Fast play does not mean bad play, people. Take notes. | https://www.si.com/golf/2019/01/21/tiger-woods-torrey-pines-pga-debut-2019-phil-mickelson |
Who is the father of Amy Barlow's baby on Coronation Street? | The 14-year-old told her parents Steve McDonald and Tracy Barlow on tonights episode of the ITV soap - but kept schtum about who the daddy is. Earlier the schoolgirl could be seen going to a clinic to enquire about a termination, but was advised to speak to a parent or adult before making a rash decision - so confided in gran Liz McDonald. Viewers saw Steve going mental at his schoolgirl daughter, shouting at wife Tracy: "I tell you why she didn't flipping tell us. Because she's 14 and she let someone get her up the duff." This is why I went to the clinic, shouts back Amy. This is why I want a termination. (Image: ITV) Tracy (Kate Ford) and Liz McDonald (Beverley Callard) try to calm the situation down, but Steve (Simon Gregson) is having none of it. He rages: "My priority is to find out who had sex with my under age daughter. It has to be someone." (Image: ITV) The M.E.N. revealed last week that Simon Barlow gets the blame, which even though they arent blood relatives could still prove awkward as they are thought of as cousins. Tracy and Simon's dad Peter are adoptive half-brother and sister. But according to reports, its teenage tearaway Tyler Jefferies who is the likely culprit that got Amy pregnant. (Image: ITV) Tyler hit the Street last year, luring Simon into his gang and causing huge drama for him and the Barlows. After Simon revealed Tylers crimes to the police, he turned on him and his dad Peter was forced to give Tylers mother Vicky a job at the factory. The peace didnt remain for long though, while Tyler soon left the Cobbles. Now, its claimed he will return as its tipped to be revealed he is the father of Amys baby. | https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/father-of-amy-barlow-baby-15711938 |
Who joined The Press girls basketball Elite 11 raning this week? | Thank you for Reading. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. A subscription is required to continue reading. Thank you for reading PressofAtlanticCity.com. If you are a current subscriber you are granted an all-access pass to the website and digital newspaper replica. Please click Sign Up or Login to activate your digital access. If not, please click Sign Up to subscribe and continue to enjoy valuable local news and information, or you can come back at the end of your 30-day period for another 10 free articles. Thank you for reading PressofAtlanticCity.com. Please click Get Started. If you are a current subscriber you are granted an all-access pass to the website and digital newspaper replica. If not, we ask that you purchase a subscription and continue to enjoy valuable local news and information, or you can come back at the end of your 30-day period for another 10 free articles. | https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/who-joined-the-press-girls-basketball-elite-raning-this-week/article_12d7f736-1dad-11e9-8958-2b6af135bb2e.html |
Who is ranked No. 1 in The Press boys basketball Elite 11? | Thank you for Reading. Please purchase a subscription to continue reading. A subscription is required to continue reading. Thank you for reading PressofAtlanticCity.com. If you are a current subscriber you are granted an all-access pass to the website and digital newspaper replica. Please click Sign Up or Login to activate your digital access. If not, please click Sign Up to subscribe and continue to enjoy valuable local news and information, or you can come back at the end of your 30-day period for another 10 free articles. Thank you for reading PressofAtlanticCity.com. Please click Get Started. If you are a current subscriber you are granted an all-access pass to the website and digital newspaper replica. If not, we ask that you purchase a subscription and continue to enjoy valuable local news and information, or you can come back at the end of your 30-day period for another 10 free articles. | https://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/highschool/who-is-ranked-no-in-the-press-boys-basketball-elite/article_b9d803b0-1dac-11e9-b8ed-73acd6d55844.html |
How can the NFL make sure the Saints officiating mess doesnt happen again? | The New Orleans Saints should probably be preparing for a Super Bowl 53 matchup against the New England Patriots. Instead, its the Los Angeles Rams who won the NFC Championship, largely due to blatant pass interference that was somehow missed by officials. With 1:49 left in a 20-20 game, Drew Brees threw a pass to Tommylee Lewis up the right sideline, but the receiver was blasted out of bounds by Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman before the ball arrived. Everyone including the Rams knew it shouldve been pass interference. The Saints shouldve been set up with a first down at about the 6-yard line. It wouldve given them the chance to run out the majority of the remaining clock to set up a chip shot for Wil Lutz to win the game. But the Saints had to kick their field goal early and the Rams got the ball back with 1:41 left. They drove 45 yards and set up a game-tying 48-yard field goal for Greg Zuerlein instead. He made that and a 57-yard field goal in overtime to send the Rams to the Super Bowl. So, New Orleans is pissed, and rightfully so. Maybe nothing. The Saints arent going to get their emergency rematch In the early hours of Monday morning, Saints receiver Michael Thomas asked his Twitter followers to take a peek at a section buried near the bottom of the NFL rulebook: Rule 17 Section 2 Article 3 @NFL Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) January 21, 2019 That article in the rulebook reads as follows (emphasis mine): ARTICLE 3. PENALTIES FOR UNFAIR ACTS The Commissioners powers under this Section 2 include the imposition of monetary fines and draft-choice forfeitures, suspension of persons involved in unfair acts, and, if appropriate, the reversal of a games result or the rescheduling of a game, either from the beginning or from the point at which the extraordinary act occurred. In the event of rescheduling a game, the Commissioner will be guided by the procedures specified in 17-1-511, above. In all cases, the Commissioner will conduct a full investigation, including the opportunity for hearings, use of game video, and any other procedure the Commissioner deems appropriate. Saints fans have clung to that piece of desperation too with hundreds of thousands signing a petition appealing NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to have the game replayed. It wont happen. While Goodell can step in, send both teams back to the Superdome and have them replay the final couple minutes of the game he wont. Thatd be a decision so unprecedented that itd take much more than a missed call to qualify as an act extraordinary enough to have part of the game redone. Teams get screwed all the time. Just last year the Jacksonville Jaguars were probably robbed of a spot in the Super Bowl when linebacker Myles Jack was incorrectly ruled down by contact after recovering a fumble in the AFC Championship against the Patriots. Bu what the NFL may be able to do is make sure the situation that cost the Saints doesnt happen again in the future. The NFL could make pass interference a reviewable play It didnt take long for the Washington Post to report Monday that the NFL is already considering a possible rule change that wouldve made the hit by Robey-Coleman reviewable: It will be discussed at length along with additional fouls that coaches feel should be subject to review, one person familiar with the leagues inner workings said Monday, speaking on the condition of anonymity because of the ongoing public furor over the botched call in New Orleans. A high-ranking official with one NFL team confirmed that making pass interference reviewable will be considered, adding: And there will be discussion on [replay] review of calls and non-calls. Saints coach Sean Payton who was obviously irate about the missed call and immediately called the league office is a member of the NFL Competition Committee. Payton has been a proponent for making pass interference a reviewable play for some time now. Here are some quotes from Payton after a game in October 2016 when safety Kenny Vaccaro was called for a controversial pass interference penalty against the Panthers. Via ESPN: That specific call is so critical to get right, said Payton, who said the idea has been brought up and discussed by a number of clubs in recent years to no avail. And for good reason, Payton said Monday. I think the competition committee needs to spend a lot more time thinking about [it]. Patriots coach Bill Belichick agrees and has proposed for years that all plays be deemed reviewable. Here he is in 2014, via USA Today: We had a situation this year where we added another exception to the replay rule because of a play that came up during the season, and it seems like thats kind of the way it goes something happens, and then, we have something else to challenge or make another play challengeable that wasnt in the past, and were just going to keep adding to that. Id just like to clean it up and have a coach have two challenges, and if he gets them right, he gets a third, and thats it. He can use it on whatever play he wants. For now, pass interference falls under the judgement call definition, which makes it non-reviewable. Plays that have clear definitions can be broken down with instant replay. Especially when its as blatantly obvious as Robey-Colemans hit on Lewis. The point of instant replay is to get the calls right on the field and this was a clear case of where it could have fixed things. Any kind of penalty can be crucial. Tom Brady got an iffy roughing the passer penalty that Patrick Mahomes didnt. Maybe. If the league opens those flood gates in the way Belichick wants, expect way more replay reviews. The rules allow each team to challenge twice per game and a third time if the first two challenges resulted in overturned plays. But those challenges are still used sparingly. Payton challenged seven plays during the regular season and won three. No coach in the NFL challenge more than eight times. That means even the most aggressive coaches only challenged once every other game. But given the chance to look at penalties with replay, those challenge averages could skyrocket. Wait until theres double or triple the replay reviews. And even if all penalties arent reviewable just making pass interference reviewable would add to that game length. There were over 3,000 penalties called in 2018 and 320 were pass interference. Thats a lot of freshly reviewable plays. All that said, the Saints couldve helped themselves by avoiding that situation New Orleans was definitely screwed by the non-call, but its not the only reason the Saints lost. The Rams had 378 yards of total offense. The Saints had just 290 one of their worst offensive showings of the year. When they got the first down at the two-minute warning deep in Rams territory, the Saints decided to pass on first and third down instead of run to waste clock and flush out Los Angeles remaining timeouts. Both passes were incomplete even if the latter shouldve been a penalty and set up the Rams with a great chance to tie. #Rams Marcus Peters on #Saints anger over blown pass interference: If they coach run the football on first and second down, they probably aint even going to be sitting here talking about this. ... You give Sean McVay the ball back with 1:43 or something, were going to score. Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) January 21, 2019 And when the Rams did tie, the game went to overtime and the Saints got the ball first. But instead of scoring like the Patriots did to win the AFC Championship, Brees lobbed up an interception when he was drilled by Rams pass rusher Dante Fowler Jr. The Saints had a poor offensive showing and still had their chances to win. The officials hurt them, but they also blew it on their own. Maybe the NFL will take reactive measures to avoid the backlash theyre currently facing for an egregious miss. But the fact of the matter remains that it really doesnt have to it just needs officials to be better. | https://www.sbnation.com/2019/1/21/18191619/nfl-pass-intereference-officiating-mess-new-orleans-saints |
Can the UN maintain peace around the world? | A spike in violence against UN peacekeepers raises questions around UN efforts of maintaining peace around the world. Lightly armed and with limited authority, UN peacekeepers are deployed to many of the world's trouble spots. These peacekeepers have been repeatedly targetted in Mali, now the most dangerous mission to serve in. The latest on Sunday when 10 soldiers from Chad were killed when gunmen stormed the United Nations camp. An al-Qaeda-linked group said it carried out the attack in response to the Chadian president's decision to revive diplomatic ties with Israel. The UN has reported a spike in violence against its peacekeepers. In 2017, 53 soldiers were killed, the highest number of peacekeepr deaths recorded by the UN. Presenter: Richelle Carey Guests: Joanne Adamson - Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali Adam Day - Head of Programmes at the Centre for Policy Research at United Nations University Severine Autesserre - Professor of Political Science at Barnard College, Columbia University Source: Al Jazeera News | https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/insidestory/2019/01/maintain-peace-world-190121192208633.html |
Which New WWE Superstar Does Vince McMahon Love? | Last Monday night, new WWE Superstars Tucker Knight, Otis Dozovic, Lacey Evans and EC3 made shocking (albeit brief) appearances on the red brand, while Nikki Cross actually competed on Raw alongside Bayley and Natalya in a winning effort against The Riott Squad. The new Superstars from NXT will be showing up on both Raw and SmackDown LIVE until they land on a specific brand. The reason behind this is because Vince McMahon just wants them seen on television while they come up with plans on how to use them. Regarding the debuts, Vince is of the mentality right now he just wants people to see their faces on television. So the writers have to write stuff where they are in the background, Dave Meltzer wrote in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter. They havent decided how to use them or on what show, but he wants people seeing them and feels what matters is when they come up with the plan how to use them and people will forget this, but theyll know who they are, with the idea the majority of his fans dont know who they are. Evans, EC3 and Heavy Machinery also appeared on SmackDown LIVE. Evans watched Becky Lynch vs. Peyton Royce backstage on a television monitor with a drink in hand, EC3 posed in a mirror while Samoa Joe was backstage, and at the start of the show, Lynch downed Heavy Machinerys pancake-infused protein shake. In Dave Meltzers recap of Heavy Machinerys SmackDown LIVE segment in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, he noted that Vince McMahon loves Dozovic. The New Day was backstage with Heavy Machinery. They were putting all kinds of food including pancakes in a blender. Otis Dozovic drank it. Vince loves him. Six months from now well find out if he is or isnt better off because of that, Meltzer wrote. Meltzer noted a few weeks ago that Heavy Machinerys success on the main roster depends on whether McMahon finds Dozovic funny or not. Their success or failure depends on one thing; whether Vince finds Dozovic funny or not. Hes not a fan of the short blocky guys, but Dozovic is legitimately super strong and is legit, Meltzer wrote. Tucker Knight has size, and hes fine, but on the main roster hes going to be just a guy. One person close to the situation said that he sees it as either Vince loving or hating Dozovic. If he loves him, theyll be okay, but eventually, Vince will break them up and Knight will be headed nowhere. If he doesnt like Dozovic, theyll be another Ascension or Sanity. | http://www.pwmania.com/which-new-wwe-superstar-does-vince-mcmahon-love |
What is the law on age and driving? | Prince Philip's, the Duke of Edinburgh, car being made ready for recovery after he was involved in a road traffic accident on the A149 at Babingley, near Kings Lynn. Photo: Chris Bishop Archant In light of the recent accident involving HRH Prince Philip, our columnist finds out exactly what the laws are relating to older people driving and says we shouldnt write them off. Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. Media gather at the roadside of the A149 at Babingley where the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, had an accident on January 17. Photo: Emily Prince Media gather at the roadside of the A149 at Babingley where the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Philip, had an accident on January 17. Photo: Emily Prince Our attention has lately been drawn to the Duke of Edinburgh who has been snapped not wearing a seat belt in recent days. There has also been a debate about older people driving. The answers, respectively are no and yes, with exceptions. Lets first take the idea that old people should relinquish their licences at a certain age. A press statement from Nick Lloyd, acting head of road safety for the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) kicks this idea into touch... with provisos. He said the society was distressed to hear of the incident involving its former President, HRH The Duke of Edinburgh, and two other people The Duke of Edinburgh, pictured here in December 2018. Picture: Aaron Chown/PA Wire File photo dated 19/12/2018 of the Duke of Edinburgh who has been involved in a road traffic accident close to the Sandringham Estate but was not injured, Buckingham Palace said. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday January 17, 2019. See PA story ROYAL Duke. Photo credit should read: Aaron Chown/PA Wire The Duke of Edinburgh, pictured here in December 2018. Picture: Aaron Chown/PA Wire File photo dated 19/12/2018 of the Duke of Edinburgh who has been involved in a road traffic accident close to the Sandringham Estate but was not injured, Buckingham Palace said. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday January 17, 2019. See PA story ROYAL Duke. Photo credit should read: Aaron Chown/PA Wire In the wake of the incident, we have inevitably heard calls for mandatory testing of people of a certain age. This is a red herring age is a completely arbitrary and unreliable measure for assessing someones ability to drive. Statistically, older drivers have fewer accidents than other age groups. If we were to restrict drivers based on any relationship between age and accident rates, we would need to take a fresh look at inexperienced, younger drivers aged 17 to 24. Although this younger age group accounts for just seven per cent of the driving population, they are involved in around 22 per cent of fatal or serious road traffic incidents. The statement goes on to say that the experience of driving gained over a lifetime helps people anticipate and cope with hazardous situations. Taking away someones ability to drive can have a major impact on their independence and should be very carefully considered because it could lead to an increase in the rising toll of loneliness and isolation that we are seeing amongst older people in our ageing society. Lynne's big hair in the 80s Lynne's big hair in the 80s A balance needs to be struck between encouraging independence and protecting all road users. RoSPA therefore encourages older drivers and their families to be aware of their driving ability and other health conditions that could have an impact, and either speak to their doctor if they are worried, or take an assessment such as RoSPAs experienced driver assessment, which will provide advice as to how to improve driving. More information can be found at www.olderdrivers.org.uk. When a driver reaches the age of 70 their licence expires and they have to apply for a new one. The individual is asked to declare any medical conditions they have and to confirm their eyesight meets the standard for driving. This is a legal document and it is an offence not to declare a condition or disability that might affect the ability to drive. The advice is that: It is a very good idea to have a medical check before renewing your licence when you reach 70 years of age, and again each time your licence is renewed. There may come a point when concerned family members may broach the subject of a parents driving and I have friends who have had to have a conversation with an older relative and persuade them to relinquish their licence. I also know people who have, of their own accord, made the decision to stop driving. Lynne Mortimer, retaking her test in 2006 failied to identify the component. She is with Graham Waite supervising examiner at the Ipswich Test Centre of the Driving Standards Agency. Lynne Mortimer, retaking her test in 2006 failied to identify the component. She is with Graham Waite supervising examiner at the Ipswich Test Centre of the Driving Standards Agency. Picture Owen Hines In July 2017, when it was revealed that the number of drivers over 90-years-old had exceeded 100,000 for the first time, BBC Radio Suffolk broadcaster Mark Murphy wrote of the day he told his dad he didnt think he (his dad) was safe to carry on driving. Mark wrote: It took me months to pluck up the courage and, when I did, we both got terribly upset. His car meant the world to him. Hed been driving for decades and loved his cars. Here I was taking away the independence and freedom hed enjoyed for years. After our emotional discussion,and his eventual handing over of the keys, he would often ask me if we could go for a drive. I would ask him where he wanted me to take him, but what he really meant was that he wanted to get behind the wheel himself. He kept the car for six months before finally agreeing to sell it. Maybe we have to face the fact that there will come a point when an older person is no longer safe to drive. That reverse round a corner still isn't too great. Lynne is put through advanced driving test paces in 2014. Picture: Lucy Taylor That reverse round a corner still isn't too great. Lynne is put through advanced driving test paces in 2014. Picture: Lucy Taylor In March 2018, there were 265 drivers aged over 100, according to the DVLA. And then we come to seat belts. You are, according to the government, twice as likely to die in a crash if youre not wearing a seat belt. Today, the wearing of seat belts in vehicles is compulsory with certain general and specific exceptions. In my 50s and 60s childhood, cars did not have seat belts at all. I recall a trip to Great Yarmouth in my Uncle Johns small family car when there were five of us in the back seat my mum, me and my three cousins. In view of this early dice with danger, it is maybe kismet that I went on to work for Volvo, the first car manufacturer to fit a three-point safety belt as standard. This was in 1959 on the model 122 (they were up to the 200 series by the time I worked there in the late 70s and early 80s). It was not for another eight years that Britain required seat belt anchorage points to be fitted into the front of new cars with retrospective fitting for cars built after 1965. But even then, it was not compulsory to wear them. It wasnt until January 31, 1983, that drivers and front seat passengers had, by law, to wear seat belts. In 1987 rear seat belts were also required to be fitted in all new cars but it was another two years until the law required children to wear belts in the rear seats. In 1991, adults too had to wear them. The law took some time to catch up with the sense that seat belts could be life-savers. You may recall, the 1970s Clunk-click campaign fronted on TV by Jimmy Savile (small cough, move swiftly on). Some graphic adverts showed the terrible consequences of failing to wear a belt. You do not need to wear a seat belt (www.gov.uk) if you are: a driver who is reversing, or supervising a learner driver who is reversing in a vehicle being used for police, fire and rescue services a passenger in a trade vehicle and youre investigating a fault driving a goods vehicle on deliveries that is travelling no more than 50 metres between stops a licensed taxi driver who is plying for hire or carrying passengers There are also medical exemptions, which require an assessment and a certificate from a medical practitioner. | https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/is-it-really-older-drivers-we-should-worry-about-1-5860252 |
What is German ambassador Kobler up to at Islamabad Post Office? | Germanys ambassador to Pakistan, Martin Kobler, who is known for his vibrant social media presence and his love for all the beautiful things Pakistan has to offer, has once again given a positive message that is sure to inspire many in and out of Pakistan. The envoy paid a surprise visit to the General Post Office (GPO) in Islamabad to send a gift to his family in Berlin. Mr Kobler later tweeted about it on his personal account. expressing his happiness over improvement in Pakistan Post service, in English and Urdu. great to hear that Pakistan Post has become reliable & delivers fast now. so just sent a small gift to my family in Berlin. thank you for the service and friendly staff at the post office, he wrote, tagging Federal Minister for Communications and Postal Services Murad Saeed. Pakistan Post is engaged in efforts to bring itself on par with private courier companies that remain top choice of customers in need of quick delivery. In recent months, the federal government has introduced several new services including One Day Courier Delivery System, which promises to deliver domestic mail within 24 hours. Read More: Pakistan Post to launch mobile app today Earlier in January, the government also launched export parcel service. According to the government, the parcel to foreign countries will be delivered in 72 hours and charges for the delivery will be five per cent lesser than other private companies in the business. In the first phase, the parcels will be delivered to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Thailand, Australia, Japan and Britain, while in the second phase, parcels will be dispatched to other countries with the third party service. Comments comments | https://arynews.tv/en/martin-kobler-pakistan-post-office-islamabad/ |
How effective are affordable housing efforts? | There has been and continues to be significant discussion on the affordable housing issues in Kitsap County. A group called Homes For All advocates for affordable housing and Kitsap Regional Coordinating Council has started an Ad Hoc Committee on Affordable Housing. They both seem to have the goal of either providing affordable housing or determining a path to ensure more affordable housing is available, including looking at additional revenue sources. Both groups advocating for affordable housing seem to think at first glance that new revenue is needed. Olympia has given counties and cities the ability via Revised Code of Washington to increase property tax (RCW 84.52.105), increase sales tax, (RCW 82.14.530, give incentives for affordable housing (RCW 36.70A.540) including a multi-family tax exemption (RCW 84.14). Answer that question in detail before you come asking for more taxes or fees to support affordable housing programs. Be open and transparent. Roger Gay, South Kitsap Read or Share this story: https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/opinion/readers/2019/01/21/letters-how-effective-affordable-housing-efforts/2636704002/ | https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/opinion/readers/2019/01/21/letters-how-effective-affordable-housing-efforts/2636704002/ |
Who fared the best in Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's proposed budget? | Corrections & clarifications: An earlier version of this story included an incorrect number of schools that would receive results-based funding under Gov. Doug Ducey's budget plan. Gov. Doug Ducey on Friday released an $11.9 billion spending plan that aims to capitalize on the highest projected budget surplus in a decade. The governor's proposal would split that surplus about $1.1 billion in half. Ducey would put $542 million in the state's rainy day fund to better prepare the state for the next economic downturn, officials said, while dedicating $538 million to education, public safety and other longtime priorities. Here's who benefited most from the plan: 1. State employees (well, some of them) Gov. Doug Ducey speaks after being sworn in by Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Scott Bales at the Arizona Capitol in Phoenix at the 2019 State of Arizona Inauguration ceremony Jan. 7. (Photo: Tom Tingle/The Republic, Tom Tingle/The Republic) The governor has proposed a raise for about 45 percent of state workers, with average pay increases ranging from 5 to 15 percent. Public-safety employees are the primary winners. Corrections officers, who start at less than $32,000 and haven't received a raise in about a decade, would get a 10 percent raise worth about $36 million. Department of Public Safety troopers also would get a 10 percent pay raise, to the tune of $22 million. Other agencies where employees would see pay bumps: Department of Child Safety Department of Health Services Department of Juvenile Corrections Department of Game and Fish Department of Transportation Attorney General's Office Department of Liquor Arizona State Parks and Trails Department of Agriculture Department of Insurance Corporation Commission CLOSE "More transparency and more accountability," Ducey says are needed for taxpayers dollars spent in schools. Brian Snyder, Arizona Republic 2. High-performing K-12 schools Duceys budget proposal more than doubles the funding for the state's controversial results-based funding program for public schools, from $38 million this year to $98 million for the upcoming budget. The purpose of the program, according to the Governor's Office, is to recognize, reward and replicate excelling schools with most of the money going to teachers and the rest toward expanding successful schools or programs. For the past two years, the money has gone to schools based on AzMERIT test results. Under the governors proposal, the $98 million would instead be divided between schools graded A and B by the State Board of Education. The money would go to 675 schools, according to a projection from the Governors Office. Schools with higher levels of poverty would get more money than schools with lower levels of poverty. B-letter-grade schools with more than 60 percent of the student population eligible for free and reduced lunch would receive results-based funding. On the flip side, that means low-performing schools are left out when it comes to this money. Many critics of the states letter-grading system say it is just a measure of poverty, where wealthier schools often see higher grades and poorer schools see lower grades. CLOSE Doug Ducey, legislative leaders discuss the need for Arizona to join a drought contingency plan at a Jan. 15, 2019, press conference. Tom Tingle, The Republic | azcentral.com 3. Prospective teachers In Duceys first year in office, he slashed nearly $100 million from Arizona's public universities. This year, the universities avoided the same fate, with more than $100 million in new spending proposed for higher education. The cornerstone of Duceys education agenda would beef up the teachers' academy at the three state universities by putting money into a program Ducey first announced, but didnt fund, in 2017. The governors plan would give $21 million to the three state universities for the teachers' academies, designed to address the teacher shortage by allowing students a free college education if they agreed to teach in Arizona. Although more than 200 students participated last year, the programs werent yet providing four years of free college due to a lack of funding. In 2018, only juniors and seniors could access the academy at Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University. At the University of Arizona, it's a one-year master's program. The added money would expand the program to four years and beyond education majors in a big win for the universities. 4. Weekend warriors Backups on Interstate 17 are routine on weekends, especially holidays, as people in the Phoenix area head to the mountains then head back down to the Valley before work on Monday. The two-hour drive often turns into four or more when accidents cause miles-long backups. Duceys budget proposes $40 million next year and $45 million each of the following two years to add a third travel lane between Black Canyon City and Anthem. Already, the Arizona Department of Transportation is moving ahead on flex lanes that will allow more traffic heading north or south, depending on the day of the week. The additional money will allow ADOT to address the entire corridor from Sunset Point to Anthem at once, rather than incrementally. With work beginning in 2020, drivers should see relief by 2023. The Gaggle has some thoughts. William Flannigan, azcentral 5. Rural residents and the internet Up to 54 percent of households in rural Arizona counties do not have high-speed connectivity. Ducey's budget proposes the addition of a full-time state broadband director who would manage a competitive rural-broadband development grant program. That program would set aside $3 million over the fiscal year "to offset the construction costs of expanding broadband services in underserved rural areas across the state." Another $1 million of Ducey's proposal would fund new prenatal-care telemedicine grants, allowing pregnant women in rural areas to access better health care without having to travel. Current care gaps put women and children in those parts of the state at higher risk of complications during and after pregnancy. 6. Arizonans during the next recession Officials say Ducey's massive proposed contribution to the state's rainy-day fund would help the state weather an economic downturn without having to make significant, abrupt cuts. The $542 million deposit would bring the fund to $1 billion, an amount more closely aligned with economists' state-savings recommendations. The guiding principle here is being fiscally conservative, fiscally responsible, preparing for the future and not making the mistakes of the past," said Daniel Scarpinato, Ducey's chief of staff. "When you look at whats recommended, when you look at what other states are doing, and you look at what happened during the Great RecessionWe want to be very careful about ongoing spending commitments." The rainy-day proposal faces an uphill battle in the Legislature. CLOSE Gov. Doug Ducey emphasized the importance of water and securing the state's water future in his State of the State address on Jan. 14, 2019. Under Ducey's plan, not every state agency that asked for employee raises would receive them. The teacher-raise plan wouldn't cover support staff, such as bus drivers and cafeteria workers. Other funding the Governor's Office says could be used for this purpose is not guaranteed to end up in employees' hands, as districts have several competing priorities. And taxpayers, through a controversial vehicle-registration fee, are footing the bill for some interstate and road-maintenance projects. 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. Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2019/01/21/arizona-budget-who-were-winners-gov-duceys-proposed-budget/2620361002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2019/01/21/arizona-budget-who-were-winners-gov-duceys-proposed-budget/2620361002/ |
