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Who is in Alfonso Cuarons Roma and what is it about? | Yalitza Aparicio in a scene from the film Roma (Picture: Netflix) One of the favourites for this awards season is Roma, a semi-autobiographical film by award-winning director Alfonso Cuaron. The film however never hit cinemas because it was snapped up by Netflix and if its successful at the Academy Awards, it could mean the streaming service has finally cracked the industry that has been desperate to keep it out. The cast are all unknowns (Picture: Netflix) The film is about the upbringing of a young boy in Mexico City, and his middle-class familys live-in housekeeper. The title refers to a neighborhood in the city called Colonia Roma. Alfonso Cuaron, left, and actress Yalitza Aparicio on the set of Roma (Picture: Netflix) The cast are all unknowns, with Yalitza Aparicio the stand out. Yalitza, 25, stars as Cleodegaria Cleo Gutirrez, one of the familys maids and her performance has won rave reviews although many critics fear her lack of name recognition means she wont get a nomination. Advertisement Advertisement Other actors who appear in the film include Marina de Tavira as Sofia, the mother of the family, Fernando Grediaga as Antonio, Sofias absent husband, and Jorge Antonio Guerrero as Fermn, Cleos lover. Five of Alfonso Cuarons last seven films have been nominated for Oscars (Picture: Invision) Alfonso Cuaron announced in 2016 he would direct the film which is loosely based on his life. Cuaron also directed Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Children Of Men, and Gravity and five of his last seven films have been nominated for Oscars. Yep. Roma has been widely praised, and although Netflix does not release viewing figures the film was given a two-week limited run in US theatres. It is thought the film made $90,000 $120,000 (70,000 90,000) in its opening weekend, and a total of $200,000 over the five-day Thanksgiving period. If true, that would give each venue an average of $66,600 (50,000), ranking Roma as one of the best openings for a foreign-language film. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video On your iPad, tablet, iPhone or any other platform where you can stream Netflix. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. MORE: A Star Is Born cast, director, soundtrack and when it is out on DVD | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/alfonso-cuarons-roma-8372896/ |
When is Celine Dion at BST Hyde Park 2019 and how to get tickets? | Celine Dion will be one of the headline acts (Photo by Tony Barson/Getty Images) Celine Dion will be heading to the UK this summer and leading the line-up at British Summer Time at Hyde Park. Celine Dion confirmed to headline BST Hyde Park and our wigs are suddenly missing The Think Twice singer will be headlining the Great Oak Stage and performing many of her famous power ballads. The singer is the latest performer to be announced as a headline act for this years event after Florence + the Machine were confirmed for 13 July, while Robbie Williams will be leading the line-up on 14 July. Speaking in a video announcement, Celine Dion said: Its my first time doing a show in beautiful Hyde Park Im so excited. I love London, and its a great honour for me to be part of the Barclaycard presents BST Hyde Park concerts. Celina Dion will be performing at BST Hyde Park on Friday 5 July 2019. How to get tickets Barclaycard users can access a special pres-sale which starts tomorrow at 9am. A full pre-sale will then begin on Friday 25 January at 9am which you can sign up for on the BST Hyde Park website and AXS tickets. The remaining tickets will then go on general release on Tuesday 29 January at 9am. MORE: Im not being ignored because of my privilege: Jameela Jamil insists shes not stealing body positivity movement MORE: Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson wont be engaged any time soon so everyone can calm down | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/celine-dion-bst-hyde-park-2019-get-tickets-8373483/ |
When are the 2019 BATFAs and what are the nominations? | Share this article via flipboard Share this article via email Share this article via messenger The 2019 Baftas will be held in the same month as the Oscars (Picture: Mike Marsland/WireImage) The 2019 awards season is in full swing with the Golden Globes kicking off at the beginning of January and the Oscars now a month away. Lin-Manuel Miranda 'in talks for' Moana sequel 'with first ever Latina princess British film and TV fans also have the Baftas to look forward to next month. The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is one of the most prestigious awards of the year and the event includes a long list of categories. Here is everything that you need to know about when the awards take place and how you can watch them. The Baftas will be held on Sunday February 10 at the Royal Albert Hall, and the event will be broadcast on BBC One. Advertisement Advertisement Joanna Lumley will return for the second year to host the ceremony. MORE: Margot Robbie and Black Panther among 2019 Bafta nomination snubs and surprises | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/2019-batfas-nominations-8372742/ |
How Does the Brain Differentiate Between Self and Other's Touch? | The brain is capable of distinguishing between touch by ones self and touch by another person. This is possible due to the brains ability to reduce the sensory perception in case of self-touching, compared to touching by another person. Read More.. Sensory Receptors of the Skin Mechanoreceptors: Touch (pressure, vibration, and texture) Touch (pressure, vibration, and texture) Nociceptors: Pain Pain Thermoreceptors: Temperature (hot and cold) Study Technique Study Findings Interpretation of the Findings Funding Source Distinction of Self-produced Touch and Social Touch at Cortical and Spinal Cord Levels - (https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2019/01/14/1816278116) This distinction first manifests in newborn babies in the early years of life, when they are touched by their caregivers.Problems associated with self-concept become evident in various types of psychiatric disorders. For example, although normal persons usually can't tickle themselves, schizophrenia patients can. This is because their brains interpret sensory information originating from self-touch differently to normal people.The study has been published in the, which is the official scientific journal of the US National Academy of Sciences, published since 1915.Thethat can sense various types of stimuli, including the following:The information about touch is relayed from the mechanoreceptors in the skin to the brain via the spinal cord. The brain interprets this information to perceive the sensation of touch.The research team studied the sensation felt in different parts of the nervous system by touching the skin of the study participants by another person and compared this with self-touching at the same places on the body.The study participants were made to lie down on a moveable platform that could enter into a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. The participants were asked to slowly stroke their arm with their own hand, which was followed by similar stroking by another person.Simultaneously, brain imaging was carried out by functional MRI (fMRI) to generate images corresponding to the brain activity in real-time. This helped the researchers to understand how these types of touch affected the activity in various regions of the brain.The research team found that in the case of self-touch, the brain modulated the processing of the sensory perception in such a way that it was appreciably reduced, compared to touch by another person.For example, in one experiment, the study participants were stroked on their arm with filaments of different thickness, while simultaneously being stroked by themselves or by another person. The research team found that when two sensory stimuli were simultaneously applied, the sensation of touch was significantly 'dampened' by the brain when the participants stroked their own arm.says first author Dr. Rebecca Bhme, who is a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine and the Center for Social and Affective Neuroscience (CSAN), Linkping University, Sweden.The study findings could be interpreted in the light of theory on brain research that highlights the fact that the human brain does not attach as much importance to sensations generated by our own bodies, such as touching one's self, as compared to touching by another person.says Rebecca Bhme.The research was funded by ALF grants from Region stergtland.Source: Medindia | https://www.medindia.net/news/healthinfocus/how-does-the-brain-differentiate-between-self-and-others-touch-185305-1.htm |
Where does LSU baseball stand in the preseason rankings? | LSU baseball has no shortage of expectations in 2019. Coming off one of the more difficult seasons in the Paul Mainieri era, LSU brings back most of its core talent and arguably the No. 1 signing class in the country. Mainieri sees the projections calling LSU one of the two or three best teams in the country, and he said he welcomes them. He told NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune two weeks ago he uses it as reinforcement to his team that its not just he who thinks LSU is one of the best teams in the country. He hopes it gives them confidence. Now, most the main preseason college baseball rankings have been published, confirming LSU is right at the top. Heres where the main outlets have the Tigers. Baseball America: No. 2 Baseball America has the Tigers just behind fellow SEC power Vanderbilt. Eight SEC teams are in BAs Top 25, and Florida is just behind LSU at No. 2. Baseball America wrote: The Tigers got a huge boost following the draft when the draft-eligible trio of right-hander Zack Hess and outfielders Antoine Duplantis and Zach Watson opted to return to Baton Rouge and the top-ranked recruiting class in the country landed on campus. LSU this year will have an experienced pitching staff to go with a potent lineup. D1Baseball.com: No. 2 Just like Baseball America, D1Baseball has the Tigers just behind Vanderbilt. Florida is No. 6, and Georgia and Ole Miss are No. 9 and No. 10, respectively. Perfect Game: No. 1 Perfect Game is the highest-profile site to have LSU at No. 1, followed by Oregon State and Vanderbilt. The site wrote: LSU is guided by Paul Mainieri, whose Tigers finished as the runner-up just two years ago with several familiar faces. Outfielders Antoine Duplantis and Zach Watson and staff ace Zack Hess were all drafted yet returned for another season. Shortstop Josh Smith and another starting pitcher, Eric Walker, missed most or all of the 2018 season due to injuries and appear to be ready to return healthy and strong. "Add in still-developing young talent and another strong wave of incoming freshmen and you have one of the deepest rosters in college baseball. Collegiate Baseball Newspaper: No. 1 This was the first of the outlets to rank the Tigers up top, with Vanderbilt just barely behind LSU. "The Tigers, winners of six national titles, will field its best ball club since 2017 when LSU finished second at the College World Series. LSUs last title came 10 seasons ago in 2009. Entering that spring, LSU was also ranked No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball. Five returning position player starters are back and six superb pitchers. Plus, key players return after sitting out virtually all last season because of injuries. | https://www.nola.com/lsu/2019/01/where-does-lsu-baseball-stand-in-the-preseason-rankings.html |
Who are the Black Israelites at the center of the viral standoff at the Lincoln Memorial? | Black Hebrew Israelites, who believe they are descendants of the ancient Israelites, protest on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 13, 2018. One of the groups within the Hebrew Israelite movement appears to be at the center of a controversy over a standoff between a Kentucky teen and a Native American on Jan. 18. (Photo by Melina Mara/The Washington Post) In the initial media churn, they were nearly missed. But a small band of Hebrew Israelites, members of a historic but little-known American religious movement, may actually be at the center of a roiling controversy that has gripped the nation in recent days. It began with a now-viral video clip, filmed Friday at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, in which high school students from a Catholic school in Kentucky appeared to be in a faceoff with a Native American elder, who was beating on a drum. The boys, some wearing red hats with President Trumps 2016 campaign slogan, appeared in the clip to be mocking the man, a Vietnam veteran named Nathan Phillips. The clip was widely understood as being centrally about the dangers of Trumpism, and the teens were condemned. But a longer video soon bubbled to the surface, widening the lens. It showed how a group of half a dozen Hebrew Israelites had, in fact, been goading and preaching at both the Native Americans and high schoolers, using profanity and highly provocative language, for nearly an hour. Phillips later told journalists that he was seeking to defuse tensions between the Israelite group and the high school students by stepping in between them. [Kentucky Catholic diocese condemns behavior of teens on National Mall] Dressed in fringed black garb, some with scarves tied around their heads, they preached what to many were both abrasive and unfamiliar End Times messages calling Native Americans literal descendants of the Israelite Tribe of Gad, the white students cursed Edomites and preaching that a nuclear apocalypse was around the corner. They are members of The House of Israel, which draws from what scholars call Black Israelism, a complex American religious movement that can be dated to the 18th century, at least. Beliefs vary widely, but groups are bound together by the central tenet that African Americans are the literal descendants of the Israelites of the Bible and have been severed from their true heritage. A related belief holds that white people are Edomites, the genealogical descendants of Esau the twin of Jacob. Several distinct denominations or traditions have emerged over the years. Congregations and leaders differ widely, making neat generalizations tricky. Some read the Christian Bible and believe that Jesus was the prophesied Messiah; others read only the Hebrew Bible. Some have moved into tentative dialogue and collaboration with wider American Jewish organizations. Others have not. The 1970s and 80s saw the rise of an innovative new branch of Black Israelism centered around an organization named the Israeli Tanack School, known colloquially as One West, after its address on 125th Street in Harlem. The One Westers saw themselves as radical reformers of earlier generations of Hebrew Israelites who had gone astray. They would troop out to street corners dressed in colorful and ornate capes and leather vivid imaginings of what ancient Israelites might look like transported into the urban culture of New York City. They were also early and eager adopters of new media, hosting local television slots and filming their often-confrontational street ministry. Doctrinal innovations, said by insiders to be the product of divine revelation, came to the One West school as the years passed. [Trump and Pence give surprise addresses at antiabortion March for Life] Leaders developed their own modified version of Hebrew which they claimed was, in fact, the true and ancient version of the language, free from modern impurities. Unlike standard Hebrew, which has several vowels, their language was spoken with only one wide a sound and other idiosyncratic pronunciations (Shalom, for example,' becomes Shalawam.) Around the same time, their outreach also expanded. Significantly, One Westers began teaching that it wasnt just African Americans who comprised the true Israelites other nationalities and ethnicities were also descended from the Israelites of the Bible. Puerto Ricans, for example, comprised the Tribe of Ephraim and Native Americans were the Tribe of Gad. These people were the downtrodden of the earth, they argued, whose past hardships were the result of their having strayed from the commandments of God. Contemporary hardships facing these groups such as poverty, police brutality, racism and gun violence could be overcome only when they recognized their forgotten history as Israelites. These are the people who constitute the nation of Israel, a leading teacher known as Masha said in a 1990s television appearance as an assistant held up a hand-drawn chart of the Twelve Tribes of Israel and their supposed modern-day corollaries. This is their true identity. Leaders also embraced an apocalyptic worldview, teaching that the world would soon come to an end, ushering in a time when the Israelites would assume their rightful place as rulers and the white mans time would come to a close. In the 1990s and early 2000s, doctrinal disputes and an End Times prophecy gone awry caused the school to fracture several times. Today there are at least a dozen organizations that have roots in the early One West school, with many other smaller groups, or camps, as they are often called, drawing influence. House of Israel is one of them. Headquartered in New York, the group is led by a onetime member of the original One West school known as Zabach. According to the groups website, it has branches in three other cities, including Washington. Doctrines may vary slightly within the One West splinters, but HOI, as the group is commonly known, is still working straight from the original schools playbook by uniting and building up the nation destroyed by Colonialism, Imperialism, and Slavery, its website reads. Our chief mission is the uplifting of the so called Blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans; who are the 12 Tribes of Israel. In recent years, One Westers such as HOI have seen a huge boost in interest as a result of online outreach. There are thousands of videos on YouTube and dozens of Facebook and Twitter accounts dedicated to One West Hebrew Israelite messages. Typical videos look much like the one that has now spread widely from D.C. A related organization, Israel United In Christ, was also recently thrust into the spotlight after rap superstar Kendrick Lamar featured snippets of his cousin, one of its members, preaching on his Pulitzer Prize-winning album. With an elevated profile, Hebrew Israelite groups such as HOI have received significant pushback from organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Anti-Defamation League which brand them as hate groups for their inflammatory messages about white, LGBT and Jewish people as well as from Christian groups that see them as a growing religious threat. Meanwhile, other Hebrew Israelite groups that are not in the One West tradition diverge significantly in their beliefs and denounce the abrasive ministry of groups like HOI. But as the scene of their preaching spread widely over the weekend, HOI members claimed they were not instigators and were not threatening any real violence. One Westers also claim they are unfairly targeted by groups such as the SPLC. The HOI presence at the Lincoln Memorial was, for the group, quite mundane despite the flurry of attention. Indeed, Israelite street preaching in parts of D.C., Philadelphia and New York is commonplace, a familiar if odd accent to city life. Sam Kestenbaum is a contributing editor at The Forward and a writer-in-residence at The New York Public Library. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2019/01/22/who-are-black-israelites-center-viral-standoff-lincoln-memorial/ |
What Next for Brexit? | Britain faces four main scenarios as the clock ticks down to its scheduled departure from the European Union British Prime Minister Theresa May presents her new approach to Brexit on Monday, following M.P.s crushing rejection of the divorce deal agreed with the E.U. Lawmakers have their chance to submit amendments, which could indicate whether opinion in parliament is shifting towards alternative routes. Here are the four main scenarios now facing Britain while the clock ticks down to its scheduled departure from the European Union on March 29: Delay The flurry of amendments could indicate which options M.P.s want to rule outbut may not produce a majority for anything they do want to proceed with. Amendments could seek to halt the Article 50 departure processthe two-year clock set ticking when Britain handed in its notice on March 29, 2017. Brussels may not be so keen if the delay just means more months of political gridlock. A further potential complication is that elections to the European Parliament elections due in late May and the new chamber is set to sit on July 2. Some of Britains 73 seats have been reallocated to other countries. Try to get another deal After the deal agreed between May and Brussels was overwhelmingly rejected by M.P.s on Wednesday, May immediately began talks with opposition leaders, though main opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn stayed away, insisting no-deal must be taken off the table as a pre-condition. May will make a statement to parliaments lower House of Commons on Monday, setting out a Plan B, and has said if necessary she will return to Brussels for talks with the E.U. But she has repeated that any deal must take Britain out of the E.U., end uncontrolled E.U. migration and allow the country to sign independent trade deals. The last two conditions would seem incompatible with continued membership of the E.U.s single market and a customs union, advocated by Labor. E.U. leaders have said they are willing to negotiate further but have repeatedly said they do not want to reopen the Brexit deal agreed with May. No deal Britain is legally on track to leave the E.U. with or without a deal on March 29, unless it delays or stops the process. A no-deal scenario threatens to trigger a recession in Britain and markedly slow the E.U.s economic growth, as well as causing significant legal disruption. The worlds fifth-biggest economy could lose preferential access to its largest export market overnight, affecting every sector, leading to rising costs and disruption at British ports. The government has conducted visible displays of its ramped-up no-deal preparations over the past few weeks. There is growing speculation in London and Brussels that it could seek to delay Brexit to avoid this scenario, although May has denied this. Second referendum E.U. supporters have been calling for another vote ever since the Leave campaign won by 52 to 48 percent in the 2016 referendum, and demands have stepped up in recent months. There is no law keeping Britain from doing it all over again, but many question whether this would be democraticor resolve anything. May has warned another vote would do irreparable damage to the integrity of our politics. It also threatens to be just as divisive, with opinion polls showing the country is still split over the issue. A majority of M.P.s would have to support the idea and pass a law to hold the referendum, which would likely result in Brexit being delayed while the process took place. | http://newsweekpakistan.com/what-next-for-brexit/ |
Who's coming to Davos 2019? | Share Leaders and luminaries including Sir David Attenborough, Shinzo Abe, Angela Merkel, Prince William and Jacinda Ardern will gather in Davos for the World Economic Forums Annual Meeting 2019. Theyre among around 3,000 participants drawn from all over the world and from every sphere of influence: business, government, civil society, academia, arts and culture, and media. From January 22 - 25, they will be convening in the snow-bound Swiss town of Davos to discuss how to build a better version of globalization. The theme is Globalization 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. It picks up on two major trends. One: this is a fraught time for global cooperation, as legitimate frustration over the failure of globalization to consistently raise living standards spills over into populism and nationalism. And two: a whole new wave of change is crashing on us in the form of the high-tech digital revolution. With climate change posing an existential threat to our common future, we need to figure out better ways to make the global economy work, and fast. As Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Chief Executive of the World Economic Forum, explains: This fourth wave of globalization needs to be human-centred, inclusive and sustainable. We are entering a period of profound global instability brought on by the technological disruption of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and the realignment of geo-economics and geopolitical forces. We need principals from all stakeholder groups in Davos to summon the imagination and commitment necessary to tackle it. The six big conversations The theme will be explored over 350 sessions, nearly half of them webcast. The programme also focusses on six critical dialogues: geopolitics in a multiconceptual world, the future of the economy, industry systems and technology policy, risk resilience to promote systems thinking, human capital and society, and global institutional reform. The youngest participant at just 16 is the South African wildlife photographer Skye Meaker, while the oldest is 92-year-old Sir David Attenborough, the renowned broadcaster who has used his work to draw attention to climate change. Top political leaders taking part are: Ueli Maurer, President of the Swiss Confederation 2019 and Federal Councillor of Finance of Switzerland; Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan; Jair Bolsonaro, President of Brazil; Angela Merkel, Federal Chancellor of Germany; Wang Qishan, Vice-President of the Peoples Republic of China; Giuseppe Conte, Prime Minister of Italy; Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister of Spain; Barham Salih, President of Iraq; Mohammad Ashraf Ghani, President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; Sebastian Kurz, Federal Chancellor of Austria; Ivan Duque, President of Colombia; Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minster of Ethiopia; Leo Varadkar, Taoiseach of the Republic of Ireland; Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of Israel; Faiez Al Serrag, Prime Minister of Libya; Mark Rutte, Prime Minister of the Netherlands; Jacinda Ardern, Prime Minister of New Zealand; Erna Solberg, Prime Minister of Norway; Rami Hamdallah, Prime Minister of the Palestinian National Authority; Martin Alberto Vizcarra Cornejo, President of Peru; Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda; Cyril M. Ramaphosa, Prime Minister of South Africa; Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, President of Uganda; Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of Viet Nam; and Emmerson Mnangagwa, President of Zimbabwe. Crystal Award winners, recognised for harnessing culture to promote positive change, are: conductor Marin Alsop, film director Haifaa Al-Mansour, and Sir David Attenborough. Leaders from International Organizations include: Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General, United Nations; Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights; Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC); Kristalina Georgieva, Chief Executive Officer, World Bank; Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Roberto Azevedo, Director-General, World Trade Organization (WTO); Angel Gurra, Secretary-General, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Christine Lagarde, Managing Director, International Monetary Fund (IMF); and Jens Stoltenberg, Secretary-General, North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Leaders from civil society are: Yasunobu Aihara, General Secretary, Japanese Trade Union Confederation (Jtuc-Rengo); Sharan Burrow, General Secretary, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC); Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director, Oxfam International; Jennifer Morgan, Executive Director, Greenpeace International; Denis Mukwege, Founder, Panzi Foundation, 2018 Nobel Peace Laureate; Kenneth Roth, Executive Director, Human Rights Watch; Marco Lambertini, Director-General, WWF International; Delia Ferreira Rubio, Chair, Transparency International; Maria Ressa, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Editor, Rappler.com; Elizabeth H. Shuler, Secretary-Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO); Peter Sands, Executive Director, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GF); Debbie Stothard, Secretary-General International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH); and Luca Visentini, General Secretary, European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). In addition to record participation from the public sector, the private sector will be represented by more than 1,700 leaders. Civil society is represented by almost 900 leaders from NGOs, social entrepreneurs, academia, labour organizations, faith-based and religious groups and media. Britains Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, is attending to discuss his work on mental health, a key topic this year. The Annual Meeting is the foremost global gathering representing younger generations, with 50 members of the Forums Global Shaper Community, aged between 20 and 30, and 100 Young Global Leaders, under the age of 40, participating. | https://www.myjoyonline.com/business/2019/January-22nd/whos-coming-to-davos-2019.php |
Is it time to get greedy with the Sirius Minerals share price? | However, I expect a solution to be found, eventually. And the company is continuing to make solid progress with the construction of the related mine shafts and transport tunnel. For shareholders whove seen the fertiliser firms stock fall by nearly 40% over the last six months, its disappointing news. Share in Sirius Minerals (LSE: SXX) are down by 4% at the time of writing on Tuesday, after the firm admitted it still hasnt secured any of the $3.6bn (2.9bn) funding needed to complete the development of the Woodsmith polyhalite mine in North Yorkshire. I would like to receive emails from you about product information and offers from The Fool and its business partners. Each of these emails will provide a link to unsubscribe from future emails. More information about how The Fool collects, stores, and handles personal data is available in its Privacy Statement. Already a subscriber to our paid services (e.g. Please login here . Register by giving us your email below to continue reading all of the content on the site. Soon you will also begin to receive our FREE email newsletter, The Motley Fool Collective. It features straightforward advice on whats really happening with the stock market, direct to your inbox. Its designed to help you protect and grow your portfolio. (You may unsubscribe any time.) Share in Sirius Minerals (LSE: SXX) are down by 4% at the time of writing on Tuesday, after the firm admitted it still hasnt secured any of the $3.6bn (2.9bn) funding needed to complete the development of the Woodsmith polyhalite mine in North Yorkshire. For shareholders whove seen the fertiliser firms stock fall by nearly 40% over the last six months, its disappointing news. However, I expect a solution to be found, eventually. And the company is continuing to make solid progress with the construction of the related mine shafts and transport tunnel. Funding keeps slipping Sirius needs $3bn (2.4bn) of debt to complete the mine build. In September, chief executive Chris Fraser said that commitment letters from lenders were expected during the fourth quarter of 2018. In November, this deadline was extended to December 2018 and January 2019. The company is now saying that it hopes to have agreed commitment letters as soon as possible. Fraser says that the firms unrestricted cash balance of 230m is enough to keep construction operations going into the second quarter of 2019. Workers wont have to down tools just yet. But the fact that this has been mentioned at all suggests to me that the timetable for financing is far from certain. This $3bn plan has changed Todays update has revealed some changes to Siriuss stage-two financing plans. The company was previously hoping to borrow $3bn, with half of the loans guaranteed by the UK governments Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA). Thats changed. Sirius is still aiming to raise $3bn from lenders, but the cash will be released in three stages. Each of these will be dependent on a certain set of construction milestones being completed. The IPA-guaranteed debt will be the last to be released. This should reduce the risk to the taxpayer as, by then, Sirius expects to have started selling POLY4 fertiliser to commercial customers. However, I suspect this approach will increase the cost of the first and second stages of funding, which wont be protected by government guarantees. Back in September, Sirius said that an extra $400m-$600m would now be needed to complete the build, on top of the $3bn originally planned. Todays update didnt provide any further information on where this extra cash will come from. However, the company has repeatedly ruled out borrowing this money. I expect that the extra funding will come from shareholders, either directly or through some kind of partnership deal with an outside investor. In either case, this seems likely to be dilutive for existing shareholders. I think that Sirius will eventually secure the funding it needs. But I expect the costs will be higher than expected. This could reduce future shareholder returns. At the last-seen share price of 22p, Sirius equity is still valued at 1bn. That seems high enough to me. Its still nearly three years until production is due to start, and the project is currently unfunded. I continue to see Sirius Minerals as speculative and quite risky. For me, its one to avoid. | https://www.fool.co.uk/investing/2019/01/22/is-it-time-to-get-greedy-with-the-sirius-minerals-share-price/ |
Why is SBI selling Essar Steel debt one day before a court decision on the resolution? | Deepak Shenoy The bankruptcy proceedings of Essar Steel have an interesting twist. Remember the way its gone: -The Ruias are the promoters of Essar Steel. Essar Steels loans have been unpaid, and they were, since 2013, going through NPA, restructuring, 5/25 and other such things. They even pretended to get investment from a hedge fund called Fallaron (which later denied that they had agreed to buy). -Essar Steel owed around Rs 47,000 crore to banks. -In 2017 the RBI said, all such long-term NPA accounts should go to bankruptcy court. -The Ruias, surprised that the Indian banking system or at least, one faction of the RBI is standing up to them, goes to court to stall the process. The court says no, let this go on. -The Ruias try to use a backdoor entry through an entity in which a connected party has a stake this entity was called Numetal. Numetal bid for the company. But under the IBC law, the promoters of a defaulted entity cant be a bidder. -Arcelor Mittal too had a bid, and they also had been promoters in two defaulted entities (KSS Petron and Uttam Galva Steels). Mittal then paid the money for those companies and stayed in. -Numetal had to get rid of Ruia's link as a shareholder, and they did. -Eventually, Arcelor Mittal won the bid, at about Rs 42,000 crore with a further Rs 8,000 crore injection into the company. The Ruias then put another bid Rs 54,389 crore. A promoter can still pay the loans in full and take the company out of the process. But obviously it is unfair to wait till the time that the last bid is in, and then after the winner is selected, put your bid in. They havent said where they got the money. And why, if they had it, they didnt put it back before. Its likely they wanted the banks to agree to a haircut, which is what banks would have agreed to earlier, until the bankruptcy law came along and doused those dreams. However, courts will have to decide if that bid is legal. As of now, the banking system supports Mittals bid. The NCLT (effectively the bankruptcy court) had adjourned hearings twice, until the NCLAT (the appellate tribunal) told them on January 3 get your act together and put an order in. The case will be decided on January 31, 2019. Or so we believe. But after that: A high court A supreme court A set of appeals A lot of drama Which could easily take a year or more! You cant expect the Ruias, who have been in business for this long, to give up too easily. The SBI Move: Get me out of here SBI, apparently sick of the process, has done something radical. Starting immediately, and ending on January 29, it wants to sell out its holding of the Essar Steel debt. In an announcement of an auction: So SBI is selling the portion of the debt owed to it, to financial institutions. They own over 20 percent of the debt in fact, they have enough to vote for or against any proposal (because you need about owners of 75 percent of the debt to approve any deal for bankruptcy resolution). They will sell at a discount so: -The money they are owed is about Rs 15,431 crore. -Out of that, they were only going to get Rs 11,313 crore (since Arcelor Mittal was buying the company at a discount to the debt it owed). -That Rs 11,313 crore is something they expect to recover only after a year (courts, etc.). So they use an interest rate of 18 percent to discount the amount by one year, to get Rs 9,587.64 crore. The buyer of this debt will then have to pay Rs 9,587.65 crore upfront. And if things go okay, the buyer is likely to get the money in a year, in which case they make 18 percent returns (this is pretty standard return for a risky asset, so dont read too much into it). However, if the buyer gets the money earlier by some remarkable twist of fate, if the courts fast track this and Mittal pays within a year then, SBI says the buyer has to pay an additional amount so that the annualised return is only 18 percent (for example if they resolve it in six months, then the buyer pays SBI about Rs 792 crore more). They say, officially, that they dont want to wait a year. Just get it out of the way already. It will actually result in a profit because SBI would have written down 50 percent of the loan (7,715 crore) and even a discounted sale like this would give them a profit of about Rs 1,900 crore more! That adds to their capital, which means they can lend more. Thats the official reason. But there is potentially a more sinister reason that this is happening. The political machinations Heres a conspiracy theory. Its totally made up, so dont assume its based on any truth or fact. The Ruias have been close to many political parties. They dont want to lose the steel asset. They cant bid and their bid may not be accepted by the court. But even if the court does allow the Ruias to bid, the current set of banks apparently is so against the Ruias that they are likely to vote a no. In fact, they did, earlier, say that they would rather take a haircut from the Mittal bid (and lose some money) rather than give the Ruias a chance to take this back. There's merit in that argument. Mittals produced the cash to pay for the asset. The Ruias have not. Meaning: if they say ok to Ruia, they stand a good chance that Ruia will say he doesnt have the money, and go right back to the same banks to borrow it which means theyre back to square one. You cant. So here's the conspiracy theory: -Figure out a way to get a way to ensure that a decision of any sort in the future, by the banks, does not go to Mittal. -For that, you need a 25 percent stake at least. -Which is what SBI has, right now. -So get SBI to dump its debt -At a discount -And then, get that debt acquired by a "friendly" party who will then do what you want them to. We dont know if this is true, but it could be a mechanism used to complicate the deal going forward. And there are questions. The timeline of the deal is like this: So everything will be done by January 30. That way if the resolution happens, they only have to pay themselves (or, use a financing company in the middle). If the resolution is scuttled by the court, they can then stop any further attempts to sell to Ruia, because theyll have the voting rights. The fight between the two could mean that the bidding sees a price war and thus, SBI could get more money. In fact, this could really be the goal to get them to fight through proxies and get SBI even more money than the reserve price of 9,587 crore. Our View: Benefits SBI, but hurts the bankruptcy process This sale benefits SBI. They get less than they had anticipated but at least they get it now. But if it does go through and any party manages to delay the process even longer, then the bankruptcy concept will suffer. It was intended that the company would be revived and fast. But this will hold things for even longer because one party doesnt want to lose it. The conspiracy theory may not be true, but it does provide leverage for the Ruias or the Mittals to target the entity that buys this debt. If it turns out that a sinister motive was involved, then this becomes the modus-operandi of all the other people who stand to lose their companies to the Bankruptcy courts. Well just have to wait for the court decision, but something tells us the story isnt anywhere close to over because the fat lady is still putting on her makeup. The author is Founder and CEO of Capitalmind. The article first appeared on Capitalmind. It has been reproduced with permission. You can read the original article here. | https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/markets/why-is-sbi-selling-essar-steel-debt-one-day-before-a-court-decision-on-the-resolution-3420691.html |
Is Trump next to visit Serbia? | Can more visits of leaders of the world's most important countries be expected in the near future - this is a topic that the newspapers write about today. Source: B92, Tanjug Tuesday, January 22, 2019 | 12:39 Tweet Share (Tanjug/AP, file) And some of them are announcing the arrival of Donald Trump and of Angela Merkel. Vladimir Vuletic, a sociologist, and Stanko Crnobrnja, a professor at the Faculty for Media and Communications, touched on this while speaking for Prva TV on Tuesday morning. Namely, some media are reporting that the US president could soon visit Serbia, and, like the Russian president last week, be given a ceremonial welcome. Would Serbia in this way show it is "sitting in two chairs?" Vuletic, however, says that the only good and possible position, as far as Serbia is concerned, is to have good relations with all big powers, - the US, China, the EU, Russia - and that these relations should be developed and improved whenever possible. Crnobrnja stressed that the articles in the press made it seem like Trump would almost certainly come here - but according to him, this is just "pure PR" for the media that run these stories, "and that's all." | https://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2019&mm=01&dd=22&nav_id=106038 |
How to Prepare for CAT 2019 Online? | By Online MI The CAT exam is currently the hottest item amongst all the competitive exams. With more and more students dreaming of a management career for themselves, the exam sees tough competition and students go all tooth and nail in preparing for the same. CAT 2018 recorded over 2.40 lakh registrations, with 10,000 retakers for the exam. There was also a marginal increase observed in the ratio of female candidates writing this exam. CAT is a computer-based test conducted by the IIMs to secure admission in the MBA programmes of the 20 IIMs spread across the country along with other reputed management institutes. The eligibility criteria to appear for CAT exams is a Graduate degree with at least 50% aggregate from a recognized university. For CAT 2019, the registration process will begin in the first week of August 2019 and will remain open for over 45 days. The exam is conducted by any of the IIMs of the country every year on a rotational basis. To prepare for CAT 2019, it is mandatory to be familiar with the CAT exam pattern, syllabus, marking scheme and the resources/tools one can employ to obtain a good score in the exam. However, preparing for CAT 2019 online is vastly different from preparing it the traditional way. However, in this omnipresent digital age, students want to get rid of their huge pile of bulky books and look for study material online. Why go to busy markets scourging for books when you have them at one click of your mouse; and that too for free! There are also a variety of online coaching you offering excellent study material and faculty for preparation. Some popular coachings for CAT are T.I.M.E., Career Launcher, Byjus and CareerAnna among others. CareerAnna offers Online CAT Coaching , Mock Test Series, a comprehensive Study Plan, Verbal Course and the likes. It offers study material in both written and video formats, besides personal mentorship and guidance. If in case you could not fare well in CAT 2018, CareerAnna can guide you step-by-step to help you realise your dream in CAT 2019. With the growth of technology in the past few years, the boom for online education has also been massive of lately. The survey on CAT preparation methodology indicates 26% aspirants resorting to online coaching, though a major share still prefers the traditional method of learning. You can avail the benefit of flexibility in classes and schedule the class as per your convenience, unlike traditional coaching classes wherein you have to commute all the way to your class and report at a fixed time, come what may. It is cost-effective, compared to attending an offline coaching. The latter will make you incur higher expenditure including travelling costs, lodging/boarding etc. One can avail the updated study material online, can read it at leisure and download it like a hard copy as well. Offline material consumes time in altering study material, while online material can be updated instantly. Offline classes cannot be revisited again, unlike online classes, wherein you can view and review your recorded classes any number of times that you like. This is one great USP of online coaching. How to Choose Online Coaching to prepare for CAT 2019 Take a demo class first to understand the pedagogy and if the coaching centres are delivering good lectures and duly answering all your queries, besides providing high quality study material in adequate proportions. Do check if the coaching provides full-length Mock Tests timely. If yes, check if the tests are as per the CAT 2019 exam pattern. Apart from the aforementioned factors, you should also gather other related information like batch size, availability of doubt clarification classes, course modules, feedback from aspirants, supportive faculty etc. CAT 2019 resides among the most prestigious exams of the country that helps you pave your way towards your dream B-school. However, like they say, no pain, no gain, similarly for the CAT exam, one needs to be focussed and committed towards their goal, besides properly utilising their time and available resources. Let us not forget to judiciously invest our time and money into the right coaching amid the growing trend for online education. | http://www.newindianexpress.com/business/2019/jan/22/how-to-prepare-for-cat-2019-online-1928542.html |
