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Why are France and Germany renewing their vows? | The leaders of France and Germany are poised to sign a treaty Tuesday renewing their friendship and pledging greater cooperation between their two nations. Advertising German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron will sign the Aachen accord exactly 56 years after their predecessors inked the Elysee Treaty that set the tone for the two countries relations after centuries of fierce rivalry and bloody conflict. In the 16-page accord, Berlin and Paris declare its time to raise their bilateral relations to a new level and prepare for the challenges that both states and Europe face in the 21st century. It comes at a time when the Europe Union, including its two founding members Germany and France, are struggling with rising nationalism that threatens to tear the bloc apart. Advertising The location of the signing is heavy with symbolism: Aachen, located on Germanys western borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, was founded by the Romans, making it part of the first pan-European state. By the Middle Ages it had become the favored residence of Charlemagne, whose Frankish empire spanned much of what is now France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Austria and the Benelux nations. A thousand years later, many of those countries would come together again to form the predecessor of the present-day European Union. The city was also repeatedly occupied by France and is known there by the name Aix-la-Chapelle. The Elysee Treaty of 1963 _ signed 18 years after the end of World War II by French President Charles de Gaulle and West German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer _ helped forge a partnership thats become the engine of European integration, though one that hasnt always run smoothly. The new treaty was first announced by Macron in September 2017 in a sweeping speech detailing his ambitions to revive Europe _ still grappling with the shock of Britains referendum to leave the EU, and U.S. President Donald Trumps persistent attacks on Americas long-time allies across the Atlantic. In her weekly address Saturday, Merkel said she and Macron believe that the world has changed dramatically and we want to draw on what Germany and France have already achieved together. Macrons office said the treaty is a major symbol aimed at showing the Franco-German motor is still going strong despite the difficult terrain in the EU, with Britain leaving the bloc and nationalism on the rise in several member states. While parts of the treaty deal with mundane issues along the two countries 450-kilometer (280-mile) border, Merkel said its also intended to help tackle global challenges such as climate change and international security. To this end, France and Germany pledge to increase cooperation in the areas of foreign and defense policy, fighting crime and terrorism, international development and research. The accord is vague on many of the practical details, but one point that has raised eyebrows elsewhere in Europe is the call for France to support Germanys bid for a permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council. Merkels spokesman, Steffen Seibert, rejected the idea that such bilateral arrangements between two countries _ home to just 30 percent of the EUs population _ could irritate other member states. Germany and France also and explicitly want the intensification of their relations in this treaty to service the project of European unification, he told reporters Monday. The careful wording of the treaty reflects different attitudes in Paris and Berlin. A top French official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in accordance with the French presidencys customary practice, acknowledged that France would prefer to accelerate changes in Europe and see the treaty as one more step toward broader reforms. Merkel, famous for her step-by-step approach to politics, is wary of the impact that a perceived surrender of German sovereignty might have on European and state elections later this year. For decades a bastion of political stability, Germany has seen the rise of a populist, far-right party in recent years thats hostile to the idea of European integration. Macron, meanwhile, faces discontent at home in the form of the yellow vest protesters _ some of whom have circulated misleading claims about the Aachen treaty on social media. Germany is being held up as the old enemy again by some, said Daniela Schwarzer, director of the German Council on Foreign Relations. She added that one of the big challenges will be selling the Aachen accord to other European countries. The treaty is likely to have the biggest impact on people living in the border regions of France and Germany, where cross-border public transport and support for bilingual schools will be boosted. Businesses, too, are welcoming the accord. Eric Schweitzer, head of the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce, said both countries economies could benefit. Germany is Frances biggest trading partner. And France is Germanys second biggest export market. Strengthening the EU, with its common market, is important to German companies at a time of growing protectionist sentiment, said Schweitzer. He also noted plans to increase cooperation on training and education, which could improve cross-border labor mobility. Advertising About 4,000 German companies employ more than 300,000 people in France, with a turnover of more than 150 billion euros ($170 billion) a year. | https://indianexpress.com/article/world/why-are-france-and-germany-renewing-their-vows-5550826/ |
Where Do Account People Go? | Last year, I examined my Linkedin network to see where my creative peers had gone with their advertising careers. The analysis and its results were surprising to me, plus I got back in touch with folks I hadnt spoken to in decades. Several were surprised I could now do math. This year, I tackle the same exercise with my account management friends, combing through connections to see where people have gone, how many are still at agencies, at consultancies, or moved on to other roles. Research sample: Of my 1,900+ connections, ~120 were account executives when I first met them. As in the creative study, I only consider people with 15 years minimum experience in the industry. Obviously, my statistics are biased towards my experiences and the people and firms with whom I spent the most time. I then did eight interviews to understand why and give context. Here are my findings: Theyre still in agencies. About 50% of account people in my network are still in classically-named advertising, marketing, media or digital agencies, such as Ogilvy, BBDO, R/GA, Digitas, Horizon or Merkle. Thats a bit lower than I expected. Another 8% have gone to media platforms such as Amazon, Facebook or Essence. Only about 6% started their own firm, which is lower than the creatives (14%). About 8% are currently independent consultants, substantially lower than creatives. Theyre also at the consultancies. As you can read in any trade, a fair number of folks (12% in my roster) have moved to a consulting firm like I have. Many of my peers, from creative to planning to account management, are now at Accenture, Deloitte or its owned agencies and several others at IBM and PWC. So if you count these as agencies, then youve really got a whopping 62% still at agencies and, adding in those contracting as indies, almost 70% in account roles. Theyre the client. 22% of my network of former account managers, however, have gone client-side to a major marketer or a marketing role at a non-profit, far higher than creatives, but lower than some I interviewed expected. Two people told me they were asked by their clients to join their organization, which is surely a sign youre doing something right. About 11 are currently Chief Marketing Officers, and several more have been in the last five years. A fair number are at non-profits or brands focused on a passion or purpose. You'll hear from several of these now-clients down below. They shifted roles. At agencies and client-side, I found a large number of folks taking on different roles than traditional account or brand management, though, admittedly still in a marketing context. For example, several run operations or serve as chief digital officer or work in research. One is a chief innovation officer. One is an ethnographer. One is an executive recruiter. One is in HR. One, however, is an investigator at the FCC. As with the creative talent research, I wanted to hear from several who made shifts: Adam Gargani was an account supervisor when I was a baby copywriter at FCB/Leber Katz. We worked on Rayovac batteries, making TV, radio, print, coupon ads and even early e-commerce. Now Adam leads EVergreen 9, a research and brand consultancy. For him, it wasnt actually a career change into research, but a "natural path of my professional development. On the accounts I worked, I spent more time developing strategy and understanding markets than producing advertising." Allison Knapp Womack has worked in account management at multiple agencies, including Wunderman, Ogilvy and Doremus, where she was president of the New York office before becoming the global strategy officer. She credits the confluence of three factors agency experience + business school + outside board positions on finding what would be next for her. Shes now CMO of Enterprise Community Partners, which delivers capital, programs and advocacy for affordable housing. Her financial services and nonprofit clients were a great background to have, and so was her volunteer board work in international development, children's rights and equality for girls. Allison's answer to when you know its time to switch: "When your volunteer work becomes more compelling than your day job, its telling. Paul Suchman has held senior account and strategy roles at WPP and Omnicom and was global CMO of commercial real estate icon CBRE. Pauls trajectory has been all B2B, also including technology, financial services, professional services, and manufacturing. He sees a lot of parallels among them complex challenges, disparate business lines, global footprint, competing agendas. Done well, he says, Creativity and strategy become a secret weapon for these organizations. He sees differences not just in culture between corporate and agency, but in career fit. "When youre an agency person, youre the consummate undergraduate. You work on a portfolio of accounts and you change your focus depending which client is most important that day. When you become the CMO, you have picked a major. Pauls advice is to make the decision by mid-career if you want to be a consummate undergrad or declare a major. Rich Kim worked on the Cisco Systems team at Ogilvy with me. He stayed for 10 years, transitioning from account management to strategy and planning. There, his activities, conversations and deliverables were more embedded in a CMO context, which made it a natural shift to client-side brand marketing at Hulu. Now hes a director of marketing at Amazon Prime Video doing a lot in social, media and measurement (and where theyre obviously having quite an awards season!). Rich sees account management roles as a plus on multiple fronts: first, it's great for client service (i.e., no matter where you are, you have clients); secondly, it helps you learn to be a good operator, with an ability to execute. Marketers can struggle when they don't understand the creative process or experience first-hand things even as specific as production issues, musical licensing, and more. Third, from his time on the other side of the table, he thinks he can now help get the best out of agencies. Interestingly, while my stats were just 22% who went client-side, Richs instinct is that the client-side marketing world is more like 50% of people with agency account experience. Andrea Derby and I worked together on the British Airways business at Ogilvy, and then she went to BBDO. Shes now Director of Advertising and Brand at UPS. There is such a great opportunity to make a business impact on the client side. And working at agencies is great training for client roles. Agencies teach you how to lead and collaborate. And they also give you a creative foundation that leaves you curious and always looking for new ways to solve challenges. Susan Chung, former Chief Operating Officer at HNW, a marketing technology firm, was one of the colleagues I spoke to who had made one of the bigger shifts, deep into the operations of a company, farther from classic account management. For her, it was an evolution not a stretch, an opportunity to flex other muscles. "In account management, you are fundamentally running a business within a business managing client/customer relationships, dealing with staffing issues, monitoring budgets and profitability so making the transition into a larger operations role was really about changing my mindset and priorities of the job. While its admittedly far more common to get promoted from finance into key operational roles, the challenges when she met HNW were more growth-oriented rather than fiscal management. Her advice since there are so many interesting opportunities out there: Be open minded about job titles, especially since there are new ones being created every day. Think about the things you love to do when you are at your best and focus more on the responsibilities and the role within the organization. And I wanted to talk understand sticking with account management: I first asked Julie DeAngelis, now at TBWA/Chiat/Day. "My job in account management is to be a connector internally and with clients, she said, "and the agency model fosters that so well. The range of clients has also been appealing for her, across categories, for-profits and non-profits, Fortune 100 companies and smaller ones. "Ive learned something from all of them. My last question was around advice for others. "When youre earlier in your career, money, title and cach can play a big part in where you work," she said. "Im so much more interested in the culture of my agency whats important to them, how do they treat their employees, who do they want to work with. Marketing and advertising is so beyond a 9-6 job that you need to be invested in your work it needs to be your passion. Lastly, I rang my friend John Dunleavy. John is the account persons account person a business-led client partner with a heart for creative. From spirits to software, hes led accounts at Publicis, Grey, Saatchi & Saatchi, McCann and is now Global President of Team IBM at WPP. Hes a wise and candid voice for why account people might want stay as account people. John came into the business for the lunches and stayed for the creativity. What he means is that in London, Saatchi was the it" agency and advertising was glamorous and fun for your career in your 20s. At some point, though, you get serious he said, and when he moved to the states, he started working with David Droga at Publicis. "Its the first time I engaged with serious creative people [with ideas] who not only impacted a clients business but also popular culture and society overall Now the last decade working in tech, hes found that hes working with brands that can impact society if they choose to. "As an agency partner, you have an opportunity to do that. Note: John doesnt like the term account management. He prefers "Business Leadership." Thats what you should be doing. "Strategy and creative have become more important and clients are happy to pay for these because they see value here." To John, its up to good account people to reassert themselves and the role to add real value. Account folk are different. This exercise revealed to me, at least through my reporting, that the differences between creative and account management career paths are significant. In addition to the stronger entrepreneurial instincts of creatives setting up their own shops, I saw more intentional choices by account people. Creative folks are often still in creative because they havent figured out yet what else to do. Account executives who still are account executives really like the problem-solving and their role in the business. They build highly transferrable skills, with the mindset a critical asset to different environments and settings. All this seems to make it easier to constantly tackle different challenges, embrace and find a voice in technology's changing part or move to the client side. Tweet 'em at me. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/matzucker/2019/01/22/account-people/ |
Was soll nur aus dem Brexit werden? | Premierministerin Theresa May hlt trotz ihrer Niederlage im britischen Parlament in der vergangenen Woche stur an ihrem Brexit-Kurs fest. Und auch die EU-Partner in Brssel beharren unnachgiebig auf ihrer Linie. Die wichtigsten Fragen und Antworten. Sie hofft weiter, den Austrittsvertrag mit der Europischen Union durchs Parlament zu bekommen. Sie setzt dabei auf eine mehrgleisige Strategie, bei der beiden Seiten im Brexit-Streit ihr Deal als das kleinere bel erscheinen soll. Fr die EU-freundlichen Abgeordneten malt sie das Schreckens-Szenario eines Brexits ohne Abkommen an die Wand. Den Brexit-Hardlinern droht sie mit einer Abkehr vom EU-Austritt. Gleichzeitig gibt sie beiden Seiten das Gefhl, sich doch noch durchsetzen zu knnen. Im letzten Moment soll ihr mit der EU erzielter Deal dann Zustimmung bekommen - mangels Alternativen. Doch im Moment scheint der Plan nicht aufzugehen. May spielt auf Zeit. Je nher das Austrittsdatum rckt, desto eher bekommt sie zuhause eine Mehrheit fr ihren Deal. Es ist das berhmte "chicken game" - wer zuerst nachgibt, hat verloren. Ihre Sturheit hat May bereits ausgiebig zur Schau gestellt. Sie sitzt nach den berstandenen Misstrauensvoten in der Fraktion und im Parlament relativ stabil im Sattel, auch wenn das Austrittsabkommen vorige Woche mit Pauken und Trompeten durchfiel und die Regierungsmehrheit fehlt. Die Abgeordneten whlen tief in der Trickkiste, um May ihren Willen aufzuzwingen. Das ist nicht ganz einfach, weil die Tagesordnung des Parlaments traditionell von der Regierung festgelegt wird. Dieses Recht wollen die Abgeordneten May nchsten Dienstag bei der Abstimmung ber ihren Plan B vorbergehend aus der Hand reien und selbst die nchsten Schritte vorgeben. Einen Verbndeten haben sie in Parlamentssprecher John Bercow, der die nderungsantrge auswhlt, die zur Abstimmung kommen. Er ist bekannt dafr, die Rechte der Abgeordneten gegen die Regierung zu verteidigen. Gleich mehrere dieser Antrge fordern eine Verschiebung des Brexit-Datums am 29. Mrz, sollte sich ein ungeordneter EU-Austritt abzeichnen. Andere sehen vor, die Parlamentarier ber verschiedene Alternativen zu Mays Deal abstimmen lassen. Die EU-Kommission, die im Namen der 27 bleibenden Mitgliedsstaaten verhandelt, beharrt auf ihrer offiziellen Linie. Der ausgehandelte Vertrag liege auf dem Tisch und knne nicht fr Neuverhandlungen geffnet werden, bekrftigte Kommissionssprecher Margaritis Schinas am Dienstag abermals. Die EU erwarte von Grobritannien, dass "sie sagen, was sie wollen, was sie wirklich, wirklich wollen". Soweit auch die Beschlusslage der EU-Seite. Trotzdem ist dies wohl nicht das letzte Wort. Denn zum einen heit es in Brssel auch immer wieder, man sei zu Gesprchen bereit. Der deutsche Auenminister Heiko Maas sagte zuletzt, da das Brexit-Abkommen im Unterhaus keine Mehrheit gefunden habe, msse man jetzt "weiterarbeiten. Das wollen wir auch. Dazu sind wir bereit." Zum anderen sind auch im Kreis der 27 erstmals Risse sichtbar. Polen wich am Montag pltzlich von der EU-Linie ab und pldierte fr eine Befristung des sogenannten Backstops, der von der EU durchgesetzten und in London kritisierten Garantie fr eine offene Grenze in Irland. Auenminister Maas, sein irischer Kollege und auch die EU-Kommission widersprachen sofort. Und Diplomaten rtselten am Dienstag noch, warum der polnische Auenminister Jacek Czaputowicz mit dem nicht abgestimmten Vorschlag vorpreschte. Aber er zeigt, dass auch die EU ein wenig in der Zwickmhle sitzt. Die Drohkulisse eines Brexits ohne Vertrag wirkt. Aus Polen sind Hunderttausende Brger zum Arbeiten ins Knigreich gezogen, denen bei einem No-Deal-Brexit Unsicherheit droht. Zudem hofft Warschau auf eine starke Sicherheitspartnerschaft der EU mit London. Deutschland hat nicht weniger Grnde, auf ein glimpfliches Ende zu hoffen, vor allem werden Milliardeneinbuen bei Exporten befrchtet. Und schlielich steckt auch Irland in einer paradoxen Situation: Der sogenannten Backstop soll auf Dauer sichern, dass die Grenze zu Nordirland offen bleibt und der Friedensprozess in der frheren Brgerkriegsregion nicht entgleist. Doch wre genau das schon Ende Mrz zu befrchten, wenn kein Austrittsvertrag zustande kommt. "Es ist ziemlich offensichtlich: Man bekommt eine harte Grenze", sagte Kommissionssprecher Schinas. Die EU winkt bereits mit Zugestndnissen, allerdings verknpft mit Bedingungen: Sobald London einen im Unterhaus konsensfhigen Plan prsentiert, knnte man die Verlngerung der Austrittsfrist ber den 29. Mrz hinaus beschlieen. Den Backstop knnte man berflssig machen, wenn Grobritannien seine bisherigen Vorgaben aufgibt und doch in einer Zollunion oder sogar im Binnenmarkt bliebe. In beiden Fllen msste sich vor allem die britische Seite bewegen. Vor allem die Irland-Frage knnte die EU noch mchtig unter Druck setzen, auch wenn Diplomaten das weit von sich weisen. (APA/dpa) | https://diepresse.com/home/ausland/eu/5566783/Was-soll-nur-aus-dem-Brexit-werden?from=rss |
Will Jerry Jones finally make a run at Sean Payton? | Getty Images Last week, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made reference to opportunities that may arise next week when discussing his coaching staff. Well, next week is here. Some insist that Jones was referring not to coach Jason Garrett, but to offensive coordinator Scott Linehan. The fact that the Cowboys fired Linehan last week would tend to undermine that argument, however. The context of the discussion and the broader circumstances point to Garrett. And the speculation in some circles has led to Saints coach Sean Payton as being the person to whom Jones was referring when he mentioned an opportunity that could arise next week. Its next week. And Payton is available. If, of course, the Saints are willing to part with Payton. And if, of course, the Cowboys are willing to compensate the Saints. And if, of course, the Cowboys are willing to compensate Payton. And if, of course, the Cowboys are willing to absorb the scrutiny and the fine that would flow from blatant defiance of the spirit or letter of the Rooney Rule. Still, the nagging sense that Jones will eventually make a run at Payton wont go away. Thats why it makes sense to continue to keep an eye on Dallas, at least for the next week or so. | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/01/22/will-jerry-jones-finally-make-a-run-at-sean-payton/ |
Who has Michigans Best Diner? | It may seem like a thing of the past: A small restaurant with a counter and a wide variety of food, no pretense and full of character. Coffee, breakfast, burgers, milkshakes, pies and even Coney Dogs and Gyros dot the menu, especially in Michigan. Today were announcing our search for Michigans Best Diner. We know theyre out there. Nearly two years ago my Michigans Best colleague, Amy Sherman, published: The must try diners in each of Michigan's 83 counties Now it's time to us to ask for your favorites and then go on the road to visit the finalists and pick a Top 10 list. NOMINATIONS Tell us your favorite diner. We want to find the best food, service, atmosphere and overall experience. No chains please (sorry Dennys). Our goal is to support small, independent businesses. Use the nominations form below to tell us your favorite Michigan Diner, where it is located and what dishes we must try. The nominations deadline is noon Friday, Jan. 25. If you dont see the nomination form on your device, click here to open the story in another browser and scroll to the form. POLLS & VISITS Soon after we have your nominations we will post several regional polls to take your votes. The winner in each poll is guaranteed a visit. But Amy and I will add more finalists as we evaluate all nominees from our own experiences and travel schedule. We'll also consider the "passionate pleas" you make in nominations. Look for our Top 10 picks and other lists in late February. Amy and I are always posting videos, photos and more on our Social Media channels. Here's how to find us: @mlivemibest on Twitter @mlivemibest on Instagram Also, be sure to follow our new MI Best Facebook Page, which you can check out here. In addition: Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail. John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo. Michigan's Best Guide to our searches: Put these 300-plus Michigan restaurants on your list to try in 2019 | https://www.mlive.com/michigansbest/2019/01/who-has-michigans-best-diner.html |
When does Camping start on Sky Atlantic? How can I watch the David Tennant comedy in the UK? | American remakes of British TV shows, from The Office to Being Human, have long been around with varying levels of success and the latest addition to the list is Camping. Camping, which airs on HBO in the US, is set to be broadcast on Sky Atlantic in the UK. The six-part series begins with a double bill at 10pm on Thursday 31st January, and Sky Atlantic will air two episodes per week thereafter. Its a comedy about an excruciating camping trip. Obsessive and controlling Kathryn has organised the couples holiday to celebrate her miserable husband Walts 45th birthday and, you guessed it, its a pretty disastrous experience all round. Doctor Who star David Tennant and 13 Going on 30s Jennifer Garner lead the cast as Walt and Kathryn. Juliette Lewis, Bridget Everett, Bret Gelman, Arturo del Puerto, Janicza Bravo and Duncan Joiner also star in the remake penned by Lena Dunham and Jenni Konner. Lena Dunham is best known for creating and starring in Girls, the Golden Globe-winning, off-beat comedy about the experiences of a group of young women navigating life in their early 20s. The original 2016 series was written by British comic, writer, director and actress Julia Davis, who has also brought us comedies including Sally4Ever, Hunderby and Nighty Night. Tennants character Walt was originally named Robin and was played by Steve Pemberton. Garners character Kathryn was called Fiona and was portrayed with inimitable uptightness by Vicki Pepperdine. Julia Davis herself starred as the scandalous Fay, girlfriend to the lead couples friend Tom (Rufus Jones). The show was nominated for two Baftas in the Best Scripted Comedy and Best Comedy Writer categories. There is indeed and it features a lot of shouting. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-22/camping-sky-atlantic-david-tennant-air-date-time-cast-preview/ |
When is The Mandalorian Star Wars TV series released on Disney+? | Despite whispers of Star Wars fatigue after the release of the most recent spin-off Solo: A Star Wars Story, there is no sign of the Disney train slowing down. Advertisement The Mandalorian, a new TV series set in George Lucas galaxy far far away, is set to be released later in 2019 and there is a lot riding on it. The new show from Jon Favreau (the man behind Disneys recent remakes of The Lion King and The Jungle Book) will be one of the first properties to be launched on Disneys upcoming streaming service, Disney+. Favreau, who serves as writer and executive producer, has called in some big guns to direct the mini-series, including Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok), Deborah Chow (Jessica Jones) and Bryce Dallas Howard (daughter of Solo: A Star Wars Story director Ron Howard) in her directorial debut. Its set to be a major talking point in what is set to be a very Star Wars year, with the release of Episode IX also coming in December 2019. Find out everything you need to know about the new series below. A release date is yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to be one of the big draws on Disneys new streaming service Disney+, which is set to be rolled out in the USA in September 2019. It is as yet unknown whether Disney+ will launch in the UK. So far we only know that it is set to arrive in the US in September 2019. Disney already has an active subscription service in the UK, called DisneyLife. A 4.99 subscription grants access to a catalogue of 450+ Disney movies (including all the original versions of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book and so on). According to an Instagram post from Favreau, the series will be set between the end of the original trilogy and the start of The Force Awakens and will follow a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy. After the stories of Jango and Boba Fett, another warrior emerges in the Star Wars universe, the post reads. The Mandalorian is set after the fall of the empire and before the emergence of the First Order. We follow the travails of a lone gunfighter in the outer reaches of the galaxy far from the authority of the New Republic. The series is reportedly set three years on from the events of Return of the Jedi. Mandalorians are a warrior race indigenous to the planet Mandalore. Bounty Hunters Jango and Boba Fett are the best known Mandalorians to feature in previous Star Wars films. They were not born on Mandalore, but they did sport Mandalorian armour, which explains why the first still from the show (below) has such a Fett-ian vibe to it. The Mandalorians feature prominently in animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. According to Wookiepedia, they regularly come into conflict with the Jedi order, and have aligned with Darth Mauls Shadow Collective (seen briefly in Solo: A Star Wars Story). Narcos and Game of Thrones star Pedro Pascal is set to play the as-yet unnamed lead in the series, while ex-MMA fighter and Deadpool star Gina Carano, Werner Herzog, Nick Nolte, Giancarlo Esposito from Breaking Bad, Emily Swallow, Carl Weathers and Omid Abtahi will all play unknown roles. Favreau has assembled a diverse crew of directors to helm episodes in the series. Check out the list in full below. Deborah Chow: Jessica Jones, Mr. Robot, Flowers in the Attic Jessica Jones, Mr. Robot, Flowers in the Attic Rick Famuyiwa: Dope, Confirmation Dope, Confirmation Bryce Dallas Howard: Directorial debut. Has previously starred in Black Mirror season 3 episode Nosedive and the Jurassic World series Directorial debut. No, not yet, although there have been rumours of a first look pencilled in for spring 2019. Our greatest source of info so far has been Favreaus Instagram account, where he has been sporadically sharing pictures from the set. The most interesting of these is one of IG-88, one of Darth Vaders bounty hunters from The Empire Strikes Back, suggesting that it is set to make a return to the Star Wars universe Advertisement He also released a picture of a weapon, which fans recognised as one that Boba Fett had wielded in the Star Wars Holiday Special from 1978. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2019-01-22/the-mandalorian-star-wars-tv-show-release-date-cast-trailer-plot-preview-disney-plus-streaming-service/ |
Is Resident Evil 2 the Best Survival Horror Game Ever Made? | Resident Evil 2 is out and it is fantastic, which means that it gets a prominent mention on this week's episode of Transition. Games editor Rishi Alwani and friend of the podcast Mikhail Madnani join host Pranay Parab to talk about the game, which is one of the best survival horror games around right now. We begin this episode by talking about Resident Evil, but not the kind of Resident Evil the headline suggests. Then we talk about the best Resident Evil games in the series and which ones you should play before playing Resident Evil 2. Then we mention how Resident Evil 2 is now different from the original game and what you need to watch out for. Next, we talk about the gunplay in Resident Evil 2 since that's what a lot of people will be buying this game for. We look at AI difficulty in this game and mention how easy or difficult it is to kill monsters in this game. We draw a small parallel between Resident Evil 2 and The Last of Us in this episode. We mention the kind of horror in Resident Evil 2 and how much the game uses jump scares. We also briefly talk about Resident Evil 2's story and what changes players can expect from the remake. Finally, we talk about Resident Evil 2 on PS4, Xbox, and PC, and which version people should be buying. Then we end the episode by talking about the games we've been playing this week. This includes Ace Combat 7, Ace Combat 5, Chrono Trigger, Overwatch, Red Dead Redemption 2, and My Name Is Mayo. You can subscribe to Transition via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download this episode,or just listen to it by hitting the play button below. The music for this episode comes via Magnus Souleye Plsson's album PPPPPP, which is the soundtrack for the game, VVVVVV. | https://gadgets.ndtv.com/podcasts/features/is-resident-evil-2-the-best-survival-horror-game-ever-made-1981615 |
How can individual employees prepare for the future of work? | While a lot of leaders like to pontificate about the future of work, it can be hard to know what individual employees need to know. For the individual, a lot of thought leadership around the future of work can seem too vague to matter on a micro level. But the future of work is important for us all. Its how we each choose to prepare for the future that will make the difference. The future of work has already arrived in many ways, so its important for workers to understand the concept itself. Founder of WorkMatters Kevin Empey told Siliconrepublic.com said the major problem around understanding the future of work is the fact that it appears to have become a buzzword. It is a label of convenience used to capture everything from robots to gig working and all the other trends we are seeing rapidly develop in the world of work, he said. One of the more helpful descriptions I have seen for the future of work is the fusion of rapid business adaptability, organisational agility and the changing nature of work and the workplace. Empey said that this description suggests that the future of work comes down to adaptability, agility and being comfortable with change. Naturally, the skills you will need for the future will largely depend on what you want to do, the industry youre in and the experience you have. However, there are some general skills that can help you thrive in the future of work. Empey said that WorkMatters was keen to look into the softer skills that everyone might need regardless of their job. These skills were identified based on the known global qualities of workforce agility and validated through primary research of business leaders and staff of organisations covering more than 150,000 employees, he said. The above diagram shows personal skills such as purposefulness, a learning mindset and changeability. It also shows skills in the social domain such as relationship management and collaboration. These are the more specific skills individuals can look at when evaluating their readiness for the future of work. Empey advises employees to first be more aware of these skills and then be more deliberate about using them more consciously in an effort to improve them. The thing is, we already have these skills and we use them all the time, probably sub-consciously, every day one way or the other, he said. We are just not used to calling them out and mindfully saying these are important, I need to work on them when day-to-day opportunities arise. Examples of putting these skills into action include trying new technology on your next project, learning about a different aspect of the business or finding a mentor who will open up new conversations and test your assumptions. Overall, I think identifying the driving purpose behind yourself and your work is probably the most practical and powerful tip that will serve people well for their future careers and choices, said Empey. Our research clearly showed that those who were self-motivated in their work and driven by something bigger that the job and the task at hand, were those who were most open, creative, resourceful and resilient in dealing with change and the challenges that they encountered. More than upskilling Individual employees should remember that its not all about the skills we need. Individuals should be aware of traits that will help them prepare for the future and will also make it easier to develop these soft skill areas, one of which is self-awareness. This self-awareness around purpose is a prime source of energy, resilience and clarity when it comes to dealing with all the choices, challenges and changes around us, said Empey. It also helps with a second key point which is being open to change, other points of view, other ways of doing things and so on. A third strategy Empey suggests is authentic networking, that is, being quite deliberate in seeking a connection with those who can be of value to you and about you helping them in a generous, mutual and non-favour expecting way. The last point I would make is around health and wellbeing, he said. We need to be able to switch off, recharge and spend time with those close to us, but we also need to find a way of working that is sustainable and healthy both physically and mentally. The solutions and strategies for diet, health and relative fitness are all very individual but the proof is compelling that this is a subject that we need to address for thriving in a fast changing and longer working life. | https://www.siliconrepublic.com/advice/future-of-work-individual-employees |