How hot are atoms in the shock wave of an exploding star? | An international team of researchers combined observations of nearby supernova SN1987A, made with NASA's Chandra X-Ray Observatory, with simulations to measure the temperature atoms in the shock wave that occurs from the explosive death of a star. This image superimposes synthetic X-ray emission data onto a density map with from the simulation of SN1987A. Credit: Marco Miceli, Dipartimento di Fisica e Chimica, Universit di Palermo, and INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo, Palermo, Italy A new method to measure the temperature of atoms during the explosive death of a star will help scientists understand the shock wave that occurs as a result of this supernova explosion. An international team of researchers, including a Penn State scientist, combined observations of a nearby supernova remnantthe structure remaining after a star's explosionwith simulations in order to measure the temperature of slow-moving gas atoms surrounding the star as they are heated by the material propelled outward by the blast. The research team analyzed long-term observations of the nearby supernova remnant SN1987A using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and created a model describing the supernova. The team confirmed that the temperature of even the heaviest atomswhich had not yet been investigatedis related to their atomic weight, answering a long-standing question about shock waves and providing important information about their physical processes. A paper describing the results appears January 21, 2019, in the journal Nature Astronomy. "Supernova explosions and their remnants provide cosmic laboratories that enable us to explore physics in extreme conditions that cannot be duplicated on Earth," said David Burrows, professor of astronomy and astrophysics at Penn State and an author of the paper. "Modern astronomical telescopes and instrumentation, both ground-based and space-based, have allowed us to perform detailed studies of supernova remnants in our galaxy and nearby galaxies. We have performed regular observations of supernova remnant SN1987A using NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory, the best X-ray telescope in the world, since shortly after Chandra was launched in 1999, and used simulations to answer longstanding questions about shock waves." The explosive death of a massive star like SN1987A propels material outwards at speeds of up to one tenth the speed of light, pushing shock waves into the surrounding interstellar gas. Researchers are particularly interested in the shock front, the abrupt transition between the supersonic explosion and the relatively slow-moving gas surrounding the star. The shock front heats this cool slow-moving gas to millions of degreestemperatures high enough for the gas to emit X-rays detectable from Earth. "The transition is similar to one observed in a kitchen sink when a high-speed stream of water hits the sink basin, flowing smoothly outward until it abruptly jumps in height and becomes turbulent," said Burrows. "Shock fronts have been studied extensively in the Earth's atmosphere, where they occur over an extremely narrow region. But in space, shock transitions are gradual and may not affect atoms of all elements the same way." The research team, led by Marco Miceli and Salvatore Orlando of the University of Palermo, Italy, measured the temperatures of different elements behind the shock front, which will improve understanding of the physics of the shock process. These temperatures are expected to be proportional to the elements' atomic weight, but the temperatures are difficult to measure accurately. Previous studies have led to conflicting results regarding this relationship, and have failed to include heavy elements with high atomic weights. The research team turned to supernova SN1987A to help address this dilemma. Supernova SN1987A, which is located in the nearby constellation called the Large Magellanic Cloud, was the first supernova visible to the naked eye since Kepler's Supernova in 1604. It is also the first to be studied in detail with modern astronomical instruments. The light from its explosion first reached earth on February 23, 1987, and since then it has been observed at all wavelengths of light, from radio waves to X-rays and gamma waves. The research team used these observations to build a model describing the supernova. Models of SN1987A have typically focused on single observations, but in this study, the researchers used three-dimensional numerical simulations to incorporate the evolution of the supernova, from its onset to the current age. A comparison of the X-ray observations and the model allowed the researchers to accurately measure atomic temperatures of different elements with a wide range of atomic weights, and to confirm the relationship that predicts the temperature reached by each type of atom in the interstellar gas. "We can now accurately measure the temperatures of elements as heavy as silicon and iron, and have shown that they indeed do follow the relationship that the temperature of each element is proportional to the atomic weight of that element," said Burrows. "This result settles an important issue in the understanding of astrophysical shock waves and improves our understanding of the shock process." Explore further: Image: Chandra's view of the Tycho Supernova remnant More information: Collisionless shock heating of heavy ions in SN 1987A, Nature Astronomy (2019). 10.1038/s41550-018-0677-8 , www.nature.com/articles/s41550-018-0677-8 | https://phys.org/news/2019-01-hot-atoms-star.html |
Did the Rams-Saints refs miss another pass interference on Drew Brees' interception? | The New Orleans Saints saw their Super Bowl hopes dashed after one of the worst non-calls weve seen in the NFL. And understandably, Saints fans are pointing at that blown pass interference as the moment that cost them a trip to Atlanta. But the officials didnt do the Saints any favors in overtime either. With the Saints on the first drive of overtime, Drew Brees second-down pass was intercepted by John Johnson who made an incredible catch from his back. Yet, Johnson seemingly interfered with Saints receiver Michael Thomas on the play. At least it looked that way. We can see Thomas look around for a flag as Johnson went into his celebration, and Thomas had a point. Johnson held the Saints receiver with the ball already in the air. It could have been a number of penalties holding, pass interference or illegal contact. Instead, the officials decided to swallow the whistle (again), and it cost the Saints. That contact would have been allowed had Brees pass been tipped at the line there is no pass interference on tipped or deflected balls. But that didnt look to be what happened. The Rams Dante Fowler pressured Brees into the errant pass, but the contact came at Brees elbow. Fowlers hands were nowhere near the ball. It couldnt have been tipped. Had the pass interference been accurately called, the Saints would have been rewarded a first down near midfield. We can understand why Saints fans feel robbed. Those critical no-calls changed the game. | https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/01/pass-interference-saints-rams-refs-missed-call-overtime-brees-interception |
Who have been Cardinals DC Vance Joseph's defensive draft picks? | The Arizona Cardinals are moving back to a 3-4 defense under new defensive coordinator Vance Joseph. What is yet to be seen is what type of player Joseph likes in his defenses. We can learn a little bit about what type of defensive players the Cardinals might target in the draft by looking at in the 2019 draft. Lets go through the different positions and players to see the types of traits he goes for. Interior defender In a 3-4, defensive linemen are all interior players. The Broncos selected defensive end DeMarcus Walker in the second round in 2017. He is the only defensive lineman they have drafted in the last two years. Walker is 6-4, 280. He was a fierce pass rusher in college. | https://cardswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/21/az-arizona-cardinals-vance-joseph-players-he-drafted-broncos/ |
Could the Pass Have Been Intercepted on Controversial Rams-Saints Play? | The New Orleans Saints would have been in the position to kick a short game-winning field goal with precious few seconds remaining had the officials seen a blatant pass-interference infraction on Rams Nickell Robey-Coleman. They didnt, and Los Angeles is moving onto the Super Bowl. The play will go down as one of the worst missed calls in NFL history, considering the circumstances. Theres little left to say in that department. But a new, fan-shot video of the play brings up a different topic. Was thinking yesterday that perhaps TV made the blantant non-called pass interference more clear to see. One things for sure: a lot of people would be a lot happier if Robey-Coleman had tried to catch the pass instead of delivering a flagrantly illegal hit. | https://thebiglead.com/2019/01/21/rams-saints-no-penalty-video/ |
What about the iPhone 2.0? | Apple didn't mention it at the iPod launch yesterday, but the next version of the iPhone looks certain to arrive real soon Steve Jobs couldn't have made it clearer had he stuck a spotlight and candles on it (or actually announced it): the new Apple iPhone 2.0 is on its way imminently. And it will offer more storage capacity as well as 3G when it's announced as expected over the next few weeks. At Apple's iPod launch yesterday, while everyone concentrated on the hot new Apple iPod touch, widescreen iPod nano and hugely endowed iPod classic 160GB models, the repositioning of the iPod range and price-cutting on the original iPhone left a clear iPhone 2.0-shaped hole gaping. Apple may have enraged nearly a million iPhone buyers with its surprise price-slashing move - cutting the cost of the 8GB iPhone by a staggering $200 (100) to $399 (200) - but there's an obvious explanation. Apple is preparing the ground for a new, improved model. Some analysts have previously expressed scepticism that Apple would try to undercut the price of its premium-priced iPhone so soon after launch with a low-cost "iPhone nano". They certainly didn't expect a price cut in the iPhone itself, either, just over two months in from the launch. After yesterday's announcements by Jobs, they'll be looking at their forecasts again... Of course, the folk at Apple are savvy enough to understand how to maximise revenue by reducing the price of a model ahead of an upgrade. Cut prices now on the 8GB iPhone and it will fly even faster than it has done out of US stores. Looking at the new iPod touch offers a whole heap of clues. The iPod touch is effectively an iPhone without the mobile phone functionality. It comes in 8GB and 16GB flavours; no room in the range for a 4GB iPod touch - at the same time as the less-popular 4GB iPhone was shunted out the door by Apple. New iPhone Let's take it as read that when the European iPhone launch announcement is made, Apple will try to wow us all over again. Something a bit more spectacular, to match the hype, will be in order. The first element we're all looking for is 3G. Surely that will be there. That would be a curious marketing decision, as a hot-selling lowish-priced Euro iPhone would just cannibalise sales from the iPod touch. The logical conclusion is a new premium-priced iPhone addressing the 3G issues, and adding more storage - 16GB, 32GB or perhaps more. That would enable Apple to offer the iPhone 2.0 with a premium price tag. That would give the iPod touch far more room to sell itself as a top-end music player rather than as simply a cut-down iPhone. Or perhaps, an iPhone nano will be launched at a low price point sooner than anyone expects, as Apple attempts to blow the mid-priced music phone opposition out of the water ... The countdown to the European iPhone launch has already begun with the Mac Expo in Paris on 25 - 29 September the next date in the iPhone-watchers' calendar. Unless Steve Jobs pulls off another surprise before then... | https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/portable-devices/mp3-players/mobile-computing/tablets/computing/apple/what-about-the-iphone-2-0-155922 |
Does marijuana use cause schizophrenia? | Nearly a century after the film Reefer Madness alarmed the nation, some policymakers and doctors are again becoming concerned about the dangers of marijuana, although the reefers are long gone. Experts now distinguish between the new cannabis legal, highly potent, available in tabs, edibles and vapes and the old version, a far milder weed passed around in joints. Levels of THC, the chemical that produces marijuanas high, have been rising for at least three decades, and its now possible in some states to buy vape cartridges containing little but the active ingredient. The concern is focused largely on the link between heavy usage and psychosis in young people. Doctors first suspected a link some 70 years ago, and the evidence has only accumulated since then. In a coming book, Tell Your Children, Alex Berenson, a former New York Times reporter, argues that legalization is putting a generation at higher risk of schizophrenia and other psychotic syndromes. Critics, including leading researchers, have called the argument overblown and unfaithful to the science. Yes, but so can overuse of caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, stimulants and hallucinogens. Psychosis is a symptom: a temporary disorientation that resembles a waking dream, with odd, imagined sights and sounds, often accompanied by paranoia or an ominous sensation. The vast majority of people who have this kind of psychotic experience do not go on to develop schizophrenia, which is characterized by episodes of psychosis that recur for years, as well as cognitive problems and social withdrawal. That is the big question, and so far the evidence is not strong enough to answer one way or the other. Even top scientists who specialize in marijuana research are divided, drawing opposite conclusions from the same data. Ive been doing this research for 25 years, and its polarizing even among academics, said Margaret Haney, a professor of neurobiology at Columbia University Medical Center. The debate centers on the distinction between correlation and causation. People with psychotic problems often use cannabis regularly; this is a solid correlation, backed by numerous studies. But it is unclear which came first, the cannabis habit or the psychoses. Children who later develop schizophrenia often seem to retreat into their own world, stalked periodically by bizarre fears and fantasies well outside the range of usual childhood imagination, and well before they are exposed to cannabis. Those who go on to become regular marijuana users often use other substances as well, including alcohol and cigarettes, making it more difficult for researchers to untangle causation. Consider cigarettes, the least mind-altering of these substances. In a 2015 study, a team led by Dr. Kenneth S. Kendler of Virginia Commonwealth University analyzed medical data on nearly 2 million people in Sweden. The data followed the individuals over time, from young adulthood, when most schizophrenia diagnoses occur, to middle age. Smoking was a predictor for later development of the disorder, and in what doctors call a dose-response relationship: The more a person smoked, the higher the risk. Yet nicotine attracts nowhere near the concern that cannabis does, in part because the two drugs are so different in their everyday effects: mildly stimulated versus stoned. Indeed, some scientists have studied nicotine as a partial treatment for schizophrenia, to blunt the disorders effects on thinking and memory. Yes. Brain scientists know very little about the underlying biology of psychotic conditions, other than that hundreds of common gene variants are most likely involved. Schizophrenia, for instance, is not a uniform disorder but an umbrella term for an array of unexplained problems involving recurrent psychosis and other common symptoms. Even so, there is circumstantial evidence for a biological mechanism. Psychotic disorders tend to emerge in late adolescence or early adulthood, during or after a period of rapid brain development. In the teenage years, the brain strips away unneeded or redundant connections between brain cells, in a process called synaptic pruning. This editing is concentrated in the prefrontal cortex, the region behind the forehead where thinking and planning occur and the region that is perturbed in psychotic conditions. The region is rich with CB1 receptors, which are involved in the pruning, and are engaged by cannabis use. And alterations to the pruning process may well increase schizophrenia risk, according to recent research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. In a 2016 analysis, scientists there found that people with the disorder often have a gene variant that appears to accelerate the pruning process. Experts may debate whether cannabis use can lead to psychotic disorders, but they mostly agree on how to minimize ones risk. Psychotic conditions tend to run in families, which suggests there is an inherited genetic vulnerability. Indeed, according to some studies, people prone to or at heightened risk of psychosis seem to experience the effects of cannabis differently than peers without such a history. The users experience a more vivid high, but they also are more likely to experience psychosislike effects such as paranoia. The evidence so far indicates that ones familial risk for psychotic disorders outweighs any added effect of cannabis use. In a 2014 study, a team led by Ashley C. Proal and Dr. Lynn E. DeLisi of Harvard Medical School recruited cannabis users with and without a family history of schizophrenia, as well as nonusers with and without such a history. The researchers made sure the cannabis users did not use other drugs in addition, a factor that muddied earlier studies. The result: There was a heightened schizophrenia risk among people with a family history, regardless of cannabis use. My study clearly shows that cannabis does not cause schizophrenia by itself, DeLisi said. Rather, a genetic predisposition is necessary. It is highly likely, based on the results of this study and others, that cannabis use during adolescence through to age 25, when the brain is maturing and at its peak of growth in a genetically vulnerable individual, can initiate the onset of schizophrenia. Because marijuana has been illegal for so long, research that could settle the question has been sorely lacking, although that has begun to change. The National Institutes of Health have begun a $300 million project that will track thousands of children from the age of 9 or 10 through adolescence, and might help clarify causation. For the near future, expert opinions will most likely be mixed. Usually it is the research types who are doing the sky is falling bit, but here it is switched, said Dr. Jay Geidd, a professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. The researchers are wary of overselling the dangers, as was clearly done in the past. However, clinicians overwhelmingly endorse seeing many more adolescents with paranoia of some kind. In short: Regularly using the new, high-potency cannabis may indeed be a risk for young people who are related to someone with a psychotic condition. On that warning, at least, most experts seem to agree. | https://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/does-marijuana-use-cause-schizophrenia/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_nation-world |
Whats The Outlook Like For Transocean In 2019? | The last few years have proved challenging for offshore drilling major Transocean, which saw its day rates and contracting activity post significant declines. While things are likely to look up for the company over 2019, driven by a large number of planned offshore projects, the recent decline in oil prices and a continued oversupply of deepwater rigs could still prove a challenge. In this note, we take a brief look at what lies ahead for Transocean and the broader deepwater market in 2019. We have also created an interactive dashboard analysis on the expected outlook for Transocean, which you can use to arrive at your own revenue and EPS estimates for Transocean Offshore Activity Is Expected To Pick Up This Year Big oil companies are likely to approve about 110 offshore projects this year, up from 96 projects in 2018 and 43 projects in 2016, according to Rystad Energy. While this is likely to increase demand for drilling rigs and drillships over the year, the market is still meaningfully oversupplied, with Wood Mackenzie analysts estimating that about 30% of deepwater rigs could remain idled this year. That said, Transocean should be well-poised to take advantage of the growing activity, as it has been upgrading its fleet, by scrapping older, less sophisticated rigs while taking advantage of the depressed market to acquire newer rigs. In September 2018, the company announced an agreement to acquire Ocean Rig in a cash-and-stock deal valued at about $2.7 billion. Ocean Rig has a fleet of 11 high-spec ultra-deepwater drillships (two of which are currently under construction) and two harsh environment semi-submersibles, which are currently much sought-after. Ocean Rigs modern fleet, and its presence in important offshore markets including Brazil, West Africa, and Norway, could allow Transocean to better take advantage of an upturn in the market. Transoceans Dayrates And Utilization Could Improve While Transoceans day rates have taken a beating in recent years (Q3 ultra-deepwater rates declined to $341k from $449k in the year-ago period) the company noted that rates for ultra-deepwater drillships were likely to increase through 2019 and 2020. Contracting activity has also been picking up. In December, the company contracted a newbuild drillship to Chevron for five years in the Gulf of Mexico starting in the second half of 2021, adding a contract backlog of about $830 million. Crude oil prices have declined by close to 40% over Q4 2018, driven by stronger supply and concerns of an economic downturn. However, its possible that prices could recover in the medium term amid potential production cuts by OPEC, Russia and several other producers early this year as well as weaker-than-expected production from existing shale wells in the United States. Moreover, as offshore and deepwater projects have long lifecycles, operators could push forward with investments to bolster their capacity over the long run after multiple years of subdued investments. Source: Trefis | https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/whats-the-outlook-like-for-transocean-in-2019/ |
Will The Giants Target A Quarterback In April? | New York became a non-factor in the NFL fairly early on this year, with neither the Jets nor the Giants (nor the Bills for that matter) managing to make serious runs at the playoffs. The difference between the teams, however, is that two have recently secured new quarterbacks and one has not. For the Bills, rookie Josh Allen was something of an unexpected revelation; for the Jets, rookie Sam Darnold took his knocks but looked like a potential star in the making and, as some believe, is lined up to succeed under new head coach Adam Gase. Both the Bills and Jets have legitimate reasons to be excited for the future. The Giants, on the other hand, seem to be a little bit more directionless, and it stems from the quarterback position. Ask any Giants fan in your life and youre likely to get the same answer: its time to move on from Eli Manning. The two-time Super Bowl winner is a lifetime hero for the organization, but is well past his prime, and now a below average quarterback, if not one of the worst in the league. Worse still is that this decline coincides with the prime of Odell Beckham Jr. and the rise of talented tight-end Evan Engram, who along with solid number two wideout Sterling Shepard ought to comprise one of the deadliest receiving corps in the NFL. The feeling, increasingly, is that in hanging onto Manning, the Giants are squandering this would-be advantage. The only real counterargument is that drafting a new quarterback now may not maximize this receiving corps anyway. While weve witnessed rookie and second year quarterbacks achieving great success of late, this isnt the typical way of things. This is noted even in NFL betting guides, with one specifically noting that a team starting a rookie quarterback is typically harder to predict, and that many would sell low on said teams chances. The average rookie quarterback, we can say, wouldnt necessarily be better at running the Giants offense than Manning is right now. It would take time, as is the natural way of things. The most natural solution, which would help the Giants move on from Manning without relying on a rookie, would be to trade for Nick Foles an idea thats catching on with the Giants already. Whether or not this happens though, its starting to seem likely that the Giants could draft a quarterback in the April draft. If they also trade for Foles, this new QB would have a chance to develop behind a capable veteran; if not, the new QB would compete with Manning for the starting job. Whatever the case, here are some of the relevant names to keep in mind. Dwayne Haskins (Ohio State) Dwayne Haskins is not a perfect QB prospect at the top of the incoming class, but hes one with significant upside. He has good size for the position as a pro, and just threw for 50 touchdowns and nearly 5,000 yards in 2018. Some believed Haskins should return to Ohio State to refine some of his inconsistency issues. However when Oregons Justin Herbert surprisingly announced a return to school, Haskins emerged as the clear top quarterback and chose to leave school early. Hell likely be the top QB off the board, and could be on New Yorks radar. Daniel Jones (Duke) Daniel Jones is an interesting prospect in that his talent is greater than his stats. He missed a few games with an injury in 2018 and had a sub-par receiving corps as well. Nevertheless, Jones flashes legitimate NFL ability. Hes a good, strong pocket passer and a surprisingly good runner at 65. Hes most interesting for this conversation though because his head coach at Duke was David Cutcliffe the same man who mentored both Manning brothers. Drew Lock (Missouri) Lock is the pure talent option among the quarterbacks listed here, and the last QB in the draft with real potential to be a first round pick. Hes quick on his feet and has a very strong arm, though he also has a curious reputation for a QB as being somewhat quiet, if not standoffish. Whether this will deter a team looking for an offensive leader remains to be seen, but hes sure to at least be on the Giants radar. These are by most accounts the top three prospects at the position, meaning theyre the ones the Giants are likely to focus on. However, if New York opts to wait until a round or two deeper in the draft to take a flyer on a more boom-or-bust prospect, we may also be hearing the names Clayton Thorson (Northwestern), Jarrett Stidham (Auburn), Will Grier (West Virginia), and Ryan Finley (NC State). | https://www.rocklandtimes.com/2019/01/21/will-the-giants-target-a-quarterback-in-april/ |
Are all the new ski gadgets changing the nature of the sport? | Alpine skiers look out at the French Alps from the Brevent summit on Feb, 23, 2018 near Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France. - Sean Gallup/Getty Images Listen To The Story Marketplace Embed Code <iframe src="https://www.marketplace.org/2019/01/21/business/are-all-new-ski-gadgets-changing-nature-sport/popout" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="240px"></iframe> Today, companies are using technology to make skiing down a cold mountain faster, more fun and more comfortable. Thats changing what used to be a pretty basic sport. There are now carbon fiber skis, USB-rechargeable heated jackets, and wearable apps that tell a person how well they are skiing. This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUER in Salt Lake City and KRCC and KUNC in Colorado. | https://www.marketplace.org/2019/01/21/business/are-all-new-ski-gadgets-changing-nature-sport |
Is Hockey Living Dr. Kings Dream? | On Monday, Jan 21, much of the United States will enjoy a holiday Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Many will celebrate the legacy of the slain civil rights leader in parades. Some will attend services commemorating Dr. King and his work. Sports has been an arena in which there have been many strides made in seeing Dr. Kings speech come to life in America. Most adults have heard of the racial oppression that baseball great Jackie Robinson endured when he broke the color barrier in Major League Baseball on April 15, 1947. The NHL provides this glimpse of who broke the leagues color barrier and when: On January 18, 1958, playing for the Boston Bruins against the Montreal Canadiens, Willie ORee became the first black person to play in the NHLan extraordinary event that paved the way for future players of diverse ethnic and economic backgrounds. Rookie Willie O'Ree, the 1st black player in NHL history scored his 1st career goal (a GWG) as Boston beat Montreal 3-2. 01.01.61 #StickTap pic.twitter.com/HMXyJ7iDMx Hockey Fight History (@HistoryOfFights) January 1, 2017 ORee was the first, and often being the first carries with it the burden of feeling the vitriol of those who are resistant to change. Paving the way has not been easy for any black athlete, but ORee walked through a door that has since widened for many to come and participate in a game that they love. Dustin Nelson of The Hockey Writers wrote an excellent piece in Jan. 2017 which tackled the question of whether or not ORee should be in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Nelson noted, He was the first black player in the NHL. That alone is a significant accomplishment. The cards were stacked against him and he made it. He not only made it, but he stood up to constant racial slurs and people trying to keep him from accomplishing what seemed impossible at the time. Again, being first is not always easy. Hockey Color Barrier Broken Since ORees courageous move into the NHL, there have been many other black players to grace the NHL ice. Actually, the list is quite extensive. Currently, names like P.K. Subban of the Nashville Predators and Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers quickly come to mind, but through the years, the league has actually had numerous persons of color. Colorofhockey.com lists numerous black hockey players, some familiar and some not so much. It also notes, Every NHL team has had at least two black or biracial players on their rosters. The Buffalo Sabres, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Rangers have had 12 black players don their jerseys. While the list is numerous, the impression is that there still seems to be a lack of diversity in the NHL. Many are familiar with Kyle Okposo of the New York Islanders, Evander Kane of the San Jose Sharks and Ryan Reaves of the Vegas Golden Knights, but Color of Hockey wonders how many fans know that the 2010-11 Atlanta Thrashers (now Winnipeg Jets) at one time had 25 percent of its roster comprised of black players. Broken, But Not Obviously Hockeys color barrier has been broken, but in such a way that its not really obvious. As recently as five years ago, questions were asked about the lack of black players in hockey. Kevin Weekes had an 11-year career as a goaltender in the NHL. In Feb. 2014, he shared with Black Enterprise his thoughts on why there are not more black players in hockey: There are a lot of different factorsSome of it is socio-economic, some of it is geographic, some of it is cultural. There are tons of different factors. But when all is said and done, a lot of it comes from within. Sometimes we limit ourselves by saying I look at myself on TV and I dont see anyone that looks like me so I dont want to do that. Weekes drives home the point that the color barrier may be broken but it doesnt seem like it because often there are not many black players on the ice at one time. A casual fan may tune into a random game and see Subban or Simmonds but nobody else of color. Weekes was a goaltender for the Carolina Hurricanes for three seasons and had a large presence in the community. But naming another Hurricanes player of color is not an easy task. Anthony Stewart and Derek Joslin are the only recent black Hurricanes players, and they were on the team in 2011-12. Hockeys Color Barrier Still a Thing for Some Fans Divyne Apollon II is a 13-year old youth hockey player for the Metro Ample Leafs in Odenton, Md. He recently made the news and not in a good way. FOX5DC wrote that Apollon II recently received racist taunts at a youth hockey tournament. An opposing team from Pennsylvania made monkey noises, used the N-word and suggested he play basketball instead of hockey. Hockeys response at the NHL level was almost immediate. Also according to FOX5DC, Washington Capitals players Devante Smith-Pelly and John Carlson heard about the incident and invited Apollon and the team to a game against the St. Louis Blues. They met the players in the locker room after the game. Subban also responded by sending a video message of encouragement to Apollon II. WAND reported that in 2018, Smith-Pelly faced his own racist attack as four fans of the Blackhawks were ejected from a game after shouting Basketball, basketball, basketball at him during a game with the Capitals. NHL Commissioner stood behind the Blackhawks decision to eject the fans saying, No one should ever have to endure such abuse at one of our games. The color barrier in hockey and the NHL has been broken. However, there is still a long way to go in seeing more black players at the sports highest level. As Weekes pointed out, young black athletes dont often see players that look like them on TV when hockey is on. The same thing can be said for sports like NASCAR and the PGA Tour. Sure Tiger Woods made golf relevant in black communities, but golf, like hockey, has relatively few black players who are visible on a regular basis. Most fans are respectful of all players, but there are some who are not. This is not likely to change. But, as the NHL grows, perhaps Dr. Kings dream of folks being judged by their play on the ice and not the color of their skin will be realized. | https://thehockeywriters.com/hockey-living-dr-kings-dream/ |
Are Brad Pitt and Charlize Theron Dating? | An unlikely pair! The Sun reported on Sunday, January 20, that the War Machine actor, 55, and Gringo actress, 43, have been casually seeing each other since December 2018. A source exclusively tells Us Weekly, however, that the rumors are not valid: There is nothing to it and its not true. A second source tells Us, Brad and Charlize have spent time together through the Breitling SA brand and have worked with that brand together, but there is nothing going on beyond that. The initial report alleged that Pitt and Theron met through her ex-fianc, Sean Penn, from whom she split in June 2015. However, the second source tells Us, Sean Penn definitely did not introduce them. Charlize has no relationship with Sean. The South Africa native started dating Penn, 58, in December 2013. A year later, Us Weekly exclusively broke the news that the pair decided to take their relationship to the next level and secretly got engaged during a trip to Paris. Theres no ring, but they are committed, the insider told Us at the time. Nearly a year and a half later, multiple sources confirmed that Penn and the Tully actress called off their engagement. Theron is now raising her two children son Jackson, 6, and daughter August, 3 as a single mom with the help of her mother, Gerda Maritz. Sometimes I lose my mind, especially in a car, like when were on a road trip or something, the Atomic Blonde star told Us of her mom in April 2018. Shell look at me and laugh. Then shell say, Its just a moment. Its going to pass. Pitt, meanwhile, was married to Angelina Jolie for two years before they announced their separation in December 2016. The estranged pairs divorce has not yet been finalized, however, as they continue to battle over custody of their six children: Maddox, 17, Pax, 15, Zahara, 14, Shiloh, 12, and twins Knox and Vivienne, 10. With reporting by Brody Brown Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter to get breaking celebrity news, hot pics and more delivered straight to your inbox! Download the Us Weekly iPhone app now! | https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/are-brad-pitt-and-charlize-theron-dating-get-the-details/ |
Has Hayley Slater left EastEnders after admitting herself to hospital? | A fragile Hayley Slater (Katie Jarvis) has sought medical help after admitting to doctors on tonights EastEnders that shed been experiencing suicidal thoughts. Advertisement The overwrought new mum was seen opting to remain under the care of doctors as she made the decision to leave her daughter Cherry in the care of the rest of the Slaters. Events came to a head in the wake of last weeks drama, which saw Hayley deliberately step out into the path of a van the latest attempt shed made on her own life after being talked down from the ledge of a high-rise tower block back in October last year. Mondays episode saw Hayley temporarily discharge herself from Albert Square and return back to the Slaters. But after getting into trouble while assembling a baby gym for Cherry, Hayley was witnessed by Kat attempting to self harm with a screwdriver. After a heart to heart during which Kat said that she was now in need of some tough love, Hayley accepted that she needed professional help and headed back to hospital. An emotional cliffhanger then found Hayley waving goodbye to her nearest and dearest as she readied herself for psychiatric treatment. RadioTimes.com understands that this isnt the last weve seen of the character, though, with Hayley set to feature again on EastEnders in the weeks ahead. Advertisement Visit our dedicated EastEnders page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/2019-01-21/has-hayley-slater-left-eastenders-after-admitting-herself-to-hospital/ |