What time is the Oscar nominations announcement? | The video will start in 8 Cancel Get daily news updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email With The Golden Globes behind us, award season is well and truly here, which means we're hurtling towards The Oscars. With Bohemian Rhapsody winning big at The Golden Globes and The Favourite getting 12 nominations at the BAFTAs it looks like we're in for an interesting ride. The 91st Academy Awards ceremony will take place on Sunday, February 24, 2019, airing live on ABC in the US. In the UK it aired 5.30am on Monday, February 25 because of the time difference. The event takes place in the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. Fear not, we have (some) answers to your burning Oscars questions. Nominations close on January 14, and the winners are announced will be announced today (January 22) at 1.30pm GMT. Here's the timeline. It's hard to predict how things will change by the end of the award season, it's all to play for, but the early award ceremonies are always a good indicator of frontrunners. The Golden Globes and SAGs give us early indicators. A Star is Born, Bohemian Rhapsody and The Favourite have all been doing well in the nominations. The Favourite also scored 12 BAFTA noms, and Bohemian Rhapsody seven, though the latter won the Golden Globe for Best Picture. On December 17, The Oscars released its shortlist for the 24 categories, which also give us an idea. Kevin Hart was initially, but he dropped out following backlash over old homophobic tweets he'd posted. A replacement has yet to be announced. | https://www.mirror.co.uk/film/oscars-nominations-2019-date-time-13833310 |
Why don't the royal family always wear seatbelts? | Prince Philip was pictured driving without his seatbelt two days after his crash Prince Philip set tongues wagging after he was pictured not wearing a seatbelt while driving his Land Rover Freelander last week. Philip had been involved in a horrific car crash just two days prior and managed to escape unscathed, while the driver and passenger in the other car, a Kia, suffered minor injuries. The royal family are not actually given a free pass when it comes to which laws they follow. While there are exceptions for example the Queen is the only person who does not need to hold a driving license to drive, nor has she ever taken a driving test the royal family are very careful to abide by the same laws we all have to follow. Prince Philip pictured not wearing his seatbelt at the Royal Windsor Horse Show last year A royal source told HELLO! magazine: "The Queen is careful to ensure that any activities that she carries out in a personal capacity are done so in accordance with the law." MORE: One couple has won Strictly Live every week - and it's not Stacey Dooley! There are, as with all laws, quite complicated exceptions and it seems the royals are exempt from buckling up in certain cases. These include when "a person [is] involved in a procession organised by or on behalf of the Crown or which is commonly or customarily held". It's also worth noting that normally, when royals are travelling on duty, they are surrounded by police officers or personal protection officers as part of an official motorcade, which may constitute a procession. You don't have to wear a seatbelt if riding in a procession organised by or on behalf of the Crown Citizens, including the royals, are also exempt if their vehicle does not have seat belts in the first place; this would be the case of classic cars, of which the royal family have various. The Queen is the proud owner of Bentleys and Jaguars and her royal fleet is said to be worth 10m upwards. She has been pictured driving her classic cars around her private property in Windsor without a seatbelt before. MORE: The photos that show Kate has the best relationship with her in-laws Prince Philip car crash victim speaks out: Loading the player... Of course, there are plenty of other times when the royals do wear seatbelts. Prince William and Kate, and Prince Harry, are often pictured driving to and from their homes in Kensington Palace, and to and from Buckingham Palace, safely buckled up in their Range Rovers. Make sure you never miss a ROYAL story! Sign up to our newsletter to get all of our celebrity, royal and lifestyle news delivered directly to your inbox. | https://www.hellomagazine.com/royalty/2019012266891/why-royal-family-dont-always-wear-seatbelts/ |
What time is the National Television Awards 2019 and what channel is it on? | The National Television Awards take place on Tuesday at London's O2 Arena and will see a whole host of famous faces from the world of TV hit to red carpet. The event will be broadcast live on ITV on January 22 from 7.30pm. Dermot O'Leary will be back at the helm of the awards ceremony as stars of the small screen battle it out for awards in categories such as drama, talent show, serial drama and comedy. Love Island winners Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer will also be on hand to host backstage and Red Carpet Live for the NTA's social media channels. (Image: ITV) The likes of Holly Willoughby and Phillip Schofield, Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan plus stars of Coronation Street are just a few of the guests who will be hoping to head hope with an award at the end of the night. A notable absence, however, will be presenting duo Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly despite being nominated in three categories. It was confirmed on Monday that they will not be attending the ceremony due to a clash with Britain's Got Talent filming. (Image: ITV) The talent show's judges Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon will also miss the glitzy event. It is the 18th consecutive year that Ant and Dec have been nominated in the TV Presenter category. (Image: Ian West/PA Wire) But she faces strong competition from Killing Eve's Jodie Comer, the first female Doctor Who Jodie Whittaker, Peaky Blinders Cillian Murphy and Richard Madden who stunned viewers as Sgt David Budd in Bodyguard. Former Take That star Robbie Williams could also find himself a winner as he is shortlisted in the TV Judge category alongside X Factor co-stars Louis Tomlinson and Simon Cowell, BGT favourite David Walliams and real-life judge Robert Rinder. Here's the NTA shortlist in full: Quiz Show 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown A League Of Their Own Catchphrase Pointless The Chase New Drama A Discovery Of Witches Bodyguard Girlfriends Killing Eve The Cry (Image: Des Willie/BBC/PA Wire) Talent Show Britain's Got Talent Dancing On Ice Strictly Come Dancing The Voice UK The X Factor Drama Call The Midwife Casualty Doctor Who Our Girl Peaky Blinders (Image: Henrik Knudson/BBC/PA Wire) TV Presenter Ant & Dec Bradley Walsh Graham Norton Holly Willoughby Phillip Schofield Factual Entertainment Ambulance DIY SOS: The Big Build Gogglebox Paul O'Grady: For The Love Of Dogs The Great British Bake Off (Image: BBC) Drama Performance Cillian Murphy, Thomas Shelby, Peaky Blinders Jodie Comer, Villanelle, Killing Eve Jodie Whittaker, The Doctor, Doctor Who Michelle Keegan, L. Cpl Georgie Lane, Our Girl Richard Madden, Sgt David Budd, Bodyguard The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award All Round To Mrs Brown's Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! Love Island The Graham Norton Show (Image: ITV) Serial Drama Coronation Street EastEnders Emmerdale Hollyoaks Serial Drama Performance Bonnie Langford, Carmel Kazemi, EastEnders Danny Dyer, Mick Carter, EastEnders Emma Atkins, Charity Dingle, Emmerdale Jack P Shepherd, David Platt, Coronation Street Lucy Pargeter, Chas Dingle, Emmerdale (Image: Ian West/PA Wire) Comedy Benidorm Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father Mrs Brown's Boys Peter Kay's Car Share The Big Bang Theory Newcomer Aedan Duckworth, Ollie Morgan, Hollyoaks Alexandra Mardell, Emma Brooker, Coronation Street James Moore, Ryan Stocks, Emmerdale Neet Mohan, Dr Rashid Rash Masum, Casualty Ricky Champ, Stuart Highway, EastEnders Daytime Good Morning Britain Loose Women Sunday Brunch The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning (Image: ITV) TV Judge David Walliams Louis Tomlinson Robbie Williams Robert Rinder Simon Cowell | https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/what-time-national-television-awards-15713648 |
Is charcoal face mask worth the price or the pain? | Consumer expert Amy Davis is testing California Charcoal for your face. The product is a mask that claims to get the ugly stuff out, unclog your pores and remove blackheads. HOUSTON - Activated charcoal products are very trendy right now. From lowering cholesterol to whitening teeth, you can find it in pills, pastes and powders. Consumer expert Amy Davis is testing California Charcoal for your face. The product is a mask that claims to get the ugly stuff out, unclog your pores and remove blackheads. Jason and Amanda Burch of the Woodlands agreed to try the product together, but they couldn't be more different when it comes to their skincare routine. "I remove make-up with an eye-make-up remover," said Amanda. "And then I use a gentle face wash." "I wake up. I have a face, and I go to work," Jason said. When they applied California Charcoal, they said it felt cool and smooth going on. The product looks like black goop or tar. "The only way to know what it's like to be 'Conflenti' handsome is to put the work in," joked Jason, as he smeared the black mask over his face. The commercial for California Charcoal shows what it says is actual video of the backside of a mask covered in blackheads and peach fuzz that it removed from someone's face. After their faces were covered in the mask, the couple waited about 15 minutes until the masks were no longer tacky to begin the peel. "Whew! It hurts to take it off!" Amanda noticed almost immediately. She went through a lot of pain ... with little to show for it. "I'm not able to really detect anything coming off," she said, inspecting the pieces of the mask she had just peeled off of her face. Jason thought he saw some peach fuzz on his used mask, but even on full zoom, our camera couldn't see anything that looks like the images in the California Charcoal commercial. Just use soap and water to remove the small pieces that won't peel off. Both Amanda and Jason were left with a tingling sensation. "I would kind of describe it like getting a wax," said Amanda. "It wasn't terrible or anything. It's just not my thing," Jason said. California Charcoal is $19.88 a tube at Walmart. The couple gave it two thumbs down. "It was more painful than I would want to do on a regular basis," Amanda explained. She said she can also find face masks that probably do the same thing for less money. Copyright 2019 by KPRC Click2Houston - All rights reserved. | https://www.click2houston.com/consumer/is-charcoal-face-mask-worth-the-price-or-the-pain |
Where is the European Union's Brexit policy? | At the moment, despite strong competition from the United States, Britain leads the industrialized world in political breakdown. Prime Minister Theresa Mays plan for Brexit has been crushingly rejected by the House of Commons the margin of defeat was unprecedented yet the government plods on robotically. As May explained: One, she has heard what Parliament just said and respects it; two, her deal with Europe is the right deal for the country. Theres something about no, no, a thousand times no that she doesnt seem to understand. So the United Kingdoms current preeminence in dysfunction is not to be questioned. Nonetheless, its still worth asking if Europe is handling its part in this crisis all that well. Until now the European Unions basic posture has been that Brexit is indeed a crisis but for the U.K., not so much for the rest of Europe. Britain made this problem, Britain is grossly mismanaging it, and Britain must expect to suffer the consequences. Its a shame, but theres little Europe can do and anyway it isnt our problem. Perhaps this will turn out to have been a smart negotiating position; its hard to be sure before the final outcome is known. But how odd if Europes leaders really think that Brexit is anything but the biggest setback the union has suffered since the project began. One of the worlds biggest economies is quitting the European project, with potentially serious economic consequences for the rest of the EU, at a time when Europes economies are faltering anyway. You might have thought that avoiding Brexit altogether, or at least mitigating the harm it might do, deserved some attention. As a matter of fact, Europe could have avoided Brexit altogether. It could have agreed to the request for modest concessions on free movement of people within the union that Prime Minister David Cameron made when he first set out to renegotiate the U.K.s terms of membership. Europes other leaders sent him back with nothing, deeming freedom of movement to be indivisible from free trade in goods, services and capital. Since its obvious that free movement of people is easily divisible from the others, Europe wasnt really saying it couldnt be done; it was merely refusing to do it. The result of that intransigence was the referendum and Brexit. Once Britain had amazed itself and everybody else by voting to quit, and before it had given formal notice to leave, Europes leaders could have reconsidered and prevailed on it to think again. They didnt. Once the Article 50 notice to quit had been issued, they could have allowed wide-ranging talks on a close U.K.-EU partnership, preserving as much as possible of the economic integration achieved to great mutual advantage over the previous decades. Instead, they insisted on a strict separation between the terms of withdrawal, to be settled first, and the longer-term arrangements, to be discussed in detail only when the first was all done. This logically nonsensical separation of the two strands had one especially serious consequence. Europes negotiators wanted a provision in the withdrawal agreement the so-called backstop to avoid the reintroduction of a hard border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. In effect, this demand anticipated and constrained the long-term agreement before detailed talks on the long term had even started. For good measure, it did so in a way that entailed the economic annexation of the north to the EU. So the EU first insisted on a strict and counterproductive sequencing of the talks, and then departed from its own position on that principle by implanting a potentially long-term provision that was especially poisonous for the U.K. The most remarkable aspect of this amazing maneuver is that May agreed to it. In any event, it was the backstop a device that might never have been required that made the withdrawal agreement impossible to push through the U.K. Parliament. Many supporters of Brexit reviewing this history would see calculated ruthlessness on the EU side. Once Britain had decided to leave, it had to suffer and be seen to suffer, so other countries wouldnt try to do the same. (The Soviet Union applied the same basic logic, albeit with less subtlety, to Hungary in 1956.) Yet its hard to see why the EU should be so defensive: If the blessings of its many indivisible freedoms are so apparent, youd think letting Britain go without inflicting further avoidable damage would send a sufficiently clear message to the other members. Admittedly, at the moment, the blessings arent all that apparent. Even so, I think it flatters EU leaders to imagine that theyre capable of forming and executing a strategy that best serves Europes interests. When it comes to Brexit theyve mainly been simply absent intellectually, politically and diplomatically. They put blithely unyielding bureaucrats in charge of the exit negotiations, as though not much was at stake, then settled into a mode of telling Britain that one concession was impossible and another couldnt be done and negotiations had concluded and the deal May agreed to is the last and final word. The Commons vote was a setback for this non-strategy. Perhaps, at this pitifully late stage, it will prompt a rethink in Europes capitals about all the things that Europe couldnt possibly agree to. Britain is the principal author and victim of this sorry saga, no doubt, but Europe has a lot to lose as well, not just from a cliff-edge Brexit, but also from any outcome that leaves both sides seething with rage. Clive Crook is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and writes editorials on economics, finance and politics. He was chief Washington commentator for the Financial Times, a correspondent and editor for the Economist and a senior editor at the Atlantic. | https://www.japantimes.co.jp/?post_type=opinion&p=1711724&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+japantimes+%28The+Japan+Times%3A+All+Stories%29 |
Are escaped Chris Rheas adventures finally over? | The huge bird has been causing a stir around the village of Sonning Common. Credit: getreading The adventures of a rhea seen roaming around the wilds of South Oxfordshire are over after the giant bird was caught in a field in Henley-on-Thames. Thames Valley Police say Chris the Rhea, named after singer Chris Rea, has been safely caught in a field in "the Henley area". Officers tweeted at around 10.45am on Tuesday, January 22, to say the bird's owners will come and collect him to take him back to the sanctuary. The five foot tall flightless bird caused a stir in the village of Sonning Common when he was spotted running up and down Peppard Road on the morning of Sunday, January 13. The escaped bird was caught safely in a field.Credit:Thames Valley Police He was eventually caught later that day in a garden in Butlers Yard in the village near Reading, Berkshire, but police say he "gave it the legs" and sped off again. Watch escaped rhea charge down road He was spotted again in the early hours of Thursday, January 17. It is believed he escaped around six weeks ago and has been surviving in the wilderness ever since. | https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/are-escaped-chris-rheas-adventures-finally-over/ |
What's in the Franco-German Treaty of Aachen? | The 16 pages of the Treaty of Aachen signed on Tuesday in the city on the border between northern France and western Germany are a further sign of the alliance between Europe's economic and political powerhouses. President Emmanuel Macron and Chancellor Angela Merkel are committing their two countries to wide-ranging cooperation and collaboration at the heart of Europe, 56 years after their predecessors signed the Elysee Treaty for post-war reconciliation: What the Aachen Treaty says: Security The two countries will "deepen their cooperation in foreign policy and internal and external defense." They commit to "providing aid and assistance by all means at their disposal, including armed forces, in case of aggression against their territory." A Franco-German Defense and Security Council would be established as the political body directing these reciprocal engagements. The aim, Merkel said, is to build a "common military culture" that "contributes to the creation of a European army." Diplomacy The admission of Germany "as a permanent member" of the UN Security Council is "a priority of Franco-German diplomacy." The two countries will coordinate their positions within the UN and facilitate EU "unified positions" within the UN. French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly with German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen at the ILA Air Show in Berlin Cross-border relations: The treaty provides for "closer links between citizens and companies on both sides of the border" with "accelerated procedures" to advance projects and a "cross-border cooperation committee" made up of states, communities and parliaments. The aim of "bilingualism" (French and German) in cross-border areas is confirmed without any change in "administrative languages." Economy and climate The two states set a common objective of "setting up a Franco-German economic zone with common rules" and setting a priority for the "harmonization of business laws." The two countries are to set up a "Franco-German council of economic experts" made up of 10 independent members responsible for making "recommendations for economic action." A "Citizens Fund" is to be established that would support city partnerships and cross-border initiatives ranging from bilingual child care centres to public transport links. Language Paris and Berlin also want to bring their education systems together through "the development of mutual learning of each other's language." Paris and Berlin promise "joint projects" in energy, renewable energy and energy efficiency. Institutional cooperation: A multi-year program of projects ranging from the re-conversion of the Fessenheim nuclear power plant to a Franco-German digital platform and cooperation on artificial intelligence. A first list of projects is to be announced on Tuesday. The treaty also proposes to formalize a previously exceptional practice: once a quarter, a member of each government executive will participate in the council of ministers of the other state. Watch video 02:34 Now live 02:34 mins. Share Franco-German reconciliation Send Facebook google+ Whatsapp Tumblr linkedin stumble Digg reddit Newsvine Permalink https://p.dw.com/p/3BxAZ France and Germany: From enmity to friendship Myths and facts around the treaty As part of their political campaigns ahead of the May European Parliament elections, right-wing populists in both countries seized on conspiracy theories about the treaty. Marine Le Pen of "National Rally" accused Macron of an "act that borders on treason." She also posted a video stating the cross-border cooperation would "place Alsace under the tutelage of Germany." Euroskeptic MEP Bernard Monot claimed that Macron's true aim was to deliver "Alsace and Lothringen, Judas-like, to the foreign power." However, "euro-districts" across the border have existed for many years, such as the Strasbourg-Ortenau district set up 9 years ago as an area to facilitate: "Appropriate skills, dedicated resources and accelerated procedures to overcome obstacles to economic, social, environmental, health, energy and transport services." Nicolas Dupont-Aignan of "France Arise" (DLF) called it a treaty of "Submission ... We put ourselves in the hands of Merkel." Alexander Gauland, leader of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), said Paris and Berlin were seeking to create a "super EU" within the European Union. "We as populists insist that one first takes care of one's own country. But we don't want Macron to renovate his country with German money," he said. Yet Article 3 of the treaty is explicit and concise: "The two states deepen their cooperation on foreign policy, defense, external and internal security while reinforcing Europe's capacity for independent action." There is no mention of sovereignty in any part of the treaty. Each evening at 1830 UTC, DW's editors send out a selection of the day's hard news and quality feature journalism. You can sign up to receive it directly here. | https://www.dw.com/en/whats-in-the-franco-german-treaty-of-aachen/a-47178247 |
What would actually put more working-class people in office? | Freshman member of Congress Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Jan. 4. I contacted Duke University professor Nicholas Carnes, author of the recently published book The Cash Ceiling: Why Only the Rich Run for Office and What We Can Do About It. Here is a lightly edited version of our exchange. JS: Lets start with the books title. NC: The cash ceiling is the set of obstacles that discourage working-class Americans people employed in manual labor, service industry and clerical jobs from running for political office. Working-class jobs make up over half of the American labor force, but working-class Americans hold less than 3 percent of the seats in the typical state legislature and less than 2 percent of the seats in Congress. The cash ceiling is why. Working-class Americans often cant shoulder the burdens associated with running. They cant take time off work or lose out on income to run a campaign. And theyre often passed over by party and interest group leaders in favor of more traditional white-collar candidates. NC: Exactly. Reformers focus on how much candidates raise and spend on their campaigns. But for many qualified working-class Americans, the other costs associated with running are an even bigger deterrent. Campaigning is like taking on a part- or full-time job. If youre already working two jobs or just barely getting by, its out of the question for you to spend months doing unpaid work in the hopes of getting elected. And thats true even in races where candidates typically dont raise and spend much money. JS: In the book, you write that there are a lot of misconceptions about this topic. NC: The two biggest misconceptions are that working-class Americans are unfit to be politicians and that voters prefer rich candidates. The first one is just a form of prejudice. There isnt any evidence that working-class people make worse politicians, and they tend to do fine in office. Workers who become politicians win reelection at the same rate as other politicians, and towns and cities run by majority-working-class city councils have similar rates of population growth and financial health. Theres no evidence for the second misconception, either. I show in The Cash Ceiling and in some of my earlier research with Noam Lupu that voters actually tend to like working-class candidates. They just dont see working-class candidates on their ballots very often. Watch these 3 things.] NC: The answers are resources and recruitment. Working-class people are less likely to run because they cant put their jobs and lives on hold to campaign, and because party and interest group leaders rarely support qualified workers. NC: Somewhat, yes. We know from research by Jennifer Lawless and Richard Fox that qualified women are less likely to run for office because theyre less likely to see themselves as qualified. But I havent found any evidence of an analogous social class gap in political ambition. In a national survey I conducted in 2015, qualified women (women who reported having the qualities voters and party leaders want in a politician) were less likely to see themselves as qualified. But in the same sample, there was no difference in political ambition between qualified working-class Americans and their white-collar counterparts. JS: You argue that the candidate recruitment industry disadvantages potential working-class candidates. NC: Most people dont just wake up and decide to run for office. Candidates are often encouraged and recruited by party leaders, interest groups, politicians, and other people in and around government. And these people who recruit new candidates tend to favor candidates from white-collar jobs. In data on local Democratic and Republican Party officials, for example, I find that when they recruit new talent, they overwhelmingly pass over working-class Americans. NC: Many of them worry that working-class candidates wouldnt be good fundraisers, and I think there could be some truth to that. But overall the process is more social than strategic. The best predictors of whether party leaders recruit working-class candidates are whether they have working-class people on their executive boards and whether they have lower incomes themselves. When party leaders look for new talent, they often look to their own friends and acquaintances. And since most party officials are well off, they usually dont have many working-class people in their social networks. [Having the most diverse Congress ever will affect more than just legislation] JS: In your chapter on reforms, you talk about empty promises some popular reforms that you dont think will help get more working-class people in politics. NC: The empty promises that I write about are pay raises for politicians and publicly financed elections. If we dont pay politicians enough, the story goes, only rich people will be able to afford to hold office. And if elections were publicly financed, more working-class people could afford to run. But working-class people dont run because they cant afford to take time off to campaign, not because the salary for winners is too low. Raising salaries for politicians actually seems to make holding office more attractive to professionals, not the working class. Eric Hansen and I find that states that pay lawmakers higher salaries actually have fewer working-class candidates and officeholders. [Here are 4 things to expect from a new, Trumpier, more polarized Congress] Public financing doesnt address the obstacles that keep working-class people out of office, either. In places that publicly finance elections, there hasnt been an increase in working-class politicians, and working-class people dont worry any less about the other burdens associated with campaigning. NC: No, those reforms might still have other benefits. But by themselves they wont increase the representation of working-class people. NC: The most promising reforms address the unique challenges facing workers. When organizations recruit working-class candidates and help them make ends meet while campaigning, the results are extremely encouraging. The best example is the New Jersey AFL-CIOs Labor Candidates Program for working-class citizens. Since the mid-90s, its trainees have had a 74 percent win rate, theyve won in almost 1,000 elections, and theyve gone on to have successful careers in politics. If that model were combined with seed money programs or even political scholarships that help working-class people pay their personal expenses while running for office, the results could be transformative. But for that to happen, big foundations and interest groups will have to broaden their focus beyond traditional pro-equality reforms like increasing voter turnout and regulating campaign donations and lobbying. Theyll also have to support programs that actually give working-class Americans a seat at the table in our government. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/monkey-cage/wp/2019/01/22/what-would-actually-put-more-working-class-people-in-office/ |
Can the African wild dog be saved from extinction? | Project aim: To maintain the population of African wild dogs in Zimbabwe Project partners: Lowveld Wild Dog Project / African Wildlife Conservation Fund Project area: Save Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe, which covers 750,000 acres (304,000 hectares) and is one of Africa's largest private wildlife reserves Project budget: Approx $200,000 (173,000) yearly African wild dogs are among Africa's most endangered predators only 6,000-7,000 still roam the continent. The pack hunters require space, which is steadily shrinking as human populations grow. The dogs are also at risk from poacher traps and rabies passed on by domesticated animals. The shrinking populations of wild dogs means there are fewer of them to help regulate populations of herbivores such as antelopes, that impact local vegetation. The animals are also highly intelligent and live in complex social structures. The Save Valley Conservancy in Zimbabwe is one of the few safe spaces for the dogs. Conservationists there are trying to save the remaining animals, even in times of political and economic chaos in the country. A film by Jrgen Schneider | https://www.dw.com/en/can-the-african-wild-dog-be-saved-from-extinction/a-47109655 |
Is Marsico 21ST Century Fund (MXXIX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | Starting with Marsico 21ST Century Fund (MXXIX) should not be a possibility at this time. MXXIX has a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 5 (Strong Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective We classify MXXIX in the Large Cap Growth category, an area rife with potential choices. Large Cap Growth funds invest in many large U.S. companies that are expected to grow much faster compared to other large-cap stocks. To be considered large-cap, companies must have a market cap over $10 billion. History of Fund/Manager Marsico is responsible for MXXIX, and the company is based out of Denver, CO. The Marsico 21ST Century Fund made its debut in February of 2000 and MXXIX has managed to accumulate roughly $225.99 million in assets, as of the most recently available information. The fund's current manager, Brandon Geisler, has been in charge of the fund since October of 2011. Performance Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 7.17%, and is in the bottom third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 9.14%, which places it in the middle third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of MXXIX over the past three years is 13.36% compared to the category average of 13.01%. Over the past 5 years, the standard deviation of the fund is 12.86% compared to the category average of 12.62%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors It's always important to be aware of the downsides to any future investment, so one should not discount the risks that come with this segment. MXXIX lost 58.48% in the most recent bear market and underperformed comparable funds by 9.64%. This could mean that the fund is a worse choice than comparable funds during a bear market. Investors should not forget about beta, an important way to measure a mutual fund's risk compared to the market as a whole. MXXIX has a 5-year beta of 1.01, which means it is likely to be as volatile as the market average. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a negative alpha of -1.07. This means that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Holdings Investigating the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is primarily on equities that are traded in the United States. Currently, this mutual fund is holding 95.37% stock in stocks, and these companies have an average market capitalization of $23.71 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors: Technology Other Services Retail Trade With turnover at about 90%, this fund makes more trades per year than the comparable average. Expenses As competition heats up in the mutual fund market, costs become increasingly important. Compared to its otherwise identical counterpart, a low-cost product will be an outperformer, all other things being equal. Thus, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is vital for investors. In terms of fees, MXXIX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.21% compared to the category average of 1.05%. MXXIX is actually more expensive than its peers when you consider factors like cost. Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,500 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $100. Bottom Line Overall, Marsico 21ST Century Fund ( MXXIX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively weak performance, average downside risk, and higher fees, Marsico 21ST Century Fund ( MXXIX ) looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now. | https://news.yahoo.com/marsico-21st-century-fund-mxxix-120012336.html |
Is USAA World Growth Fund (USAWX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | USAA World Growth Fund (USAWX) is a potential starting point. USAWX carries a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 2 (Buy), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective USAWX is classified in the Global - Equity segment by Zacks, an area full of possibilities. Even though Global - Equity mutual funds invest in bigger markets like the U.S., Europe, and Japan, these kinds of funds aren't limited by geography. Rather, they offer an investment strategy that utilizes the global economy to provide stable returns. History of Fund/Manager USAA Group is based in San Antonio, TX, and is the manager of USAWX. Since USAA World Growth Fund made its debut in October of 1992, USAWX has garnered more than $1.35 billion in assets. The fund is currently managed by a team of investment professionals. Performance Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 4.09%, and is in the middle third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 6.2%, which places it in the middle third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of USAWX over the past three years is 10.66% compared to the category average of 10.33%. The fund's standard deviation over the past 5 years is 11.12% compared to the category average of 10.27%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors should always remember the downsides to a potential investment, and this segment carries some risks one should be aware of. In the most recent bear market, USAWX lost 47.96% and outperformed its peer group by 4.61%. This could mean that the fund is a better choice than comparable funds during a bear market. Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 0.94, so it is likely going to be less volatile than the market at large. Another factor to consider is alpha, as it reflects a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark-in this case, the S&P 500. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a negative alpha of -3.58. This means that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Expenses For investors, taking a closer look at cost-related metrics is key, since costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing. Competition is heating up in this space, and a lower cost product will likely outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, all things being equal. In terms of fees, USAWX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1.10% compared to the category average of 1.16%. So, USAWX is actually cheaper than its peers from a cost perspective. This fund requires a minimum initial investment of $3,000, and each subsequent investment should be at least $50. Bottom Line Overall, USAA World Growth Fund ( USAWX ) has a high Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, this fund looks like a good potential choice for investors right now. This could just be the start of your research on USAWXin the Global - Equity category. Consider going to www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for additional information about this fund, and all the others that we rank as well for additional information. We have a full suite of tools on stocks that you can use to find the best choices for your portfolio too, no matter what kind of investor you are. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research | https://news.yahoo.com/usaa-world-growth-fund-usawx-120012738.html |
Is American Century Allocation Cap Growth Investor (TWGTX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | Large Cap Growth fund seekers should not consider taking a look at American Century Allocation Cap Growth Investor (TWGTX) at this time. TWGTX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 4 (Sell), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective We classify TWGTX in the Large Cap Growth category, an area rife with potential choices. Large Cap Growth funds invest in many large U.S. companies that are expected to grow much faster compared to other large-cap stocks. To be considered large-cap, companies must have a market cap over $10 billion. History of Fund/Manager TWGTX is a part of the American Century family of funds, a company based out of Kansas City, MO. Since American Century Allocation Cap Growth Investor made its debut in November of 1983, TWGTX has garnered more than $981.22 million in assets. Joseph Reiland is the fund's current manager and has held that role since February of 2018. Performance Of course, investors look for strong performance in funds. This fund has delivered a 5-year annualized total return of 7.5%, and is in the middle third among its category peers. But if you are looking for a shorter time frame, it is also worth looking at its 3-year annualized total return of 7.14%, which places it in the bottom third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. Compared to the category average of 9.89%, the standard deviation of TWGTX over the past three years is 13.08%. Looking at the past 5 years, the fund's standard deviation is 12.6% compared to the category average of 9.76%. This makes the fund more volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors should always remember the downsides to a potential investment, and this segment carries some risks one should be aware of. In TWGTX's case, the fund lost 51.97% in the most recent bear market and underperformed comparable funds by 3.13%. This could mean that the fund is a worse choice than comparable funds during a bear market. Investors should note that the fund has a 5-year beta of 1.07, so it is likely going to be more volatile than the market at large. Because alpha represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which is the S&P 500 in this case, one should pay attention to this metric as well. TWGTX has generated a negative alpha over the past five years of -1.29, demonstrating that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Holdings Examining the equity holdings of a mutual fund is also a valuable exercise. This can show us how the manager is applying their stated methodology, as well as if there are any inherent biases in their approach. For this particular fund, the focus is largely on equities that are traded in the United States. As of the last filing date, the mutual fund has 98.27% of its assets in stocks, with an average market capitalization of $308.36 billion. The fund has the heaviest exposure to the following market sectors: Technology Retail Trade Non-Durable This fund's turnover is about 44%, so the fund managers are making fewer trades than comparable funds. Expenses Costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing, and particularly as competition heats up in this market. And all things being equal, a lower cost product will outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, so taking a closer look at these metrics is key for investors. In terms of fees, TWGTX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 1% compared to the category average of 1.05%. From a cost perspective, TWGTX is actually cheaper than its peers. Investors should also note that the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,500 and that each subsequent investment needs to be at $50. Bottom Line Overall, American Century Allocation Cap Growth Investor ( TWGTX ) has a low Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively similar performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, American Century Allocation Cap Growth Investor ( TWGTX ) looks like a somewhat weak choice for investors right now. Then go over to Zacks.com and check out our mutual fund comparison tool, and all of the other great features that we have to help you with your mutual fund analysis for additional information. For analysis of the rest of your portfolio, make sure to visit Zacks.com for our full suite of tools which will help you investigate all of your stocks and funds in one place. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | https://news.yahoo.com/american-century-allocation-cap-growth-120012853.html |