How can companies get the most value out of personal data? | This week on Leaders Insights, Dr John Ghent tells us how Sytorus helps firms to manage their personal data in a post-GDPR world. Dr John Ghent is co-founder and CEO of data protection firm Sytorus. Sytorus offers a personal data management platform called PrivacyEngine, which aims to give companies everything they need to demonstrate compliance. Educated at Harvard Business School and Maynooth University, Ghent has a wealth of experience in business operations, focusing on governance, infosec and data protection. Before Sytorus, he was director at Accadian and a college lecturer. Implementing a data protection business-as-usual programme is the best way to reduce the risk of large fines DR JOHN GHENT Describe your role and what you do. My primary role as CEO is to grow the company. Much of my job is about setting the strategy for Sytorus with the executive team. From there, I work with the senior management team (SMT) to enable them to get on with their jobs. Sometimes this is simply getting out of their way, and other times it is removing an obstacle for them or ensuring they have the resources they need to do their job. I spend a lot of time with key stakeholders and customers to ensure that we are moving in the right direction. While we believe we are ahead of the competition at the moment, we are working very hard to stay ahead. I have recently set up an R&D function with Sytorus to help with this. Part of my job is to help project our brand and make sure that companies who may be struggling with data protection know that there are solutions like ours out there. For this reason, I spend some time speaking at conferences and events. Sytorus is a very young company and has grown quickly over the past few years. We were founded in 2013 by myself, Mike Morrissey and Hugh Jones, and have grown the company to over 50 staff in four locations: Dublin, London, Stockholm and Frankfurt. This has inevitably led to a heavy workload, but I do think it is very important to make time for family. Weekends generally are sacred. We are in the data protection space, and more and more companies are using more and more personal data. I dont see this trend stopping. The challenge for companies is how to get the most value out of personal data while still respecting individuals fundamental human rights. I believe that these two factors are not mutually exclusive. Implementing a data protection business-as-usual programme is the best way to reduce the risk of large fines and the best way to ensure that you get the most value out of the personal data that you hold. PrivacyEngine, our personal data management platform, is the best tool you can deploy to help with this. Of course, it is hard to have a conversation about this without mentioning the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which came into effect on 25 May. This is causing companies untold challenges. Not least because of the potential fines for non-compliance (up to 20m) but because of the pressure individuals and other companies are putting on each other to be compliant. Weve got a shiny new website for our #DataProtection compliance tool PrivacyEngine. While data protection has been around for some time, the first EU directive was in 1981. This sector is still really struggling to get to grips with how to address compliance. There is an estimated deficit of around 75,000 data protection officers (DPOs) currently, a significant skills shortage. Many new DPOs are themselves struggling with what they should be doing. In Sytorus, we have teams of data protection (DP) specialists around Europe and a platform that can help companies and DPOs deal with this in a structured and methodological way. We provide all the tools they need to start demonstrating compliance and we back it up with direct support from our in-house DP specialists. I completed a PhD in computer science from Maynooth University in 2005. While I learned a lot about machine learning as part of this, the biggest learning was how to address a problem. When the objective is to further a field of study, you have to know the state of the art and then advance it. It is not something you can necessarily read in a book or paper, you have to come up with a solution yourself. This forces you to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills that I still use. For someone like myself who has a natural leaning towards entrepreneurship, this gave me the confidence that I could go out, set up companies and solve bigger problems. That is a hard question to answer. When you are trying to grow as quickly as we are, mistakes are an occupational hazard and something that I just accept will happen. The question is how to react to mistakes once they are identified. Mistakes, once they are identified early enough, are great learning experiences. The biggest mistakes are the ones you dont learn from. Firstly, I try and hire the best people I can find. This applies throughout the entire company but if I look at my SMT, for example, they are all highly capable people with a shared goal. In general, I look for character traits such as motivation, capability, leadership and, perhaps most importantly, humility. If you put a team of people together who share these traits, you will make rapid progress, and that is what we have done. STEM sectors receive a lot of criticism for a lack of diversity in terms of gender, ethnicity and other demographics. As a father of two daughters, I am acutely aware that there is a diversity problem with STEM sectors. My wife, on the other hand, who has a STEM background, is very successful in her career. It is well understood and accepted that diverse teams work better in the long run, and this is something that every CEO should be considering in their hiring process. As a technology-driven data protection company, we have visibility of many sectors. Thankfully, there doesnt seem to be a diversity problem in data protection itself; however, within the tech space, there is a noticeable and well-documented diversity problem. I wouldnt say I have a role model but two that would come to mind would be Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, for completely different reasons. Bill for the fact that he created one of the biggest tech companies in the world and for how he executed a clear vision so effectively. Warren because of the manner that we went about creating his company; he always seems like a down-to-earth, average guy. The thing they have in common is that they both thoroughly loved what they did I think that is really important. If you are not happy with what you are currently doing, change it. I tend to read a lot of non-fiction books, and there are a lot that I would recommend. If I had to shorten the list, I would highly recommend Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari, Superintelligence by Nick Bostrom, Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker and The Fabric of the Cosmos by Brian Greene. Well, my coffee machine, my phone, my Surface, my desktop and my iPad. These keep me connected with my teams and stakeholders, and provide me with the tools I need to do my job. Sign up for Tech Trends, Silicon Republics weekly digest of need-to-know tech news. | https://www.siliconrepublic.com/companies/sytorus-john-ghent |
What's on the cards for Chinese imports and exports in 2019? | In 2019, the global environment is expected to remain complicated, given that unilateralism and protectionism may persist, says Chinese customs official Chinas foreign trade may grow at a slower pace in 2019 owing to global complexities and uncertainty, while its imports are expected to gain momentum from more favourable measures, customs authorities said on 14 January 2019. Last year, Chinas foreign trade volume reached a record high of 30.51 trillion yuan (3.5trn), up 9.7pc year-on-year, according to the General Administration of Customs. The countrys exports jumped 7.1pc to 16.42trn yuan while imports surged 12.9pc to 14.09trn yuan. The trade surplus continued to narrow, shrinking 18.3pc. Administration spokesman Li Kuiwen attributed last years trade expansion to a number of favourable policies and measures amid profound changes in the external environment. China will make a concerted push to import more quality goods and services to meet growing domestic demand and contribute more to the global economy In 2019, the global environment is expected to remain complicated, given that unilateralism and protectionism may persist, said Mr Li, who is also director-general of the department of statistics and analysis of the customs administration. The growth of Chinas foreign trade is likely to slow down this year, as many complex factors and uncertainties remain, he said. The country will continue to improve the quality of its foreign trade while ensuring its steady growth. The customs administration will roll out more measures this year to boost imports, he added. A recent report from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences also forecast a slower growth rate for Chinas trade in 2019. But favourable factors include a more proactive policy to opening up, deepening economic and trade co-operation with economies involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, and the effects of transformation and upgrading, the report said. Zhang Yuyan, director of the Institute of World Economics and Politics at the academy, looked at the broader trend, predicting that Chinas trade surplus would gradually shrink, leading to a more balanced situation. Wei Jianguo, a former commerce vice-minister, said that China had been continuing to open up despite the global challenges, and homegrown companies have been exploring diversified markets. China will make a concerted push to import more quality goods and services to meet growing domestic demand and contribute more to the global economy, he said. Chinas trade with the European Union, the United States and countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations increased last year, customs officials said. Trade with these three main partners accounted for 41.2pc of the countrys total volume. Trade between China and the US climbed 5.7pc year-on-year to 4.18trn yuan last year, according to Mr Li. The countrys trade surplus with the US widened during the period. Mr Li said it was a reflection of their economic complementarity. The potential for trade co-operation between China and Belt and Road countries has been continually unleashed, Mr Li said. Among them, Chinas trade volume with Russia, Saudi Arabia and Greece increased by 24pc, 23.2pc and 33pc respectively. This article was originally produced and published by China Daily. View the original article at: www.chinadaily.com.cn | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/world/china-watch/business/china-import-and-export/ |
How much should I borrow for my mortgage? | It doesnt end with getting a mortgage and purchasing a house. Ownership involves several costs like electrical repairs, leaking pipes, broken window, pest control and much more. If you were a tenant prior to this new ownership, your landlord might have been bearing these costs. But once you own a property you would be in charge of paying for these. Make sure you do a regular inspection and be prepared financially to bear these costs. Its essential to set some funds aside for the maintenance of the house. So while deciding the mortgage amount keep these costs in mind as well, as it should affect your monthly ongoing expenses. A home mortgage is a long-term financial commitment. At the end of the day, it must be a comfortable payment rather than making the loan holder stressful when paying monthly instalments and this is only possible by taking proper steps right from the initial phase, which starts with deciding how much you should borrow. | https://gulfnews.com/business/property/how-much-should-i-borrow-for-my-mortgage-1.61597036 |
Was There A Laser Pointing At Tom Bradys Face During The Patriots Win Over The Chiefs? | A video circulating the web appears to show what could likely be a massive issue for the NFL. KMBC reporter William Joy tweeted two videos Monday that make it look like a green laser was pointed at the face of Patriots quarterback Tom Brady during his Sunday victory over the Chiefs. You can watch the video below, and decide for yourself how clear it is. In my opinion, it looks pretty damning. (RELATED: The Patriots Will Face The Rams In The Super Bowl) Our photographer, Turner Twyman, caught someone pointing what appears to be a laser pointer in Tom Bradys face last night. Play between the muff that wasnt and Sorensen int. @NFL, @Patriots and @Chiefs all told me they werent aware of the incident. pic.twitter.com/ejWBQ6i64C William Joy (@WilliamKMBC) January 21, 2019 It happened one other time that weve seen on a pass to Hogan. #Chiefs #Patriots pic.twitter.com/27QkYf0m9P William Joy (@WilliamKMBC) January 21, 2019 According to a report from KMBC late Monday night, the NFL is aware of the situation and looking into it. I have no idea what they can do, but this will be huge if it turns out the NFL can say for sure Brady was playing with a laser in his face. The Patriots still won the game, which makes it even more impressive now that we know about this apparent laser video. However, the league will want to do whatever it can to stop this from ever happening again. Imagine if the Patriots had lost and then these videos came out. All hell would have broken loose, and fans of New England would have been justified in rioting. View this post on Instagram A post shared by New England Patriots (@patriots) on Jan 21, 2019 at 9:19am PST Also, let me be crystal clear on this point. Youre an absolute loser if you shine a laser at anybodys face. Youre an even bigger loser if you do it to a quarterback in the middle of a game. Thats so messed up that its hard for me to even put into words. Hopefully, the people responsible will be held responsible if it turns out the laser videos are what they appear to be. Follow David Hookstead on Twitter | https://dailycaller.com/2019/01/22/laser-tom-brady-patriots-chiefs/ |
What TV shows did Ant McPartlin work on in 2018 to qualify for an NTA? | Anthony McPartlin (left) and Declan Donnelly on their way to Britains Got Talent auditions at the London Palladium this month. (Picture: @antanddecofficial/PA Wire) Despite taking the majority of last year off, Ant McPartlin has been nominated for not one, but two National Television Awards. The 2018 series of Saturday Night Takeaway, which aired from February to April, was cut short last year when Ant caused a car crash and was arrested for drink-driving. He then pulled out of all scheduled TV work for the rest of the year and went into rehab. The pair have been nominated for two NTAs. (Picture: Anthony Harvey/REX/Shutterstock) The answer is two, but even then he didnt host two series in their entirety he didnt finish Saturday Night Takeaway due to his rehab stint and he didnt appear in the live shows for BGT. Ants Saturday Night Takeaway absence happened following the fourth episode of the series and resulted in the following weekends episode being cancelled and the final two in the series being hosted by Dec alone. After heading straight to rehab, it was soon confirmed by ITV that Ant wouldnt be returning to his scheduled TV work for the rest of the year. My recovery is going very well and for that to continue having spoken to Dec and ITV, I have made the decision to take the rest of the year off, he said in a statement in August. Ant and Dec have been filming Britains Got Talent this month. (Picture: PA) Britains Got Talent then kicked off in April and while Ant featured in pre-recorded segments, he wasnt present at the live shows, again leaving Dec to host alone. The next scheduled series for Ant and Dec was Im A CelebrityGet Me Out Of Here!, which began in November and saw Ant being replaced by This Morning presenter Holly Willoughby, whom Ant and Dec are up against in the NTAs for the award for Best TV Presenter. Holly Willoughby is up against Ant and Dec at the NTAs. (Photo by Joe Maher/FilmMagic) Now, Ant and Dec are back together agian, filming the new season of BGT, and already theres apparently been some tension between Ant and Dec relating to Ants conviction. Advertisement Advertisement Ant told The Sun that: Its justified. Were friends first and foremost. And were friends from the age of 13. But of course theres going to be tensions there. The presenter went on to say: Hes angry, of course hes angry. But its justified and I understood it. Underneath all of that is love and still is love. And thats what we talked about more than anything. Ant has also opened up about his recent diagnosis with ADHD in the wake of his arrest, saying: I never knew that until afterwards. I was so thoroughly examined and diagnosed, I found stuff out about me I hadnt addressed for years. The presenter said the diagnosis made sense particularly in relation to his issues with alcohol. He said: There are a lot of links to alcohol-dependency, which I studied a lot when I was away. Hes credited his new girlfriend, Anne-Marie Corbett, with being fundamental reason for the great change in my life. Shes been my rock. Shes a beautiful soul. Were very happy. Im in the best place Ive been in my life, to be honest with you. Its great, he said. (Picture: David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock) Ant and Dec will not be attending the NTAs tonight, due to a BGT filming clash. Advertisement According to The Mirror, BGT stars Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Alesha Dixon and Amanda Holden will similarly not attend, during a busy first week back at work on the ITV programme. 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. 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Advertisement You can watch at 7:30pm on ITV MORE: Strictlys Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara reveal plans to have a baby but theyre taking things slow MORE: Declan Donnellys anger over Ant McPartlins drink-drive arrest revealed as they admit to having tensions | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/what-tv-shows-did-ant-mcpartlin-work-on-in-2018-to-qualify-for-a-national-television-award-8375290/ |
Is anything private in the digital age? | Most of us think we have control over our online privacy with the security settings of social platforms and some less trusting people opt out of social media altogether. But two new studies, published in the journal Nature Human Behaviour, show you cant even have a contacts list or listen to music without revealing personal information to Big Brother. In the first study, led by James Bagrow from the University of Vermont in Burlington, US, researchers used information theory to amalgamate data from over 30 million Twitter posts by nearly 14,000 users. Results showed they can predict our activities and interests from just eight to nine of our contacts with 95% accuracy. That means its not just our own online activity that is telling the study found that posts written by our online friends can predict just as much about our behaviour. It shows that information about you is embedded in your interactions with friends, explains co-author Lewis Mitchell from the University of Adelaide in Australia. Just like if I overhear one side of a phone conversation it tells me something about the person on the other end of the line, so do your friends social media posts tell me something about you. And if you delete your account, it doesnt necessarily help, because you can still in principle be profiled from the digital traces left by your interactions with friends. If a user avoids or leaves an online social network, a shadow profile can be created from information posted by social contacts. Indeed, Mark Zuckerberg admitted that Facebook collects information on people who are not users. Other research has revealed that data derived from friends can be used to predict such private information as friendships, religion, whereabouts and sexual preferences, David Garcia writes in a related editorial. This all means that there is no place to hide in online social networks like Facebook and Twitter, Mitchell says. Recommended YouRobot: Neurotech may destroy your privacy and your rights The Future Although the digital age has yielded rich data for researchers, the privacy implications of these findings are a source of concern for users and non-users alike, the authors write. The second study shows that even musical preferences can reveal personal information, including our age, where were from, and how were feeling. Minsu Park and co-authors from Cornell University, US, analysed 765 million online music pieces streamed on Spotify by a million people in 51 countries to identify peoples emotional patterns. Big Music Data lends itself particularly well to analysis, with estimates that people spend on average 44% of their waking hours listening to it. The omnipresence of music affords a singular opportunity to identify diurnal and seasonal patterns in listeners musical choices, the authors write. Music can shed more light on peoples emotions than other sources because it reflects moods that people choose as well as their emotional status; musical choice both shapes and reflects mood. Overall, they found that people prefer more relaxing music in the evening and more energetic music during the day including the mid-afternoon slump. There were differences between ages and groups young people listen to more intense music, for instance, and night owls listen to less intense music. Latin American music is more stimulating while music played in Asia is more relaxing. While the results show a remarkable similarity to results based on sentiment analysis of Twitter messages, there are differences. Positive emotion in Twitter messages dips around 15:00 while the consumption of arousing music does not, suggesting that music can also be used as a mid-afternoon stimulant. The implications of the latter research for individual privacy remain to be seen. Nevertheless, tapping into peoples data is a social, rather than individual issue, says Mitchell. We need to stop thinking about individual privacy control, writes Garcia, and switch to a paradigm of networked privacy. We must be aware that sharing information with an online platform is a collective decision taken by a whole society rather than an individual choice. | https://cosmosmagazine.com/technology/is-anything-private-in-the-digital-age |
What other movies and TV shows has Lady Gaga been in as she receives Oscar nomination? | Lady Gaga won has already won two Golden Globes for her work in A Star Is Born (Picture: Warner Bros. Pictures) Lady Gaga has received an Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her role in A Star Is Born. Jaden Smith shows off gold grill as he enjoys Paris Fashion week with mystery pal The nomination marks the first nod of recognition the singer-turned-actress has received from the Academy. However its not the first time she has been applauded for her acting abilities. Lady Gaga starred in a number of TV programs and films prior to A Star Is Born, proving shes more than capable of conquering Hollywood just as she did the music industry. She first appeared on the small screen in a 2001 episode of The Sopranos, although didnt make another appearance until 2015 when she secured a role in American Horror Story: Hotel. Lady Gaga beat the likes of Kirsten Dunst and Felicity Huffman at the 2016 Golden Globes (Picture: Kevork Djansezian/NBC/Getty) In the series which is available on Netflix she played a lead role as an enigmatic vampire The Countess which earned her a Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Miniseries or Television Film. Advertisement Advertisement Lady Gaga returned to American Horror Story for its the following series Roanake in 2016, in which she played the recurring role of a witch Scthach. When it comes to the big screen, the star appeared in 2013s Machete Kills as a shape-shifting assassin El Camelen. She also played another small role as waitress Bertha in Sin City: A Dame To Kill for in 2014. Lady Gaga has no plans of bowing out of the film industry just yet, revealing shed love to take on more projects in the future. In an interview with Vogue earlier this month, she said: I will definitely continue acting. I love acting. I want to continue to do more. MORE: Oscars 2019: Bradley Cooper leads the best actor nominees as he missed out on directing nod MORE: Black Panther and A Star Is Born lead 2019 Academy Awards nominations | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/movies-tv-shows-lady-gaga-receives-oscar-nomination-8374830/ |
Can Black Panther make Oscar history? | The Oscar nominations have arrived, and one of the pleasant surprises to come from the announcement is that of Black Panther being nominated for seven awards, including Best Picture. Its a huge moment for Marvel, with the film being the first superhero film to be nominated for Best Picture. Just by being nominated, Black Panther has made history. Superhero movies are rarely considered for awards outside of technical categories, with the biggest achievement for the genre arguably being Heath Ledgers posthumous Best Supporting Actor award in 2009 for The Dark Knight. In general, commercially minded films are ignored, with perhaps the last genuine blockbuster to win Best Picture being The Lord of The Rings: Return of The King fifteen years ago. Its such a trend that The Academy considered a Best Popular Film category for this years awards, something that was roundly rejected by star Chadwick Boseman. Advertisement Advertisement Black Panther is breaking new ground, which should come as no surprise to fans given that Ryan Cooglers film is more than just another superhero film. As well as being superbly made, it struck a chord with audiences keen to see a wider variety of heroes represented, in an industry that seems to always struggle for diversity. The film elevated Boseman to megastardom, made Wakanda Forever one of the most quoted lines of the year, and sparked debate today when Michael B. Jordan missed out on Best Supporting Actor for his role as Killmonger. If you need any further indication of what the character means to audiences, Black Panther was the second highest grossing film of 2018, beaten only by Avengers: Infinity War which also featured the character. History says no, and even in one of the more unpredictable years in Oscar history, its hard to see such a mainstream film walking away with Best Picture. Shocks happen of course, but even if the film doesnt take the biggest award, Black Panther has a very good chance at making history in another way. Advertisement Advertisement Incredible as it may seem, no Marvel Cinematic Universe film has ever won an Oscar, in any category. Given Black Panther is up for seven, theres every chance a film that has shattered glass ceilings ever since its release could perform one last feat. MORE: Oscars 2019: Bradley Cooper and Spike Lee among shocking nominations snubs and surprises | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/can-black-panther-make-oscar-history-8375191/ |
Whats the best temperature for a condensing boiler to be set at? | One of the big benefits of condensing boilers is their ability to reclaim heat that would otherwise be lost out of the flue, improving efficiency. In fact, condensing boilers have efficiency levels of greater than 90%; that is, little energy is wasted heating water. It all comes down to the way that condensing boilers work. How condensing boilers work With a traditional boiler, fuel is burned to heat your water but a large portion of this is lost out of the flue. With a condensing boiler, theres a secondary heat exchanger, which is designed to recycle some of this heat, boosting efficiency. Using a boiler for your central heating, you have two pipes, the flow and the return. The flow is the pipe heading out of the boiler, which is used to heat your radiators. The flow pipe has passed through the boilers main heat exchanger and is heated via the burning of fuel. This is effectively the same for all boiler types. The return pipe is the pipe that comes back in from your radiators. This water will be warm but not as hot as the flow, as some heat is released into your rooms, via radiators, to heat them. In a condensing boiler, the return pipe enters a secondary heat exchanger, which has the job of capturing heat from the waste gasses in the flue. The process of doing this condenses water vapour in the exhaust gasses, recovering some of the heat that would have otherwise have been wasted out the top of the flue. This condensate, which is slightly acidic, is taken from the boiler via a condensate pipe. Ideally, this should be internally led to a drain; where condensate pipes are led outside, theres a danger of freezing in cold weather. See: How to fix a frozen boiler condensate pipe The return pipe is then heated by this process, before flowing back into the main heat generator. Through this process, waste energy is recycled and the return pipe requires less energy to heat it as it has been pre-warmed. For the condensing boiler to operate at maximum efficiency, the secondary heat exchangers surface needs to be equal to or below the dew point temperature of the fuel used. This is the temperature at which water droplets form. For natural gas, the dew point is around 55C. In other words, the water in the return pipe needs to be 55C or lower or your boiler will not operate at maximum efficiency and potentially will not even condense. Turning down the temperature on your boiler can help increase its efficiency. Most modern boilers will have a mark on the screen that shows you the point at which condensing mode will be turned on. On my Ideal Logic+ C30, theres an E icon on the central heating dial, which is 68C. There are factors that will affect this. For example, if you have smart heating with individual radiator valves, such as with the Honeywell Evohome, the return temperature can change. For example, if youre heating the entire house, with all valves open, youll get a cooler return. If youve only got one radiator valve open, the return will be warmer. However, the benefit of only heating a single room will mean that your boiler will shut down sooner, so the overall energy savings will be higher. For the best energy savings, a thermostat and boiler that can use OpenTherm will work best, as this lets the thermostat adjust (modulate) the water temperature for the best results. You can also follow our guide on saving money with smart heating. Your condensing boiler should be set to generate water at a flow temperature of at least 60C (hot water tanks should store water at this temperature). This is because this is the temperature that kills legionella bacteria. | https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/whats-best-temperature-condensing-boiler-set-3649148 |
Is Kylie Jenner pregnant again? If not then what's she up to? | Kylie Jenner has been creating quite some noise on social media. Recently, she put her fans in a state of frenzy by tweeting a mysterious tweet saying, "I have something really exciting i get to share soon with you guys! I've been cooking this up for a while i can't wait to share my new project alreadyyy." I have something really exciting i get to share soon with you guys! Ive been cooking this up for awhile i cant wait to share my new project alreadyyy ? Kylie Jenner (@KylieJenner) January 21, 2019 Upon reading that tweet, all her fans started making various assumptions. One fan assumed that she might be pregnant for the second time, so when she asked, "are you pregnant again?" Kylie was very quick to answer that part and deny any such rumour that might get entertained. It is not something that is coming out of the blue. In a recent interview, it was revealed that Kylie is planning another baby to keep up with her dream of having a big family. Kylie has been very patient with all her fans, who did not stop making assumptions. Some asked if she will start a career in music or not, some assumed if the tweet has anything to do with her line of cosmetics. Some even went ahead and asked if she has partnered with anyone. After, assuming everything the fans have been left scratching heads to what exactly can be the new project that Kylie will come out with. There have been several other potential ideas that are making rounds on the internet. Some people have also gone forward to decipher the tweet by trying to stress the word, "cooking." Some speculate that she and YouTuber James Charles might come up with a cooking show. While some are assuming that the second season of Life of Kylie might be on the cards. As of yet, no date has been specified by the 21- year old reality star but, as of for now she is busy spending time with her bff Jordyn Woods celebrating Stormie Webster's first birthday. The three are spending the weekend in Turks and Caicos, Hawksbill estate. The place is a perfect gateway to celebrate the little one's birthday. | https://www.ibtimes.co.in/kylie-jenner-pregnant-again-if-not-then-whats-she-790515 |
Is Derrick Rose an All-Star? | Fan voting for the 2019 NBA All-Star game concluded Monday night, and the league will reveal the captain and starters from each conference on January 24th. The NBA has been releasing updated voting figures in recent weeks, and theres a surprising name among the top guards from the Western Conference. As of January 17th, Stephen Curry led all guards in the West with nearly three million votes. Minnesotas Derrick Rose, who had received nearly 400,000 more votes than James Harden. The third returns of #NBAAllStar Voting 2019 presented by @Google! Vote on https://t.co/R6fBO5LSAS , the NBA App or by searching for your favorite player or team on Google. Vote now! https://t.co/7WGNCNxnJB pic.twitter.com/FPyWNVEosn 2019 NBA All-Star (@NBAAllStar) January 17, 2019 Rose wont automatically lock up a spot as a starter if he finishes in that position. To determine the All-Star Game captains and starters, the weighs fan voting (50 percent) against votes from current NBA players (25 percent) and members of the media (25 percent). NBA coaches determine reserves from each conference. Lets take a closer look. Although the NBAs new pick-up game format for the All-Star game means the opposing teams feature players from each conference, a total of 12 players from each conference will be selected to the All-Star pool. Of the 12, a minimum of six players (and a maximum of eight) must be front court players, meaning Rose will at least have to be among the top six guards in his conference to earn a selection. Heres the case for Derrick Rose, ignoring the ongoing narrative of his comeback: Rose is averaging 19.3 points per game, his highest total since his MVP season, in 29.6 mpg. Hes also shooting 43 percent from behind the arc, the best mark of his career by a wide margin and a 20 percent increase from last year. Hes delivered a few throwback moments this season, including a 50-point game against the Jazz and a game-winner against the Suns on Monday. The case against Derrick Rose: The Timberwolves are 22-24 on the season, but in games Rose does not play, the team is 7-3. Among all players in the Western Conference, Rose is 23rd in points per game, 21st in assists per game, 77th in steals per game. His competition is stacked. You make the call. | https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/01/is-derrick-rose-an-all-star |
What is a 'get back coach' and why does Sean McVay need a personal one? | Welcome to FTW Explains: a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. You may have seen the video of the Los Angeles Rams Sean McVay and his own personal get back coach, and wondered what was up with that. Were here to help. Hes the Rams head coach, just 32 years old and about to lead Los Angeles to a Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. Yes! Dabo Swinney at Clemson has coach Adam Smotherman keep him from getting flagged: Gus Malzahn has one at Auburn. College coaches can be flagged for a 15-yard penalty for running on to the field, so some have turned the get-back coach job into something more important. On game days, at least one member of the team usually a coach is designated the guy responsible for keeping everyone back from the sidelines. Back in 2010, this very subject came up because of the Sal Alosi incident: Alosi a strength and conditioning coach for the New York Jets tripped Dolphins special teamer Nolan Carroll from the sidelines and was fined and suspended. The NFL reminded everyone about the leagues sideline policies and in there was this nugget: Each organization is responsible for appointing a get-back coach. This individual must be aware of all sideline restrictions and will be responsible for insuring that your team and staff are in compliance. | https://ftw.usatoday.com/2019/01/rams-mcvay-get-back-coach |