How Should Clinicians Discuss Prognosis With Patients? | This article originally appeared here. Share this content: linkedin google Email Print Talking to sick patients about their future health prospects is a challenge. Talking to sick patients about their future health prospects is a challenge. It is impossible for anyone to know exactly the course an illness will take. Physicians have trouble quantifying short-term prognostic estimates. For common diseases like congestive heart failure, physicians can miss the mark by 2 or more years. A new article published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests a way to communicate prognosis properly with patients. What clinicians most need is not precision about the time ahead or the fortitude to discuss it, wrote Joshua R. Lakin, MD, of the Department of Psychosocial Oncology and Palliative Care at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts, but rather, a softened approach. That softened approach includes using I statements to express feelings about the situation. An example is, I am hoping that you have a long time to live with your heart disease and I am also worried that the time may be short, as short as 5 years. I statements allow doctors to speak about the future while removing the focus on accuracy of what will happen. This lets the physician be part of the discussion with the patient rather than acting as an all-knowing figure. To guide patients through a serious illness, we must recognize our own limitations about knowing the future, wrote Dr Lakin, And join patients in a more humble position of hoping and worrying together. Reference Lakin JR, Jacobsen J. Softening our approach to discussing prognosis. JAMA Intern Med. 2019;179(1):5-6 | https://www.clinicaladvisor.com/practice-management-information-center/discussing-patient-prognosis/article/827963/ |
Is Google Android coming to Eee PCs? | The recent announcement of new members to the Open Handset Alliance, those getting behind Google's Android platform, threw up some interesting names... not least manufacturers of netbooks. There have been rumours of Android's Linux-based interface being converted to sub 10-inch screens for some time now, and Asus and Toshiba's presence hints at such. The fact that most netbooks run on Linux already would be a significant plus too, as Google's Android OS is based on the same system. Easy porting Although Asus is also a noted manufacturer of handsets - both under its own name and for other brands - the rumours of a touchscreen Eee PC also mean that the Android OS could be fairly easily ported to the netbook model. And the advent of 3G cards being embedded into the devices means the gap between high-powered smartphones and netbooks is coming down all the time as well. Although it's unlikely to happen in the next year, Android's conversion to the netbook model would be a significant win for Google, which is rumoured to be looking at the PC OS space already. | https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/mobile-phones/phone-and-communications/laptops/mobile-computing/is-google-android-coming-to-eee-pcs-492736 |
Is Trump an Obama leftover? | When Donald Trump replaced Barack Obama as U.S. president in January 2017, many pundits jumped to the conclusion that the liberal hegemony strategy that the United States has been following since the early Cold War years would soon give way to transactional isolationism embodied in the new president's "America First" calling. Henceforth, Washington would spend less efforts abroad in the name of strengthening liberal international order, pull back the bulk of American troops deployed in distant places, adopt a more transactional approach toward allies and foes alike, build physical walls to stem immigration flows, take up mercantilist protectionist measures to satisfy the losers of the economic globalization process, focus its attention on containing China's rise and build cooperative relations with the strongmen of the non-Western world in search for a concert of great powers to ensure global peace and stability. Rather than seeing Obama's presidency as a smooth transition from the liberal internationalism strategy of the postwar era to Trump's nativist "America Firstism," many saw clear ruptures between the two presidents. Indeed, Trump's approach to global politics has differed from his predecessor in terms of his skepticism toward multilateral platforms, such as NATO and the World Trade Organization (WTO), as well as his misgiving about the possibility of transcending nation-states in search for a global community of human beings. In Trump's view, the possibility of a global community of humanity has soon proved to be a non-starter. Trump's loath against nation-building initiatives and democracy promotion attempts seems to have put the new president at quite a distance from all previous presidents since Henry Truman, the architect of the U.S.-led liberal international order. Previously, all American presidents were globalist in different shades, yet Trump appears to have been a textbook example of a nativist nationalist. The latest talk by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in Cairo in early January of this year seems to have vindicated Trump's world view starkly, no need to mention the speech that Trump delivered himself at the podium of the United Nations General Assembly. Compared to the talk former President Obama delivered in Cairo in early 2009 and other important speeches that former American statesmen have given in the recent past, Trump's secretary of state seems to have put the idea of universal human rights and liberal democracy at the backburner in American foreign policy thinking. He has opted for an extremely utilitarian and instrumental attitude toward the countries in the Middle East. The first half of his presidency has undoubtedly demonstrated that the foreign policy goal of the Trump administration was to undo Obama's legacy, in particular concerning Obama's efforts to help improve relations with European allies and midwife a new regional security order in the Middle East through the formation of a regional balance of powers. His aversion to the use of force and proclivity to share responsibility with other global actors put Obama at the opposite of neoconservatives. Yet, Obama was a liberal internationalist at soul. He was an ardent supporter of a rules-based global order in which the United States would share responsibility for global security with traditional allies and erstwhile rivals. His hope was that pax-Americana would still survive in a post-American world if new comers in global politics were convinced to play by the rules of liberal internationalism. Obama pushed for the signature of the nuclear agreement with Iran with a view of encouraging Tehran to play a more responsible role in regional politics. He also pushed Israel to act more responsibly and find an acceptable solution to the decades-old Palestinian problem. Obama's other goal was to put more pressure on Sunni regimes in the Gulf region to find immediate solutions to their internal problems if they wanted to regain their tarnished legitimacy in the eyes of their people and to contain Iran's rising influence in the post-Arab Spring Middle East. On the other hand, Trump put Iran in the same category of Russia and China in terms of their efforts to challenge American primacy across the world. He pulled his country out from the nuclear agreement and has given a blank-check to the Netanyahu government. His efforts to curry favor with the evangelist community back home are a good indication of how Trump uses foreign policy for domestic political concerns. His bold actions to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and charge his son-in-law Jared Kushner with the task of finding a solution to the Palestinian dispute outside the time-tested two-state framework are clear repudiations of previous American policies in the Middle East. Trump's efforts to court the young and restless crown prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman, in the name of securing American economic and military interests constitute another example of his antipathy toward Obama's Middle Eastern policies. Unlike Obama who saw the possibility of long-lasting peace in the region to be stemming from the establishment of a regional balance between Sunni and Shiite blocks, Trump seems to have thrown its lot with the Sunni regimes. Establishing the Middle East Strategic Alliance, consisting of six Gulf kingdoms alongside Jordan and Egypt, would arguably help contain Iran and offer further legitimacy to American military sales to the region. Even though both presidents adopted different worldviews and toolkits, I hold the view that Trump seems to pick up where Obama left off. Trump's decision to withdraw American troops from Syria is no different from Obama's determination to decrease American military presence in the region in the name of outsourcing security responsibilities to regional countries in line with the offshore-balancing strategy. Obama paid more attention to the security establishment and agreed to troop-increases in Afghanistan and Iraq. Yet, he gradually curtailed the number of American soldiers there. Trump also heeded the "adults in the room" and acquiesced to the prolongation of American missions in Afghanistan and Syria. Yet, unlike Obama, Trump is an outsider and he challenged the established foreign policy mentality out of conviction. Obama was more circumspect whereas Trump is more outspoken. Obama's timid approach in Syria seems to have emboldened Russia and Iran in their efforts to shape Syria's future to their liking by giving all kinds of aid to the war-torn Assad regime. Trump's Twitter-post that the U.S. won the war against the notorious Daesh and the time to leave Syria had finally arrived will likely produce similar geopolitical consequences. With an absent American military presence in Syria, the Assad regime will get much stronger and Russia, Iran and Turkey will find it much easier to mold Syria's political future in their interests. The limited fate of U.S. presence in the Mideast It is for sure that Trump does not share Obama's prudent optimism, yet both presidents believe that the days of American military hegemony in the Middle East are numbered, if not completely over. A new world has been in the making for some time and security in critical regions can no longer be provided solely by the United States. Whereas Obama invested a lot in the idea that erstwhile enemies should be won for long-lasting security and stability to take root in critical regions, Trump is more supportive of the idea that either the United States should bolster traditional allies in East Asia and the Middle East to help contain regional villains or come back home and leave those regions to their destiny. Compared to Trump's instinctual and unpredictable foreign policy approach, Obama's strategic patience would have certainly yielded more positive results in global politics. Though one cannot see Obama's sophisticated and prudent approach in Trump, it is beyond any doubt that many of Trump's foreign policy actions in key geopolitical regions, in particular the Middle East, are in line with the neo-isolationist mood in the United States. Obama had once defined himself as the first American president of the post-American liberal international world. Trump seems to define himself as the first American president of the "America First" United States. The transition has proved to be so instant that many fail to see the lines of continuities between the two presidents. * Professor at the Department of Political Science and International Relations and Director of the Center for Social, Economic and Political Research (SEPAM) at Antalya Bilim University | https://www.dailysabah.com/op-ed/2019/01/22/is-trump-an-obama-leftover |
Who will Democrats run for the open seat in the 20th House District? | Twitter Facebook Google+ WhatsApp LinkedIn Pinterest Email Ive been selling the 20th House District seat as a possible Democratic pickup in November, and honestly, I was doing that before Dickie Bell, the Republican incumbent, announced last month that he will not seek re-election this year. It would seem to be the time for somebody on the D side to take the ball and run with it, but, that aint happening right now. Id heard from a local media friend who would know that the talk was that Waynesboro Mayor Terry Short was thinking about making a run at the Democratic nomination, which, that would have been ideal. As Ive detailed, the district, which stretches from Highland County in the west to Nelson County, on the other side of the Blue Ridge, is basically Staunton, which is 60 percent Dem, and Waynesboro, which is now roughly 50-50 D/R. The two cities are close to 60 percent of the district. The rest is split between Nelson, which leans D about 55-45, and Augusta and Highland, which are 70 percent-plus R. Give me the mayor of one of the cities, and especially the mayor of the 50-50 city of the two, as the Democratic candidate, and Ill give you a D pickup. Except that: not happening. I reached out to Short, a friend and neighbor, to try to confirm what Id been told, and he told me, in essence: no dice. Michele Edwards was the 2017 nominee, and she ran well that November against Bell, getting 42.6 percent of the vote, falling short in her upset bid by 3,147 votes. That was, by far, the best showing by a Bell challenger, even better than Erik Curren, now a member of the Staunton City Council, did head-to-head in 2009, when Bell and Curren were both challenging for what was an open seat that fall. A challenger hadnt gotten more than 28.7 percent in any of Bells previous four election contests. As of right now, Edwards doesnt appear to be ramping up toward a November 2019 campaign. She does maintain a campaign Facebook page, but the link from that page to her campaign website from 2017 is dead. The Facebook page does feature as the top post a reference to Bells announcement that he will not seek re-election. Supporters commenting on the post are imploring her to make a second run at the seat, but she hasnt addressed her thoughts on the matter to date on the thread or elsewhere on the Facebook page. And thats what I know. Which, as you can see, amounts to nothing. Column by Chris Graham Related News From Around the Web Shop Google | https://augustafreepress.com/who-will-democrats-run-for-the-open-seat-in-the-20th-house-district/ |
Can Isaiah Thomas Regain his Magic in the NBA? | During the 2016-2017 NBA season, Thomas was one of the biggest stories as a undersized guard was putting up huge numbers for the Boston Celtics. All that though came to an abrupt end with a hip injury and changed his career forever. Thomas was primed for a mega deal in free agency the following offseason but after the Celtics decided to trade him to the Cavs for Kyrie Irving and yet more injuries, he was traded once again to the Los Angeles Lakers. This offseason he had to go through more surgery while landing with the Denver Nuggets. Plus there was the money thing... He is on a small one year deal right now and with the unfortunate hip injury, it cost him tens of millions of dollars that he will never get back. My hope is that he will get enough minutes to showcase the once elite skill set that made him a household name. He was a bright spot in the NBA and I hope that bright spot returns. | http://ksoo.com/can-isaiah-thomas-regain-his-magic-in-the-nba/ |
Why aren't other NFL announcers as good as Tony Romo? | As thrilling as the Patriots 37-31 overtime win over the Chiefs in the AFC Championship game was, one of the most remarkable stories from that game wasnt happening on the fieldit was going on in CBSs booth. Color man Tony Romo, the ex-Cowboys quarterback now nearing the end of his second season with the network, was pre-calling offensive plays run by both teams to a truly uncanny degree. Heres a montage of Tony Romo correctly calling plays before they happen. Hes amazing. And yes, hell be in the booth for the Super Bowl. pic.twitter.com/KaSZKqMrUp NFL Update (@MySportsUpdate) January 21, 2019 Run or pass, especially when the Patriots had the ball, Romo brought the viewer right into the huddle and the playbook in ways no other NFL announcer has been able to doand he did it in real time. As he would as a quarterback, Romo used pre-snap indicators on both sides of the ball to predict what would happen. And this wasnt basic stuff, like hypothesizing that an offense would audible from a run to a pass based on a stacked defensive boxRomo was able to intuit that a run play would be a draw, or that a certain receiver would be targeted on a specific route. Romos been doing it all year in the booth as the wingman for Jim Nantz, CBSs No. 1 play-by-play man, but as the best quarterbacks do, he amplified his performance in the postseason, when it mattered most. Romo has received effusive praise for his work, and thats entirely justified because he brings a compelling enthusiasm to what he does. Part of it is the clear desire to improve. Former Giants quarterback and Super Bowl XXI Most Valuable Player Phil Simms was Romos predecessor alongside Nantz in the booth, and if you ever talked with Simms one-on-one, you could tell that he had a lot of football knowledge. But it didnt often show up when the telecasts startedSimms never seemed comfortable with the pace of the game, and when he did try to predict plays, something entirely else would come from it. Perhaps Simms prepared as much as Romo does, but it didnt show. As far as the broadcasting aspect of it, I think at the core it is nothing more than my ability to get you the viewer to care about this play, this game, and why is this important, Romo recently told Richard Deitsch of The Athletic. You are trying to get people to care about things. Former players can bring tremendous insight and get people to care about things, or they can drift on their gridiron accomplishments and fail to bring anything special to the table. What Howard Cosell used to call the Jockocracy, the automatic assumption that one needs a career in the NFL as a prerequisite to calling a football game at the next level, is often a mistake. His nephew Greg Cosell, the Executive Producer for ESPNs NFL Matchup show, never played the game at any level, and youd be hard-pressed to come up with a civilian who knows more about the game than he does. Cris Collinsworth, who works with legendary multi-sport broadcaster Al Michaels for NBCs NFL telecasts, is a principal owner of Pro Football Focus, the data-mining and analysis company that has taken the analytical community by storm over the last few years. Because of his direct involvement, Collinsworth is able to bring all kinds of proprietary information to NBCs telecastsquarterback hits and hurries instead of just sacks, cornerback passer ratings allowed as opposed to just interceptions, and broken tackles instead of just yards gained. That adds a lot to the work, and when you combine that with the acumen Collinsworth gained and has since developed as a former NFL receiver, you get a cant-miss broadcast product that entertains as well as it informs. But what Romo did in the AFC Championship game, and the positive furor it created on social media, should be a wake-up call to every network looking to enhance the games it spends billions of dollars to acquire and run. Jason Witten, Romos former Cowboys teammate, has not received positive reviews for his first season in ESPNs Monday Night Football booth, because he struggles with the basics of the game beyond his own purview. Witten can analyze the heck out of a tight end performance, but youd expect that. Romo and Collinsworth, and the rare announcers at their level are able to speak clearly and articulately about any part of the game because theyve put in the same amount of work as announcers as they did when they were players. On the field, the NFL is the ultimate meritocracy. You can either play or you cant, and the truth of that becomes apparent very quickly. Romos instant and galvanizing success, drawn as it is by the simplicity of excellence, should be a lesson to everyone trying to extend their football careers beyond the fieldthe preparation never changes. The role is simply different. And in 13 days, Romo has the chance to do something he never did as a playerput forth a dominant performance in a Super Bowl. | https://touchdownwire.usatoday.com/2019/01/21/why-arent-other-announcers-as-good-as-tony-romo/ |
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Why Aren't I Getting Any Tinder Matches? | There should be a real woman out there who will talk to me Dear Kadeejah, Ive never felt so undesirable in my life. Im a 30-year-old guy, Ive got a great job earning a very good income, I own my own home, and Im very independent. Now, Im not 6 feet 14 inches tall with a chiseled jaw and a smile that could sell toothpaste, but Im not a troll. Id like to meet someone but I dont get any real matches. I even decided to pay money to use Tinder and still nothing. Its been months. When I do finally get a match, I say hello or comment about something in their profile, and I get one or two very short responses before they ghost. I hear other people talk about their great success with Tinder and how they met all these women. I cant believe their stories based on my experience. I live in a smaller city in Florida. There should be a real woman out there who will talk to me, but no. I even started Liking every single profile, every one. Nothing. Thanks for listening I guess, Overlooked In Florida Hey there! I totally understand your frustration, but I must implore you to buck up, boo. There are a variety of factors to consider, but lets shelve the idea that no woman wants to talk to you. Thats just simply not true. I spent a year in Portland, Oregon flipping through profiles to no avail, and never got a match or a message. And lets face it Im a catch. As are you. Fast-forward to a change of location, and the matches are endless. If you take no other advice from me, please embed this into your memory: Do not take it personally. Heres why: Online dating is a quick way to give potential suitors a glimpse of who you are. Think of it as having a personal recruiter for your love life. Much like writing a cover letter, online dating does take some skill, and for most of us it takes effort. You get a brief glance at a users photos and a brief bio that means you need to put your best foot forward, and highlight what makes you unique. This is true for any dating platform. Here are some tips for how to do that on Tinder: Put work into your bio. Short and sweet is fine, but a little personality goes a long way. This is not the time to be super weird state your purpose in life, and on the app, toss in some humor, and youve nailed it. Give plenty of pic options: If you only have selfies, choose ones that dont look super artificial. Ditch the bathroom selfies, shirtless selfies, and any funny faces that youre making. Until someone sees you in person, they arent going to appreciate the cool ways you can contort your face. Turn on smart photos, and Tinder will put the pic that gets the most love as your profile shot. And as I mentioned, location is errr-thang! You live in a smaller city, and smaller cities can have smaller pickings for obvious reasons. A Super Like and a Boost can only take you so far: Use Passport to see whos out there in bigger cities, and youll be more likely to find users who know a good thing when they see it. Plus, youll have the Likes You grid, which will allow you to save time (and lets face it, blows to your self-esteem) by only Liking people who have already liked you. OK, we both know I am invested in Tinder. They pay my bills. And since I happen to know a guy Im going to hook you up with Tinder Gold. Because I have a heart of gold. PS: No one is six feet 14 inches. *Letter from the querier has been edited slightly for content and clarity. | https://swipelife.tinder.com/post/tinder-matches |
Will Chrisette Michele Ever Bounce Back After Career Derailment? | In 2016, Chrisette Michele ignored the public outcry from the black community and most of U.S. by performing at the inauguration of President Donald Trump, which she believed would be an opportunity to be a bridge in a fractured nation. Now, over two years later, the $75,000 gig (many thought it was $250k), which would have been a prestigious honor for any other President, continues to haunt her career. People didnt feel hopeful from that moment, Michele said of the performance alongside Travis Greene. They didnt feel represented in that moment. They felt misrepresented. They felt further misunderstood, and they felt the person they were depending on to speak on their behalf just betrayed them. The latest evidence of a career slump comes from a recent performance at the Keswick Theatre in Philadelphia in December (2018), a venue she pretty much sold out all 1,500 seats in the past. According to the Washington Post, not many concertgoers showed up for Chrisette this time around, except for some die-hard fans. In the past two years, since taking the 5-minute performance for Trump, Chrisette said she contemplated suicide, battled with alcohol and prescription drugs, had a miscarriage, and was dropped from her record label Caroline/Capitol Records, and radio stations stopped playing her songs. Additionally, legendary film director Spike Lee dropped her song, Black Girl Magic, from his Netflix production. While I felt like people took so much away from me in those two years, Im more grateful for finally having time to look at the last 12 years, said Michele, referring to when she released her debut I Am album. And I think that is the bright side. . . . I want people to know that its okay to expect more from me. Questlove, The Roots drummer and producer who had once collaborated with Michele, offered to pay her to drop the gig. In a statement defending her decision, Michele wrote, I am here representing you because this is what matters. In April 2018, Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter released her last album, Out Of Control, herald by the singles Strong Black Woman, Black Lives Matter, and No Chorus. To say the project bombed would be an understatement. Although the 36-year-old question whether she should continue singing, her appetite for creating recently led to two new songs (Dont Pull and A Day In Your Life). I just remember knowing that I can change the feeling of the room when I sang, she told The Post. From the time I was a kid, I knew that notes did things to people. Chrisette signed with Def Jam Recordings at age 23, and she was seen as the latest in a line of neo-soul singer-songwriters that included Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, and Jill Scott, said Tammy Kernodle, a musicology professor at Miami University in Ohio, who, until that inaugural event, was a Chrisette Michele fan. These days Chrisette can be found searching for peace and purpose in various new ventures: She opened a Yoga studio. She took up African dance. She started offering voice instruction and launched a mentorship program aimed at helping women find personal and professional success. I wanted some clarity about what Im supposed to be doing right here because clearly it aint supposed to be singing, she said. | https://singersroom.com/content/2019-01-21/will-chrisette-michele-ever-bounce-back/ |
Is Zion Williamson having the best individual college basketball season of the last 20 years? | A common phrase you'll hear about Duke freshman Zion Williamson: "I've never seen anyone like him." That's a fair assessment, and it mostly has to do with his unprecedented combination of strength and athleticism. There are no apt comparisons. That's based on eye test. But there's truth to it in his statistical profile, too. Williamson is doing things we haven't seen in decades. And as a quick aside, we're keeping this to 20 years because of how hard it is to compare different eras of basketball. Williamson isn't putting up numbers like Oscar Robertson or Pistol Pete did back in the day. But the game has changed quite a bit since then. Sports Reference started tracking player efficiency rating in 2009-10. Of course not. John Brown is not better than Anthony Davis, for instance. But it's a catch-all stat that provides a good glimpse into who's producing the most in an efficient manner. And the fact that nobody in the past nine years is even close to Williamson is significant. There's just more than a two-point margin between No. 2 and No. 10 on this list; Williamson is ahead of No. 2 by more than four points. Let's take a look at every Naismith winner since the 1998-99 season. We're going to use per-40 stats instead of raw game averages to eliminate differences in minutes. We don't know if Williamson will win the Naismith yet, but if he does, here's how he would stack up if the season ended today: Naismith Winners Per 40 Year PLAYER SCHOOL POINTS REBOUNDS ASSISTS BLOCKS FG% 3FG% 1999 Elton Brand Duke 24.2 13.4 1.4 3.0 62.0 00.0 2000 Kenyon Martin Cincinnati 25.7 13.2 1.8 4.7 56.8 28.6 2001 Shane Battier Duke 22.8 8.4 2.1 2.6 47.1 41.9 2002 Jason Williams Duke 25.4 4.2 6.4 0.1 45.7 38.3 2003 T.J. Ford Texas 17.8 4.6 9.2 0.2 40.1 26.5 2004 Jameer Nelson St. Joseph's 24.3 5.5 6.3 0.0 47.5 39.0 2005 Andrew Bogut Utah 23.4 14.0 2.7 2.1 62.0 36.0 2006 J.J. Redick Duke 28.9 2.1 2.8 0.1 47.0 42.1 2007 Kevin Durant Texas 28.8 12.4 1.5 2.1 47.3 40.4 2008 Tyler Hansbrough North Carolina 27.4 12.4 1.1 0.4 54.0 0.0 2009 Blake Griffin Oklahoma 27.3 17.3 2.7 1.4 65.4 37.2 2010 Evan Turner Ohio State 22.8 10.3 6.7 1.0 51.9 36.4 2011 Jimmer Fredette BYU 32.3 3.8 4.8 0.0 45.2 39.6 2012 Anthony Davis Kentucky 17.7 13.0 1.6 5.8 62.3 15.0 2013 Trey Burke Michigan 21.1 3.6 7.5 0.6 50.6 38.4 2014 Doug McDermott Creighton 31.6 8.3 1.9 0.2 52.6 44.9 2015 Frank Kaminsky Wisconsin 22.3 9.8 3.1 1.7 54.7 41.6 2016 Buddy Hield Oklahoma 28.3 6.5 2.3 0.6 50.1 45.7 2017 Frank Mason Kansas 23.2 4.6 5.7 0.1 49.0 47.1 2018 Jalen Brunson Villanova 23.8 3.8 5.8 0.0 52.1 40.8 2019 Zion Williamson* Duke 31.3 13.7 3.2 2.7 65.9 26.5 Williamson is first in field goal percentage, third in points, third in rebounds, and fourth in blocks. Griffin, Durant and McDermott are probably Williamson's biggest challengers here. Williamson's overall numbers are better than Durant's and McDermott's, even if it's fairly close. Griffin has the best opposing case. His rebounding numbers were absurd, he shot 3s at a higher clip, and he was almost as efficient as Williamson. MORE: Andy Katz's Power 36 rankings It's fair to point out that 2018-19 Duke will probably win more games than 2008-09 Oklahoma. The Sooners went 30-6 that year and were awesome, but the Blue Devils have a good shot to snag the No. 1 overall seed in the tournament. It would be a surprise if they lost six games. And this doesn't show up in these stats (outside of blocks), but Williamson might be the best defender in college basketball this season. Griffin was good on that end at Oklahoma, but not on Williamson's level. One could reasonably argue Griffin was better overall; it's splitting hairs. But Williamson gets the slight edge in this space because of his defense. Of course, some phenomenal players who have had phenomenal seasons have failed to win the Naismith. Adam Morrison, Stephen Curry and Michael Beasley are three names that come to mind. Morrison and Curry were excellent, but when you look at the per-40 minute stats, they don't match up to Williamson after you move past the scoring numbers. Beasley is different. His stats at Kansas State were eye-popping, and arguably better: Michael Beasley per-40 stats Points Rebounds Assists Blocks FG% 3FG% 33.3 15.7 1.5 2.1 53.2 37.9 Beasley edges Williamson in points and rebounds, but wasn't nearly as efficient or as good of a passer or defender. Kansas State also went 21-12 in his lone college season. Beasley didn't have the supporting cast Williamson does, but it's harder to put up such massive numbers on a title contender. Like Griffin, this comes down to preference. Williamson is a much better defender than Beasley was at K-State, though that's admittedly subjective. It's close, but we'll take Williamson. MORE: NCAA.com college hoops home There are a few months left in the season. Williamson may not keep this up, though he's shown no signs of slowing down. At the very least, we're watching one of the best individual college basketball seasons in decades. It may wind up being the best. The bottom line: enjoy Williamson while he's at Duke, because we haven't seen anyone like him before. And we probably won't for a long, long time. | https://www.ncaa.com/news/basketball-men/article/2019-01-21/zion-williamson-having-best-individual-college-basketball |
Why did it take 40 years for me to be diagnosed with autism? | Overlooked: Sophia Grech, 48, struggled for years until she was finally diagnosed She has performed in front of presidents and royalty, including Prince Charles and the Queen Mother, at concert halls and opera houses all over the world. But as she steps out on to the stage in glamorous evening gowns, audiences would have no idea what opera singer Sophia Grech is hiding underneath. My skin is so sensitive and I find tights too itchy so I wear Primark pyjamas under my dresses instead, says Sophia. I do quite a lavish curtsy, but no one has noticed. The reason she has such sensitive skin may be yet another surprise: for Sophia, 48, has autism. Her lifelong struggle with the condition has been a living hell, she says not least because, like many other women affected, Sophia didnt know she had it. Autism is a developmental disability which can affect how a person communicates and experiences the world around them, making simple, everyday tasks feel like a challenge. While there are genetic factors, the causes are still being investigated. There is increased risk for babies born to mothers over 35 and fathers over 40. Some studies have suggested environmental links such as pollution. There are an estimated 700,000 adults and children in the UK who are on the autistic spectrum, according to the National Autistic Society. Traditionally its been seen as a male condition, but growing evidence suggests there are more women on the spectrum than previously thought, with some research indicating there could be as many as 200,000 girls and women yet to be diagnosed. The number of women referred has more than tripled in the past five years, particularly mothers whose children have been diagnosed and have then reflected on their own early years, says Dr Sue Smith, head of the National Autistic Societys Lorna Wing Centre, in Kent. Testing: Sophia struggled to read and write and couldnt tell the time until she was 12 problems that can occur with autism It is common for us to meet families and for there to be several people in that family who fulfil the criteria, she says. Symptoms include struggling in social situations and finding it difficult to pick up on body language or process what people are saying but behaviour can differ widely between men and women. Dr Smith says girls are better at masking their symptoms, as they are more socially aware and are often labelled just a bit different. Girls also express their stress differently and are more likely to freeze as opposed to boys who might have a public meltdown. Looking back, Sophia had symptoms all her life. I always got anxious and struggled in important situations, trying to answer correctly and say the right things. People just assumed I was thick, which has been humiliating and hurtful, she says. Sophia struggled to read and write and couldnt tell the time until she was 12 problems that can occur with autism. She struggled at secondary school, where she was bullied, punched and spat at. On one occasion, she had her head pushed through a window. I ran home and hid in the garden, Sophia recalls. Although she had a loving family, she never told her parents about her difficulties. Her solace was music. I had a rich massive opera voice even at the age of eight and Id sing all the time, she says. When I sang, I felt as though I was in my own world, I was no longer that kid who was picked on, I could be someone else. Sophia went on to have an international career, but her anxiety didnt go away: she had to plan every train and plane journey down to the last detail or shed have a meltdown At 13, Sophia changed schools and the music teacher persuaded the Royal College of Music to give her singing lessons. She taught herself how to read music, but when it was time to apply for a full-time place, her singing teacher told her to forget it. I was told: Your voice is amazing but youre not bright enough, recalls Sophia. I was distraught. She applied anyway, and received offers from all four music colleges, including the Royal College, where she went on to train. Although she exceeded expectations, she was criticised constantly by the professors for the way she spoke as it was too common, she says, and for mispronouncing and muddling up her words speech and language difficulties are a defining characteristic of autism. I always got anxious and struggled in important situations, trying to answer correctly and say the right things. People just assumed I was thick, which has been humiliating and hurtful Sophia Grech Indeed, her voice coach was baffled how her speech was so bad, yet on stage her diction was immaculate. She could sing fluently in seven languages. Sophia went on to have an international career, but her anxiety didnt go away: she had to plan every train and plane journey down to the last detail or shed have a meltdown. On one flight, I was hysterical, screaming, crying and rocking back and forth, she says. The captain told me to come and sit with him to calm down. He said: Look at the ground its as if were not moving, isnt it? He kept talking to me and it calmed me down. Knowing something wasnt right, in 2015, Sophia decided to seek help. Her partner, Andy, 48, a police officer, and sister, Louise, a teacher, had suspicions she had autism, but I thought it was ridiculous, she says. But Andy and Louise were insistent, so finally Sophia went to her GP, who referred her to an adult autism centre for tests. As a result, at the age of 45, she was diagnosed with Aspergers syndrome, a high-functioning form of autism. I felt relieved it explained so much, she says. Everything suddenly made sense from her dread of dinner parties to her sensitive skin (over-sensitivity to sounds, touch and other environmental factors, such as light and temperature, can occur with autism), even her inability to understand directions on stage. To get round the latter she drew each scene on coloured paper with coloured pens. I see everything in colour, she explains. I always thought: Why am I the only person doing this? I was later told that the reason I couldnt pick up on body language, process what people were saying and was so anxious was because I was autistic. She received help for her anxiety, and has learned to cope in situations better. According to Dr Smith, the growth in the number of women seeking referrals has been huge, particularly from professional women. Theres an expectation that at a certain level of seniority, you will understand social norms and office politics and what you should and shouldnt say, but for a lot of adults on the autism spectrum thats difficult, she says. Sometimes women get told some quite negative things about themselves or feel people see them in a negative light. This means that by the time they have a referral, they have developed significant self-esteem issues, mental health problems and often some unhelpful psychiatric labels. We know that not being diagnosed with autism leads women to experience considerable issues around depression and anxiety maybe not understanding why they are struggling in relationships or with sensory issues, and why they find change so difficult. All those things can hugely impact on your wellbeing. The problem may not be on womens radar theres the sense that autism is a childhood condition and if you are an adult who has worked, had a family and was ostensibly leading an ordinary life, autism couldnt possibly be you, says Dr Smith. Even if a woman suspects she has autism, there is a long wait for diagnosis in some areas its more than three years. It is hugely concerning, says Dr Smith. Sophia still feels anger when she thinks of the hurt shes suffered. Every time I perform on a world-famous stage, my secondary school report rings in my head: Sophia isnt a very bright child and will probably not achieve very much in life, it read. autismwessex.org.uk | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6616681/Why-did-40-years-diagnosed-autism.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 |