Is T. Rowe Price Personal Strategy Balanced (TRPBX) a Strong Mutual Fund Pick Right Now? | T. Rowe Price Personal Strategy Balanced (TRPBX) is a possible starting point. TRPBX holds a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank of 3 (Hold), which is based on nine forecasting factors like size, cost, and past performance. Objective TRPBX is classified in the Allocation Balanced segment by Zacks, which is an area full of possibilities. Here, investors are able to get a good head start with diversified mutual funds, and play around with core holding options for a portfolio of funds. Allocation Balanced funds look to invest across a balance of asset types, like stocks, bonds, and cash, though including precious metals or commodities is not unusual; these funds are mostly categorized by their respective asset allocation. History of Fund/Manager T. Rowe Price is based in Baltimore, MD, and is the manager of TRPBX. T. Rowe Price Personal Strategy Balanced made its debut in June of 1994, and since then, TRPBX has accumulated about $2.20 billion in assets, per the most up-to-date date available. The fund is currently managed by Charles M. Shriver who has been in charge of the fund since May of 2011. Performance Investors naturally seek funds with strong performance. This fund carries a 5-year annualized total return of 4.82%, and it sits in the top third among its category peers. If you're interested in shorter time frames, do not dismiss looking at the fund's 3-year annualized total return of 6.19%, which places it in the top third during this time-frame. When looking at a fund's performance, it is also important to note the standard deviation of the returns. The lower the standard deviation, the less volatility the fund experiences. The standard deviation of TRPBX over the past three years is 6.89% compared to the category average of 8.13%. The standard deviation of the fund over the past 5 years is 7.01% compared to the category average of 8.16%. This makes the fund less volatile than its peers over the past half-decade. Risk Factors Investors should always remember the downsides to a potential investment, and this segment carries some risks one should be aware of. In the most recent bear market, TRPBX lost 38.38% and underperformed its peer group by 1.98%. This could mean that the fund is a worse choice than comparable funds during a bear market. Investors should not forget about beta, an important way to measure a mutual fund's risk compared to the market as a whole. TRPBX has a 5-year beta of 0.59, which means it is likely to be less volatile than the market average. Alpha is an additional metric to take into consideration, since it represents a portfolio's performance on a risk-adjusted basis relative to a benchmark, which in this case, is the S&P 500. Over the past 5 years, the fund has a negative alpha of -0.49. This means that managers in this portfolio find it difficult to pick securities that generate better-than-benchmark returns. Expenses Costs are increasingly important for mutual fund investing, and particularly as competition heats up in this market. And all things being equal, a lower cost product will outperform its otherwise identical counterpart, so taking a closer look at these metrics is key for investors. In terms of fees, TRPBX is a no load fund. It has an expense ratio of 0.55% compared to the category average of 0.88%. From a cost perspective, TRPBX is actually cheaper than its peers. While the minimum initial investment for the product is $2,500, investors should also note that each subsequent investment needs to be at least $100. Bottom Line Overall, T. Rowe Price Personal Strategy Balanced ( TRPBX ) has a neutral Zacks Mutual Fund rank, and in conjunction with its comparatively strong performance, average downside risk, and lower fees, T. Rowe Price Personal Strategy Balanced ( TRPBX ) looks like a somewhat average choice for investors right now. Don't stop here for your research on Allocation Balanced funds. We also have plenty more on our site in order to help you find the best possible fund for your portfolio. Make sure to check out www.zacks.com/funds/mutual-funds for more information about the world of funds, and feel free to compare TRPBX to its peers as well for additional information. If you are more of a stock investor, make sure to also check out our Zacks Rank, and our full suite of tools we have available for novice and professional investors alike. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | https://news.yahoo.com/t-rowe-price-personal-strategy-120012488.html |
Could seabed energy storage cause a splash? | The rocky seabed under the North Sea could be used as a large-scale renewable energy store. Thats the verdict from researchers at the University of Edinburgh and the University of Strathclyde, who say underwater wells drilled into the porous sandstone bedrock could be pumped full of pressurised air using excess electricity. This compressed air would provide a reservoir able to provide energy on demand when it is needed, it could be released through a turbine, generating what the study suggests could be a relatively large amount of electricity. The scientists note clean power could be sent down into such stores directly from offshore wind facilities during periods of high generation and then released at a later date when demand outstrips supply. This would allow more intermittent renewables to be supported and enable the UK to meet its growing power demand without relying on climate-harming fossil fuels. Dr Julien Mouli-Castillo, from the University of Edinburgh, said: This method could make it possible to store renewable energy produced in the summer for those chilly winter nights. It can provide a viable, though expensive, option to ensure the UKs renewable electricity supply is resilient between seasons. More research could help to refine the process and bring costs down. | https://www.energylivenews.com/2019/01/22/could-seabed-energy-storage-cause-a-splash/ |
Is the Huawei conflict undermining the Canadian dollar? | Briefing highlights Canadian dollar at 75 cents Global markets sinking so far New York poised for weaker open What to watch for today From todays Globe and Mail Canadian dollar slips The Canadian dollar slipped to 75 US cents today, driven down by generally downbeat economic sentiment. But theres another issue out there. Socit Gnrale believes the mounting tensions between Canada and China are helping to push the loonie lower. Story continues below advertisement We are seeing a situation today where the global risk sentiment is a little bit downbeat, said foreign exchange strategist Alvin Tan. But on top of that is the continuing fight that began with the arrest in Vancouver of Huawei Technologies chief financial officer Meng Wanzhou, who was detained at the request of the U.S., which wants her extradited on allegations related to violations of sanctions against Iran. No charges have been proven in court. As Lawrence Martin, Robert Fife and Steven Chase report, the U.S. has told Ottawa it will press ahead with a formal bid for Ms. Mengs extradition. And again today, Chinese authorities demanded she be released. China has also detained, and is still holding, two Canadians it accuses of threatening its national security. This affects the currency because markets could speculate China could take further action against Canada, Mr. Tan said. Which is interesting because U.S.-China relations are at the heart of the matter. Story continues below advertisement Story continues below advertisement But Beijing is desperate for a trade deal with Washington amid tit-for-tat tariffs, and its unlikely that they want to rock the boat, Mr. Tan said. Elsa Lignos, Royal Bank of Canadas global head of foreign exchange strategy in London, said, however, that the loonie doesnt appear to be wildly out of whack with where it should be today. Indeed, the Huawei issue has a bigger impact when it raises questions about relations between the U.S. and China, which affects all asset classes, she said. Read more Stocks sink Global markets are sinking across the board, and New York is poised for a weaker open, amid that general downbeat climate. Tokyos Nikkei lost 0.5 per cent, Hong Kongs Hang Seng 0.7 per cent, and the Shanghai Composite 1.2 per cent. Story continues below advertisement In Europe, Londons FTSE 100, Germanys DAX and the Paris CAC 40 were down by between 0.4 and 0.6 per cent by about 6:25 a.m. ET. New York futures were also down. Read more What to watch for today Statistics Canada is expected to report a downbeat month for the countrys manufacturers. Economists project the agencys monthly sales report will show shipments down by between 0.5 and 1 per cent in November, following a drop of 0.5 per cent in October. A weaker showing from the auto industry is believed to be behind it. This weakness reflects earlier-reported declines in both automobile exports and auto production, said ROB assistant chief economist Paul Ferley. Lower overall manufacturing sales are expected to be abetted further by weakening crude oil prices sending the nominal value of petroleum and coal sales down 7.5 per cent in the month, he added. Story continues below advertisement More news From todays Globe and Mail | https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/briefing/article-is-the-huawei-conflict-undermining-the-canadian-dollar/ |
Will Technology Kill Or Save The High Street? | Just weeks after British retailers suffered major losses during the festive period, new research shows that 39 percent of Britons would not care if all high street stores closed down. The study, carried out by Awin, also revealed that 68 percent of recipients did most of their shopping online. Many cited ease and cheaper prices for their preference for online over high street shopping. 31 percent thought the High Street would be gone within five years as the shift to online giants continues. Indeed, this year alone more than 23,000 shops are forecast to close in the UK, according to an annual report from the real estate agent adviser Altus Group. Retailers are certainly trialing it. Across the globe, stores are offering experiences to dazzle, delight and augment the usual shopping experience. For example, Macy's has revitalized its department store chain with new technology initiatives, including VR and AR. In pilot stores, the company found that a VR tool which virtually placed Macy's furniture into photos of shoppers homes increased the overall basket size by more than 60 percent versus non-VR furniture sales. Fashion retailers are also using tech. Far from being a gimmick, smart mirrors can enhance the shopping experience in a useful way by allowing customers to try on different colors and styles easily. MemoMi promises to re-invent the experience of luxury shopping with trying on without taking off. This high-fidelity, digital imaging software platform delivers live color change to what you are wearing or allows you to try on clothes, add accessories, plus change patterns and colors without actually trying on a single item. Timberland has trailed a virtual fitting room using smart signage units in its shopfronts. Passers-by could try on the whole collection simply by using hand gestures. Enabled by Kinect technology, static shopfronts became interactive changing rooms as people tried new looks, shared them with friends on social media and, most importantly, bought items from the range. Zara has embraced AR by bringing virtual models to life in-store. The two-week initiative was rolled out across 120 stores globally. It allowed customers who downloaded the Zara AR app to hold up their phone to certain store windows or a sensor within the store and see models come to life on their screens walking and talking - wearing selected items from the Zara range, which they could click through and buy. Zara is not the first brand to use AR. Brands such as Burberry and Gap have also dabbled. VR is also being used to drive traffic in-store, with brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Topshop, and Dior all employing the technology. To kick off the summer season in 2017, the flagship Topshop store on Oxford Street in London created an interactive pool scene in its shop window complete with a VR water slide. The beauty of the digital experience was not only the fun and excitement it added to shopping trips, but the ability to include brand advertising along the VR ride. Practically, VR allows brands to showcase lines and accessories that may not all fit in a physical store. VR can also transport customers to another place. For example, shoppers could be taken on a virtual journey of how a garment was made to give them a better understanding of the product and brand or, as Coach did, given access to coveted runway shows. Goldman Sachs forecasts the market for AR and VR in retail will reach $1.6 billion by 2025. With their ability to create a more immersive, interactive and richer experience, AR and VR in retail hold promise to create the differentiated brand experiences that drive conversions, repeat visits and higher revenue. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/solrogers/2019/01/22/will-technology-kill-or-save-the-high-street/ |
Have We Learned The Alcoa 'Keystone Habit' Lesson? | Paul ONeills tenure at the helm of Alcoa is now the stuff of legend. Introduced to a group of investors and analysts in October 1987, he didnt talk about revenue and expenses and debt ratios and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization. I want to talk to you about worker safety, he told the Wall Street crowd. Every year, numerous Alcoa workers are injured so badly that they miss a day of work, he continued. Our safety record is better than the general American workforce, especially considering that our employees work with metals that are 1,500 degrees and machines that can rip a mans arm off. But its not good enough. I intend to make Alcoa the safest company in America. I intend to go for zero injuries. When one attendee asked about inventories and another asked about capital ratios - the standard vocabulary for these kinds of sessions - ONeill returned to the same theme. Im not certain you heard me, said the new CEO. If you want to understand how Alcoa is doing, you need to look at our workplace safety figures. If we bring our injury rates down, it wont be because of cheerleading or the nonsense you sometimes hear from other CEOs. It will be because the individuals at this company have agreed to become part of something important: Theyve devoted themselves to creating a habit of excellence. Safety will be an indicator that were making progress in changing our habits across the entire institution. Thats how we should be judged. One of the investors told author Charles Duhigg he bolted for a phone after hearing ONeills declaration. The board put a crazy hippie in charge and hes going to kill the company, the investor said he told his clients. I ordered them to sell their stock immediately, before everyone else in the room started calling their clients and telling them the same thing. It was literally the worst piece of advice I gave in my entire career. A prescient investor would have gone long on Alcoa stock. By the time ONeill retired in 2000, the companys annual net income was five times larger than before he arrived, and its market capitalization had risen by $27 billion, wrote Duhigg in his bestselling book, The Power of Habit. Someone who invested a million dollars in Alcoa on the day ONeill was hired would have earned another million dollars in dividends while he headed the company, and the value of their stock would be five times bigger when he left. Whats more, Duhigg wrote, all that growth occurred while Alcoa became one of the safest companies in the world. Before ONeills arrival, almost every Alcoa plant had at least one accident per week. Once his safety plan was implemented, some facilities would go years without a single employee losing a workday due to an accident. The companys worker injury rate fell to one-twentieth the U.S. average. (The Alcoa chapter can be read here. Full disclosure: Alcoa was a client of SafeStart, where I am an executive advisor.) ONeill hasnt been at the helm of Alcoa for nearly two decades. The Power of Habit was published seven years ago. There are three possibilities. A. It was just an anecdote, a situation unique to Alcoa at that time and ONeills management style. We shouldnt read too much into it. B. The key to Alcoas turnaround was not safety per se, but obsessing over something important - a keystone habit, as Duhigg would call it. For ONeill, it was safety. But a company can get comparable results from focusing on customers, innovation, operational excellence, employee engagement or some other goal integral to the companys success. C. The connection between performance and the discipline needed to achieve a stellar safety record is robust and unique. A leadership team that cracks the code on keeping people safe will simultaneously drive higher levels of performance in ways otherwise difficult to accomplish. The evidence accumulated since ONeill stepped down and especially since The Power of Habit was published appears to contradict A, support B and give a nod toward C. Putting safety first is one of the best strategies, and sometimes the best strategy, for getting an organization to realize its potential. Beyond the loss and suffering they cause, accidents are expensive. The National Safety Council estimates that in 2015, work injuries cost companies $142.5 billion and the more common off-the-job accidents cost an additional $358.3 billion. Lost production time from on- and off-the-job mishaps that year totaled 360 million days. The work-related accidents alone cost $45.8 billion in lost wages and productivity, $31.4 billion in medical costs, $46.1 billion in administrative expenses, damage to vehicles of $3.6 billion and fire damage of $4.3 billion. The NSC estimates the average worker needs to produce goods or services worth $900 in a year just to offset the cost of work injuries at his or her firm. In isolation, safety investments have a strong direct return on investment. For example, a six-year study of an energy firm found that strategic investments in occupational safety and health cost the company EUR 0.8 million. However, EUR 1.8 million were saved in the same period, resulting in a 2.20 cost-benefit ratio. The trend in cost savings is strongly positive. No one is arguing that reducing these costs, large as they are, is enough by itself to turn a company around or make it substantially more profitable. Instead, those who study these things for a living find, as ONeill asserted, that safety is a natural rallying point because its as much in the employees interest as in the companys. They also find that, if executed well, safety demands the kind of universal attention and teamwork from which which every other corporate initiative benefits. "To protect workers," Duhigg wrote, "Alcoa needed to become the best, most streamlined aluminum company on earth. A simplistic view of accidents considers just the proximate causes - the stuff that can be diagrammed and written in concrete terms in an OSHA report. But the research on accident prevention shows connections throughout the organization, from leadership to culture to employee engagement to sleep. Effective risk prevention, wrote three members of the civil engineering faculty at the University of Aveiro in Portugal, can only be achieved by a global correlation of causal factors including not only production ones but also client requirements, financial climate, design team competence, project and risk management, financial capacity, health and safety policy and early planning. Those are the operational realities. Compounding their effect are the motivational truths. When employees believe their employer is aiming to keep them safe, it unleashes the kind of reciprocity that affects more than just the accident rate. In a 2012 CNN interview, ONeill called it discretionary energy delivered when employees are treated with dignity and respect every day. . . A down payment on that is nobody ever gets hurt here, because we care about our own commitment to our safety, and we care about the people we work with. And it swells up to into everything you do, so it creates the sense of pride about the organization you're involved in. Confirmation of that reciprocity has since emerged in a 2016 study of 6,207 truck drivers. It found that their perceptions of the company safety climate (based on questions such as, My company uses any available information to improve existing safety rules) were predictive of their levels of job satisfaction, engagement and the subsequent turnover rate. Evidence of that can be found in a 2016 analysis of returns for those organizations that won the Corporate Health Achievement Award, established in 1995 by the American College of Occupation and Environmental Medicine to recognize the healthiest, safest companies and organizations in North America. Seven researchers tracked what would have happened if an investor bought stock in CHAA-winning companies at the beginning of 2001 and rebalanced the portfolio each year when new winners were announced (including doubling or tripling down on companies that earned the award multiple years). Companies that scored high in the CHAA safety category outperformed the market by three times, achieving a return of 314% compared to the S&Ps 105% during the same period. This study adds to the growing evidence, wrote the analysts, that a healthy and safe workplace correlates with a companys performance and its ability to provide positive returns to shareholders. Thats the evidence. But even now, its frequently not the conviction of senior executives. Many still have it backward, believing safety and performance are antagonistic. Many business leaders have an implicit but unfounded belief that, while it is necessary to reduce workplace injury risk, there is a trade-off between profits and the expenditures necessary to keep workplaces safe, George Washington University professor and former OSHA administrator David Michaels wrote just last year in the Harvard Business Review. Companies can be successful and safe at the same time. The reality is that virtually all workplace injuries are preventable, and safety management and operational excellence are intimately linked. Maybe its because safety is such a visceral issue - lives and limbs - that our minds balk at connecting it with financial performance. No! It should be safety for its own sake, were including to think. It should stand alone, its importance self-evident. With good intentions, we keep it sequestered. When we say Safety First, we dont mean, This is the first step to tripling the stock price. We mean, Most important, lets not get anyone hurt in the process. Perhaps because were naturally uneasy confusing the sounds of heartbeats and stock tickers, we resist asserting safety as ONeill did, as the lead indicator of competent management and employee engagement, and the first promise a company should make to its workers. A CEO who properly connects this foundational, compassionate concern to financial imperatives, disconsonant as it may feel, will not only make more money, but better integrate safety into the strategy of the company, protecting lives in the process. That would make it a very good habit, indeed. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/roddwagner/2019/01/22/have-we-learned-the-alcoa-keystone-habit-lesson/ |
Can being an only child affect creativity and social skills? | The single child has often been stereotyped, in terms of their behaviour and capabilities. G Stanley Hall, pioneering American psychologist who focused on child development, had once (in)famously said that a lonely child was a disease in itself. Other theories over the years have also contributed to how an only child is perceived as oversensitive, lonely and sometimes, a misfit in the society. Advertising A lot of couples today are now choosing to have a single child. On other occasions, factors like delayed parenthood or fertility problems, among other issues, can also result in an only child. A recent study showed how only children are more creative. The environment a child grows up in can impact his or her brain cells, the study suggests. Conducted by researchers at Southwest University in China in 2016, the study investigated the differences in cognition and personality between only-children and non-only children. While there was no difference in intelligence, only children exhibited secured higher flexibility scores, which measures how well a person can think outside the box. An only childs greater creativity can, perhaps, be attributed to how parents are able to focus more time and energy on him or her, as also suggested by clinical psychologist Linda Blair, author of Birth Order. Only children, however, got lower agreeable scores, a measure of sociability, empathy and connection, as compared to non-only children, as per the study. In an interview with Psychology Today, Susan Newman, sociologist and author of Parenting an Only Child, pointed out, We have been brainwashed into believing that siblings are socially or intellectually advantageous, or both. Necessary. As a means of insuring positive development and happiness, they are not mandatory. Large studies in the US and China have concluded that only children have as many friends as their peers with siblings. Only children have conventionally been thought to be selfish and spoiled. Newman clarifies in one of her articles Only Child Stereotypes: Fact vs Fiction, Every child at one time or another believes the world revolves around himIn the absence of siblings, parents cultivate the tools of sharing and feeling for othersAll parents can expect their toddlers and teens to act selfishly at times. Advertising Union health ministrys National Family Health Survey-4 (NFHS-4), 2018, only 24 per cent of married women between 15 and 49 and 27 per cent of men in India reportedly want a second child. This means that only children are way more common today as compared to earlier times. In the past, only children were in the vast minority, so they often felt bullied and left out. But nowadays, this is a positive choice for a lot of parents so the kid feels not that unusual and also they dont feel overprotected, they just feel valued, Blair was quoted by The Guardian in an article. | https://indianexpress.com/article/parenting/family/only-child-creativity-behaviour-social-skill-5550261/ |
Do anti-ageing supplements live up to the hype? | But NAD+ declines by as much as 50 per cent with age, so prominent anti-ageing scientists have been exploring how to stimulate the body's levels in the hope of turning back the tide of age-related decline. The hype of NAD+ In mice, NAD+ has been found to reverse ageing in muscle tissue, enhance muscle function, and preliminary studies in humans have found supplementation improves NAD+ levels safely. Rudi Tanzi is the Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard University and at Massachusetts General Hospital. He takes supplements regularly, he tells me over the phone, but he religiously takes a form of vitamin B3 called nicotinamide riboside (NR for short), that converts into NAD+. I think we all agree, in the ageing field, that as you get older one of the things that happens is that you lose cellular energy our battery starts to run down so-to-speak and the battery fuel in a cell is [called] ATP [adenosine triphosphate] and one way to increase ATP is to increase NAD+ and a great way to increase NAD+ is with its direct precursor which is nicotinamide riboside. Tanzi says NR is a candidate for helping people live in good health past 100 (he believes the first person to live to 130 is already alive) and his enthusiasm for NAD+ supplements like NR is the possibilities they hold not only for slowing the ageing process and increasing energy and lifespan but for degenerative brain diseases. Again in mice studies, NR has been found to decrease neuroinflammatory markers and increase neurogenesis (the birth of new nerve cells in the hippocampus). Thats important because thats a brain region thats particularly affected in Alzheimers, explains Tanzi, who is a shareholder in Chromadex, a company that sells NR supplement, Niagen. The data so far in mice is promising that increasing NAD+ is good for the body and the brain, but we need to do the trials, he says. There is so much bogus out there [in supplements]... but in those shards of glass there are a few diamonds and NR may be one of those diamonds and we want to explore that. The first human trial to test the affect of NR on Alzheimers is due to start at Massachusetts General Hospital in the US later this year. Kamal Patel is the director of Examine.com, an independent database analysing the research on nutrition and supplements. "Unfortunately, research showing bumped up NAD+ levels doesn't necessarily translate to an increase in lifespan," Patel says. "The lifespan research is on animals, and human trials with human doses often don't show similar effects. "More concerning is that we also don't know the long term effects of bumping up NAD+ levels. There is more research funded looking for benefits than research specifically looking for side effects." While the science emerging to date is "sound, says Dr Carly Moores, an associate lecturer in nutrition and dietetics at Flinders University, she agrees more studies are needed "to determine safe and effective doses and the precise mechanisms" of the supplement's compounds. "Further, longer-term studies which measure risks or benefits are especially important, she adds. Other experts I speak with point to the eye-watering amounts of money being made from such products and suggest the hype surrounding NAD+ supplements may be turn out to be unfounded, much like resveratrol. NAD+ expert Eric Verdin, from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in California, has said, he is worried that boosting NAD+ levels might, in rare cases, spur cancer. Tanzi refutes this strongly. Its just a speculation that hey, if youre increasing cellular energy maybe cells will proliferate too much. In fact, if you look at the actual data, its the opposite... in many age-related cancers there are actually NAD+-deficits. Ive looked into it theres not a shred of evidence that high NAD+ levels will cause a malignancy or cancer." As it stands, the research around NAD+ and its precursors is exciting, but it is still emerging and until there are further human trials, the jury is out. For those who arent interested in supplements there are other ways we can regulate our NAD+ levels. Intermittent fasting may stimulate NAD+, some foods containing yeast or whey have trace amounts of NR, foods like edamame, broccoli, cabbage, cucumber and avocado also contain NAD+ precursor nutrients, while everyday metabolic stresses like eating too much or drinking too much alcohol can accelerate its decline. | https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/do-anti-ageing-supplements-live-up-to-the-hype-20190121-p50sqx.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_lifestyle |
How will Game of Thrones actually end? | It sounds like an obvious question, but sadly for fans and online entertainment writers, its not as simple as solving some kind of riddle and finding the correct answer. Advertisement Really, how you think Thrones will end largely depends on the sort of show you think it is. More recent seasons (which have relied slightly less on bleak realism) could suggest this. At this stage, the soul of Game of Thrones has yet to be won conclusively by either camp, leaving any potential endings up in the air. We could be in for a grim ending, a happy ending, something in between or something even weirder, and perhaps the only thing we do know is that predicting Game of Thrones endgame is a mugs game. Still, that wont stop me having a go so here are a few endings that we could be seeing at the close of the series finale this year, and just how likely they are to actually happen. The White Walkers win and kill everyone In a way this feels like the purest, most Game of Thrones-y ending: the forces of the Night King massacring the living of Westeros and bringing about a thousand years of darkness. This ending would do a nice job of setting up the upcoming prequel series, which explores the first time the White Walkers attacked and were actually rebuffed a heres what you could have won for the ages while also neatly fulfilling many fans theory that the threat of the Night King is intended as an analogy for society-altering climate change, creeping towards us while we all squabble over unimportant matters. On the flipside, an ending like this might be too ghoulish and macabre, and, frankly, not dramatically satisfying. As cool as we might imagine it to be for the series to end with the Night King sitting on the Iron Throne, in reality it would be a bit of an anti-climax, while also rendering the last few years of storyline entirely pointless. Not very likely. Daenerys takes the throne By contrast, this ending would feel like the most triumphant conclusion of all, with Daenerys defeating the White Walkers, taking the Iron Throne and uniting the realm after years of struggle and exile. Maybe Jon could even reign with her, with or without his true heritage as Aegon Targaryen revealed. Weirdly, having everything work out this neatly would be almost as unsatisfying as the White Walkers snowploughing their way through all our favourite characters after all the twists and turns the series has taken us on thus far. No, were thinking something more complicated could be on the way unless Benioff and Weiss find some way to make this a less upbeat ending, perhaps including the death or disgrace of other fan-favourite characters (Tyrion, Arya and the like) to make it a more bitter pill to swallow. Cersei remains on the throne Its nobodys favourite ending but in a way, the continued reign of Lena Headeys Cersei Lannister would be the perfect bittersweet conclusion to the story of Westeros. Imagine Jon, Daenerys and co managing to defeat an army of zombies, an undead dragon AND the White Walkers, only to be cruelly cut down at the last minute or forced into exile again while Cerseis forces retake Westeros. The threat to the North is gone, but we never see the people we wanted in charge that feels like Game of Thrones. Jon takes the throne and reigns miserably This is my personal bet. Season seven confirmed that Jon is in fact the rightful king of Westeros with a stronger claim than Daenerys, but hes never enjoyed ruling. Whether at the Nights Watch or in the North, Jon has struggled with command, proving that a good man doesnt necessarily make for a good or happy king. This would be a brilliantly bittersweet way for things to end, someone we like on the throne, but hating it. Its an idea that George RR Martin has previously said inspired his novels, after being unconvinced that Lord of the Rings character Aragorn would make a good, happy king just because he was a nice guy. If theres anyone a bit like Aragorn in Game of Thrones, its Jon Snow an honourable man with a regal background whos lived a life among ordinary people, swept into a massive war so it could be that this was Martins endgame all along. Well, for years the series has suggested that Jon is also the reincarnation of Azor Ahai, aka The Prince Who Was Promised, a near-mythical hero who beat back the White Walkers the first time they invaded, but had to sacrifice the life of his one true love to do so. Yet another reason for Jons ascension to feel like a pyrrhic victory. The Throne is destroyed a new age dawns On the other hand, we could be looking at this all wrong. The idea of the Iron Throne falling for good is a fairly popular idea with fans, many of whom have suggested that the only way Game of Thrones can end is if the in-universe game of thrones ends too. In other words, the failed monarchy of the Seven Kingdoms is cast down forever, with no-one left on the Iron Throne. Maybe Daenerys will finally break the wheel and install some form of democracy in Westeros. Maybe the Seven Kingdoms will break apart again into separate realms, as they were around 300 years before the start of the series. Either way, the evocative symbol of the Iron Throne could be gone for good. Something incredibly weird and unexpected To be honest its hard to guess how Game of Thrones will wrap everything up, so even some of the weirder theories online are hard to discount. Ive seen people suggest that Jon will become the new Night King and march the White Walkers away again; Ive seen one fan pitching the resurrection of Littlefinger as a benevolent ruler for all Westeros; Ive seen another suggesting that Bran will just time travel and undo the whole thing. We can probably expect some deaths, some sudden but inevitable betrayals, some truly epic battles, some tears about the only thing the actors have revealed about the series ending is that its a bit of a tearjerker as well as a few leftfield writing choices we could never see coming (personally, I think Ed Sheerans Lannister soldier has a lot more to offer). And if it turns out to be an ending some people dont like, well, not to worry when George RR Martin finishes the final novels in the book series a few decades from now, hell get another crack at it anyway. Advertisement Game of Thrones season eight will be released on 14th April on HBO in the US and NOW TV and Sky Atlantic in the UK | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-22/game-of-thrones-season-8-ending-how-will-show-end/ |
When is David Attenborough documentary Our Planet released on Netflix? | Netflixs Our Planet, a new eight-part documentary series from the team behind Blue Planet and Planet Earth, is set to be released in 2019. Advertisement Like its predecessors, it is a mammoth undertaking, filmed over four years in 50 different countries. And, most importantly of all, it is set to be narrated by David Attenborough. In collaboration with conservation charity WWF, the filmmakers employed over 600 crew members and captured more than three and a half thousand filming days, focusing on the breadth of the diversity of habitats around the world, from the remote Arctic wilderness and mysterious deep oceans to the vast landscapes of Africa and diverse jungles of South America. In other words, Netflix has gone big with its first step into the natural history world. Find out everything you need to know about Our Planet on Netflix below. The eight-part series will be released on Friday 5th April 2019. Yes: the first teaser was released in early November, alongside the date announcement. Check it out below. According to David Attenborough, Our Planet will take viewers on a spectacular journey of discovery showcasing the beauty and fragility of our natural world. It is also apparent that Our Planet, much like Blue Planet II, will focus heavily on conservation efforts, in order to raise awareness about climate change. Speaking at the WWFs State of the Planet event in London, the documentarian said: Today we have become the greatest threat to the health of our home but theres still time for us to address the challenges weve created, if we act now. Attenborough explained during his speech that the fact that the series will stream on Netflix will give the programmes message a global reach. This is a communication challenge rather than a scientific one, he said. We need to make it easy for the world to understand the issues and to enable an increasingly global population to connect with nature and feel a shared responsibility for it. For years ago I heard of the ambition of the Our Planet project, and the creators hopes to engage hundreds of millions of people with exactly this story, he added. The project assembled some of the worlds best filmmakers and conservationists to create a landmark series to stream on Netflix, thereby instantly reaching an audience of hundreds of millions of people across the world at the same time. Advertisement Our Planet will be released on Netflix on Friday 5th April 2019 | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2019-01-22/our-planet-netflix-david-attenborough-documentary-release-date/ |
Could Manny Machado Really 'Lose' in $175 Million Free-Agency Letdown? | Harry How/Getty Images Manny Machado will be employed by a Major League Baseball team in 2019. Entering the offseason, the answer seemed to be "an awful lot." And by almost any measure, it still is. But in the funhouse-mirror world of MLB salarieswhere six figures is the minimum, eight figures is decent and nine figures is measured by degreeMachado may be in for a $175 million "letdown." That's a silly amount of money for most of us, enough to set up our children and our children's children in perpetuity. For Machado, it would be considerably less than he expected after he and the Los Angeles Dodgers lost Game 5 of the 2018 World Series and he became a free agent. A contract in excess of $200 million seemed like a given. A deal that eclipsed $300 million felt like a distinct possibility. Machado is entering his age-26 season and can capably play shortstop or third base. He's made four All-Star teams, won two Gold Gloves and has three top-10 MVP finishes. He hit 37 home runs with 107 RBI and a .905 OPS between the Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles last year. Along with outfielder and fellow 26-year-old Bryce Harper, who's also languishing unsigned as of this writing, he represented the cream of the free-agent crop. Then, modern market realities kicked in. Teams held back, snapping up the players willing to sign less expensive, shorter-term pacts while hanging back on massive Machado and Harper payouts. As the spring training countdown clock continues to tick, the two superstars still don't have gigs. Jae C. Hong/Associated Press Enter the recent rumor, courtesy of ESPN's Buster Olney and USA Today's Bob Nightengale, that the Chicago White Sox offered Machado a seven-year, $175 million contract a few weeks ago. The ChiSox are an up-and-coming team in need of a superstar. They rank 24th in committed payroll for 2019, per Spotrac. Machado would slot nicely into the middle of their young lineup and would instantly make them contenders in the weak, winnable American League Central. It's a natural fit. To be fair, it isn't that simple. Machado's agent pushed back against Olney and Nightengale's reports and called them "completely wrong" in a statement, via Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown. The Philadelphia Phillies are another possible destination for Machado. And as Andy Martino of SNY.tv reported Saturday, the New York Yankees and at least two "mystery teams" remain in the mix, too. Machado may not be backed into a contractual corner. There could be enough demand to drive his price tag northward. With each passing day, though, the likelihood of him exceeding that $175 million mark shrinks. Teams and owners have woken up to the reality that they control players through what are frequently their best years up to and through arbitration. After that, guys expect to be paid through their late 20s and well into their 30s when steep declines are common. That's been the deal for a while. Except now, clubs are spooked by the prospect of paying players for what they've already accomplished rather than what they will accomplish going forward. The old paradigm has shifted, and it hasn't shifted in the players' favor. Matt Slocum/Associated Press Machado, like Harper, isn't over the hill. By most estimations, he's in the midst of his prime. But a long-term deal would carry him well past that prime. The sting on the back end of such deals is often painful. On top of that, for all of his enviable skills, Machado has sometimes made the wrong kind of headlines, as Jon Meoli of the Baltimore Sun outlined: "If this is all a judgment on the litany of headlines Machado has made over the yearsfrom the Josh Donaldson incident to his fight with Yordano Ventura to the feud with the Boston Red Sox or his playoff base-running aggressionthen baseball has delivered a verdict that many might find fair. When a team is swallowing hard and giving out a nine-figure contract, some of those might be hard to get past." This goes deeper than Machado. It's about the new paradigm in MLB free agency, and it's going to impact all players. Recently, San Francisco Giants third baseman Evan Longoria sounded off on the issue on Instagram: "We are less then a month from the start of spring and once again some of our [game's] biggest [stars] remain unsigned. Such a shame. [It] seems every day now someone is making up a new analytical tool to devalue players, especially free agents. It's not your money, it's money that players have worked their whole lives to get to that level and be deserving of. Bottom line, fans should want the best players and product on the field for their team." You can debate the definition of "deserve." You can point out that getting paid more than $100 million guaranteed to play a children's game, even if you get injured or your performance craters, is a great deal. Either way, this is where things stand in MLB in 2019. The days of salaries rising exponentially seem to be over for now. If players such as Machado and others want to reverse the trend, they'll need to wait until the current collective bargaining agreement expires in Dec. 2021. At that point, we could be in for a fight, if not another damaging strike. For now, Machado is unemployed. And he may need to brace himself for a lucrative letdown. All statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference. | https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2816619-could-manny-machado-really-lose-in-175-million-free-agency-letdown |