Are We In The Shortest Recession Ever? | Despite skepticism over the rally, other indicators are starting to look more and more potentially positive. No seriously. Hold on. For all of the rhetoric around a recession that is either coming or already happening, its worth taking a step back. I'm not afraid of storms, for I'm learning how to sail my ship. - Louisa May Alcott Were in a recession! Things are about to get ugly! Hold on! No seriously. Hold on. For all of the rhetoric around a recession that is either coming or already happening, its worth taking a step back, taking a deep breath, and looking at what the market itself is saying. Prior to October of last year, you would have been hard pressed to find the media use the R word. Because U.S. stocks still looked okay. It was only after the October and December massacres that you started hearing about the potential for the economy to enter into a cyclical recession. The narrative became quite negative, very quickly. But remember that narrative tends to follow price. If equity markets are strong, it must mean we are in an expansion to most participants. If weak, the opposite. Price can be wrong, which makes any narrative that follows it wrong too. Personally, Im not convinced of the recession case given intermarket trend behavior. Two main areas Im watching here are inflation expectations and the behavior of Lumber. When looking at the price ratio of the iShares TIPS Bond ETF (TIP) relative to the iShares 7-10 Year Treasury Bond Fund ETF (IEF), we may be seeing early signs of a bottom and reversal. TIPS tend to outperform nominal Treasuries when the marketplace thinks inflation is about to pick up. It also tends to be a leading indicator. The peak happened mid-September, just before the October collapse last year. Overcapacity, housing, and credit have historically tended to be the major signs of a recession. Overcapacity is debatable here, and credit spreads have come back strongly thanks to Papa Powell at the Fed finally paying attention to market movement. As far as housing goes, a good tell is the behavior of Lumber relative to Gold. Lumber is the ultimate cyclical commodity since the average home has about 14,000 board feat of Lumber. As noted in the 2015 Founders Award Paper Lumber: Worth Its Weight in Gold I co-authored, when Lumber outperforms Gold (GLD), it tends to be a leading indicator of a better environment for risk-taking. Looking at recent price action, Lumber turned positive on its rate of change, and sits at support. The point Im trying to make here is that at least for now, despite skepticism over the rally, other indicators are starting to look more and more potentially positive. And should the market decide to completely V out of the decline last year, recession arguments will quickly dissipate. All things are subject to change of course. Our ATAC indicators used in our investment portfolios still point to a more favorable environment. Lets just hope the Government Shutdown doesnt shut burgeoning intermarket momentum down Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4234682-shortest-recession-ever |
Has The Merger Of Newmont And Goldcorp Derailed Continental Gold? | An equity raise seems tricky, considering that Continentals share price has been in free fall since September when three geologists of the company were shot dead. Continental Gold revealed that the initial capex for its Buritica project will be increased by over $100 million, which means that the company will need to secure funding soon. The merger between Newmont Mining and Goldcorp has raised concerns about the funding of several juniors, the most affected of which could be Continental Gold. Source: Continental Gold Introduction The announcement of the merger between Newmont Mining (NEM) and Goldcorp (GG) shook the gold mining world to its core. With the resulting company planning to shed assets, several analysts fear that the deal threatens to impact one of the few sources of finance available to junior exploration companies. Over the past several years, gold majors have been a major source of funding for juniors with the farming into projects and/or subscribing for shares in their smaller sector players. The most affect gold company from this merger could be Colombia-focused Continental Gold (OTCQX:CGOOF), which Newmont backed with a $109 million strategic investment for a 19.9% stake in May 2017. Continental was quick to dismiss the fears, with CEO Ari Sussman saying that Newmont had unequivocally confirmed that it remains supportive of the company and the continued development of its Buritica project. This statement does little to calm the nerves as its vague. Because if that the case, then I think that the recent slump in the share price presents a very compelling buying opportunity. The great fall and the reasons for it Newmont bought Continental shares at C$4,00 apiece, a 46% premium to the share price at the time. It was hailed as a major achievement for Continental as the premium was astonishing and also such a large investment from a major is very rare you can count the number of strategic investments in the mining sector above $75 million since 2015 using the fingers on your two hands. And yet, Sussman claimed that the company couldve received even more from Newmont, had it wished: Sussman says that Newmont wanted to buy a larger stake, but Continental kept it at 19.9%. "The Newmont investment was the best of all options at the time, because the premium was so great. But it likely puts us in play at some point," he says. "Our strategy is to extract as much value out of the ground now, so that any producer attempting to acquire us in the future will need to pay for this additional upside." - "Site visit: Continental Gold cruising to production at Buritica" - The Northern Miner I think that Sussman thought that the share price would go only up with the company launching a 137,000-meter drill campaign in 2018 with the aim of adding a lot of ounces to Buritica. Yet, the share price of Continental stood at C$1.90 on the TSX as of time of writing, which is a 52-week low and less than half what Newmont paid just over 18 months ago. The slide of Continentals share price started in September after the company revealed that three of its geologists were killed by dissident members of a former rebel group. Information in the media suggested that the company knew of the dangers for the geologists but didnt take appropriate measures. Yet, Continentals relationships with the community have remained stable following the incident and its social license is still intact, so I dont understand how the share price loss can be attributed to this. And I certainly dont subscribe to the idea that most Continental shareholders somehow decided that the company is guilty, grew a conscience and decided to sell their shares. I dont see the company doing that due to the September accident, but on 10 August Continental disclosed in its financial report for the second quarter of 2018 that the initial capital costs for Buritica would soar to $475-$515 million from the $389.2 million in the feasibility study due to $74 million in scope changes. The additional costs include a $50 million enhanced water treatment process plant and related infrastructure to meet new Colombian water discharge regulations and a $3.5 million pipeline to discharge the treated water to the Cauca river. Another $20 million came from a tailings tram and a 110 kV power transmission line, but these were transferred from sustaining capital expenses. The problem I have with this is that its a huge increase to the initial capex and the company blindsided shareholders. Sure, Continental mentioned there could be scope changes in its financial report for the first quarter of 2018, but it didnt indicate that the sum could be this large. Also, I found from a document at Colombias environmental authority that Continental asked for changes in its global environmental license in the summer of 2017, just after the investment from Newmont. Its hard for me to believe that Newmont didnt do its due diligence properly and didnt know that the initial capex for Buritica would be higher. No one can really tell for certain and this is whats bothering me as an investor the lack of transparency at both Continental and Newmont. Despite everything, I think that Newmont is still very interested in Buritica. The major reason for this is that the company has been investing in juniors with holdings that are very near the project. On 29 August, Newmont signed an option agreement with Miranda Gold (OTCPK:MRDDF) to earn an interest in the latters Lyra gold project. Lyra is located right next to Buritica and it consists of 14 concession contract applications totaling 54,895 hectares and covering more than 25 km of the Tonusco Fault: Source: Miranda Gold In September, Newmont acquired a 19.9% stake in Orosur Mining (OTC:OROXF) which owns the Anza project around 50 km south from Buritica. Under the deal, Newmont can earn a 75% stake in Anza by spending $30 million over 12 years, completing a National Instrument 43-101-compliant feasibility study and making $4 million cash payments. Source: Orosur Mining With these investments, Newmont has snapped interests in three projects in the gold-rich Mid-Cauca belt and according to info from the share chat at London South East, the gold giant has already made 15-20 site visits at Anza alone. Conclusion If Newmont wasn't interested in Continental anymore, I dont think they would be investing in projects near Buritica. You could argue that this couldve changed after the merger with Goldcorp but I doubt it. The new company will target a pre-tax internal rate of return (IRR) for its projects at $1,200 per ounce of above 15%, while Buriticas after-tax IRR stands at over 25% even after the scope changes: Source: Continental Gold Buritica is one of the few remaining tier one gold projects that are still undeveloped and the all-in sustaining costs will be among the lowest in the world. With gold majors trying to cut costs, I doubt Newmont would want to miss on a project with AISC of below $500 per ounce. Also, with construction of Buritica complete at 47%, I dont think Newmont would choose to pull out on the final stretch. Buritica has the potential to be one of its core projects and the exploration potential is enormous, something that Ive already covered in a SA article in August 2018 here. To summarize - I think that Newmont should still be interested in funding Buritica and Continental, which means that the shares of the latter could be undervalued. I think that Continental doesn't have much time and will need to secure funding in the coming months, which could provide a good boost to the share price. If you like this article, consider joining The Gold Commonwealth. There's a two-week free trial and the service will focus on long ideas, takeover targets, turnarounds, exploration stories and under-followed gems in the mining space, particularly gold. Omnis Quis Coruscat Est Or! Disclosure: I am/we are long CGOOF. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Additional disclosure: I am not a financial adviser. All articles are my opinion - they are not suggestions to buy or sell any securities. Perform your own due diligence and consult a financial professional before trading. Editor's Note: This article covers one or more microcap stocks. Please be aware of the risks associated with these stocks. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4234684-merger-newmont-goldcorp-derailed-continental-gold |
Can NFL commissioner Roger Goodell change the outcome of Saints-Rams game? | The controversy over the non-call of what appeared to be an obvious penalty in the New Orleans Saints-Los Angeles Rams NFC playoff game is still being talked about, especially in social media circles with the comments often ending in, "What can we do about it now? Turning Point of the Game in New Orleans #Saints loss to Rams, via @JohnDeShazier https://t.co/u2ZOYY5WWF New Orleans Saints (@Saints) January 21, 2019 Thats not a question for the average fan, but it could be a question for Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the National Football League, to answer. According to the rules of the NFL, under Rule 17, Section 2, Article 1: The Commissioner has the sole authority to investigate and take appropriate disciplinary and/or corrective measures if any club action, non-participant interference, or calamity occurs in an NFL game which the Commissioner deems so extraordinarily unfair or outside the accepted tactics encountered in professional football that such action has a major effect on the result of the game. >> Super Bowl LIII: What time, what channel, how to watch Now, classifying the non-call against Nickell Robey-Coleman, who slammed into Saints receiver Tommylee Lewis near the Rams goal line, a calamity may just apply to the sensibilities of Saints fans (Robey-Coleman admitted in an interview following the game that it was pass interference), but what the rule states is that the commissioner has some extraordinary powers when it comes to NFL football games and their outcomes. Its unlikely, most think, though thousands have signed a petition asking for a rematch of the game. Barring any change of the outcome of the game, the New England Patriots will face the Rams in Super Bowl LIII on Sunday, Feb. 3, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. New Orleans Saints wide receiver Tommylee Lewis (11) works for a coach against Los Angeles Rams defensive back Nickell Robey-Coleman (23) during the second half the NFL football NFC championship game Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019. The Rams won 26-23. Gerald Herbert/AP 2019 Cox Media Group. | https://www.wpxi.com/news/national/can-nfl-commissioner-roger-goodell-change-the-outcome-of-saints-rams-game-/908187271 |
Can Trademarks and Brands Help Save the Internet From Itself? | Trademarks and brands are often among a company's most valued assets. Customers associate trademarks and brands with producer integrity. They engender consumer trust. Without TMs and Brands, companies struggle for attention and find it more difficult to link the company's integrity and trustworthiness in the marketing of its goods and services. Representing company promise and customer expectations, they are uniquely positioned to symbolize common values and aspirations. For these reasons, there is a common interest to preserve the integrity of their intellectual property. They are increasingly invested in the engagement of subject-experts, opinion leaders and lawyers in their pursuit of minimally constrained access to consumer/user data. As a result, these trademarks and branded companies are perceived as an overly aggressive, self-serving and damaging element in the health and wellbeing of the digital ecosystem in general, and for Internet Governance in particular. The key to understanding companies in the digital age is to understand their heavy dependence on digital data. A company's digital presence places the collection and processing of data at the center of its activities. For social media, service is the bait, the hook, the net that catches user data as their main produce and primary source of revenue. For providers of goods and services user data, and insights derived from its analysis, are not only used for product and marketing improvement but as with social media it can also be sold to third parties for commercial, political or in some cases even illegal or criminal purposes. Much of the design and function of many of today's digital products and services is driven not by innovative products and services, but by innovative methods to collect data. While products and services must minimally connect with uses needs or wants, their main goal is innovative means for data harvesting. Even more harmful than the abuse of, and lack of respect for, the privacy and security of user data for product or service marketing purposes, is its use but to influence the behavior of persons, entities and even governments. The manipulated digital reality, populated by truths or falsehoods, as seen by the digital user can manipulate and influence behavior. This is occurring not just in product and service markets, but more widely and dangerously in social and political arenas, in particular in the democratic processes of open society nations. As the strategy of a company shifts from a relationship of integrity with its consumers, one aimed at enhancing customer engagement with products and services, to one of promoting unregulated access to and use of user data, satisfied consumers are no longer the end game. Access to and the use of user data become central to the business. The integrity of the relationship (the Brand and TMs) is compromised, integrity is lost, and trust is violated. While one may admire social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) for their service innovations, and online "stores" such as Amazon and Alibaba for their marketing savvy, they have developed in a regulatory void when it comes to private/personal data privacy and security. They have also exploited that regulatory void in ways that will likely be seen to be both anti-competitive unacceptable to what should be the protected rights and obligations of persons, entities and even governments in the Internet ecosystem. Initially, digital companies projected significant brand images (FaceBook, Amazon, Instagram, Netflix Google) while obscuring predatory practices behind service innovations. However, widespread awareness of such predatory practices is growing. Companies are drawing on the goodwill associated with their brands counter the potential for loss of trust. More and more people are asking fundamental questions about their digital privacy, their digital identity, and the uncontrolled use of their data. A Brand's offer of cheap prices, convenient ordering and fast delivery is no longer enough. Distractive ads, serious data breaches, and political manipulation of exponential magnitude are where we are today. Where we are is not good. Digital users feel as disenfranchised "subjects" within the Internet ecosystem, and not as engaged and empowered digital citizens. People, entities, and governments need respect from one and other for their digital integrity. The integrity of digital brands is eroding, goodwill being replaced by suspicion and even disgust. Promoting Brand altruism engenders suspicion of doing harm. There is growing evidence that the public reception of digital Brands is increasingly diminishing. (This example shall serve as one of many instances of trust erosion.) Despite many public "mea culpas", apologies, and highly publicized damage limitation initiatives designed to save Brands and their businesses, companies have continued with predatory data practices. These are central to their core business strategy, and the future revenue from such practices are baked into their current market valuations. In the absence of a governance process, it is impossible to determine if there is anything inherently wrong, unfair or unethical with the "data for services" terms of service consumers are pressed to agree to and with other practices within the Internet ecosystem. As legislators slowly grasp the nature, if not the scope, of the problems, there are moves to force companies to change through legislation. The European GDPR data protection regulations are a leading example of this. The effect is very limited as it only addresses one small part of the exploited data and does not address the fundamental causes embedded in business practices within the Internet ecosystem. To explore solutions to the challenge facing digital brands and their waning goodwill we need to recognize that, with its rush to innovation and growth, cyberspace development has run roughshod over integrity, security and trust. We have failed to adequately define and establish the rights and duties of digital users as residents of the Internet ecosystem and failed to attend to its governance needs. Efforts to date have been piecemeal and failed to recognize the global aspects of the Internet ecosystem. The Internet ecosystem is here to stay. It is a virtually ungoverned part of our expanded reality. We've gone too long without tending to the need to begin to build an infrastructure for an Internet climate of trust and digital integrity. To restore goodwill and integrity the TM and Brand companies need to adopt, promote and help implement both legal and cultural practices suitable for the digital age, practices and regulations which define the relationship between engaged digital citizenship and responsible business practices. TM and Brand companies cannot achieve this in the absence of appropriate governance that helps develop the rules of the game and rules of engagement. The integrity of a TM or Brand rests on how it treats user data and is an important determinant of TM and Brand value. A lack of digital integrity puts both user privacy and Brand and TM worth at risk. Respect for, and helping advance the values of, digital citizenship will help TM and Brand companies protect their integrity and goodwill. Digital integrity, as respect for the rights and obligations of data ownership and the limits of data access, must be understood as not only a new and important aspect of consumer protection, but essential for preserving the integrity, goodwill, and asset value of TMs and Brands. Companies and the Internet ecosystem require an urgent reset of current business models. TM and Brand companies, of course along with others, should lead the way to build new behaviors and practices that establish positive and sustainable "trusted" Brand values. To preserve the value of their TMs and Brands digital companies need to strike a "new deal" not only with their customers but the whole internet ecosystem. TMs and Brands have the opportunity of being lead stakeholders in the pursuit of digital Integrity and trust or run the risks of being marginalized by a user/consumer revolt from below, or ill-designed regulations from above. The call is for engaged TM and Brand stakeholders, working in concert with other stakeholder contingents. In so doing, TM and Brand companies can pull the Internet, and themselves, back from the edge of a worrisome precipice of Internet ecosystem distrust and damaging disruption. The following offers some suggestions for how TM and Brand companies could play an active stakeholder role: Constructing new internal capacities. Individuals and organizations have been long concerned with aspects of empowered digital citizenship and have developed content on digital integrity and its application. Through collaboration, this knowledge can be adapted, transferred and spread. Developing as digital integrity competence centers. Unlike companies, many of their customers and business partners are unable to address digital challenges alone. Companies can assist to create and offer solutions, as "thought leaders", using their Brands goodwill. Awareness and capacity building around empowered digital citizenship and enhance corporate integrity will help build loyalty and create empathy and authenticity as a trusted partner in the digital age. Strengthening the Brand promise. Just as Intel created the slogan "Intel Inside", companies should make "Digital Integrity " an integral part of its brand image. This includes their approach to the acquisition and use of domain names, an area of growing concern and waning integrity. Application of digital integrity should be demonstrated by Brands in areas other beyond data integrity. Brands should reflect a lived entrepreneurial social responsibility by supporting not only a legal and social culture of digital integrity, but also integrity's relevance to other areas of the Internet ecosystem as they impact on broader society and related challenges in art, culture, health, food security, and climate change, to name just some. Active participation of Brands as a stakeholder in shaping governance institutions and policies for the Internet ecosystem. This would include moving away from their increasingly indefensible predatory data practices and the restoration of the value and promise of their TMs and Brands. TMs and Brands need an ethical framework and a structure of governance that is universal and defines the rights and responsibilities of all stakeholders in the digital age. Business models based on exploiting user data have a short future. Instead of investing in unfettered data mining, companies need to situate their TM and Brand worth in product and service innovation that itself rooted in integrity and trust. Both companies and Internet users will benefit from good Internet governance. The well-established legislative frameworks and organizational structures that TMs and Brands rely on may well contain elements for that task. The Internet is fueling increased transparency and companies will be pushed to execute corporate social responsibility. Appropriately done, the benefits to the integrity of their TMs and Brands, their goodwill, and the net worth will be measurably higher than it is possible through (currently short-lived) predatory data use business practices. | http://www.circleid.com/posts/20190122_can_trademarks_and_brands_help_to_save_the_internet_from_itself/ |
Is Oscar-Nominated Director Todd Field Returning to the Big Screen After 13 Years? | Todd Field is a name you dont hear much these days. The 54-year-old director has not released a movie in 13 years, despite his blazing start as a filmmaker. His only two feature-length films2001s In the Bedroom and 2006s Little Childrenearned him three Academy Award nominations (two screenplay nods and one for Best Picture) by the time he was 42. In the intervening years, the young auteurs name has been rumored to be attached to a handful of high-profile projects that ultimately never landed on screen. They include a 1970s-set coming-of-age tale with Kurt Russell involving minor league baseball, an adaptation of Jonathan Franzens novel Purity and even a take on an investigative article about POW Bowe Bergdahl. But nothing ever came of any of it. Subscribe to Observers Entertainment Newsletter However, now it looks as if Field may finally make his comeback with his long-rumored adaptation of Boston Terans 2010 novel The Creed of Violence. A source tells Observer that a casting call has been put out for the lead role, marking the first concrete step a Field project has taken in a very long time. Set in 1910 during the Mexican Revolution, The Creed of Violence follows an unlikely pair, a government agent and an assassin named Rawbone, as they travel from Texas to Mexico to stop a smuggling ring. Heres the character description weve seen for John Lourdes: Male; 2024 years old; to portray biracial, Latino and Caucasian; straddling young manhood but still possessing some boyish qualities, Lourdes is a Mexican American government agent, working at the Texas/Mexico border. A man of few words, Lourdes is smart, strong and believes in justice. Against his own wishes, hes ordered to travel into Mexico with a criminal, who, in exchange for immunity, has agreed to help Lourdes; unbeknownst to the criminal, Lourdes knows this man and while he does his best to keep this information to himself, Lourdes has deep-rooted anger for this man and wishes him in prison; despite his anger, as the men journey together, Lourdes learns hes more similar to the assassin than he thought. Lets hope the rumors stick this time and that Field gets back behind the camera. Cinema is a better place with him in it. | https://observer.com/2019/01/oscar-nominated-todd-field-creed-of-violence-details/ |
Can Our Civilization Survive? | Lately, I have been asked this question on several occasions. Can our humanity really survive? Am I an optimist or a pessimist? My replies vary, as I dont think there can ever be one single answer to this most urgent, the most important query. In a Taliban-controlled village in Afghanistan, on a rooftop of a whorehouse in Okinawa while filming deadly US air force bases, or perhaps in an elegant caf after visiting an opera performance with my mom, in Stuttgart or in Paris. Depending on the circumstances, I can sound negative or cautiously optimistic. But the truth, the honest truth is: I am scared. Not scared for my own life, or my health or even my well-being. My work and my struggle: nobody forced me into it; all that I do is my own choice. I want to do it and therefore I do it. And while I do it, as it is often not safe, I have to understand that my life may end, prematurely, or that something else, very unpleasant, could happen. I have to understand, and I do understand. Shit happens! Unfortunately, it happens often. But thats not what makes me scared. What truly frightens me is something else, something much more essential: this beautiful project, this incredible, gigantic experiment called humanity, could very soon end in ruins and up in smoke. What scares me even more is that, perhaps, it is already ending although I sincerely hope that it is not. I have no religion, and I have absolutely no idea whether there is some sort of afterlife or not. Afterlife, God: what I am absolutely certain of is that no one on this planet really knows any answers to these so-called big questions, and those who claim that they do, know even much less than me. This world and this damn humanity of ours is all that I know, and it is all that I have and care about. And I love it, because I have no other choice but loving it, despite all of its brutality and foolishness, recklessness and short-sightedness. But this planet, which used to be so brilliantly beautiful and pleasing, to all of our human senses, is now frightened, humiliated and plundered. It is getting raped, savagely, in front of our own eyes. And we are just watching, ruminating like cattle, shitting, and amusing ourselves in increasingly brainless ways. Thats what we are actually supposed to do, according to those bastards who are in charge. Our humanity had been derailed from its natural aims, goals and dreams. Goals like egalitarianism, social justice, beauty and harmony, used to be on everyones lips, no matter where they were living; just so recently, just one century ago. The brightest minds, bravely and determinedly, worked on finishing with all forms of inequality, exploitation, racism and colonialism. Crimes against humanity committed by Western imperialism, racism, slavery and capitalism were being exposed, defined, condemned and confronted. Unfortunately, it was one century ago that we were just about reaching the peak of enlightenment, and as humanity we were much closer to harmony and peaceful co-existence, than we are now. Our grand-grandparents had no doubts whatsoever, that reason and logic would soon be able to triumph, everywhere on earth, and that those who had been ruling so unjustly all over this world, would either see the light and voluntarily step down, or would be once and for all defeated. Great revolutions erupted on all continents. Human lives were declared to be well above profit. Capitalism seemed to be finished. Imperialism and capitalism were discredited, spat at and stepped on with millions of feet. It was clearly just a matter of years, before all people of all races would unite, before there would be no more dictatorship of greedy and degenerate businesspeople, of crooked religious demagogues, of perverse monarchs and their serfs. In those days, humanity was full of optimism, of ground-breaking ideas, inventions, intellectual, as well as emotional courage and artistic creativity. A new era was beginning. The epoch of serfdom and capitalism was ending. But then, the dark revanchist forces of oppression, of greed, regrouped. They had money and therefore could pay to buy the best psychologists, propagandists, mass-murderers, scholars, and artists. ***** A hundred years later, look where we are! Look at us now. There is nothing to celebrate, and plenty to puke about. Gangsters and moral degenerates, who ruled during all previous centuries, are still in full control of the planet. As before, oppressed people form majority: they inhabit Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Sub-Continent and Southeast Asia. Actually, things have gone much further than before: the majority of people on our planet lost their ability to think logically. They have been brainwashed by the propagandist mass media, by mass-produced movies and pop music, by bizarre trends in fashion and by aggressive consumerism. Education and media outlets have lost all their independence and become subservient to the interests of the regime. Western democracy (not much of a project to begin with), has kicked the bucket quietly and discretely, and its advocates again began taking direct dictates from big business, multi-billionaires and their multi-national corporations. The system has evolved from turbo-capitalism into turbo-kleptocracy. I work all over the world, on all continents, and what terrifies me is how complete, or call it bulletproof the system has become. With advanced computerization, with the ability of the regime to monitor and analyze basically all corners of our planet, there seems to be no place on earth that can escape the advances and attacks of Western imperialism and neo-colonialism. Just imagine: some country decides to resist and to work for the well-being of its own people, and immediately the Western propaganda, its NGOs, academia, media outlets, and potentially its mercenaries and military, get to work, systematically smearing the rebellious government, and potentially ruining entire countries. This is how Argentina collapsed, and then Brazil. This is how Syria was first destabilized and later almost destroyed. It appears that nothing can withstand the global dictatorship. And the global dictatorship has no mercy; it lost all rationale. Greed, the maximization of profits, knows no boundaries. Sacrificing human lives is now commonly perpetrated. Thousands of human lives, or a few millions, it does not seem to matter. In the Democratic Republic of Congo or in West Papua, who cares, as long as coltan, uranium, gold and oil are flowing. I witnessed entire nations sinking, becoming uninhabitable, due to global-warming: Kiribati, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands. I see tremendous islands like Borneo (known as Kalimantan in Indonesia) being thoroughly and irreversibly ruined. And nobody gives a damn. Corrupted (by the West and their own servile governments) scientists in places such as Indonesia, are still arguing that global warning and deforestation, as well as the palm oil plantations, are actually not threatening the world and its survival. Some fifty years ago, there would have been powerful books written on these subjects. Wonderful art films were made, songs written and sang by brave bards, and the masses in both the oppressed world, but also in the West itself, bought revolutionary novels by the millions of copies. Multitudes of people stood in line, to watch films that were depicting their life, their struggle and their suffering. The destroyed masses are conditioned to forget about their nightmares and instead watch brainless horror films, some Star Wars epic, romantic comedies depicting sweet suffering or the rich and famous. After saving for months, poor families in the devastated world are dragging their children to Disney Worlds; to those factories of plastic, emotionless dreams, to those Burger Kings of fairytales! Mobile phones have replaced paper books, newspapers and magazines. For centuries, paper books were symbols of knowledge. No computer or telephone screen can ever replace the printed word. A scholar, a man or a woman of letters has always been surrounded by books, by notes, by documents. All this is not happening by chance. Electronic offering is much easier to control, divert and choke, than materials that are printed on paper. The de-intellectualization of the world is clearly being done by design, step by step, in an organized fashion. Forget about renaissance men and women in the 21st Century: even educated Western anti-capitalist thinkers are now specialized. They dont read fiction. They are collecting facts, producing non-fiction essays and books, as well as documentary films and videos, but fully neglecting the point that all successful revolutions were always based on emotions, creativity and art; inspiring the masses, making people laugh and cry, dream and hope. The world has become full of data, of digits. Facts are widely available, but they do not inspire or move anybody. They do not call people to action; to the barricades. Everything is standardized. Western propaganda has managed to regulate human desire, dictating how the perfect female or male body should look and behave. Or what the correct perception of democracy should be, or what is trendy and what should be considered boring and outdated. The life of both the victims and victimizers appears to be de-politicized. But it is not! The acceptance of Western propaganda and collaboration with the regime is actually an extremely political act! ***** I am scared because it appears that a great majority of the people have accepted what the twisted regime has ordered them to accept. They have accepted surveillance, trends, de-humanized desires, political correctness, global imperialist fascism, pop, grotesque capitalism and grey uniformity. Like parrots, they repeat anti-Communist slogans, as well as propaganda barks against all the countries and governments that are still resisting this monstrous Western dictatorship brought to its most bizarre extreme. I am scared, and at the same time, I am increasingly furious. Fortunately, not everyone is blind, and not everyone is on his or her knees. Not all of us have lost the ability to resist, to dream, and to fight for a world that appeared to be so possible just one century ago. Those who are still alive and standing on their feet, know perfectly well: Revolution is possible and morally justifiable. Capitalism and imperialism are totally inhuman. A Socialist or Communist system is the only way forward: not in some conservative, dogmatic form, but in an internationalist, enlightened and tolerant way. (As clarified in my latest book Revolutionary Optimism, Western Nihilism. ). It is the beginning of the year; 2019. Let us try to recap some basics: Destroying entire parts of the world, and ransacking their natural resources for cold, selfish profit, is wrong. Brainwashing countries, overthrowing their progressive governments, and derailing their natural development, is damn wrong, too. Turning populations of the entire planet into idiots and zombies, making them consume violent and brainless movies, listen to crap music and eat junk food, dreaming about making love to shop window figurines and their human equivalent, is evil. Using the media, education and entertainment for indoctrination purposes is barbaric. And so is turning the entire planet into some primitive consumer market. To fight such a system is glorious. And it is by definition trendy and fun. To use the terminology of the empire: collaboration and uniformity can never be cool. Listening and watching the same garbage cannot be fashionable. Banging into the same mobile phone screens can hardly be defined as advanced, and broad-minded. Licking the boots of some old fart who owns banks or destructive corporations, is far from a modern, elegant and refined way of living. Watching how our beloved planet is going up in flames, due to neo-imperialism and turbo-capitalism, while not doing anything to stop it, is nothing else other than stupid. ***** I began 2019 by writing the first chapter of my 1000-page novel One Year of Life. This novel began in 2019 and it will finish at the end of the same year. At the very end of it. Enough of non-fiction only! As a novelist and playwright, I believe in human emotions. I have also witnessed enough uprisings and revolutions to finally realize that naked facts and data will never bring people to the barricades. Time to un-dust the old banners, to bring back poetry, art, literature, films, theatre, and music. They are our best allies. The West tries to silence emotions, burn books and hit us all with ugly, meaningless noise and images, because it knows perfectly well that beauty is creative and inspiring. Beauty and creativity are also dangerous, in fact, fatal to the regimes dark and depressing designs. I may be scared, but I am also cautiously hopeful. We can still win. Actually, it is our obligation to win. This Planet has to survive. If we win, it will. If we lose, it will go to hell. It will be an extremely tough struggle that lies ahead of us. And no one will fight just in the name of facts and data. People are known to fight only in the name of a beautiful future. For us to win, all great muses are expected to march by the side of brave and determined revolutionaries! First published by NEO New Eastern Outlook | https://dissidentvoice.org/2019/01/can-our-civilization-survive/ |