Will switchblade knife bill make the cut? | A switchblade or flick knife. (Photo: Daniel Berehulak, Getty Images) HELENA With testimony peppered with references to West Side Story and Hollywood juvenile delinquent films, the House Judiciary Committee reviewed a bill Monday that would allow ownership or possession of switchblade knives. State law prohibits ownership of such knives. House Bill 155s sponsor, Rep. Casey Knudsen, R-Malta, said 14 states have repealed laws against switchblades in 2010 and eight states still have laws in place. There is no good reason they were banned in first place other than 1950s Hollywood movies depicting them as a weapon for delinquents and such, Knudsen said. According to current law, those in possession of a knife can receive a fine of not more than $500, six months in jail or both. Collectors whose collection are registered with the sheriff are exempted . The law, passed in 1957, defines switchblades as "any knife that has a blade 1 1/2 inches long or longer that opens automatically by hand pressure applied to a button, spring, or other device in the handle of the knife." Rep. Casey Knudsen, R-Malta (Photo: State of Montana) Knudsen described switchblades as one of the safest knives on the market, adding they can be opened and closed with one hand. He said they are convenient for people with disabilities. The committee took no action and is expected to vote on the bill later. Several people who testified Monday said they could support the bill if it allowed cities to prohibit the knives in some buildings, such as courthouses. These people represented groups such as the Montana Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, the Montana County Attorneys Association and the Montana Association of Counties. Knudsen said there was some amendments to that effect being drafted. Others who supported the bill included SK Rossi of the ACLU of Montana. She said HB 155 was a good reduction in the criminal code" and "was silly in the first place. She said the law was likely enacted due to hysteria about West Side Story, a 1957 musical about rival gangs in New York. Reach Phil Drake can be reached at 406-231-9021 or [email protected] To know more To read House Bill 155, go to https://bit.ly/2TbIM3j Read or Share this story: https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2019/01/21/montana-panel-considers-lifting/2636928002/ | https://www.greatfallstribune.com/story/news/2019/01/21/montana-panel-considers-lifting/2636928002/ |
Why does the left still associate with Louis Farrakhan? | I am referring, of course, to Louis Farrakhan, who spouts the most vile things about Jews yet retains the admiration of many on the left, including, notably, leaders of the Womens March. They have now separated themselves from Farrakhans bigotry but not the man himself. He understands. They are doing what Jews want. To an extent, they are. It has taken some pressure to get Womens March co-chairs Tamika Mallory and Linda Sarsour and others to distance themselves from Farrakhans views. Yet Mallory for one will not condemn the man who holds these views. In this, she has plenty of company. On the stage with Farrakhan at Aretha Franklins funeral in September were Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Bill Clinton. Franklin, apparently untroubled by Farrakhans Jew hatred, had a friendly relationship with him, and he was at the funeral for that reason. Still, you could not imagine Jackson, Sharpton or Clinton sharing the stage with David Duke. The Anti-Defamation League reports a surge in anti-Semitic incidents up nearly 60 percent in 2017. But the numbers are more shocking than they are troubling. More troubling if unmeasurable are the casually anti-Semitic statements or associations of figures such as Mallory and Sarsour. In 2012, Sarsour, who is Palestinian American, tweeted: Nothing is creepier than Zionism. This might be understandable from a Palestinian point of view, but not her following sentence: Challenge racism. The slur that Zionism is racism must come as a surprise to the 135,000 Ethiopian Jews in Israel, roughly 25,000 of whom were airlifted between 1984 and 1991. Farrakhan is lauded for the good work his Nation of Islam does in certain black communities and in jails. But his message is anti-white, anti-gay and anti-Semitic. The fact that he does some good is no reason to ignore or overlook the bad that is attached. When it comes to Jews, he has the lurid imagination of a 1930s-era Nazi. He blames the Jews for most everything, including Hollywood movies that are turning men into women and women into men. Mallory attended the rally where Farrakhan made that statement. Eleven years ago, a writer for Harpers wondered what would happen to Farrakhan if I ceased writing about him. I ceased, and Farrakhan seemed not to notice. In fact, his brand of anti-Semitism became, if not acceptable, then unremarkable. In her forthcoming book, Antisemitism Here and Now, the Holocaust historian Deborah E. Lipstadt gathers some of the more idiotic statements made by leftist Americans about Jews and, especially, about Israel. The country is routinely denounced as racist, colonialist, fascist and, of course, as segregated as South Africa in the apartheid era. None of this is true. It is true, alas, that Israel persists in occupying the West Bank. But it is also true that many American Jews oppose this policy as do many Israelis. As do I. But at the same time, I recognize that Israel is not the vilest among nations, that it is a democracy that accords full rights to its Palestinian citizens, that the Muslim gays of Tel Aviv would not last a day in the Arab world and that the proposal to have Israel absorb Palestinian refugees is simply untenable. It would doom Israel as a Jewish state. It is an invitation to obliteration. I go back to Farrakhan. That Harpers writer of years ago had a point: Farrakhan is not important. He leads a fringe sect that is as anathema to conventional Muslims as it is to Jews. It is not his anti-Semitism that worries me. More worrisome is the casual acceptance of his anti-Semitism by others that makes him somehow unremarkable the unstated agreement that Jews are all-powerful, all-controlling and somehow blocking black progress. This stands history on its head and mocks the 1964 deaths in Mississippi of Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman, who were among the many Jews who volunteered during the civil rights movement over the years. In accepting Farrakhan, figures on the American left manage to combine anti-Semitism with racism a belief that blacks are too weak to matter and Jews too powerful to care. It robs African Americans of their own agency by making their plight the work of evil Jews. As for Jews, its an echo of what theyve heard before. The leaders of the Womens March ought to study history to see that theirs are old ideas. They are marching in the wrong direction. Read more from Richard Cohens archive. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-does-the-left-still-associate-with-louis-farrakhan/2019/01/21/de47f966-1db7-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html |
How safe are Jews living in Germany? | "Are we safe?" The question asked by Andras Kain, head of the B'nai B'rith-affiliated Raoul Wallenberg Lodge in Berlin, went unanswered. Berlin is home to the largest Jewish community in Germany, Kain told DW at the organization's European congress in the German capital. And he warned that "anti-Semitism has become socially acceptable, right in the midst of our society." The 2019 congress took place just a few hundred meters from B'nai B'rith's former German headquarters in Kleist Street which later housed the Gestapo secret police of Nazi Germany. At its last European congress in Berlin in 2001, the organization received anonymous anti-Semitic letters; today, Kain said, the letters have continued, but people are now signing their names, a development which Kain ascribes to the influence of social media. Felix Klein, Germany's commissioner on fighting anti-Semitism, confirms that Germany is once again experiencing attacks on Jewish facilities, as well as other forms of anti-Semitism. In 2017, he said, there was an average of three incidents per day. As part of a counterstrategy to bring more visibility to these cases, Klein said the government plans to establish a "reporting and monitoring system." A commission involving the German federal and state governments is to be set up to meet twice a year for that purpose, he added; perhaps as early as spring. Klein said the states are responsible in 80 to 90 percent of the cases, and welcomed the fact that seven states already have a representative for Jewish life; two other states are working to establish a position. The goal is to find ways to improve education at schools, and to more strongly address the issue in police training. "Anti-Semitism is not a Jewish problem, but one of society as a whole," Klein said. Watch video 12:04 Now live 12:04 mins. While Klein thought the debate was "unhelpful," German historian Michael Wolffsohn warned against lumping all forms of anti-Semitism together. Only with a realistic analysis of the problem could "the right therapy" be found to address the problem, he said. Read more: 2,000 Berliners wear skullcaps to protest anti-Semitism Anti-Semitic attitudes are particularly pronounced among Muslims in Europe, according to figures presented by Wolffsohn. Other participants were convinced right-wing extremists and right-wing populists most frequently stir up anti-Semitism. Jeremy Issacharoff, Israel's ambassador to Germany, said the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in particular represents a new threat in Germany because of the "nostalgic attitude" some party members have toward the era of National Socialism. That's why there's been no contact with that party, he said. Klein maintained his position that he did not want to "hierarchize" the issues. Telling all migrants that anti-Semitism has no place in Germany is part of the integration effort, he said, adding that the goal must be distinguished from the general fight against anti-Semitism. Wolffsohn urged Jews to be confident when they face the majority society, to stand tall and say: "Here we are we the Jewish." After all, he said, Germany needs its Jewish fellow citizens to be "accomplished, tolerant and integrated people." But, when it came to security, he said that was the responsibility of the German state. Watch video 02:32 Now live 02:32 mins. Share Anti-Semitism in Berlin Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/31hqe Israeli restaurant owner in Berlin fights anti-Semitism Every day, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. Sign up for the newsletter here. | https://www.dw.com/en/how-safe-are-jews-living-in-germany/a-47173145 |
Did Karl Stefanovic take a swipe at Deborah Knight and Georgie Gardner? | Karl Stefanovic reportedly had an eyebrow-raising response to an invitation to speak with his Today show replacement, Deborah Knight, and former co-host, Georgie Gardner this week. On Tuesday, KIIS FM's Kyle Sandilands read an alleged text exchange he had with the former Today show host. Kyle claims he told Karl that Deborah and Georgie would appear on the Kyle and Jackie O show and offered to call him when the pair were live on-air. Kyle Sandilands claims former Today host had a cheeky response to his replacement and former co-host in an eyebrow-raising text exchange ''We've got the two ladies who do the Today show on, the replacement and your ex-co-host' I wrote to him. I said 'we've got them coming on',' Kyle said. 'I said 'we should ring you' and he sent me a picture of Freddy Kruger.' Freddy Kruger is a famous monster character from the A Nightmare on Elm Street movie series. Cheeky: Kyle said he offered to call Karl when Deborah (right) and Georgie (far right) were on-air and the former Today host responded with a photo of Freddy Kruger (left) Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment. This is not the first time that Karl has been accused of taking a swipe at the new Today show panel. Earlier this month, he claimed his Instagram account was hacked after he appeared to like posts suggesting the Today show was doomed without him following his departure last month. Telling all: Kyle read an alleged text exchange between himself and Karl live on-air 'While I was out fishing my Instagram account has been hacked. I am investigating this with the authorities and will be back soon. Karlos,' he wrote. One comment that Karl's account 'liked' read: 'Won't be watching. Well, Miss Gardiner [sic] got her way. Pathetic, smile, agree and laugh. It's all they do.' A second comment his page 'liked' read: 'Channel [Nine], the audience want answers.' Not the first time: Earlier this month, Karl claimed his Instagram account was hacked after he appeared to like posts suggesting the new Today show was doomed without him following his departure last month Speaking out: Karl posted this Instagram photo in response to the controvery On December 21, Georgie, who replaced Lisa Wilkinson in 2017, appeared to suggest there was no bad blood between herself and Karl despite persistent rumours. She posted a tribute to him on Instagram after he was axed from the breakfast TV show. 'A very tough week, a challenging year. Huge congratulations @karlstefanovic_ for a 14 yr tenure hosting one of TV's most demanding gigs,' she captioned a photo of herself and Karl. 'You brought a new brand, straddling the serious stories along with endless laughs (see YouTube!) You taught me plenty, it was never boring. X.' No bad blood: On December 21, Georgie, who replaced Lisa Wilkinson in 2017, appeared to suggest there was no bad blood between herself and Karl despite persistent rumours | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-6616959/Did-Karl-Stefanovic-swipe-Deborah-Knight-Georgie-Gardner.html |
Are desperate cancer patients who raise money online falling prey to quack medicine? | Cancer patients who want cutting-edge treatments not available on the NHS are increasingly turning to fundraising and, more recently, crowdfunding. This is where they use online sites such as GoFundMe.com or JustGiving.com to ask for donations to pay for their treatment typically abroad, in countries such as the U.S., Germany, Turkey or Mexico. The Mail recently highlighted the story of four-year-old Zac Oliver, from Shropshire, who has a rare form of leukaemia. The NHS could only offer him radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which gave him a 25 per cent chance of survival. Thanks to crowdfunding, his family were able to take him to the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia in the U.S. for immunotherapy (which harnesses the bodys immune system to attack cancer), which doctors said would give him a 60 to 80 per cent chance. Fact: A survey published last year in The BMJ found that more than 540 crowdfunding appeals in the UK have raised 8 million since 2012 to send patients for disproven cancer treatments While crowdfunding is helping patients gain access to conventional but costly mainstream treatment, people also use it for treatment at clinics offering alternative medicine. A survey published last year in The BMJ found that more than 540 crowdfunding appeals in the UK have raised 8 million since 2012 to send patients for unproven or disproven cancer treatments. Were concerned that so many UK patients are raising huge sums for treatments that are not evidence-based and which in some cases may even do them harm, said Michael Marshall of The Good Thinking Society, the charity that collated the figures. A spokeswoman for GoFundMe said it encourages crowdfunders to research what they are raising money for. More broadly, we regularly engage with organisations around issues like this, and we are looking at proactive steps to make sure users are well informed, she said. Crowdfunding is partly a result of a failure in the way doctors communicate with patients, suggests Professor Gordon Rustin, a consultant oncologist at Mount Vernon Hospital in Hillingdon, West London. If you say there are treatments out there but they wont be funded, people often feel that one of those must be the one to go for. Ive known patients consider remortgaging their house for a particular treatment in situations like this and its heartbreaking.' We spoke to two families about their very different experiences of self-financed private treatment overseas. HOW WE SPENT 350,000 TRYING TO SAVE MAGGIE Expense: Maggie Thomas (pictured with three of her children) spent 350,000 on various alternative treatments - leaving her family nearly bankrupt by the time of her death When mother-of-six Maggie Thomas was told her cancer was terminal, she turned to alternative treatments. She and husband David remortgaged their home and ran up credit card debts as well as fundraising to meet the 350,000 costs in just over two years. The couple were on the verge of bankruptcy when she died at the age of 46. David, 52, a commercial photographer from Toddington, Bedfordshire, whose children are now aged between ten and 18, tells their story. Maggie first noticed a lump in her right breast when she was breastfeeding our youngest child, Fintan, then aged eight months, just before Christmas in 2009. Maggies mum, a GP, urged her to get it checked out and a few weeks later she was told she had four tumours in her right breast and would need a mastectomy. We were shattered, but thought at least a mastectomy could cure her. THE RISE IN APPEALS TO KINDNESS OF STRANGERS Crowdfunding websites report a huge rise in appeals related to health, and cancer in particular. For instance, the number of cancer-related appeals that JustGiving hosted increased sevenfold between 2015 and 2016. Meanwhile, GoFundMe the worlds largest crowdfunding platform, based in the U.S. reports that the number of medical-related campaigns it hosted grew by almost 30 per cent between 2017 and 2018. Health is the largest fundraising category on the site, and GoFundMe says tens of millions have been raised for this since it launched in the UK in 2017. However, there are concerns about where some of the funds are going. Last June, a study reported in the journal The Lancet Oncology found there were 220 campaigns on GoFundMe raising money for cancer treatments involving the use of homeopathy Cancer Research UK says there is no evidence it works as a cancer treatment. In 2014, Cancer Research UK launched an appeal to fund three new research projects for the first time, paid for entirely by crowdfunding. But after the operation we were told the cancer was in 17 lymph nodes and already in her liver. Her consultant gave her 12 months. Not surprisingly, Maggie just couldnt accept she was going to die. We had six children together, with our youngest just a baby, and she loved them all to bits she wasnt going to give up without a fight. If Im honest, though, it was more than about trying to buy herself extra time. She was in denial, and thought alternative remedies could cure her. She had mainstream treatment Herceptin, then high intensity radiowaves on her liver and lungs, and that gave us another six months. But then we were told the NHS could offer no more than palliative care. Maggie wasnt prepared to settle for that, so she turned to the internet. This led to us paying 5,000 a month for various supplements such as dandelion extract, vitamin C and vitamin D at one point she was taking 240 tablets a day, prescribed by an alternative health practitioner. The man was a complete parasite but we carried on paying for them for nine months because she wanted to believe that they could work. Other doctors in the family all told us it was a waste of money. In fact, I thought a lot of the things Maggie tried were nonsense and we did row about it, but I had to support her wishes. I felt I couldnt judge her as I didnt know how I would feel if I was in her shoes. One practitioner told her to download Hebrew slave music and said the vibrations would free mind ants that would break down the tumours, which she tried. Maggie was an intelligent woman but she was desperate and vulnerable and there are people who will exploit that. By October 2011 wed had to remortgage our house, run up multiple credit card bills and set up a fundraising website we called Maggies Hope. I didnt want to ask people for money it goes against the grain to ask strangers to help but we were desperate. 'Maggie was an intelligent woman but she was desperate and vulnerable and there are people who will exploit that,' says husband David We also did some publicity with the local newspaper and this led to a donation of 150,000 from a billionaire the boss of an old friend of Maggies. By this time she was very tired, in pain and on morphine-based painkillers, and her health was deteriorating. After reading about it on the internet, Maggie became convinced we should travel to Frankfurt to see a Professor Alexander Herzog, an oncologist who combined conventional treatments with alternatives. It cost us 30,000 for a three-week stay in a hospital. She underwent various alternative treatments, including hyperthermic treatment to heat up her tumours to 113 f (45c) to kill them. To be fair, when Professor Herzog did a scan after three weeks and saw she had tumours in her brain, he said no more could be done and advised us to go home and spend time with our children. However, Maggie still didnt want to give up and the day after Boxing Day we drove from the UK with all the kids to another German clinic run by a doctor who had reportedly cured himself of stage 4 cancer with non-toxic treatments. The clinic was only open during office hours, and on New Years Day Maggie fell unconscious. I had to call an ambulance to take us to hospital I phoned a couple Id met the day before in a childrens playground to interpret, as I had no one else to turn to. The hospital staff advised us to go home to England. However, the clinic arranged a brain scan (it cost 1,000) and told her it showed she had no more tumours than previously suggesting that the treatment theyd given her was working. I arranged for the scan to be sent to our GP, who took it to a specialist in London, who said it showed more tumours than before: nine in her brain, ten in her bones and 12 in her lungs. The advice was to come home and have palliative care. I was so angry, I asked the staff at the clinic if they were lying or just incompetent. But Maggie insisted on staying in Germany and continued with a variety of in my opinion quack treatments the clinic offered, including magnet therapy to shrink tumours. As an experiment, I put a compass beside the magnet machine and it didnt pick up any magnetic field. Another treatment Ms Thomas had was dendritic cell therapy, where cells were extracted from her blood, sent off to a lab to be concentrated, then injected back to fight the cancer Maggie also had IV infusions of mistletoe she was given these multiple times between January and her death in February. Another treatment was dendritic cell therapy, where cells were extracted from her blood, sent off to a lab to be concentrated, then injected back to fight the cancer. It sounded plausible but each injection cost 7,000 and she had seven or eight of them. The total costs at the Cologne clinic were edging towards 90,000. I begged Maggie to go home and tell the kids she was dying (they knew she was ill but not that she had a terminal diagnosis by then they were back at home being cared for by relatives). But the clinic kept insisting she stay for more treatment, even though she was getting weaker all the time. In the end I booked a Eurostar ticket for February 17 and decided to make the dash back to England, so Maggie could die at home with the children. She was dosed up with morphine for the pain and failing fast. It was very distressing. I showed her pictures of the kids on my phone to try to keep her going but she died in my arms in the car on the Eurostar. I cried and screamed when I saw her head roll back it was just too much to bear. The total bill for Maggies private treatments in the UK and overseas was 350,000 I am still paying off debts now. The billionaire paid around 150,000 and there were smaller donations from well-wishers but I was left to pay 200,000 and have only just about hung on to our house. When Maggie died we owed 76,000 on credit cards alone. I feel strongly that Maggie was exploited by quack medicine. I fully understand the desperation cancer patients and their families feel and there is nothing wrong with travelling overseas for cancer care, but it has to be a reputable hospital offering legitimate treatments. Some of these alternative clinics are peddling quack cures and just extorting money from people. 63,000 GOT CHARLIE HELP IN TURKEY Family ties: Charlie Ilsley (11) and his mother Toni photographed at their home in Reading Charlie Ilsley, 11, from Emmer Green, Berkshire, is undergoing cutting-edge treatment for brain and secondary spinal cancer in Turkey this is costing over 81,000 and is being paid for by crowdfunding. Here, his mother Toni, 48, a pharmacy technician (who is married to Mark, 50, a builder, with whom she has two grown-up children, Oliver, 21, and Jess, 29), explains why the family have chosen this route. Charlie was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, the most high-grade brain tumour found in children, when he was only eight, after hed had weeks of unexplained vomiting and neck pain. We were devastated but we were told he had an 80 per cent chance of survival if he had surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The treatment was tough going but he went into remission in 2015 a fantastic result and we got on with our lives. Then last March a routine scan picked up five tumours on his spine; the cancer was back. He started chemotherapy a week later but we were warned that if it didnt work, he couldnt have radiotherapy again as his cancer wasnt suitable for it. It was so surreal, as Charlie was so well he was going to school, swimming, playing on his Xbox and not in any pain. But in July, when the chemotherapy hadnt worked after three sessions, the oncologist said all they could offer was a different chemo that would buy him extra months at best. Good times: Charlie pictured before his illness, age 5, while playing in his back garden The news hit us like a ton of bricks. We couldnt believe it it was too soon to be giving up on him and we wouldnt accept it. I joined an online community and found out about children with the same type of brain tumour having successful treatment with a targeted radiotherapy called CyberKnife in combination with the drug Avastin, which destroys the blood supply to tumours, and other chemo drugs. I found out that CyberKnife is available in the UK on the NHS, but only if you meet certain criteria or you can have it privately, at a cost of 30,000 plus. Our NHS hospital turned us down. In desperation I emailed some private hospitals in the UK, asking if they treated children, but no one replied. I felt we couldnt afford to wait. Then another mum told me about the Memorial Hospital in Ankara, Turkey, which was offering children the treatment with CyberKnife, Avastin and other chemo drugs we knew we had to give it a shot. Its not an experimental treatment and there is an established protocol its used in the U.S., for instance. It just isnt available in the UK. The only problem was the cost, around 80,000. We didnt have that sort of money and would have had to sell the house, but my cousin Karen decided to launch a GoFund Me page. We were amazed when the money started flooding in we couldnt believe how generous people were. Around 60,000 has been raised since it started in August. The donations we have received included 20,000 from the boss of a hotel chain, who felt that the NHS was letting Charlie down. Another lady held an online auction and raised 5,000. The donations have kept on coming. The hospital in Turkey agreed to give Charlie seven treatments. The consultant there says that if this is followed up with treatment using hs own stem cells to boost his recovery, it will give him a 60 per cent chance of survival. We flew out for his first treatment in August. Charlies NHS consultant said we were doing the right thing her hands were tied by NHS funding but I was still very apprehensive. When we flew out to Ankara there was no one there to meet us holding up a name card, and I admit I started to worry it was a hoax. In fact a car was waiting outside. Two of the doctors speak really good English, as do some of the nurses, and we use Google Translate, too, so we get by. Weve been back for six more sessions, one a month, and we go back at the beginning of February for an MRI scan. If that shows he is in remission or close to it, they will give a high-dose shot of chemotherapy, followed by treatment with the stem cells they have collected. Charlie hasnt had any adverse reactions were not putting him through unnecessary suffering, just giving him another chance and hes really well and able to play with his mates and go to school when hes home. The last scan in November showed the two tumours at the top of his spine have disappeared and the one in the middle has halved in size. His condition seems to be improving. His consultant says all the signs are good that the treatment is working but only the next MRI scan will tell us that. I wish we hadnt had to find out about these treatment options from other parents, rather than from my doctor. There isnt a whiff of quackery about the hospital in Turkey, but Ive heard some horror stories of parents going abroad for treatment one paid 250,000 upfront for treatment for their child at a U.S. hospital, then their consultant here refused to let them fly and the hospital wouldnt give them a refund. They have had to charter a boat to take their child to Spain for the same treatment, which is working. Crowdfunding has helped keep Charlie alive. We still need another 25,000 in donations to pay the total 81,000 bill. We hope it will cure him. gofundme.com/cyberknife-treatment- for-charlie | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6616887/Are-desperate-cancer-patients-raise-money-online-falling-prey-quack-medicine.html |
Who Will Serve as Godparents to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Baby? | Earlier this week, Meghan Markle confirmed a few details about his first child. While visiting Birkenhead, the Duchess of Sussex shared that her due date is around April, and revealed that she and Harry are keeping the sex of their baby a surprise. As has been previously reported, Prince William and Duchess Kate are unlikely to take on the position as they already have a very important role as baby Sussex's aunt and uncle. But if Harry and Meghan stick to tradition, the newborn will have five to eight godparents, and the people chosen will likely be a mix of old friends and relatives. With that in mind, here's who we think could be considered: George and Amal Clooney George and Amal Clooney at the royal wedding. Getty Images GARETH FULLER Rumor has it that the international human rights lawyer and her Hollywood husband have been tapped to serve as godparents to Harry and Meghan's first child. While the news has yet to be confirmed, the couples are reportedly quite good friends and socialize often, so it's certainly plausible. Serena Williams Getty Images Kevin Mazur Meghan and the tennis superstar have been close for years, and it seems that their relationship has only deepened in recent months, making Williams a contender for the role of godmother. "We were actually just texting each other this morning," Williams said of Meghan on an Australian television program this past September. "We have known each other for a long time, but we really kind of are relying on each other a lot recently. Jessica and Ben Mulroney Jessica and Ben Mulroney Getty Images George Pimentel Predicting that the Mulroneys will be godparents to Harry and Meghan's baby seems like a safe bet. Meghan's BFF has played a significant role in her relationship with Harry from the very beginning. The Mulroneys reportedly hosted secret dinners in Toronto for the couple when they first started dating. Then, when they got engaged, Jessica served as Meghan's "unofficial" wedding planner (while her children were bridal attendants). She even flew to Australia to help support Meghan on her first official royal tour, where the Duchess announced her pregnancy. Benita Litt Benita with her two daughters on the way to the royal wedding. Getty Images CHRIS JACKSON If we continue looking to the royal wedding for clues about Meghan and Harry's inner circle, Meghan's childhood friend Benita Litt could be a smart pick for godmother. Meghan is godmother to Litt's daughters Remi and Rylan, who you may remember served as her bridesmaids. She could very well ask their mom Benita to play a special role in new royal baby's life. Princess Eugenie Prince Harry and Princess Eugenie at the 2015 Trooping the Colour. Getty Images Max Mumby/Indigo While it's unlikely that Harry and Meghan would ask another member of the royal family to serve as their child's godparent, it isn't unheard of. For example, Princess Anne's daughter Zara Tindall is Prince George's godmother, and Princess Eugenie could play a similar role in baby Sussex's life. Eugenie and Meghan have reportedly become good friends over the past year, bonding as neighbors on the grounds of Kensington Palace, so it wouldn't be an unsurprising choice. Amanda Kline and Captain Mark William Galloway Dyer Prince Charles's former equerry, Captain Mark William Galloway Dyer, served as a mentor for Prince Harry, particularly in the years following Princess Diana's death. When Captain Dyer married Kline in 2010, Harry was reportedly an usher at their wedding, and their son Jasper George served as a page boy in the royal wedding. Harry is Jasper's godfather, so it would be fitting that Captain Dyer would serve as the royal baby's. Mr. Jake Warren Jake and Harry chatting with the Queen at the Royal Ascot. Getty Images Chris Jackson Jake Warren's daughter Zalie was the youngest bridesmaid at Harry and Meghan's wedding and is the goddaughter of Prince Harry. The Warrens have close ties to the royal familyJake himself was the godson of Princess Dianaand Jake is one of Harry's good friends, making him a likely pick. Charlie Van Straubenzee Daisy Jenks and Charlie van Straubenzee on their wedding day. Getty Images Max Mumby/Indigo Over the summer, just a few months after Harry and Meghan tied the knot, the royal couple attended the wedding of Charlie van Straubenzee and Daisy Jenks. Van Straubenzee is one of Harry's childhood friends, and given that his brother Thomas already serves as Princess Charlotte's godfather, he's likely well-versed in how the whole process works and what the responsibilities of being godparent to a member of the royal family entail. | https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a25919142/prince-harry-meghan-markle-baby-godparent-predictions/ |