Did a fan shine a laser pointer in Tom Brady's face during the AFC Championship Game? | originally appeared on nbcsportsboston.com The crowd at Arrowhead Stadium is known to get rowdy, but one fan may have crossed the line during Sunday night's AFC Championship Game. Scroll to continue with content Ad KMBC reporter William Joy shared videos of what appears to be a laser being shined in Tom Brady's face during multiple plays. Watch below. . . 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 It happened one other time that we've seen on a pass to Hogan. You be the judge. If so, they failed. Story continues In vintage Brady fashion, the Patriots quarterback led New England late in the fourth quarter and then in overtime with a 75-yard touchdown drive to advance to his ninth Super Bowl. 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-fan-shine-laser-pointer-232154926.html?src=rss |
What Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Can Teach An Entrepreneur? | May 8, 2017 4 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Adapted from Japanese Jiu-jitsu and judo in early 20th-century, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a grappling martial art and self-defense mechanism that uses throws, holds and locks to incapacitate an opponent. As a black belt and practitioner for over 11 years, I have dedicated thousands of hours to study and train BJJ and have applied its principles in my personal relationships and business. I would like to share with you three principles that I find particularly useful. Protect Yourself At All Times First and foremost, BJJ is about survival; it emphasizes on defending self against larger and stronger opponents and ensure that you take minimal damage before launching your own attack. However, many beginners are often captivated by the range of chokes and joint locks. They are in such a rush to defeat their opponent in a stunning fashion that they leave themselves open to defeat. A corresponding example would be that of a the boxer who is so focused on winding up the devastating knockout punch that he drops his hands and leaves his own chin exposed, resulting in getting knocked out himself. In business, I therefore always seek to protect my downside risk and try not to overextend my teams resources to a point where the entire organization is weakened. For example, when considering an acquisition, I first think whether or not the team has the resources and capacity to integrate. If facing a difficult negotiation, one of my primary goals is to minimize negative outcomes rather than chase the huge win. Make A Frame Everyone intuitively understands the power of a frame. If you drop down into a squat position, your leg muscles will burn out in matter of minutes. However, you can stand straight for hours because your leg bones align to create a skeletal frame that can support your entire body weight with ease. The same is true for BJJ. If I need to push a larger and Matt Huttner, WorldStrides PTY. LTD., YPO member from Melbourne, Australia heavier opponent, I cant rely on my muscular strength, which will quickly be exhausted. Rather, I need to try and make strategic frames that will move my opponent without expending energy. The parallel in the business world is relying upon individual people versus processes and systems. People are like muscles; they can be extremely effective but are also prone to getting tired or strained. Processes and systems are akin to frames; when properly aligned, they can function well for far longer with minimal effort. I constantly strive to create redundancy and build processes that can be run by multiple people in our organization. Definition Of A Black Belt When I first started training, I thought of BJJ black belt as an effortless master of grace and violence, an invincible warrior. As I got further involved into the community, I instead learnt the true definition: A black belt is simply a white belt who never gave up. When the day of my own black belt promotion arrived, I was suffering from a stomach virus and high fever. The promotion ceremony included teaching a class and sparring with several opponents in a row, but I was so sick that I had to quit halfway through. This failure is still enormously painful to me. After receiving the belt, I approached my professor, Chet Quint, and actually tried to give it back to him; there was no way that I deserved the promotion after such a poor performance. But Professor Quint replied, You are earning your black belt because of who you are and your commitment over the last 10 years, not today. Entrepreneurs are undoubtedly the black belts of the business world. It is the unyielding desire to seek solutions and start again that makes one truly invincible, in business or in life, not any one incident. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu has had a profoundly positive effect on me, and Im looking forward to a similarly enriching journey of growth with my company. (This article was first published in the April issue of Entrepreneur Magazine. To subscribe, click here) | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/293932 |
How did Devils Cory Schneider do in 1st rehab start? | Devils goalie Cory Schneider made his first conditioning start in the AHL on Monday, and it opened like a lot of his NHL games this season. The Binghamton Devils surrendered a goal 1:24 into the game and trailed 2-0 after the first period, but Schneider did stop 21 of 23 shots he faced in an eventual 2-1 loss to the Syracuse Crunch in Syracuse, New York. Alex Barre-Boulet of the Crunch scored on a one-timer to net the early goal, and Cameron Gaunce scored in front of the crease with 16 seconds left in the first period to double the lead. What Henrique thought of Devils fans' pleas The first period could have been worse for the Devils when the Crunch got 1:45 of a 5-on-3 power play, but Schneider and Binghamton shut it down to start a 4-for-4 night on the penalty kill. Schneider stopped the final 14 shots he faced over the final two periods. John Quenneville netted his 10th of the AHL season on a second-period power play, but the Devils failed to find the tying goal. Schneider will get likely get two more starts for the Devils over the course of this week while working his way back to the NHL. He has been out of the NHL lineup since Dec. 15 with an abdominal strain. Binghamton plays three more games this week, and their next game will be on Wednesday when the Devils visit the Rochester Americans. They will then be home for a back-to-back against the Hartford Wolfpack on Friday and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Saturday. Rules limit Schneider to three starts during the conditioning stint, so Mackenzie Blackwood will likely get one start with the NHL team on its bye week and the All-Star break. Blackwood and Schneider could both return to the NHL team on Sunday. Chris Ryan may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook. | https://www.nj.com/devils/2019/01/how-did-devils-cory-schneider-do-in-1st-rehab-start.html |
Was taugen die Trendditen? | Einer der grten und am meisten Druck bereitenden Vorstze ist jener des Gewichtsverlustes nach den weihnachtlichen Feiertagen. Wenn man dann mit unerschtterlichem Willen das Jnner-Tief berwinden kann, stellt sich die Frage nach der Methode. Das ist nur Geschftsmacherei Diten machen gesund Abnehmen muss nur der Mond Wei nicht Die Clean-Eating-Dit Zwar ist sie als langfristige Ernhrungsumstellung gedacht, aber man verliert schnell ein paar Kilos und tut dem Krper dabei etwas Gutes, indem man ihn entgiftet. Stars wie Nicole Kidman, Jessica Alba und Miranda Kerr schwren auf die Methode. Es wird auf Konservierungsstoffe und Zustze verzichtet und auch leere Kalorien wie Zucker und Weimehl vom Speiseplan gestrichen. Der Konsum von Kaffee und Alkohol sollte zudem reduziert werden. Das Konzept beruht darauf, die Nahrung in kleinere, dafr mehrere (5-6) Rationen pro Tag zu unterteilen. Um den Stoffwechsel mit dem Tagesstart anzukurbeln, beinhaltet das Frhstck Overnght Oats oder Vollkornrogenbrot mit Avocado. Mittags und abends kann man frei entscheiden, solange Gemse, Getreide und Eiwei dabei sind. Quinoa, Vollkornreis, Dinkelvollkorn, Hirse und Hlsefrchte werden mit saisonalem Gemse kombiniert. Bei dem Verzehr von Fleisch und Fisch ist die Qualitt entscheidend. Die Paleo-Dit berall hrt man davon. Bei Megan Fox, Jessica Biel und Uma Thurman ist die Paleo-Methode momentan sehr angesagt. Der Ausgangspunkt ist, dass die ideale Ernhrung auf Zutaten und Zubereitungsformen aufbaut, die von der Evolution fr den Verdauungsapparat konzipiert wurden. Das beinhaltet regionales Fleisch, Fisch, saisonales Obst und Gemse. Milchprodukte, Zucker und verarbeitetes Getreide fallen weg. Damit eine glutenfreie Ernhrungsweise, die sich gleichermaen fr Allergiker wie Fleischliebhaber eignet. In den ersten Wochen kann ein schneller Gewichtsverlust eintreten, danach sollte dieser gehalten werden. Wie auch beim Clean Eating handelt es sich um eine dauerhafte Umstellung der Ernhrung. Die Stoffwechsel-Dit Stoffwchsel-Diten orientieren sich an der Low- bzw. No-Carb-Dit. Dazu zhlen die "Metabolic Balance"-Dit und die "Blutgruppen-Dit", die beide ber einen dreiwchigen Ernhrungsplan verfgen. Sie beinhalten Eiwei, Gemse und gewisses Obst, die in Form von drei Mahlzeiten mit fnf Stunden Pause konsumiert werden. Kohlenhydrate sind entweder ganz wegzulassen oder bis zu 50 Gramm erlaubt. Das Ziel ist mehr Kalorien zu verbrennen als aufgenommen werden. Wie immer bei dem Verzicht auf Kohlenhydrate zeigen sich schnelle Erfolge im Gewichtsverlust. Es besteht jedoch die Gefahr eines Jo-Jo-Effekts. Eine zu eiwei-reiche Ernhrung kann auch zu Stoffwechselproblemen fhren. Fr Vegetarier ist die Dit weniger geeignet, da ihre Rezepte tierische Proteine beinhalten. Bleiben Sie informiert mit dem Newsletter von heute.at Das knnte Sie auch interessieren: (GA) | https://www.heute.at/life/heuteinform/story/Was-taugen-die-Trenddiaeten--42623149 |
Can a Small Business Get a Loan in a Bear Market? | Finding a loan is an important part of getting up and running or staying on track through the ups and downs of owning a small business. Well over half of entrepreneurs recently reported they werent sure they had enough cash to even start their businesses. Small Business Trends got in touch with Krista Morgan, CEO and co-founder of P2Binvestor , to find out if and how small business can get a loan in a bear market. She started by defining the term for us via email. In a bear market, banks become more risk-averse and will either 1) not provide SMBs financing at all or 2) provide loans to these small businesses at unfavorable rates, she writes. Look Beyond More Traditional Lenders Theres a case that this is the situation now. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has halted SMB loan programs as of Dec 22 due to the ongoing government shutdown. Theres a ripple effect thats being felt by American banks causing them to curb the money they make available for small businesses too. Morgan stresses theres still a bright side because the market is diverse: Small businesses are fortunate with the wide variety of lending options that are currently available. With banks being more selective to whom they provide loans, alternative lending options become the obvious choice for these small businesses to access financing. Realize APRs will Be Higher Still, she adds a caveat pointing to the fact that small businesses need to be aware that the APRs and repayment terms, should they be able to get a loan from a bank or alternative institution, wont be as low as they would in a better market. The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is the amount charged on any loan over twelve months. Seek Out Alternative Lenders as an Option Theres at least one solution that was designed specifically to support SMBs during down times when loan money is scarce. Online alternative lenders were built to support and fund SMBs during down markets, Morgan writes. For example, P2Binvestor was built to provide high-end lines of credit to businesses that cant receive bank financing. So, if banks become more selective and restrictive during a bear market, SMBs know they can access a large pipeline of lenders in order to get the financing they need. Develop a Plan for Market Downswings Small businesses arent totally at the mercy of market swings either. Morgan writes that they should have a plan on how to withstand one of these bear markets and even succeed during a downturn. She writes that both banks and alternative lending institutions will be looking to see if any small business has put one of these financial battle plans in place. She offers a tip: The more diversity you have in your payor base provides more security and confidence so even if some of your payors fall off the map during a recession, you still can sell your product or service and be successful. Morgan also cautions against taking on large loans because SMBs think their company can grow at a rapid pace during a bear market. She points out that its improbable any small business will grow at the same rate it did during a more lucrative bull market. Small businesses taking on loans during leaner times should focus on having money to operate businesses and get over any financial and market humps. Although she says there arent any specific small businesses that stand a better chance than others of surviving a bear market, those that sell high-end luxury goods tend to take a bigger hit during downswings. Develop a Must-Have Feeling for your Product Buyer behavior typically shifts when the market is down and people decide to buy store brand goods as opposed to more select niche products, she writes. At the same time, it is up to these niche businesses to market the product/service need to their customers. Finally, Morgan says if a business can stoke that must have feeling for their product or service by ramping up demand during the downtime, they should be successful regardless of the market cycle. | https://smallbiztrends.com/2019/01/get-a-loan-in-a-bear-market-small-business.html |
How many National Television Awards have Ant and Dec won for best presenter? | Ant and Dec have their fair share of National Television Awards (Picture: Rex Shutterstock) The 2019 National Television Awards are due to be handed out tonight and all eyes will be on one category in particular, that of best entertainment presenter. Because once again Ant and Dec have been nominated for the award even though Ant McPartlin has been absent from our screens since last April meaning they could well take the prize yet again. The nomination spawned a mixed reaction given that Ant spent the majority of last year away from TV, missing out on his usual co-hosting stint alongside Dec on Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here, among others. The pair went home with two prizes in 2018 (Picture: Rex Shutterstock) Well the pair have actually won the entertainment presenter prize no less than 17 times in a row. Advertisement Advertisement They also won the first ever Bruce Forsyth Entertainment award at last years ceremony admitting it was an honour to accept the award in memory of the TV legend. As well as Holly who co-hosted Im A Celebrity 2018 alongside Dec, the pair face off with Phillip Schofield, Bradley Walsh and Graham Norton in the presenting category. However even NTAs presenter Dermot OLeary has expressed doubt over them winning, saying: If they win it this year, we should just not do it anymore! If they win it, having not been on television, we may as well just chuck in the towel. Should Ant and Dec take the prize however, they wont even be there to collect it this time around. The pair will reportedly be too tied up with Britains Got Talent auditions to be able to attend the star-studded event at the O2 Arena in London, with a representative confirming that the auditions clash with the ceremony, and have not been rescheduled. The 2019 National TV Awards are on ITV on Tuesday night at 7.30pm. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/many-national-television-awards-ant-dec-won-best-presenter-8374199/ |
Is P&G taking Nelson Peltz's advice for a rebound? | CLOSE Founded in 2005, New York City-based Trian Fund Management says it "seeks to invest in high quality but undervalued and under-performing public companies and to work constructively with the management and boards of those companies." What this will mean for Cincinnati-based P&G isn't clear. Wochit Procter & Gamble's stock has rebounded from a rocky 2018. The Cincinnati-based consumer product giant has also unveiled eye-catching advertising and new products. It's also made a string of strategic acquisitions. Analysts say P&G still has a long way to go to reignite steady sales growth, despite the company's stock hitting an all-time high (adjusted for splits) of $96.90 last month. While the company delivered the strongest quarter in five years in October, executives took pains not to label it a breakthrough following a year of turnaround and tepid growth. Analysts say the company's stock is likely benefitting from market jitters as trade tensions and recession fears prompt a "flight-to-safety" shift by some investors to stable sectors, including companies like P&G, which sell consumer staples. In November, P&G seemed to take a page from Peltz when it announced a restructuring of business units. "It's a controlled response to suggestions by Peltz," said Terry Kelly, principal at Cincinnati-based Barlett & Co., noting the investor lambasted P&G's "bureaucracy" during his 2017 campaign for a board seat. Kelly said P&G delivered a solid first quarter, but needs to generate several more before anyone declares the company fixed. P&G will update investors on its turnaround progress on Wednesday when it reports its second-quarter results. Wall Street expects the Cincinnati consumer products giant to generate a $3.2 billion profit before one-time items on sales of $17.2 billion, according to Zacks Investment Research, a Chicago firm. Last year, P&G reported a $2.5 billion profit on sales of $17.4 billion for the same period. Here's what to look for in the report: Enhance your skins appearance and reduce unevenness over time with Opt. Skincare just got smarter, but thats just the start. Were always innovating our products to improve your everyday life. #PGLifeLab#CEShttps://t.co/nhwVRVAy57pic.twitter.com/SNOTJMIP9r P&G (@ProcterGamble) January 11, 2019 Were joining forces with @tristanwalker and @walkercobrands to better serve consumers of color around the world. Learn more about @bevel and @formbeauty , which are joining the P&G family of brands. https://t.co/jwAdyC905Wpic.twitter.com/yYV9YXpmu0 P&G (@ProcterGamble) December 12, 2018 Buy Photo Procter & Gamble is based in Cincinnati. (Photo: Enquirer file/Cara Owsley) For the latest on P&G, Kroger, Fifth Third Bank and Cincinnati business news, follow @alexcoolidge on Twitter. Read or Share this story: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2019/01/22/is-p-g-taking-nelson-peltzs-advice-for-a-rebound/2594664002/ | https://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2019/01/22/is-p-g-taking-nelson-peltzs-advice-for-a-rebound/2594664002/ |
When is Bohemian Rhapsody coming out on DVD? | Bohemian Rhapsody broke box office records (Picture: 20th Century Fox) Bohemian Rhapsody has proved itself to be a big hit on the big screen with Rami Malek hailed by critics for his performance as Freddie Mercury. While the film is still showing at UK cinemas, months after its October release, fans will soon be able to purchase the flick to watch in the comfort of their own homes. Bohemian Rhapsody will be out on DVD and Blu-ray on Monday March 4. Itll be available to pre-order on Amazon with the DVD costing 9.99 and the Blu-ray 14.99. And if youre a subscriber of Amazon Prime Video then youre in luck; the Queen biopic will be available on the service from February 16. The film won two awards at the Golden Globes (Picture: Rob Latour/REX) Bohemian Rhapsody has racked up a number of accolades including seven Bafta nominations with Best British Film, Best Actor and Best Cinematography among them. Advertisement Advertisement The film also won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture last month, while Rami Malek took home best actor for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury. Its expected to receive several Oscar nominations too when theyre announced later today. Bohemian Rhapsody broke all previous records for a music biopic when it was released last year. The film took more than $600million (477million) worldwide, smashing box office numbers set by Straight Outta Compton as well outperforming Mamma Mia! and The Greatest Showman. MORE: Rami Malek admits it was a major risk to play Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody MORE: Freddie Mercurys ex-fiancee Mary Austin to receive 40m in royalties from Bohemian Rhapsody | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/bohemian-rhapsody-coming-dvd-8373538/ |
When are the Oscars 2019 and how to watch it? | (Photo Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images) The announcement of this years Academy Awards nominees is almost here. Green Book cast, trailer, reception and award wins so far ahead of UK release date Today, at 8:20am ET in the US (which is 1:20pm here in London), Tracee Ellis Ross and Kumail Nanjiani will be telling the world what weve only been able to speculate on for months, and we will finally know exactly who to root for at this years Oscars. Last year in 2018, the nominations were revealed on 23 January, with The Shape of Water going on to win Best Picture. It also saw Frances McDormand win Best Actress for her performance in Three Billboards Outside Ebbing Missouri, and Gary Oldman won Best Actor for his role as Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour. Oh this is going to be exciting! @KumailN text me when u wake up so we can coordinate our looks. Im thinking pjs & glasses my dressy ones! Advertisement Advertisement If youre in the UK and hoping to watch the events unfold live then you will be staying up quite late as the 2019 Oscar will begin at 1am on Monday 25 February. It will be held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollwood, California. After a joint win at the Critics Choice Awards, Glenn Close and Lady Gaga head to head as favourites to win Best Actress. (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images) Youll be able to watch the Academy Awards live on the dedicated Sky Cinema Oscars channel. And you dont necessarily need to be a Sky subscriber to access this channel all you will need is a Sky Cinema Pass on NOW TV, which you can get for free if youre a new customer, or for 9.99 a month if youre not. The Academy Award nominations are set to be announced today, Tuesday 22 January 2019 at 1:20pm London time. The Academy Awards are coming up fast. (Picture: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images) This round of the Academy Awards marks the 91st anniversary of the awards show, and considering the nominees havent even been announced yet (at the time of writing), its been quite controversial already. Comedian Kevin Hart was initially confirmed to front this years Oscars, but that plan was exceedingly short-lived as he stepped down from the role in December following the reveal of controversial tweets from his past. A new category called Best Popular Film was originally going to be debuted at this years ceremony, but after a negative reaction, it was announced that it too would not be making an appearance on the Oscars stage this year. Advertisement Advertisement We found out in September that the category would be postponed with a statement saying The Academy recognised that implementing any new award nine months into the year creates challenges for films that have already been released. Many films have already appeared as early favourites for this years awards, but the official nominations havent been announced yet. After performing well so far at other awards ceremonies, The Favourite is tipped for Oscar noms as well. For Best picture, the odds currently favour Roma, at even odds, and A Star Is Born at 2/1 that theyll win. A Star Is Born seems to be doing fairly well across the board, with 4/1 on Bradley Cooper to win Best Actor, 11/2 on him to win Best Director, and 9/2 on Lady Gaga to snap up Best Actress. But, despite the hype, theyre not the favourites to win in those categories. Its looking more like Rami Malek might scoop up best actor for his portrayal of rock star Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody with the odds at 5/6. The odds that Glenn Close will win Best Actress for her turn in tense drama The Wife are at 4/11, making her the favourite in that category above Olivia Colman (9/4) and Lady Gaga (9/2). Advertisement Meanwhile Alfono Cuaron is, at 1/10, tipped to win Best Director for his critically lauded film Roma, which you might remember from the top of this paragraph as one of the contenders for Best Picture. Odds courtesy of Betfair. MORE: Oscars open to Kevin Hart hosting 2019 ceremony after Ellen DeGeneres interview MORE: Killing Eve release date, plot and cast as Sandra Oh hosts Golden Globes | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/when-are-the-oscars-2019-and-how-to-watch-it-8373183/ |
Who has won the most Oscars in history? | (Picture: AP) The Oscar nominations are announced on Tuesday, with A Star Is Born and Bohemian Rhapsody expected to be among those picking up multiple nods. While the ceremony on Sunday February 24th will send many people home with their first ever golden statuette, for other nominees itll just be another one to add to the trophy cabinet. (Picture: Getty Images) The biggest single Oscar winner in history is Walt Disney, who won 26 Oscars during the course of his career, from a total of 59 nominations. Walt won his awards between 1932 and 1969, with the majority in the best animated short category winning that Oscar eight years in a row from 1931-1939. That honour goes to Katherine Hepburn, who won the best actress Oscar four times for Morning Glory in 1933, Guess Whos Coming To Dinner in 1967 and for The Lion In Winter in 1968, when she tied with Barbara Streisand (Funny Girl) for the prize. Hepburns final acting Oscar came for On Golden Pond in 1981. However Meryl Streep is closing in fast on her title, having won three acting Oscars (for Kramer vs Kramer in 1979, Sophies Choice in 1982 and The Iron Lady in 2011), and having been nominated an impressive 21 times. John Ford best known for his classic Westerns won the best director statuette four times, for The Informer (1935), The Grapes Of Wrath (1940), How Green Was My Valley (1941) and The Quiet Man in 1952. (Picture: New Line) Its a tie between Ben-Hur (1959), 1997s Titanic and The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003) all of which went home with 11 Oscars each. The Return Of The King pulled off an even more impressive feat by winning every single one of the 11 Oscars it was nominated for although amazingly didnt take home a single award in the acting categories, with the majority being for technical achievements. Spare a thought however for La La Land which despite jointly holding the record for the most nominations along with Titanic and All About Eve (14 in total), missed out on the best picture prize (or at least almost won it until they realised theyd made a mistake). Only three films have ever gone home with the Oscars for best film, director, actor, actress and screenplay. It Happened One Night was the first to pull off the feat in 1934, followed by One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest in 1975. The most recent to achieve the feat was The Silence Of The Lambs in 1992. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/won-oscars-history-8373368/ |
Could Eddings be caught out in latest lobbying? | When Cricket Australia announced Earl Eddings was its new chairman, everyone expected the former first-grade batsman would hang around for some time. Eddings had been a director for more than a decade and replaced David Peever in late November as cricket imploded over the South African sandpaper scandal. Illustration: John Shakespeare Credit: But Eddings is up for re-election in August, and he'll need Cricket Victorias approval. Even though hes been part of the problem at Cricket Australia for many years, most observers believe he will hold on to the job unsurprising considering Peever proved Cricket Australia was one organisation where it's very easy to stick around long after your expiry date. | https://www.smh.com.au/national/could-eddings-be-caught-out-in-latest-lobbying-20190122-p50syp.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed |
Is the Manikarnika producer really hospitalized? | Perhaps it is the stress of being seen as the face and creative helmer of one of the most expensive films every produced in India. But Kangana Ranaut is in denial. Apparently she doesnt believe that her Manikarnika producer Kamal Jain is hospitalized. Just as a few days ago, the Manikarnika team tried to drag the Karni Sena into the picture. The Karni chief had to stoutly deny any interest in Manikarnika. In fact an opinion going around in the film industry is that Kamal Jain is not even partially as ill as its being made out to be. He has certainly not suffered a paralytic stroke. This false news was spread so Jain could escape from being part of the films final promotion before release. Jain knows the fate that lies in store for Manikarnika, says an informed source. | http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/manikarnika-producer-really-hospitalized/ |
Has Fyre Festival burned influencers? | Image copyright Fyre Image caption Expectations.... "Fyre was basically like Instagram coming to life." Or at least, that was supposed to be how it was, says DJ/producer Jillionaire in the new Netflix documentary Fyre: The Greatest Party that Never Happened. The organisers spent eye-watering sums on an extravagant launch campaign with 10 of the world's top supermodels sharing gorgeous promotional pictures and videos of themselves partying in luxurious style on a sun-drenched island in the Bahamas. Kendall Jenner was reportedly paid $250,000 (193,000) for one single Instagram post announcing the launch of ticket sales and offering her followers a discount code. Despite the "luxury" tickets costing thousands of dollars, the event sold out - many snapped up by social media influencers keen to document their exclusive experience, many in exchange for free accommodation. The festival was supposed to run annually for five years. However, just like Instagram, away from the filters and the supermodels, the reality turned out to be somewhat different. Image copyright Netflix Image caption ... versus reality The "private jet" in which the guests were supposed to arrive, turned out to be an old rebranded aeroplane. The luxury accommodation consisted of rain-drenched tents, and the gourmet cuisine was a cheese sandwich. The event never took place. The organiser, Billy McFarland, is now in prison for fraud. Bella Hadid, one of the models who took part in the promotions, later apologised to her followers and said she had "trusted" the event would be "amazing and memorable". Kendall Jenner deleted her post. Two new documentaries about the luxury event that never was - one by Netflix, the other by US streamer Hulu - have thrown a spotlight on the influencers and celebrities who promoted it. You'd be forgiven for thinking this all sounds like extremely bad news for the influencer industry. But you'd be underestimating their Teflon-like resilience in the face of adversity. Image copyright Netflix Image caption Rapper Ja Rule took part in promotional activity with Billy McFarland Rohan Midha, managing director of the PMYB influencer agency, says that while Fyre itself was a disaster, the marketing choices behind it were not. "It just shows how powerful influencers can be," he told the BBC. On the subject of Fyre, he agrees that while the sheer size of the influencer campaign was "unusual", the results were not. "Influencers can reproduce the largest return on investment," he says. "That's across the board." Werner Geyser, founder of the Influencer Marketing Hub, agrees. He says since the release of the documentaries his web traffic has spiked as curiosity in the industry has increased. "If anything [the Fyre Festival documentary] was showing utilising influencer marketing was part of its success in terms of marketing the event," he says. "It's all publicity at the end of the day. I think brand managers and influencers will be more cautious and that can only be a good thing." Image copyright Netflix Image caption The Fyre team was keen to promote the exclusivity of the event Mr Geyser thinks the documentaries will emphasise the importance of regulation - the responsibility of flagging promoted content using hashtags like #ad, #spon and #sponsored. In 2017, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the US warned celebrities and influencers that they must be clear about when a post has been paid for - but not all of them do. "Trust is lost when you are selling something that you were paid for but didn't declare," says Mr Geyser. "If you can say something is sponsored [the consumer] can take it with a pinch of salt." Image copyright @world_record_egg / Instagram Image caption The egg that cracked Instagram If you doubt the power of a stranger on social media to tell large numbers of people what to do - have a think about this. "This month we've seen people being influenced by an egg," says Instagram consultant Danny Coy, referring to a picture of an egg which convinced more than 40m people to "like" it on Instagram. Mr Coy, whose photography account on Instagram has 157,000 followers, is a former influencer himself. "What's been happening for a while is the rise of the micro-influencer - people who have a much more organic following, less than 10,000, but they are really niche and targeted," he says. "If you want to geo-locate or target certain areas, brands would rather team up with 10 micro-influencers than one big one." The firm Neoreach offers data on influencer industry growth. According to its research and forecasts: The number of Instagram posts using popular hashtags to denote advertising or promotion has risen from 1.1 million in 2016 to 3.1 million in 2018 They predict there will be 4.4 million officially promoted posts in 2019 The average return on investment in 2018 was $5.20 for every dollar spent on influencer marketing, according to a study of 2,000 campaigns Instagram is the most popular platform for influencer campaigns, followed by Facebook and YouTube The influencer market size has grown from $1.7bn in 2016 to $4.6bn in 2018 and is forecast to hit $6.5bn in 2019 One expert who is not "liking" the influencer phenomenon is Dr Mariann Hardey, associate professor in marketing at Durham University. "I would counter that the influencer industry is not successful," she says. "It appears successful as an extension of aggressive marketing communications and PR methods, but as a standalone, self-sustaining and ethical industry it is far from successful." Dr Hardey points out a growing backlash over some influencer-endorsed products such as weight-loss tea amid reports that it can, in some cases, be addictive and even dangerous. "The backlash against these kinds of products is highly visible - in some cases known more than the influencers involved with the promotion," she says. Image copyright Jameela Jamil / Twitter This was raised by the actress Jameela Jamil, who started the high profile "I Weigh" campaign, to counter promotional weight loss messages spread by influencers, and to encourage more positive body image. Dr Hardey believes that influencers are not as powerful as they may consider themselves to be. "Consumers are smart," she says. "Overall, relying solely on influencers and the commercial viability of platforms such as Instagram [in a campaign] is precarious at best." That lesson was learned the hard way by those involved in the Fyre Festival. "A couple of powerful models posting an orange tile [the festival's logo] is what essentially built this entire festival," reflects Mick Purzycki, who worked on the festival, in the Netflix documentary. "And then one kid with probably 400 followers posted a picture of cheese on toast and that trended and essentially ripped down the festival." | https://www.bbc.com/news/46945662 |
What happened to Carmelo Anthony? | Carmelo Anthony was traded to the Chicago Bulls on Monday and will likely be released by the team shortly thereafter though they may wait until the trade deadline to release him according to a report from ESPNs Adrian Wojnarowski. He will then be able to sign with whatever team hed like. That team, if you count his short stint on the Bulls, would be his fifth in three years. Most players who play on five NBA teams in three years are end-of-the-rotation veterans, people brought in for leadership or maybe a little shooting and defense. Its not usual that you find ten-time All-Stars doing that. Anthony is 34 years old, which, while not exactly young, should not be a signal that he cant contribute to an NBA team. JJ Redick is having the best season of his career at age 34. LeBron James is 34, which is pretty unfair because hes LeBron James, but still, hes 34. Vince Carter is figuring out ways to still contribute at age 41. Dirk Nowitzki won an NBA Finals MVP at age 32, and was an All-Star every year until he was 36. Anthonys talent alone should allow him to figure out a way to contribute to an NBA team. To do that, though, hed have to change his game. And it doesnt appear that Anthony wants to change his game. There are two ways to age in the NBA as a star. One way is to adjust your game to become a playmaker, and have an owner/GM/coach who will build a team around you. This is afforded to precious few players in the league, but it can work. LeBron is so good he will continue to have teams built around him. Up until a year or two ago, the Mavericks were content to build around Dirk, even as he got up there. The Spurs did the same with Tim Duncan until he retired. Those are rare cases, and those are three generational players, though. The other way to age in the NBA as a star is to adjust your game and find a second act as a role player. Jason Kidd extended his career by developing a three-point shot. When he couldnt beat guys with pace anymore, he knew the only way to keep playing was to help his team as a spot shooter and defense guy. So he did that. Vince Carter is still playing at 41 because he was able to do the same. Related Richard Jefferson says Carmelo Anthony needs to start planning a farewell tour Dirk is doing that now, content to let Luka Doncic run the show and contribute with his shooting. Andre Iguodala, a former star, has turned into a role player on the Warriors, and a vital one. Chris Paul has handed off primary ball-handling responsibilities to James Harden, and is content to be the secondary option who can facilitate and take over scoring when needed. Anthony hasnt really done any of that. He didnt have an owner or GM who were willing to build a team around him as he aged, so that was thrown out the window. In consecutive years he was signed by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets to see if he could work as a spot scorer who would take some pressure off the teams stars Russell Westbrook and James Harden, respectively and lead a bench unit. Perhaps he could even work as an overqualified 3-and-D guy, a spot shooter who would stand in the corner and hit open 3s created for him by a generational player like Harden. He didnt want that, though. He didnt want to be a bench guy. He didnt want to try and fit in as a 3-and-D guy, and extend his career in the process. He wanted the ball. He wanted the offense to run through him. Its hard to blame him. Melo made his career, first at Syracuse, then with Denver and the Knicks, by being the guy who wanted the ball. The one who could make a bucket out of nothing. It got him this far, and when something is your bread and butter for your whole career, I imagine its really, really hard to turn that off. But its making it exceedingly difficult to see how he can age in the NBA. His first step isnt quite as quick anymore. He cant elevate like he used to. I hope he figures it out. I hope the next team is the right fit for him, and he finds a role and thrives in it. Watching Carmelo play for Team USA was one of the joys of the last 20 years of American basketball. Hes got the talent. He just needs to find the role he feels comfortable with, and one that works for a team who needs him. | https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/01/carmelo-anthony-trade-bulls |
Has Program To Improve Readmission Rates For Medicare Beneficiaries Backfired? | Two new studies stoke skepticism over a program that penalizes hospitals when readmissions within 30 days exceeded national averages. While some worry the program hurts the very people it's meant to protect, other experts defend the measures. The New York Times: Hospitals Stopped Readmitting So Many Medicare Patients. It was a well-intended policy. Almost all parties agree on that much. A decade ago, when Medicare beneficiaries were discharged from hospitals, one in five returned within a month. Older people faced the risks of hospitalization all over again: infections, deconditioning, delirium, subsequent nursing home stays. And preventable readmissions were costing Medicare a bundle. (Span, 1/18) Modern Healthcare: CMS, Yale New Haven Health On Hot Seat Over Design Of Quality Measures The CMS' long-standing hospital readmissions penalty program has taken quite a beating recently from members of the research community over problems with its underlying measures. But while criticism of the program has escalated, not everyone has joined the bandwagon. Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a well-known researcher at Yale New Haven Health, passionately defends the measures, and with good reason: He led the group that helped the CMS develop the readmission measures as part of a multimillion-dollar contract the agency gave to the academic healthcare institution. (Castellucci, 1/19) In other news The Washington Post: JAMA Opinion Piece Slams Our Addiction To Unnecessary MRIs, CT Scans When the Food and Drug Administration approved magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners in 1984, the machines seemed incredible. They offered an inside view of the human body, making it easier to diagnose disease, injuries and physical abnormalities. Today, theyre part of a multibillion-dollar industry: In 2016, 118 out of every 1,000 Americans got an MRI. The use of CT scans was even higher: 245 per 1,000 people in 2016. (Blakemore, 1/20) This is part of the KHN Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription | https://khn.org/morning-breakout/has-program-to-improve-readmission-rates-for-medicare-beneficiaries-backfired/ |
Was macht Hailey Bieber da mit dem Hundewelpen? | Fragen und Antworten rund um die Kommentar-Funktion Warum dauert es manchmal so lange, bis mein Kommentar sichtbar wird? Unsere Leser kommentieren fleiig Tag fr Tag gehen Hunderte Meinungen zu allen mglichen Themen ein. Da die Verantwortung fr alle Inhalte auf der Website bei der Redaktion liegt, werden die Beitrge vorab gesichtet. Das dauert manchmal eben einige Zeit. Warum wurde mein Kommentar gelscht? Womglich wurde der Beitrag in einer Fremdsprache verfasst. Wir geben nur Kommentare in den Landessprachen Luxemburgisch, Deutsch und Franzsisch frei. Beitrge, die Beleidigungen, Verleumdungen oder Diffamierungen enthalten, werden sofort gelscht. Auch Kommentare, die aufgrund mangelnder Orthografie quasi unlesbar oder in Versalien geschrieben sind, werden das Licht der ffentlichkeit nie erblicken. Habe ich ein Recht darauf, dass meine Kommentare freigeschaltet werden? L'essentiel ist nicht dazu verpflichtet, eingehende Kommentare zu verffentlichen. Ebenso haben die kommentierenden Leser keinen Anspruch darauf, dass ihre verfassten Beitrge auf der Seite erscheinen. Schreiben Sie an [email protected] Hinweis: Wir beantworten keine Fragen, die sich auf einzelne Kommentare beziehen. | http://www.lessentiel.lu/de/people/story/17721063 |