How dangerous is Australia for women? | Image copyright Aya Maasarwe / Instagram Image caption Aya Maasarwe was killed after getting off a tram in Melbourne last week In the past week, Australians have been shocked by the killing of a young woman who had been walking home at night in Melbourne. The death of Israeli Arab student Aya Maasarwe, 21, has sparked an outcry and fresh debate about violence against women in Australia. According to her family, Ms Maasarwe's belief that Australia was "safer" than other places was one reason she had opted for a university exchange there. Her killing follows several high-profile murders in Australia in recent times which have caused similar anger. What the statistics say Almost one in three Australian women have experienced physical violence, and nearly one in five have endured sexual violence, according to the most recent Australian Bureau of Statistics figures. The rates are even higher for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Image copyright EPA Image caption A sign left among public tributes to Aya Maasarwe Almost one in 10 women have experienced violence from a stranger, the statistics show. Domestic violence is more common. On average, one woman per week is murdered in Australia by a current or former male partner. "Violence against women is at its most extreme in murder, but it is more common that women are injured either physically or emotionally in their own home," said Associate Prof Ruth Phillips, a social work expert from the University of Sydney. "It is a serious problem. Not a crisis, but more of an ongoing gender power problem in Australian culture." High-profile murders involving women and children have elevated the issue on the national agenda. Public debate intensified last year following the murder of a comedian, Eurydice Dixon, in another part of Melbourne. Just months later, a particularly alarming October saw 11 women die in violent circumstances around Australia. Image copyright FACEBOOK Image caption Comedian Eurydice Dixon was murdered in Melbourne last June "Sometimes, violence against women comes in a cluster together which alerts us to the problem, but really the hidden epidemic of abuse and violence is always with us," said Associate Prof Kelsey Hegarty, a family violence researcher from the University of Melbourne. One leading public voice has been Rosie Batty, who emerged as a powerful campaigner against domestic violence after her son, Luke, was killed by his father in 2014. The rape and murder of an Irish woman, Jill Meagher, in Melbourne in 2012 also generated immense attention. It led to public marches, and tighter restrictions around parole for sexual offenders. The death of Aya Maasarwe last week has again triggered deep concern. Skip Twitter post by @karenlsweeney Looking back I wonder what has changed since 2012. Weve had marches and vigils and law changes but women are still being murdered in terrible and preventable circumstances. Something more has to change. I just wish I knew what and how. Karen Sweeney (@karenlsweeney) January 17, 2019 Report Skip Twitter post by @PatsKarvelas Everywhere I go in Melbourne women are talking about the murder of Aiia Maasarwe in despair that there is literally nothing they can do to be safe. The UN has said violence against women in Australia is "disturbingly common", but experts say it is not an outlier among developed nations. Domestic violence - described by the World Health Organization as the leading cause of violence against women globally - is more prevalent in poorer nations. According to the UN, women in Africa and the Americas are more likely to be killed by their partner than women in Oceania. Among G20 nations, Australia ranks eighth for rates of domestic violence against women, according to the OECD, although data for five countries was not available. In 2012, the Australian government launched a dedicated anti-violence policy, the National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and their Children. However, Associate Prof Phillips said many frontline services, such as women's shelters, had not improved since then. "There has been little evidence of a reduction in violence or a strengthening in women's safety," she told the BBC. Experts have urged more focus on reducing broader disrespect towards women. "We will only be able to eradicate violence against women and their children, when women are not only safe, but respected, valued and treated as equals in private and public life," Australia's Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins told the BBC. | https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-46913913 |
What is an airsoft gun? Are they legal in Arizona? | CLOSE The Arizona Republic enhanced this footage of Antonio Arce's, 14, shooting by a Tempe police officer. Arizona Republic A non-lethal airsoft gun is at the center of the controversial Tempe police shooting of 14-year-old Antonio Arce. Police have said the boy stole the gun from a vehicle and ran from police. A Tempe officer chased Arce down an alley and shot him as he was running away. An airsoft gun often resembles a traditional firearm but shoots non-lethal, plastic pellets. They are used for target practice and military-style games, similar to paintball guns or BB guns. They are sometimes described as non-powder guns or imitation firearms. Federal law does not consider an airsoft gun to be a firearm, but it does have some regulations for them. Federal law requires these guns to be sold with an orange tip on its muzzle, distinguishing it from a lethal firearm. But states vary in their requirements about whether that orange tip must be kept on. Arizona has no state laws regulating the sale of airsoft guns. Tempe police said 14-year-old Antonio Arce carrying a replica 1911 airsoft gun when he was shot by an officer. Federal law requires individuals be 18 or older to purchase an airsoft gun, but does not regulate how old someone must be to use an airsoft gun. States and cities vary widely in their regulation of airsoft guns. In New York state, it's illegal for someone under 16 to possess an airsoft gun. In Minnesota, it's illegal for someone under 18 to have an airsoft gun without a parent's permission. Several states ban the devices on school grounds. RELATED: Boy shot by Tempe police didn't steal airsoft gun, truck owner says Arizona has no state laws regulating airsoft guns. Some municipalities do have regulations for air, spring or CO2 (carbon dioxide)-operated BB guns, pellet guns or slingshots. In Glendale, it's a Class 1 misdemeanor to discharge air guns or BB guns within city limits. Tempe does not have non-powdered gun codes. Tempe ordinances do state that an airgun is not a firearm. CLOSE Hundreds of people walk through the neighborhood where 14-year-old Antonio Arce was shot by a Tempe police officer earlier this week. Nathan J. Fish, The Republic | azcentral.com READ MORE: Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/tempe/2019/01/22/what-airsoft-gun-tempe-police-shooting-antonio-arce/2633991002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/tempe/2019/01/22/what-airsoft-gun-tempe-police-shooting-antonio-arce/2633991002/ |
Is city centre pub's future hanging in the balance? | The future of a Wakfield city centre pub looks uncertain months after work was stopped on the building. Work was started last year on altering The Wakey Tavern on Lower Warrengate after plans were passed to create a roof-top terrace and even create a fish 'n' chip shop on the premises. But work was stopped about three months ago and it has remained untouched since. An agent working on behalf of the applicant, listed as Authentic Ales, says a holding group for the company had recently gone into administration which would explain why no further progress on the site has been made. The Express has attempted to contact Authentic Ales for details. | https://www.pontefractandcastlefordexpress.co.uk/news/is-city-centre-pub-s-future-hanging-in-the-balance-1-9551533 |
Could virtual reality revolutionise training in nuclear? | New training using virtual reality (VR) technology aims to help boost safety in the nuclear energy industry. Researchers at the University of Exeter are developing the VR training to help workers at nuclear decommissioning sites prepare for hazard awareness in highly realistic situations. They are creating a device that helps staff to learn how to dress themselves in safety equipment and navigate through hazardous environments the protective gear used in the nuclear industry such as air-fed suits is expensive and often disposable, therefore VR is expected offer training which is cost efficient. The research team brings together academics and industry experts with extensive experience in VR simulation, the psychology of learning and a detailed understanding of technical processes in nuclear decommissioning. Dr Sam Vine from the University of Exeter said: Training in nuclear environments can be expensive and dangerous. Our training helps trainees to effectively use their safety equipment, which is so important in radioactive environments. Virtual reality technology is revolutionising the way training is performed and we are performing extensive research to understand how it is best used to maximum effects on learning. Around the world, accidents in the nuclear and other high-risk industries are often due to the incorrect use of safety equipment. Training people to use their safety equipment properly and to learn the appropriate steps in a safe and controlled environment could prevent accidents and even save lives. | https://www.energylivenews.com/2019/01/22/could-virtual-reality-revolutionise-training-in-nuclear/ |
Is Corbus Pharmaceuticals a Buy? | For a while, investors were snapping up the stocks of any company remotely associated with marijuana, convinced investing in weed was the next way to get rich. Pot stocks cooled off in 2018, but certain companies working on cannabis-based drugs continue making steady progress on new therapies. Corbus Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: CRBP) is one such company -- a clinical-stage biotech that's developing drugs for rare inflammatory diseases that work by targeting the body's endocannibinoid system. Inflammatory and fibrotic, or scarring, diseases arise when the body's immune system goes out of control. Inflammation is the natural response to invasion or injury to the body, with the immune system working to clear the affected body part of pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Once the cause of cell injury is removed, the body normally resolves the inflammation response. A bottle of pills More Image Source: Getty Images For reasons not completely understood, certain rare diseases cause the body to turn on the immune response without ever triggering the resolution process, and the ongoing inflammation causes tissue damage or even tissue death. The traditional approach to these diseases is to inhibit the inflammation response, but the downside is that in doing so, the immune system is suppressed, depriving the body of its natural defenses with potentially serious consequences. A new approach to inflammation Corbus' lead drug, lenabasum, takes a different approach by targeting the natural mechanism that resolves inflammation, effectively flipping the "off switch" for the process, rather than targeting the system that triggers and maintains the immune response. Corbus has been making progress in advancing lenabasum, formerly called resunab and anabasum, through clinical trials for treatment of four rare diseases: systemic sclerosis, dermatomyositis, cystic fibrosis, and lupus. The endocannabinoid system is the master regulator of inflammation in the body and includes two main receptors, designated CB1 and CB2. Lanabasum targets CB2 receptors, which are expressed on immune cells and, when activated, initiate a series of events that result in a shift from a production of pro-inflammatory mediators to production of pro-resolving mediators. Systemic sclerosis causes organ inflammation and fibrosis and is the most lethal of the systemic autoimmune diseases, with a 10-year mortality rate of up to 60%. There are about 200,000 patients with the disease in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, presenting a market opportunity for Corbus of between $1.4 billion and $2.2 billion. Phase 2 test results for lenabusam have been positive, with 87% of patients showing significant improvement. Corbus is currently conducting a phase 3 study for lenabasum in systemic sclerosis and expects data in 2020, with a commercial launch in 2021. Dermatomyositis is another rare and serious autoimmune disease that's characterized by skin and muscle inflammation and has a 30% five-year mortality rate. This condition represents a market opportunity of between $1 billion and $2 billion to treat 80,000 patients. Eighty-four percent of the participants in the phase 2 trial had a meaningful improvement, and a phase 3 trial has begun. There currently are no drugs targeting inflammation for sufferers of the progressive genetic disease of cystic fibrosis, and the 70,000 patients in Corbus' target markets represent a market opportunity of $700 million to $1 billion. Corbus is conducting a phase 2 trial measuring the effectiveness of lenabasum in reducing lung inflammation in cystic fibrosis patients, with data expected in 2020. | https://news.yahoo.com/corbus-pharmaceuticals-buy-171919391.html |
What Story Does The Baseball Hall Of Fame Want To Tell? | Photo: Stephen Dunn (Allsport) The National Baseball Hall of Fame is a museum commemorating a particular professional iteration of an old American game; the long room of bronze plaques featuring the ballplayers that various groups of voters have decided over the years have sufficient fame is a part of it, but also something very different. Increasingly, the two seem to be not just divergent but actively at odds. It doesnt have to be that way. Museum collections are theoretically infinite, but museum space is decidedly not. To pick just one example out of thousands of possibilities, the Smithsonian American Art Museum has Morris Kantors Baseball at Night (1934) on display (well, when the government isnt shut down) but keeps Charles L. Goellers Third Avenue (1934) stuffed in a closet somewhere, although each makes a contrasting comment about the exact same moment in American life. They also have paintings by Edward Hoppers and Andrew Wyeth and Willem de Kooning in storage that have greater name-recognition value than either. This is all by choice, which seems obvious until you remember how shocked some people were when the Smithsonian put the Enola Gay on display. The argument about displaying the Enola Gay was not as to its importancethe deadliest bomb ever dropped on humans fell from that plane, the importance is self-evidentbut the way the bombers mission was placed in a context that represented an editorial point of view. All museums, no matter what their subject, must make decisions on how to fulfill their storytelling responsibilities. What museums generally dont do is rank the subjects of their exhibits in terms of importance. Were the Smithsonian to acquire Van Goghs The Starry Night from the Museum of Modern Art and hang it next to Baseball at Night, they wouldnt pin a badge saying IMPORTANT WORK on it. They would let the painting make that argument on its own behalf. The National World War II Museum lines up gun, uniforms, and a four-engine bomber or two, but it doesnt set up a gallery explaining that General Omar Bradley is in because he oversaw the successful invasion of Europe via Operation Overlord, whereas Mark Clark (the general, not the New York Met) is out because he botched the Italian campaign, while George Patton remains forever on the bubble because, while he did some things worthy of enshrinement, he also committed a Performance Deflating Act in slapping an enlisted man he perceived to be malingering. Those men are all part of the story, and if the museum were to treat them as severable it would do a disservice to the whole and fail in its mission in the most basic sense. It would be acting not like a museum, but like the National Baseball Hall of Fame. By treating a popularity contest as an authoritative historical validation, the Hall of Fame also makes a storytelling choice. By treating a popularity contest as an authoritative historical validation of a player, manager, or executive, the Hall of Fame also makes a storytelling choice. On Tuesday, some new players will be added to that storyif present trends continue, and given that Ryan Thibodaux is the Steve Kornacki of Cooperstown vote-tabulation theres no reason to assume they wont, then Roy Halladay, Mike Mussina, Edgar Martinez, and Mariano Rivera will join the already-announced Todays Game committee enshrinees Harold Baines and Lee Smith in Cooperstown. This means that a number of notable players wont: Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and Curt Schilling will all fall just shy of the 75 percent vote threshold required, and Larry Walker, in his penultimate year on the ballot, will fall a little shorter than that. The cognitive dissonance that results from all this is jarring, and tantamount to saying that Jesse Haines is more important to baseballs story than Tommy John, or Hank Greenberg than Dick Allen, Craig Biggio than Bobby Grich, or the obscure, largely mute Bobby Wallace than the great storyteller Buck ONeil. The truth of these comparisons is both impossible and irrelevant, and so the story becomes incoherent. Advertisement A different path was possible. Had the Hall maintained a very high standard, inducting only players in the Babe Ruth/Willie Mays/Tom Seaver classplayers whose careers had both height (a high peak), breadth (a long span), and depth (historical significance)these conflicts would have been avoided. From the beginning, though, the Hall cast a wider net. In attempting to answer that question, the Hall split into two camps, which broadly can be described as The Standards and The Feels. The former is primarily the domain of Baseball Writers Association of America and the latter the province of the Veterans Committee in all its various incarnations. The Standards group tends to hew to numerical markersbig round numbers like 500 or 3,000 or 300, but also newfangled stats like WAR and JAWS. That reliance on numbers would be fine if players were admitted based on reaching certain statistical thresholds. There would be no real reason to vote; the numbers tell you what to think. The answer to all of these questions, The Standards gang will tell you, is, please shut up. Its true because its true. This is baseball fundamentalism. The Feels group is different. This camp can and has voted for everybody except the batboys, and would do that if they could get away with it; its easy imagine Tony La Russa grumbling that any argument against 1988 Oakland As clubhouse man Carl Jowls Loganberry was weak-ass superficial bullshit. It would be hard to argue with him, because in the Feels universe a candidates statistics, which can be lined up on a which-one-is-not-like-the-others continuum, mean less than the candidates gestalt; if he made you feel good, he is good. Advertisement Twelve years ago, when Bonds and Clemens retired, voters couldnt tolerate the slightest suggestion that the record book had been tainted. Now they practically admit that infamy still has a little fame in it. Weirdly, this makes the Feels the realists in this debate, because theyre not trying to prove the unprovable by defining and quantifying fame. The rising vote totals of Bonds, Clemens, and Schilling demonstrate this, because in a sense the two groups have switched positions. The Feels will readily admit that Bonds and Clemens demonstrated at the very least a bent sense of baseball ethics, while Schilling consistently models the qualities that even today cause Hall critics to ask why we cant pull long-dead ex-heroes like Ty Cobb and Cap Anson off the wall. But for all the respective mitigating factors, these players involved are so important to the story of baseball from the mid-90s to the early 2000s that they cant be wholly dismissed. The numbers are frozen in time, and theyre still as weird and bloated as they used to be. Twelve years ago, when Bonds and Clemens retired, voters couldnt tolerate the slightest suggestion that the record book had been tainted. Now they practically admit that infamy still has a little fame in it. The story got louder as voters indignation wilted. This years vote suggests that the Hall voters may be starting to come to terms with their role as storytellers and not rote assessors of large numbers. On a WAR basis, Mariano Rivera barely signifies because closers work relatively infrequently, and when they do its often at the wrong times. As such, the saves statistic must be heavily discounted. The voterswell, except for this guyunderstand that Rivera embodied a rare sustained excellence of which the saves record was a mere byproduct. Edgar Martinez, Mussina, and Halladay are both examples of players who were dominant but lack the time-honored but meaningless big numbers; Martinez also has to contend with being a designated hitter, a denigrated species despite the position being on the books for nearly half a century. All of them had, in addition to quantifiable dominance, an ineffable quality that will put them over the top. Advertisement You can tell its ineffable because of how hard it is to eff. According to JAWS, which weighs both a players career and peak-period WAR to give a better sense of his metaphorical height and width, Roy Halladay was just the 43rd-best starting pitcher of all time, about even with Kevin Brown and Rick Reuschel, or where the soon-to-be 31-year-old Clayton Kershaw stands if he were to retire today. Its more than stats that are pushing Halladay forward, and thats as it should be. Conversely, Fred McGriff, who was consistently excellent in an unspectacular way, is about to vanish from the ballot after 10 tries; Lance Berkman, who had one of the top 30 on-base percentages of the post-1901 period, which is something were supposed to value, is going to be one and done. Neither was an all-time great when measured against Mays or Mantle, but as Halladay demonstrates, that shouldnt be what gets in the way. And, in both their cases, it isnt. Its the ancillary things outside the numbers that give you the Feels, and its there that those two fall short. And thats fine! One of many reasons why the Smithsonian puts one picture on the wall and another in the basement is that history isnt about having a complete collectionits about the details you cant do without. If Hall voters can acknowledge that theyve reached this point, then they can finally be clear to vote on Dick Allen or Bobby Grich or Buck ONeil, or Bill James, Bernie Williams, Ben Zobrist some day, and, sure, that jowly 1988 Oakland As clubbie. For the Hall of Fame to work as a museumfor it to work at allit has to include the people that are the fixed parts of baseballs greater story. We diminish those contributors by ranking them. We delude ourselves by excluding them. The Hall of Fame cant include everyone or everything, but it should be as big as baseball itself. Advertisement Steven Goldman is a writer, editor, and host of the Infinite Inning podcast. | https://deadspin.com/what-story-does-the-baseball-hall-of-fame-want-to-tell-1831940137 |
Can Procter & Gamble Keep Beating Expectations In Q2? | Procter & Gamble is scheduled to announce its fiscal second quarter results on Wednesday, January 23. In Q1, the companys net sales came in flat at $16.7 billion, driven by growth in the Beauty and Fabric Care segments, offset by declines in the Grooming, Health Care, and Baby and Feminine Care businesses. Furthermore, foreign currency exchange headwinds also impacted the companys results by 3%. However, P&Gs organic sales were up 4% year-over-year (y-o-y) on 3% volume growth, with flat pricing and 1% growth in mix across segments, excluding the impacts of foreign exchange, acquisitions and divestitures. Procter & Gambles stock price has fluctuated between $71 and $92 in 2018, mostly due to falling prices and rising cost inflation. We have an $84 price estimate for P&Gs stock, which is slightly below the current market price. We have created an interactive dashboard on What To Expect From Procter & Gambles Fiscal Q2, which outlines our forecasts for the companys results. You can modify our forecasts to see the impact any changes would have on the companys earnings and valuation. Q2 Expectations In Q2, we expect Procter & Gamble to report a slight fall in revenues on the back of declines across major segments Grooming, Health Care and Baby, Feminine, and Family Care. This is because we expect the rising competition from local players to negatively impact the revenue in the Baby, Feminine, and Family Care segments in Q2. We also expect the Grooming segment to continue its declining revenue trend, due to secular pressure from the likes of Dollar Shave Club. However, the rising popularity of its direct-to-customer model Gillette-On-Demand could offset some of this pressure. In addition, commodity costs, foreign exchange challenges, and transportation costs likely persisted and may have even worsened in Q2, which could impact the companys growth rates. Trucking costs are expected to be up 25% or more compared to last years levels in fiscal Q2. Almost 56% of P&Gs revenue comes from outside of North America, of which a major chunk (34%) comes from emerging markets. Largely, P&Gs revenues in these markets are influenced by local cultural buying habits and local currency exchange rates, in addition to local competition and political issues. Of late, currency fluctuations have remained a major headwind for the company. Going forward, the companys revenues could fall if the market volatility continues into Q2 as well. In order to combat these headwinds, P&G is planning to increase some selective prices in the Home Care, Oral Care, and Personal Care segments. In Q2, we expect the companys SG&A costs to be around $4.8 billion, slightly up year-over-year (y-o-y). This is based on our assumption of growth in productivity savings from the combination of reduced overhead, agency fees, and ad production costs. We also expect the companys adjusted gross profit margin to decline nearly 4% y-o-y in Q2, on the back of rising delivery costs. Based on these adjustments, we expect P&Gs adjusted operating income to decline almost 10% y-o-y to about $3.6 billion for Q2 2019. Overall, these adjustments resulted in a slight dip in our adjusted net income forecast for the company, translating into adjusted EPS of $1.20. Fiscal 2019 Outlook P&G reaffirms its guidance calling for organic sales growth to fall in the 2% to 3% range for fiscal 2019. It also expects total revenues down 2% to in line with fiscal 2018 results in the same period. In terms of the bottom line, the company continues to expect its core earnings per share growth to be in the 3% to 8% range. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/22/can-procter-gamble-keep-beating-expectations-in-q2/ |
What's The Outlook Like For Schlumberger? | Schlumberger, the largest oilfield services provider, published its Q4 2018 results on Friday, posting revenues that beat market expectations, while earnings were largely in line with street estimates. However, the companys outlook for 2019 remains somewhat mixed, amid weak oil prices and uncertainty relating to spending by oil and gas operators in North America, which has been a big driver of production growth in recent years. Below, we take a look at what lies ahead for the company in 2019. Activity Likely To Slow Down In U.S. Schlumberger noted that the recent decline in oil prices (down by almost 30% since October) has caused a lot of uncertainty surrounding E&P spending by oil and gas companies for 2019. Activity in the on-shore U.S. market in particular could be impacted, as operators look to better align their investments to their free cash flows, hurting drilling and production activity. U.S. players are likely to focus spending on their sizable inventory of drilled but uncompleted wells rather than drilling new ones, reducing drilling-related spends. Moreover, the higher cost of capital and lower borrowing capacity in an increasing interest rate environment could also hurt spending. That said, things could be better in the international market, where Schlumberger expects to post mid-single-digit growth over the first half of the year, driven by new projects in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. CapEx Cuts And Potential Upside For Oil The company has indicated that it was largely sold out of high-end product lines and advanced technologies for the year, and its possible that this could enhance pricing power in some of these segments over the year. Schlumberger has indicated that it would be cutting its full-year capital expenditures for 2019 to between $1.5 billion and $1.7 billion, compared to $2.2 billion last year, and indicated that much of its spending is likely to be geared towards these high-end products. Moreover, there is a possibility that oil prices could pick up gradually over the year, driven by supply cuts by Russia and OPEC, and a possibility that the Trump Administration will tighten its sanctions on Iran, constraining its oil exports. Moreover, a potential settlement of the U.S.-China trade dispute could also help bolster prices. While we remain bullish on Schlumberger, we have reduced our price estimate for the company to about $55 per share (about 20% ahead of market price), down from $69 per share. This values the company at about 30x its projected 2019 EPS. Key changes to our valuation model include lower long-term growth rates for the drilling, production and reservoir characterization segments. for more details on the key drivers of the companys value. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/22/whats-the-outlook-like-for-schlumberger/ |
Are Investors Finally Starting To Care About Social Impact? | In the investing world, there's always a hot new narrative. The narrative typically takes the form of an innovative product, a sector rotation or an "inevitable" theme. One narrative that I've been particularly interested in for the past couple of years is that of ESG investing. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) is the discipline of investing for financial return without sacrificing for social impact. You have likely come across different terms and acronyms that mean pretty much the same thing: Sustainable Responsible Impact (SRI), Strategic Sustainable Investing (SSI) and Impact Investing, just to name a few. If the acronym seems vague, and maybe even a little arbitrary, it's because it is. While the potential for this investing theme to become a dominant narrative makes sense - after all, who wouldn't want to make money AND save the environment, there are a few key hurdles that have made ESG solutions more about potential than impact. The Pitfalls: First, the measuring of the ethical impact that a single company can have on society and/or the environment is not only a pretty daunting task but also one that is very personal. For some industries, such as tobacco or gun producers it's pretty straightforward, but for others, it can be a pretty slippery slope. What's important to one person may not even be on the ethical radar of another, and this makes standardization of products extremely difficult. The entire premise of ESG is based on the view that you can have both financial and moral returns. That you can make money without sacrificing for your own values by financially supporting companies that are adopting practices that you deem questionable. But if no businesses are without some questionable practice across their entire operations than the addressable universe of companies to invest in becomes zero. While the example is extreme, the fact remains that ESG is about both the investor allocating dollars and the companies they invest in adhering to a new world where sustainability and social impact matter. This seems like a classic 'chicken or the egg' problem; investors won't sacrifice returns in any scale and companies will operate to maximize shareholder value. But more so, it's a cycle that can only be broken by investor demands on companies, in scale, through intermediary and institutional channels. I'm picking now to write about a topic that I've been following for years because I believe that it's actually starting to happen. : William Blair recently published a piece examing how sustainable Sustainable Investing actually is. One of the more interesting elements of the report is a chart highlighting the five top annual priorities for corporate executive over the last ten years. What you'll see in the chart is a very clear shift from predominantly economic concerns in 2008 to predominantly environmental, societal and geopolitical concerns in 2018. These executive concerns shape corporate strategy and action thereby more clearly defining both the universe of ESG investable companies and through the benefit of comparison, what ESG means on a broader level. The below chart takes a look at how financial advisors and institutional investors are engaging with ESG related investment content across Harvest. It's measuring how likely the people allocating the largest sums of investment dollars are to be interested in reading ESG related investment insights across the platform. This is a meaningful increase in engagement, especially considering that there was no meaningful change in the volume of ESG content available nor other extraneous factors. We can see similar trends when looking at Harvest's measures of absolute interest for ESG and Impact Investing related content. The next charts measures change in absolute interest in ESG related content across financial advisors and institutional asset owners. In the fourth quarter of 2018 financial advisors were 132% more interested in ESG and asset owners 195% when compared to the first quarter. While the increase is large, what stands out the most in the chart is the steady rate of interest growth. This indicates more of a fundamental shift than an interest spike around a specific catalyst. As a result, we can have more confidence that the ESG narrative has some legs. : As wealth continues to shift to a younger, and perhaps more socially conscious investor base, the need for ESG focused investment solutions will continue to increase. Correspondingly, the advisors and asset owners investing this wealth must have ESG solutions that fit the specific needs of their client base and constituents. Finally, I believe that we will continue to see more overt examples of companies adhering their corporate governance to sustainability efforts, which in turn should make it easier to normalize data around which companies best adhere to ESG practices. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhans/2019/01/22/are-investors-finally-starting-to-care-about-social-impact/ |