Is Tom Green Married? Does He Have a Girlfriend? | The Big Brother house is stacked with celebrities this season, and its only a matter of time before we find out who will be crowned the winner. Comedian Tom Green will appear on this season of Celebrity Big Brother. As he steps into the spotlight on the reality show, some people will undoubtedly wonder about his personal life. Heres what you need to know. Green was once married to actress Drew Barrymore. The two tied the knot on July 7, 2001, and filed for divorce not long after, on December 17, 2001, citing irreconcilable differences. Green appeared with Barrymore in the film Charlies Angels, and she then appeared in his film, Freddy Got Fingered. The latter was a huge success for Green. In 2014, the comedian discussed the marriage in an interview with the Oprah Winfrey Network. He told the cameras, It was just a very short period of time that I had a brief marriage I dont really tend to talk about it that much comfortably [or] publicly. All of that was part of that sort of crazy, whirlwind of a time. Green continued by saying that although the two dont speak today, he wishes her the best. Since then, he is reported to have dated Erin Darling, Katherine von Drachenberg, Brittany Murphy, and Mary Carey. Today, it appears Green is single. His Instagram doesnt show him with a special someone. This isnt Greens first game show. The comedian appeared on The Celebrity Apprentice in 2009. He began performing stand-up at a young age, and has since forayed into a number of hosting gigs. As an actor, he has appeared in films like Road Trip, Stealing Harvard, and Shred. He also had a show on MTV called The Tom Green Show. In an interview with The Wa Magazine, Green shared about Freddy Got Fingered, Its funny that Freddy Got Fingered has become this amazing thing for me. When Im touring around the world, people still love the movie. Its a nice feeling because there was a time right after the movie came out where I thought people didnt really like it and I never really could understand why people were so critical of it when it came out. It was hilarious to me and my friends. It was just the most outrageous, ridiculous thing we could imagine. Over time, when you get away from the weekend movie reviewers and people who are the negative naysayers of the world and just let it find its audience people who are at my shows whether its Australia or London, New York City or Toronto, will know all the lines of the movie. Its become a cool thing. This season, Green will be one of 12 celebrities vying to win $250,000. Only time will tell. Be sure to tune into Big Brother this week on CBS at 8pm ET/PT. | https://heavy.com/entertainment/2019/01/tom-green-wife-girlfriend-married/ |
What does the government shutdown mean for rural Oklahoma firefighters? | GRADY COUNTY, Okla. Oklahoma officials are bracing for possible funding problems for the states rural firefighting services if the partial government shutdown continues. The shutdown, now in its 31st day, is the longest government shutdown in history. Fire chief Perry Wenzel with the Grady County Fire Department said, though they are not feeling the pinch right now, the biggest concern is for rural fire departments in the event of a wildfire and if federal dollars or assistance is needed. That could be a big issue because some of these fires, they have hundreds of thousands of dollars tied up in those fires all of the fire departments in the state of Oklahoma, Wenzel said. In your smaller departments and stuff, it really puts a task on them because you got to spend all of your money going out to those things if they dont reimbursed in a timely manner, it really puts them in a big bind. Wenzel said the wildfire season in Oklahoma generally spans between December and May. The fuel load is there. We could have a wild land out fire outbreak anytime right now, but its going to create a lot more problems for us this year, because its so wet, so were going to put people in more danger because of all these vehicles that are going to get stuck out there, he said. Whenever it gets to be a real high outlook is whenever our relative humidity drops. It drops, and it gets below 30 percent. It really gets critical, anything below 20 percent. It really gets critical and the wind, you know. Sheri Nickel with the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association told News 4 on Monday that the biggest impact the shutdown has had on their organization has to do with federal grants. For instance, OSFA is currently administering a $2.1 million SAFER grant for the recruitment and retention of volunteer firefighters, and were deep into the training of volunteers but, right now, were not getting our funding like we should, Nickel said. We, as an organization, have to upfront the money to pay for the training. | https://kfor.com/2019/01/21/what-does-the-government-shutdown-mean-for-rural-oklahoma-firefighters/ |
Did Karnataka Congress MLA Anand Singh's 'spying' on colleagues lead to brawl at resort? | Anusha Ravi By Express News Service BENGALURU: We have asked our MLAs to pack up and be ready to leave the resort. We want to leave before anyone else comes to blows, a Congress office-bearer told The New Indian Express on Sunday. While resort politics is not new to Karnataka, MLAs of the same party herded in a resort coming to blows is anything but usual. Even as the Congress denied a fight between its MLAs, multiple sources from the resort as well as the state leadership of the Congress confirmed that Kampli MLA Ganesh and Hagaribommanahalli MLA Bheema Naik assaulted Anand Singh leaving him with bruises on the face. While some sources suggested that Singhs attempts to woo the Central leaders of the Congress was the reason for the brawl, others said that his role in warning the Congress of BJPs alleged Operation Kamala sparked off the scuffle. Police stand guard outside the Apollo Hospital in Bengaluru where MLA Anand Singh was brought for treatment, after being allegedly attacked at the Eagleton resort; Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan arrives at the hospital | Pushkar V Ganesh and Bheema Naik accused Singh of spying on them and their conversations with BJP leaders. They were angry about Singh reporting their every move to Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and DK Shivakumar, said a Congress source from the resort. The duo, according to the source had almost struck a deal with the BJP to resign from their posts for Rs 50 crore and a ministerial berth when their attempts were stalled by the Congress. Ganesh and Naik are said to have blamed Anand Singh for the lost opportunity. Singh quit the BJP ahead of the assembly elections in 2018 to join the Congress. Singh along with Ganesh and Naik had lobbied hard for ministerial berths. Guv, Speaker should seek report: BSY BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa has sought Speaker Ramesh Kumar and governor Vaju Bhai Valas intervention in the matter. Deeming the assault a shame for all legislators of the state, Yeddyurappa has also appealed that the police carry out their duty of filing a case. Congress MLAs indulging in a drunken brawl at the resort is a matter of shame to all 224 legislators. Siddaramaiah must answer. An MLA has been brutally assaulted and this needs to be investigated, he said. How the night unfolded | http://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2019/jan/21/its-pack-up-time-for-mlas-at-resort-1927885.html |
Could Channing Tatum Direct Gambit? | If Channing Tatum plays his cards right, he could add director to his long and colorful resume. But thats if luck is a lady to Gambit, the long-gestating 20th Century Fox superhero movie that has seen a revolving door of directors while Tatum grew out his hair to no avail. With Disneys acquisition of 20th Century Fox ongoing, it seemed like Gambit was out for the count. But a new report about Tatums departure from his longtime talent agency suggests that Gambit may see action after all. Channing Tatum has been attached to star in Gambit since the film was first announced in 2015, but hes remained the only constant in the films long, tortured production history. Rupert Wyatt (Rise of the Planet of the Apes) was the first director hired, but exited because of behind-the-scenes conflicts. Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity, Edge of Tomorrow) was next in the line-up, but soon left because he couldnt connect with the story. Gore Verbinski (Pirates of the Caribbean) came and went due to scheduling conflicts. Kong: Skull Island director Jordan Vogt-Roberts was even rumored to be among those contending for the job. Now it seems that Tatum could be taking matters into his own hands. Per a Deadline report about the actor parting ways with his longtime reps at UTA and Management 360: He has been trying to get going theX-Men spinoff Gambit. He has long been slotted to play the charming card-throwing mutant, and buzz has been that he might direct the film after several other filmmakers have been in and out. But there is no start date at this point and its still being worked on. This would mark Tatums directorial debut, though the actor has proven himself to be a talented character actor and producer, a long way off from his beginnings as an exotic dancer. Im convinced that Tatum can do anything he sets his mind to after all, he transformed himself from big-screen heartthrob to scene-stealing character actor. And it seems that no one is as dedicated to this project as Tatum, who has stuck by Gambit through thick and thin, and even grew his hair out into a horrendous style supposedly for this film. If Tatum steps into the directors chair, I hope he follows through with producer Simon Kinbergs promise of a Gambit romantic-comedy. 20th Century Fox still has Gambit slated for a release date of June 7, 2019, which will certainly get pushed back as the studio considers its director. | https://www.slashfilm.com/gambit-director-channing-tatum/ |
What Should Investors In Conservation Syndications Do When DOJ Seeks Injunction? | Last month, I wrote about the Department of Justice beginning to crack down on abusive conservation easement syndications. DOJ is seeking an injunction against people associated with EcoVest Capital, which according to Peter Elkind of Fortune is the most prolific syndicator of conservation easements. I explained the concept behind conservation easement deductions in that piece last month (and other coverage over the last several years). Here we are going to discuss them from the point of view of investors, which greatly simplifies things. To an investor, the program is something of a black box. The Black Box An investor (Let's go with Terry for a name) in an EcoVest deal pays them some money. Before Form 1040 for that year is due, Terry will get a K-1 showing a charitable contribution that is a multiple of the amount invested (probably between four or five times). So Terry will get back more than the investment in tax savings. That, of course, is the essence of the deal as far as Terry is concerned. In a few years, the property as encumbered by the easement is sold by the partnership. Terry will then get some of the original investment back. Terry needs to make sure the return preparer includes all required disclosures. But now Terry has heard that DOJ is calling the deals all sorts of nasty names. They literally refer to the persons named having "ill-gotten gains". Terry put $20,000 into a 2017 deal and $20,000 into a 2018 deal. Tax savings federal and state were $30,000 in 2017 and are projected about the same for 2018. I was actually asked that question. Not by anybody who has ever been my client, just to be clear. Worst case, as far as I can figure, Terry might have to give back the $30,000 in savings from 2017 along with a 40% penalty. In principle, Terry might avoid the penalty by filing an amended return (or returns if there were state savings) which leaves the question of what to do about 2018. What To Do About Return Not Yet Filed The 2018 question is a lot easier to answer. Terry should ask for the $20,000 back from EcoVest and consider supplementing the fourth quarter estimate, although that probably won't make much difference. I spoke with EcoVest investor relations and they made it clear that they won't just cut a check. Their point of view is that DOJ has arbitrarily struck demanding that five hard-working people, who are connected to EcoVest one way or another, are being asked to take up different work. Due to the government shutdown, they have not been able to respond. The EcoVest representative who only gave me his first name indicated that a statement has been sent out to the twenty or so broker-dealers that they use. I haven't gotten my hands on a copy of that yet. If Terry has the stomach for this sort of thing there could be complaints to various regulatory bodies which might encourage EcoVest to reconsider. I think the stakes are too low to engage a lawyer. Assuming the refund exercise is fruitless, Terry should plan on going on extension. EcoVest has indicated that the K-1s will be issued. But even if they are issued, my inclination would be to extend based on the assumption that the tax savings will not be available and see what develops. My partner often chides me about procrastinating. She is usually right. I've yet to see the dirty dishes spontaneously clean themselves, but I can keep hoping. Here, though, procrastination is the right answer. I don't give audit lottery advice, but this circumstance is different. I really don't think that Terry should amend the 2017 return and give back the tax savings. When you get a K-1, you are supposed to put on your return what the K-1 shows. What Terry should do is verify that the correct disclosures were included with the 2017 return and, if not, possibly amend for that. I really think that engaging a tax attorney is premature. You don't know for sure that your deal is going to be attacked and what the actual outcome will be. If you have the means (and you should if you were a qualified investor), plan to have your tax saving plus 40% or so liquid in a couple of years. Kiss it goodbye mentally now, which will cut your stress a lot. If it develops, as is not that unlikely, that you get to keep it, I think you should donate it to a legitimate conservation organization as a kind of penance for having profited from these shenanigans, but that is just me moralizing. My Sympathies In EcoVest vs DOJ, I am rooting for DOJ. Syndication of conservations easement charitable deductions is a travesty. It doesn't even make good nonsense. The investors are a different story. From what I can gather, somebody told them that these deals are legitimate and there is a sense in which that is true. So they have some sympathy from me. As Learned Hand wrote: Over and over again courts have said that there is nothing sinister in so arranging one's affairs as to keep taxes as low as possible. Everybody does so, rich or poor; and all do right, for nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands: taxes are enforced exactions, not voluntary contributions. To demand more in the name of morals is mere cant. Future investors get less sympathy. IRS Notice 2017-10 indicates the syndicated conservation easements are listed transactions. Reilly's Fourteenth Law of Tax Planning - If something is a listed transaction, just don't do it. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterjreilly/2019/01/21/what-should-investors-in-conservation-syndications-do-when-doj-seeks-injunction/ |
Why Didn't Apple Use Qualcomm's Modems In 2018 iPhones? | Like I said last week in my article entitled If The FTC Case Against Qualcomm Seems Like a Clown Show Right Now, It's Because It Started That Way, if you havent been following the FTC versus Qualcomm case and are in the tech industry, you probably should. Whats likely at stake are future inventors rights to monetize their inventions, the U.S. government becoming an IP price fixer, U.S. 5G competitiveness, and competitiveness in related industries like self-driving cars and smart cities and potentially even national security. One of the things that caught my eye last week was Apple COO Jeff Williams FTC testimony that Qualcomm wouldnt sell it chips for its 2018 iPhones. This could be viewed as support for the FTCs no license-no chips accusation against Qualcomm and be damaging to Qualcomms defense. Williams testified that But in the end, they (Qualcomm) would not support us and sell us chips- I contacted Steve (Mollenkopf), I sent him emails, I called. We tried to get them to sell us chips and they would not. Three days ago, Bloombergs Ian King and Mark Gurman ran a piece from leaked emails in September 2017 between Apple and Qualcomm suggesting Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf did offer to sell Apple its wireless chips for use in 2018 iPhones. The article said that Apple wanted source code for the modems and Qualcomm wanted a commitment to 50% of the supply over two years. If accurate, this article would support what Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf testified to when asked, was there ever a time when Qualcomm withdrew from competing for business at Apple? and Mollenkopf answered, no. While I would have preferred to see the Qualcomm-Apple emails in testimony versus leaked emails, no one so far is questioning the email authenticity with me. Ill assume this wasnt part of FTC evidence because the FTC limited its investigation through 2016. I want to peel back the onion a bit and dig in on a few things. First off, this exchange seems like good, old fashioned negotiating. I spent over 20 years at hardware OEMs and chip companies, did a lot of negotiating from both sides, and this is what negotiation looks like. It appears Qualcomm wanted a volume commitment and Apple, based on Williams testimony, seemed prepared to offer it, given Williams earlier testimony on a desire to dual-source. Apple also appears to want the source code for the thin modem. I will assume that Apple wanted Qualcomms latest X20 LTE modem at the time and the X20 source code. What I dont understand is why Apple wouldnt just keep using the X16 modem, which lined up well right next to Intels XMM 7560 gigabit class modem from a feature and speed standpoint. Apple already had the source code for the X16 modem and continues to ship the X16 in older iPhone models today. In November 2017, Qualcomm asked a San Diego court to force Apple to provide a software audit on how Apple was using its source code. In September 2018, Qualcomm filed a breach of contract lawsuit against Apple for trade secret misappropriation. What is evident from this chain of events from September 2017 to September 2018 is that Qualcomm was worried Apple was going to misappropriate its X20 source code as Qualcomm believed it did with the X16. Apples stock response to these trade secret theft accusations was, "Qualcomm's illegal business practices are harming Apple and the entire industry. They supply us with a single connectivity component, but for years have been demanding a percentage of the total cost of our products - effectively taxing Apple's innovation." Even though Qualcomm had its fears over trade secret theft, according to the Bloomberg emails, the company was still prepared to sell it modems with a volume commitment. To the core of the FTCs suit against Qualcomm is that it wouldnt sell chips unless customers paid for licensing fees. If the emails referenced to in the Bloomberg article are accurate, then it looks like Qualcomm's Mollenkopf was prepared to sell its chips to Apple but Apple didnt like the terms. This all strikes me as negotiation, not anti-trust harm, particularly when Apple could have used the X16 modem with which it already had the source code and is still buying. This he said-she said are what courts are for, to piece through these things and as I have said, Im no lawyer and dont play one on TV. I hope to see a day that Apple and Qualcomm can resolve its differences and focus all on what consumers want- innovative products and great experiences, because Im getting sick of all this. Disclosure: Moor Insights & Strategy, like all research and analyst firms, provides or has provided paid research, analysis, advising, or consulting to many high-tech companies in the industry, including Advanced Micro Devices, Apstra, ARM Holdings, Bitfusion, Cisco Systems, Dell EMC, Diablo Technologies, Echelon, Ericcson, Frame, Gen Z Consortium, Glue Networks, GlobalFoundries, Google (Nest), HP Inc. HewlettPackard Enterprise, Huawei Technologies, IBM, Jabil Circuit, Intel, Interdigital, Konica Minolta, Lenovo, Linux Foundation, MACOM (Applied Micro), MapBox, Mavenir, Mesosphere, Microsoft, National Instruments, NOKIA (Alcatel Lucent), Nortek, NVIDIA, ONUG, OpenStack Foundation, Peraso, Portworx, Protequus, Pure Storage, Qualcomm, Rackspace, Rambus, Red Hat, Samsung Technologies, Silver Peak, SONY, Springpath, Sprint, Stratus Technologies, TensTorrent, Tobii Technology, Synaptics, Verizon Communications, Vidyo, Wellsmith, Xilinx, Zebra, which may be cited in this article. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmoorhead/2019/01/21/why-didnt-apple-use-qualcomms-modems-in-2018-iphones/ |
Which Startup Industry are Tech Workers Most Interested in Joining? | Blockchain and crypto are no longer the most sought-after sectors January 21, 2019 2 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Two years ago, tech workers would do anything to land a job in the blockchain and cryptocurrency sectors. After all, the crypto-hype ensured a good, steady income. In 2018, however, the fever died, and machine learning and artificial intelligence became the most desired industries for tech professionals. According to the Year In Review by AngelList, a US-based platform that connects startups with investors, more than two million candidates were job hunting in 2018, and their top preference was artificial intelligence and machine learning. Last year, a report from the World Economic Forum (WEF) said that machines and algorithms in the workplace are expected to create 133 million new roles by 2022. This means that the growth of artificial intelligence could create 58 million net new jobs in the next few years, says The Future of Jobs 2018 report. The increasing demand AngelList, which is a recruiting ground for likes of Amazon, Facebook and Stripe, hosted 138,000 job listings last year, a whopping 70 per cent rise throughout 2017. Whats more, over 45,000 startups and 92,000 firms looked for new talent, and over 1,000,000 connections between startups and job-seekers started on AngelList Talent in 2018. Six prominent were home to 40 per cent of all job listings on the site. San Francisco led the pack, boasting over 2,000 AI-focused startups. That's more than double the number in any other city. It was followed by New York, where the most in-demand skill was sales; Bengaluru, where one in six companies is in the e-commerce space; Los Angeles, where over 30 per cent of the job listings included the option for candidates to work remotely; Boston, where more than 10 per cent of the startups on AngelList Talent are advancing biotech; and London, which has the highest density of travel startups. The report notes that the most in-demand programming proficiencies sought are Python, Javascript and React.js. Here are the top six most sought-after industries tech workers are interested in joining: | https://www.entrepreneur.com/slideshow/326670 |
How could sleet happen at 16 degrees? | Dear Tom, My sister in Boston told me it was 16 degrees and sleeting. Thanks, Shari Waterford, Wisconsin Dear Shari, Sleet and freezing rain can fall with very low surface temperatures. Its the temperature profile in the layer from the clouds to the surface that determines what type of precipitation reaches the ground. Though sleet and freezing rain are quite different, the atmospheric conditions that produce them are identical: rain, originating in warmer air aloft, falling into subfreezing air at ground level. If the depth of subfreezing air is great enough and if its temperature is low enough, the raindrops will freeze before reaching the surface, and the result is sleet or ice pellets. If the raindrops dont freeze on the way down but freeze on impact to glaze the ground and exposed objects, the result is freezing rain. | https://wgntv.com/2019/01/21/how-could-sleet-happen-at-16-degrees/ |
Did a fan point a laser pointer at Tom Bradys face during the AFC Championship Game? | Video taken by a Kansas City TV cameraman appears to show a laser pointer aimed at Tom Bradys face during the fourth quarter of Sundays AFC Championship Game in Kansas City. The footage, taken by KMBCs Turner Twyman according to KMBC reporter William Joy, shows a light Bradys facemask and helmet as he goes under center and then hands the ball off to running back Sony Michel. The play immediately preceded a tipped Brady interception corralled by Chiefs safety Daniel Sorensen that helped stage a Kansas City comeback. According to Joy, no Patriots or Chiefs player said he was aware of the incident post-game. Our photographer, Turner Twyman, caught someone pointing what appears to be a laser pointer in Tom Brady's face last night. Play between the "muff" that wasn't and Sorensen int. @NFL, @Patriots and @Chiefs all told me they weren't aware of the incident. pic.twitter.com/ejWBQ6i64C William Joy (@WilliamKMBC) January 21, 2019 Joy later tweeted a second video Monday showing another light on Bradys face as he completed a pass to New England wideout Chris Hogan in the fourth quarter. Brady led two touchdown drives to close out Kansas City in overtime. He completed 30 of 46 passes for 348 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the title victory. By defeating the top-seeded Chiefs, New England has advanced to Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams on Feb. 3 in Atlanta. | https://www.masslive.com/patriots/2019/01/did-a-fan-point-a-laser-pointer-at-tom-bradys-face-during-the-afc-championship-game.html |
Who Is Kato Kaelin on Celebrity Big Brother? | As Julie Chen Moonves says, expect the unexpected! The actor, 59, was announced as one of the 12 stars competing for $250,000. Us Weekly has gathered some vital facts. The O.J. Connection Kaelin is best known for his relationship with O.J. Simpson; he was staying in a guest house on the former football stars Rockingham, California, estate and was present on June 12, 1994 the night Simpsons ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman were murdered. Due to contradicting statements, Marcia Clark declared him a hostile witness. Hes an Actor Before his notoriety, Kaelin appeared in the 1987 film Beach Fever and the 1989 horror flick Night Shadow. Following the case, he appeared in many more films and TV shows including BASEketball, Norm, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch and Baskets. This Isnt His First Reality Show Kaelin has always loved reality TV life! Hes appeared on Celebrity Boot Camp, Sunset Tan and Reality Bites Back. Hes also competed on The Weakest Link, Russian Roulette and the dating show BZZZ! Hes a Father In 1983, Kaelin married Cynthia Coulter and they have one child, Tiffany Kaelin Knight. Coulter and Kaelin split in 1989. He Was Popular as a Kid Kaelin, whose real name is Brian Gerard Kaelin, was nicknamed Kato after Bruce Lees character from The Green Hornet TV series. In high school, he led the baseball team to the finals and was named prom king. Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter to get breaking celebrity news, hot pics and more delivered straight to your inbox! | https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/who-is-kato-kaelin-on-celebrity-big-brother/ |
Is Apple about to kill the iPhone 5C? | According to the latest reports, Apple is preparing to release two new iPhones this September - and may kill off the colorful sibling in the process. South China Morning Post claims that one of the new iPhone 6 handsets will pack a 4.7-inch screen, while the other will come in at a sizeable 5.5 inches. They'll also reportedly be made from sapphire crystal, even though we just heard that Apple couldn't afford to put these tougher screens in the iPhone 6. According to the sources "who have seen the prototypes", these screens will have a pixel density of 441ppi, up from the current 326ppi. But also interesting is the claim that Apple is planning to ditch its colorful 5C from the lineup. Instead, it will reportedly sell a 5S "made from cheaper material." The iPhone 5C didn't take off quite like Apple had hoped, with Tim Cook admitting that the sales were lower than expected. However, take this rumor with necessary caution, especially as the source is unverified. Via 9to5Mac | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/is-apple-about-to-kill-the-iphone-5c-1223984 |
Will NFL adopt CFL policy for pass interference review after officiating error? | Toronto Argonauts defensive back Matt Black can see the winds of change blowing through the NFL after Sundays controversial finish to the NFC title game just like in the CFL in 2014. The Los Angeles Rams advanced to the Super Bowl with a 26-23 overtime win over the New Orleans Saints the first game of a wild semifinal Sunday that started a debate about rules that happen to be different in the CFL. Greg Zuerlein kicked the game-winning 57-yard field goal after forcing overtime with a 48-yard boot late in the fourth quarter thanks in large part to a blown call in the quarter. On third-and-10 inside the Rams 15-yard line, Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw a pass toward receiver Tommylee Lewis. But Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman not only didnt turn his head to see the ball, but delivered a helmet-to-helmet hit on Lewis at about the five-yard line before it arrived. Amazingly, no flag was thrown. Had a penalty been called, New Orleans wouldve received a fresh set of downs and the chance to run the clock down and kick a short game-winning field goal. Wil Lutzs 31-yard field goal put the Saints ahead 23-20 but St. Louis got the ball at its 25-yard line with 1:41 remaining and drove for a tying field goal. Saints head coach Sean Payton was incensed with the non-call, but could do nothing about it. Had this happened in a CFL game, Payton wouldve had an opportunity to challenge the play. CFL teams can make one challenge per game so long as they have at least one timeout. If the challenge is unsuccessful, a timeout is charged. But a team keeps the timeout if the challenge is successful. Regardless of the outcome, no other challenges can be made. So under CFL rules, Payton wouldve still had to have his challenge and at least one timeout to have the play reviewed. On Sunday, the CFL drew praise from ESPN, which also suggested it was time for the NFL to expand its replay rules. And the Edmonton Eskimos tweeted: If anything has been learned today, it is that the @CFL rules are @NFL rules and that theres less of a chance of seeing the same teams in the championship. Black, entering his 11th CFL season with the Argos, expects the NFL to look hard at making pass interference a reviewable offence. I think this will spur change in the NFL, said Black, a two-time Grey Cup champion. I think youll see the review of this because of that play. But Id want it to go both ways. If theres offensive pass interference then you can challenge it and if theres defensive pass interference then you could do that too. In 2014, the CFL became the first football league to make pass interference reviewable. That came after Hamilton defensive back Evan McCollough wasnt called for contacting Montreal receiver Duron Carter in the end zone late in the Tiger-Cats 19-16 overtime win in the 13 East Division semifinal. Instead of getting the ball at the Hamilton one-yard line, Montreal had to settle for a game-tying field goal. Coaches initially had two challenges but that number was reduced to one in 2017. In the 2015 Grey Cup, a successful challenge by head coach Chris Jones helped Edmonton beat Ottawa 26-20 in Winnipeg. Jones challenged an incompletion that was changed to pass interference and put the Esks on the Redblacks 10-yard line. That set up Jordan Lynchs one-yard TD run with 3:22 remaining and Mike Reillys completion to Akeem Shavers for the two-point convert to erase a 20-18 deficit. Glen Johnson, the former CFL official who later served as the leagues director of officiating, said there was no doubt Robey-Coleman interfered with Lewis. I did (expect a flag to be thrown). Johnson said. Absolutely (it was pass interference) and I say that with all empathy for the official because people just dont know until theyre out there just how hard it is. As an official, way back I went from not liking (replay) to feeling it was a really good tool to help us. And when I went into management I went, This is absolutely mandatory to protect the integrity of the game. The AFC championship game wasnt immune from criticism, either, and it too revolved around a rule unique to the NFL. The New England Patriots, after winning the coin toss for overtime, marched 80 yards on 15 plays capped by Rex Burkheads two-yard TD run to beat the Kansas City Chiefs 37-31. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who threw for 295 yards and three TDs in regulation, never touched the field in the extra session. In the CFL, both teams get the ball in overtime. In the NFL, a touchdown ends the game. That prompted Calgary Stampeders punter Rob Maver to tweet: I say this as an objective viewer: the NFLs overtime rules are complete and utter garbage. But Nik Lewis, the CFLs all-time receptions leader (1,051) now in his first season as the B.C. Lions running backs coach, likes the NFLs overtime policy during the regular season, But he thinks both teams should get the ball in the playoffs. Its a battle to earn the right to go to the next stage, he said. Really, the coin toss decides the game. Black supports the NFLs OT format. If you drive 80 yards and score a touchdown, tell me why the New England Patriots dont deserve to go to the Super Bowl, he said. If New England had to kick a field goal, Mahomes gets the ball back and the Chiefs get an opportunity to march down the field. If they score a TD, were sitting here talking about how amazing a 23-year-old kid is whos taking his team to the Super Bowl. I dont think there has ever been or will ever be another combination like Tom Brady and (Pats coach) Bill Belichick. However, it was the non-call in the NFC contest that drew the most attention. Like Black, Johnson believes the incident will move the NFL closer to allowing coaches to challenge pass interference. I hope it does, he said. I hope it serves as good dialogue for the rules committee. But Johnson believes the CFLs challenge system could be tweaked. The hardest part in figuring all of this out is you want a system, method or approach you can get to that leaves you that challenge for that moment, Johnson said. Had we not had two (challenges) in the 15 Grey Cup, they might not have had that other challenge to use late in the game to fix that PI. I think fundamentally there has to be a system to use replay to get egregious calls fixed. The officials want it, the fans want it, the coaches want it. Everybody wants it. Lewis, though, doesnt see it that way. The reason is its never consistent, theyre judgment calls, said Lewis. Theres not a consistent rule on pass interference so I think its very hard to decide which is interference and which isnt. But theres no doubt that play was pass interference. Still, Lewis said the Saints couldve made the play moot by scoring TDs in a dominant first half rather than settling for field goals. As a player or coach, you know theres going to be calls for and against you that are borderline, he said. So you dont want to put yourself in that situation (where game is decided by officials call). Jim Daley, a former head coach with Winnipeg and Saskatchewan, said with CFL coaches having just one challenge, a viable option could be having the replay official buzzing the game official when theres an obvious miss. It was a huge mistake, an obvious mistake and (NFL) has already admitted that, he said. In the CFL if youve already used your challenge, youre not challenging that play anyway. I just think there might be a process where a review official whos away from the heat of the game but sees the whole picture can somehow reach the game official and review it. | https://nationalpost.com/pmn/sports-pmn/football-sports-pmn/will-nfl-adopt-cfl-policy-for-pass-interference-review-after-officiating-error |