Is PEDv infecting herds through artificial insemination? | New research advises regular PCR testing of semen to ensure safe, PEDv-free insemination. Authors S. Gallien, V. Catinot, N. Pozzi, M. Berri, E. Authi, N. Rose and B. Grasland Study abstract Pigs infected by porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus (PEDV) are affected by severe diarrhoea, vomiting and dehydration. The severity of clinical signs depends on the virus strain. Two genetically different PEDv strains are known to infect pigs, the PEDv S-InDel strains which circulate on all continents and the highly virulent PEDv S-non-InDel strains found in Asia and in America. We have previously demonstrated the presence of PEDv RNA in semen from boars experimentally infected with an S-non-InDel PEDv strain. If naturally infected boars may shed PEDv in semen, this would have important consequences for the breeding sector. Thus we sought to determine whether PEDv has been circulating in populations of breeding boars from French artificial insemination (AI) centres. The current study reports on a serological survey conducted on one hundred and twenty boars from six AI centres, representing 18.6% of the total population of breeding boars in French AI centres in 2015. All of them were found negative for PEDv antibodies, showing no evidence of PEDv circulation in French AI centres at that time. Study conclusions Our results indicate that the sanitary controls of boars prior their departure from the holding of origin and before their entry into semen collection centres may have prevented PEDv introduction into French AI centres till 2015. Nevertheless, there remain some uncertainties on the PEDv status of imported boars. A recent study revealed that clinically healthy boars experimentally infected with PEDv (absence of diarrhoea, vomiting and shedding in faeces) could shed intermittently PEDv in semen in the absence of seroconversion. The veterinary certificate delivered prior to departure of the breeding boars might therefore not provide absolute certitude of safe semen. It might be advisable to carry out PCR on semen samples for artificial insemination. To our knowledge, there is no report from other countries on the serological status of boars in AI centres. Our study indicates that PEDv has most likely not circulated in the French AI centres included in the study, at least till 2015. Nevertheless it might be advisable, in order to ensure safe trade and safe AI, to recommend semen testing for PEDv. AI centres in France have adopted for a long time good practices in routine work and thus have reached a high level of biosecurity. It is essential that this is maintained and possibly reinforced in order to prevent introduction of emerging pathogens such as PEDv. S. Gallien, V. Catinot, N. Pozzi, M. Berri, E. Authi, N. Rose and B. Grasland (2019). No evidence of PEDv infection in French artificial insemination centres in 2015. Porcine Health Management, 5:5. | http://www.thepigsite.com/swinenews/45915/is-pedv-infecting-herds-through-artificial-insemination/ |
Will Canada overtake the US as number one pork supplier to Japan? | Farm-Scape is sponsored by Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork FarmScape is a production and is distributed courtesy of Manitoba Pork Council and Sask Pork. This year, Canada is predicted to overtake the US in the supply of chilled pork to Japan. The Vice-President Technical Services and Marketing Programmes with Canada Pork International says Canada is positioned to become the number one supplier of chilled pork to Japan in the coming year. The Canadian pork sector has been focused on producing the kinds of pork global customers are looking for in terms of colour, marbling and flavour. Michael Young, the Vice-President Technical Services and Marketing Programmes, with Canada Pork International, told those attending the Banff Pork Seminar earlier this month, while the US is by far Canada's largest market by volume, it's primarily a commodity market where as the most lucrative and the hardest market to satisfy is Japan. Mr Young said, "Canada has a long history, over 50 years of service for that market, so we've done a great job developing our market share. "There's only really three major countries that are able to do high-quality chilled pork to Japan and that is Canada, USA and Mexico so that is the sector that we focus most of our time and efforts in. "The perception of Canada as a whole has always been good. "The Japanese have a long history of buying agri-farm products from Canada so we've done a great job of selling our products. They've worked with us over the years to refine some of the things we do. "Our suppliers work with the Japanese customers to change the specifications, to correct the packaging sizes, to change the meat quality, to select it based on colour, to select it based on firmness just for that market. We don't really do that for any other market on the planet, just Japan." Mr Young says that, based on last month, Canada has 48 percent of the chilled share in Japan and the US has 49 percent, but the country fully anticipates that it will become the number one supply partner for Japan in the coming year. As reported by Bruce Cochrane, Farmscape.ca ThePigSite News Desk | http://www.thepigsite.com/swinenews/45905/will-canada-overtake-the-us-as-number-one-pork-supplier-to-japan/ |
What is a regulated asset base model for funding nuclear energy projects? | Financing new nuclear power plants is causing a headache for the UK government right now but one of the proposals on the table is the regulated asset base model. The alternative funding mechanism is being explored following the news that Japanese engineering giant Hitachi has suspended the 20bn construction of the Wylfa Newydd nuclear power station due to financing issues. The Wylfa Newydd suspension follows announcement in November that its 15bn Moorside nuclear plant in Cumbria has also stalled with the future of that project looking uncertain after owner Toshiba pulled the plug once it was unable to find a buyer. UK governments position on renewable asset base model in nuclear energy The government has identified nuclear energy as having a key role in a secure, low-carbon, affordable energy future. There are 15 reactors in Britain, generating 21% of the countrys electricity but almost half this capacity will be retired by 2025, with all but one offline by the mid-2030s. Its meant new plants are needed sooner rather than later to replace this old stock, and work is underway on Somerset-based Hinkley Point C, Suffolk-based Sizewell C and Bradwell, in Essex. But after the Moorside and Wylfa Newydd projects stalled, the government admitted it is now exploring the possibility of using a regulated asset base (RAB) model in future to ensure the UKs nuclear projects reach construction. This would transfer risk from developers to consumers, but is designed to bring more investors to the table. Speaking in Parliament last week, Business Secretary Greg Clark said: If new nuclear is to be successful in a more competitive energy market which I very much believe it can be it is clear that we need to consider a new approach to financing future projects, including those at Sizewell and Bradwell. As I initially set out in June, we are therefore reviewing the viability of a regulated asset base model and assessing whether it can offer value for money for consumers and taxpayers. Mr Clark said the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) intends to publish its assessment of this method by the summer at the latest. A RAB model is used to incentivise private investment into public projects by providing a secure payback and return on investment for developers. Within this mechanism, energy companies manage the infrastructure project, taking ownership of the assets and operating costs. In return, they will be able to raise revenue, often through customer bills, and can also be offered government subsidies. This guarantees a longer rate of return, which reduces the risk on investment for capital intensive projects such as the construction of power plants. For customers, they can expect a more reliable power supply and better quality service due to new investments. However, RAB effectively grants one company a monopoly over a service. To counteract this, a government regulator or watchdog will ensure that prices are not set too high and to provide efficiency incentives that would normally be motivated under a competitive market. Arguments against the regulated asset base model Opponents to the model suggest RAB is effectively an open cheque book for developers to spend what they like on construction, with consumers locked into paying the costs regardless. Energy customers would have to shoulder the burden if a project goes wrong, such as in the event that construction takes longer than planned and costs spiral. And with construction projects often overrunning and costs on average 20% more than original budgets, according to researchers from Imperial College London, this wouldnt be beyond the realms of possibility. The RAB model is particularly useful for encouraging investment into new infrastructure projects or the modernisation of existing ones. The cost of constructing a new nuclear plant can often stretch into the tens of millions, and is a risky and resource-intensive project to undertake. This is part of the reason why the Business Secretary is currently assessing the viability of the RAB model for new nuclear projects. Harminder Singh, director of power at data intelligence firm GlobalData, says: Nuclear power plants are long gestation-period projects and involve substantial amounts of capital investment. Further, due to the complexity of the projects, there are unforeseen delays that could increase the project cost significantly. This leads to a huge risk for nuclear power project developers. RAB is a good tool to attract private investments in the sector, where otherwise investors would shy away. The investors are able to see a fixed rate of return as the project is being built, counteracting the high cost of capital for nuclear power projects. It is revised at regular intervals to take into account increases in capital expenditure subject to regulatory approval and because of the regulatory protection and government backing, RAB is treated as a strong securitisable asset. Critics of the model have suggested it simply shifts the risk of the development from private investors to consumers, with many of the funds levied through consumer electricity bills. Mr Singh adds: Consumers are effectively paying for an asset that will come up some time in the future, with all the risks associated with it. Further, with the cost escalations associated with nuclear power projects, there is an additional uncertainty regarding how much it will add to the consumer power bill. The model has so far not been used for projects as expensive as nuclear power plants, which is seen as a key cause for concern. Because of the lack of use cases in the nuclear power domain, the stakeholders are expected to be wary of the RAB mode of financing for nuclear power plants, and rightly so. This adds to the already negative sentiment against nuclear due to safety aspects, high costs, and time and cost escalations. However, the government may have to bite the bullet in order to sustain the development of nuclear power through private investments. Other projects using the regulated asset base model The RAB model is not exclusively used for nuclear projects and has been adopted in the UK to fund public transport and water works infrastructure. Other use cases include gas and electricity distribution. A recent example is the 4.2bn Thames Tideway Tunnel sewer project. The 15-mile long sewage system was implemented to help alleviate issues with Londons Victorian sewers and prevent polluted water and sewage from flowing into the river through overflow. The Thames Tideway Scheme began construction in 2016 and has a planned completion date of 2023. However, its use of the RAB model was criticised by Sir Ian Byatt, former director-general of industry regulator Ofwat. He told the Financial Times: If a company has a big capital project, it should put money aside to fund it. Thames [Water] hasnt done that its paid out every penny in excessive dividends and left Londoners to pick up the bill for the new sewage tunnel. | https://www.compelo.com/energy/features/regulated-asset-base-model-nuclear/ |
Should a future president declare climate change a national emergency? | As President Trump holds the entire government hostage over funding for his border wall, theres been talk that he might declare a national emergency on the southern border to get the wall built. Such a move would allow Trump to dip into federal funding used for actual crises, like the ongoing Hurricane Maria recovery effort. Senator Marco Rubio, a Republican from Florida, isnt exactly a fan of this idea. Rubio recently warned that this broad use of executive power might enable a future Democratic president to declare gasp! climate change a national emergency. Rubios comment unintentionally helped set the idea in motion. Do you want to know what a real national emergency is? Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont tweeted. The scientists tell us that if we dont combat climate change aggressively, the severe damage done to our country and planet will be irreversible. Now thats a crisis. Former Secretary of State John Kerry and comedian Sarah Silverman joined the chorus, too. It could conceivably work (under some future president, obviously). The National Emergencies Act, passed in 1976, gives the president legal authority to declare a state of emergency. Under the law, the president could invoke up to 136 statutes, according to the Brennan Center. In the case of a climate emergency, the president could theoretically suspend oil leases, support the expansion of battery and electrical vehicles, divert military funds to renewable energy, and impose further regulations on the fossil fuel industry, wrote Dan Farber, a law professor at the University of California, Berkeley. But there are problems with these funding mechanisms no matter how you do it, Farber wrote in an email to Grist. The first is that Congress doesnt like being bypassed. The second is that each statute has its own history and quirks, so there are possible legal snags. And the third is that the money is often going to come at the expense of someone else who was supposed to get it, leaving them very unhappy and prepared to push back legally and politically. Other lawyers also raised concerns about declaring climate change to be a national emergency. The move would be an overreach of executive power and a digression from more meaningful legislative work, said Michael Burger, executive director of the Sabin Climate Law Center. Its true that climate change is unlike national emergencies weve seen in the past, such as the swine flu outbreak in 2009 or the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Climate disruption is not an unexpected crisis that pops up and then fades away, said Rob Verchick, a professor of environmental law at Loyola University New Orleans. Its a new normal state of affairs. Verchick said whats needed are comprehensive strategies, laws, and new institutions to address climate change, not necessarily an emergency declaration. We need to fold in a climate change considerations into almost everything we do, including health care, weather prediction, and building codes, he said. Michael Walleri, a lawyer who has worked with Alaskan communities threatened by climate change, described the National Emergencies Act as more of a shield than a sword: It allows the president to deploy resources against national threats, but it likely wouldnt help communities prepare for and cope with the effects of climate change. Walleri pointed to the Stafford Act. Upon declaration of a disaster, the law authorizes the federal government to send aid packages to affected states, local governments, and tribes. Its typically used for sudden disasters like hurricanes and wildfires. But if the act were amended to encompass disasters that unfold slowly, Walleri said, it could become a tool to help communities deal with the consequences of climate change that play out over time, like melting permafrost or rising seas. The impacts on communities really have to be dealt with on a community basis, said Walleri, and a sweeping emergency declaration wouldnt address these. Thats where the Stafford Act comes in. Consider Newtok, an Alaskan village that faces severe erosion and sea-level rise. It will likely be destroyed by 2020, with only a smattering of homes remaining, said Walleri, the communitys lawyer. Newtoks request for a disaster declaration under the Stafford Act was denied by the Obama administration in 2017 because it didnt resemble the quick onset of other disasters. (Congress finally granted Newtok partial funding to relocate the village further inland last year.) What we call slow-moving disasters are not considered disasters, Walleri said. Thats the real issue. | https://grist.org/article/should-a-future-president-declare-climate-change-a-national-emergency/ |
Is Ford planning more amalgamated governments for Ontario? | A number of Ontario mayors were more than a little apprehensive last week when Doug Fords government announced they were undertaking a review of regional governments in a number of communities. You may recall that the Mike Harris government got the amalgamation ball rolling in the 1990s amid promises of millions of dollars of tax savings and much better service delivery in the affected communities. READ MORE: Ontario announces review of regional governments across province History shows that projections of tax savings were hugely exaggerated and there were so many complaints about service levels the government quietly abandoned any further attempts at these political shotgun weddings. So, you can understand why taxpayers and politicians alike are wondering if Ford is taking Ontario into another round of amalgamations. Remember that he arbitrarily decided to slash the size of Toronto city council and he eliminated two regional chair positions, and that was right in the middle of the municipal election campaigns. READ MORE: Doug Ford scrapping rate protection for more than 325,000 Ontario hydro customers The mayor of one of the targeted communities felt confident that once the government sees how cost-effectively the municipalities are run, the government will maintain the status quo. Dont be too sure! Ford has already shown us that he doesnt let the facts get the way of implementing one of his ideological political plans. Bill Kelly is the host of the Bill Kelly Show on Global News Radio 900 CHML. | https://globalnews.ca/news/4869698/doug-ford-ontario-amalgamation/ |
Can Tencent Music Stock Bounce Back in 2019? | One of last year's more disappointing IPOs was Tencent Music Entertainment (NYSE: TME), but China's leading streaming music service is starting to make waves. The stock that has been a broken IPO since its third day of trading -- falling below last month's initial $13 price tag -- roared back with its biggest daily gain on Friday. A few analysts initiating bullish calls on the stock last week may be helping, but Chinese growth stocks bouncing back into fancy is the real driver. Investors are starting to get into a good groove with the streaming giant that controls roughly 75% of China's music streaming consumption. The key now is building on Friday's hearty 11% gain. A young woman listening to music on white-and-pink headphones. More Image source: Getty Images. Pumping up the volume A number of major Wall Street pros kicked off their coverage of Tencent Music Entertainment last week. HSBC initiated coverage with a buy rating and a $16 price target. Alex Yao at JPMorgan is also going with a $16 price goal. He is tagging the shares with an overweight call. He sees Tencent Music Entertainment as one of his coverage universe's most sustainable growth names. KeyBanc analyst Hans Chung has a more ambitious $19 price target, and naturally an overweight rating. Piyush Mubayi at Goldman Sachs initiated with a buy call and a target price of $18.20. Not all of the new calls were bullish, however. Hanjoon Kim at Deutsche Bank and John Egbert at Stifel are initiating neutral hold ratings on the stock with price targets of $14.50 and $14, respectively. It's important not to read too much into last week's six initiations. All of the analysts served as underwriters for last month's IPO. The shares spent most of last week hovering near its IPO price, so it would be a shock if they weren't all bullish or at least neutral. They just convinced some of their best clients to load up on the stock at $13 in last month's IPO, and they're not going to turn on the stock as long as the fundamentals remain intact. Tencent Music Entertainment is in a good place. The timing of its IPO certainly could've been better, but the fundamentals have all the traits of a market darling. The company operates all four of China's most popular streaming music apps. It draws an audience of more than 800 million unique monthly active users across all of its platforms, and listeners are pretty loyal. The average daily active user spends 70 minutes streaming. Music streaming isn't as compelling to investors as video. It's harder to stand out with differentiated content, the one thing that tends to set the video platforms apart. However, Tencent Music Entertainment isn't a slow grower despite dominating its niche. Revenue soared nearly 84% through the first nine months of last year with profitability more than tripling in that time. Chung at KeyBanc feels that it's still early in Tencent Music Entertainment's growth story. He sees revenue potentially soaring sixfold a decade from now and margins expanding as it's able to use its market leadership to negotiate more lucrative label deals and improve the monetization of its industry-leading usage. Tencent Music Entertainment deserves better than last month's chilly market reception, especially since it's generating less than a third of its revenue directly from its music services. The lion's share of the high-margin revenue is coming from social entertainment services, led primarily by the virtual gifts that users can bestow musical acts and other active users. Wall Street and Tencent Music Entertainment got off on the wrong foot last month, but now it seems as if the two are finally playing in the same key. More From The Motley Fool Rick Munarriz owns shares of Tencent Music Entertainment Group. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. | https://news.yahoo.com/tencent-music-stock-bounce-back-140500878.html |
Could Russell Wilson and the Seahawks consider the uncommon contract path of Tom Brady? | Maybe, but it's hard to think they'd be this consistently excellent. Ive heard it talked about some. And Im sure its been thought about often. By fans. By the Seahawks. By the quarterback himself. Serious question. But complicated, too. If you havent noticed, a QBs paycheck can barely fit in the bank these days. Aaron Rodgers averages $33.5 million annually, Matt Ryan makes $30 million and Kirk Cousins $28 million. Given that Wilson, 30, just had another great season and owns the second-best passer rating ever (behind Rodgers), he might end up receiving a $35 million-a-year extension offer before the season begins. Seeing that its nearly impossible to compete for a championship without an elite quarterback, yeah, it is probably. Business Insider recently estimated that Tom Brady has given up about $60 million over his career so that the Patriots can fill their needs in other areas on the roster. Now, hes about to play in his ninth Super Bowl after his 16th 10-win season. Maybe, but its hard to think theyd be this consistently excellent. And seeing how Brady still has earned more than $200 million over his career, its hard to think hes missing the money when hes considered the best to ever play. (That and the fact that his wife is the breadwinner.) But just because Brady made a decision doesnt mean Wilson or any other player should follow suit. Football is the most violent team sport in the world, and can snatch up a career with one big hit. This is why Earl Thomas sat out of training camp and complained about not getting an extension offer before breaking his leg in Week 4. This is why Kam Chancellor, however irrationally, sat out the first two games of the 2015 season. Regardless of profession, regardless of pay scale, you cant begrudge someone for getting every penny of what theyre worth. Even if its a ridiculous figure like $35 million, its still $35 million that they earned. Still, its worth pointing out a recent Washington Post article, which showed that the six highest paid quarterbacks in the league all missed the playoffs this year. Theres nuance to this, as one of those QBs was the injured Jimmy Garoppolo, and the seventh-highest paid was Drew Brees, whose Saints had the best regular season in the NFL. But the data cant be dismissed outright. The dream scenario for most GMs is a stud quarterback on a rookie contract. You can build around those guys with particularly shiny objects. The Eagles won a Super Bowl last year with second-year QB Carson Wentz behind center most the season, and the Rams and Chiefs are set up nicely with Jared Goff and Patrick Mahomes. Of course, that doesnt mean you cant win big games after shelling out big bucks for a quarterback. The Broncos were one of the best teams in football after signing Peyton Manning, and won a Super Bowl against the Panthers after Cam Newton was extended. You need a top-tier QB in this league to win, and the Seahawks need to keep Wilson. No one is questioning that. And if Wilson does sign a $35 million deal, he shouldnt hear a cry of criticism even if hes in the midst of an $87 million contract right now. Just know that, from Frank Clark to Bobby Wagner, there are some expensive pieces the Seahawks need to hold on to in order to stay competitive. If they cant pay the guys they want to, Pete Carroll and John Schneider basically have to nail the draft. Sure. Definitely. I dont think its ones place to say how another man should handle money. Whether its Wilson or any other athlete, entertainer or entrepreneur its that persons life and that persons family. Plus, you dont want to create a scenario where future quarterbacks feel pressure to take less for fear of looking selfish. Its interesting to think about, though. Brady is a couple weeks away from trying to win his sixth Super Bowl for a team that made 13 AFC championship games in 18 years. Ridiculous. But while some would argue that Bradys right arm has been the Patriots most valuable asset, it might actually be his right hand. You know, the one that signs the contracts. | https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/seahawks/calkins-column-on-wilson-contract/?utm_source=RSS&utm_medium=Referral&utm_campaign=RSS_all |
Why Is Everyone In Such A Lather Over Gillette's "Toxic Masculinity" Ad? | Gillettes We Believe spot that highlights toxic masculinity has aroused a ton of attention (over 22 million views on YouTube as of this writing) as surely the company hoped. And predictably, haters gonna hate a lot of the reactions are negative. Its almost as if a major company took a stand on a highly divisive social issue even though it knew it would alienate a lot of customers. Oh wait; Nike's Colin Kaepernick ad recently did that. The company courageously withstood a boycott -- and by some accounts a $6 billion increase in revenues. Thatll teach them to link their brand to a controversial topic. The Gillette ad elicits two types of negative responses: Type #1. How dare you impugn men and further demonize our God-given right to be alpha males? A good representative of this genre is the Fox commentator who wrote, Enough with the gender shaming, Gillette. Before too long, theyll be telling us to shave our legs. This would actually be a genius move on P&Gs part, given how many more blades we would have to buy to keep our legs smooth as well as our faces. Type #2. Just tell me you make the best razor. Im not interested in your opinions about the meanings of masculinity. This tweet is typical of that genre: Just sell some damn razors and keep your social justice stupidity out of it. I cant say much about the testosterone crowd that falls into Type #1. I guess if youre not part of the solution, youre part of the problem. But I can address Type #2, insofar as this reaction raises the fundamental question of what a brand should or should not be. If anyone (especially a marketing professional) thinks that Gillette just makes razors, Starbucks just makes coffee, or Nike just makes shoes, I respectfully suggest its time to take a course on consumer behavior (Im happy to oblige). When youre back in school, be sure to pay attention when your professor starts to talk about lifestyle marketing. Hopefully youll understand that a successful brand embodies much more than the tangible goods (or intangible services) that bear its logo. A brands architecture is built around meanings, values, and yes, sociopolitical statements. Especially in todays postmodern consumer culture, ignore this axiom at your own peril: We dont buy products because of what they do. We buy them because of what they mean. Every product needs a value proposition, and if consumers choose it, that proposition essentially is a story that resonates with them. The item is merely a physical expression of the brands underlying narrative. Sure, sometimes were tempted to buy an alternative just because its cheaper which is why Gillette is so worried about prevailing in the "shaving wars Million Dollar Shave Club and other challengers are waging. But once we move beyond a value-oriented segment, the real battles are to capture consumers hearts and minds, not just their jowls. The threats Gillette sees in its rearview mirror are exactly why this hallowed brand needs to make a stand. If it competes on price alone, the brand is destined to have the value of a discarded razor blade. The act of shaving fundamentally links to gender identity, so Gillettes blades (or Harrys, et al) are merely a tool that allows of the population to give physical form to an underlying ideal. Tools can easily be replaced, but narratives cannot. To invoke a timeworn yet still-valid marketing clich, A company sells a nail. A consumer buys a 3/4 hole. Never underestimate the markets ability to produce alternative ways to create that hole. We see this clearly when we look at a mans beard and what it signifies. Beards were a no-no for over a century; in the early to mid-1800s people commonly associated them with socialists and others on the margins of society. Friedrich Engels (who co-authored The Communist Manifesto with Karl Marx) once sponsored a moustache evening to taunt the clean-shaven members of the bourgeois class. Then in the latter part of the century the beard movement came into fashion as the Gold Rush and the Civil War made shaving optional; and some rebelled against a world of woman-faced men. As Robber Barons like full-bearded Jay Gould and Andrew Carnegie flouted their millions, beards now became linked to rich capitalists. The pendulum swung yet again, however, as workers rebellions evoked images of bearded men committing violent acts against their bosses. King C. Gillette invented the safety razor in 1901, and the clean-shaven look was back. Now, the pendulum has moved again: Googles co-founder Sergey Brin, Goldman Sachss chief executive, Lloyd C. Blankfein, and Marc Benioff, the billionaire founder and chief executive of Salesforce, all sport prominent facial hair. So, even a mans decision to shave or not to shave (that is the question) is not necessarily linked to the same underlying meanings as time goes on. Gillette needs to keep its brand narrative relevant, and it looks like its gambling on riding the #MeToo wave. The immediate, cynical response is to note that were all talking about Gillette instead of Dollar or Harrys question answered. But more fundamentally, Gillette is making hay out of its brand architecture: Although it has done its part in the past to promote the very toxic masculinity it now criticizes, the brand now has the opportunity to resurrect its hallowed tagline but to update it with a slight change of emphasis. Its no longer The best a man can GET. Now, its The BEST a man can get. The devil is in the details. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelrsolomon/2019/01/22/why-is-everyone-in-such-a-lather-over-gillettes-toxic-masculinity-ad/ |
How many casinos are too many for Maryland? | There are only eight states smaller than Maryland, yet the Old Line State gets a big chunk of change ($57.4 million a year) from casino revenues. On average, each American casino creates employment opportunities for 787 people, either directly or indirectly. This ultimately means Marylands six land-based casinos employ somewhere in the region of 4,000 people. In total, there are six land-based casinos in Maryland, which roughly works out at a ratio of 1 casino per 1 million residents. Putting that into context, in the city of Las Vegas alone the ratio is 1:6 169 operators in total, dwarfing Marylands figure in comparison. Nationwide, each American casino caters to just over 700,000 people. However if the anomalous Las Vegas is taken out of the equation, that figure rises to 1:912,000 people, which brings Maryland in line with much of the US. Some would argue that just one casino is too many. Legal gambling in the United States has more than its fair share of opponents. In 2017 US casinos made $76 billion in revenue almost ten times that made by the music industry and groups including the MCEPG argue that enough is enough. They see the US, and Maryland in particular, as overly saturated with casinos and vehemently oppose the building of new resorts. However, a good deal of the income from Marylands six casinos is reinvested into public services such as transportation, hospitals and schools. In November 2018 Marylanders voted in favor of an increase in education funding taken directly from casino revenues. Considering the two record-breaking months achieved in 2018, it seems as though the state benefits even more from its highly-rated casino experiences. Again there are vocal opponents to the legalization of online gambling in America particularly from figures such as casino tycoon Sheldon Adelson but the pendulum seems to be slowly swinging towards legalization. States such as Michigan and New Jersey have recently legalized online casinos and sports betting sites leading to significant economic boosts. Online gambling in Maryland is legal in a handful of forms, from online fantasy sports betting, to skill games, and for limited sports events such as greyhound racing. However, widespread legalization is yet to hit the state. Perhaps rather than debating the opening of more land-based casinos in Maryland, people should perhaps be analyzing the benefits of widespread online gambling legalization such as: Improved Regulation : Legalized online gambling brings many benefits, one of which is the improved systems of regulation. Computer programs have been successfully developed that monitor customer spends and their propensity to fall into problems with gambling. Partnerships with local gambling charities could be set up too, directing problem gamblers to the help they need. : Legalized online gambling brings many benefits, one of which is the improved systems of regulation. Computer programs have been successfully developed that monitor customer spends and their propensity to fall into problems with gambling. Partnerships with local gambling charities could be set up too, directing problem gamblers to the help they need. Economic boosts : In the United Kingdom, where online gambling is legalized and regulated, remote gambling (including online) accounts for more than a third of its gross gambling yield. A boost of a similar proportion in Maryland would see a significant amount of money entering the area, not just through revenues but through advertising, taxes and more. : In the United Kingdom, where online gambling is legalized and regulated, remote gambling (including online) accounts for more than a third of its gross gambling yield. A boost of a similar proportion in Maryland would see a significant amount of money entering the area, not just through revenues but through advertising, taxes and more. Job boosts: Online casinos do not need physical premises to operate, therefore there can be many more than just six online casinos. A strong, healthy and competitive online gambling market would bring jobs to the area. And this might come at a critical time for the state. Currently, unemployment rates are rising in Maryland, standing at 4.3% much higher than neighboring states and higher than the national average. For every casino built in Maryland it could create up to 787 jobs to the state, which would give the 130,227 unemployed people in the area access to jobs and stability. New Jersey and Michigan are micro examples of how online gambling benefits local economies. The best example however is the United Kingdom, a country that has legalized all forms of online gambling. Sports betting and online casinos are regularly advertised on terrestrial and satellite TV in the country. This helps to drive the revenues of the gambling industry which amounts to over 15 billion annually the largest contributor to which is online gambling. Its no wonder that players have been heading there in droves. Live casino games and online slots are two of the most popular forms of online gambling in the UK, with a number of betting companies joining the bustling market. Live casino is able to connect players to human dealers in real-time, bringing that immersive, personal experience to the fore. Slots, on the other hand, are more engaging than ever and are themed in a variety of niches, from music, to movies and even comic books. Just take a look at this reputable online casino and youll find an assortment of online slots that provides something for every type of gamer. The British government also requires the gambling industry to donate a percentage of their revenues to gambling charities such as Gamble Aware, thus helping to combat the negative social aspects of gambling. Recent proposals from the government have also led to online companies implementing tougher security controls to monitor and prohibit money laundering one of the biggest issues with online gambling. Further to this, all companies monitor their customers playing time and spend, allowing them to set limits on themselves and openly see their profit and loss. The UK is the perfect example of a country that has reaped the economic rewards of online gambling while demonstrating players responsibility. Its time According to nationwide statistics, Maryland is behind the national average in terms of gambling revenues and the ratio of casinos to population. And yet, opponents to gambling argue that there are too many casinos in the state. Gambling revenues boost local economies and lower unemployment rates, and online gambling has shown positive economic effects in Michigan, New Jersey and the United Kingdom. With Maryland facing unprecedented challenges in this regard, it might be time for it to start reaping these benefits. Related Category: Local News, NEWS, OPINION | https://www.eyeonannapolis.net/2019/01/how-many-casinos-are-too-many-for-maryland/ |
What can the Ravens realistically get in a trade for Joe Flacco? | The Baltimore Ravens look ready to move on from quarterback Joe Flacco this offseason. With Lamar Jackson leading the team to a playoff berth and Flacco getting older as well as having a massive cap hit in 2019, it seems logical for both parties to move on. The ideal scenario for both the Ravens and Flacco is for Baltimore to trade him to the team of his choice. There are a number of teams with a need at quarterback this offseason that make sense as a trade partner. With Flaccos $26.5 million cap hit in 2019 and teams figuring Flacco will be cut if hes not traded, there isnt a ton of leverage on Baltimores side. However, looking back at recent trades made for quarterbacks, theres hope the Ravens can get serious value. These quarterbacks, however, didnt have the high cap hit that Flacco does. And Bridgewater and Bradford had injury histories and no long-term record of success. Flacco has a Super Bowl under his belt, as well as an impressive playoff record to go along with loads of experience. Baltimore can also sell Flacco as underrated pretty easily. The Ravens never gave him real talent on offense, often asking him to throw to a wide receiver corps of older players at the end of their careers or no-names. To start the 2018 season, Flacco was actually on an MVP-caliber pace but was beleaguered in the way of drops from his receivers, a nonexistent run game and a pass-happy offensive coordinator. In the right system with talent around him, its easy to paint Flacco more as his playoff version than what we saw in the regular season. Theres no telling what Flaccos worth. To a team thats hungry for a former Super Bowl MVP to get them over the hump and to potentially save a coachs job, Flacco could be easily worth a first-round pick. If teams only see him as a stopgap solution for 2019, hell likely be worth a late-round selection. However, with multiple teams likely vying for Flacco this offseaon, the Ravens should be able to find a good value. A second- or third-round selection seems to be a fair price given previous trades, but a fourth- or fifth-round selection might be more plausible considering Flaccos cap hit and the fact that Baltimore has moved on to Jackson. The Ravens would come out as huge winners if they are able to trade Flacco at all. It would relieve them of a huge cap liability as well as net some assets for the future. Flacco is by far the best quarterback in Ravens franchise history, and hes done great things for the city. However, its time for both Baltimore and Flacco to move on, and trading him seems to be the best move for both sides. Gallery 195 best photos from Lamar Jackson's rookie season with Ravens -- Belee' dat | https://ravenswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/22/what-can-the-ravens-realistically-get-in-a-joe-flacco-trade/ |