Will 'Green Book' controversies turn away Oscar voters? | Breaking News Emails Get breaking news alerts and special reports. The news and stories that matter, delivered weekday mornings. By Ethan Sacks Despite "Green Book" notching five Academy Award nominations Tuesday and best picture honors at the Producers Guild Awards over the weekend, the tale of the real-life relationship between black pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) and his Italian-American chauffeur Tony "Lip" Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) is facing drama of the wrong kind just as the voting period for the Oscar winners nears. "Green Book" heads to the Feb. 24 ceremony with nominations for best picture, best original screenplay, best editing, best lead actor (Mortensen) and best supporting actor (Ali). Critics have largely praised the film, which has momentum coming off the PGA win and Golden Globes for best motion picture/musical or comedy, best adapted screenplay and best supporting actor an honor that Ali is favored to repeat at the Oscars. Over its first 29 years, the PGA award has correctly presaged the best picture Academy Award winner 21 times. But those prospects are clouded: Backlash from Shirley's family over the fact they weren't consulted and the resurfacing of a tweet featuring a debunked claim from the screenwriter and a troubling 1998 magazine profile about the director has rewritten the script a month before the envelopes are opened. "All these stories coming together and coming out during that crucial Oscar voting period could have a pretty significant effect on the chances," said Piya Sinha-Roy, senior movies writer for Entertainment Weekly. "And if Academy voters are reading those stories, its hard to think those headlines are not going to have an impact on their choices." Detractors already had issues with the film, set during a trip through the segregated South of the '60s, for being antiquated in its portrayal of race, treating Lip, the father of screenwriter Nick Vallelonga, as the type of "white savior" celebrated in films like "Driving Miss Daisy" (1989) and "The Help" (2011). "It just shows that communication, love and shared experience," Vallelonga told NBC News upon the movie's release, "(it shows) that everyone is the same, and has the same human emotions." But not everyone had the same emotions about "Green Book": Shirley's own family condemned the film, saying filmmakers never reached out to them for accuracy during the making of the biopic. Nephew Edwin Shirley III told Shadow and Act that the depiction of his uncle, who had marched at Selma and was close friends with Nina Simone, being uncomfortable with his blackness as "just 100% wrong. That didn't seem to hurt "Green Book" at the Golden Globes earlier this month, but what a difference a few days makes. 'Theres no real overlap between the Hollywood Foreign Press and the Academy voters (who vote for the Golden Globes and Oscars respectively), but the biggest thing the Globes does is to give certain films and certain talent a specific boost at an important time," said Sinha-Roy. "But because 'Green Book' was given that prominence, in a way it might have done more damage, drawing more attention to these controversies." Brian Currie, Nick Vallelonga and Peter Farrelly of Green Book accept the Best Screenplay Motion Picture award onstage during the 76th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on Jan. 6, 2019 in Beverly Hills, California. Paul Drinkwater / NBCUniversal via Getty Images Then just days after accepting his Globe, Vallelonga scrambled to issue a public apology after the resurfacing of a 2015 tweet in which he supported then-candidate Donald Trump's debunked claim that Muslims in Jersey City were seen celebrating at the time of the 9/11 attacks. As NBC News reported in 2016, extensive reviews of television coverage found no footage of Muslims cheering in Jersey City in the wake of the attacks. Director Peter Farrelly also had to make his own mea culpa that week after a 1998 Newsweek profile reporting that he exposed himself to actress Cameron Diaz as a prank during filming of "There's Something About Mary" returned to the public eye. Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali in "Green Book." Patti Perret / Universal Studios In the case of "Green Book," it's possible that the furor will die down by the time the week-long Oscars final voting starts on Feb. 12. The real strain on its chances may come down to a generational and demographic divide over film tastes. The film's old school treatment on race stands in contrast to the other, edgier Oscar best picture nominees, including Spike Lee's "BlacKkKlansman" and Marvel superhero blockbuster "Black Panther." "If 'Green Book' was released in 1986, it would probably get nominated and win 10 out of 10 Oscars," said Clayton Davis, who is the editor of Oscars prediction site Awards Circuit. "Theres still a big crowd inside the Academy that loves this type of film." "With these new members coming in over the past three years as part of the effort to add more diversity to the voting, they dont respond to the same films that the older members do." Those new members are part of a five-year initiative by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the body behind the Academy Awards, to diversify its ranks. The effort started in response to the #oscarssowhite controversy, when no actors of color were nominated in any of the acting categories at the 2015 and 2016 ceremonies. "While the Academy membership has increased its diversity and added fresh life to the membership, it is still predominantly an older set of voters, it's still predominantly white male voters," said Sinha-Roy. "And for a lot of those voters, this is the type of movie that attracts them." | https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/movies/will-green-book-controversies-turn-away-oscar-voters-n960386 |
Will Israel be Forced to Choose Between America And China? | While China maintains its record of voting for measures to relieve the humanitarian plight of Palestine at the United Nations, what is less discussed is Chinas increased economic relations with Israel. In 1992, the total worth of China-Israel bilateral trade stood at a mere $50 million, but by 2017 this had increased to over $13 billion. By the end of 2017, China was Israels second highest import partner while more importantly, China was Israels number three export market, just behind the United States and United Kingdom. At present, Chinese companies are slated to built major infrastructure projects in Israel including ports, railways and modern roadworks. In spite of the US-Israel relationship being among the closest in the world, increased Chinese economic connectivity with Tel Aviv has not sat well among some in Washington. In November of last year, US officials reportedly admonished their Israeli counterparts over Tel Avivs Chinese built mega-projects. According to a November, 2018 piece from Haaretz: Based on conversations with ministers and other top officials, it now turns out that the Israelis were amazed at the intensity of their American counterparts ire on the matter. They blew up at us, said one of the Israelis who attended the meetings. While it is not surprising that Israel officials would be shocked at receiving what amounts to a threat from their closest ally, what is surprising is that the US would risk alienating Tel Aviv over Chinese projects in the country which have nothing to do with the military sector. One should contextualise Americas displeasure with Sino-Israeli projects against the background of the fact that Americas comparatively new partner India was grudgingly given a green light by Washington in respect of New Delhi purchasing Russian built S-400 weapons systems without facing sanctions. Likewise, the US granted India a sanctions waiver in respect of Indias continued purchases of Iranian energy. This would imply that whilst India is ultimately more of a strategic prize to have as a partner because of its immensity vis-a-vis Israel and because Russia and Iran have far worse relations with the US than does China that the US might be ready to increase hostile economic acts against China, so much so that even its best international friend will not be exempt from the wrath of a US administration that at least recently has let its dislike of China trump its consistent support of Israel. The short term answer is not quite but in the long term, things may well pivot in such a direction if present geopolitical trends continue. On the 22nd of January, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Hua Chunying responded to Americas increasingly public admonitions to Tel Aviv, calling them ridiculous. While the facts dictate that Chinas involvement in Israels civilian sector would in no way interfere with Americas strategic military alliance with Tel Aviv, the present atmosphere in Washington does not allow for the logic of these facts to prevail. It is still possible that the US will have to eventually bite its tongue regarding Chinese projects in Israel, not least because Russia is becoming an increasingly important security partner to Israel something that one would think ruffle US feathers more than Chinas commercial relations with Israel. Instead, the opposite appears to be true as Donald Trump went out of his way to highlight Russian President Vladimir Putins warm friendship with Israeli leader Benjamin Neyanyahu in order to justify Trumps own supposedly controversial relations with the Russian leader. In this sense, Israel now has geopolitical/geostrategic/geoeconomic options outside of its traditional west leaning partnerships, but it is Chinas commercial relations with Israel rather than Russias security partnership with Israel that appear to be causing more anger in Washington. What this means is that in the long term, the current powers that be in the United States view China as their number one rival, over and above Russia and seemingly over and above Iran a country with whom Israel is engaged in an intense regional rivalry. In the short term, this is not likely to impact US-Israel relations but in the long term, it is indicative of the fact that as even close US allies begin to embrace the win-win prospects of Belt and Road connectivity with China and Chinas other partners, the more the US might gradually take an accusatory tone towards those with whom the US has traditionally enjoyed supreme friendship. | https://eurasiafuture.com/2019/01/22/will-israel-be-forced-to-choose-between-america-and-china/ |
How will property values change in 2019? | The Zyprus.com ZyForecast tool provides a starting point to gauge how much the price of the residential units by type (e.g. apartments, houses) will change in each Cyprus region. This analysis is based on a bespoke algorithmic model that utilizes numerous economic and housing data that might impact future residential values. The results of the ZyForecast tool are summarized below: Limassol For Apartments in Limassol, it is predicted that for the year 2019 prices will rise by 6.63%, while the prices for Houses in Limassol are expected to increase moderately by 2.77%. Paphos Prices for Apartments in Paphos are expected to grow by 7.49% while Houses in Paphos are expected to grow by 1.90%. Larnaca The picture is different in Larnaca; Apartments in Larnaca are expected to show a lower annual trend of 3.57%. On the other hand, Houses in Larnaca are predicted to show a relatively strong rise of 4.73%. Famagusta On an annual basis, Apartments in Famagusta are predicted to grow by 2.57%, contrary to Houses in Famagusta where forecasting suggests a stronger increase by 4.99%. Nicosia Finally, an annual growth of 1.96% is expected for Apartments in Nicosia, while the projected annual growth for 2019 for Houses in Nicosia will be 1.81%. A synopsis of the forecasting results reveals that for Apartments, Limassol and Paphos are expected to show the highest annual growth (6.63% and 7.49% respectively). However, when it comes to the Housing market, the Zyprus.com ZyForecast tool predicts that Larnaca and Famagusta will show the highest pace of increase, by 4.73% and 4.99% respectively. It is worth highlighting that overall, the output of the ZyForecast model expects that Cyprus property prices will not decline in any of the regions when it comes to Apartments and Houses. | http://www.news.cyprus-property-buyers.com/2019/01/21/how-will-property-values-change-in-2019/id=00155223 |
Is Buhari a Modern Day Augustus? | There is no doubt that the relationship that has existed since the advent of the current dispensation between the executive and the legislative arms of government has been anything but cordial, Convivial or constructive. At best, the Modus Operandi of the aforementioned segments of the governmental tiers can be summed up as that of dogs and cats. The Nigerian Constitution spells out clearly that there are three equal arms of government namely the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary. All of these arms are like the various organs of the human body which are complimentary and therefore ought to exercise their functions and statutory mandates as independent but interdependent organs of a united government all of which are there to serve the public interests of the people of Nigeria who are the real owners of the Sovereignty of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The needless supremacy battles between the executive and legislative arms of government has badly affected the standard of governance and by so doing has affected the living conditions of the citizenry. Beginning with the discord that came up which originated by the way Senator Bukola Saraki and Representative Yakubu Dogara emerged as leaders of the national legislature, the presidency which heads the executive arm of government is known to have nursed deep seated animosity and angst against the hierarchy of the National Assembly. The executive arm of government mooted the idea of zoning the respective slots to the choices of the President. But the elected representatives of the were bent on defending the legislative autonomy and their right to elect their leaders without external interferences and influences. It even got to a point that president Muhammadu Buhari was said to have opened up to the media to remonstrate with the leadership of the National Assembly for openly revolting against the so called established partys (APC) pattern of selecting the leaders for the two chambers of the National Assembly dominated by the All Progressives Congress up until about few months back when both leaders and several other members of the national legislature decamped to the leading opposition platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The ill-feelings also resulted into the open use of the justice ministry to frame up charges against basically the Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu and his other Colleague the Senate president Mr. Bukola Saraki. The Federal Attorney General and minister of justice Abubakar Malami was the personal lawyer to General Muhammadu Buhari as he then was before he won election to the office of Presidency. It would be recalled that the emergence of the Peoples Democratic Partys Senator from Enugu state Ike Ekweremadu as deputy head of the red chamber in a forum dominated by the All Progressives Congress was interpreted as a direct affront to president Muhammadu Buhari by his ardent supporters who felt that the executive arm of government may find it tough to secure legislative approvals for presidential decisions. So in a bid to pay the duo of Ekweremadu and Saraki in their own coin, the All Progressives Congress led presidency went into a frenzy and an over- drive of anger by roping them into some kind of phantom charges. Whilst the presidency accused deputy senate president of forging senate rules which led to their emergence as leaders in the first place the senate president was dragged to the code of conduct Tribunal which is an office under the direct purview of the secretary to the government of the federation usually seen as the Man-Friday of the president. Both cases collapsed spectacularly like a pack of cards but the presidency has not given up. Also, many appointees of the president flouted with reckless abandon the legislative orders of the national assembly. The immediate past Inspector General of Police Alhaji Ibrahim Idriss Kpodum who was summoned to appear before the senate thrice failed to respect the invitations and president Buhari did nothing and pretended like he wasn't aware. The acting chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission Ibrahim Magu was rejected during three confirmation hearings but he kept his job because presidency has no regard for the legislative powers of the Senate. The erstwhile Inspector General of Police who was even accused of alleged N10 billion scam by a serving senator from Bauchi state and a former senior police officer, had the effrontery of failing to appear before the senate panel but quickly hired a retinue of senior Advocates of Nigeria to head to court to scuttle his legislative probe over these extensive criminal allegations. On his own part, Ibrahim Magu was like a gentleman who kept cool but other overzealous presidency officials spoke for him to spite the National Assembly and paint the Senators as some rogues who are afraid of their shadows. Persons like Mr. Itse Sagay and the Vice president Mr. Yemi Osinbanjo also tried to cite some nebulous legal excuses as for why Ibrahim Magu can stay on in office without legislative approval. Mind you the aforementioned are professors of law but are now playing political game to appease their political master. There is a general feeling that because president Buhari is not happy the way Bukola Saraki did not just emerged as president of the senate as against party directive, but went as far as allowing an opposition Senator to become his deputy as stated earlier both men have faced legal persecution to an extent that the senate president was docked like a common criminal. Bukola Saraki just like the proverbial cat with nine lives managed to beat Buhari to his game by defeating the presidency thoroughly in both the code of conduct Tribunal and the Supreme Court. In the final matter, the Chief Justice of Nigeria headed the panel that freed Saraki and it seems that the hawks in the presidency are out for revenge against Walter Onnoghen. Again, there is now the bad record that the president has turned back dozens of legislations passed by the National Assembly including the relevant strategic amendments made to the electoral Act which would have delivered free and fair 2019 poll. Also the 2019 budget presentation by the president was turned in to a battle field between the presidency and the largely PDP National Assembly. President Muhammadu Buhari himself turned the otherwise solemn into a campaign ground. In all of these altercations, what truly came to mind is the historical record of one of the Worlds most notorious tyrants who was antagonistic to the senate of his own era. But in the case of this tyrant of the Roman Empire of those days, he took some primitive steps of killing off his opponents. This is fundamentally different with the Nigerian scenario but similar in the sense that whereas Emperor Augustus killed his opponents physically Buhari encouraged his appointees to disrespect the National Assembly thus 'killing off' the constitutional pride of place of the legislative arm.. Torrents of propaganda against the current national assembly are being sponsored by the Presidency. As I reflected on how the institution of law making in Nigeria has suffered executive bruises, I encountered a brief piece written by Professor Frederik Vervaet, of the University of Melbourne in Australia as published in its scholarly websites @ www.pursuit.unimelb.edu.eu . Incidentally, this piece started by narrating how the founder of Facebook admires Emperor Augustus when the Australian University scholar affirmed as follows: On his 2012 honeymoon to Rome, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg took so many photos of the Roman Emperor Augustuss sculptures that his wife joked it was like there were three people on the honeymoon. On the one hand, world peace is a long-term goal that people talk about today (but) that didnt come for free, and he had to do certain things. Ironically, one of the earliest foreign visitors to the then newly inaugurated Nigerian current president in 2015 was the owner of Facebook who also showered encomiums on Buhari and had swell time snapping selfies with the Nigerian ruler. I'm sure even though he hadn't been born, Mr. Mark Zukkerberg is aware of the military background of President Muhammadu Buhari who even staged a coup that unseated an elected administration in 1983. But it has turned out that the Roman Emperor Augustus held up by the owner of Facebook as a statesman was indeed a brutal dictator. Critics also say President Muhammadu Buhari has shown traces of a dictator. In that piece titled: Romes Augustus and the allure of the strongman, Professor Vervaet, of the University of Melborne, amongst other sordid facts, narrates how this brutal ruler killed off legislators in his bid to run a totalitarianism. Augustus, or Octavius as he was then known, was already poised to be second-in-command in Caesars New Order. Styling himself as the Young Caesar, he made a brazen bid to reclaim rank and stature by ruthlessly rekindling the flames of civil war, shattering the compromise peace made between Mark Antony, Caesars foremost lieutenant, and Caesars leading assassins Brutus and Cassius. The University Don recalled that Augustus's claims that he took control by universal consent and subsequently restored the traditional republican polity after his military victory over Antony and Cleopatra in 30 BCE are both equally mendacious. Augustus he said, repeatedly conducted murderous as well as bloodless purges of the aristocracy from November 43 through to 29 BCE, repressing all political opposition. "Late in 43, he and his then allies, Mark Antony and Lepidus, ruthlessly proscribed (condemned) over 300 senators and 2,000 equestrians (the lower aristocracy and business elite). Many were hunted down and butchered in plain view, including the great orator and republican Marcus Cicero." "In 28 BCE, after his final civil war victories and shortly before his much vaunted restoration of the Republic, he removed another 40 per cent of the Senate, reducing their numbers to 600. He also wrote that: "In 27 BCE when he finally laid down his official emergency powers powers he had alleged were needed to confront real or imaginary crises he and his henchmen had engineered a compliant Senate promptly reinvested him with a vast, ten year military command." "This command was the cornerstone of his autocracy, and was suitably renewed every ten years, complete with rituals of his own phoney reluctance and invariably justified on the grounds of ongoing military exigencies in the provinces." One major consequence of this specious charade of Augustus the professor asserts, was unprecedented imperialist expansion and warfare. At enormous human and material cost, Augustus he vividly narrated, would more than double the size of the Empire and add more territory to Romes provincial dominion than any Roman before or after him so much for his much-vaunted peace, the Pax Augusta. Muhammadu Buhari seems to be showing early signs of a President who does not care about playing the game by the rules. It is during his time as President that the armed operatives from Department of state services invaded the national Assembly in what looked like an attempt to overthrow the leadership of the legislature. Will Nigerians let Muhammadu Buhari transmute into Emperor Augustus of Nigeria, only times shall tell. *Emmanuel Onwubiko is head of Human rights Writers Association of Nigeria and blogs @ www.emmanuelonwubiko.com ; www.huriwa.blogspot.com ; www.huriwanigeria.com ; www.thenigerianinsidernews.com . | https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/274898/is-buhari-a-modern-day-augustus.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheNigerianVoiceNews+%28The+Nigerian+Voice+News%29 |
What is the problem with a hard border? | Forgive me if I seem a little bit paranoid, but when everyone from Fine Gael and Sinn Fin to many sections of the media are relentlessly pushing the idea of no hard border on the island of Ireland, I begin to smell groupthink. Our diplomats and officials pride themselves on having sold the idea to our fellow Europeans, even if signs of buyers remorse are beginning to emerge. But I think I have a right to be suspicious of the strangely unified approach. The sad fact is, this is a country where groupthink and not rocking the boat is an existential principle, and we have suffered for it. So lets perhaps look again at the facts with regard to the border issue, and try to think the unthinkable, because the unthinkable may soon correspond to the political reality . The European Commission has left us in no doubt that the consequences of a no-deal Brexit is a hard border. I understand perfectly well the motivation of the politicians of all stripes who are pushing the soft border. But the reality is, that almost a century ago, the majority of us accepted partition, deciding that retaining Northern Ireland in reality rather than on paper was too high a price to pay in exchange for some kind of freedom, flawed and minimal as it was. Given the chance in 1998, 94 percent of us actually voted to remove the territorial claim, and replace it with an aspiration. The crucial point is that borders are not just a line in the ground, its the people and their culture. Since the 1920s Northern Ireland has been moving away, politically and culturally, from the Republic, and now its fate is still linked to Great Britains. No matter what fudge the politicians come up with, even if the UK decides to somehow stay in the EU, in reality that divergence will grow, as we become more European and the UK becomes more...well, as of yet, nobody knows quite what. This is not such an unusual situation. In the European twentieth century, tens of millions of people - Poles, Germans, Russians - have been displaced and subject to partitions and very hard borders. The border with the north is real, and hard, because it runs through the minds of the inhabitants of this island. After partition, like children separated at birth and raised in different families, we developed in separate directions. The two educational systems formed the minds of their children in different ways. But most importantly, having an independent state, no matter how flawed and ultimately destructive it was for many of the people born in it, led to a certain maturity in terms of our identity as Irish. For example, the Irish language has settled down into a comfortable if fairly marginal coexistence with English, whereas in the North it is still being weaponised. Having a state made certain forms of nationalism irrelevant. We were presented with a blank slate and as such have the cultural self-confidence to join up with the European Community without any hang-ups about becoming a vassal state. The north, as we know, is another story. Officially of course, we continued to pretend that there was some kind of unity.Even now, quite bizarrely, bodies like the Arts Council continue to treat people and institutions from the North as if they are part of this country, (an approach which is hardly reciprocated). But the mental gap is there, and has been growing for the last hundred years, to accelerate in the 1970s. I attended Trinity in the 1970 with many students from the North, but I can hardly recall ever having a conversation about the situation in Northern Ireland with them. This phenomenon is well documented by Susan McKay, who was also a student there at the time. The North felt further away and more foreign than New York, Paris, or, most importantly, London. From the beginnings of the state our relationship with Britain has been far more important than that with the North, because we have been hugely dependent in so many ways. Not just as a market for our exports, and the landbridge for European imports, but above all as an alternative life for our people. Over the last century the Irish people have moved back and forth to Britain, many of them making their lives there. Despite our much-vaunted neutrality, during the Second World War a quarter of a million Irish people moved to Britain to work, enduring bombardment and wartime conditions, with many joining the British armed forces, as my own father did. This dependence on Britain led to what I think of as a certain amateurism about being Irish. Working in British institutions in the 1980s, I was always surprised at the way they didnt treat me as a foreigner. But it wasnt benign: based on the evidence before them they had concluded that for many Irish, Ireland was a hobby rather than a real country, and its hard to blame them. This is why Brexit, and the harder the better, is good for us, despite all the short term problems, as it will finally break the connection with England. The men who founded this state thought that recognising the Norths essential difference was a price worth paying for independence. It still is. Michael OLoughlin is a poet and commentator | https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/what-is-the-problem-with-a-hard-border-1.3766976?localLinksEnabled=false |
When is 13 Reasons Why season 3 released on Netflix? | *Warning: spoilers ahead for 13 Reasons Why* Advertisement Netflixs controversial hit drama 13 Reasons Why, originally based on the young adult novel by Jay Asher, is back for a third season. Following last seasons dramatic cliffhanger ending, fans have been clamouring to find out what will happen to Clay Jensen (Dylan Minnette) and his class mates at Liberty High School following a failed school shooting. Heres everything you need to know about 13 Reasons Why series three. Diversity matters. This is the #13ReasonsWhy writers' room. Busy at work for Season 3. pic.twitter.com/4KDE1tx458 13 Reasons Why (@13ReasonsWhy) September 18, 2018 Netflix will release the season at some point during 2019, with evidence that the shows writers have been hard at work since at least autumn last year (see above). Season one and two both launched around springtime (in March 2017 and May 2018 respectively) so its not a huge leap to imagine that season three might be released at a similar time. Season 3 of #13ReasonsWhy is coming. It seems likely that the majority of the main cast are set to return, bar one notable exception Katherine Langford, who played Hannah Baker in the first two series, confirmed during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! that her character is wrapped. I mean, the shows always going to be such a special part of my life, so if they want to bring me back as a zombie or something, she joked when Kimmel pressed her on whether Hannah would ever return. Regular cast members including Minnette (Clay), Justin Prentice (Bryce Walker), Christian Navarro (Tony Padilla), Alisha Boe (Jessica Davis) and Brandon Flynn (Justin Foley) are all likely to return. Congrats to everyone on a 3rd season of @13ReasonsWhy Tommy Dorfman (@tommydorfman) June 6, 2018 It also looks like the new series will see a greater emphasis on the character of Bryce, with Brenda Strong (who played his mother, Nora Walker, in series two) promoted to a series regular. Joining her is Timothy Granaderos, also promoted to a series regular, who plays school bully Montgomery de la Cruz. Feeling very humbled today https://t.co/gd2F0VfHWA Timothy Granaderos (@TGranaderos) September 7, 2018 Its not yet known whether the new series will see any new characters introduced the previous series saw seven new characters. Season one revealed the titular thirteen reasons or rather, thirteen people that led to school girl Hannahs death by suicide. Each reason is documented in a series of cassette tapes, and we follow Clay, Hannahs former love interest, as he listens to the tapes and learns about the darker underbelly of Liberty High School. Season two saw Clay persistently haunted by Hannas spirit, while elsewhere her mother took Liberty High to trial over Hannahs suicide, and Bryce was tried for Jessicas rape and eventually sentenced to three months probation. In the season finale, troubled student Tyler Down (Devin Druid) was sexually assaulted by Montgomery in one of the series most brutal and controversial moments, and it proved the final straw for Tyler, who had been amassing a cache of assault weapons in preparation for a school shooting. In the final, tense scenes outside of the school, we saw Clay manage to talk Tyler down from carrying out his deadly plan: If you really think thisll change a goddamn thing and not just be another fucking tragedy adults cry about for a week and then forget If you really think this is going to be different, then do what you gotta do. Tony then sped Tyler away in his car, leaving Clay outside the school, holding Tylers gun as the police sirens drew closer. In April 2018, a report from local Californian paper Sonoma West Times & News stated that the West Sonoma County Union High School District board on April 11 approved a third licensing agreement with Paramount Pictures that allows the company to film scenes at the Sebastopol High School which, translated, means that the same school used for Liberty High School scenes has agreed to further filming on its premises. You can watch our breakdown of 13 Reasons Why season two below. Advertisement If you would like to discuss any of the issues raised in the series, the Samaritans are available round the clock online or by phone with helpful, friendly and confidential support. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/on-demand/2019-01-22/13-reasons-why-s3/ |