How has Liberia's George Weah performed as a president? | Image copyright AFP Image caption A year ago, President Georg Weah promised Liberians that he would "deliver change" As George Weah, at one time named the world's best footballer, marks a year in power in Liberia the BBC's Jonathan Paye-Layleh assesses his scorecard. There is no doubt that at 52, George Weah can still work a crowd. On New Year's Eve he invited his cabinet and supporters to the dedication of a private family church that he has had built. During the late-night service, the president turned preacher, sermonising for several hours. Dressed in white robes, he told the congregation at Forky Jlaleh Family Fellowship Church: "God has given each and every person talent that they can use for their own benefit." And he likened the opportunity to serve in his government to being on a football team. "When you are on the pitch playing you should know there are others on the substitutes' bench ready to replace you at any time," he said. This elicited cheers from the church-goers, but acknowledges the pressure the government is under. In its end-of-year message, the Liberia Council of Churches summed up the inevitable frustration felt after the euphoria of Mr Weah landslide victory. 'Our people are hungry' "About a year ago, we elected a government with the hope that economically, our lives would be transformed," Kortu Brown, president of the umbrella Christian group, said on local radio station Prime FM. "But most often what we hear is the negative side of the governance process, the economic challenges by way of corruption, abuse, frauds, wastes." The opposition People Unification Party had more of a stark warning for a country still scarred by years of civil war: "At the end of your first year, our people, your people are hungry; the bread and butter issue keeps getting worse "[A] poorly performed economy is not a good sign for peace and security; when people are hungry they are most definitely angry; Liberia is angry because its people are hungry." Image copyright EPA Image caption Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was given a hero's welcome when he visited Liberia His critics point to one of his first priorities - the retirement of his number 14 shirt, worn during his playing peak - to illustrate what they feel is his lack of vision. Week-long ceremonies were organised in the capital, Monrovia, with Arsene Wenger, the football coach who had signed him up for Monaco in 1998, being flown over in September and given Liberia's highest honour. The president, who retired from football in 2003 to go into politics, played an international friendly as part of the events so the crowds could see him finally hang up the jersey he wore for the national side. It is easy to see that President Weah was acting as a role model - someone that many young Liberians want to emulate. Seven things about George Weah: Image copyright AFP Born 1 October, 1966, grew up in a slum in Liberia's capital Signed by Arsene Wenger to Monaco from Cameroonian club Tonnerre Yaound Made Monaco debut in 1987, went on to play for AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea Only African to win Fifa World Player of the Year First ran for president in 2005, losing to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Graduated with a business degree from a US university after being accused of lacking education Elected president in December 2017 But he faced immediate criticism for not leading by example in declaring his assets - something all government officials must do before taking office. After enormous public pressure, he eventually filed a declaration in July - though it has not been published. The whole saga left questions about his government's commitment to fighting corruption. He has also faced accusations about putting his personal business interests first, including pushing ahead with two big real estate projects. But the chairman of the ruling Congress for Democratic Change party said this proved Liberia was now a good place for good for all investors, and was a good thing for the floundering economy. Image copyright AFP Image caption The president is fond of referring to his football career when trying to motivate people "For you to make a determination to invest in a country, you must be guaranteed a security," Mulbah Morlue was quoted in Liberia's FrontPage newspaper this month. "Now, that the man is our president and has created security for all, the guarantee for one to begin to invest in our country is there." And the president has been attacked for the personal nature of other public infrastructure projects, from road improvement in his home areas to slum improvements where he grew up. When he ordered the re-roofing of more than 200 houses in Monrovia's Gibraltar slum, where he was born and raised, the initial official explanation was that the president was undertaking the project privately and paying for it himself. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption George Weah: The football legend who became president But months after the work had been done, a memo to the finance ministry ordering the transfer of nearly $1m (775,000) in official funds to cover the costs was leaked to the media. The ministry of finance has so far remained silent since the publication of the memo. Such stories undermine confidence in his authority and make his leadership a constant debate on lively phone-in radio shows. But he was wildly cheered in October when he announced that tuition fees at state universities and colleges were being scrapped. However, there are fears the decision was not properly considered. Before the announcement, the University of Liberia was struggling to make ends meet and it currently operates at half of what it needs to function. Some, including university student leader Martin Kollie, saw it a tactic to distract from the scandal surrounding the allegation that $100m-worth of Liberian currency has gone missing. In March, stories emerged that the newly printed bank notes intended for the central bank did not reach their destination. The notes, ordered in November 2017 before Mr Weah took office, allegedly vanished from containers in Monrovia's port and airport in March, two months after Mr Weah became president. The government ordered an investigation in September - though that is likely to take months, if not years, to complete - and the journalist who first broke the story has had to face death threats. There have been regular protests under the slogan "Bring Back Our Money", but central bank governor Nathaniel Patray has denied the money is missing. But on a personal level, there is no denying that Liberians are having to cope with a severe cash shortage, and people have to queue for hours and sometimes days to withdraw money from banks. Someone wanting to withdraw, for example, 25,000 Liberian dollars ($160) is given just 5,000 Liberian dollars ($36). 'I was a performer' Mr Weah has roundly rejected the criticism. "Remember I was a performer, I played in front [of] 100,000 people, 200,000 people; if I played bad, they laughed at me; they booed me; but with all the boo and what have you, I still became [the winner of] the Ballon d'Or," he said in December. "So anything you say, anything you do to tarnish my reputation even though I am doing well, you are wasting your time." After nearly a year in power, the president told his congregation as the New Year struck, that it was not a time for despondency. "Let's forget about all the setbacks in 2018 and focus on the prosperous New Year, what God gave you is enough." | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-46947032 |
What prop betting lines are available for Super Bowl LIII? | CLOSE Two weeks before the biggest game in football descends on Atlanta, officials say they are doing everything to ensure it's a success. (Jan. 15) AP Super Bowl Sunday means heavily scripted commercials, a star-studded halftime show and a football game (by the way, the Patriots are favored by 1 1/2 points over the Rams as of Jan. 21 per Bovada). It also means lots of wagering on different bets. Here's a look at some of the betting lines that Bovada is presenting days before the start of Super Bowl LIII. YES -110 NO -130 CLOSE Jarrett Bell and Mike Jones from New Orleans and Kansas City on how the Rams and Patriots pulled off their impressive wins to head to the Super Bowl. YES +900 NO -3500 CLOSE SportsPulse: This will likely go down as the worst officiated championship weekend ever. But if you are a fan of chaos and pure insane entertainment it was incredible. Trysta Krick breaks down how the Patriots and Rams punched their ticket to the Super Bowl. Coke or variants -170 Pepsi or variants +130 SUPER BOWL LIII: TV, schedule, kick off time, streaming for Patriots-Rams | https://www.tennessean.com/story/sports/nfl/2019/01/21/super-bowl-2019-prop-bets-mvp-odds-national-anthem-commercials/2637355002/ |
Would Glen Ellyn apartment proposal dominate downtown landscape? | hello The site of the development once housed the Giesche Shoes store. Daily Herald file photo A proposed five-story apartment complex at the corner of Main Street and Hillside Avenue in Glen Ellyn is drawing criticism from some who say it would destroy the feel of the village's downtown. Courtesy of Village of Glen Ellyn The corner of Main Street and Hillside Avenue provides one of the best views of the downtown that made Jon Brazier want to move to Glen Ellyn more than 20 years ago. The area's rolling topography reaches a high point at that corner. To the west is the St. Petronille Parish steeple. Looking south is a tree-lined Main Street with Tudor-style facades and a sense of history. If built, a proposed five-story apartment complex would dominate that landscape and overshadow one of the downtown's "tremendous view corridors," says Brazier, who lives about a block away. "Main Street will be a dark, partial canyon for the most of the day," he said. "Nowhere in our village, in those critical downtown areas, are we casting shadows across the street for that type of duration. It will be very uninviting." The issues of height, architectural style and traffic remain at the forefront of a debate about the redevelopment of the former Giesche Shoe store at the northwest corner of Main and Hillside. Village trustees on Tuesday will discuss the developers' request for financial incentives and nearly a dozen conditions recommended by plan commissioners, who unanimously endorsed the plans. For proponents, the project represents a roughly $39 million investment that will bring foot traffic to support new restaurants and other businesses that are replacing mom-and-pop establishments. The site has been the subject of four proposals that have failed to materialize since the family-owned shoe store closed in 2014. Developers bought the property from the Giesche family. GSP Development President Larry Debb and John Kosich are the project's two principals. Critics support a mix-used development, but oppose the current plan for "Apex 400," a building with 8,844 square feet of first-floor retail space, 107 upscale apartments and a two-story parking garage. "We want something that thoughtfully, responsibly integrates with the current fabric that makes Glen Ellyn so special," Brazier said. Developers have made nearly 30 changes to the project, according to village documents. But Lee Marks, the former chairman of the village's historic preservation commission, said the revised elevation "isn't any better." "I challenge anyone who lives in Glen Ellyn to stand on the corner of Main Street and Hillside Avenue to look down the hill at our incredibly charming, historic and unspoiled business district, and tell me that a massive five-story building won't completely overwhelm our south historic district and radically change the entire complexion of our downtown," Marks wrote to the village. Village code allows a maximum height of 45 feet for Main Street properties, but developers are seeking a height of up to 65 feet at the top of a parapet. Most of the complex would stand roughly 58 feet tall. "Just the scale is huge, and it's going to overtake the Main Street," resident Jeff Blei said. Trustee Mark Senak has suggested developers scrap plans for public parking to scale back the overall height of the complex. GSP Development has secured an agreement to buy the neighboring village-owned Main Street parking lot. Developers would build 137 covered, public spaces on the first floor of a new parking garage at a cost of $3.143 million. At the end of the project, developers would convey back the first floor at a village cost of $10. The village would maintain and own that first level. But Senak disputes the need for public parking in the redevelopment. A new garage behind the Civic Center also is in the design phase. "The simple fact is if you look at almost any metric on how much parking we need in that location, we have plenty, and if we don't, the parking garage at the Civic Center will take care of that," Senak said. But Village President Diane McGinley said developers aren't willing to pay for the village-owned Main Street lot to make way for the complex. The lot is valued at $1.845 million. "We would be giving our land forever and we would not have received anything for it," she said. What's more, increasing commuter parking opens up grant opportunities as the village pursues funding for a planned replacement of its Metra station, McGinley said. McGinley expects developers to make more revisions as the plans come before trustees for the first time Tuesday. She said officials are open to suggestions, but cautioned against changes that would cause the developers to "start over from scratch." | https://www.dailyherald.com/business/20190121/would-glen-ellyn-apartment-proposal-dominate-downtown-landscape- |
Will Thai junta use strict royal insult laws to justify postponing general election for fifth time? | Thai protesters condemning the delay of the general election risk breaching the countrys strict lse-majest laws after military leaders criticised them for being anti-royal in a veiled threat. The People Who Want An Election pro-democracy group which has held four protests in the past three weeks has accused the junta of robbing people of their rights, as the general election, which was scheduled for February 24, looks likely to be delayed a fifth time. The junta has in the past weeks indicated possible election dates of March 10, March 24 or even May 9, but unless the government issues a royal decree announcing an election date, all talk about an election date is merely buying time, said lawyer Anon Nampa, one of the activists of the group. It is not about what day the election is to be held. It is about when an election will be announced into law. The junta, which came to power after it ousted the Yingluck Shinawatra administration in a bloodless coup in 2014, has insisted the election cannot be held too close to the coronation of the new king, scheduled for May 4-6. Critics claim the military is using the coronation as an excuse to postpone the election. Army chief general Apirat Kongsompong, a staunch royalist, labelled the group troublemakers and warned them not to cross the line a euphemism for breaking the lse-majest laws, which prohibit royal insult. In Thailand, where the royal family is deeply revered, the accusation could divert attention away from the groups cause or worse, land them in jail. But the veiled threat did not deter the group from gathering at Bangkoks Thammasat University last Saturday. One of the protest leaders, political activist Sirawit Serithiwat, declared before a few hundred people that if a royal decree was not issued soon, the group would protest next at the Government House, which has now become a thiefs lair. Another protester said that by invoking the coronation of King Maha Vajiralongkorn to curb demonstrations, the junta aimed to create misunderstanding among the public. Our demands remain the same. We dont want an election to be delayed further. We only need a clear timeline of when the military regime would stop prolonging their time in power, Nattha Mahatthana said. The longer the election is being delayed, the more the risks we, as a society, have to bear together. The People Who Want An Election group wants an election to be held no later than March 10. Under the law, if the Election Commission fails to hold an election within 150 days of the voting law coming into effect as it did on December 11 any election after that could be declared invalid, allowing the junta to prolong its term. I see the lift of political ban as a performance. I think the junta knows when and how to pull the strings Titipol Phakdeewanich, political scientist In the nearly five years it has been in power, the junta has used the sweeping Article 44 to suppress critics, remove independent organisations members and ban public gatherings. It gave Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha the authority to take a range of broadly defined steps to strengthen public unity and harmony and to prevent conduct that undermined public order. It also allowed the military to detain people for up to seven days with a court warrant. Political gatherings of more than five people were banned, and the military was able prevent to circulation of materials deemed to be causing fear or distorted information. In December, that ban on political activities was lifted and political parties have been staging campaigns nationwide ahead of the poll. However, the junta maintains a tight leash on political activities. It is true that a ban on political activity was lifted in mid-December but in practice the junta still closely monitors politicians they deem as opponents and political activists, said Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political scientist at Ubon Ratchathani University. These monitoring activities create a climate of fear and intimidation, so even though there are many who want to go to the polls, there will not be as many who will join the protests. So the gathering is allowed to be organised at a level that the military can control. I see the lift of political ban as a performance. I think the junta knows when and how to pull the strings. Their full powers exist as long as Article 44 exists. In reality, there is no freedom of expression or political freedom in Thailand now. This years general election, if held, will be the first since Yingluck now a fugitive who fled the country just before she was due to be sentenced for a corruption scandal swept to victory in 2011. Thailand has been mired in political conflict for more than a decade since Yinglucks brother, Thaksin, was ousted in a coup in 2006 on allegations of corruption, abuse of power and disrespect for the monarchy. The 2017 Constitution allows a prime minister to not have to be a member of the parliament. It also allows, for the first time, a 250-seat Senate to vote for the prime minister. The Senate will be appointed by the junta. A new voting system was designed to reduce the seats of big parties like the Shinawatra-backed Pheu Thai, making it impossible to gain a majority in a 750-seat Lower House plus Senate. The Phalang Pracharat, a newly formed political party with four cabinet ministers openly announcing their membership, has vowed to nominate Prayuth as prime minister after the election. | https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/2183085/will-thai-junta-use-strict-royal-insult-laws-justify |
Will schools close for the snow storm? | Below is the closed-captioning text associated with this video. Since this uses automated speech to text spelling and grammar may not be accurate. blast of wintery weather heading our way - local schools are already starting to adjust schedules including for sporting events tonight. k-i-m-t news three's brian tabick is in clear lake after talking to the superindent about what goes into making these chans. he joins us now live - brian?xxx decision to close school-lintro-3 amy the clear lake lions boys and girls basketball teams are taking on webster city today instead of tomorrow.. decision to close school-lintro-2 those games were moved up as we are expecting another six to eight inches of snow -- now the question is will students be seeing a second snow day so far this year?xxx decision to close school-mpkg-1 decision to close school-mpkg-2 kelly mason is a mom who owns lake lifestyle in clear lake. she says it's good to know as soon as possible when administrators plan to call off classes. those with the school district say there's a lot that goes into making the tough decision to close school. superintendent doug gee says they look at the time of the storm and if it is safe to get students to and from school safely. he says he and other staff members drive the streets to see what conditions are like as well as talk with other area school dustricts about what they plan to do. but - at the end of the day - the top priority is to keep kids like mason's safe. decision to close school-mpkg-3 i really like when they close it early because i think that you can make plans for the next day the kids can get settled you can kind of get your bearings and be prepared another going to be wrong sometimes but they're going to be right other times there are the kids be safe and we can plan ahead and i think that's ok / decision to close school-ltag-2 clear lake's games are not the only ones being impacted by the weather. the mason city mohawks were set to play south polk last friday... but because of the snow storm - those games will be played tonight. katie - we are going to have highlights from both schools' boys and girls games - coming up at ten. live in clear lake brian tabick k-i-m-t news three. / thank you brian. and stick with k-i-m-t news three as we continue to track this storm - as well as any closures that may impact you. / | https://www.kimt.com/content/video/504669772.html?ref=772 |
Does it get more Canadian than a Zamboni in a ditch? | The owner of a Zamboni that was the subject of a widely shared photo on social media Monday says the machine still works after strong winds pushed it into a ditch overnight. Jake Ross of Lower Burlington, N.S., says the ice resurfacing machine had been in front of his home decorated with Christmas lights before it ended up in the ditch about "500 or 600 feet" from his house. "Who would have thought that a windstorm was so bad that it would have blown a Zamboni across the field?" Ross told CBC News. Sunday and overnight into Monday, a wet and wild winter storm blew through the province, bringing with it high winds, freezing rain, blowing snow and plenty of ice. Jake Ross, the owner of the Zamboni, decorated it with string lights for Christmas. (Submitted by Jake Ross) On Monday morning, Ajay Henderson was driving on New Cheverie Road with a colleague from GFL Environmental when the fugitive Zamboni caught his eye. "It's just one of those things that once you see it, you can't unsee it," Henderson said. Henderson snapped a picture of the scene and posted it to Facebook. "Of course I had to look at it, like, that is the most Canadian thing ever a Zamboni in the ditch. There's not a hockey rink in sight," Henderson said. From there it spread quickly. The photo even caught the attention of American comedian Larry the Cable Guy, who shared it with his five million followers with the caption: "You guys in Canada sure know how to party...." With the help of a friend, Ross was able to pull the Zamboni out of the ditch after work on Monday. He said he's had the Zamboni for a while and plans to modify it for another use some time in the future. For the past few years, he's had it on his lawn with string lights attached to it to serve as a Christmas decoration. "People get a kick out of it," Ross said. He said he's glad the Zamboni didn't hit anybody and people are able to find the humour in the situation. "I think it's pretty great. You know, it's always good to hear something good on the news and being shared around, so I can't complain that way," Ross said. | https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/does-it-get-more-canadian-than-a-zamboni-in-a-ditch-1.4987228?cmp=rss |
Is it time for another Judiciary radical surgery? | The Judiciary in Kenya is caught up in a crisis of public confidence. It is buffeted from all corners by a people who has become increasingly impatient with an institution that does not seem to be reforming itself in line with the countrys new ethos of public service, probity, integrity and accountability. Several incidents have demonstrated increasing disaffection with the Judiciary. President Uhuru Kenyatta has on several occasions asked courts to step up their game and assist the government in the war on graft. There are hundreds of corruption cases pending in courts that somehow just do not seem to proceed to, and complete, their full hearing. Director of Public prosecutions (DPP)Noordin Haji has become frustrated with the events at the Judiciary. From being stopped from prosecuting graft suspects to suspects being granted what he feels are inordinately light bail terms, the DPP feels hard done in by the courts. He has warned Kenyans could soon lose faith with the justice system. Actually, that faith was lost long ago, and the Judiciary does not seem to realise it. And it is not just with corruption cases that Kenyans are disenchanted with. There are numerous complaints against the way courts are administering justice. Indeed, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), has lined up for hearing 12 complaints against judges, including those of the Supreme Court. In 2018, the JSC dismissed nine magistrates. Another 12 cases are still pending before it from the disbanded Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board. The complaints JSC is set to deal with include laziness and absenteeism, delay in delivering judgements, conflict of interest et cetera. It has also been reported that American authorities may soon be seeking extradition orders against some judges said to have been compromised by the Akasha brothers to help them evade justice for years. The Akasha brothers were extradited to the US for trial on drug trafficking charges and were convicted. There is a perennial backlog of cases that courts never seem able to tackle. Work ethic questions among judicial officers abound. In many courts, judges or magistrates do not enter the courtroom before 9am. They listen to mentions for an hour before taking a tea break. They will then return for another hour before going for lunch. After a brief afternoon session, their day ends. An equally frustrated Law Society of Kenya (LSK) now wants courts to sit at night and over weekends for cases to move faster. Clearly, something has gone awry with the Judiciary. Yet amid this crisis, Chief Justice, Mr David Maraga, is silent! One would have expected that he would have demonstrated through serious action that he is keen on restoring public faith in the justice system. However, he is always in a defensive mode. His favourite refrain is that the courts will only convict case with strong evidence. That is fine. The point is, courts should dispense with cases expeditiously so that even those without strong evidence can be dismissed. Worse, the new trend of dismissing cases before they are heard on the basis of evidence strength really makes a mockery of justice. That is a very serious miscarriage of justice and Kenyans must say no to a system that is so open to abuse! When retired president Mwai Kibaki, came to power, it became clear to his government that the Judiciary at that point was so rotten that nothing short of a radical surgery could salvage it. A report on the integrity of the bench was published which became the basis for vetting of judges who had been adversely mentioned. Many of them were axed. While the Judiciary is now manifestly independent given the new constitutional order, the country cannot sit back and allow it to run rogue. Vetting has become part and parcel of Kenyas body politic, and must be extended to the Judiciary. It is clear the judiciary is now a stumbling block in the war against graft. It is time a thorough shake-up was undertaken. The Executive and Legislature should immediately set up the mechanism to facilitate this process. [email protected] | http://www.mediamaxnetwork.co.ke/499201/is-it-time-for-another-judiciary-radical-surgery/ |
Could micro-homes be the affordable answer for Londoners? | Small, custom-designed units with communal living spaces could ease the capital's housing crisis Size doesnt matter when it comes to your home, according to a new report published by the Adam Smith Institute. The thinktanks report suggests that micro-homes could help younger Londoners move into flats in the city centre close to places of work and leisure. Restricted supply of new housing has led to sharp rises in both house prices and rents in central London in recent decades, with young Londoners priced out of the market. Micro-homes are purpose-designed flats with floor space below 37 square metres. That may not sound too appealing, but proponents say the developments make innovative use of space. Despite the private, personal living areas being small, micro-housing is often accompanied by communal amenities such as games rooms and open living spaces that can help address loneliness. Instead of the cramped sub-division of existing units, these are smart, modern, custom-designed units that make good use of space, and which have already won prestigious architectural awards, said the Institute. Report author and urban policy researcher Vera Kichanova stresses that while micro-housing is not a panacea or a replacement for planning reform, it could be a partial solution for those in cities like London that want to live close to where they work, as well as close to bars and restaurants. Without micro-homes many Londoners are forced to pack into crammed peak hour commuter trains, share living space with complete strangers, or leave the city altogether. The Adam Smith Institutes head of research Matthew Lesh said: Small, but perfectly formed micro-homes would expand choice for young Londoners. There are many who would rather live close to the city centre, in a building full of amenities such as game rooms and co-working spaces, rather than spending hours commuting every day. Londons housing crisis is not just an economic problem, hurting growth because people cannot live where they would be most productive, it is also having very real and serious political ramifications. The lack of housing affordability is leading many to lose faith in the entire free market system. Housing policy reform is an urgent priority, and while micro-housing is no substitute for fundamental planning reform, it is an important first step. | https://www.yourmortgage.co.uk/news/could-micro-homes-be-the-affordable-answer-for-londoners/ |
What the heck is a Snowdog? | UNITY, Maine It looks like a self-propelled wheel barrel. The operator sits or stands on a plastic sled right behind. It's a tracked vehicle that go on all terrain including snow. It is quickly creating curiosity and attracting attention among outdoorsmen. It is a multi-purpose utility vehicle. People who play or work outdoors find them handy. "We try to coin it as a utility task machine," says Josh Miville of Chase Toys in Unite which sells Snowdogs. "People are coming up with all sorts of reasons to use them." One of those people is Bob Carter of Thorndike. He is an ardent hunter and uses it in all sorts of ways. "I use mine mostly for coyote hunting. We have dogs and it's an efficient piece of equipment to put in the back of your pickup." The Snowdog features a 13.5 Briggs and Stratton engine and one forward speed. The Snowdog can reach speeds up to 20 miles an hour; "I think it's the wave of the future with a lot of families looking for economical machines," said Ryan Duff of Power Distributors which sells the Russian-made product in three states. Snowdogs retail for around four grand. A snowmobile costs twice as much. Snowdogs can haul a person and heavy gear afield or into the woods. | https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/features/what-the-heck-is-a-snowdog/97-745fcefa-d82c-4bc8-8582-a98f2894549c |