How Is Blockchain And Artificial Intelligence Changing The Face Of Asset Management? | Asset management has a rich and traditional past that has helped build many people's fortunes over the years; many of the worlds uber-rich have their backgrounds in hedge funds and other forms of smart asset management. However, like everything at this juncture in time, there is a change in the wind and asset management is not immune. The access to funds, and investing opportunities have been opened up and become more inclusive. But with that, there has been a demand for better performance or lower fees from this new breed of investor. Large mutual funds were used to getting away with charging annual fees of 2-4 percent, despite average or poor performance as they had the backing of an institutionalised elite. Nowadays, those that are looking to participate in the market have moved en masse away from these types of investments and instead focused on very low fee, index-based, managers. The demand increase for these types of funds and management has caused intense competition to develop as there is far more option and ease when it comes shifting money and investments around. For this reason, asset management has had to start looking forward rather than languishing on its stuffy past. Big Data, Blockchain and Artificial Intelligence are all tools that are starting to find their feet in the asset management market as different companies and managers look to utilise these different burgeoning technologies to give themselves a competitive edge. Successful asset management services are reliant on vast amounts of data, so it immediately makes sense that the science behind Big Data and the analytical power that comes with it be pointed towards asset management. More so, Big Data is fuel for AI and as such, it can not only provide descriptive market insights but can also recommend prescriptive actions for future to maximise return on investment based on proper data fed to it. Then there is Blockchain which is also starting to show its collaborative powers within data services and its affiliation with these other technologies, such as AI and IoT. Thus, the tokenisation and distributed ledger that blockchain offers makes complete sense in this financial space of asset management. Understanding the need to evolve Asset, or wealth, management is a term that was first seen in 1933, and since then it has been slowly evolving and changing - but always looking to deliver the same outcome for customers. Asset management has also grown in recent times where major banks and financial institutions have come in to offer services while hedge funds are also playing a huge role. But, the capitalist and elite nature of this investing ecosystem has always been quite exclusionary and closed-minded, a standpoint which is no longer so freely accepted. The general global trend has become far more inclusionary regardless of the sector, but especially when it comes to wealth and access to money. Edgar Radjabli, the Managing Partner of Apis Capital Management, an asset management company that is utilising blockchain and AI in their services, explains how things are changing, out of necessity. Traditional asset management is changing because investors are demanding better performance or lower fees, explains Radjabli. In the past, large mutual funds could get away with charging annual fees of 2-4%, yet continued to underperform the market. As a result, for those that are looking to simply participate in the market, they have moved in masses away from these types of investments and focused on very low fee, index-based managers. That being said, higher net worth investors who can invest in hedge funds are looking for funds that significantly and consistently outperform the market. To do so, those asset managers need to develop strategies that are more advanced than ever, and that is where AI comes in. In the past, asset managers would create strategies from backtested data and let them run, hoping that what worked in the past will continue to work. Alternatively, they rely too much on discretionary trading, lacking a clear and consistent direction and making them prone to human mistakes and breakdown in discipline or risk management. The demands of the investor, be they participatory first-timers or even hardened veterans throwing large sums of money around, have certainly gotten higher. The result are sought, and those results are just not coming from traditional methods, but the reliance on new technologies is helping. Radjabli adds how blockchain is also playing its part: Blockchain technology also offers the opportunity for asset managers to implement innovative administrative protocols. Typically, asset managers use a third party administrator to record ownership of shares or LP interests by investors. This can make it difficult to administer huge numbers of shareholders. Blockchain technology allows this because all ownership is registered by an immutable, independent and permanent ledger. Also, blockchain protocols like Stellar allow an investor to hold multiple Asset Tokens in one account. So they could easily be invested in a hedge fund like Apis, a piece of real estate in NYC, a gold mine, and a startup company. Until now, this was not possible because all of those investments would be administered separately. Moving with the times It is not only Radjabli and Apis that are seeing this, but companies on the scale of IBM have also started dipping into new technology to aid in asset management offerings. IBM have recently introduced the Maximo Network on blockchain, a product designed to complement the industry leading asset management capabilities already offered by Maximo (an Enterprise Asset Management tool that lets an individual maintain all asset types, check their health in real time and streamline global operations, from procurement to contract management - this is also done utilising IoT) IBM state their reasons why blockchain specifically can enhance asset management. Firstly, they believe it enables open collaboration, creates asset and transaction transparency and finally, enforces consistency. This is also backed up by Radjabli, who identifies much of blockchains power, regardless of sector, when it comes to simplifying and making operations more efficient. He also touches on the power that AI has in helping with creating investing strategies that are dynamic. Blockchain is perfectly suited for asset management to simplify administration and reduce costs, as well as provide innovative asset structures that maximise investor returns. AI provides the opportunity to build "evolving strategies" which consistently read and digest new market data, Radjabli adds. Still work to be done. Of course, like most other sectors that are looking to utilise and implement new and emerging technologies, there is still a long way to go in making them the industry standard, but it is clear that the likes of AI and blockchain have a place in this industry. There have already been attempts to upgrade and advance the asset management industry, but in comparison to what AI and blockchain can offer, these advancements seem a little superficial and quite specialised. There has been a rise in so-called robo-advisors which are attempting to automate the investing process. These robo-advisors are based on Modern Portfolio Theory and the Efficient Market Hypothesis and use a method to determine exactly how to invest on your behalf. While there are often times when these automated investors are successful, they are not an all-encompassing answer and appear to be more of a stop-gap while right technologies acclimatise to the asset management market. Robo advisors are not really AI or blockchain, says Radjabli. While they have a great place as a cheap automated way to invest in the broad stock market, and certainly are better than mutual funds, they do not provide any long term performance benefits. The more interesting implementation of AI, specifically machine learning, is for innovative asset managers who are building evolving strategies that learn to adapt to the market, and generate better long term returns than "pre-packaged" strategies that are just based on back-tested data or traditional economics. A tokenised future Another benefit of blockchain that perhaps is still also a long way off is the tokenisation of assets. Already we are seeing instances where traditional investment assets are being tokenised on the blockchain to make the management of these assets far more accessible and efficient. There is no doubt that tokenisation will come more and more into play in the financial sector, including investing and asset management, once the regulatory standpoint has been found. Radjabli agrees with the above, adding that those who use the other benefits of emerging technology along with the tokenisation will be able to offer the most attractive options to investors. The future of Asset Management will move towards investments being offered as Asset Tokens, rather than being administered by specialised administrators on their own ledgers (although the administrators will not go away, they will adapt their systems to use blockchain). The future of high performing hedge funds inevitable will favour those that incorporate AI and machine learning to build "evolving strategies' that learn from the present and will outperform traditional buy and hold or passive investing, he concludes. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrynpollock/2019/01/22/how-is-blockchain-and-artificial-intelligence-changing-the-face-of-asset-management/ |
Why are so many overseas Bangladeshi workers dying? | The death of a young Bangladeshi woman working in Jordan has sparked demands for the country to find out what is causing a rising number of overseas workers to come home lifeless. Mousumi Akter, 20, left her home in rural Bangladesh in 2017 and travelled 5,000km to work as a maid in Jordan to support her struggling family. In less than two years, she was dead. The woman was one of 3,793 Bangladeshis who died while working abroad last year, according to newly released government data, the highest annual toll since 2005. Many poor families in Bangladesh depend on remittances from overseas workers to survive, but as the toll rises, more and more people are demanding to know why so many workers are coming back in body bags. Medical reports from Jordan say that she died due to a stroke, Akters uncle Mohammad Imran Khan said. But we noticed black marks on her body once it arrived, which suggested to us that she was tortured. She was only 20. Khan said the government should have conducted a second autopsy to determine the true cause of his nieces death a procedure the family could not afford to pay for. Any kind of dead body that returns home should have a second autopsy, he said. They are not the only family with doubts. Relatives of Bilal Hossain, who was 23 when he died, were initially told he had suffered a stroke. They later learned, through his roommates in Saudi Arabia, that he was killed by an electric shock suffered while cleaning up water on a public street. Data from the Wage Earners Welfare Board, a government agency, show that stroke was the official cause of more than 1 in 2 deaths of Bangladeshi workers overseas in November and December. The Bangladesh government points out that the number of Bangladeshis taking up jobs abroad is also rising official data show more than one million Bangladeshis got jobs abroad in 2017, a record high. But experts said the growing number of dead reflected the poor treatment of many migrant workers. Stress plays a big role, said CR Abrar, professor of International Relations at the University of Dhaka. Even before going there, they are having to spend so much. They have no idea about the pain they are about to go through ... We need more protective measures, because stress-related issues are ignored. On Sunday, about 100 Bangladeshi workers, most of them women, returned from Saudi Arabia, where BRAC a charity that provides counselling to returning migrants said they had faced physical and mental abuse. Some were so seriously hurt they were hospitalised on their return, said BRAC. The head of Ovibashi Karmi Unnayan Program, a research organisation that specialises in migrant issues, said the high cost of going abroad and the poor conditions workers had to endure were key factors behind the rising toll. Workers die because of a number of reasons. For one, they work in poor conditions, said Shakirul Islam. Secondly, they have to pay a high migration cost in order to get a visa to go work there. This is accomplished through loans. This in turn creates a mental pressure on the workers. Remittances from migrant workers are the second-highest source of foreign currency earnings for Bangladesh after clothes manufacturing, and both experts said the government needed to do more to help families establish the truth. We need to think about this, said Raunaq Jahan, a senior civil servant with the Ministry of Expatriates Welfare and Overseas Employment. These are new issues that we need to think about. For the family of Mousumi Akter, any change will come too late. I used to speak to Mousumi once a week. The first few months were fine, said her mother Anwara. But gradually she sounded upset. She would say that she had to work all day long without any breaks. The last time I spoke to her, she told me that she was going to come home before taking up her next job. But I dont know what happened after that. I think they killed my daughter. | https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/2183220/why-are-so-many-overseas-bangladeshi-workers-dying |
Was bedeutet blo die rote Warze an der neuen Kreuzung? | Haltebucht fr abbiegende Radfahrer verwirrt manche Neumarkter Autofahrer - vor 1 Stunde NEUMARKT - Viele Autofahrer wundern sich, manche Fugnger staunen und sogar einige Radler schtteln den Kopf an der neu gestalteten Kreuzung Regensburger Strae / Flutgrabenweg. Damit sich die Radler beim Linksabbiegen nicht in den Autoverkehr einfdeln mssen, sind in der Regensburger Strae rote Haltebuchten auf die Fahrbahn gemalt worden. hoe/F. : Distler Damit sich die Radler beim Linksabbiegen nicht in den Autoverkehr einfdeln mssen, sind in der Regensburger Strae rote Haltebuchten auf die Fahrbahn gemalt worden. Foto: hoe/F. Die erste Antwort lautet selbstverstndlich nicht!. Auch mit dem Pfeil hat alles seine Richtigkeit. Bei dem roten Gebilde handelt es sich um eine Wartebucht fr Radler, die nach links abbiegen wollen. Damit sie sich nicht in den laufenden Verkehr auf der Regensburger Strae einfdeln mssen, warten sie kurze Zeit bis ihnen eine kleine Ampel auf Augenhhe freie Fahrt signalisiert. An der Lammsbrukreuzung ist dieses System zuerst eingefhrt worden. Nachdem es sich dort bewhrt hat, verbreitet es sich nach und nach in der Stadt. Auch in der neu gestalteten Altdorfer Strae findet man die Haltebucht. Hauke Hpcke Neumarkter Nachrichten E-Mail | http://www.nordbayern.de/region/neumarkt/was-bedeutet-bloss-die-rote-warze-an-der-neuen-kreuzung-1.8523061?rssPage=bm9yZGJheWVybi5kZQ== |
What is being done about cyclists and speed in Bristol? | Written and Submitted by Caroline Harle edited by Khadija Taboada All over Bristol is the mention of potholes and speeding motorists, BUT nothing about the trouble cyclist can cause. They often ride side by side, speeding into traffic by side streets, racing through traffic lights on red. I had a near miss going into Nibley Lane from Westerleigh after a group of cyclists were waiting to come onto the main road from there, one decided to carry on out narrowly missing my car. I had right of away. I blasted my car horn and he cycled on. Not an isolated incident. If they plan to use their bikes on the road shouldn't they all do a cycling proficiency test and get certified to see if they are fit to cycle on the roads, surely, that would lessen or prevent accidents in the future. We've also asked the Road Traffic Department at the Bristol City Council and spoke to councillors about reducing the speed of traffic. This is particularly important in Park Lane in Frampton Cotterell, which is currently 30mph as we have lots of cyclists using this route, especially children from school, and our voices do not get heard. Motorists speed up to 50 and 60 mph at night and as much as 40 and 50 mph during the day. There are elderly and young alike living in Frampton and a lot of the drivers that race along the lane are not from this area and are using it as a cut through. This is happening all over and I am sympathetic to this fact, but it needs addressing and with more new homes being forced on Coalpit Heath, this will have more impact on the Village. I already have to leave 30 minutes earlier than normal to get to work in Yate, likely everyone who lives here also has to .... surely there is a solution. | https://www.inyourarea.co.uk/news/what-is-being-done-about-cyclists-and-speed-in-bristol/ |
How will next billion users coming online use Internet? | Much has been talked about the next billion users on Internet in India and how they will change the entire ecosystem. US-based travel e-commerce company Booking Holdings recently surveyed three most populous Asian markets -- India, China and Indonesia -- to understand how the new users who are coming online in these countries would use Internet. For this, the company targeted two demographics: tech experts and tech leaders in these three countries, as they understand both the potential of technology and have on-the-ground insights about how their fellow citizens will use the Internet. When asked what the next billion would use the Internet for, respondents' answers included: to use social media (75 per cent), to consume news (71 per cent), to buy goods and services (67 per cent), for entertainment (66 per cent), for job searches (66 per cent) and for dining (51 per cent). However, the respondents also cited language as a key barrier to accessibility of Internet in these countries. "Significantly, one of the main barriers was not technical but human -too much content is in English, which only a minority of the region's citizens can read," the survey report said. "When we analysed the major barriers to Internet access, a surprising culprit emerged: language. Three quarters of respondents (76 per cent) believe that one of the biggest barriers to Internet adoption is the lack of understanding of the English language. This is true across all three countries surveyed," it added. Also read: Here's how you can delete yourself from the internet Along with language difficulties, respondents cited a lack of online security (84 per cent), concerns about government censorship (71 per cent), a lack of useful local content (68 per cent) and fear of new technology (57 per cent) as potential disincentives to mass online participation. In fact, majority of (78 per cent) respondents in these countries believe that all citizens should have equal access to Internet connectivity. "This is significant for three markets which are characterised by high levels of income inequality (India has a Gini Coefficient of 51.48, China of 46.79 and Indonesia of 38.910). Leaders in all three countries have come to appreciate the importance of connectivity to their future economic fortunes, but also to the robustness of the social contract in their countries," the survey said. Last year, Google had released a report titled 'Unlocking Digital for Bharat', which highlighted some of the challenges businesses, which want to address this new segment, may face. According to the report, the segment is fast emerging on Internet and presents a $50 billion opportunity for businesses. However, monetising this audience would take some time. Also read: Bill Gates queues for a burger, wins hearts on internet! | https://www.businesstoday.in/technology/news/how-will-next-billion-users-coming-online-use-internet/story/312546.html |
How Many Elephants in the Room? | Id say that -- with the Mueller dump on Buzzfeeds bombshell, the Friday night NYT piece telling us that the FBI had no evidence when it decided to investigate President Trump after he fired James Comey, and Bruce Ohrs leaked testimony that the DoJ, etc., didnt have any actual evidence in 2016 on Trumpian collusion, and with the wink that the Mueller report will be anti-climactic -- the Deep State is signaling that there is no there there as regards Trump Russia. The Obama administration spied on the opposition presidential campaign. If you are a liberal-lefty picking daisy petals in your comfortable media walled garden, you should be noticing about now the uncomfortable fact that something outside the wall -- an elephant maybe -- is bumping around and may knock the garden wall down. Stop picking petals! In 2016, the Obama administration sicced the FBI and DCI on the opposition! Cue the Drudge siren! The elephant is right there in the room! You told us that the Nixon Administration covering up the freelance spying of its campaign operatives on the Democratic National Committee offices in the Watergate complex was the worst thing ever. Hey! Grading on scale of 1 to 10, Id put the 1970s Watergate coverup at a 2, and the 2016 Obama administration spying on the Trump campaign at a 7. In my book it would be an actual assassination of a political opposition figure. The charitable way to understand our liberal friends is to realize that they have lost the plot. This is a Brit-ism that means that you are too dumb to grasp what is going on. It is well-nigh impossible for liberals to get their brains around the possibility that almost everything going wrong today is the result, the unanticipated consequence of a century of progressive politics, from bankrupt entitlements to racial animosities and the seething rage among liberal women. The uncharitable verdict on the left is that nothing matters to them except political power. It just happens that Ive been reading a bit of history lately, of Henry VII chasing conspiracies down every rabbit-hole in 1500, of the Brits in India inventing colonialism and playing off one suspicious, drugged-out Mughal prince against another in 1750. That is the world as it has always been: power for the sake of power. But then the bloody bourgeoisie said: I know, lets lower the temperature on politics a bit. Hey, heres a wild one: separate the powers of the executive, the legislative, and judicial branches of government! But it might work, and it sure would be good for business! Oh, those Crazy Rich Bourgeoisians. They should make a movie! Just dont forget that normal throughout history is that the ruler is convinced of his divine right to rule (or to fundamentally transform America). The ruler is paranoid about conspiracies, and doesnt hesitate to sic his police thugs on the opposition. What is abnormal is for the governing party to say: Hey guys, weve been in power for a couple of terms, and the settled science says that the voters probably think it is time for a change. Then when the opposition wins, you forget that your FBI tells you that the opposition probably stole one state, and maybe two. You graciously concede the election, saying that we are all Americans, and you tell your supporters: wait until next year! Yes, thats the other elephant in the room. For the last two change elections, when the Democrats lost after two terms in office, their candidates refused to concede. Knowing Al Gore and Hillary Clinton as we do, this is not surprising. But it is still wrong. Or, to use the fashionable word: immoral. It tells us how far todays Democratic Party has fallen that, first, it is perfectly content with siccing the governments gumshoes on the opposition and, second, that its leaders lack the basic decency to concede a normal change election. And Democrats have no clue that they have a problem. | https://www.americanthinker.com/articles/2019/01/how_many_elephants_in_the_room.html |
Will Sudans ongoing protests finally unseat Bashirs regime? | Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir. Picture: Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah Khartoum Sudans ongoing protests have not only grown but are spreading despite a brutal crackdown by the security forces which has seen dozens killed, about 1,000 arrested including political activists, journalists and other professionals - as well as censoring of the internet and social media. The protests, which started off over the rising prices of basic commodities such as bread, have now morphed into a general demand for political change and a new government. Indeed one of the major demands of the protesters has been for President Omar Al Bashir and his government to step down something he has repeatedly sworn he will not do. But the big question is whether these mass protests will be able to unseat his government, something previous protests over the years have been unable to do. Andrews Atta-Asamoah, a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa said there appear to be differences characterising the ongoing protests from previous ones. The protests have spread into Bashirs strongholds and have become a major problem for the countrys leadership. Many thought his regime would not resort to brutality in order to protect the warming relations with the United States and the European Union, Atta-Asamoah wrote in a recent ISS article. However, the improved international relations have not had an effect of curtailing the brutality of the security forces in trying to put down the uprising. The ISS article suggested for any protest to bring about change in Sudan, it would have to dislodge the governments power base in the army and security apparatus, as well as the ruling coalition and the Islamic movement. As former vice president Ali Osman Taha has said, the authorities have full shadow battalions ready to sacrifice their lives to defend the regime. Nevertheless the protests are impacting Bashirs power by spreading through areas that were traditionally thought to be his strongholds, including starting in his own backyard, and the December 20 arson attack on the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) headquarters in Atbara. Another factor counting against Bashirs regime is that it appears this time he cant depend on a weakened and divided opposition being unable to challenge him. The rank and file of the protesters are coming from a wide spectrum of Sudanese society, including youth groups, professional associations, doctors associations and university lecturers, among others, making it difficult for the government to clamp down this time around, Atta-Asmoah explained. The exit of Sudan Reform Now and the Umma Party from the ruling coalition to align with the demands of the protesters is also a sign of Bashirs weakening political base. Even some in the presidents own party see him as a liability, said the ISS researcher. Bashirs Islamist base is wearing thin with some religious speakers speaking out against the excesses of the security forces. Simultaneously, citizens are holding imams responsible for either supporting the government or remaining silent in regard to the plight of the protesters. However, Atta-Asmoah points out that for a significant outcome to be made the support of the army is a prerequisite. It is also unclear how long protesters will continue to pour out onto the streets if the security forces persist in their brutality against them, the analyst added. But should the attitude of the army, the National Intelligence and Security Service, and other security apparatus start changing, Bashirs days will be numbered. Also to be factored in is what action the president will take in the wake of the uprising. Will he embark on economic reforms because emergency policies alone will not do the job. And even if he carries out economic reform, extensive political reform will also be essential. African News Agency (ANA) | https://www.iol.co.za/news/opinion/will-sudans-ongoing-protests-finally-unseat-bashirs-regime-18907844 |
Will Tee Martin's recruiting prowess open avenue for UT Vols to nab California prospects? | CLOSE As Tennessee football's coaching search rolls on, the Vols and athletic director Phillip Fulmer could turn their sights on former quarterback and current Southern Cal offensive coordinator Tee Martin. Angela Gosnell/News Sentinel Tennessee fans celebrated the hiring of Tee Martin as an assistant coach for more than just nostalgia. Martin is known to be a good recruiter. He was named the 247Sports national recruiter of the year in 2016. He could open an avenue to the West Coast. The top seven recruits whom Martin was responsible for landing while on Southern Californias staff all called California home. Of course, getting a California prospect to commit to USC is easier than getting him to come to Tennessee, but Martin should be able to draw on his seven seasons at USC at least to improve UTs presence out West. Subscribe to the The Volunteer State iTunes | Google Play Music | Spreaker Martin, a Mobile, Ala., native, should be an asset within Tennessee's primary recruiting footprint, too. Although Martin has spent his career coaching on the offensive side, hes also landed some big-time defensive talent. Martin is credited with being the primary recruiter for nine five-star prospects who signed with USC, according to the 247Sports database. Heres a look at those marquee signees and what became of them. Iman Marshall Cornerback, Long Beach, Calif., 2015 signing class Marshall was ranked the nations No. 4 recruit in the 247Sports Composite. He racked up 217 tackles and six interceptions during his career. Hes projected as a mid-round NFL draft pick by WalterFootball.com senior draft analyst Charlie Campbell. Adoree Jackson Cornerback, Gardena, Calif., 2014 signing class Jackson plays in the NFL with the Titans after a standout USC career during which he was named a Freshman All-American and earned the Jim Thorpe Award as the nations top defensive back as a junior. He became a first-round draft pick. Jackson intercepted six passes at USC. Amon-Ra St. Brown Wide receiver, Santa Ana, Calif., 2018 signing class St. Brown, the son of a world championship body builder, wasted no time showing why he was a coveted recruit. He caught a team-high 60 passes for 750 yards as a freshman. (Photo: The Associated Press) JuJu Smith-Schuster Wide receiver, Long Beach, Calif., 2014 signing class Smith-Schuster arguably became the most successful of the recruits Martin landed. He made 213 receptions for 3,092 yards and 25 touchdowns during three seasons at USC before becoming a second-round draft pick. He earned a Pro Bowl selection this season after making 111 receptions for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rasheem Green Defensive tackle, Gardena, Calif., 2015 signing class Green proves that Martin can recruit more than just skill position guys. He racked up 115 tackles and 16 sacks during a three-year USC career before becoming a third-round draft pick by the Seattle Seahawks. Oluwole Betiku Jr. Linebacker, Gardena, Calif., 2016 signing class Betiku missed all of the 2018 season after having offseason hip surgery. Hed been a reserve the previous two seasons and has just two career tackles. Jack Jones Cornerback, Long Beach, Calif., 2016 signing class Jones transferred to a junior college before the 2018 season after he became academically ineligible. He made 53 tackles during two seasons at USC. Leon McQuay III Safety, Seffner, Fla., 2013 signing class McQuay keeps this list from becoming a California sweep. He was the first five-star product primarily recruited by Martin to sign with USC. He became a sixth-round draft pick and is currently a member of the Kansas City Chiefs practice squad. He made 123 tackles with five interceptions for USC. Joseph Lewis Wide receiver, Los Angeles, 2017 signing class Lewis spent much of 2018 in jail. He pleaded no contest in October to a felony domestic violence charge. TMZ reported that he was released in December. Earlier in 2018, he served time for two misdemeanor counts of domestic battery with an injury. USC dismissed him from the team after the 2017 season. More: Charles Kelly leaving UT to join Nick Saban at Alabama, per report More: Tee Martin: 'It's great to be home' and rejoin UT Vols | https://www.knoxnews.com/story/sports/college/university-of-tennessee/football/2019/01/22/ut-vols-tennessee-football-recruiting-tee-martin/2607774002/ |
What happens when a plane disappears? | Following the disappearance of EgyptAir flight MS804, en route from Paris to Cairo, Jeffrey Price, a US professor with 30 years of experience in aviation safety and security, explains what happens behind the scenes when a plane goes missing. Typically, the first indication that a plane has gone missing will be when it vanishes from radar, or fails to communicate with air traffic control. How soon after its actual disappearance this might be depends on where it is flying. On a busy flight path, a disappearance might be spotted in moments. On other routes, it might take 10 to 15 minutes for it to be noticed. When a plane is flying over water it must make regular contact with air traffic controllers on the ground. Relatives of those on board the flight to Cairo Credit: AMR ABDALLAH DALSH As soon as it drops off the radar, the first thing the air traffic controller will do is contact the next radar facility on the planes flight path, and then others in the area, to see if they can detect it. If not, they will notify the destination airport where the plane is heading to as well as all other radar facilities. There are international search protocols which become effective once the disappearance has been announced everyone is obliged to start looking for the plane. The military forces in most countries will be informed, so they can lend assistance. The search will involve military aircraft and naval vessels in the area, as well as passenger planes and civilian boats. The missing plane will be searched for on radar and also with the naked eye. Some will go out of their way to scout the area where it is believed the aircraft has disappeared. Naval vessels will send people on deck to look for debris in the water. The pilots of passenger planes flying over the area will make a point of literally looking out the window presuming the weather is clear in search of the missing plane. From 30,000 feet youre probably not going to see much, but its almost a kinship among aviators as well as a requirement to offer whatever help one can. The airport where the plane is heading will usually become a focal point immediately after the disappearance. Someone at that airport Cairo, in the case of MS804 will take the decision to make an announcement. This is usually when members of the press and families are informed. This is also important because eye witnesses need somewhere to feed their information and relatives need a point of contact. Flights will rarely be grounded or diverted, unless as in the case of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 which was shot down over the Ukraine in 2014 there is a clear indication that the area is unsafe. The airport of departure will, however, check its runways to look for parts or debris. If there is nothing untoward, then flights will continue. The investigation will normally be led by the country where the aircraft is registered or the country it is flying to in both cases with MS804, this is Egypt. However, help will be available from many quarters, not least because passenger planes typically carry travellers of many nationalities. The US NTSB Each member of an investigating team will focus on a different potential cause. One will focus on weather what the conditions were like in the area, whether other aircraft reported problems such as turbulence. Another will focus on the aircraft itself when it was last serviced, previous problems with the model and so on. Security, of course, will be another line of enquiry. Its all about eliminating the least likely causes. The investigation will last as long as it takes. In the case of the 2009 crash of Air France 447, for example, it lasted for quite some time as it took two years just to find the plane. Then they had to go to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean to find the black boxes so they could start trying to figure out what happened. There are two black boxes, which are actually orange in colour. One records the cockpit voice recordings for the last 30 minutes of flight, which includes conversation in the cockpit between the pilots, and conversations with air traffic controllers. The other box records the data, things like air speed, altitude, and how all of the systems in the aircraft - electrical, hydraulic and so on - were functioning at the time of the incident. Between the two boxes, if the data can be fully recovered, it provides a very comprehensive forensic analysis of what was happening on the aircraft. Occasionally the investigation won't get anywhere. The Malaysia 370 flight is still a mystery and there are a couple of flights in aviations history for which there is still not a probable cause. In the case of the EgyptAir flight, since debris is already being discovered, it makes the investigators job much easier. Debris, along with the cockpit and data recorders, often provide enough information alone to establish the probable cause or causes of the incident. The fact that it is EgyptAir, and due to the many issues the country has experienced in recent years, means a lot of people have started to think about terrorism, but as an investigator you have to remain impartial. I would not rule out any cause at this point. Until there is clear evidence, all things are still in play. | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-truths/what-happens-when-a-plane-disappears/ |
Has The Queen Asked Prince Philip to Stop Driving? | Prince Philip, man who is literally 97, got into a rather serious car accident last week, and while thankfully no one was seriously injured, it's raised a lot of questions about...well...WTF he's still doing driving. Considering everyone in the entire world is collectively side-eyeing the Prince for his decision to get back behind the wheel just days after his crash, you might be wondering how The Queen feels about this whole thing. And the answer is: Giphy In fact, Her Majesty has "pleaded" with Philip to stop driving, butin the immortal words of Miley Cyrushe can't stop, and he won't stop. "Philip is a law unto himself," a source told Vanity Fair reporter Katie Nicholl. "The Queen and Prince Charles have pleaded with him to stop driving on public roads. Charles particularly thinks its too dangerous but Philip wont be told. He loves the freedom he gets from being on the road, and he doesnt want to be driven around." That said, while Queen Elizabeth has asked Philip to stop driving, she hasn't forced him to. And there's a big difference. "There is really only one person he listens to and thats the Queen," the source adds. "And while I know she has had words in the past, Im not sure she would ever insist he stops driving." Oof. | https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/a25987122/queen-reaction-prince-philip-driving-accident/ |
Is Kanye West Recording Christian Music? | Kanye West seems to be tapping into his spirituality, and it looks like new Christian music could be coming soon. The rapper was seen on Kim Kardashian's Twitter hanging with R&B quartet 112, who low-key implied to TMZ that they're working with Ye. Ummmm so this happened tonight!!!! #112 pic.twitter.com/zOZEgGPJRl Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) January 20, 2019 112's Slim said that Kanye's "in a real good place," and they were talking about spirituality during their hang session. And while he didn't confirm that Christian music is definitely on it's way, he heavily implied as much, saying "You can take music that's going on right now and you change it, and you put the lord, Jesus, make it Christian. And it kinda draws the youth to church. It makes church cool." Speaking of church, Kanye appears to have started his own private serviceat least based on the Kardashian family's recent videos of their faith-themed Sunday mornings: That said, not even Slim knows what's going to happen with Ye's new spiritual music: "Kanye being a musical genius, he'll do an album and then scrap it, you know what I'm saying?" he said. "I'm not the type of person to say, okay this is what he's gonna do or this is what we're gonna do." | https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/a25988071/kanye-west-new-christian-music/ |
What next for Wales coach Warren Gatland? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Warren Gatland says there is definitely nothing concrete in place for his next coaching role after he leaves Wales. Gatland said last week that he has had informal conversations about possibly coaching the British and Irish Lions for a third time when they head to South Africa in 2021. But while he is unlikely to be short of worldwide job offers, given his coaching calibre, nothing is currently on the table. Gatland is about to embark on his final Six Nations campaign as Wales head coach, which will be followed by a World Cup swansong in Japan later this year. Wales have won three Six Nations titles, including two Grand Slams, during a 12-year reign under Gatland that also saw them reach the 2011 World Cup semi-finals. I have had a couple of discussions with some people at the moment, yeah, Gatland said, speaking at Wales training base. But there is definitely nothing concrete. Maybe at the end of the World Cup I will be unemployed. I was looking to take a few months off and then start looking in the middle of 2020, potentially do some Super Rugby in New Zealand if there was an opportunity. (Image: UGC) But I am also aware that there are not a lot of jobs in New Zealand. That might not be an option. So whether it is back in club rugby in the Premiership, or France or Japan, or something like that. Gatlands coaching CV includes masterminding the Lions 2013 Test series victory over Australia, plus a drawn series with the world champion All Blacks two years ago and European and domestic title success at Wasps. Current Scarlets head coach and fellow New Zealander Wayne Pivac will succeed Gatland in the Wales hotseat from November. I take a lot of pride in the fact we go out there and it doesnt matter who we play, they know they are in for one hell of a tough game, Gatland added. Ive watched and been to a number of games at the old Millennium Stadium and seen the All Blacks put out a second-string team against Wales. There is no way they would do that now. Video Loading Video Unavailable Click to play Tap to play The video will start in 8 Cancel Play now Weve put ourselves in positions where we should have beaten Australia on more occasions, but weve been pretty good against South Africa in winning five of our last six games. Success for me is not always about winning, its about over-achieving. If you look at Premiership football and a team like Bournemouth, theyve been successful because they are over-achieving in terms of what people expect. If Cardiff City stay up this season they will have been successful and over-achieved because everyone expects them to get relegated. Thats the way I look at things. For me its not always about winning, its about becoming hard to beat, and if you do that you get a sense of pride in how you do things. Then its about winning more often and developing your game. | https://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/what-next-wales-coach-warren-15715675 |
How did Western Pa. meme the winter storm that wasn't? | You are solely responsible for your comments and by using TribLive.com you agree to our Terms of Service. We moderate comments. Our goal is to provide substantive commentary for a general readership. By screening submissions, we provide a space where readers can share intelligent and informed commentary that enhances the quality of our news and information. While most comments will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive, moderating decisions are subjective. We will make them as carefully and consistently as we can. Because of the volume of reader comments, we cannot review individual moderation decisions with readers. We value thoughtful comments representing a range of views that make their point quickly and politely. We make an effort to protect discussions from repeated comments either by the same reader or different readers We follow the same standards for taste as the daily newspaper. A few things we won't tolerate: personal attacks, obscenity, vulgarity, profanity (including expletives and letters followed by dashes), commercial promotion, impersonations, incoherence, proselytizing and SHOUTING. Don't include URLs to Web sites. We do not edit comments. They are either approved or deleted. We reserve the right to edit a comment that is quoted or excerpted in an article. In this case, we may fix spelling and punctuation. We welcome strong opinions and criticism of our work, but we don't want comments to become bogged down with discussions of our policies and we will moderate accordingly. We appreciate it when readers and people quoted in articles or blog posts point out errors of fact or emphasis and will investigate all assertions. But these suggestions should be sent via e-mail. To avoid distracting other readers, we won't publish comments that suggest a correction. Instead, corrections will be made in a blog post or in an article. | https://triblive.com/local/regional/14529621-74/how-did-western-pa-meme-winter-storm-harper?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+alltribstories+%28TribLIVE+News%29 |
What to do with a Bachelor of Arts? | How are you going to live on a literature degree? my closest college friends asked me over and over as we walked through campus, with me carrying Don Quixote and they an accounting textbook. Liberal arts majors get a bad reputation from their family and friends who are taking degrees in other fields, simply because they cant imagine how a history or philosophy degree can put food on the table or gas up (much less afford) a Porsche. The truth of the matter is that college isnt meant to cement a career path; its meant to excite passion so that you discover what you want to do. When asked, I always felt compelled to mention my course and quickly add that it is simply my pre-law. But, instead of asking what I adored about literature, everyone would wonder what law school I intended to go to. I caved under social pressure every time by announcing that I was where I was not because of any desire for the stories of Umberto Eco, but because it was a stepping stone to a goal recognised by adults as acceptable. What law do you practice? everyone else seems to ask me today, 14 years later. I graduated with a literature degree, passed the bar examinations and taught both academic fields in my respective alma mater. And yet I have not spent a day at a law firm, and the last time I was at court, it was simply to comply with a law school requirement. Instead, I live and breathe managing a serviced apartment rental that my brother (also a lawyer who doesnt practice) and I put up when I was in law school. With no formal training in business, and laughable artistic skills, I nevertheless ended up designing, furnishing and leasing out rooms for a living. During law school, I was dangerously addicted to looking at picturesque and modern apartments in Google Images, hoping to replicate their minimalist style into the rooms we were leasing. But what was the rest of all for then? someone asked me recently. It was for me, of course! Being able to market a product or service is easy when you have a way with words. In college, I participated in a science-fiction short story writing contest sponsored by Fully Booked. I was 18 and had never written a story in my life. My work got shortlisted, and I never got paid a cent. Nevertheless, it gave me the self-esteem to believe that I could write and, most importantly, that people would read it. I went on to write personal essays that got published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Rappler one after another. They talked about the meaning of time, relationships, charity and the absence of itessentially the human condition. By themselves, they werent worth anything, but the skill of weaving words onto paper for the purpose of catching the readers attention is golden, and you can exploit this skill wherever you want. Years after the start of my essay contributions, I wrote about my business to Entrepreneur Magazine, the Inquirer, ANC, MYX TV, and courted them with the pitch of why their readers and viewers would want to hear about two lawyer brothers who decided to quit lawyering by becoming bellboys and interior decorators. All of these media entities were kind enough to give us a spotlight at one point or another through an article or even a TV interview. I used my Atty. not on a professional level, but as a punch line, hoping it would tell a good story. My Bachelor of Arts taught me that everyone is willing to give time to a good story with characters who become unlikely heroes. In law, I discovered that while lawyers read and write a lot, a great deal of them cant use the written word outside of drafting pleading and demand letters. This is a pity, because our connected world opens us to so many opportunities on how we use words that we cant afford to not be creative and versatile with their use. Literature taught me how creativity can take my mind to different worlds, and law brought gravity to my consciousness after I reached them. In a manner of speaking, they complemented each other in a way that no career talk in college that I attended could ever prepare me for. Entrepreneurs have the exciting job of always thinking big, but also condensing it into something feasible for execution. When picking a college degree, dont pick anything just because someone else told you to. Pick it because you feel youll find a drive to excel in it through passion, and that youll have fun doing it! In the end, wealth and happiness are gifted most to those who persevere when the only thing one wants to do is quit. Rafael Lorenzo G Conejos is a lawyer and former professor of literature and law at De La Salle University Manila. He dedicates this piece to all those taking a liberal arts course. Source: The Daily Star. | http://bangladeshchronicle.net/what-to-do-with-a-bachelor-of-arts/ |