Are Fleets Implementing Electric Trucks Soon? | During 2018, those in the Class 8 heavy-duty truck and fleet business continued to speculate about the prospects of electric vehicles and where they stack up against their diesel counterparts. While electrification may become a reality down the road, for the foreseeable future many in the industry remain loyal to the improving output of quality returns found in diesel. There are numerous reasons why electric trucks may continue to take a backseat when private transportation fleets and for-hire carriers are developing their truck procurement strategies. Fuel economy, cost of investment, range and charging station infrastructure are at the top of the list of apprehensions for fleet managers. In terms of electric or hydrogen fuel-cell trucks, only 4 percent of respondents said they are currently procuring these types of trucks, and 53 percent said they neither see the value nor will they consider the technology for at least another 10 years. Nearly a quarter of respondents (21 percent) also said they believe electric or hydrogen fuel-cell trucks will never be widely used for over-the-road operations. As for their reasons, 39.4 percent said they will not consider the technology because of limited fueling or charging station infrastructure; and 33.3 percent have concerns over the vehicle's range or distance. This was restated recently in a report on Trucks.com by Roger Nielsen, chief executive of Daimler Trucks North America: "Electric-trucks have the potential to shift how goods are shipped regionally, but are far from ready for over-the-highway use because current batteries do not hold enough energy." He went on to say that those in charge of procuring trucks are still unsure of alternative fuel technology since they do not know if the driving results will be as predictable as diesel, and the fear of the unknown is holding many back. Don't miss it. Register today. In fact, in a recent industry benchmark survey, diesel fuel economy ranked second (36.7 percent) as a top promoter overall for truck replacement. This is especially important since 86 percent said they've experienced a consistent increase in fuel economy in model years 2013 through 2018. This perspective is further underscored by the fact that the recent price of diesel has increased above what industry forecasts projected. According to the latest North American Council for Freight Efficiency (NACFE) and its 2018 Annual Fleet Fuel Study, diesel recently increased to $3.28 per gallon, surpassing the projection of just $2.72 in 2018. Proponents of electrification point to the technology's environmental benefits. However, many don't fully realize the substantial gains diesel has made in these areas as well. Private fleets and for-hire organizations realize these benefits when they upgrade to the latest truck equipment available. An analysis of Class-8 truck utilization from Fleet Advantage saw that these companies can realize a first-year savings of $26,687 when upgrading from a 2012 sleeper model-year truck to a 2019 model*. This represents a 15.5 percent increase in savings compared with a similar analysis a year ago upgrading to a 2018 model when diesel prices registered $2.57. In addition to realizing significantly better cost savings from fuel economy gains, fleets will also achieve an estimated 18 percent reduction in CO2 emissions and a 46 percent reduction in NOx output when upgrading from a 2012 model-year sleeper to a new 2019 unit. *based on diesel prices at $3.29 The industry will continue to calculate electrification as a possible asset for the transport of goods in support of the economy and they should take a hard look. However, the data continues to support diesel as the primary option for transportation, as newer truck technology makes great strides in improving fuel economy and lowering emissions. Coupled with lifecycle asset management strategies that leverage flexible lease models that help reduce the total cost of ownership and help upgrade into newer technology every three-to-four years, diesel will remain the most economically viable option for the foreseeable future. Editor's Note: Brian Holland is President and Chief Financial Officer at Fleet Advantage, a leading innovator in truck fleet business analytics, equipment financing and lifecycle cost management. For more information visit www.FleetAdvantage.com. Click here to Subscribe Permalink | https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/19/01/13016822/are-fleets-implementing-electric-trucks-soon |
When is Burns Night and what should I cook for supper? | Burns Night, often an extravagant affair involving bagpipes, lashings of whisky, and a toast to the haggis, traditionally takes place around the birthday of the great Scottish poet, Robert Burns. This year, participants will raise a dram on January 25, and seek to serve a supper with all the pomp of the very first Burns Night in 1801, when friends of Rabbie came together to commemorate his death a few years earlier. But the influence of the great bard stretches well beyond the borders of Scotland. Of the 272 UK towns containing at least one street named after Robert Burns, 58 per cent are in England and Wales (though Glasgow still wins the prize for the most, with incredibly 72 Burns-related... | https://www.telegraph.co.uk/food-and-drink/recipes/burns-night-should-cook-supper/ |
Can Memphis basketball get back on NCAA Tournament bubble this week? | CLOSE Memphis defeated SMU 83-61 Saturday. Jason Munz, Southern Miss Sports Writer Penny Hardaway's first season as the Memphis basketball coach has already set the in-state rivalry ablaze, teetered between exciting wins and near losses, and restored life into the Tigers' fan base. Well, it's a stretch that will likely determine the Tigers' postseason fate. As of Tuesday, Memphis is locked in a three-way tie for third in the American Athletic Conference standings and just a half-game back of Cincinnati and Houston. Hardaway's team opened conference play with a 4-1 record, a start the program has only accomplished one other time since joining the league in 2014. But in fairness, the Tigers' conference victories have come against opponents with a combined record of 31-38, and 5-16 in AAC play. Memphis' last three opponents were picked in the bottom half of the conference by the league's coaches before the season. That changes when the Tigers visit Temple Thursday. Memphis' trip to Philadelphia marks the beginning of a six-game span against teams ranked inside KenPom's Top 150, and five of the six are against top-100 teams in the NCAA's NET rankings. Buy Photo Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway during action against SMU at the FedExForum, Saturday, January 19, 2019. (Photo: Mark Weber, The Commercial Appeal) KenPom projects the Tigers to lose their next five contests, including road games at Tulsa and South Florida. But those analytical projections don't mean anything, of course, if Hardaway's team continues to win. It's a growing possiblity. The Tigers already know that by now. They've moved up over 50 spots in the NET rankings in just the last month. Buy Photo Memphis guard Tyler Harris celebrates during action against SMU at the FedExForum, Saturday, January 19, 2019. (Photo: Mark Weber, The Commercial Appeal) NET (NCAA Evaluation Tool), the new algorithm used to guide the NCAA Tournament selection committee, ranks Memphis No. 66. Should the Tigers defeat Temple (No. 61) and UCF (No. 37) this week, not only would Memphis' ranking continue to climb, but it would also place Hardaway's team firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble. UCF is a No. 10 seed in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi's latest tournament projection, and the Knights are the league's preseason favorite. Temple falls just on the outside the field in Lunardi's "next four out," and the Owls hold the only win over Houston this season. "I'm very happy with the position that we're in right now because we can control our own fate with the next couple games," Hardaway said on his weekly radio show Monday. Buy Photo Memphis head coach Penny Hardaway during action against ECU at the FedExForum, Thursday, January 10, 2019. (Photo: Mark Weber, The Commercial Appeal) Hardaway has been unwilling to back off his NCAA Tournament expectations this season, even after five non-conference losses stained Memphis' postseason resume. "We're really ready for it," Hardaway said. "This is what we prepared for, this is what we want. The boys are all focused, we're focused, and pushing toward winning more games and trying to win our conference. That's what I've said from the beginning." Penny Hardaway: Antwann Jones becoming 'beautiful story' for Memphis basketball Tigers: Throwback uniforms. A fast start. The hustle board. Memphis found some extra mojo Saturday Memphis hoops: Tigers trying to schedule Georgetown in 2019-20, according to report | https://www.commercialappeal.com/story/sports/college/memphis-tigers/basketball/2019/01/22/memphis-basketball-looks-get-back-ncaa-tournament-bubble/2641894002/ |
Which politician says she turned down chance to be Donald Trumps vice-president? | A US senator has said she turned down Donald Trumps request to run as his vice president in 2016 because of family concerns. A US senator has said she turned down Donald Trumps request to run as his vice president in 2016 because of family concerns. Joni Ernst, who represents Iowa, made the claim in an affidavit in a divorce proceeding that was first reported by Cityview, a Des Moines alternative newspaper. I turned Candidate Trump down, knowing it wasn't the right thing for me or my family Joni Ernst I turned Candidate Trump down, knowing it wasn't the right thing for me or my family https://www.independent.ie/world-news/which-politician-says-she-turned-down-chance-to-be-donald-trumps-vicepresident-37737488.html I turned Candidate Trump down, knowing it wasn't the right thing for me or my family https://www.independent.ie/world-news/which-politician-says-she-turned-down-chance-to-be-donald-trumps-vicepresident-37737488.html The filing was made in October but unsealed this month after Ms Ernst and her former husband, Gail Ernst, settled their previously contentious divorce. Ms Ernst wrote that, after Mr Trump interviewed her in July 2016 to be his running mate: I turned Candidate Trump down, knowing it wasnt the right thing for me or my family. She said it was a sacrifice she made for her husband, who was not fond of her political career. Then vice president Joe Biden administers the Senate oath to Senator Joni Ernst, with her then husband Gail Ernst and daughter Elizabeth in 2015 (Jacquelyn Martin/AP) Mr Trump eventually invited Mike Pence, then the governor of Indiana, to run with him and Mr Pence now holds the vice-presidency. Ms Ernst has indicated she will run for a second six-year Senate term in 2020. The White House and Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Press Association | https://www.independent.ie/world-news/which-politician-says-she-turned-down-chance-to-be-donald-trumps-vicepresident-37737488.html |
Should immunisation be a mandate or could it be consensual in modern day India? | Dr Siddharth Dutta, Senior Consultant, Stratview Research, analyses the debate between mandated versus consensual immunisation. Addressing the top concern of parents he also suggests some solutions to plug the gaps in the vaccine supply chain management Today millennials are debating the safety of vaccines in India. Due to awareness in media, adverse effects are frequently reported, adding to the existing concern of parents in India. In 2018, we came across several instances in India (Gurugram, April 2018, Mumbai and Pune in November 2018, Tamilnadu and more) where parents had raised concerns over immunisation drive by the Government of India/State. Many have complied, few had opted out, and the confusion continues. As a parent, I think the following concerns are more relevant. Concern#1 Dilemma of the decision maker or parents: Even though the protocols are clear on which vaccine is supposed to be administered at what age. Parents in private healthcare market are totally dependent on the recommendation of their family physicians or paediatricians when it comes to selecting a particular brand of the vaccines or the type of vaccine or timing. In public healthcare segment, the scenario is totally different, as nearly every parent is dependent on whatever vaccines are provided by government hospitals or dispensaries. Half of them are not even aware of which brand is being administered and rest half have no say even if they realise that they have never heard of the company manufacturing that particular vaccine. On top of that if immunisation is made mandatory without awareness (by the government) then it adds more confusion. Solution: Parents should consult their pediatrician immediately if they have any doubts. Check for the brand, company, expiry date of the vaccine and also check if they are single vial use or multiple use. Make sure that there are no adverse events reported with that particular batch of vaccines, look for single use syringes. Look for any reaction after the vaccination (upto 30-45 minutes). In case of any adverse event, report immediately. Please remember that vaccination is safe, if they pass through all QA checks, but as parents you still have all the right to opt out. Concern# 2 Gaps in vaccine supply chain management: Vaccine usually require special storage conditions while getting transported from manufacturers to the hospitals or clinics. There have been instances that due to the temperature variations or storage irregularities the vaccines are spoilt. Such cases are rarely reported in India. Solution: Stringent policies and quality assurance processes are required to monitor the movement of these batches from factory to warehouse to distributor to pharmacists/hospitals/clinics. Many European countries are switching to digital tracking methods (bar code added with Block chain technology) so that any and every batch of consignment can be tracked real time. In India that can be adopted to ensure that the vaccine reaches the end user in the best condition. With gaps in the supply chain, mandating any immunisation programmes can be dangerous. Finally, penalising companies which supply expired batches of vaccines, or deviating from standard protocols; this can help build the confidence among parents and paediatricians. Policy makers must realise that unless an immunisation programme is consensual it can never be successful. | http://www.expressbpd.com/pharma/guest-blogs/should-immunisation-be-a-mandate-or-could-it-be-consensual-in-modern-day-india/408298/ |
How much rainforest do birds need? | Researchers of the Department of Conservation Biology at the University of Gttingen have carried out research in Southwest Cameroon to assess which proportion of forest would be necessary in order to provide sufficient habitat for rainforest bird species. The results of the study were published in the journal Biological Conservation. The Gttingen team investigated relationships between forest cover and bird species richness using data from a 4,000 km2 large rainforest landscape. The study area contains protected areas as well as smallholder agroforestry systems and industrial oil palm plantations. The study documents minimum thresholds of forest cover in farmland below which original bird communities begin to change and where they are already dominated by species which don't depend on forest. The data suggest that forest cover ought not to fall below 40 percent if drastic losses in original bird species are to be avoided. Importantly, the study also shows that highly specialised bird species already start to decline significantly when the percentage of forest dips to as much as 70 percent; at these forest cover levels, these birds are beginning to be replaced by "generalists", ie birds that are at home in different habitats. "The threshold values we are discussing here should play a role in defining strategies for conservation in tropical forest landscapes," says Denis Kupsch, first author of the study. This is particularly important because the pressure to use agricultural land intensively is constantly increasing in tropical regions. "It would therefore make sense for land-use planning and legislation in the future to be geared more to such limits in order to achieve a sustainable coexistence of industrial agricultural production, smallholder agriculture and protected area management." According to the authors, smallholder agricultural forest systems in particular, which represent a near-natural cultivated landscape and at the same time preserve a high proportion of natural forest, could play a significant role in this. ### Original publication: Kupsch et al. : High critical forest habitat thresholds of native bird communities in Afrotropical agroforestry landscapes. Biological Conservation (2019). DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2018.12.001 Contact: Denis Kupsch University of Gttingen Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology und Anthropology Conservation Biology/Workgroup on Endangered Species Brgerstrae 50, 37073 Gttingen Telephone: +49 (0)551 395636 E-mail: [email protected] http://www. uni-goettingen. de/ en/ 108763. html Professor Matthias Waltert Telephone: +49 (0)551 395638 E-mail: [email protected] | https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/uog-hmr012219.php |
When is Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony for Class of 2019? | The Class of 2019 for the National Baseball Hall of Fame will be announced on Tuesday, January 22. New York Yankees reliever Mariano Rivera headlines the list of players appearing on the ballot for the first time. Seattle Mariners DH Edgar Martinez and Yankees right-hander Mike Mussina are among the holdovers on the ballot. The Class of 2019 will be inducted on Sunday, July 21, in Cooperstown, N.Y. Heres what you need to know about the announcement: What: Class of 2019 National Baseball Hall of Fame Announcement When: Tuesday, January 22, 2019 Time: 6 p.m. ET Channel: MLB Network, MLB.com Channel finder: Verizon Fios, AT&T U-verse, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum/Charter, Optimum/Altice, DIRECTV, Dish Livestream: MLB Network Get your teams gear: Fanatics.com, Dicks Sporting Goods, MLBshop.com Class of 2020 candidates Heres a rundown on the players eligible for induction, per the Hall of Fame: Pitchers Mariano Rivera, Roy Halladay and Andy Pettitte; infielders Todd Helton, Michael Young, Miguel Tejada and Plcido Polanco; and outfielder Juan Pierre will join 15 holdovers from the 2018 balloting in which infielders Chipper Jones and Jim Thome, outfielder Vladimir Guerrero and relief pitcher Trevor Hoffman were elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. Candidates must be named on 75 percent of ballots cast by selected BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years of MLB coverage to gain election. Falling 20 votes shy of the required total for election last year was third baseman/designated hitter Edgar Martnez, who in his ninth year of eligibility polled 297 votes (70.4 percent). Also named on more than half the ballots were pitchers Mike Mussina (63.5) and Roger Clemens (57.3), outfielder Barry Bonds (56.4) and pitcher Curt Schilling (51.2). Players may remain on the ballot for up to 10 years provided they receive at least five percent of the vote. Martnez and first baseman Fred McGriff are on the ballot for their 10th-and-final time. Other holdovers from the 2018 ballot are pitcher Billy Wagner, second baseman Jeff Kent, third baseman Scott Rolen, shortstop Omar Vizquel and outfielders Andruw Jones, Manny Ramrez, Gary Sheffield, Sammy Sosa and Larry Walker. The ballot: Rick Ankiel Jason Bay Lance Berkman Barry Bonds Roger Clemens Freddy Garca Jon Garland Travis Hafner Roy Halladay Todd Helton Andruw Jones Jeff Kent Ted Lilly Derek Lowe Edgar Martnez Fred McGriff Mike Mussina Darren Oliver Roy Oswalt Andy Pettitte Juan Pierre Plcido Polanco Manny Ramrez Mariano Rivera Scott Rolen Curt Schilling Gary Sheffield Sammy Sosa Miguel Tejada Omar Vizquel Billy Wagner Larry Walker Vernon Wells Kevin Youkilis Michael Young Mike Rosenstein may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @rosenstein73. Find NJ.com on Facebook. | https://www.nj.com/yankees/2019/01/when-is-baseball-hall-of-fame-induction-ceremony-for-class-of-2019.html |
Is Patek Philippe Going Up for Sale? | Following one of the watch industrys biggest trade shows, SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie), last week, rumors began circulating that Patek Philippe might be going up for sale. (Patek Philippe shows their new watch releases at the watch industrys Baselworld trade show in March.) The rumor is nothing new for the family-owned company, which will turn 180 years old this May. When and if the Stern family (who has owned the business since 1932) would sell the venerable watch company has been a constant subject of speculation. The sale of one of, if not the most, esteemed watchmakers in the world would certainly have a sweeping impact on the industry. Entry-level watches at Patek Philippe sell for $10,000 or more while their high-complication pieces are so coveted by collectors they come with an application process and a ladder-climbing process based on which Patek Philippes a collector already has in their collection. And, at auction, Patek Philippe watches fetch top prices and are consistent record-settersa Patek Philippe Ref. 2499 Asprey sold for $3.9 million last year at Sothebys. If the Sterns do decide to sell, the Geneva-based company, located in the Valle de Joux, could reportedly be worth up to $10 billion, according to Bloomberg. The company currently has sales of 1.5 billion Swiss francs (a little over $1.5 billion at current exchange). The prospect of a Patek Philippe sale has loomed for a few years. In 2014, Thierry Stern, the companys chairman, told French magazine Le Temps that the company would need to leave Geneva or put itself up for sale if its tax burden was not made lighter. After threatening to relocate, a year later the company ultimately decided to invest 450 million CHF ($451.3 million) in its headquarters in Plans-les-Ouates. Around this time, it was also rumored that LVMH head honcho Bernard Arnault (who owns watchmakers Zenith, Hublot, and Tag Heuer) had offered to buy the company for $8 billion, according to Le Temps. Bernard Arnault also tried to buy Herms bit by bit by acquiring shares of the company, which ultimately resulted in a legal battle. LVMH, however, ultimately walked away from its shares last year, using them to complete the ownership in Christian Dior, according to the Financial Times. Meanwhile, if Patek Philippe is, in fact, considering a sale, luxury watch conglomerates Swatch Group and Richmond would likely also be in the running for ownership. Let the jockeying begin. | https://robbreport.com/style/watch-collector/patek-philippe-rumored-to-be-for-sale-2839325/ |
Why Are Expectations (Sentiment) Changing So Fast? | Expectations of monetary tightening have been changing rapidly, following the swings in the stock market. As the S&P 500 (SPY) was making new all-time highs, the expectations of monetary tightening over the upcoming year were as high as 90 basis points, indicating 3-4 more rate hikes were essentially priced in. When the market started to decline, rate hikes were quickly removed from the market and expectations went as far as to expect a rate cut. Now, with the equity market bouncing, the market is back to expecting one rate hike (22 bps) over the next four quarters. Lets take a look at why expectations are changing so rapidly. Fed Near Term Forward Spread: Source: Bloomberg The guide for these expectations can accurately be measured by the Fed Near Term Forward Spread [FNTFS], graphed above. The FNTFS takes the difference between the Treasury rate that matures in six quarters and the Treasury rate maturing in one quarter. Essentially, the spread takes the difference of the Treasury rate maturing in 1.5 years versus the 3-month Treasury rate which is tethered fairly closely to the Federal Funds rate. This is used as a proxy for where the market expects the 3-month Treasury rate (Fed Funds rate) to be one year from today. As the chart above shows, in September, the market was forecasting the Fed Funds rate to be up to 90 basis points higher in the next four quarters. As soon as the stock market started to decline, that expectation changed rapidly, and the spread went negative. If the market is pricing the Treasury rate 1.5 years in the future lower than the Treasury rate three months in the future, that is an explicit bet that the FF rate will be lowered. If you look at the FNTFS and the effective Federal Funds rate, you will see how in the past 20 years, each time the FNTFS went negative, the FOMC did in fact cut interest rates in some capacity. Judging by the stock market, a rate hike is back on. Look how closely the monetary tightening expectations have tracked the S&P 500. In September, the unemployment rate was 3.7% and core PCE, the Feds preferred inflation gauge, was 1.96%. Today, the unemployment rate is 3.9%, and core PCE is 1.90%. Now, I dont think these are good metrics to go by, and I dont advocate their use in conducting monetary policy, but those are the rough guidelines by which the Fed is supposed to operate. If the stock market makes a new all-time high, rate hikes will certainly resume. If volatility in the stock market persists, the market will force the Feds hand and not allow any more rate hikes. It was not just the market that changed expectations, FOMC members were nearly tripping over themselves to change from a forecast of three rate hikes in 2019 to a pause being necessary and the potential cessation of Quantitative Tightening. I recently penned a two-series article titled, The S&P 500 Will Push The Federal Reserve Too Far in which I argued that monetary tightening had already gone too far for such an overindebted economy. I am not a fan of low interest rates, and I believe they encourage the build-up of unproductive debt, but that does not mean the Fed can raise rates without repercussions. Each cycle, the Fed stops raising rates at a lower terminal rate because an economy with increasing levels of debt starts to have issues at lower rates of interest. Fed Funds Rate History: Source: Bloomberg At just 2.5% interest on the FF rate, we already see issues in high-velocity sectors of the economy that are tied to interest rates. In economist Lacy Hunts Q4 review, which you can read by clicking here, he wrote: It is now evident that the Fed actions have spread through the financial sector into the broader economy as inflation wanes, and the growth rate in the interest-sensitive bellwether sectors such as housing, autos, and capital spending is either slowing or declining. As 2018 ended, several high-multiplier sectors appear to have either passed their cyclical peaks or rapidly approached them. Exports, vehicle sales, and home sales exhibited characteristics of sectors in recession. Capital equipment and oil and gas drilling have also lost considerable momentum and, while remaining positive, their leading indicators are deteriorating. Even without any additional rate hikes, the economy is already experiencing restraint. Hunt wrote: Going forward, the economy will face past and continuing restraint of monetary actions. First, the flatter yield curve means that financial entities that borrow short and lend long will find their activities less profitable and will slow activity or increase risk premiums, and thus credit will become more expensive or less readily available. Second, world dollar liquidity [WDL] continues to decline. Third, the velocity of money, following a mild four-quarter advance, fell in the fourth quarter, possibly restarting its multi-year downtrend. Fourth, monetary restraint in the form of Fed balance sheet reduction will tighten financial conditions. The FOMC is letting the S&P 500 guide policy without looking at the impact that higher interest rates are having on critical interest rate sensitive sectors of the economy. If the stock market remains the driving factor of monetary policy, expect more wild gyrations. My Full Asset Allocation For 2019 EPB Macro Research uses macroeconomic data to identify inflection points in the economy and provides two asset allocation models that are best suited for the current environment so that your portfolio is always protected from the next downturn. If you would like to see the complete asset allocation model with exact percentages, consider joining EPB Macro Research. There is no risk in trying EPB Macro Research for a free two weeks. Be prepared for the next major market move. Click Here To Start Your No-Risk Free Trial Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. Additional disclosure: I have an underweight exposure to SPY | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4234660-expectations-sentiment-changing-fast |
Are Global Stocks Divorced From Reality? | It's true that the pace of earnings growth is slowing, particularly in the US, as the boost from last year's tax reform fades. By Mark Phelps and Dev Chakrabarti Equities declined around the world in 2018, and valuations fell sharply. With earnings still expected to advance this year, we think selective investors can find attractive entry points. Reality can be subjective. For many investors in stocks, last year's pain was real, as returns fell sharply due to the escalating US-China trade war, growing concerns about monetary policy tightening and fears of a global economic slowdown, all of which weighed on the earnings outlook. But the earnings outlook itself may not be as bad as widely perceived. It's true that the pace of earnings growth is slowing, particularly in the US, as the boost from last year's tax reform fades. Yet companies are generally still increasing profits, which is a positive environment for stocks. As the display above shows, earnings are expected to advance across almost all sectors globally in 2019. At the same time, price/forward earnings valuations have compressed sharply since last year's market declines. To some extent, yes. These days, when sentiment is so downbeat, good macroeconomic news isn't given any credibility. Volatility is widely seen as a hazard even though it also provides active managers with opportunities to exploit mispriced securities. And while the pace of profit growth has moderated, earnings haven't fallen off a cliff. Sectors such as healthcare, technology and consumer discretionary provide especially fertile ground for investors, in our view. By identifying high-quality companies with solid business dynamics, competitive advantages and pricing power, we believe investors can build a portfolio with long-term outperformance potential-even in today's tough markets. Source: Bloomberg, MSCI and AllianceBernstein (AB) The views expressed herein do not constitute research, investment advice or trade recommendations, do not necessarily represent the views of all AB portfolio-management teams, and are subject to revision over time. AllianceBernstein Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in the United Kingdom. Editor's Note: The summary bullets for this article were chosen by Seeking Alpha editors. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4234659-global-stocks-divorced-reality |
Do I Hate Winter? | What kind of idiot says I hate winter and then confesses he has no time share in Florida, no condo in the Caymans, no reasonable plan to escape a city that has become legend for ferocious weather. Maybe it would help if we shared the winters that have formed the picture of a life spent with four seasons. As a parent you hold fast to those moments huddled in a plastic toboggan with your toddler. Saying, Hang on tight. Saying, Here we go. Saying, Are you sure youre not cold? Knowing the whole time you will accept the lie. And you were once young, when the snow cancelled school and rather than cower in your home, you would meet up at the sledding hill like miniature Olympians. Daredevils in mittens. Our laughter muffled by the quieting snow. And just as we cannot appreciate sweet without sour, we know how the radiance of hot chocolate returns feeling to our ruddy cheeks. Thats amateur stuff. Heat the milk on the stovetop but dont let it get so hot that the skin forms on top. We would pump some Bosco into the hot milk and we didnt even need marshmallows. Would you kids like some tomato soup? Yes, please. Campbells. Out of a can. With all your sodium requirements for the next month. The top of the soup garnished with some squares of toast. With a warm snack, there would be nothing left to do but watch television with the impunity of the winter warrior. Winter gives us time by firelight. Sitting by the fireplace brings back our prehistoric fascination with the flicker. On a cold day in early January my father would take a hacksaw to our dried out Christmas tree. Methodically he would trim branches in small portions so he could burn them up in the fireplace. As a responsible adult, I can tell you this is a terrible idea. As a 4th grader lying on my stomach with my two brothers, it was better than fireworks. A piece of pine bough would make that crackle of instant incineration and it would be gone. Followed by another and another. At times of extremity, the better part of human nature emerges. The strangers who leap to lower their shoulder into the back of your car as your wheels spin in a drift. I hate its cruelty to the thousands whose homes suffer from inadequate heat. Or all the homeless who suffer in makeshift shelters. Curled up in doorways and under viaducts. Winter is that part of our lives that reminds us that our spirit is frayed by fortune. But it can be a creative time. A time when we are compelled to read or even write. I like contrasts. I like sad songs. I liked The Cubs when they were mired in a relentless darkness. And I live for the renewal that comes from the tacit promise of a gray January sky. This was taken from the script of Monday's Lin's Bin. If you have a question for Lin's Bin, go to our Giveways page and click on Lin's Bin. | https://wxrt.radio.com/blogs/lin-brehmer/do-i-hate-winter |
Did Bradley Cooper really sing in A Star is Born? | (Picture: Warner Bros/Moviestore/REX/Shutterstock) With a host of Golden Globe, SAG, Bafta, and now Oscar nominations under its belt, it would be remiss to call A Star Is Born anything other than a hit. Lupita Nyongo literally jumps for joy over Black Panthers historic Oscars nominations For a remake of a remake of a remake, 2018s A Star Is Born hasnt done half bad. Metro.co.uk gave it five stars out of five and said: Sporting bleary eyes and a Jeff Bridges-style drawl, [Cooper] carries the mystique of a superstar and the vulnerability that makes his and Gagas relationship believable. Indeed, its Bradley Cooper as weve not seen him before. The soundtrack full of bangers, coupled with the success of Coopers film, has got people wondering if that really is his voice they can hear singing along with Lady Gaga. Advertisement Advertisement One of the eight Academy awards that the film is in the running for is Gagas original song Shallow, which is sung by characters Ally and Jackson on stage. It acts as Allys start down the road to success, as her lover Jackson goes down something of a darker path. Possibly one of the most impressive things about the film is that Bradley Cooper really is singing on this song, and the others on the soundtrack. And whats more, he was singing it live. According to Vogue, Bradley Cooper trained with a vocal coach and a piano teacher for a year and a half to prepare for his role as the almost-washed-up Jackson Maine. A match made in heaven: Lady Gaga taught Bradley Cooper how to be a rock star, and he helped refine her acting chops. (Picture: Warner Bros. Pictures via AP) At the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival, during a conversation with Robert De Niro, Cooper said, [Lady Gaga] said right from the beginning that this is going to be a barter: Im gonna rely on you to get a performance out of me, and Im gonna make sure youre going to be a real musician. Well that barter certainly seems to have paid off. Not only did Lady Gaga coach Bradley musically, according to Bustle, she also made the apparently non-negotiable request that all of the songs be recorded live. The result is a collection of raw sounding songs and a tidy 8 Oscar nominations for the film as a whole, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Sound Mixing and Best Original Song. If Beale St Could Talk A Star Is Born Original Screenplay: The Favourite First Reformed Green Book Roma Vice Animated short: Animal Behaviour Late Afternoon One Small Step Weekends Sound editing: Black Panther Bohemian Rhapsody First Man A Quiet Place Roma Costume design: The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs Black Panther Mary Poppins Returns The Favourite Mary Queen Of Scots Best live action short film: Detainment Fauve Marguerite Mother Skin Sound mixing: Black Panther Bohemian Rhapsody First Man Roma A Star Is Born Film editing: BlackKklansmen Bohemian Rhapsody The Favourite Green Book Vice Original score: Black Panther BlackKklansmen If Beale St Could Talk Isle Of Dogs Mary Poppins Returns Best Documentary Short Subject: Black Sheep End Game Lifeboat A Night At The Garden Period End Of Sentence Best Documentary Feature: Free Solo Hail County Minding The Gap Of Fathers And Sons RBG Production Design Black Panther The Favourite First Man Mary Poppins Returns Roma Cinematography: Cold War The Favourite Never Look Away Roma A Star Is Born Makeup and Hair: Border Mary Queen Of Scots Vice Visual Effects: Avengers: Infinity War Christopher Robin First Man Ready Player One Solo: A Star Wars Story Animated Feature: Incredibles 2 Isle Of Dogs Mirai Ralh Breaks The Internet Spider-Man: Into The Spider Verse Original Song: All The Stars Black Panther Ill Fight RBG The Place Where Lost Things Go Mary Poppins Returns Shallow A Star Is Born When A Cowboy Trades His Spurs For Wings The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs The 2019 Oscars will take place on 24 February, from the Dolby Theatre at Hollywood & Highland in Los Angeles. Advertisement Advertisement If youre in the UK, the 2019 Oscars will begin at 1am on Monday 25 February. You can tune in to watch them live on the dedicated Sky Cinema Oscars channel. Youll be able to buy A Star Is Born on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K UHD on 11th February, 2019. 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: VIP tickets, private jets, $1,000,000 and luxury villas: Influencer explains how bloggers were lured to Fyre Festival | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/did-bradley-cooper-really-sing-in-a-star-is-born-8375817/ |