What are Obasanjos legacies? | Former President Olusegun Obasanjo perceives himself as a democrat and leader who laid a foundation of exemplary leadership as military head of state and civilian president. But, an x-ray of his leadership style reveals otherwise. Group Political Editor EMMANUEL OLADESU reports. Olusegun Obasanjo, retired General, civil war commander and two-time Head of State, stirred the hornet nest last Sunday during his review of the countrys preparations for next months presidential elections. He described himself as a democrat. In his highly-inflammable statement, he said President Muhammadu Buhari is worse than the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, who jailed him and hounded many politicians into detention. The General lied. The Ekerin Egba peeped into the nearest future, doubting the ability of the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC) chaired by Prof. Mahmud Yakubu to conduct free and fair elections. Obasanjo is backing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate and his former deputy, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar. The handwriting is bold on the wall. Ahead of the poll, the Ota farmer regressed into a curious defense mechanism, alerting the international community to an imminent election rigging that should attract punishment by powerful western countries. Many Nigerians have applauded Vice President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) for being a loyal deputy and injecting dynamism into the administration. The professor of law has been up and doing in the re-election campaigns. But, living up to expectation as a cunning, crafty and politically destructive actor, Obasanjo said Osinbajo has been busy buying Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) from prospective voters with N10,000. The Doctor of Theology said the vice president cannot be a man of God, urging Pastor Enoch Adeboye, who inducted him as a priest in the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) to terminate his priesthood The remarks by the former president are similar to his previous outbursts. In his letter to President Buhari last year, he painted a picture of gloom for the country. The politician, who craved a third term, admonished his colleague in the military to jettison his second term ambition. He failed to endorse the efforts at revamping the socio-political economy, blaming the president for incompetence and lack of capacity. Having failed to alter public perception about the administration, he cajoled the youths by urging them to bid for power. Obasanjo inspired the formation of a political party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which could not fly. Then, he turned his back to the youths by abandoning his push for generational shift. The former president also ate his words by striking a deal with Atiku out of frustration and desperation. Contrary to his portrayal of the Waziri Adamawa as an epitome of corruption in his books and numerous speeches, he made a u-turn, saying that he is better than Buhari. He opposed Atiku in 2003, 2007, 2011 and 2015. But, in 2019, he suddenly woke up from slumber and became atikulated. Less than a month to the presidential election, he resumed his old tricks of maligning, intimidating and blackmailing candidates, reminiscent of what he did to Atiku in 2007 as flag bearer of the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and ex-President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015. Basking in the inexplicable euphoria of his candidates recent journey to the United States, he sought to further dent President Buharis image as he sought to shore up Atikus image. His appeal to Nigerians fell on a deaf ear. The plot collapsed like a pack of cards. Generally, it is believed that Obasanjo is a statesman. He had an opportunity to make greater impact in office. But, after serving two terms as the civilian President, he left the stage with a perception that has continued to hunt him in public life. As president, he was the lord of manor. His word was law. As the PDP leader, he was the party and the constitution of the party. In eight years, the then ruling party had four national chairmen. That party leadership instability was his making. He cleverly pushed away the pioneer chairman, the late Chief Solomon Lar. Later, he subjected his successor, Chief Barnabas Gemade, to the same ordeal, making him to curse the party. Also, Chief Audu Ogbeh, who succeeded Gemade, also had a bitter experience. The same style pervaded governance. When former Anambra State Governor Chris Ngige was abducted, the former president gave a tacit support to his tormentors, led by Chief Chris Uba. Under his watch, a gale of impeachment hit the polity. The victims were former Governors Joshua Dariye (Plateau State), Senator Rashidi Ladoja (Oyo), Ayodele Fayose (Ekiti) and Diepreye Alamieyeseigha (Bayelsa). The impeachment did not follow the laid down procedures. Dariye and Ladoja were later reinstated by the court. In Rivers State PDP, the hand of Obasanjo was heavy on the governorship candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, who was elected by delegates. Obasanjo objectd to his candidature, saying that it had a k-leg. In Imo State, Senator Ifeanyi Araraume suffered the same fate. Although he was elected as the governorship flag bearer, the former president disagreed, saying that he did not endorse him. The party lost to the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) candidate, Ikedi Ohakim. Obasanjo successfully plotted the removal of former Senate President Chuba Okadigbo, who succeeded his ousted anointed candidate, Evan Enwerem. When former Minister of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Olusegun Mimiko defected from the PDP to the Labour Party (LP) to contest the governorship election in Ondo State, Obasanjo threatened him with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which was largely a tool for the oppression, witch-hunting and intimidation of opponents. Although it is now convenient for the former president to pontificate on human rights, he failed to defend human liberty. The invasion of Odi and Zakin Biam was condemned by the international community. In 2004, President Obasanjo withheld allocations to the local governments in Lagos State, following the creation of additional 37 councils. In 2003, he orchestrated an electoral earthquake in the Southwest. Governors Adeniyi Adebayo (Ekiti), Lam Adesina (Oyo), Olusegun Osoba (Ogun) and Adebayo Adefarati (Ondo) were rigged out. Only Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of Lagos State survived the electoral terrorism. Although Obasanjo secured a second term, it is instructive to note that at the Supreme Court, where the final verdict was given on the 2003 presidential poll, there was a dissention among the judges. Some jurists were not convinced that he defeated his challenger, Buhari of the defunct All Peoples Party (APP), at the poll. In 2006/2007, Obasanjo foisted on the ruling party a personal succession agenda. Presidential aspirants, including Dr.Odili, Donald Duke, Ahmed Makarfi, and Adamu Abdullahi were edged out of the selection process. His anointed candidate, the late Umaru YarAdua, was imposed on the party. In 2007, INEC, led by Prof. Maurice Iwu, was operating from Obasanjos armpit. Losers were declared as winners during the governorship polls. PDP candidates were beneficiaries. The mandates were restored in the court. Affected states included Anambra, Edo, Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti. That rigging is responsible for the scattered governorship polls in the country today. Indeed, former President YarAdua acknowledged that the poll that brought him to power was severely flawed. Although Obasanjo has now become an emergency advocate of judicial independence, he demonstrated a lack of respect for court orders. Emergency holidays were even declared to frustrate the move by courts to deliver their judgments on sensitive cases. The history of Nigeria is incomplete without a mention of Obasanjo. At critical moments in the life of the country, fate had thrown him up for meaningful intervention. Power often landed on his palm, not because of hard work, but through sheer fate. Obasanjo was the General Officer Commanding, Third Marine Commando, when his juniors, including Lt- Gen. Alani Akinrinade (rtd) and Brig. Alani Isama, brought the rebels to their knees. He craved for political relevance as a military officer. The agitation for political power resulted into the pressure on former military Head of State Gen. Yakubu Gowon to make him Minister of Works and the late Gen. Muritala Mohammed Minister of Communications. In 1979, Obasanjo made history again. He supervised the self-liquidation of acquired power, thereby emerging as the first military Head of State to relinquish power to civilians. Since then, he has constituted himself as the lone evaluator of the polity. At home, Obasanjo became a critical moral voice of sorts. Besides, he played a role in international community. He was dispatched to troubled spots across the globe to solve problems of civil/military relations. He became the curator of democratic projects in Africa. Twenty years after leaving power, he bounced back as a civilian president in 1999. When he was re-elected in 2003, Obasanjo became the longest serving Nigerian leader; first as military Head of State for three years and later, as the civilian ruler for eight years. However, many observers believed that he had lost the steam by 2007 when he handed over power to YarAdua. The major sin of Obasanjo was the flawed general election. When he left the stage in 1979, the ovation was loud. Expectations were high when he made a dramatic return in 1999. However, as from 2003, his records mocked his antecedent. Outside power, he had embraced the pastime of attacking other leaders, some of who had made greater contributions to development. Today, some of these leaders are celebrated by Nigerians more than him. Obasanjo had mocked the indomitable Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the first Premier of Western Region, for not becoming the president of Nigeria. In his book: Not My Will, he described the late Dr Nnamidi Azikiwe as a leader who fell from his pre-eminent national position, only to carry on with life in his old age as a tribal chieftaincy holder, the Owelle of Onitsha. In his view, the late Alhaji Waziri Ibrahim was an unserious politician. Aminu Kano was a placard-carrying protester. Former President Shehu Shagari could not distinguish his left from right. Buhari and his former deputy, the late Brig. Tunde Idiagbon, were autocratic military rulers. Former military President Ibrahim Babangidas adjustment lacked human face, human heart and milk of human kindness. Yet, when Babangida tinkered with the elongated transition timetable, Obasanjo suggested the Interim National Government headed by Chief Ernest Shonekan. He said the option was regrettable but understandable. The suggestion nailed the coffin of June 12. Of course, Obasanjo said the winner of the historic presidential poll, the late Chief Moshood Abiola, was not the messiah. In later years, he pounced on Atiku, saying that God would not forgive him, if he supports his bid for president. Had he laid a solid foundation when he bounced back, his successors would have built on it. Nigerians had high hopes. His commonwealth leaders welcomed him back to power with optimism. Former United States President Jimmy Carter hailed his re-emergence. He said judging by his leadership qualities, he would justify the trust of a model of transparency and leadership committed to higher ideals. It was a wasted expectation. In eight years, Obasanjo could not fight the infrastructure battle adequately. He left behind a prostrate nation, agonising over lack of electricity, good roads, good hospitals and good schools. To his Southwest kinsmen, the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway remained an eyesore. It is now being fixed by President Buhari. Ahead of 2007, the sanctity of the ballot box was not his priority. Many Nigerians doubted his commitment to the election in the first instance on the account of the third term project, which was knocked out by credible politicians and the media. As the election drew nearer, there was confusion. Court orders were disobeyed. Obasanjo shocked the anxious nation when he said the contest would be a do-or-die affair. Hell was let loose on poll day. The election paled into a bitter war. Domestic and foreign monitors said it was the worst in the history of the country. Evidence of multiple thumb printing, snatching of ballot boxes, omission of photographs and logos of opposition candidates and parties, ballot hijack, thuggery and violence starred the tribunals and courts in the face. Before he left, it was impossible for him to right the wrongs. His credentials suggest he cannot be trusted with such an onerous task! | http://thenationonlineng.net/obasanjos-legacies-2/ |
Was Someone Pointing a Laser in Tom Brady's Face During AFC Championship Game? | In case Tom Bradys performance in the AFC Championship Game wasnt enough for you, maybe this will be. A photographer for KMBC appears to catch someone pointing a laser in the face of Tom Terrific: Our photographer, Turner Twyman, caught someone pointing what appears to be a laser pointer in Tom Brady's face last night. Play between the "muff" that wasn't and Sorensen int. @NFL, @Patriots and @Chiefs all told me they weren't aware of the incident. pic.twitter.com/ejWBQ6i64C William Joy (@WilliamKMBC) January 21, 2019 Looks like a laser to me. And if so, at least it didnt annoy the fans watching on television like the whistle sound did in the NFC Championship Game. | https://thebiglead.com/2019/01/21/tom-brady-laser-pointer/ |
Why are ink cartridges so expensive? | - You're not alone.A recent Consumer Reports survey shows the price of ink is the number one complaint for printer owners.Why are those tiny little ink cartridges so expensive?Experts at Consumer Reports say there's one reason..."There's a lot of science and engineering behind printing. And it all has to work together seamlessly. Consumers expect a push-button experience and that's what they try to deliver," said Consumer Reports printer expert Rich Sulin.Consumer Reports says to think of what you paid for your printer as more of a down payment. "The manufacturer hopes you come back to them and buy their original brand ink or toner. That's the profit motive. So now they sell the printer cheaply, but can charge more for the ink and toner," said Rich.And when it comes to that ink, most consumers aren't even getting what they paid for.CR says tests have shown with many inkjet printers, more than half of the ink you buy never winds up on the page. "Inkjets, which are a very popular type of printer, tend to use up more ink than other types of printers because they have to do a maintenance cycle," said Rich.That maintenance cycle helps keep the printheads from clogging, which can ruin your prints.CR says consumers who print the average 25 to 35 pages a month should leave their printers on.That's because turning a printer off and on can trigger more maintenance cycles.Don't worry about your electricity bill.CR says inkjets nowadays use very little power in sleep mode.Other ways to save?Consider an affordable black and white laser printer, especially if you're mostly just printing text.You can also check out reservoir inkjet printers.They use ink reservoirs you fill yourself instead of cartridges.And those refills can last up to two years.Consumer Reports urges consumers not to be attracted by low prices when shopping for a printer.They say it's important to consider the price of a printer over time, including ink. | https://abc30.com/technology/why-are-ink-cartridges-so-expensive/5100049/ |
What are those giant rabbits in Rancho Mirage? | You're driving down Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage, minding your own business, when suddenly a group of rabbits catch your eye. Large rabbits. Shiny rabbits. Colorful rabbits. No, you're not having an Alice in Wonderland moment. There really are nine giant aluminum bunnies sitting in front of The Atrium, gleaming in the sun in jelly-bean shades. The installation, "Desert Warren," is the work of local pop artists Karen and Tony Barone. On Sunday, Jan. 20, they officially dedicated the piece, which will be on view at the shopping center for six months. "We didn't know why we do rabbits [in many of our artworks], until just recently, we were talking about the first time we kissed each other," recalled Tony Barone. "We were in Chicago, in the city. Stone, everywhere. Buildings. And we were in a little grassy area by Northwestern University. And we kissed, and there was a rabbit there, just out of nowhere." "It should not have been there," chimed in Karen Barone. "It was like a rabbit spirit," added Tony Barone. "So I think there's this feeling we have around rabbits that relates to that moment." Buy Photo Performance artist Simeon Den prepares for a butoh dance, a form of Japanese dance, as part of the festivities marking the installation of "Desert Warren" in Rancho Mirage. (Photo: Julie Makinen/The Desert Sun) "Desert Warren" is an experiment in funding public art. Each rabbit is sponsored by an individual donor; the rabbits will stay as a group for half a year, and then the donors are free to relocate their individual bunnies to wherever they choose. Sponsors include the Greater Palm Springs Convention and Vistors Bureau, Dr. Wendy E. Roberts, Mitch Blumberg, Carol and Jim Egan, Neil Sherman and Leo Milmet. Other supporters of the project include The Ritz-Carlton, Hot Purple Energy and The Atrium. At least one rabbit, said Tony Barone, is looking to find a sponsor and has yet to find its "forever home." Attendees at the dedication included Rancho Mirage Mayor Richard W. Kite. Artist Simeon Den performed a Japanese butoh dance as part of the dedication. Adorned in silver body paint, an Asian robe and a rabbit mask, Den performed a mesmerizing slow-motion dance, accompanied by a cellist. Buy Photo Simeon Den, Karen Barone and Tony Barone pose for photos following the dedication of "Desert Warren" at The Atrium in Rancho Mirage on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. "They make you smile. Our work is about joy and happiness. We don't try to express our worst nightmares," said Tony Barone. "We're encountering all of that, all of us, each day, without trying. We try to express positive feelings." The rabbits stand about 8 feet tall and weigh about 150 pounds. Many people, said Karen Barone, find art intimidating. "Ours is not," she said. "You can be three years old, or 103 years old, and you can appreciate and love what you're seeing, and you don't need an artistry lesson." If you go: The rabbits are on display 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, at The Atrium, 69-930 Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage. Read or Share this story: https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/arts/2019/01/21/giant-rabbits-bunnies-rancho-mirage/2640616002/ | https://www.desertsun.com/story/life/entertainment/arts/2019/01/21/giant-rabbits-bunnies-rancho-mirage/2640616002/ |
Is the 10-year challenge a boon to Facebook's facial recognition tech? | Loading The challenge gained widespread traction on social media this month. It calls for posting two photos of yourself side by side one from today and one from a decade ago to show how you've changed. People are participating mostly on Facebook and Instagram, which is owned by Facebook. Some made jokes, paid tribute to old hairstyles or drew attention to issues like global warming. Celebrities posted glamour shots that showed negligible changes from one decade to the next. (Singer Mariah Carey won this round. "I don't get this 10 year challenge," she wrote in a tweet, along with two identical photos side by side. "Time is not something I acknowledge.") But one post went viral without featuring any side-by-side photos at all. It was written by Kate O'Neill, author of the book Tech Humanist: How You Can Make Technology Better for Business and Better for Humans. | https://www.smh.com.au/technology/is-the-10-year-challenge-a-boon-to-facebook-s-facial-recognition-tech-20190122-p50stk.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_technology |
Is Augustin Today's Best 3-Point Shooting PG Other Than Stephen Curry? | ATLANTA - The numbers suggest he is. Obviously, nobody compares to Stephen Curry, who is shooting 45.4 percent from 3-point range through his first 35 games this season. After the two-time NBA MVP and three-time champion, though, the Magics veteran may be the next best 3-point shooting point guard in the entire league. Through Orlandos first 47 games, the 31-year-old New Orleans native is shooting 43.6 percent from downtown. Sacramentos Buddy Hield and Brooklyns Joe Harris are the only other backcourt players shooting above 43 percent from beyond the arc with a minimum of 40 starts. Heres where it gets even more impressive. Augustin has a 45.8 percent catch-and-shoot 3-point percentage. Not one single starting point guard has a better mark currently, including Curry. He has been scorching hot from both of the corners, shooting around 55 percent from each side. From above the break, which is where he has taken 148 of his threes so far, the 6-foot, 183-pounder is shooting 42.6 percent. It doesnt seem to matter how many dribbles he takes before the shot attempt, either. Augustin is shooting 45.8 percent from long distance without a dribble before the attempt and 46.2 percent when the shot was preceded by seven or more dribbles. Hes most dangerous when left wide open, as the former Texas Longhorn is shooting 50 percent from 3-point land when there isnt a defender within six or more feet of him. This hot streak actually extends back to last season. After the All-Star break, only Otto Porter Jr. and Anthony Tolliver had better 3-point percentages than Augustin among players who attempted at least 100 3-point shots during that stretch of time. The 11-year NBA veteran made four of his six 3-point attempts during Orlandos win in Atlanta on Monday. It was the second time this season he has knocked down four or more triples in a game. | https://www.nba.com/magic/news/augustin-todays-best-3-point-shooting-pg-other-stephen-curry-20190121 |
Is the worldwide credit boom in danger of going bust? | Washington WE are in the midst of a worldwide credit boom that may be without precedent. The debt explosion suggests that the global economy - all the national economies combined - is being driven heavily by massive government and private borrowing. No one really knows, but the numbers certainly give pause. While everyone is fixated on President Donald Trump and his opponents, hardly anyone is paying attention. The latest figures come from the Institute of International Finance (IIF), an industry research and advocacy group. It reports that in September, worldwide debt totalled US$244 trillion, or almost a record 318 per cent of world gross domestic product. That figure covers all government, household and non-financial business borrowing. (World GDP means total global output.) sentifi.com Market voices on: Here's a detailed breakdown. Government debt has tripled from US$20 trillion in 2000 to US$65 trillion in 2018, rising as a share of GDP from 55 per cent to 87 per cent. Household debt has increased over the same years, from US$17 trillion to US$46 trillion (from 44 per cent to 60 per cent of GDP). Finally, non-financial corporate debt rose from US$24 trillion to US$73 trillion (71 per cent of GDP to 92 per cent). "Debt has fuelled a good deal of economic growth," says economist Sonja Gibbs of the IIF. Higher borrowing is widespread, though countries borrow differently. Government debt, for example, is highest among mature economies, such as the United States and France. By contrast, business borrowing has been more common in so-called "emerging-market" countries (China, India, Mexico). There are no universal rules on how much debt is too much. A lot depends on investor psychology - that is, confidence or fear. Behaviour can be self-fulfilling. If banks and bond-holders believe debts will be repaid, then they will be, because borrowers will raise new loans to replace the old. Similarly, if lenders fear debts won't be repaid, they may withhold new loans. For the moment, confidence seems to be holding. One reason may be low interest rates, which make it easier for borrowers to carry large debts. Still, the debt buildup poses dangers. The first - and maybe the most likely - is that both borrowers and lenders become more cautious. Lenders fear defaults and delinquencies; corporate borrowers worry that they won't be able to "roll over" existing loans, while household borrowers fear losing their homes or cars. If economic growth slows, then servicing outstanding debts becomes harder. "The risk is not (an economic) blowout but a slow slog - slower growth," says Ms Gibbs. "As debt service gets bigger, it takes away from what you can do with more borrowing. It diverts from more productive uses." Another risk is that over-indebted businesses in emerging-market countries trigger some sort of financial crisis. Loan losses force some banks to close or stop lending. The circumstances are particular to individual countries or industries, but if too many local crises occur, the global economy could lose steam. Finally, there's "rollover risk" - the possibility that borrowers won't be able to renew existing loans. That prospect seems particularly strong among emerging-market borrowers. According to the data from the IIF, emerging-market borrowers face US$2 trillion of maturing debt in 2019, with about a quarter of those loans made in dollars (most of the rest are in local currency). To avoid default, borrowers must somehow raise those dollars, either from a new loan or from other sources. When it comes to global debt, we may be in unexplored territory. The only certainty, as the IIF's Dylan Riddle puts it, is that "there's been a breathtaking accumulation of debt in the last decade or so". THE WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP | https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/opinion/is-the-worldwide-credit-boom-in-danger-of-going-bust |
Why is Wales used as a unit of measurement? | Image copyright Getty Images Image caption You're going to need a calculator for this one... Chances are you've heard someone say - or read in an article - that something is "the size of Wales". It's about 8,194 sq miles (21,224 sq km) - or 2,122,400 hectares. Put simply, your typical rugby pitch is about one hectare, give or take. It's been used to describe the area a meteor could wipe out if it hit the Earth and - perhaps literally and descriptively - how much damage a nuclear bomb could cause. Swansea University's Prof Adrian Luckman leads Project Midas, which has monitored iceberg A-68 since it broke away from the Larsen C ice shelf in Antarctica in 2017. He needed a way to put the size of the trillion-tonne iceberg into context so the average person could comprehend it, so turned his eyes to home. "The giant block is estimated to cover an area of roughly 6,000 sq km; that's about a quarter the size of Wales," a BBC report at the time read. "People in general find it easier to appreciate the size of geographical features when they are related to other known features, than when they are presented in units of, say square km," Prof Luckman said. "This is especially true for very large objects such as iceberg A-68. Giving a geographical comparison allows the reader to imagine how long it would take to walk or drive across them, for instance. "More prosaically, Wales has been used many times before as an area comparison, we live in Wales, and iceberg A-68 is a relatable fraction of the area of Wales, so it seemed like a very natural comparison to make." The use was so widespread, founders of conservation charity Size of Wales picked it for its name. Established in 2010, its original goal was to help protect an area the size of Wales from deforestation - which it achieved in 2016. Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Wales has long been used as a way of getting across the devastation caused by deforestation Director Elspeth Jones said: "'An area the size of Wales' is frequently used to measure the rate of forest destruction. Our founders wanted to turn that negative use of the country's size on its head and make it a measure of something positive. "It's almost impossible to imagine how big two million hectares is without a reference point. Using 'the size of Wales' helps to illustrate the scale. "For example, when you tell people that roughly 12 million hectares of tropical forest is destroyed each year, the sheer scale of that doesn't register. "When you realise that is an area of tropical forest roughly six times the size of Wales, you can start to picture the scale of the forests and of the problem." Google's Ngram Viewer - which allows you to search words or phrases and how often they have been mentioned in millions of words in books dating back hundreds of years - suggests it has been around for a while. While not definitive, and there are other reasons why the phrase could appear, "about the size of Wales" first shows up in texts in 1844 and peaked in popularity in 1949. One wonders - if you laid out all the pages of those books next to each other - what size the area would be... This story was inspired by a question sent to us by Nicky Churchill from Goodwick, Pembrokeshire. She said: "It was one of those silly, surreal things - we'd heard two or three times in a row on some TV programme that something was the size of Wales. "We wondered why it was held as a standard for things so diverse - it just came from a late night conversation after a glass of wine." Use this form to send us your questions: If you are reading this page on the BBC News app, you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question on this topic. We may get in touch if we decide to follow up on your suggestion. | https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-46737277 |
Are we in the final days of vehicle ownership? | Autonomy is a word we hear often with reference to self-driving cars. Freedom, on the other hand, is something we're used to seeing in auto advertising. It's quite possible that we're already on the road to a future without car ownership. Choose No, I have never. or Yes, I have.. VS 40369 Votes Oops! Seems like something went wrong. Reloading might help. 7184 Votes Oops! Seems like something went wrong. Reloading might help. The Internet may have been a revolution in communications, but is also inexorably changing our relationship with property, as goods and services become things that are accessed via apps or even a short command to our voice assistant, summoned from the cloud as if by a genie in a fantasy story. But this convenience, which may well be cheap in terms of money, comes at a cost of freedom. Less and less do we find ourselves actually owning what we've bought. Many of us consume our music through Spotify, movies through Netflix, video games through Steam. We may have 'licenses' to access something through the graces of a company, but we're still worryingly dependent on a third party to manage access to 'our' stuff. This doesn't just apply to multimedia. Other, more traditionally tangible and essential things are affected by this tendency. We've seen, for example, how AirBnB has effectively incentivized landlords to keep coveted urban areas available to rent to higher-paying tourists rather than make them available to be bought by locals. In the world of work, zero-hour-contractors juggle gigs coming in via app in the hollow where more secure employment models used to be. And so it goes with transportation. Convenience versus car culture The advancement of self-driving cars goes hand-in-hand with ride-sharing companies. Uber, Lyft, Waymo and co. are all developing self-driving taxis, but it won't stop there. Fleets of autonomous vehicles will handle freight and also serve as mobile hotels and even brothels. According to a 2017 study by tech think-tank, Rethinkx, private car ownership in the US will drop 80% by 2030. This line of thinking reasons that as fleets of autonomous vehicles roll out and become all the more affordable and easily accessible, many people will ditch car ownership altogether. The concept for a self-driving hotel room. / Aprilli Design Studio There are some obvious benefits to this. For a start, it would be much less wasteful. On average, cars sold in the US sit parked more than 95% of the time, just taking up space, but a self-driving car would just move on to the next user instead of sitting pretty. This efficiency and need for fewer cars overall would be good for the environment, and potentially change urban planning for the better - space that would be set aside for street lanes and parking garages could be put to different use. San Francisco and Pittsburgh are already adjusting city planning to account for self-driving vehicles. If future without car owners is something you look forward to is something you look forward to, then one of the main hurdles is extending the kind of service that may be a great boon to congested urban spaces into rural and remote areas. As someone who's hitched around across long distances, the idea of ride-sharing cross-country isn't necessarily absurd. Even shopping trips to mega-markets for the family could be delivered by autonomous vehicles once the infrastructure is in place. But the commodification of cars goes against the way we've been taught to think about vehicles for years. Cars have been marketed for decades as status symbols and fetish objects infused with powerful symbolism. The cliche joke of an expensive car as compensation for a deficiency in masculinity hardly needs to be repeated, but the fact remains that cars are still sold with a promise that they bestow, power, freedom and popularity to the buyer. / TechCrunch Financing cars for personal ownership is a large, entrenched business, and one that won't go down without launching a marketing counterattack to the sharing economy. And besides, when Uber and co. switch from a fleet of vehicles owned by their drivers to a fleet controlled by the company, you've got a much less appealing sounding rent economy, not a sharing one. No, of course not. As is usual in these cases, millennials aren't killing anything so much as they are reacting to circumstances placed upon them by the economy. A study by the Wharton University of Pennsylvania notes that, while millennials have a lower rate of car ownership than previous generations at their age, this could have more to do with the 2008 financial crash. Millennials may want to buy their own cars, just like how they want to buy houses, but ultimately, just can't afford to. There are indications in the study that once they have saved enough money, older millennials will still buy cars, but just at a later age than previous, more prosperous generations. 50 50 Be the first to vote Even as an urbanite who personally disdains cars, I can't say I completely welcome the utopian vision of self-driving vehicles on demand replacing wasteful car ownership. Increasingly, we're starting to recognize that the convenience and savings promised by big tech such as Facebook and AirBnB can have hidden downsides that tend to only reveal themselves further down the line. In the case of self-driving vehicles, the nightmare scenario is ceding too much control over our movements to unaccountable private corporations, becoming dependent on an entity that could whisk away a service when it pleases, and develops and 'disrupts' faster than government regulation can keep up. Maybe there's something to the promise of freedom in those cheesy car commercials after all. | https://www.androidpit.com/are-we-in-the-final-days-of-vehicle-ownership |
Who Is Kevin Cooper? | Editors note: Kevin Cooper was convicted of a 1983 quadruple murder and sentenced to death in a trial in which evidence that might have exonerated him was withheld from the defense. His case was scrutinized in a June 17, 2017, New York Times column by Nicholas Kristof. Visit savekevincooper.org for more information. Throughout my life, people have speculated about who Kevin Cooper is, or who they think I am. This is especially true since I was first sought, then arrested, and then wrongly convicted of what was dubbed by the mainstream media as the Chino Hills Murders. It is this horrific crime that sent me to Californias death row and for which I was almost executed in 2004. It is an odd experience to become part of the American historical narrative, to have words spoken and written about oneself in such a way that it strengthens the storytellers version of the subject, often falsely or to the degradation of the person about whom they are writing or speaking. This has happened to me, and it will, in all probability, happen again in the future. For example, the Los Angeles Times published an article about me in July 2018 written by 10 students from Northwestern Universitys Medill Justice Project. It was so incomplete and contained such serious errors that people who know my case well wonder why the Times published it without careful fact-checking. These were students, not professional journalists! My lawyer, Norman Hile, was standing by to fact-check the story, but no one called him. The Times published two corrections of the several that were made in the story. The students did correctly note that I am writing a memoir I have titled, My Life On Your Death Row, and that I write for Truthdig, and that I speak with journalists and address gatherings from prison via phone. To be sure, my innocence has been pronounced by a number of prominent people, including an emissary of the pope, an international human rights commission, appellate justices, journalists and people inside and outside the legal community. You can read a factual article about my case in The New York Times here and in factual articles posted on Truthdig. But I am more than all of this. When I read something about me and do not recognize that person, I want to shout out who I am, in my own words. I want people who dont know me to ask: Who Is Kevin Cooper? This is who I am: First and foremost, I, Kevin Cooper, am a human being, a spiritual person and an innocent person on death row in the state of California. I am a father, a grandfather, a son and a brother. I am an uncle and a great-uncle, as well as a godson, nephew and cousin; I am a real part of a real American family. I am a proud African-American man, and yes, I am a writer, a soon-to-be author and a painter/artist. I am an orator and a student, as I am still learning many new things, especially this countrys historical and present-day treatment of its poor and minority peoples, including immigrants. I am a self-made man, who, like you, has the God-given right to my life, which no man or government has the right to take. Not the moral right, the legal right, or any other type of so-called right. I was spared in 2004 from a near-death experience, an execution, called legal homicide by the great state of California. I was a survivor of a sick, state-sanctioned ritual of death that took place on Dec. 17, 2003, when I was told that I was to be legally murdered by the volunteer executioners here at San Quentin prison on Feb. 10, 2004. This torture did not end with the stay of execution that I received on Feb. 9, 2004. It continued for years afterward, because of the post-traumatic stress that I suffered due to having come within three hours and 42 minutes of being strapped down to that death gurney, having razor-sharp needles stuck in my arms, being injected and tortured with red, white and blue poison in my black body, and then murdered by so-called justice-seeking, God-fearing, revenge-wanting Californians! I am also a pen pal who writes to many people in different parts of the world. I am a friend, a teacher, a person who respects all people and their uniqueness and differences, no matter who or what they are. I am a music lover, an animal lover, a lover of books and history. I am a humanitarian, and I donate my artwork and paintings to different people and nonprofit groups and organizations so that they can sell them to raise money for their cause. I am an abolitionist who speaks out at every chance I get against the death penalty by sharing with all people who will listen Americas troubled history with the death penalty, and my near-death experience in 2004. This tortured and troubled history most definitely includes women who have been tortured and murdered in the name of the law, historically and in the present day. I am a male feminist, because I truly believe in the equality of women. I am an athlete who still plays basketball and enjoys watching damn near all sports on TV. While I can go on and on about who I am, just in these things that I have written, you have learned far more about me than what those student journalists wrote about who they thought I was, or am. But to not leave out anything, let me say this about me: I am a reformed small-time criminal. I have rehabilitated myself while on your death row. I got rid of the small-time criminal, the uneducated and miseducated person that I once was. I was a poorly educated child who ran away from home countless times, beginning at age 6, to escape senseless beatings, only to be returned. I became a well-read adult in prison, reading scores of books and learning new words by studying the dictionary at my side. I am a nonviolent man. I am an educated man and a person who is being talked about by certain people in outdated terms. I will not allow those students from the Medill Justice Project or anyone else to define me, or to tell a story about me that is not the truth. Because I, Kevin Cooper, am a fighter and will not be a stereotype, or a victim of this countrys historical narrative as it pertains to black men who are in prison, who have small-time criminal histories, and who, after all, are products of America. This is who I am. | https://www.truthdig.com/articles/who-is-kevin-cooper/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Truthdig+Truthdig%3A+Drilling+Beneath+the+Headlines |