Who is behind the exquisite steel sculptures in Scotland? | Mysterious metal sculptures which have appeared one by one along the Stonehaven shoreline AT VARIOUS times over the past eight years a series of beautifully crafted metal sculptures have mysteriously appeared on the rocky foreshore of a charming Scottish coastal village to the delight of residents and visitors alike. When the first one cropped up in 2011, a 2ft-long stainless-steel model of a trawler, people marvelled at the painstaking workmanship that had gone into creating the intricate piece. They also enjoyed the humour of its creator, who has been called Scotland's Banksy after the mysterious English street artist. In the hull a hammerhead shark can be seen reading a book while the captain, a lobster, sports a Rastafarian haircut, not an easy look to pull off when working with stainless steel. The proportions of the model suggested the sculptor knew a lot about boat design. A few years later a metal dolphin appeared, followed by a netter boat in 2015, bearing the names "James and Seth" on its hull. And in 2016 the master craftsman produced a lighthouse, complete with foghorn and some fishy characters inside, one reading a paper and the other watching television. The creator had been called Scotland's Banksy after the mysterious English street artist In 2017, the mystery artist went one better with a wonderfully realistic Viking longboat. Its steel sail bears a superbly rendered image of a dragon and its oars are set to look as though they are powering through the waves. The sculptor's trademark sense of humour is evident too: on close examination the "oarsmen" look a lot like fish. Just before Christmas the fifth major model was secretly erected - an older-style creel fishing boat used to catch small sea creatures without damaging them in the process. In this creation, a lobster appears to be throwing a pot over the side - again a classic signature of the sculptor's style and sense of humour. On the side of the boat is the word "Rose" alongside the name of an Indian tribe. Detail from the lighthouse sculpture For many of the 14,000 residents of Stonehaven, a thriving community 15 miles south of Aberdeen, the new arrival has been the subject of great conjecture. The mystery gained an international audience after retired local hairdresser Martin Sim posted pictures of the sculptures on his Facebook page. The resulting surge in interest is even credited with creating a mini tourist boom for a port that is still best known for Dunnottar Castle, a medieval fortress one mile south of the town. So, in an attempt to unravel the mystery, I visited this glorious corner of north-east Scotland as bitterly cold winds threw 5ft waves over icy rocks and empty stretches of sand. For the local residents the new arrival has been the subject of great conjecture First stop was the Old Pier Coffee house, where the owners looked genuinely baffled and said they did not have a clue as to the identity of the publicity shy artistic genius in their midst. It was the same story when I made enquiries at the reception desks of all the hotels on and by the seafront. If they did not know, then the job was clearly not going to be nearly as straightforward as I had imagined. One local out walking her dog advised me to speak to three women who spend hours every day on a bench a stone's throw from the sculptures, which have been placed on circular metal stands over a 200-yard stretch of foreshore, which divides the harbour from Stonehaven's sandy bay. "Everyone asks us but we genuinely don't have a clue," said one. Detail from underneath the trawler Running out of options, I stood on a large rock with a commanding view of the local area and looked down towards the town. From that vantage point it became clear that most of the sculptures had been placed near one house in particular. On one wall of the home stands a metallic model of a leaping dolphin. In the same garden, a little more unobtrusive, are sculptures of a salmon and a cormorant. It did not take Sherlock Holmes to deduce that they were extremely similar in style to the five on the foreshore, so beloved of sightseers. Within seconds of me knocking on the door, it was opened by the owner of the house, Phil. MYSTERY TRAIL: The Daily Express's James Murray As soon as I began inquiring about the sculptures, a bearded figure standing behind him shuffled on his coat and disappeared. Leading me out the front door, apparently to allow the man in the beard to make a quick exit out the back, Phil took me over to the lighthouse. "It's brilliant isn't it?" he says. "You know it lights up at four o'clock every morning for a few hours, a treat for the early risers." The first one cropped up in 2011 Although he loved to talk about the brilliance of the works, Phil insisted: "I cannae tell you anything about the sculptor because he is very shy. He is a fabulous man with a wonderful natural talent. He doesn't use drawings, just his eyes and a cutter to get the shapes." Further inquiries locally produced intriguing new information, which confirmed my earlier suspicions . The elusive man in Phil's house was McBanksy himself and I had stumbled on him by accident as he enjoyed a cup of tea with his pal. Further inquiries led others to start putting two and two together. Phil had been seen on the foreshore one day at dawn with a drill attached to a long extension cable, smoothing down one of the rocks on which one of the circular metal poles that support the sculptures would be bolted into place. Tell-tale evidence One local said: "Phil works hand in glove with the secret sculptor. They've been friends for years and Phil helps him put them up when everyone else is asleep." It wasn't long before another source revealed McBanksy to be Jimmy Malcolm, 68, a retired welder, father and grandfather, who lives on the outskirts of the town in an ordinary semi. When I went to the house there was so sign of Jimmy, but a glance around the back revealed a small shed. "Oh Jimmy's always in his workshop, banging away," reported one neighbour. "He loves to work with metal, he's gifted that way. I'm sworn to secrecy about what he does. You won't get a word from me." Further inquiries led me to the harbour, where Jimmy keeps a small boat he uses for crabbing. Standing on the harbour wall I saw him working on his pots, but he was as elusive as ever. When I asked if he was indeed McBanksy, the secret sculptor, he smiled broadly, pulled his dark beanie hat down to his eyebrows and said: "It's funny what a high tide brings in, isn't it?" Then he darted into the cabin, started the motor and pootled out of the harbour, heading off to a favourite crabbing spot across the bay. But a friend confirmed: "Aye, you've got yer man. Jimmy has two grandsons, James and Seth, and that's why he put their names on the boat. Rose was a friend of his who died a while ago and she was very interested in an Indian tribe. The superbly crafted metal sculptures, all of which portray the creator's trademark sense of humour | https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/1076072/steel-sculptures-scotland-stonehaven-port-culture |
Which stars suffered Oscars nomination snubs? | The omission of Bradley Cooper from the directing category for the 2019 Oscars is among the biggest snubs from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. The stars directorial debut A Star Is Born collected eight nominations, including a nod for himself for best actor for his role as an alcoholic rock star opposite Lady Gagas aspiring singer, but he failed to be recognised for helming the project. Another director shut out of the category was Peter Farrelly, despite his film Green Book picking up nods for best picture, best actor and best supporting actor. And the Academy again failed to nominate any women for best director, an award that only five female directors have been nominated for. There was also disappointment for Ethan Hawke and John David Washington, who missed out on best actor nods for First Reformed and BlacKkKlansman respectively, amid the surprise inclusion of Willem Dafoe, who landed a spot for playing Vincent van Gogh in At Eternitys Gate. Timothee Chalamet, who was widely expected to land a supporting actor nomination for playing a drug addict in Beautiful Boy, was also left out in the cold. Bradley Cooper (Ian West/PA) Black Panther made history as the first superhero movie to be nominated for best picture but there was disappointment for Michael B Jordan, who failed to land a spot in the supporting actor category. Margot Robbie missed out in the supporting actress category for Mary Queen Of Scots, despite landing a Bafta nomination. Elsewhere, there were snubs for British hopefuls Emily Blunt and Claire Foy. The former was a hopeful for the best actress category for Mary Poppins Returns and in the best supporting actress race for A Quiet Place, while The Crown star Foy has scored Golden Globe and Bafta nominations for playing Janet Armstrong in First Man. Steve McQueens film Widows was also shut out of the nominations, while Dolly Parton, whose song Girl In The Movies from Dumplin was tipped for a nod, was also snubbed. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/pa/article-6619711/Which-stars-suffered-Oscars-nomination-snubs.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 |
Why is Brexit so complicated? | British Prime Minister Theresa May is still trying to find a way for her country to leave the European Union with a divorce deal. CBC explains. While a slim majority of voters (52 per cent) chose "Leave" in Britain's 2016 EU referendum, no one seems to agree on how the country should proceed. Brexit day, March 29, 2019, is enshrined in law, but barreling towards the exit without an EU divorce deal risks damaging economies on both sides of the English Channel. The British prime minister would prefer an orderly departure with the terms set out in her EU withdrawal agreement. MPs, however, rejected that plan by a historic margin on Jan. 15. Theresa May was forced to return to the House of Commons on Monday to announce a new approach. She only offered to tinker with her already-defeated divorce deal and focus on fixing the controversial "backstop" (see below). Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn said it felt "a bit like Groundhog Day." The U.K. represents one of Canada's top trading and security partners. Since the Second World War, Canada and the United States have leaned on Britain as a key ally in exerting influence among its European neighbours. Theresa May's government recently survived a no-confidence vote called after her Brexit deal was overwhelmingly rejected by lawmakers. (Frank Augstein/Associated Press) Now, Britons are giving up their seat at the EU table. It will mean losing their voice during important decisions on Europe's economy and security issues. As it stands, the U.K. risks leaving without a deal and suffering immediate consequences, such as delays in overseas trade, new tariffs and long lineups at ports of entry. Great Britain is the world's fifth-largest economy, and any Brexit-related hit to its international trade could send shockwaves throughout the planet. The top search term among Canadians related to Brexit is "Brexit backstop." The backstop is a series of measures intended as an insurance policy to prevent a physical border between Northern Ireland, which is part of the U.K., and the Republic of Ireland, an EU member state. Years of sectarian violence known as the Troubles led the U.K. and Ireland to forge the Good Friday Agreement in 1998, which removed border checks on the island. But Brexit means the land frontier will soon separate the EU from a non-member state. And that raises a series of challenges related to the flow of goods that meet EU standards, and those that don't. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn has raised the prospect of a second Brexit referendum. (Gareth Fuller/PA/Associated Press) The backstop is only meant to come into force if the Brexit transition period (laid out in a divorce deal) ends before the U.K. reaches a trade deal with the EU. That wouldn't happen until the end of 2020, at the earliest. If ever the backstop did come into effect, the U.K. would continue to follow European customs rules. Brexit supporters fear that could be the EU's way of keeping Britain in its orbit for years after the supposed breakup. The next key date is Jan. 29, when MPs are set to vote on May's Brexit "plan B." If MPs again reject the prime minister's proposal, it could increase the odds of Britain crashing out without a deal, or the government calling a snap election to break the parliamentary deadlock. In the meantime, members are presenting amendments that could force the government to avoid a no-deal Brexit or even consider a second referendum on EU membership. If MPs reject May's 'plan B' proposal on Jan. 29, it could increase the odds of Britain leaving the EU with no deal or the government calling a snap election. (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images) British bookmakers' odds indicate it's likely Britain won't actually leave the EU on March 29 as planned -- signalling a Brexit delay at the very least. That would require an extension of Article 50, the mechanism by which an EU member state quits the bloc. May had warned lawmakers that rejecting her initial deal would throw the country into "uncharted waters." That has turned out to be an accurate prediction. The takeaway "Leave" voters were sold on the promise Britain would easily "take back control" of its borders, money and laws. More than two and a half years of frenzied debate has demonstrated it's harder than it was first thought. Historical considerations and a lack of overall agreement still stand between Britain and Brexit. British Prime Minister Theresa May on Monday attempted to resuscitate her rejected European Union divorce deal, setting out plans to get her Brexit agreement approved by Parliament after securing changes from the E.U. to a contentious Irish border measure. 3:46 Conservative Party infighting over the EU -- which led then-prime minister David Cameron to call the public vote in the first place -- rages on. And Britons remain as divided and confused as on the day of the referendum. As Brexit complications have become clear, opinion polls suggest a slow but steady shift in attitudes, with a majority of Britons apparently now in favour of remaining in the EU. But even if the referendum were re-run, there's no guarantee Brexit would be cancelled. The "Leave" vote represented a gut reaction to a feeling in disenfranchised industrial towns that Brussels bureaucrats did nothing to help the average Briton. That sentiment still exists, and has been compounded by increasing anger aimed at London. Those same voters now see their own elected officials endlessly wrestling over how to enact the apparent will of the people. Even in Britain, nearly everyone has a hard time understanding this convoluted process. As a Brexit supporter in Leave-supporting Stoke-on-Trent recently said in an interview, "We voted to come out and yet, why should it take so long?" In short: It's complicated. | https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/why-is-brexit-so-complicated-1.4987728?cmp=rss |
Is buying a larger home worth it? Or should I save more for retirement? | Q. I live in a two-bedroom house that has only $50,000 left on the mortgage. I can buy a larger home in my neighborhood - so my kids would each have their own bedroom - for which I'd need a $125,000 mortgage. I can afford the monthly payments, but I can't decide if it's worth the money or if I should just save more for retirement. -- Homeowner A. We're glad you're in good financial shape, but we're even more glad that you're looking to the future as part of your question. Your question really boils down to the concept of opportunity cost--the value of what you have to forgo in order to gain something else, said Gene McGovern, a certified financial planner with McGovern Financial Advisors in Westfield. "It's also, fundamentally, an ant-versus-grasshopper question: whether to spend your money on things you can enjoy today, such as a larger house, or to put that money aside for future needs such as retirement," he said. Answering that question in detail would require information about your personal and financial situation, including how long you plan to stay in the new home, your age, the number and ages of your children, your marital status, your health, and your time horizon to retirement, McGovern said. It would also mean knowing the big picture regarding your assets, income, expenses, and other debts. That said, some general guidance may be of help. McGovern said the first thing to do is to draw up a list of all of your overall goals and needs in life, both personal and financial. These could include not only having a larger home but also providing for a comfortable retirement, sending your kids to college, having enough life insurance coverage, buying a new car, vacations and so forth. The next step would be to rank and prioritize your goals. "For example, you could divide all the goals into categories, such as essential, important, and nice-to-have, and then rank them within each category," he said. "Another way to think about these goals is by distance in time--immediate, near-term, and longer-term." After that, you can begin to quantify the cost of each goal, and to understand the trade-offs - opportunity costs - among them. To put your question in more concrete terms, as of this writing, 30-year mortgage rates in New Jersey are averaging 4.44 percent, so a 30-year, $125,000 mortgage would mean a monthly payment of about $630, excluding any property taxes or mortgage insurance, McGovern said. Subtracting your existing mortgage payment from $630 gives you the first incremental cost of the new mortgage. "You'd also have to consider the additional one-time costs of selling your existing home and buying the new one, such as preparing your home for sale, real estate commissions, repairs, moving costs, new furnishings and appliances and so forth," he said. "Property taxes on the larger house would also likely be permanently higher." Here's the real number that you should pay attention to: Let's say that the total incremental cost of the new home comes to, for example, $500 per month. If you pay that off over 30 years, you'll have spent $180,000 more on the new home, not including any repairs, maintenance, upgrades, and future increases in property taxes. On the other hand, if you invested that same $500 per month into a retirement account such as a Roth IRA earning an average of 5 percent per year for 30 years, you'd have accumulated more than $400,000. "Prioritizing and then making quantitative projections of your goals, then, while understanding the trade-offs among them, is ultimately the best way to decide on buying that larger house," he said. Email your questions to [email protected]. Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter. | https://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2019/01/is_buying_a_larger_home_worth_it_or_should_i_save.html |
Can I get my ex's Social Security even though I have a government pension? | Q. I will be collecting a government pension but not Social Security on my own as I did not pay into Social Security. -- Still working A. You should set up an appointment with your local Social Security office to discuss the specifics of your history and your ex-wife's history. Depending on the details, you may be able to collect a reduced spousal or survivor benefit from your wife. If you receive a pension from a federal, state or local government based on work where you did not pay into Social Security, then your spousal and survivor benefit would be reduced by two-thirds of the government pension, said Jody D'Agostini, a certified financial planner with AXA Advisors/The Falcon Financial Group in Morristown. This could potentially fully or partially eliminate any benefit, she said. "In order to collect your wife's Social Security spousal benefit, you would have had to be married to her for at least 10 years, and not be currently married to someone else," she said. "You could collect the survivor Social Security benefit even if you remarried so long as you are not currently married to that second spouse." This is called the Government Pension Offset or GPO. D'Agostini said if you worked for an employer such as a government agency or an employer from overseas that did not withhold Social Security taxes, it will reduce your spousal benefit, but any survivor benefit would not be reduced. This is called the Windfall Elimination Provision or WEP. So make that appointment to see what you may qualify for. You can find your local Social Security office here. Email your questions to [email protected]. Karin Price Mueller writes the Bamboozled column for NJ Advance Media and is the founder of NJMoneyHelp.com. Follow NJMoneyHelp on Twitter @NJMoneyHelp. Find NJMoneyHelp on Facebook. Sign up for NJMoneyHelp.com's weekly e-newsletter. | https://www.nj.com/entertainment/index.ssf/2019/01/can_i_get_my_exs_social_security_even_though_i_hav.html |
Do endangered woods make better guitars? | Researchers have tested the sounds made by six different acoustic guitars in a study addressing the effects of the type of wood used in their construction. The steel-string acoustic guitar is one of the world's most popular musical instruments. Some of the woods used for guitar backs are revered by guitar players for their acoustic qualities, and are claimed to be tonally superior to other woods. Unfortunately many of these woods are expensive, rare, and from unsustainable sources. Guitar manufacturers are aware of this issue and have taken a range of initiatives to address it, such as using different and more readily available woods as substitutes. The challenge is to find woods that are sustainable and cheap without compromising on the sound quality and playability of the instrument. A study led by Lancaster University in the UK tested six steel-string acoustic guitars which were specially built by guitar maker Roger Bucknall of Fylde Guitars (who has made guitars for bands including the Rolling Stones). They all had the same design and material specifications except for the back and side plates which were made of woods varying widely in availability and price: Brazilian rosewood Indian rosewood Mahogany Maple Sapele Walnut Overall sound quality ratings were then given by 52 guitarists in a dimly lit room who played the different guitars while wearing welder's goggles to prevent visual identification. They gave similar ratings to all six guitars, while blinded tests by 31 of the same guitarists indicated that they could not easily distinguish the guitars by their sound or feel. Professor Christopher Plack of Lancaster University said: "We found that acoustically, the differences between the guitars were minimal. Guitarists gave very similar ratings to the sound quality and playability of the different guitars under blinded conditions. Furthermore, their ability to distinguish the guitars by their sound in a blinded discrimination test was poor." "Overall our results suggest that the back wood has a negligible effect on the sound quality and playability of an acoustic guitar, and that cheaper and sustainable woods can be used as substitutes of expensive and endangered woods without loss of sound quality." These results will not come as a big surprise to many acousticians, because previous studies indicated that the back plate has only a small influence on radiated sound, but this is one of the few studies that explicitly addresses the issue of back wood species combining physical and perceptual measurements. ### | https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/lu-dew012119.php |
How old is Coronation Streets Amy Barlow and who is the father of her baby? | (Picture: ITV) Coronation Street has kicked off 2019 with a life-changing story for Amy Barlow after the teenager learned that she is pregnant. Fridays dramatic storyline saw Amy break the news to parents Tracy and Steve after finding out herself with Tracy remaining calm and supportive, but Steve reacting in a very different fashion. Amy has some tough decisions ahead as an ultrasound reveals she is 10 weeks along further than she told her mum and dad she was leaving her facing a surgical abortion, or the possibility of continuing with the pregnancy. Amy is a lot further along than she told her parents (Picture: ITV) Well Amy who is just 14 years old told her parents that the baby was conceived at a party just before Christmas, which given the length of time she has been pregnant has been revealed to be a lie. Steve is convinced its Aadi Alahans after he was found with condoms, and storms over to the shop to confront him meaning, to Amys dismay, that the whole school will now know about her pregnancy. (Picture: ITV) However she later tells her parents the Christmas party lie, remaining adamant that Aadi had nothing to do with her becoming pregnant. The finger of suspicion also points at her cousin Simon barlow which causes conflict with Tracy who accuses him in front of the family. However it will ultimately transpire that the father is Taras older brother, who Amy visited the Christmas markets with and he will turn out to be gang leader Tyler, whos been tormenting Simon and even shot Peter with a paintball gun. Somehow we suspect theres going to be trouble ahead. Coronation Street is on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on ITV at 7.30pm. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/21/old-coronation-streets-amy-barlow-father-baby-8370156/ |
What are the current Oscars 2019 odds as nominees are announced? | Roma is tipped to win big at the Oscars (Picture: Netflix) Its looking as if it could be Romas night at the Oscars next month after it was named the favourite to take the best picture prize. According to bookies William Hill the Mexican movie, directed by Alfonso Cuaron, has odds of just 5/4 to take the top award of the night when the gongs are dished out in Hollywood on Sunday February 24. That puts it well ahead of second-placed Green Book at 10/1, followed by A Star Is Born at 7/2 while the next film in the betting, The Favourite, is far from the favourite at 10/1. Cuaron is also red-hot favourite to take best director at 1/10 ahead of Spike Lee at 8/1, Adam McKay at 20/1, Pawel Pawlikoski at 25/1 and Yorgos Lanthimos at 25/1. Alfonso Cuaron has already picked up Golden Globe awards for the film (Picture: AP) Its not looking so good for the films nominated cast members however, with star Yalizia Aparicio 40/1 to take the prize, and her co-star Marina de Tavira 33/1 to be crowned best supporting actress. Advertisement Advertisement Instead, the best actress category looks to be a two-horse race between Glenn Close for The Wife (2/5) and Olivia Colman for The Favourite (5/2), with Lady Gaga next in the betting at 9/2 for A Star Is Born. Roma has the advantage in the Best Picture category however, the betting is quite tight and could fluctuate over the coming weeks, said William Hill spokesman Joe Crilly. The Best Director gong looks a done deal for Alfonso Cuaron. The best actor race, meanwhile, is also neck and neck with Rami Malek 5/6 favourite to take the top prize for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody, but Christian Bale just behind at 5/4 for his role in Vice. Bradley Cooper is next in the betting at 5/1 followed by Viggo Mortensen at 20/1 and Willem Dafoe at 40/1. And its looking good for Mahershala Ali to nab his second Oscar, as hes 1/3 favourite to take the best supporting actor gong for Green Book, while Regina Kings odds for best supporting actress for If Beale Street Could Talk are just 8/15. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Black Panther nominated for Best Picture as it picks up seven Oscar nominations | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/what-are-the-current-oscars-2019-odds-as-nominees-are-announced-8374829/ |
What time are the National Television Awards 2019 tonight and who is nominated? | Dermot OLearys back to host the 2019 National Television Awards (Picture: Getty Images) Its that time of year again when the great and good of the TV world pop their best frocks on and head up the red carpet for the National Television Awards. This year sees nominations for the likes of Bodyguard, Killing Eve, EastEnders, Coronation Street and Love Island as well as all eyes being on Ant and Dec as they contest their 18th consecutive presenter prize. As per usual Dermot OLeary will be hosting as the gongs are dished out. The glitz, the glamour, and all your favourite stars. Celebrate the best of British television. The National Television Awards 2019 LIVE Tonight 7.30pm @ITV #NTAs @OfficialNTAs pic.twitter.com/Ve0DavI7nl ITV (@ITV) January 22, 2019 Well, the ceremony will be held at the O2 Arena in London on Tuesday 22 January, 2019, and will be on ITV from 7.30pm. Advertisement Advertisement The NTA Twitter channel will also broadcast the red carpet live. And heres whos been nominated and who could be heading home with new trophyware on the night. National Television Awards nominations 2019 Quiz Show 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown A League Of Their Own Catchphrase Pointless The Chase New Drama A Discovery Of Witches Bodyguard Girlfriends Killing Eve The Cry Talent Show Britains Got Talent Dancing On Ice Strictly Come Dancing The Voice UK The X Factor Drama Call The Midwife Casualty Doctor Who Our Girl Peaky Blinders TV Presenter Ant & Dec Bradley Walsh Graham Norton Holly Willoughby Phillip Schofield Factual Entertainment Ambulance DIY SOS: The Big Build Gogglebox Paul OGrady: For The Love Of Dogs The Great British Bake Off Drama Performance Cillian Murphy: Thomas Shelby, Peaky Blinders Jodie Comer: Villanelle, Killing Eve Jodie Whittaker: The Doctor, Doctor Who Michelle Keegan: L. Cpl Georgie Lane, Our Girl Richard Madden: Sgt David Budd, Bodyguard The Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award All Round To Mrs Browns Ant & Decs Saturday Night Takeaway Im A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here! Love Island The Graham Norton Show Serial Drama Coronation Street EastEnders Emmerdale Hollyoaks Serial Drama Performance Bonnie Langford: Carmel Kazemi, EastEnders Danny Dyer: Mick Carter, EastEnders Emma Atkins: Charity Dingle, Emmerdale Jack P Shepherd: David Platt, Coronation Street Lucy Pargeter: Chas Dingle, Emmerdale Comedy Benidorm Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father Mrs Browns Boys Peter Kays Car Share The Big Bang Theory Newcomer Aedan Duckworth: Oliver Morgan, Hollyoaks Alexandra Mardell: Emma Brooker, Coronation Street James Moore: Ryan Stocks, Emmerdale Neet Mohan: Dr Rashid Rash Masum, Casualty Ricky Champ: Stuart Highway, EastEnders Daytime Good Morning Britain Loose Women Sunday Brunch The Jeremy Kyle Show This Morning TV Judge David Walliams Louis Tomlinson Robbie Williams Robert Rinder Simon Cowell Advertisement Advertisement MORE: Holly Willougby turns into unicorn with her NTA in hilarious throwback before 2019 awards MORE: Dermot OLeary jokes he may just throw in the towel if Ant and Dec win at NTAs | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/time-national-television-awards-2019-tonight-nominated-8374588/ |
Has a foreign language film ever won the best picture Oscar? | Roma is looking like a surefire Oscars hit (Picture: Netflix) Its looking as though Alfonso Cuarons Roma could win big at this years Oscars after it scored 10 nominations. The Spanish-language movie, set in early 70s Mexico, is the hot favourite to win best picture come February 24th, with Cuaron also tipped to be named best director. Romas success comes hot on the heels of its best film win at the Golden Globes, where Cuaron also took the directing prize. Well yes, actually. Since the Oscars began only 10 other non-English language movies have been nominated in the top category and none of them has ever won. They are as follows: All the foreign language films ever nominated for best picture at the Oscars La Grande Illusion (France, 1938) Z (France/Algeria, 1969) The Emigrants (Sweden, 1972) Cries and Whispers (Sweden, 1973) Il Postino (Italy, 1995) Life Is Beautiful (Italy, 1998) Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (Taiwan/China/Hong Kong/USA, 2000) Letters From Iwo Jima (USA but in Japanese/English, 2006) Babel (USA/France/Mexico, in several languages including Arabic, Spanish and Japanese as well as English) Amour (Austria/France/Germany 2012, in French) While no foreign language film to date has won best picture, many have been successful in other categories, with notable wins including Roberto Benignis best actor prize for 1998s Life Is Beautiful and Sophia Loren winning best actress in 1961 for the Italian film Two Women. Advertisement Advertisement More recently Benicio del Toro won best Supporting Actor in 2000 for his Spanish language performance in Traffic, while French actress Marion Cotillard took the best actress prize in 2006 for La Vie En Rose. Other big wins have included Spanish director Pedro Almodovar taking the original screenplay prize for Talk To Her in 2002, while Guillermo del Toros movie Pans Labyrinth also did well in 2006, with awards for Cinematography and Makeup among others, Meanwhile the Japanese fantasy Spirited Away won the first ever Oscar for best animated feature back in 2002. (although it was the English dubbed version which took the prize). While no foreign language film has taken the best picture prize to date, 2011s best film winner The Artist was the first French-produced film ever to win the big one. Despite this it did not qualify as a foreign-language film as it was set in and shot in Hollywood, and of course was silent, with next to no dialogue. All of which means if Roma does take the top prize on February 24 itll also be making history. Roma is on release in selected cinemas and is also available to stream on Netflix UK. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Oscars 2019: Bradley Cooper snubbed for Best Director as nominations announced MORE: Oscars 2019: Best picture will go to one of eight nominees including Black Panther | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/foreign-language-film-ever-won-best-picture-oscar-roma-named-favourite-win-8375161/ |
What are Drakes UK tour dates and how to get tickets? | (Picture: Denise Truscello/WireImage) Drake will be heading across the pond for the UK and European leg of his Assassination Vacation Tour in March. Jimmy Buffett dropped the mic after performing at the NFL and everyone got a bit confused The 32-year-old will be playing 24 dates across the UK and Ireland, including a mammoth six days at Londons O2, and he will be supported by fellow rapper Tory Lanez and BBC 1Xtra DJ Tiffany Calver. He also revealed hell hosting gigs in France, Belgium and the Netherlands. Drake will kick off the tour with two consecutive shows at Manchester Arena. Hell then head to Paris to perform over three days, before playing a further three dates at Dublins 3Arena. ASSASSINATION VACATION UK and EU tour tickets on sale Friday!!! Me and @torylanez w/ opening sound set by @tiffanycalver pic.twitter.com/IaQoWRounT Drizzy (@Drake) January 22, 2019 Next hell grace Birmingham for three nights at the Resorts World Arena, and then kick of his six-day streak in the capital. Advertisement Advertisement The rapper will end his European leg with two dates in Antwerp and a further three in Amsterdam. The string of concerts follows a US run and comes off the back of his record-breaking fifth studio album Scorpion. Drakes last visit to the UK was last summer after he stepping in for DJ Khaled at Wireless festival. Tickets for Drakes UK and European leg of his Assassination Vacation Tour go on sale on Friday from 9am on Live Nation and AXS tickets. Drake UK Tour dates March 10, 2019 Manchester Arena March 11, 2019 Manchester Arena March 12, 2019 Birmingham Resorts World Arena March 27, 2019 Birmingham Resorts World Arena March 28, 2019 Birmingham Resorts World Arena April 1, 2019 The O2 London April 2, 2019 The O2 London April 4, 2019 The O2 London April 5, 2019 The O2 London April 8, 2019 The O2 London April 9, 2019 The O2 London MORE: He copied my whole flow: Soulja Boy claims that he taught Drake everything he knows MORE: Drake hints at epic Las Vegas residency and he could bank $25 million for the pleasure | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/drakes-uk-tour-dates-get-tickets-8374573/ |
Will Maxwell get promoted up the order in 2nd ODI? | Last updated on: January 14, 2019 13:31 IST 'To have Glenn Maxwell sitting in the sheds ready to go with two, three overs to go, I think that's a pretty powerful position for our cricket side to be in' IMAGE: Glenn Maxwell faced just five balls, yet still scored 11 runs, and the decision for him to bat so low in the order has led to questions being raised as to whether it was a wasted opportunity. Photograph: Matt King/Getty Images Stifling conditions forecast for Adelaide on Tuesday could delay Mitchell Marsh's return to the Australian side after the all-rounder missed Saturday's first one-dayer against India due to gastritis. The 27-year-old returned to training on Monday with vice-captain Alex Carey indicating the selectors would see how he fared while bowling in the nets before determining whether he would be available for the second match at Adelaide Oval. South Australia, however, is experiencing extreme weather with temperatures expected to hit 41 Celsius on Tuesday. "Mitch is good ... he's back fully fit and ready to go," Carey told reporters on Monday. "He is going to have a bowl today and he will have a hit, so we will see how he pulls up." Australia can seal the three-match series and give their beleaguered side some much-needed confidence heading into this year's World Cup after they won the first game by 34 runs. The five-time world champions were aided by some strong performances through their middle order with Shaun Marsh, Peter Handscomb and Marcus Stoinis forcing explosive batting all-rounder Glenn Maxwell to bat at number seven. Maxwell faced just five balls, yet still scored 11 runs, and the decision for him to bat so low in the order has led to questions being raised as to whether it was a wasted opportunity. Carey, however, said he preferred having the explosive Maxwell up their sleeve if needed. "To have Glenn Maxwell sitting in the sheds ready to go with two, three overs to go, I think that's a pretty powerful position for our cricket side to be in," Carey said. "He has had lots of opportunities up the top of the order before ... you could argue the point he should be batting higher. "Personally ... it's pretty exciting to have that power hitting later in the innings. He doesn't need too many balls to make a big impact." | https://www.rediff.com/cricket/report/will-maxwell-get-promoted-up-the-order-in-2nd-odi-aus-tour/20190114.htm |
Does the US want high or low oil prices? | The US economy has traditionally been a heavy importer of oil, making it unquestionably a fan of low oil prices. Meanwhile, the shale oil revolution has transformed the US oil industry, and driven net imports to almost zero. In 1975, two years after the OPEC embargo, the US banned petroleum exports to ensure sufficient local supplies of the strategic, important commodity. At that time, net oil imports equaled six million barrels/day, a figure that grew to 13.5 million in 2006 in light of the economys sustained growth. Ensuring a reliable flow of oil for its economy, and for those of its economic partners, such as China and Japan, became a central tenet of US foreign policy, and a key reason for its heavy military involvement in the Middle East. OPECs ill-deserved reputation At the same time, OPEC was building a reputation for restricting output, and raising global oil prices to the benefit of its members. This earned the group supervillain status among all segments of US society, due to the importance of gasoline prices to US household budgets. In fact, based on a detailed analysis of oil production data for both OPEC members and non-members, Jeff Colgan of Brown University convincingly demonstrated that throughout the period of 1980-2009, OPECs reputation as a cartel was ill-deserved. With the exception of Saudi Arabia, the oil production strategies of the clubs members were identical to those of non-members. The reason for the myths persistence was that OPECs members enjoyed cultivating a reputation as bulwarks against western imperialism, while western leaders welcomed a willing scapegoat for their domestic economic woes. In the early 2000s, as petroleum extraction technology advanced, US shale oil began to satisfy local demand, and in 2015, the industrys renaissance had become strong enough for Congress to lift the 40-year-old export ban. By 2018, US net imports had fallen to 1.4 million barrels per day. With revenues, profits, and employment in the oil sector burgeoning, part of US society finally had an explicit preference for high oil prices, and this came to the fore in the wake of the 2014 oil-price crash, when many shale producers faced bankruptcy. The diminished importance of oil imports also became a central reason for the US pivot to Asia, and its reduced military interventionism in the Middle East. In parallel to the transformations in the US oil sector, in December 2016, OPEC finally went from pseudo price-raiser to actual price-raiser, when a surprising deal with OPEC non-members, led by Russia, was secured. That deal has continued, driven by Russias desire to forge stronger geo-political ties with Saudi Arabia. US shale oil producers breathed a sigh of relief, as the increase in prices provided the industry with a much needed revenues boost. But the US is much more than oil producers. Amidst the hysteria surrounding the 2014 oil-price crash, a segment of the media began attributing the decline in prices to Saudi Arabia, despite the fact that Saudi Arabias output was essentially fixed throughout the episode, and that the Kingdom continued to operate below capacity. Moreover, a popular theory emerged that Saudi Arabia was flooding the market in an attempt to knock out shale oil, despite the theory clearly being falsified by even a cursory look at the production data. As a result, a group of US Congress people threatened legal action against Saudi Arabia, accusing it of employing predatory pricing against US producers. Apparently, the US actually wanted high prices! Until 2018, however, ahead of the midterm elections, Congress worried about the impact of higher gasoline prices on their constituents, and launched legal proceedings against Saudi Arabia and the rest of OPEC, accusing them of colluding to raise prices. After this, it was apparent the US now wanted low prices. Well, there seems to be a consensus among US policymakers that a thriving domestic oil industry is desirable, as evidenced by the ease with which oil producers have been able to overcome opponents, citing either environmental concerns, or trying to defend territories owned by Native Americans. This is partially due to the direct economic return from exploiting an available natural resource; as well as reflecting a desire for self-sufficiency, stemming from the US tilt toward economic and diplomatic isolationism. But a large segment of society remains averse to higher oil prices, and still associates them with OPEC, whatever the actual cause. OPEC members may now regret their previous willingness to play the role of scapegoat in the eyes of the US public. The US political system is genuinely pluralistic, meaning that there is little sense in imagining an integrated US viewpoint. As Donald Trump is learning, Congress and the White House can have wildly divergent policy positions, while organs such as the State Department, the Department of Defense, and the individual state governments all have their own stances and wield significant authority. The contradictions can even be observed at the level of individuals, as a typical rural Republican voter simultaneously demands prices low enough to raise their standard of living, but high enough to promote US self-sufficiency in energy markets. Either way, OPEC strategists have a tough job on their hands. Source: Al Arabiya | https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/does-the-us-want-high-or-low-oil-prices/ |