Did Rami Malek sing in Bohemian Rhapsody? | The film ended with Queens iconic Live Aid performance (Picture: 20th Century Fox) Rami Malek is emerging as an award season favourite racking up numerous nominations for his performance in musical biopic Bohemian Rhapsody. Freddies voice is unmistakable in throughout the biopic but it turns out Rami put in a bit work himself so its not all entirely lip-synced. The actor told Metro US the singing heard throughout Bohemian Rhapsody is a fusion of voices including his own, the Queen legend and that of an entirely different singer. He said: Its an amalgamation of a few voices. The film won Best Picture at the Golden Globes (Picture: Rob Latour/REX) But predominantly it is my hope and the hope of everyone that we will hear as much of Freddie as possible. Advertisement Advertisement The other voice heard is that of Canadian singer Marc Matel, The New York Times reported, with all three vocals blended together to create one powerful track. Bohemian Rhapsodys soundtrack is all Queen although includes a little Smile the band Brian May and Roger Taylor were originally members of. Bohemian Rhapsody has racked up five Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Film Editing, Best Sound Editing and Best Sound Mixing. Its also been nominated for seven Bafta Awards, and this month won two Golden Globes for Best Actor and Best Motion Picture. MORE: Bohemian Rhapsodys cast, director and reviews as it shocks during awards season MORE: Rami Malek admits it was a major risk to play Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/rami-malek-sing-bohemian-rhapsody-8375663/ |
Who is Chris Browns girlfriend Ammika Harris? | Chris Brown seemingly has a mystery new lady in his life as the couple have been spotted partying in Europe. While the rapper has been linked to rumoured girlfriend Ammika Harris as far back as 2015, not much is known about the 25-year-old or how the pair initially met. Richard E Grant is 'levitating' as he gushes about Oscar nomination In her bio on Instagram, she describes herself as blasian with Cherokee blood, hinting at a black, Asian and Native American heritage. Its also believed she attended the University of California in LA and currently still resides in the city. The couple were seen packing on the PDA in Paris nightclub Cirque Bonheur over the weekend, a trip that was no doubt overshadowed by Chris arrest on an accusation of rape. Advertisement Advertisement The dad-of-one was detained with two other people on Monday after a 24-year-old woman filed a report of rape, claiming the attack occurred on January 15. Metro.co.uk has contacted reps for comment. MORE: Chris Browns girlfriend shares updates from snowy Paris as singer is arrested on rape accusation MORE: Drake announces UK tour with six dates at Londons 02 Arena with Assassination Vacation Tour | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/22/chris-browns-girlfriend-ammika-harris-8375961/ |
Where do Patriots rank among greatest dynasties in sports history? | Dynasty. It's the word that has described the Patriots since Bill Belichick and Tom Brady since the tandem led the franchise to its first Super Bowl victory against the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl 36. Nine Super Bowl appearances later, New England is back in Super Bowl 53, this time against the Los Angeles Rams. MORE: Brady-Belichick come full circle Sporting News set out to do that across the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college football and men's and women's basketball. That leaves out another set of accomplished college dynasties, including North Carolina women's soccer, Iowa wrestling and North Dakota State and Mount Union football. We also left out international teams, so the U.S. women's soccer team and Soviet Union national ice hockey team are out, too. We stuck with the 15 best dynasties in sports history, looking for New England's place. A SN panel of writers voted on this list, and there are no perfect answers. Yet every team on here shares that description reserved for the best of the best. These are the greatest dynasties in sports. | http://www.sportingnews.com/us/other-sports/list/greatest-dynasty-new-england-patriots-ucla-chicago-bulls-boston-celtics-new-york-yankees/iey1j0yetdl217nugv5e6j6cv |
How do CIOs think about IT transformation? | IT transformation has many definitions. For this reason, I wanted to hear from the regulars at my weekly #CIOChat session. Interestingly, CIOs see IT transformation as having more to do with enabling digital transformation than enabling IT transformation. CIOs had many answers to this question. Some said that IT transformation should be about increasing agility, the openness to innovative ideas, the engagement with the business, and the identifying of tech debt and mitigation for it. CIOs say, for this reason, that IT should be undergoing its own business analysis to determine where IT capabilities are and where they need to be to support everything the business needs to get done. One CIO suggested that it's hard to believe that the IT profession has been around for 60 years. There are many old ways of doing things that need updating in IT organizations. And honestly, many IT professionals are like their business units resistant to change. Some foundational capabilities for IT are critical, but even those should be tied more directly to the business mission and goals. CIOs suggest that the IT Strategic Plan needs to outline these capabilities. They see an opportunity to help the business get their head out of whatever they are doing and get onto planning the future. IT, at the same time, should be leading in innovation and enabling new ways to do business. It's difficult for the business to drive this alone in the digital era. Innovation today is seen by CIOs as increasingly a partnership. Clearly, just responding to the business doesnt work especially when: IT and the business arent integrated/aligned IT isn't pro-actively innovating to stay ahead of industry change IT is just enabling (providing tools), but not educating business leaders how those tools can be used It is extremely important that IT resources are aligned with business priorities. It is, also, important to build a foundation on which new business ideas can be deployed quickly. This means having an innovation discussion. CIOs suggest if the business is moving faster than IT, you get shadow IT with its cybersecurity risks and stranded data. Clearly, even with these downsides, shadow IT is seen by CIOs as a good thing. Security is a concern but adding subject matter expertise to central IT can add business value. To lead versus being led, CIOs need to know the business models of their organization. They need to see where technology is contributing and causing friction. These are areas worthy of eradication. CIOs need to seek digital solutions that enhance corporate business models, delight customers, and grow business revenue. Innovation always requires a foundation from which to launch. You can't redirect resources from infrastructure to innovation without the supporting analysis. Otherwise, you risk your infrastructure. Innovation in many cases may require new business investment. Clearly, IT management shouldnt be just about moving a fixed sum of dollars from one pocket to another. I personally lived this at HP Software under Mark Hurd. He stressed that all investment came from killing or starving existing product line. CIOs have learned this lesson and say you have to maintain bread and butter systems at the same time as you innovate. CIOs say that the business should find a way to fund investments that pay off tech debt unless they're deliberately milking a cash cow business. CIOs, however, must make the business case for investing in new systems to cut longer term costs and risks with others. They then show that value of making progress at each. Most organizations don't have the luxury of starting over from scratch. That being said legacy systems inform much of what can be replaced or renewed. It is important that IT not innovate in a vacuum. CIOs are typically aware of the need to replace aging systems with newer more capable systems. In the words of Peter Drucker, if you want something new, you have to stop doing something old. At the same time, IT shouldnt move training dollars from older technology systems to newer technology and new technology training. CIOs believe that IT organizations need to find a way to replace old technology gracefully. Legacy systems may do their job, quietly, cheaply, and with a minimum of human intervention. You should when there is the opportunity to take real cost out. Clearly, it is valid to ask when, how, and how fast. Everyone wants to do this. It is important to start small and get some quick wins. One CIO said with this question, it damn well better be! IT transformation in this CIOs opinion should increase the rate of implementing change. It should, also, inform what, if any, incidents or issues exist so that remediation happens quicker. What really matters today, say CIOs, is speed in terms of market/deployment. This includes actual application performance. CIOs suggest that doing agile right means constantly improving applications in ways that are more helpful than disruptive. But it takes time to get the business ready for releases that involve significant business change. CIOs believe that increasing the speed of product delivery with data and process integration is where transformation is occurring. Clearly, IT budgets in many organizations are shrinking. Meanwhile, the death by a thousand cloud services is coming. Adopting and adapting frameworks Aligning or integrating Re-factoring with an eye toward rapid scaling Any organization that is not constantly increasing velocity and value is falling behind, whether related it be for things purchased or internally developed technology. Investments as a goal should aim to increase ITs time-to-value. Whatever solution selected needs to best fit business requirements internal applications, cloud/SaaS migration, or citizen developers with low code/no code tools. IT organizations today clearly shouldnt only build applications. For smaller places, it would be unsustainable except for trivial coding efforts. CIOs suggested interestingly cultural change is needed before technology change. Under this mantra, there is always a need for IT transformation. CIOs believe like any proper digital transformation, you start with culture, products, markets, and increasingly customer experience/employee experience. CIOs must formulate and communicate a vision for the future IT. Tools will come and go, but agility, architecture, alignment, and capabilities will pay dividends forever. Prioritization and focus should be on what will drive the most value. IT having knowledge of their organizations business models should be on the list. Other things that should be on the list include aligning IT governance with corporate governance and quality initiatives. For these reasons, CIOs believe transformation initiatives need to be aligned across the entire business. And this includes aligning enterprise architecture with these initiatives collectively. All of this leads to a better environment for transformation projects across the board. Additionally, CIOs stress the need to create learning organizations with TQM, Lean Six Sigma, and COBIT 5. You should start with tech debt issues, paying a lot more attention to delivery time. Without adequate funding, there's a risk of implementing a time-reduction strategy that gets you to where everyone was 5 years ago, but not to where they will be 5 years from now. Deep review of new directions to address tech debt, using the cloud where it makes financial and innovative sense, and maintaining a stable infrastructure throughout all the change. If you subscribe to Senge's 5 disciplines, say CIOs, systems have a way of pushing back. This means you must deal with tech debt and work to replace bad habits with good ones. CIOs say that IT leaders need to understand the messes and prioritize the eradication of them. Messes are barrier conditions. Good CIOs for this reason focus on identifying and removing barriers that have become impediments. Streamlined, simple architecture leveraging APIs and microservices with a SOA philosophy--this is key to creating an adaptable infrastructure of applications that can keep up with the business and be governable and maintainable. Your goal should be no more point-to-point integrations. For some, their role will be coordinating the contracts between vendors providing and integrating their solutions. Here, you must also consider capacity and capability of IT to fix messes while delivering IT transformation. Talent matters a lot here. The problem is the mess can prevent transformation expected by business customers. Most of the tech debt issues occurred because we did "bad" things because of how they were done and "good" things because of their business outcomes. Continuous re-factoring for granularity, scalability, and API use (creation/documentation) can address many issues. The mess of integration is more severe than it has been. In the old days, IT organizations could toss things back and forth with SQL. Or use a structured enterprise bus technology. Now it is a greater mess in that APIs are limited, slow, and inconsistently designed. It makes sense, for this reason, to review all value streams and processes and improve on a regular basis the velocity and value delivery. More often than not processes "of a certain age" are ineffective. A continuous process improvement capability is a critical success factor. CIOs insist that the definition of architecture transcends applications. It's the slowly-varying picture of what the business should achieve its long-term objectives. Business and IT should have things modeled (formal or informal) before a specific application design is discussed. One CIO suggested here if you desire to be a "fluid" enterprise, you should have a streamline integration architecture by putting in place an iPaaS. CIOs, in fact, insist that integration is a key foundation to transformation programs. Organizational leaders, say CIOs, need to break organizational silos, share data, and connect experts into collaborative practices. And of course, this has big implications for cybersecurity, privacy, and information governance. Parting remarks CIOs want to do many things in IT transformation. This includes fixing how integration is done and jettisoning existing tech debt. CIOs, also, attach importance to helping to drive real business innovation. So, as it should be, IT transformation should always be done with the business in mind. This article is published as part of the IDG Contributor Network. | https://www.cio.com/article/3335123/digital-transformation/how-do-cios-think-about-it-transformation.html |
Is Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Ripping Off Sick People? | Subscribe to our free newsletters. Sarah Kliff has been collecting hospital bills over the past year, and for the past couple of weeks shes zoomed in on emergency room services at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, which are considerably higher than other hospitals in the area. No one really seems to have a good answer, but the closest weve gotten is that SF General is required to provide lots of indigent and Medicaid services, which dont pay much, and they have to make up for that with higher prices for people covered by private insurance. I guess that sounds reasonable. But it got me curious about how much private patients are charged compared to indigent/Medicaid patients. This is for the entire hospital, not just emergency care, but here it is: Kinda weird. Traditional private patients are charged, on average, $3,322 per day while private patients with managed care plans are charged $6,177. You can see the same huge disparity between Medicare and Medicare Advantage. And generally speaking, Medicaid patients are charged more than average, while traditional private patients are charged about the same as both indigent patients and traditional Medicare patients, even though this hospital is out-of-network with all insurers. Overall, indigent patients make up less 1 percent of total patients, and private patients make up about 15 percent. These numbers are small enough that they hardly matter. Nearly 85 percent of all patients are either Medicare or Medicaid. I cant really make much sense out of this. The bottom line, however, is that SF General claims to lose money in every department except two: ER and lab tests, which break even. Their net loss for the year was $193 million. Its all very confusing. Youd think there would be. Youd think they would be too. | https://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2019/01/is-zuckerberg-san-francisco-general-hospital-ripping-off-sick-people/ |
How will industry respond to the new Food Guide? | The meat and dairy sectors face challenges as Health Canada recommends more plant-based proteins. By Kat Shermack Today, Canadas Food Guide received a long overdue makeover. The new guide was three years in the making and is the first update since 2007. Health Canadas changes offer a simplified approach to eating, replacing the traditional four food groups with three, and encourage plant-based sources of protein while de-emphasizing meat and dairy. Prior to its release, Health Canada stated that the revised Food Guide would place increased focus on nutritional science. The government agency refused to meet with representatives from the food and beverage industries, causing meat and dairy associations to respond with education-based social campaigns. Their efforts were aimed at combating the negative perceptions that have arisen among health and eco-conscious consumers who believe in the benefits of plant-based proteins. The food guide dates back to July 1942, when it was called the Official Food Rules. Released during World War II, it emphasized getting sufficient nutrition during a period of food rationing. The earliest food guide was a simple list of what Canadians should eat in a day. Back then, it recommended milk, fruits, vegetables, cereals and breads, fish, meat and eggs. In 1961, rules was dropped for the friendlier guide, and in 1977, Health Canada reduced the number of food groups to four. The year 1992 saw the release of the iconic rainbow that most still remember from school. Health Canadas own research says that Canadians consult the internet, family and friends and television shows for advice on healthy eating before they turn to the Food Guide. Plus, theres the influence that broader food trends play on consumer habits. From the low-fat craze, to the Mediterranean diet, to the cruelest food trend of them all: low carb. The previous food guide already emphasized the importance of eating fruits and vegetables, but it was YouTube and Instagram that made has plant-based eating trendy. Nikole Goncalves was a digital marketer for RBC in Toronto until two years ago, when she quit her nine-to-five job to become a full-time YouTuber. She has almost half a million subscribers through her channel Health Nut Nutrition, which focuses on eating plant based and whole foods. She believes plant-based eating is here to stay. People are more educated and informed about how food affects our body and the environment, Goncalves says. Today, the movement has led a range of companies to espouse, directly or indirectly, the benefits of plant-based eating. This includes A&W (with its fly-off-the-shelves Beyond Meat veggie burger), veterinarian-friendly meal brand Yves Veggie Cuisine (with its new flexitarian strategy), and even meat companies like Maple Leaf-owned Greenfield (which has pledged to go meatless on Mondays). And then theres France-based Danone, which became part of the Plant-Based Foods of Canada lobbying organization in September. More recently, the company announced plans to triple the size of its plant-based business by 2025 through investments in startups like coconut water brand Harmless Harvest (its portfolio already includes the dairy-free Silk and Alpro brands). In addition to embracing these trends head on, the meat and dairy industries have also been turning to social to fight back against widespread perceptions that their industries have a negative impact on the environment and peoples health. Earlier this month, the Ottawa-based Dairy Farmers of Canada released a statement emphasizing the importance of protein from dairy, and claims the new Food Guide could harm the dairy industry. In a statement, a spokesperson today reiterated the importance of dairy products, saying, While the food guide has changed, milk products continue to play a valuable role in helping Canadians make healthy-eating decisions on a daily basis. Meanwhile, the dairy association has been using social media to share information about the environmental impact of dairy. Infographics and news articles combat the perception that dairy is bad for the earth, such as a post about how the Canadian dairy sector has one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world: approximately one third of the global average. Joyce Parslow, executive director of marketing and consumer relations at Calgary- and Toronto-based Canada Beef says eating more plants doesnt have to mean cutting out meat. In anticipation of Health Canadas update to the Food Guide, Parslows team did their own research into the eating habits of Canadians. We asked Stats Canada for a snapshot of red meat consumption, Parslow says. We learned Canadians eat a modest amount of red meat, maybe not even enough. We arent eating red meat with reckless abandon. We need to stay current with trends, Parslow continues. I understand if people dont want to eat meat because they dont want to eat an animal. But if its because of health reasons, I dont think its warranted, and thats the message were trying to get out there. Canada Beef has been countering anti-meat messaging through a social media campaign on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. The association also launched the Think Beefcampaign to challenge perceptions of beef, with a website that contains recipes, articles, and information about beef, as well as how to incorporate it into a healthy diet. And its using the hashtag #beefbelongs as a rally cry for meat lovers across Canada. Red meat seems to be a lightning rod, Parslow says. People think its bad for the planet and bad for their health. Weve addressed that online. Were rolling out infographics and call-outs on beefs actual impact on health and the environment. Tim Lambert, CEO of Egg Farmers of Canada is also relying on social media to convince Canadian consumers to eat more eggs, through more educational posts and healthy egg recipes packed with veggies. A key message for Canadian egg farmers is that eating more fruits and vegetables doesnt mean you have to cut out eggs. We want to emphasize that while we understand Canadians generally need to incorporate more fruits, vegetables and legumes into their meals, eggs are a valuable source of high-quality protein as well, Lambert says. | http://strategyonline.ca/2019/01/22/how-will-industry-respond-to-the-new-food-guide/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=how-will-industry-respond-to-the-new-food-guide |
What are Canadas most-trusted brands in 2019? | Trust weighs heavily on consumers' decision-making, a good sign for those on Ipsos and Reader's Digest's annual list. Pricing may play a major role in nearly half of consumers purchase decisions, but that pales in comparison to the nine in ten who say trust is the main factor behind their shopping choices, according to a new study by Ipsos Canada. Thats good news for the brands that have made it onto Readers Digests list of most-trusted brands for 2019. The annual survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the magazine examined 32 product and service categories, including food and beverage, CPG, medical and automotive. The survey was conducted between Sept 5 and 19, 2018, and includes a sample of more than 4,000 Canadians aged 18 or over, including 1,000 French-speaking respondents. In addition to coming up with the list of most trusted brands, the survey examined Canadians attitudes towards trust. According to the research, 91% of Canadians agree (37% strongly and 54% somewhat) that when a product or services quality is similar to another, they tend to buy the product or service from the company they trust more. Whats more, 89% of consumers agree that they are more likely to invest in these trustworthy companies. By extension, trust plays in a role in how consumers interact with a brand. For example, 93% are more willing to work for a company they trust, while 74% are more likely to remember said companies advertisements. Below are some of the brands on this years most-trusted list. A full list of winners can be found here. Food and Beverage Bottled Water: Nestl Breakfast Cereal: Kelloggs Non-Dairy Beverage: Silk Tea: Tetley Consumer Packaged Goods Sun Care Product: Coppertone Sensitive/Dry Skin Lotion: Aveeno Interior Paint: Behr Exterior Paint: Behr Exterior Stain: Behr Incontinence Product: Depend Medical Arthritis Pain Reliever: Tylenol Cold Symptom Reliever: Tylenol Headache Pain Reliever: Tylenol Vitamin: Jamieson Automotive Hybrid Car Manufacturer: Toyota Passenger Car Manufacturer: Toyota Financial Life Insurance Company: Sun Life Financial Health & Dental Insurance Company: Sun Life Financial Retail Beauty: Sephora Home Improvement: The Home Depot Pharmacy/Drug Store: Shoppers Drug Mart/Pharmaprix Grill/Barbecue: Weber | http://strategyonline.ca/2019/01/22/what-are-canadas-most-trusted-brands-in-2019/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=what-are-canadas-most-trusted-brands-in-2019 |
Can the NFL game be properly officiated anymore? | The counter-argument has been the same for years now: We bystanders couldnt possibly fathom what its like to officiate an NFL game. The needs are almost impossiblemental dexterity to associate a piece of legislative minutiae from the leagues 89-page rule book with a millisecond-long flashpoint in a game played by the fastest and strongest people on earth, years of expertise to properly position yourself for an adequate view without railroading the play in progress and fortitude to trust your instincts and announce the findings to a stadium packed with tens of thousands of disgruntled fans. For the most part, its a functional comeback. The reasonable among us can deduce that officials have only become a consistent sponge for our misgivings after the advent of high-definition replay and the 600-camera broadcastall of which now feature a former referee whos paid to criticize the very thing he spent years trying to tell us was so difficult to do. Go back and watch a 1994 Bengals-Oilers tilt under the same microscope and gasp at the myriad crimes against officiating youd uncover. On Sunday, I watched from a perch about 100 yards away as Rams Nickell Robey-Coleman demolished Saints Tommylee Lewis while the ball was still in the air and not get flagged for either of the two infractions he committed on the playpass interference and a helmet-to-helmet collision. Both were evident even from my vantage point, where the players were about the size of pocket chess pieces. The call cost the Saints a chance at a first down inside the Rams five-yard line, and an opportunity to whittle most of the remaining 1:45 off the clock. A touchdown could have effectively end the game depending on the remaining time. Instead, New Orleans kicked a field goal, allowed Los Angeles to do the same on their next drive and lost in overtime. I stood next to Robey-Coleman in the locker room after the game, and watched as he saw the play for the first time on another reporters cell phone. He laughed, grabbed him by the arm and shoulder and said: Aw hell yeah, that was [pass interference]. He admitted that it was a busted coverage, and he simply whacked [Lewiss] ass to keep him out of the end zone. I did my part, Robey-Coleman said. The referee made that call. We respect it. Players have never been faster. Almost every team has the ability and incentive to dramatically alter their tempo frequently. Plays themselves are so often designed to deceive the defense and create incidental contact that borders on illegality. And, underneath it all, referees must balance a Bible-sized tome of rules and clarifications against the fact that owners want a streamlined product that doesnt lag, or adversely affect their most popular players. There are, it seems, as many unwritten rules to follow as the ones laid out in black and white. Well never know, as officials are cloistered like monks in an abbey. Vinovichs responses to a pool reporter after the Saints game were about as illuminating as instructions to build . Even after everything, the counter argument is still valid. Of course the lay person couldnt officiate an NFL game with any degree of accuracy. Email us at [email protected]. | https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/01/22/nfl-officiating-saints-rams-missed-call-pass-interference-playoffs-super-bowl |
What Are The Signs Of High Blood Pressure? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. Heres what you need to know about what to look for, along with expert tips on monitoring your blood pressure at home. Your blood pressure rises and falls naturally throughout the day. However, if it stays high for a long period of time, it can damage your heart and cause a number of health conditions, including heart attack, stroke, heart failure and kidney disease. High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects about one in three adults in the United States, but many people dont know they have it. In most cases, high blood pressure has no warning signs or symptoms. Its called the silent killer because, all too often, there are no signs or symptoms that you have a potentially dangerous health condition. Sweating, feeling flush, nervousness and difficulty sleeping are actually myths and not real signs that your blood pressure is high. The only exception is when you have extremely high blood pressure, known as a hypertensive crisis, where your blood pressure rises well above normal. If your blood pressure is unusually high and you are having nosebleeds and severe headaches, its a medical emergency and you should get to a hospital immediately. Barring these symptoms, the only way to confirm whether you have high blood pressure is to get it measured, and the best way to do this is to visit your doctor for a professional assessment. If your blood pressure is too high, your doctor may recommend monitoring it at home as a way to keep tabs on your blood pressure goals. But before you rush out and buy a home blood pressure monitor, there are some things to keep in mind, says Helga Van Herle, MD, a cardiologist at Keck Medicine of USC and associate professor of clinical medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC: 1. Digital monitors are the easiest to use correctly. They are also often covered by health insurance if your doctor prescribes it. 2. Talk to your doctor before choosing a machine. If youre going to embark on home blood pressure monitoring, its important to discuss the different types of devices, as well as the how to actually use them, with your health care provider, Dr. Van Herle says. 3. Wrist and finger monitors are difficult to use correctly. These kinds of monitors are not recommended by the American Heart Association because results are often inaccurate. 4. Several devices can integrate with a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device. This allows you to keep accurate records that can be shared with your doctor. 5. Choosing the right cuff size is critical. Readings can be extremely inaccurate if you choose the wrong size. 6. Once you buy your monitor, bring it to your next doctors visit. In my practice, I usually ask patients to bring in their monitor and show me how they use it, Dr. Van Herle says. Then I calibrate their device with a manual blood pressure reading done concurrently in the office. If you find that you have ongoing high blood pressure, work with your health care team to make healthy lifestyle changes and/or choose appropriate medications. Consulting with a cardiologist can be helpful for people whose blood pressure isnt being controlled by medications, who are pregnant or who have been hospitalized with a hypertensive crisis. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/01/22/what-are-the-signs-of-high-blood-pressure/ |
Why Do Programming Languages Use Frameworks? | originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. For the same reasons your phones operating system doesnt come pre-installed with every app on the app store. For instance: Frameworks are built with different dependencies . Some frameworks require very specific versions of other libraries, which may be incompatible with the library versions used by another framework. Some frameworks even require specific versions of the language (e.g., Python 2.7 vs Python 3.5). . Some frameworks require very specific versions of other libraries, which may be incompatible with the library versions used by another framework. Some frameworks even require specific versions of the (e.g., Python 2.7 vs Python 3.5). Frameworks are developed by different people . In order to consolidate all these projects into a single unified whole, youd need to turn them into a single organization reporting in at different levels. Thats a lot of added management overhead; too much for what are often open source and personal projects to most contributors. . In order to consolidate all these projects into a single unified whole, youd need to turn them into a single organization reporting in at different levels. Thats a lot of added management overhead; too much for what are often open source and personal projects to most contributors. Frameworks develop at a different pace . If the core language wants to release every six months, but some framework wants to release every two weeks, it wouldnt be reasonable to force them to align to a single release schedule. Maybe the language releases more slowly because it takes longer to test, so if you release every two weeks, youre possibly shipping unstable code. But if you release every six months, you could be needlessly preventing users from making use of new features of that framework. . If the core language wants to release every six months, but some framework wants to release every two weeks, it wouldnt be reasonable to force them to align to a single release schedule. Maybe the language releases more slowly because it takes longer to test, so if you release every two weeks, youre possibly shipping unstable code. But if you release every six months, you could be needlessly preventing users from making use of new features of that framework. Frameworks can be mutually exclusive. If two frameworks both solve the same problem, and are both popular with different people (TensorFlow vs PyTorch, React vs Angular, etc. If two frameworks both solve the same problem, and are both popular with different people (TensorFlow vs PyTorch, React vs Angular, etc. Frameworks can be bloated. They can pull into tons of dependencies, drivers, applications, and end up costing you many gigabytes of disk space. If all that needs to be packaged into every application, your users will complain. Decentralizing framework development is a good thing. It means anyone with a great new idea to improve the language can do so without needing to go through a highly bureaucratic committee and get official buy-in first. It means frameworks can compete, and the ones that arent very good can go away quietly without affecting the long term development of the language. It means learning the language doesnt require learning (or sifting through) hundreds of components youre probably not interested in. And as long as installing a new framework is as easy as pip install whatever , there isn't any good reason to bundle them together to begin with. This question originally appeared on Quora - the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world. You can follow Quora on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+. More questions: | https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/01/22/why-do-programming-languages-use-frameworks/ |