Can Corning Sustain Its Momentum in the Fourth Quarter? | Corning Incorporated (NYSE: GLW) is slated to announce fourth-quarter 2018 results on Tuesday, January 29, 2019. Shares of the glass technologist are down modestly from its exceptional third-quarter report in October as of this writing -- albeit primarily driven by the broader market's decline since then. To be clear, last quarter Corning demonstrated accelerating growth and expanding margins as its investments in innovation and manufacturing capacity began to yield fruit. And if management's commentary is any indication, shareholders should expect to see more of the same next week. Before Corning's Q4 results hit the wires, then, let's have a look at what investors should be watching. Multiple panes of Corning glass. More IMAGE SOURCE: CORNING. A "step change" in profitability Three months ago, Corning Chairman and CEO Wendell Weeks boasted that Q3 marked a "step change in our earnings power," particularly as Corning leveraged its "recent phase of intense operating and capital investments to capture substantial benefits." Remember, Corning is in the home stretch of its four-year Strategic and Capital Allocation Framework announced in late 2015. Under that framework as of the end of last quarter, the company had already returned $11.4 billion (of a $12.5 billion goal) to shareholders through dividends and repurchases, and remained on track to invest $10 billion back into the business to solidify its industry leadership and capture future growth. Next week, the market will expect the company to confirm it has continued to make notable progress toward those goals, as per usual. But shareholders should also listen closely for any updates regarding Corning's targets for the duration of this year, as well as potential plans to extend its framework at the end of 2019. As for this quarter's headline numbers, Corning's latest guidance calls for full-year 2018 sales to "exceed $11.3 billion." Based on its sales of $8.255 billion through the first nine months of the year, that means the fourth quarter should arrive (conservatively) at around $3.05 billion. Meanwhile, Corning does not provide specific consolidated bottom-line guidance. So for perspective, and though we usually don't lend much credence to Wall Street's expectations, most analysts will be looking for Corning's core earnings to increase roughly 14% to $0.57 per share. Breaking it down Corning did offer some broad expectations in October for each of its five primary segments to end the year. At optical communications, its single largest business, fourth-quarter sales should climb in the low-single-digit percent range sequentially, from $1.117 billion last quarter, helped by large ongoing projects from multiple carrier and data center customers. All told, that should mean optical achieves slightly higher year-over-year growth than the 9% increase we saw in Q3. Next, Corning's display technologies segment should benefit from ever-larger television screen sizes. Coupled with the recent ramp of Corning's Gen 10.5 LCD glass substrate facility in China, display technologies should see volume growth slightly above the low-single-digit sequential increase expected from the broader display glass market. At the same time, its revenue and earnings benefit for this segment will be held back by continued annual display glass price declines -- though it's worth noting Corning has done an admirable job moderating those declines in recent years. | https://news.yahoo.com/corning-sustain-momentum-fourth-quarter-004000592.html |
What does it mean to be a New Orleans Saints fan? | NEW ORLEANS In her statement on Monday, Saints owner Gayle Benson said the Saints have the "best fans in the NFL." She said that it's more than a team and fans. "We are family." That was not only evident last night after the game, but also all year round for the Who Dat Nation. As New Orleanians, we celebrate the Saints together and we cry together. That includes Sunday's overtime loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. "This means a lot to me," a crying fan said leaving the Dome after the loss. "I was at the NFC Championship in 2009 with my grandpa and he died of cancer." "We have the best fans in the world," said another fan. This is our family and we stand behind our Saints no matter what," said a fan about all the upset Saints fans leaving Superdome. And even though there is no research data, a psychiatrist agrees. There is a unique strong bond in the city with the 'Bless You Boys.' "I think there's just more of a culture that just surrounds this city, you know. Whether you're a football fan or not, it's hard not to be a Saints fan," said Dr. Lee Michals, LSUHSC Psychiatrist. "My nanny cried so much. She was a hot mess yesterday. She said like, 'Oh no,'" said Marina Vincent, 9, about her aunt crying after the Saints lost. But to really see just how much the Saints mean to local fans, ask Marina, not about her aunt crying after losing the game, but about losing everything in October 2017 when the grill outside their home leaked, causing their home to burst into flames. She lost her best friend: her pet labradoodle. "Then, within under five minutes, the whole home was engulfed in flames," said Bethany Vincent, Marina's mother. "One of the biggest challenges is I knew I couldn't go back in and save my dog and that's all my daughter wanted, is to have her dog." After that, the Sunday Saints games meant being with happy, cheering family and friends. "It made me feel really good because it gave me something else to think about besides my house, and it kept me busy because sometimes my friends, like sometimes they were busy. They can't play with me, so I get to watch the Saints," said Marina. "In New Orleans, so many people are related and it's almost like you take on the Saints as your family. We're all in it together and cheering for them," said Bethany. Still without her home rebuilt, the Saints gave Marina something exciting to look forward to, much like the team did for all 'Who Dats' after Hurricane Katrina, and still does today. Marina plays the guitar and sings a song that her music teacher taught her, changing the words from 'As long as I have you' to 'As long as I have Drew.' Bethany also says that the community service in hospitals, schools and around the city, by all the Saints players, also creates a special bond. | https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/community/what-does-it-mean-to-be-a-new-orleans-saints-fan/289-aa755aad-34bc-4d5c-bb49-fb40d046e0fd |
Is MLK's legacy being overshadowed by city's black-on-black crime? | JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day honors the life of the civil rights leader and his legacy of preaching love instead of hate. But there is a question as to whether that legacy is being overshadowed by black-on-black crime that is killing many African-Americans on the streets of Jacksonville. Many celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by attending parades and listening to his speeches, and there is a part of one speech that cannot be overlooked because its relevant to the black-on-black violence the city sees every week: Man must see that force begets force. Hate begets hate and toughness begets toughness. And it is all a descending spiral ultimately ending in destruction for all and everybody. In other words, hatred and violence lead to retaliation, which results in someone being hurt or killed. Donald Foy, president of Men Against Destruction Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder, or MAD DADS, said there is a war on the streets between African-Americans who are involved in illegal activities. He said they will stop at nothing to survive. "'If I let you come and shoot me,' then thats showing a sign of weakness that someone else is going to come and do it," Foy explained. The area near the intersection of Ken Knight Drive and Moncrief Road is notorious for violent black-on-black crime. That's where News4Jax asked residents if many African-Americans are living up to Kings legacy of love over hate and violence. Our people are not getting along at the moment. Its too much black-on-black crime," said Saquey McAllister, a Jacksonville resident. Older people are living up to it, but, with teenagers, its all about guns and violence and fighting," said Syteria Peterson, a 16-year-old Jacksonville resident. Blacks are killing each other and its not right. People are dying every day. People are losing their families. Its just not right," said Ternisia Peterson, a 15-year-old Jacksonville resident. The 15-year-olds response is supported by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, which says homicide is the No. 1 killer of black males between the ages of 15 and 25. That's why Foy believes King was right when he said love conquers hate. What overcomes all of that is love," Foy said. He went on to say that a lot of young men are involved in violence because they have grown up in homes without the love of a father figure. Foy said, while some fathers are in jail, others are dead as a result of black-on-black violence. Society often gets the blame for violence in the black community, but several people told News4Jax that, while there is still oppression of African-Americans, it's not an excuse to go out and commit crimes. Copyright 2019 by WJXT News4Jax - All rights reserved. | https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/jacksonville/is-martin-luther-king-jrs-legacy-being-overshadowed-by-black-on-black-crime |
Was kommt nach dem Digitalpakt? | Bundesbildungsministerin Anja Karliczek informierte sich mit ihrem Amtskollegen in Sachsen-Anhalt, Marco Tullner, ber den digitalen Unterricht in der Grundschule Mckern. Foto: Alexander Walter Auf Einladung von Marco Tullner (CDU) kam Bundesbildungsministerin Anja Karliczek (CDU) am Montag nach Sachsen-Anhalt. Mckern l Als Anja Karliczek in Mckern eintrifft, ist von Differenzen keine Spur. Die Bundesbildungsministerin und ihr Kollege im Land, Marco Tullner (beide CDU), begren sich mit herzlicher Umarmung. Dabei war Uneinigkeit 2018 der Auslser fr die Einladung nach Sachsen-Anhalt, Anlass: ein Interview Karliczeks fr Die Zeit. Die Ministerin hatte im Zuge der Debatte ber die Digitalisierung der Schulen klassische Fcher infrage gestellt. Ntige Endgerte wie Tablets sollten Schler selbst beisteuern. Tullner rgte seine Parteikollegin: Beim Fcherkanon bruchten die Schulen vor allem eines: Stabilitt. Und: Nicht jede Familie knne sich teure Tablets leisten. Montag nun also der Besuch Karliczeks in Mckern er ist wohl auch eine Geste an Tullner. Im historischen Gebude der Grundschule will sich Karliczek ber digitalen Unterricht in Sachsen-Anhalt informieren und mit Schulleitern sowie Kommunalpolitikern sprechen. In der Warteschleife Der Ort ist nicht zufllig gewhlt und er ist nicht reprsentativ. Viele Schulen im Land besitzen nur veraltete PC-Kabinette, Internetanschlsse sind oft langsam oder fehlen ganz. Dank der Initiative der zur Stadt gehrenden Grundschule Loburg ist die Stadt Mckern dagegen Leuchtturm bei der Digitalisierung. Die Grundschule Mckern mit ihren 130 Schlern etwa besitzt fast alles, was es fr den Unterricht der Zukunft braucht: Sechs interaktive Tafeln, zwei Klassenstze i-Pads bezahlt aus einem begrenzten Landesprogramm und ein leistungsfhiger Internetanschluss. Geht es nach Karliczek, soll bald an mglichst vielen Schulen hnliche Technik zur Verfgung stehen. Richten soll es ein fnf Milliarden Euro schwerer Digitalpakt zwischen Bund und Lndern. Sachsen-Anhalt bekme gut 130 Millionen Euro. Das Geld wrde laut Bildungsministerium reichen, um alle knapp 900 Schulen im Land mit neuer IT-Technik auszursten. Zum Vergleich: Zuletzt konnte Sachsen-Anhalt mit einem Landesprogramm ber 13 Millionen Euro nur gut 100 Schulen ausstatten. Derzeit hngt der Pakt allerdings im Vermittlungsausschuss von Bundesrat und Bundestag. Das Problem: Bildung ist Lndersache, damit der Bund sich beteiligen darf mssen die Lnder einer Grundgesetznderung zustimmen. Die aber wollen mehrere Lnder so nicht. Ein Grund: Knftige Bund-Lnder-Projekte sollen die Lnder zur Hlfte mitfinanzieren. Auerdem befrchten sie, dass sich der Bund zu sehr in die Bildungspolitik einmischt. Karliczek macht in Mckern trotzdem Hoffnung: Ich rechne mit einer schnellen Einigung, sagt sie. Geht es nach ihr, soll schon im Sommer Geld flieen. Die Ministerin betont, der Bund stelle nur die Technik zur Verfgung. Die inhaltliche Gestaltung sei Lndersache. Hohe Folgekosten Eine nderung des Fcherkanons 2018 einer der Dissenspunkte zwischen Tullner und Karliczek ist in Mckern kein Thema. Bei der Verwendung der Gelder aus dem Digitalpakt zeigt sich die Ministerin kompromissbereit: Auer fr Infrastruktur soll Geld zum Teil auch fr Endgerte wie Tablets flieen. Tullner spricht von einem guten Kompromiss. Das kann sozial schwachen Familien helfen, sagt er. An Visionen fr die digitale Schule mangelt es in Mckern nicht. Im Gesprch mit Schulleitern schwrmt Karliczek von einer nationalen Bildungs-Cloud, die derzeit entstehe. ber sie sollen Schler und Lehrer sich Lehrinhalte aus dem Netz herunterladen, diese bearbeiten und teilen knnen. Selbst Schulbcher knnten so langfristig ersetzt werden. Klar wird allerdings auch: Mancher Vision fehlt bisher der Unterbau. Mckerns Brgermeister Frank von Holly etwa berichtet von horrenden Wartungskosten fr die vier mit IT ausgestatteten Grundschulen der Stadt. Sie liegen bei mehr als 10.000 Euro je Schule im Jahr, sagt er. Schultrger allein seien damit berfordert. Es hapert nicht nur am Geld. Selbst frisch ausgebildete Lehrer seien mit der Technik oft berfordert, berichtet ein Teilnehmer. Tullner kndigt daraufhin an, die Digitalisierung bei anstehenden Verhandlungen mit den Unis ber die Lehrerausbildung anzusprechen. Detlef Tamler, Leiter der zu Mckern gehrenden Grundschule Grabow, hat derweil noch ein anderes Problem: Zwar besitzt seine Schule dank Frderung nun interaktive Tafeln und i-Pads. Nutzbar seien sie bislang aber kaum, sagt er. Auch wir haben noch kein Internet. | https://www.volksstimme.de/sachsen-anhalt/bildung-was-kommt-nach-dem-digitalpakt |
Is Karl Stefanovic's ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn set for reality TV? | Karl Stefanovic's ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn is rumoured to be joining Network 10's Dancing With the Stars, according to reports. Entertainment reporter Peter Ford appeared on KIIS 1065 on Tuesday morning to reveal what he claims is this year's line-up for the revamped show. Along with Thorburn, he also named former West Indies cricketer Curtly Ambrose, fitness guru Michelle Bridges, The Living Room's Miguel Maestre, Grant Kenny and Lisa Curry's son Jett Kenny, Neighbours star Olympia Valance, Studio 10 co-host Denise Scott, blogger Constance Hall, TV presenter James Rees and Molly actor Samuel Johnson as part of the cast. Ford claimed the list was leaked when the stars gathered together for a photoshoot recently, ahead of rehearsals. | https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/is-karl-stefanovic-s-ex-wife-cassandra-thorburn-set-for-reality-tv-20190122-p50ssz.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_entertainment |
Should We Debunk Junk Science Or Not? | Junk science is everywhere, and it takes many pernicious forms. There are the outright scams, of course, advertised by charlatans aiming to make a quick and easy buck. There are the malicious actors, trying to spread falsehoods and misinformation to score political or economic points instead of promoting honest scientific debate. And there are the lazy and flawed scientists themselves, trumpeting poorly-done, low-quality, and even outright sketchy work in a bid to get some media and public attention on themselves. All of these manifestations have a common theme: they take the name of science and apply it to something that definitely does not adhere to any reasonable definition of the word or bear even the slightest resemblance to the proper practice of the discipline. It obviously needs to be addressed and confronted, lest the problem grow out of control (if it isn't already out of control) and regain some semblance of legitimate scientific identity in the hearts and minds of the general public. It's here, in the how rather than the why of combatting junk science, that two schools of thought emerge: Method 1: Debunk, Full Blast There is bad, junky science, promoted by bad, junky people. They must be defeated. We must take their claims at face value and tear into them, exposing them for the frauds and deceits that they are. The goal of such a debate wouldn't be to change the mind of our opponent - they likely aren't interested in having their mind changed anyway. But people can watch and listen to that debate. Maybe some of those people have an opinion on the subject, but not a strong one, and can be swayed with logic and reason. Most people probably haven't even thought about the issue at all, and this would be a golden opportunity to plant the right kind of seed at exactly the right time. Failing the opportunity for a debate, we can at least provide resources. Videos, articles, podcasts, the works. Bring up dubious claims and bear the full weight of the evidence against them. Highlight examples of bad science so that people know what to look for in the future. Method 2: Avoid, At All Costs But even the mention of junk science gives their proponents credibility. After all, scientists debate each other all the time in open forums. Thus if a scientist is debating someone else, they must hold them as a peer, even a colleague. By giving them the air of legitimacy, we aren't helping ourselves, but them. Even if the debate is "lost" (whatever that means), they can then turn around to their followers and rightly claim that they went toe-to-toe with other scientists. Junk scientists aren't playing by the same rules. Instead, it's best to avoid open confrontation. Instead, explain what science is and how science works, and let it be. Have confidence that the right information will get to the right people and let natural forces do their work. It's best not to...sully our hands, so to speak. Method 3: All of the Above Both approaches have merit. Both schools of thought make very valid points. Both techniques are right in their own ways and wrong in their own ways. In the end, we need to give people tools to decide between junk and valid science on their own. And since "people" is really a collection of billions of individuals, we can't make universal assumptions and apply universal techniques and hope it all works out in the end. The struggle against junk science is much more personal than that; it can only be won through a single human being at a time. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/paulmsutter/2019/01/21/should-we-debunk-junk-science-or-not/ |
Who the heck is Horus? | Expand Photo Courtesy of Horus Aged Ales Horus Aged Ales Goshawks Grasp Its easy to get dj vu drinking beer in San Diego. There are nearly 200 breweries and tasting rooms across the county, and yet sipping a nondescript IPAwhile perched atop a backless stool with a dog at ones feet and board games within reachstill pretty much encapsulates the current local craft beer experience. But there are outliers. Horus Aged Ales is one of them. At Horus Oceanside facility (4040 Calle Platino, Ste. 120), theres no tap list. Theres no stainless steel brew system behind the bar. In fact, theres no bar, because theres no tasting room at all. Instead, there are rows and rows of oak barrels filled with some of the most coveted brews in the region. (For reference, Horus first bottle release in February 2018 sold out in a mind-boggling two seconds during the online sale.) Horus is a one-man show run by Kyle Harrop, who works as an accountant for an aerospace engineering company by day, and then as an accomplished homebrewer-turned-beer blender and barrel-ager by night. His setup consists of 129 barrels, four puncheons and one foeder with two more foeders on the way. (Puncheons and foeders are basically large and supersized wooden barrels for aging alcoholic beverages that provide a higher beer-to-wood ratio than standard barrels.) Theyve mostly stored red wine, but Harrop also uses barrels that he says formerly housed mezcal, jun, rum, port, sherry, aquavit and lots of bourbon. Harrop has drawn inspiration from breweries all over the world, from Cantillon in Belgium to Cascade in Oregon, while also building relationships with many of them. Hes been in the game for years, but has flown somewhat unnoticed outside of hardcore beer circles until launching Horus in 2017. Since then, hes churned out a number of absurdly sought-after releases with big-name brewery partners like The Answer (Richmond, Virginia), Beachwood Blendery (Long Beach, California) and Alvarado Street Brewery (Monterey, California). Harrop lists the annual Boss Tycoon collaboration with Miamis J. Wakefield as a personal favorite collaboration. But he really likes the recent Cellarmaker pastry stout and Great Notion bourbon barrel-aged french toast imperial stout as well. Many of these breweries and more will be on hand for the inaugural Horus HOOTenanny, a joint beer festival with Hop Culture Magazine at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido on Saturday, Jan. 26. Before anyone rolls their eyes at the thought of another beer festival, Harrop points out that he thinks this fest provides something no one else has done. Ive been going to a lot of beer fests the past few years and I felt like this kind of niche fest was missing from our area, explains Harrop. A lot of the breweries that are coming have never poured their beer in California. A lot of the breweries are teeny-tiny, so they dont get outside their counties, much less their states. Far-flung breweries of note include Vermonts Foam Brewers, Maines Bissell Brothers, Dry & Bitter Brewing Company from Denmark and Floridas Cycle Brewing. After the HOOTenanny, Harrop plans to continue focusing on barrel-aging beers and his sour program. He also plans to travel for collaborations in Brooklyn, Copenhagen and more this year. Overall, it makes sense that Horus is named after the falcon-headed Egyptian god of the sky since, it seems, the skys the limit. | http://sdcitybeat.com/food-drink/final-draught/who-the-heck-is-horus/ |
Is Jett Kenny heading back to our TV screens? | : Jett Kenny may be heading to the dancefloor on Dancing with the Stars. : Jett Kenny may be heading to the dancefloor on Dancing with the Stars. Lachie Millard JETT Kenny may be back on television screens across the country in the coming months, if a leaked list is anything to go by. Media commentator Peter Ford went on the Kyle and Jackie O radio show to 'reveal' the cast of Dancing With The Stars. Local ironman and model Jett Kenny was among those named, with Ford labelling him "the hunk factor" and Kyle Sandilands calling him "that gorgeous man-adonis bloke". But a Channel 10 spokesperson said: "Good try! There are some correct names on that list but you haven't quite got them all." If Ford's list turns out to be true, then Kenny will be taking to the dancefloor with a professional partner to take on the likes of Michelle Bridges, Curtley Ambrose and Karl Stefanovic's ex-wife Cassandra Thorburn. EXCLUSIVE: @mrpford reveals the cast for dancing with the stars! pic.twitter.com/9j21iv57Bx Kyle and Jackie O (@kyleandjackieo) January 21, 2019 Last year Kenny appeared on two reality TV shows, competing on Australian Ninja Warrior and stripping off for charity in Channel 7's The Real Full Monty. His official Instagram account shows no signs of any dance training, only his involvement with the Alex Surf Club. Ten is reviving the Dancing format, which aired on Channel 7 for 15 seasons from 2004 to 2015 and is based on the UK's Strictly Come Dancing format. Amanda Keller and Grant Denyer will host the new-look version. | https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/jett-kenny-heading-back-our-tv-screens/3628272/ |
Have His Cake and Eat It Too? | Bill Clinton has been pretty good to President Bush about the War on Terror and the war in Iraq up until now. In July of '03 right after the invasion Clinton went on TV and said, "Hey, all you guys ticked at Bush, just remember we all knew we'd have to do something about Saddam someday." That was good. It was actually brave because the Democrats were busy formulating the "Bush lied" lie which is now accepted on the blue side of things as absolute, unquestionable truth, when in fact it is the biggest cowpie I've ever stepped in. But now Clinton has gone off the deep end. Here's what he said to a group of students one presumes Arab students at the American University in Dubai: "Saddam is gone. It's a good thing." I interrupt his statement here because this is where he should have stopped. But he didn't. He went on. "But I don't agree with what was done," Clinton said. "It was a big mistake. The American government made several errors, one of which is how easy it would be to get rid of Saddam and how hard it would be to unite the country." Now there is a certain truth in the latter part of the statement. It's obviously been easier to knock Saddam off than unite the country. But uttering the words "it was a big mistake" in an Arab country, in front of an Arab audience, can mean only one thing: The ex-president thinks we shouldn't have gone into Iraq. But he just said Saddam is gone and that's good. Clinton had eight years to get rid of Saddam without a war. It didn't work. It would never have worked. Saddam was busy buying off the U.N. and France. He was busy killing his opponents and CIA spies. He was busy convincing his neighbors and the rest of the world that he had WMDs, because if they thought he didn't the U.S. wouldn't have had time to invade. Iran would have done it first. Clinton has defined the Democrat position on Saddam: We are glad he's gone, now let's stone the guy who ran him out. The beauty of this is that they say it with a straight face. That's My Word. Watch John Gibson weekdays at 5 p.m. ET on "The Big Story" and send your comments to: [email protected] Read Your Word | https://www.foxnews.com/story/have-his-cake-and-eat-it-too |
What are the trends in bathroom design for 2019? | A visit to the Interior Design Show does not shed a lot of light on the subject. All the design sites cover trends for 2019 at this time of year. There are few rooms in our homes in more need of some changes and new ideas trending; however, when I recently opened 7 Big Bathroom Trends to Watch Out for in 2019 in Apartment Therapy, Kohler Kohler I was disappointed to find that there was little more than discussions about colors and wallpaper. There was very little of substance, hardly anything that you couldn't find in a Kohler bathroom of 1945. It seems that nothing ever really changes in bathrooms; it just changes colors every few years. So I headed off to the Interior Design show in Toronto, inspired to find out what the real trends in bathroom design are. The single biggest trend is the free-standing bathtub. You could not walk through the place without tripping over them. They were mostly presented in settings like a bedroom or, I suppose, a home spa. None looked the least bit ergonomic, designed more for how they look in the room than actual comfort. My late mom, a designer, used to take off her shoes and climb into every tub to test it out; she was very short and always made sure that the tub length was appropriate for the client. I learned from this but only one vendor would let me climb into the tub. It was symmetrical, the same shape at both ends, so you couldn't put your feet anywhere. It was so wide that it would empty your water tank, instead of being roughly proportional to a human. It was so awful that I won't mention their name because they were nice people. But as I learned from Donna Church of Kohler after she visited my class last year, these tubs are dangerous. The walls are so thin that you cannot sit on the ledge and swing your legs over, you have to step into it. They are often set in places where it is impossible to install grab bars when people get older. (And people of every age fall. Grab bars are not just for old people.) This is a trend that should die because, seriously, it is a trend that can kill. We saw this in a recent post on falls on MNN. 6mm porcelain tile panels on walls/Promo image 6mm porcelain tile panels on walls/Promo image Where Apartment Therapy thinks wallpaper is a trend in bathrooms, I am hoping that these giant 6mm thick porcelain panels become a trend. They are now making tiles so big that you can cover the entire wall, eliminating the grout that can often get mouldy or dirty. I would not put it on a floor because that should be non-slip, but I do hope it catches on. Another trend I hope catches on is the residential urinal. This one distributed by PierDeco has a sensor that runs for a year on four AA batteries, and sprays a tiny bit of water over the entire interior of the urinal so it will never smell like the waterless ones sometimes do. It's paired with a wall-hung toilet which makes it far easier to clean and is what everyone does in Europe now. The bathroom trends this year as seen at the Interior Design show are not all that impressive; it's all about looks rather than function. I would have thought that, with an aging clientele, there would be more good looking stuff that was easier to use. Perhaps it's the nature of an Interior Design show. But as our population ages, we should be thinking more of how these bathrooms are designed so that they can be adapted. And that means we should lose these stupid free-standing tubs. | https://www.treehugger.com/bathroom-design/what-are-trends-bathroom-design-2019.html |
Did J.R. Smith call Marcus Smart a "bum" for DeAndre' Bembry incident? | originally appeared on nbcsportsboston.com J.R. Smith appeared to call out one of two players Saturday night on Instagram. Scroll to continue with content Ad We think we have a pretty good guess. After ESPN's "SportsCenter" Instagram account posted a video of Marcus Smart charging at DeAndre' Bembry during Saturday night's Boston Celtics-Atlanta Hawks game, the former Cleveland Cavaliers guard chimed in by writing "such a bum" in the comment section. JR Smith's not a fan of Marcus Smart. pic.twitter.com/SNTxMLeCgv Josh Poloha (@JorshP) January 20, 2019 Technically, Smith's "bum" jab could be directed at Smart or Bembry. But Smith and Smart have serious history. A quick recap: During the 2018 NBA playoffs, Smart confronted Smith after the Cavs guard pushed Al Horford while he was in the air attempting to catch an alley-oop. When Boston and Cleveland met this preseason, Smart and Smith scuffled again, and their beef continued off the court with some nasty postgame remarks and tweets. So, it's safe to say Smith's comments aren't directed at Bembry. Smart has bigger problems to worry about, though: His Celtics will aim for their fourth consecutive win Monday, while Smith has stepped away from the Cavs while seeking a trade. Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device. | https://sports.yahoo.com/did-j-r-smith-call-045817780.html?src=rss |
What Is the Point of a Second North Korean Summit? | A second photo-op summit with North Korea will reportedly take place next month: On Friday, the White House announced a second summit between the two leaders to negotiate North Koreas denuclearization would take place toward the end of February. Details on the precise date and location of the summit remain unclear. Judging from the lack of progress in U.S.-North Korean negotiations since the first summit in Singapore, the second summit wont produce anything of value for the U.S. or our allies. The only reason to hold a second summit is to maintain the illusion that the U.S. and North Korea are engaged in serious talks on North Koreas disarmament when that goal remains as unrealistic as it always has been. Keeping that illusion going allows Trump to claim credit for something that isnt happening, but it impedes real negotiations that could lead to substantive improvements in U.S.-North Korean relations. There is an opportunity for U.S. diplomacy with North Korea to be constructive if it builds on the real progress in inter-Korean rapprochement that has been happening over the last year, but so long as the administration remains hung up on the fantasy of final, fully verified denuclearization these meetings are just meetings for their own sake. Talking about disarmament that wont occur is a waste of time for all concerned, and linking all diplomacy with North Korea to an unachievable goal just gives hard-liners in the administration an opening to advocate for more punitive measures and possibly military action. The U.S. should be prepared to accept that North Korea is going to remain a nuclear weapons state for the foreseeable future. The administration should seize on Kims statements that North Korea wont proliferate its technology and use them as the basis for further negotiations. Unfortunately, it is much more likely that the president will be satisfied to have another substance-free photo op, and diplomacy with North Korea will continue going nowhere. | https://www.theamericanconservative.com/larison/what-is-the-point-of-a-second-north-korean-summit/ |
Could a Tsunami Happen Here? | Alaska (search) has been hit by massive earthquakes in the past, and is still at risk. So is Washington state. Both are bordered by 700- to 800-mile fault zones. So the U.S. has installed an early-warning system that reads the speed and direction of tsunamis which are generally undetectable until they hit the shore because wave energy travels very deep and at near-supersonic speed underwater. "We live in an area similar, and we should not lull ourselves into thinking it could not happen to us," said Eddie Bernard of Pacific Marine Laboratory (search) in Anchorage. "It could happen to us." Click in the box near the top of the story to watch a report by FOX News' William LaJeunesse. | https://www.foxnews.com/story/could-a-tsunami-happen-here |
Will Lin-Manuel Miranda Create Disney's First Latina Princess In A Sequel To MOANA? | The New York Post reports that "Hamilton" creator Lin-Manuel Miranda has been in talks with Disney to co-write an animated musical that would feature Disney's first Latina film heroine. According to the report, the project would be a follow-up to the 2016 Disney mega-hit, "Moana", for which Miranda co-wrote the score. Luis Miranda, Lin's father confirmed to the Post that negotiations are taking place. He tells the Post, "He is talking to Disney about a sequel to 'Moana,' but the movie would be about a Latina princess." Disney's MOANA sailed into theaters on November 23, 2016. MOANA is about an adventurous teenager who is inspired to leave the safety and security of her island on a daring journey to save her people. Inexplicably drawn to the ocean, Moana convinces the mighty demigod Maui to join her mission, and he reluctantly helps her become a wayfinder like her ancestors who sailed before her. Together, they voyage across the open ocean on an action-packed adventure, encountering enormous monsters and impossible odds, and along the way, Moana fulfills her quest and discovers THE ONE thing she's always sought: her own identity. Related Articles | https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Will-Lin-Manuel-Miranda-Create-Disneys-First-Latina-Princess-In-A-Sequel-To-MOANA-20190121 |
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