Can he play the finisher's role for India in ODIs? | January 13, 2019 14:39 IST 'I think I have become mentally stronger now and I have full confidence that I can finish close matches.' IMAGE: Vijay Shankar believes that India 'A' coach Rahul Dravid's decision to bat him at No. 5 in New Zealand helped him immensely to develop his game as the finisher. Photograph: Gareth Copley/Getty Images Vijay Shankar was mercilessly roasted by fans when he failed to pick Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahaman's variations during the Nidahas T20 final but Rahul Dravid's confidence in his 'finishing abilities' has made him more confident for his upcoming second stint with the Indian team. The 27-year-old Tamil Nadu all-rounder will be joining the team in Australia and New Zealand as a replacement for Hardik Pandya, who has been suspended by the BCCI for his controversial comments on a TV show. In February last year, Shankar's big match temperament was put to test against a quality Bangladesh attack but the Tamil Nadu captain has come a long way since then. "I think I have become mentally stronger now and I have full confidence that I can finish close matches. The India 'A' tour of New Zealand has helped me understand my game much better," Shankar said on Sunday. He believes that India 'A' coach Rahul Dravid's decision to bat him at No. 5 in New Zealand helped him immensely. "Rahul Sir told me one thing that he has faith in my ability to finish games. I think batting at No. 5 also suited my game as I was able to close two games and remain unbeaten," said Shankar, who has so far played five T20s for India. "The 87 I scored in a chase of 300 plus against New Zealand A gave me a lot belief that I also belong to this level. In another game, I scored 60 odd in a chase. "While batting at No. 5, in all these matches when I was going into bat, we required 150 to 160 runs and it was very important that I paced the innings well and played the role of a finisher," Shankar explained. While he was bowling four to five overs per match during Vijay Hazare Trophy, he has bowled more overs in Ranji Trophy. "I have put equal emphasis on both aspects of the game. I have completed my 10 over quota in a lot of Hazare games and got breakthroughs. In Ranji Trophy also, I had bowled a lot this season. The best part is that I feel more stronger mentally with the hardwork I have put in." The sudden selection and the cloud of uncertainty hovering over Pandya for his transgressions has suddenly brought Shankar into the mix for the World Cup but he is unfazed about it. "I am not thinking about World Cup and all those things. You can't play freely if you start thinking like that. "I will have to be prepared and if an opportunity to comes along the way, I will have to grab it," Shankar stated. | https://www.rediff.com/cricket/report/can-he-play-the-finishers-role-for-india-in-odis-aus-tour/20190113.htm |
Is he the next Virender Sehwag? | January 10, 2019 15:43 IST 'To be honest. I would just like to say that everyone's journey is different. I cannot compare my journey to somebody else's.' IMAGE: Mayank Agarwal made a dream start to his Test career, with two half-centuries in two innings in Australia. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images Overwhelmed by the comparisons with Virender Sehwag after his dream debut in Australia, Mayank Agarwal says he will be happy if he could do even half of what the former India opener achieved in his illustrious career. Former India batsman Sanjay Manjrekar and his personal coach Irfan Sait are among those who feel that 'there is a little bit of Sehwag' in Agarwal, who drew the flattering comparison with his aggressive style of play. Drafted into the squad in the middle of a well-poised series, the 27-year-old rose to the occasion with a 77, 76 and 42 in Melbourne and Sydney, playing a crucial hand in India's maiden Test series triumph in Australia. "Honestly, I am not a fan of comparisons but he is one of the greats of Indian cricket. I just like to go in the middle, give my best and see what comes out of it. Having said that, if I could do even half of what he (Sehwag) did, I will be happy," the Karnataka batsman said on Wednesday. Agarwal had replaced the injured Prithvi Shaw in the squad and with K L Rahul and Murali Vijay dropped from the side after failing in the opening two Tests, facing the likes of Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc was as tough a challenge as he could face in his debut innings on Boxing Day. "Definitely, it was (special), to make my debut at the MCG and most importantly, to win the Test series in Australia. We became the first team from the sub-continent to win a series in Australia. There can't be a better start than this," said Agarwal, who finally got his opportunity after being on the fringes for a long time. Agarwal saw off the new ball with Hanuma Vihari on day one of the third Test before ending with an impressive 76 off 161 balls. He was also picked for the home series against the West Indies but did not get to play in both the Tests. Asked about his mind-set going into the Melbourne game, Agarwal said, "I was very excited that I have been called to represent India in Australia in a well poised series. My thought was I want to be a part of the action than sit out. When I got the call from the selectors, I was very excited. It is a big moment for any cricketer, more so if you do that in MCG on Boxing Day." Agarwal said the India 'A' tour of New Zealand that coincided with the Australia series also helped him in his accidental debut. "I went there with a plan and I am glad it came off for a bit. I thought Australia was a top-class bowling unit. They play their cricket hard and bring out the best in you. You can't pick out a bowler. Everyone was good and you have to be on top of your game to face them. "Playing in New Zealand did help a lot. It was a tremendous learning experience. The conditions weren't same but similar to Australia. There was a lot of pace in the wickets and New Zealand A had international bowlers in their line-up. So, it was good that I got to play there before the Australia series." On the morning of the Boxing Day Test, he had received words of encouragement from Virat Kohli before the skipper handed the India cap to Agarwal. The talented opener did not let his captain down and by the end of the series, he became a strong contender alongside Shaw to open in the West Indies series after the World Cup. However, Agarwal is not ready to jump the gun. "See that (West Indies series) is six months away. I don't want to speak about that but there is a lot of other stuff (Ranji Trophy, India 'A' series and IPL) which is going to happen before that and I am focused on that. "I just want go out there and keep performing. Before I left (for home from Australia), they (Kohli and Ravi Shastri) congratulated me on a good performance. They also said that it is a good start' and were happy with the intensity I showed. I feel good about that and yes, happy with the way things have gone so far, said Agarwal. He still thinks about the aerial shot he played off Nathan Lyon in the Sydney Test when he was cruising on 77 off 111 balls. Agarwal went for another big one but ended up being caught in the deep to miss out on a hundred. "I was disappointed. If I can go out and learn from that shot, it will be a good lesson learnt. At the same time, I don't want to dwell too much on it and be stuck there. I need to look forward and get better. Before getting his due, Agarwal was ignored for India selection despite making mountains of runs in domestic cricket and at the A level. Now that he has got his big breakthrough, Agarwal can only feel grateful. "To be honest. I would just like to say that everyone's journey is different. I cannot compare my journey to somebody else's. There are things which are beyond your control and I don't like to focus too much on them. I am just glad and grateful that I have got to represent the country," he added. | https://www.rediff.com/cricket/report/is-he-the-next-virender-sehwag-aus-tour/20190110.htm |
Which Way To Go? | December 31, 1996 6 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Decide whether you'll buy an existing business, a business opportunity, a franchise, or go it alone. By Lin Grensing-Pophal The lure of private enterprise can be a strong one. Striking out on your own promises independence, the possibility of financial security--even wealth--and the ability to grow a business from the ground up. But almost from the very first time the thought enters your mind, there are a million questions that need to be answered. One of those questions is: "Should I start a business from scratch, buy an existing business, or purchase a franchise or business opportunity?" That question is not an easy one, and its answer will depend on your individual goals and resources. Each choice has its own unique advantages, according to Tom Gillis, who has spent 50 years as a business owner, entrepreneur, lawyer, CPA and management consultant in Houston. He's the author of Guts & Borrowed Money: Straight Talk for Starting and Growing Your Small Business (due in February 1997 from Bard Press, $19.95, 800-945-3132). Starting a business from scratch can give you a sense of accomplishment and ownership that purchasing an existing business or franchise simply can't match. The downside is that you won't have instant name recognition or an established track record with customers or suppliers. "Acquisition of an established company," Gillis says, "becomes attractive in three situations: when you haven't found `the idea' which really turns you on and you find it in an existing business; when you have more money than you have time to start a business from scratch; when you want to grow but lack a compatible product, service, location or particular advantage that is available from an owner who wants out." In terms of franchising, the primary benefit is also the main drawback. As Gillis says, "You're not going to be in business alone." While this can be good news in terms of name recognition and "clout," it may be bad news in terms of your independence. Somewhere between purchasing a franchise and purchasing an existing business is the "business opportunity," which capitalizes on the benefits of franchising (such as providing you with a packaged approach to running a particular business) without burdening you with some of the pitfalls of franchising (such as being restricted to certain advertising or marketing approaches, or having to pay franchisor fees). All franchises are business opportunities--but not all business opportunities are franchises. For example, the owner of a successful housecleaning business might decide to package and sell the specific, unique process used, along with his or her proven marketing strategy. Purchasers would then be free to market and operate their resulting businesses in any manner they choose. A business opportunity is often one of the easiest and least expensive ways to start a business. Kay Bauer is a Eau Claire, Wisconsin, entrepreneur who has successfully owned and operated three businesses: Impact Advertising (an existing business which she purchased), which sells promotional products like mugs, pens and other trinkets that companies use to promote their business names; The Balloon Connection (a business which she started on her own and later sold), which offers an alternative to flowers by using balloons to create bouquets and other decorative items; and Trophies+ (a company which she also began on her own and continues to operate), which sells plaques and awards. One bit of advice that Bauer would offer to would-be entrepreneurs who must choose between starting from scratch, buying an existing business, or purchasing a franchise or business opportunity: "Do your homework." Bauer didn't attempt to make a purchasing decision on her own. She talked to friends who were operating businesses. She hired financial advisors to help her make an informed choice. And she did a lot of legwork. "I had to get all kinds of figures together on what it would cost if I started my own business: the fees that were necessary; how much it would cost to obtain new clients, compared to the value of existing customers; how much time it would take for me to develop a reputation, to develop contacts; etc." Because Bauer knew exactly what she was purchasing, and was able to compare the cost of this purchase to the cost of going it alone, she was able to make an informed decision. The same considerations you would make in purchasing an existing business are applicable when considering a franchise. With a franchise, though, it pays to be extra cautious and to be certain that you understand the different provisions in the franchise contract. One of the primary reasons that Bauer shied away from franchising was the issue of control. "I just felt that I had far more control over what I did," she says. "I was lucky that I had enough financial resources that I could do it without backing from someone else." Bauer offers three additional tips to those who are considering which of the options is best for them: 1) Don't skimp on research. "I see a lot of people who start a business because they think it's `neat.' You have to research your business. If there are 100 companies in the same town that do what you do, chances are you're not going to be extremely successful. You have to find out how unique your company is. Check out your competition." 2) Invest in expert advice. "I've used the same consultants each time I've started a business. As much as it cost me, it's paid off every time; I got more information from them than I could have from anybody else." 3) If you're buying an existing business, a business opportunity or a franchise, give specific consideration to the established reputation of the business. "Buying a bad reputation is not a smart way to do business--it takes hunting to find out about a business reputation." There are a number of ways to do this. First, ask around; chances are you'll be able to unearth information simply through word of mouth. You may also wish to obtain a list of the company's suppliers and gather information from them. You should also contact the Better Business Bureau and your local chamber of commerce. Regardless of the route you take, Bauer emphasizes that "any business is your reputation." Take the decision seriously and rely on the many resources available to help you make an informed choice. How to Buy a Business: Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition, by Richard A. Joseph, Anna M. Nekoranec, and Carl H. Steffens (Dearborn Publishing, $19.95, 800-235-8866). Start Up & Stay Up (audio cassette set), by Shari Posey. Successful entrepreneurs share their secrets. $52.95, postage paid. Order through the Small Business Resource Center at http://www.webcom.com/seaquest/sbrc/reports.html, or fax requests to (818) 359-0103. The Small Business Start-Up Guide, by Robert Sullivan (Information International, $14.95, 800-536-6162). | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/21252 |
When does Shipwrecked 2019 start on TV and who are the contestants? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email It's been a long seven years without it but Shipwrecked is finally making it's return. The E4 reality show will see a fresh batch of adventurous young castaways competing on two paradise islands in the South Pacific to be in with a chance of winning a share of 50,000. The 15-part series will air on weeknights beginning at 9pm on Monday January 28 and will be narrated by Strictly Come Dancing star and Capital FM host Vick Hope. Described as the 'ultimate popularity contest', two tribes - Sharks and Tigers - will battle it out to be the largest tribe at the end of the competition by winning over new arrivals to join their team. (Image: Channel 4) By the end of each episode, the newbies will have to decide which tribe they want to join. Sounds simple but bosses say that "in Shipwrecked, anything can happen". The original show ran for eight series between 1999 and 2012 in various revamped forms. Liv Age: 19 Occupation: Waitress From: Manchester A local lass, 19-year-old Liv is Manchester's connection to the brand new series. She said she wanted to apply for the because she "needed something different" in her life but Liv reckons she got picked because she is "different" and her humble upbringing. "I am from a council estate and I have never done anything like this before. I am a very strong person, I know who I am and what I am about. If I want something I will get it," she said. "They probably thought heres a young girl, she is 19, she can hold her own and so lets throw her on the island and see what happens!" Liv describes herself as kind-hearted and funny but also has an "attitude problem" and a bit of a "hot-head". Harry (Image: Channel 4) Age: 26 Occupation: Model From: London Model Harry says he is a "enigmatic person" which he thinks got him the gig. The 26-year-old may have some inside knowledge as he says he used to watch Shipwrecked "back in the day" and has a few friends who have also appeared on the programme. Kush (Image: Channel 4) Age: 26 Occupation: Recruitment manager From: London "Eclectic, outgoing and energising" is how 26-year-old Kush likens himself. The recruitment manager already has a very interesting claim to fame. When he was 17-years-old, Kush was signed, along with his band, by Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and the girl groups manager Simon Fuller. He said: "It was amazing. I thought my life was made. . I used to go to Geris house to rehearse. "She was really nice, crazy fun and I got to hang out with her. But one of our band members left and so we disbanded." Hollie (Image: Channel 4) Age: 24 Occupation: Social Media Influencer From: Kent Social media influencer Hollie, who describes herself as "caring, kind and outgoing" says that her experience made her realise that social media and a phone isn't needed all the time - despite her job. She said: "I didnt miss having a phone. I missed not having a camera and being able to capture moments. "As I didnt have a phone, I could focus on myself so much more. My memories are so much clearer because I wasnt looking at anything through a mobile phone. "I was looking at everything through my eyes. It was an amazing experience." The 24-year-old also teased that she may not have left the island single, so watch this space. Kalia (Image: Channel 4) Age: 20 Occupation: Full time model and part time working in a Chinese takeaway From: Bedfordshire Kalia describes herself as being "stubborn and honest" but thinks she earned her place on the show by going against stereotypes. The 20-year-old said: "I defy a lot of stereotypes. I am 5 foot 2, I didnt go to University, I am British/Chinese, I play football and I am a bit different." Kalia has also expressed interest at continuing with a potential TV career with her dream job being in Eastenders. "I would love to go into TV. I would love to be in EastEnders and I am going to see what happens," she said. "I dont want to limit myself. I want to do anything and everything. I want to be different to how other reality TV stars do it." Chris (Image: Channel 4) Age: 24 Occupation: CEO of Strawberries and Creem Events From: London Chris says that he wanted to go on Shipwrecked because he "wanted a break from everything". The 24-year-old, who is a CEO of a musical festival, added that being on the show was "amazing therapy" following the death of his mum. "She died four months before I went and while I was out there," Chris said. "I felt I was so close to her. It did help my grieving process." Emma (Image: Channel 4) Age: 21 Occupation: Student From: Uppingham Publishing and English graduate Emma says she is "opinionated, unapologetic and funny" but found her Shipwrecked experience a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. "I think emotions ran so high. It was the intensity of the environment and the smallest thing could mean the biggest deal," she said. "I only got into one proper argument and looking back now, it seemed so ridiculous! But at the time it was the biggest deal ever." Tom (Image: Channel 4) Age: 20 Occupation: Student From: Devon Student Tom has a pretty busy life it seems. The 20-year-old is studying industrial design at Loughborough University as well as training for the Marines. Tom said that his experience was "interesting" and that he became overwhelmed when people got upset - over food. "I was quite overwhelmed about everyone being very emotional," he said. "Everyone was crying over a packet of crisps! I am not used to seeing people bawl their eyes out over anything." Big T (Tula) (Image: Channel 4) Age: 26 Occupation: Part-time wig-maker From: London "Caring, entertaining and competitive," Tula, aka Big T, admits that she had a big fight with another contestant on the first night - eek - and said it was her worst moment in the show. She has also said that she would love to forge a career in TV. Tula said: "My ultimate goal is to do presenting and have my own talk show. I would also love to go on another adventure." | https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/shipwrecked-2019-start-tv-who-15709997 |
Why hasnt the Northwests snowpack declined? | The study, published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, found that although climate change should have caused a steep decrease in snowpack, naturally occurring, decadeslong weather variations shielded the Cascades, Sierras and Rockies from some of the effects. Although snow stations have recorded some decline, it hasnt been statistically significant. But according to the study, without this natural weather variation, snowpack in Oregon could have declined between 18 percent and 54 percent over the last 35 years. The West has a wet season and a dry season and relies on wintertime snowpack for summertime water, so this could have drastic impacts on the region. Nick Siler, a climate scientist at Oregon State University and an author on the study, says Oregon could be hit particularly hard when this trend reverses because it tends to snow in Oregon when temperatures are close to freezing, not far below freezing. It wouldnt take much warming to tip that snow to rain. Its important to note that this study looked at snowpack on April 1. Siler and his team also broke down snow seasonally, and as many skiers and snowboarders have noted, the snow seems to be coming later and later. But the snowpack present on April 1 is the snow that will get the West through the summer. April 1 snowpack declined in Oregon by an average of 14 percent across the study period but Siler cautions the margin of error is so large that the decline isnt statistically significant. To figure out why the Wests snowpack stayed strong, Siler and his colleagues looked at how April 1 snowpack has changed since 1983, the first year for which there is good data. In the 35 years covered in the study, the western U.S. warmed by more than 1 degree Celsius, so its not as though climate change just passed the West by. Siler and his colleagues then looked at sea surface temperatures in the Pacific, which can drive air currents and precipitation across the Western U.S. The pattern that they saw, a warmer Western Pacific and a cooler Eastern Pacific, is associated with La Nia-like conditions. La Nia generally means a cooler, wetter winter for the Pacific Northwest. Temperatures have been slightly cooler than they would have been, in the absence of these circulation trends, says Siler, but the bigger signal is in precipitation. Put simply, even if its a little bit warmer, as long as it stays below freezing, wetter years can bring more snow. Siler says that when that masking effect goes away, we could experience substantial declines in April 1 snowpack. Siler says its hard to know what itll look like when this weather trend ends, but its possible that total snowpack could decline very, very rapidly. Though, notes Siler, there will always be a lot of year-to-year variability. I dont want to give the impression that were predicting an immediate shift into a regime where snowpack is going to become quite scarce. But my strong feeling is that in the last 35 years, the trends that weve seen are not a good predictor of the trends were likely to see over the next 35, says Siler. When exactly these significant declines will appear is impossible to say. | https://crosscut.com/2019/01/why-hasnt-northwests-snowpack-declined |
Why does it matter that Bachelor Colton Underwood is a virgin? | If youre watching this season of The Bachelor, youve learned by now that leading man Colton Underwood is a 26-year-old virgin. The former NFL players virginity is a focal point of Season 23, with ABC using his sexual inexperience as a major storyline. Before the series kicked off on Jan. 7, the networks promo material included multiple references to his status as a virgin, and even the tag line, What does he have to lose? So far, a few episodes in, Underwoods virginity has been brought up on group dates and one-on-one dates, at cocktail parties and in conversation with host Chris Harrison. In other words, its been talked about a lot. According to Laura M. Carpenter, a sociology professor at Vanderbilt University and author of Virginity Lost: An Intimate Portrait of First Sexual Experiences, Underwoods chastity is unusual, and Bachelor producers know that. Hes conventionally handsome, hes an athlete, hes all these things that signal masculinity, and in our culture, another signal of masculinity is someone with great sexual prowess, Carpenter said to Global News. On The Bachelor, where a group of strangers compete for the affection of one person, sexual attraction is the driving force of the show. Watching a virgin bachelor navigate romance is new, and its a trait that makes Underwood unique. Because we see male virginity as especially strange, or more unusual than female virginity, [Underwoods virginity] becomes a story, Carpenter explained. Its a story in part because of the kind of guy that he is. WATCH BELOW: Colton Underwood The Bachelor Season 23 Jess OReilly, a Toronto-based sex and relationship expert, said societys interest in Underwoods virginity is reflective of our larger fascination with sex. Talking about virginity is an excuse to talk about sex, she said to Global News. Many of us feel conflicted when it comes to sex, as we feel that were supposed to be having it and be highly skilled at it, yet at the same time, were judged for our sexuality. The concept of virginity is therefore appealing, as it supposedly offers some clarity without conflict. Underwood, who is from Indianapolis, Ind., says the reason he hasnt had sex is that he hasnt had the right opportunity with the right person. While the athlete insists hes not saving himself for marriage, he is waiting to be in love. READ MORE: Drinking in excess can disrupt your sex life heres how According to Carpenter, Underwoods beliefs align with the notion that virginity is a gift. There are these different metaphors that people use to talk about virginity, she explained. That virginity is a special gift that you save and give to somebody you love in return for their love and affection is a very common story, and one that more woman subscribe to than men. Underwood has admitted that being a twenty-something virgin is uncommon, especially in the world of professional sports. Hes said he has experienced stigma around his virginity and used to lie about sex to peers. WATCH BELOW: Top 5 Bachelor Breakdowns The [Bachelor] is really interesting because its playing into this sort of mocking him, sort of praising him [theme] like this is kind of wonderful and special, but its also kind of weird,' Carpenter said. In our culture, there are these diverse ways of thinking about sex and about virginity in particular; you cant just make fun of it, and you cant just say its wonderful. You kind of have to have a story for everybody. While once embarrassed about his virginity, Underwood, who first appeared on Becca Kufrins season of The Bachelorette in 2018, and later that year on Bachelor in Paradise, is now leaning into the virgin storyline. On social media, the reality star has poked fun at himself, while also earnestly answering questions about his decision. We talked about my virginity, there was a hot tub, and a rose ceremony. https://t.co/mTjKaRbxi0 Colton Underwood (@colton) January 15, 2019 Whos watching @BachelorABC right now?! Colton Underwood (@colton) January 15, 2019 But while Underwood may appear to be OK with his sexual beliefs being on full display, Carpenter said the way The Bachelor is framing Underwoods virginity is different from how they would position a womans. Historically, weve seen female virginity as more necessary, as almost tantalizing, and theres this sort of myth or narrative in the culture of men wanting to introduce women to the wonders of sex, Carpenter said. If it were a woman, I dont think [producers] would be able to quite push [this virginity narrative] so far, about how unusual or strange this is, or that this would be the lynchpin on which this entire season rests. [email protected] | https://globalnews.ca/news/4849248/colton-underwood-bachelor-virginity/ |
Should churches support Christian singles who want to adopt? | Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin The Body of Christ should rally around single Christians who want to adopt because with the support of the wider church family, that child will grow up in a very healthy family context," an author and theologian said. Some single people in our churches will be in a position where they can adopt, and they're going to need help with that, Sam Alberry, apologist and writer for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, said in a recent video posted by The Gospel Coalition. The church really should be wanting to support and help people as they seek to do that. Because there are always going to be more children needing adoption than there will be two parent families so you can take them, its a wonderful thing if a single Christian is able to adopt, Alberry said, but it will take the backing and support of a church family to do it really well. He pointed out that Pslam 68 states that God sets the lonely in families and that's not primarily just talking about a biological nuclear family, but the people of God as a whole. A single person may be thinking, Well, I'm just a mum or I'm just a dad and I can't do the role of both parents, he said. But actually, with the support of the wider church family, that child should be growing up in a very, very healthy family context. Its a great thing for Christian singles to adopt, the Why Bother with Church author said, but the church must rally alongside them. There'll be areas where the single person is limited and the church can help, he explained. There will be people in the church who will be thinking, Well, it wouldn't be practical for me to adopt, but I could really help someone else who does. I hope it will be something the whole church family rallies around and gets behind. Alberry clarified that single parents arent in a unique category when it comes to needing the support of the church: Kids who grow up in families where they've been born into the family, they need the support of the church family, too, he said. All parents need a church family. Theologian John Piper previously weighed in on the issue of whether Christian singles should adopt, explaining that its better to have one parent than no parents, but stressed that motives matter. I think children can be used to gratify impulses that are probably selfish, he cautioned, adding that there are just a lot of factors when it comes to adoption. But the principle here what makes me open to it is that there are many desperate children in the world, he added. And there are possibilities for singles to make a life better for them than they would have otherwise. Piper went on to argue that the church should come alongside single parents so that caregiving would become a corporate effort, not just an isolated person effort. So say you have a single guy or a single mom, and they want to be there for the child as much as they can be, he said. Well, maybe a family who can't adopt a child could keep the child eight hours a day. Neither is ideal, but it's better than what the child had. | https://www.christianpost.com/news/should-churches-support-christian-singles-who-want-to-adopt.html |
Does Super Bowl LIII Referee Assignment Favor Either Patriots Or Rams? | Both New England Patriots fans and Los Angeles Rams supporters had issues with the officiating assignments for the conference championships games, and yet, both teams overcame the zebra (or got their help, in the Rams case) and advanced to Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta. The NFL announced referee John Parry, who is in his 12th season as a referee and 18th as an official, will lead the officiating crew for one of the most-watched sporting events on the planet. Super Bowl LIII officiating assignments are confirmed John Parry has been named #SBLIII referee. Congratulations to all! AL pic.twitter.com/STZDanNcAr NFL Officiating (@NFLOfficiating) January 15, 2019 Parry doesnt have the baggage that Bill Vinovich or Clete Blakeman do, but he did have a rather questionable call in the NFC Divisional Round between the Rams and the Dallas Cowboys. During the second quarter, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott dropped back to pass and was grabbed by his own offensive lineman, which caused Parry to whistle the play dead, crediting the Rams with a sack even though Prescott still had the opportunity to wiggle away and make a play. Always keep your QB safe pic.twitter.com/ly9m0o8ZkM The Checkdown (@thecheckdown) January 13, 2019 Oof. Not the best call. After the game, Parry said he made the call in order to protect Prescott, who was in the grasp with a defender coming. LA fans certainly arent upset with the assignment. Since Parry became a referee in 2007, New England is 9-5 in games hes called, while the Rams are 7-0, according to Pro Football Reference. The Patriots went 0-1 this year when Parry had the call, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers, 17-10, in Week 15. Parry also served as head referee in Super Bowl XLVI, when the New York Giants defeated the Patriots, 21-17, per ESPNs Field Yates. Thumbnail photo via Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports Images | https://nesn.com/2019/01/does-super-bowl-liii-referee-assignment-favor-either-patriots-or-rams/ |
Can Black Panther win Best Picture at the Oscars? | And the nominees are... Black Panther is the first superhero movie to be nominated for the Oscar for Best Picture. It's already a cultural phenomenon, a critical success and a billion-dollar box office sensation. As announced Monday, Black Panther is up against BlacKkKlansman, The Favourite, Green Book, Vice, Bohemian Rhapsody and A Star is Born for the best picture of 2018. Check out the full list of nominees here. Enlarge Image Marvel Effects-driven blockbusters do win Oscars, of course. They just tend to be confined to the technical Oscars, for visual effects and sound design and so on. This year, Black Panther joins Avengers: Infinity War, First Man, Ready Player One and Solo: A Star Wars Story on the shortlist for best visual effects. Panther is also up for production design, costume design, sound editing, sound mixing, music, and best song. Without taking away from the achievements of the movie magicians rewarded for their skill and creativity in individual areas, best picture and best director remain the pinnacle of the awards season. And Black Panther deserves to challenge for the big awards. Genre flicks can win these headline awards. The Oscars are often associated with worthy dramas like Spotlight or 12 Years a Slave, but winners like Avatar and Gravity and last year's The Shape of Water show sci-fi and fantasy aren't necessarily an outside bet for the Best Picture award. Meanwhile box office success didn't rule out Best Picture winners like Titanic and Braveheart. What's more, Black Panther, for all its adrenaline-fuelled action and CG effects, is more than a superpowered beat-'em-up. Like BlacKkKlansman and Green Book, it tackles timely and relevant questions of race and prejudice. Where those other films examine the subject through a historical lens, Black Panther looks at the here and now. The scene in which African artifacts are reclaimed from a British museum gives a succinct take on the bearing of colonial history on the present. And the whole Afrofuturist premise of Wakanda's highly advanced nation gives a glimpse at a possible future for the people scarred by that history. On top of that, Black Panther is written, directed and largely created by black filmmakers. In a year the movie industry has had to take a long hard look at itself, the story of who's behind the camera is as important as the story unfolding on screen. So if Academy voters want timely subtext and positive representation as well as a thrilling story and cinematic verve, it's all there between the punches and one-liners. Enlarge Image Marvel Films Of course, Black Panther doesn't have to win an Oscar. Director Ryan Coogler and the folks at Marvel are probably pretty happy with the billion dollars Black Panther raked in at the box office, the rapturous reception from audiences and the near-universal critical acclaim. And those who've been thrilled and empowered by the film don't need a stamp of approval from the Academy. An Oscar, at this point, would be merely the icing on the cake. Besides, awards may actually be the last bastion against Disney and Marvel's total cultural domination. As much as we love superheroes and blockbuster shared universes, they're increasingly crowding out anything that isn't a remake or sequel from the big screen. So you could argue smaller and riskier original feature films need the boost that awards buzz gives them. If the Baftas and the Golden Globes and the Oscars remind jaded viewers that the big screen is made for more than superheroes, it might motivate us to try a wider variety of movies. Now playing: Watch this: How Marvel made 'Black Panther' look so amazing And may stop us from staying on the sofa with Netflix, too. Which brings us to Netflix's Roma. Now available to stream to your TV or laptop or phone, Alfonso Cuaron's spellbinding drama is a cinematic triumph and richly deserves its best picture consideration. Regardless, a win for Netflix's Roma could also be seen as the start of a new era, as the highest bastion of the movie industry acknowledges a changing industry. Whichever film wins, Monday's nominations signal some timely changes for movies. It remains to be seen who the winners are -- not just on Feb. 24 but in the future of features. Culture: Your hub for everything from film and television to music, comics, toys and sports. Movie Magic: The secrets behind the scenes of your favorite films and filmmakers. | https://www.cnet.com/news/can-black-panther-win-best-picture-at-the-oscars/ |
Who Should Win the 2019 Pritzker Prize? | It's a new year, and as we inch closer to February speculation has begun to swirl around who will be named next laureate(s) of the Pritzker Prize. What used to be a somewhat predictable award has become less so in recent years, and if you look at who has won you will realize that anything is possible. We want to hear from our readers - not just about who probably will win the prize, but about who should win the prize, and why. Cast your vote in the poll below - or add in the dark horses you think deserve the honor in 2019. | https://www.archdaily.com/909855/who-should-win-the-2019-pritzker-prize |
Could recently discovered street art in Gloucestershire be the work of Banksy? | Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email A new artwork discovery in Gloucestershire has led some to question whether the anonymous street artist Banksy has returned to the county. Nestled away under Ryeford Bridge in Stonehouse, visible from the cycle path, Gloucestershire residents can visit the spot to judge for themselves whether this is the work of the satirical street artist and social commentator. One person, upon seeing a picture of the work, said: "Banksy been here." We think it is probably unlikely the street art is by Banksy. One person did suggest a name for the artist responsible: "Pranksy perhaps?" It would not be the first time that Gloucestershire has featured a Banksy original. 'Spy Booth,' was a piece of wall art painted by Banksy on the side of a Grade II listed building on Hewlett Road in 2014, before it was removed. It depicted three men listening in to the telephone conversations of members of the public who used the phone box; possibly in relation to the proximity of GCHQ. You can contact us at [email protected] or via our Facebook and twitter pages. | https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/cheltenham-news/banksy-gloucestershire-new-art-bristol-2456066 |
Should dashboard cameras be compulsory? | I REFER to the tragic Penang Bridge incident where dashboard cameras assisted in reconstructing the crash. The downside is that there is added cost but those who can afford cars should be able to afford this as well. This should be studied before any regulation. The most important benefit is that the cameras will be universal eyes for enforcement. It might change the way people drive. If a person commits an error on the road which results in a crash, the police will have easy access to some solid evidence. Let us look at this intervention from all angles before we decide. Prof Dr Krishnan Rajam Penang | https://www.thesundaily.my/opinion/should-dashboard-cameras-be-compulsory-DF412731 |
Is DCP Midstream a Buy? | Last year was a roller coaster for DCP Midstream (NYSE: DCP). Units of the midstream master limited partnership (MLP) were up more than 25% at one point before plunging to end the year, finishing down more than 25%. As a result of that sell-off, DCP Midstream now has a cheaper valuation and a higher yield that's currently up to 9.3%. While that payout certainly looks attractive, income seekers need to know that this high yield comes with a higher risk profile. In light of that, it might not be the best option for their portfolio. Two men holding signs with arrows pointing up and down with buy and sell written above them. More Image source: Getty Images. Drilling down into DCP Midstream DCP Midstream is one of the largest gathering and processing companies in the country, with operations spanning across several fast-growing oil and gas producing regions, including the Permian Basin, DJ Basin, and STACK/SCOOP play of Oklahoma. It's also one of the largest producers of natural gas liquids (NGLs). What sets the company apart from many others in the midstream sector is how it makes its money. While most midstream MLPs mainly collect fee-based income as volumes flow through their systems, a significant portion of DCP Midstream's revenue comes from commodity-based margins, which is the difference between what it pays for a raw commodity like liquids-rich natural gas and the price it sells higher-valued products like NGLs. Those margins tend to ebb and flow with commodity prices, which can have a big impact on DCP Midstream's cash flow. Overall, DCP Midstream gets about 60% of its earnings from fee-based assets and the other 40% from margin-based activities. That's a much higher percentage than most midstream companies, which target getting less than 15% of their income from commodity margins. While DCP Midstream uses hedging contracts to cut its commodity price exposure in half, it still has greater exposure to price volatility than most peers. Last year's plunge in oil prices sent units of DCP Midstream plummeting since those lower prices will have a negative impact on the company's cash flow. A gas pipeline under construction. More Image source: Getty Images. Working hard to reduce this exposure In addition to hedging half of its commodity price exposure, DCP Midstream has taken several other steps to reduce the risk that a prolonged slump in commodity prices would force the company to cut its lucrative dividend to investors. One way it has done that is by maintaining conservative financial metrics. For example, the company covered its distribution by a healthy 1.35 times during the third quarter, which is well above the 1.2 times target of most MLPs. In addition, DCP Midstream's leverage ratio stood at a comfortable 3.6, while many peers aim for a leverage ratio of 4. | https://news.yahoo.com/dcp-midstream-buy-154900464.html |
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