Are Millennials More Financially Responsible Than We Thought? | Millennials tend to get a bad rap when it comes to being financially responsible. (Avocado toast, anyone?) The reality, however, is that they're doing a pretty decent job of keeping their spending in check. The average millennial spends $2,164.99 a month, or $25,979.88 a year, according to data from Ally Financial. But when we compare millennial spending to that of the average American, the numbers don't paint such an unfavorable picture for younger adults. Consider this: The average millennial spends $325.44 a month on food. The average American, meanwhile, spends $600.25. Furthermore, millennials spend an average of $426.73 on housing, whereas the average American spends $1,573. Young couple using laptop on a couch. More IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES. Of course, part of the reason why millennials might spend less than Americans across all age groups is that they earn less. Still, let's not gloss over the fact that while 60% of all U.S. adults have less than $1,000 in savings, 45% of millennials are actively saving for emergencies like medical bills, car problems, or home repairs. And that's not the only thing they're saving for. A good 41% are setting money aside for retirement despite the fact that it's decades away. And another 41% are socking away cash in the hopes of putting a down payment on a home. Clearly, millennials are doing a decent job of not overspending and saving some of their income. And Americans across all age groups should really aim to follow suit. Getting your financial house in order If you're currently maxing out the bulk of your paycheck and have little to no money set aside for emergencies, retirement, or other goals, it's time to realign your priorities. First, create a budget. It'll help you see where your money is going so you can identify ways to cut back on spending if necessary. And make no mistake about it: If you're unable to consistently save at least 15% of your paycheck, it means you're spending too much. Next, take steps to automate your savings so that your newly freed-up cash goes where it needs to go. If you don't have money in a traditional savings account to cover unplanned bills, your first goal should be to amass enough cash to cover at least three months' worth of living expenses, and ideally, more like six months' worth. To that end, set up a direct transfer so that part of your earnings are sent into savings until you've reached your goals. Once that's in place, you can focus on other key objectives, like retirement. If your employer offers a 401(k) plan, signing up for it is a great way to ensure that your money gets put away for the future. Otherwise, find an IRA with an automatic savings feature, and arrange to have part of each paycheck land there month after month. Of course, millennials aren't off the hook in this regard. While an estimated 82% are saving in some capacity, that means 18% are maxing out their paychecks rather than managing to put money away. Still, the fact that most younger workers are building up a safety net, nest egg, or home down payment is impressive in its own right. They say that with age comes wisdom, and if that's right, millennials are clearly ahead of their time. If you're among the majority of millennials who are saving money and spending in a relatively modest fashion, keep up the good work. And if not, pledge to do better -- whether you're part of the millennial generation or not. More From The Motley Fool The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. | https://news.yahoo.com/millennials-more-financially-responsible-thought-174800261.html |
Wasn't Tesla Supposed To Make More Money As The Model 3 Ramped? | Teslas CEO, Elon Musk, sent an email to all the companys employees early Friday morning which led to the stock falling $45 or 13% to $302 on Friday. It started off weak on Tuesday, dropping $7, but has recovered a bit and is only down $3 for the day. This isnt the first time the shares have experienced the down elevator syndrome and it may recover, but this time could be different since the Model 3 is shipping in volume and that is what many investors were forecasting would drive the company to sustained profitability. Musk wrote in his email that even though Tesla was selling more Model 3s in the December quarter it will make less profit than the September quarter. And for the March quarter he wrote, with great difficulty, effort and some luck, to target a tiny profit. He added that even getting to breakeven will be dependent on selling higher-priced Model 3s in Europe and Asia which helped the September and December quarters in the U.S., but that is only a temporary situation. It appears that the push to sell Model 3s before the full Federal tax rebate was cut in half at the end of December was an indication of the issues Musk just wrote about. The need for the push and now the layoffs may have shown the company its backlog is not as robust as it thought it was. Tesla sold almost 56,000 Model 3s in the September quarter and increased that to just over 63,000 in the December quarter or a yearly run rate of 252,000 vehicles. This is below the 400,000 to 500,000 per year that is probably still in the plans, but if enough potential buyers have decided to back away from buying one (such as myself which I outlined the reasons for last month) the company may not have the demand that was indicated in the deposits customers made. Musk included in his email that Tesla was cutting 7% of its workforce while at the same time needing to make more cars. He wrote, Higher volume and manufacturing design improvements are crucial for Tesla to achieve the economies of scale required to manufacture the standard range (220 mile), standard interior Model 3 at $35k and still be a viable company. Note: I added the italics to indicate the seriousness of this comment. However, unless Teslas stock falls substantially, 50% or more, the company should be able to sell more stock to get it through this very rough going. A key bull thesis may be broken One of the key bull arguments is Tesla growing revenue at substantial rates , which is needed to overcome the stocks high valuation. Unfortunately, with Musks email analysts are cutting their revenue and earnings estimates, and even uber-Tesla bull Trip Chowdhry at Global Equity Research is now expecting flattish 2019 revenue. Tesla should generate about $21 billion in revenue for 2018, and Chowdhry had been forecasting 2019 revenue of $29 billion for a 41% growth rate. He had also been estimating operating profit of $204 million in 2018, increasing to $1.9 billion in 2019 or $6.87 in earnings per share. These projections will have to come down and probably substantially. Jeffrey Osborne at Cowen has an Underperform rating on Tesla with a $200 price target (it had been $250) and he dropped his 2019 EPS estimate from $11.02 to $6.16 and 2020 from $11.16 to $8.88. He is still expecting the company to increase revenue by 15% in 2019 to $24.4 billion but only by 4% in 2020 to $25.4 billion. Second bull thesis on capital could also take a hit Musk has touted that Tesla will be able to generate enough free cash flow to fund its capital requirements and wont need to sell more stock or increase debt. This will be put to the test as the table from Cowens Osborne details the potential for $20 to $25 billion needed from 2017 to 2022. With $10.9 billion in debt as of September last year, $3 billion in cash, $920 million in debt coming due in March and the ability to generate substantial free cash flow being much more in doubt, the company may have to sell more stock. Chart shows support around $295 and then $250 It wont be until Wednesday, January 30, that any more details are provided so the stock may be in a holding pattern until then, probably with a bit of downside risk due to the negative news and information vacuum until then. There is some short-term support around $295 with the next major support level at $250. If it starts to look like the company cant ramp the Model 3 with enough profitability and more capital needed to be raised, investors will have to believe that future products (full self-driving, Model Y, Semi, Truck and Roadster on the vehicle side and Powerwall/pack and Solar Roof on the energy side) can not just make up the revenue slack but do it profitability. Since it doesnt look like Tesla can do this with a quarter of a million Model 3s being sold in a year, uncertainty could enter investors minds. And we all know investors hate uncertainty . | https://www.forbes.com/sites/chuckjones/2019/01/22/wasnt-tesla-supposed-to-make-more-money-as-the-model-3-ramped/ |
Why did Peter Kay cancel his UK tour? | The video will start in 8 Cancel Get What's On 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 At the end of 2017 Peter Kay cancelled a gigantic country-wide tour due to 'unforeseen family circumstances'. In total he was forced to pull more than 100 UK tour dates and what followed was a lengthy period of silence. The tour - his first in eight years - included 22 dates at Manchester Arena across 2018 and 2019. The news sent the internet - and social media - into meltdown. And although there was much disappointment, the vast majority of fans sympathised with Kay and agreed that family had to take priority over work. In June 2018, Kay released a statement as to why the tour was cancelled. On Twitter he wrote: "Due to unforeseen family circumstances, I deeply regret that I am having to cancel all of my upcoming work projects. "This unfortunately includes my upcoming stand-up tour, Dance For Life shows and any outstanding live work commitments. "My sincerest apologies. This decision has not been taken lightly and I'm sure you'll understand my family must always come first. "I've always endeavoured to protect my family's privacy from the media. I hope that the media and the public will continue to respect our privacy at this time. "Once again, I'm very sorry." Car Share Popular comedy show Peter Kay's Car Share came to a satisfying finale last year and the show is nominated for a National Television Award. The ceremony takes place on Tuesday, January 22 and Car Share is nominated for Best Comedy. Let us know - in complete confidence - by emailing [email protected] , calling us on 0161 211 2323 , tweeting us @MENnewsdesk or messaging us on our Facebook page . You can also send us a story tip using the form here . | https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/whats-on/why-peter-kay-cancelled-tour-15715912 |
Is the National Television Awards 2019 live? | 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 The stars of the small screen have been hitting the red carpet to celebrate the best of the past years television. There's been drama success with the BBC's gripping series Bodyguard, classic moments on This Morning with Holly Willoughby, Phillip Schofield and the team plus we've been touched by scenes in show like Ambulance and hooked to reality faves Love Island and I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here. And not forgetting the soap stars, including the cast of Coronation Street, who are taking the trip from Manchester to see if they can take home the Serial Drama gong after another explosive year on the cobbles. Now all of that, plus is celebrated with a glitzy awards ceremony - that we also get to watch. (Image: John Phillips/Getty Images) The National Television Awards take place on Tuesday January 22 at London's O2 Arena. The answer is yes and as they say, anything can happen. The awards ceremony is broadcast on ITV from 7.30pm with Dermot O'Leary at the helm trying to keep everyone in check. There will also be updates over on social media as Love Island winners Jack Fincham and Danny Dyer get all the backstage goss from the many famous faces in attendance. (Image: ITV) What's more, the recently reunited Westlife are taking to the stage to perform their brand new single, Hello My Love, to the packed out celebrity audience. | https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/national-television-awards-2019-live-15717277 |
Why Me Lord? | When bad things happen, do you find yourself saying, Why me Lord? It may sound all too familiar, yet it is a fair question and deserves a fair answer. In keeping with fairness, it is also appropriate to ask the same questions in relation to our blessings. When considering ones blessings how many people say, Why me? Unfortunately, this kind of thinking is foreign to most people. We are more likely to complain rather than rejoice. Although we may have had a hundred days of good health, we are more likely to grumble about one day of aches and pains. We may have driven the freeway hundreds of times without an incident; then the onetime we have a flat tire or engine trouble we say, Why me? You may be saying, I live with pain or problems continuously. I understand and know of many with chronic pains; yet I have learned from them that even in the midst of such trials, there is much reason to give thanks. I am not speaking of the power of positive thinking, but rather of having a right perspective, a perspective that is focused Godward. The patriarch Job is a worthy example. Although he suffered both physically and spiritually, he never ceased to trust in God. Even when his wife told him in his misery, curse God and die, Job said: Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.- Job 13:15. He was not deluded; he struggled with the same emotions as any other person, but he inclined himself only to God as he maintained a Godward perspective. The Apostle Paul and his physical malady is another great example for us. While praying for removal of the ailment he had, the Lord said that this thorn in his flesh was for his benefit and Gods glory. The Lord told Paul: My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. 2 Corinthians 12:9. That same grace is sufficient for all who trust in Him. This means you as well. Whether you are in a continuous state of suffering, or have something suddenly go wrong, respond with a Godward perspective rather than your fleshly perspective, and pray to the Lord for the grace to walk through it. If you are honest with yourself, you will look back and see that the Lord is not far off but with you all along. Call us at 425-432-0634: We would love to talk with you, pray for you and help you discover Gods truth for life. Find out more at www.taylorcreekchurch.org, or join us this Sunday. Service times are 9 a.m. for Sunday school and 10:15 a.m. for worship. We are located at 21110 244thAve. S.E. Maple Valley. (PAID MESSAGE) | http://voiceofthevalley.com/2019/01/21/why-me-lord-4/ |
Can Oregon lawmakers unite a divided state as legislature gets underway? | SALEM, Oregon Leaders of the Oregon Legislature spoke last week about the need to bridge divides that exist in the state, just ahead of Tuesday's start of the 2019 session. Speaking at the Associated Press Legislative Preview, lawmakers described an Oregon that is divided between urban and rural, Democrat and Republican. The November election gave Democrats a three-fifths supermajority in Oregons Legislature with greater power to impose taxes, but Senate President Peter Courtney, D-Salem, said they must wield power carefully. He recalled that Senate Republican Leader Herman Baertschiger, Jr., had told him that while Baertschiger represents a minority in the Senate, most people in his district around Grants Pass are Republican. Courtney said he wants legislation from the session that begins Tuesday to benefit the entire state of Oregon. He pointed out that Republicans could jam up legislation by sitting out votes. Quorum rules say 20 senators must be on the Senate floor and 40 representatives on the House floor for votes to take place, Courtney said. Democrats fell short of those numbers in the elections, with 38 seats in the House and 18 in the Senate. Sign up for the daily 3 Things to Know Newsletter Sign up for the daily 3 Things to Know Newsletter Something went wrong. This email will be delivered to your inbox once a day in the morning. Thank you for signing up for the 3 Things to Know Newsletter. Please try again later. Submit House Democrats have pledged to help build a future for all people in the state "and not just people from Portland," House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson told Capitol correspondents. Baertschiger lamented that the days when his district was vibrant in which families could buy a house, a car, and send their kids to college disappeared in the past 40 years. He said state and federal governments should reevaluate policies that restricted harvesting of natural resources. "One thing that has just jumped out, and that I recognize very much, is the divide in Oregon, and it really upsets me," Baertschiger said. "The struggles in rural Oregon are different than the struggles in urban Oregon and vice-versa, and I dont think the Legislature really recognizes that." Rep. Carl Wilson echoed that, saying there were too many empty storefronts in downtown Grants Pass. The priority of Republican House members is "making rural Oregon prosperous." He said they would try to block legislation they deem dangerous to rural Oregons economic health. He said that whenever minimum wage goes up, "our fortunes take another shot." Gov. Kate Brown, also appearing at the AP event, said Friday that boosting funding for Oregons struggling education system is her top priority heading into the 2019 Legislature, while "the time is now for us to make significant investments in our education system," Brown said Brown has a $2 billion education investment package that would come with some type of tax increase in her proposed state budget, in addition to her base budget. She said property tax limitations adopted in the early 1990s have resulted in decreased funding per student. While she may ask for $2 billion, the legislature yet again faces an unfunded $26 billion PERS liability. As the Oregonian's Ted Sickinger reports, that $2 billion may just be eaten up by the investment house of cards that is PERS. Priorities are for early childhood education, increasing the school year to 180 days, increasing the high school graduation rate, and technical education. The Democratic governor said some funding issues could wind up before Oregon voters in ballot measures, like a cigarette tax that would help fund the Oregon Health Plan. Partisan clashes are expected on gun control and over a bill that would limit rent increases in many cases to address the states housing crisis. Wilson said he would not vote for any gun control, even a measure that would require safety locks on firearms to prevent a child from accidentally shooting someone. He said it would be a double tragedy if a parent, through simply forgetting once to lock a gun, resulting in a death of a child, would then have to face possible jail time for violating the law. "There are people who want to disarm us incrementally over time," Wilson said. He said "rural Oregon is steeped in gun culture." Democrats, who passed laws in the last session that bars convicted domestic abusers from owning guns, wants legislation similar to laws approved by voters in Washington that would require safe storage of guns. Owners would be held accountable for crimes done with their guns. VIDEO: New push to approve gun-locking requirement in Oregon Second Amendment advocates rallied last week on the steps of the legislature in opposition to Senate Bill 501, which in addition to safe storage, requires a permit before a gun is purchased and restricts the amount of ammunition in possession and rounds in a magazine. VIDEO: Pro-gun activists hold rally on the step of Oregon State Capitol Senate Bill 608 sponsored by House Speaker Tina Kotek and Senate Majority Leader Ginny Burdick, both Portland Democrats, would prohibit a landlord from terminating month-to-month tenancy without cause after 12 months of occupancy, and limit annual rent increases to 7 percent annual changes in the consumer price index. Such a move would drive some landlords to sell their homes and get out of the rental business, Wilson said. Legislation to cut statewide carbon emissions would be a hard sell to his constituents, the Republican said, adding that a carbon tax is likely to pass. "I have to explain to them what good is it going to do for them, that it costs them more to heat their homes, to drive their cars, to operate their machinery, to drive their trucks," Wilson said. Kotek responded shell need to explain how resources from a carbon pricing program could help the natural resource industry, and that dollars should go to rural areas that are often most impacted by climate change, including drought and wildfires. Brown, Courtney and Kotek also face the task of eliminating and preventing further issues with sexual harassment at the capitol, especially after a stinging report by outgoing labor commissioner Brad Avakian. "I need to be very, very clear. Sexual harassment, harassment of any kind in the workplace, whether it is in the Capitol or in our courtrooms or in our classrooms is absolutely unacceptable," Brown told KGW. | https://www.kgw.com/article/news/politics/can-oregon-lawmakers-unite-a-divided-state-as-legislature-gets-underway/283-aed47aa8-8570-4ce1-919f-81d984203335 |
Who is Dermot O'Leary's wife Dee Koppang? | The couple have been married since 2012 British television's most glamorous night, the National Television Awards, returns this Tuesday, with presenter Dermot O'Leary at the helm. A man famed for fronting primetime shows such as The X Factor and Saturday Breakfast on BBC Radio 2, his long-term relationship with wife Dee Koppang O'Leary has comparatively been kept relatively low-key. Gaining glimpses into their relationship on social media, we're pretty obsessed with this couple and want to know everything about Dee, her relationship with Dermot and her love of cats! Born in Oslo in 1978, the Norwegian beauty spends her time hanging out with famous friends Caroline Flack, Gemma Cairney, Laura Whitmore and Dawn O'Porter, most recently being seen supporting Caroline during the Love Island presenter's stint as Roxie in the West End production of Chicago. Additionally, Dee loves to travel, returning to her hometown of Oslo to ski with Dermot in early January, as well as visiting New York in November to celebrate her 40th birthday. Just like her husband, Dee works in the TV industry and the couple even set up a film production company together in 2013. A director and producer, the stunning brunette has a seriously impressive CV, having worked as a unit director on Netflix smash hit The Crown, as well as producing and directing the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show since 2009. Dee and Dermot started dating in 2002 after meeting a TV production company where they both worked. Ten years later, the couple tied the knot in September 2012 at a village church in Chiddingstone, Kent, with Dermot's ITV pal Holly Willoughby, as well as stars such as James Corden, Chris O'Dowd and Bear Grylls attending the wedding. The couple celebrated their nuptials with two honeymoons and six years later, Dermot says that he still finds married life "brilliant". "She's very smart," the presenter says, adding: "We keep each other sane." Hectic international work schedules often keep Dee and Dermot apart, but the couple have bases in London's affluent Primrose Hill and Italy. Their London pad often serves as a background for Dee's Instagram posts, with fans admiring the open plan spaces and swanky contemporary interiors, as well as a number of homely rustic touches including a bar cart and log pile. Having children is important for the pair, but according to Dermot, career has to come first at the moment. "I definitely want kids, but I've got a very busy wife with a very busy life," he told Fabulous magazine in 2015. "I want them when we both think it's the right thing to happen. It's not fair for me to say: 'I want kids now.'" Fortunately, the couple keep their house busy with their two cats, Socks and Toto, with Dermot dedicating the second book in his children's series to his wife, writing: "To Dee Koppang O'Leary, first of her name, Queen of the Fjords, proud woman of Kent, and most definitely Mother of Cats." | https://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/2019012266861/dermot-oleay-wife-dee-koppang-who-is-she/ |
Is Blac Chyna Heading To Jail? | Blac Chyna just got another visit from LAPD, hours after officers were called to her home after someone falsely claimed Chyna was drunk and endangering Dream Kardashian. Law enforcement sources tell us this time around, cops showed up to diffuse a potentially explosive situation involving Chyna and her former makeup artist. They were tight until this weekend, when the 2 had a nuclear argument at Chynas home. The makeup artist left without taking her stuff, and today cops went with her to retrieve the mascara, eyeliner and other stuff. Officers determined no one was drunk at the home and Dream was being properly cared for there was also a nanny there for extra support. Also On Hot 96.3: | https://hot963.com/2596229/is-blac-chyna-heading-to-jail/ |
Who are the Black Israelites at the centre of the Lincoln Memorial standoff? | A teenager wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, centre left, stands in front of an elderly Native American singing and playing a drum in Washington. Picture: Survival Media Agency via AP Washington - 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 centre of a roiling controversy that has gripped America 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 Donald Trump's 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. 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. Omaha elder Nathan Phillips told The Post his version of the incident that went viral on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. High school student Nick Sandmann released a statement giving his account of what happened. 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 centred 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 colourful 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. 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 wasn't 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 man's 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 group's 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 school's 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 such as 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 District of Columbia, Philadelphia and New York is commonplace, a familiar if odd accent to city life. The Washington Post | https://www.iol.co.za/news/world/who-are-the-black-israelites-at-the-centre-of-the-lincoln-memorial-standoff-18910453 |
Does anyone check their facts any more? | The DTV prank almost caused an uproar about the American Govt spying on its own citizens The rise of the internet has made generating rumours easy. Post the right thing to the right forum and the baying masses will do your work for you. There's no burden of proof any more. If it sounds true, it is. Automatically. Take Google's recent foray into the undersea world. When it added seabed geography to its Google Earth global mapping software early in 2009, a few plucky users spotted a section of crisscrossed lines off the coast of the Canary Islands, just like the embossed road layout of a modern American city (or a particularly wet Milton Keynes). The strange find was close enough to Plato's suggested site for Atlantis for mythology fans to immediately leap upon it as evidence of a startling breakthrough. Atlantis had finally been found! In reality, this was an artefact of Google's sonar-based depth scanning technology, and even The Sun managed to rein in its excitement enough to explain that it was all a big mix up. We're watching you Americans have recently been making the enforced switch to digital terrestrial TV, buying government-subsidised DTV converters in the process. One software engineer, 28-year-old Adam Chronister, was inspired by conspiracy rumours to open up his new DTV box. He made a YouTube video documenting his horrifying finds a camera and microphone, pointing directly into his front room. No. Chronister took the camera and microphone from an old mobile phone and attached them to his DTV box with hot glue. But the hoax video made its way round forums, blogs and even the website of a popular conspiracy radio show before Chronister came forward and owned up. One of the main reasons these rumours stick is plausibility. Camera interaction is becoming commonplace in computing, after all. Atlantis could easily have been designed in the modern American style of a floating island in the middle of nowhere, later sunk 3.5 miles into the sea, remaining undiscovered until some canny observer found it on Google Earth. Well, OK, perhaps not that one. Damaging reputations This plausibility is what makes it so easy to generate and spread rumours online. When highly trafficked blogs post unsourced rumours as TechCrunch did when it erroneously announced that Last.fm was sharing its user data with the RIAA people tend to listen, rightly or wrongly. The effects can be truly devastating. Last.fm systems architect Russ Garrett was forced to make a statement on the site's forums, stating "We've never had any request for such data by anyone, and if we did we wouldn't consent to it. That goes against everything that we stand for. As far as I'm concerned, TechCrunch have made this whole story up." As newspapers close and the media consolidates, these incidents become more commonplace. Happily, though, the mainstream media is beginning to get a grip: The Sun was cautious when it ran the Atlantis story, and the conspiracy enthusiast DJ Alex Jones publicly shunned the DTV hoax on his radio program. Only the news small fry, clamouring for traffic, were desperate enough to publish straight rumour as fact. The best way to avoid falling prey to rumours is this: pick your sources carefully. And then cross-reference them. Twice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- First published in PC Plus Issue 281 | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/world-of-tech/does-anyone-check-their-facts-any-more-592191 |
What Are FISA Warrants? | There's been a lot of media coverage recently regarding FISA warrants and the FISA Court. The acronym FISA refers to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. That law established the FISA Court and laid out rules for surveillance of people suspected of spying on our country or of terrorism-related activities against the U.S. The court is comprised of 11 federal judges chosen by the U.S. Supreme Court chief justice for seven-year terms. The court meets secretly to review requests by the federal government (generally approved by the U.S. attorney general) for these FISA warrants. Only a "foreign power or an agent of a foreign power" can be subject to a FISA warrant. American citizens can be suspected of being foreign agents if there's evidence they're working on behalf of another country against U.S. interests. Actions taken under the warrants often involve electronic surveillance (such as wiretapping), but can include other investigative techniques such as searches. These are conducted by U.S. intelligence and federal law enforcement agencies within the U.S. A FISA warrant is good for no more than 12 months. In its 40-year history, FISA Court judges have rarely denied requests for warrants. There is an appeals process if the judge to whom the request is presented denies it. The FISA Court has rules in place to minimize the risk of innocent people being surveilled. No targeted surveillance is allowed unless there's evidence that a foreign power or agent is involved is espionage or terrorism. There also has to be evidence that the phone number, email address or facility under surveillance is being used for one of these purposes. The government is only allowed to collect "bulk information" that's relevant to the investigation. However, U.S. citizens who aren't agents of a foreign power could end up being caught on wiretaps or other surveillance. People who find themselves under investigation by the U.S. government or charged with a crime based on information gathered via a FISA warrant should seek guidance immediately from a criminal defense attorney experienced with these cases. | https://blog.lawinfo.com/2019/01/22/what-are-fisa-warrants/ |
Is Only Mine on Netflix Based on a True Story? | Where to Stream: Only Mine (2018) More Options Crime fans have plenty to watch thanks to documentaries like The Innocent Man and dramas like You and Dirty John. If youve got a lot of stalker stories in your viewing history, its very likely that Netflix will suggest you watch Only Mine. The movie was added to Netflix at exactly the right time, as the millions of people bingeing the breakout hit You is now looking for the next stalker story to stream. Lets break it down! Only Mine is a straight-to-VOD movie that was added to Netflix on January 15. It is not, I should clarify, a Netflix original movie. The film instead comes from MarVista Entertainment, a production company probably most known to Netflix viewers as the makers of a bunchand I mean a bunchof cheap Christmas romcoms. Only Mine is not a romcom, far from it. Its ostensibly a true story about a college-bound girl named Julie who starts dating a cop named David. Everything seems normal between Julie and David until he totally loses his cool, goes all stalker-y, and ends up shooting Julie in the back in the woods. Thats not really a spoiler, by the way; the movie starts with a flash-forward to Julie getting shot. Julie is played by Amber Midthunder, who currently stars in FXs trippy superhero show Legion. Bad cop David is played by Brett Zimmerman who has previously appeared on Greys Anatomy and had a regular role on Days of Our Lives. Not really, but Netflix and Only Mine really want you to think so! The film falls under the movies based on real life genre on Netflix, and it starts with a title card that says based on a true story. The film ends with another bit of text citing its source. In 1995, Laura Kucera was kidnapped, shot in the head, and left to die. She lived. Her attacker remains in prison to this day. This film is dedicated to Laura, and to victims of abuse everywhere. The truth is that Only Mine used the absolute loosest of definitions for based on a true story. SPOILER ALERT: Just like the real Laura Kucera, Julie does survive getting shot and left for dead in the woods. Thats where the similarities between Laura and Julies story begin and end. Heres what actually happened: Kucera was kidnapped and shot by her ex-boyfriend Brian Anderson, who was not a cop. Kucera also did not muster up the strength to kill Anderson like Julie does in the final moments of the movie; IRL, Anderson went to the police days later and led them to Kuceras body, where she was found alive and unconscious. Anderson, then 22, was sentenced to 55 years in prison. Only Mine also leaves out the truly tragic fact that Kucera, who spent 51 days in the hospital and relearned how to walk, died in a car crash almost a year after surviving getting shot in the head twice. Its understandable why they left out that fact, as its deeply upsetting. But its curious why they even tied this story to Kuceras in the first place since it has nearly nothing in common with what happened. I guess whats really true is that having based on a true story at the front of your movie makes it a little more intriguing. Stream Only Mine on Netflix | https://decider.com/2019/01/22/only-mine-netflix-true-story/ |
Is Game of Thrones on Netflix? | Were less than three months away from the season premiere of Game of Thrones. The eighth and final season of HBOs universally beloved drama will debut in April, and the final six episodes continue to be shrouded in mystery. We havent been treated to a ton of new footage of the forthcoming season, but showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss recently told Entertainment Weekly an official trailer for Thrones Season 8 is on the way (whether they like it or not). Remember, Game of Thrones fanatics: Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Heres everything you need to know. Unfortunately, fans in desperate need of some Thrones will have to wait a little longer. Game of Thrones Season 8 debuts Sunday, April 14, 2019 on HBO. Nope. Sorry, GOT fans. Game of Thrones isnt currently streaming on Netflix or Hulu. HOW TO WATCH GAME OF THRONES ONLINE: Game of Thrones is available on Amazons Prime Video, but the show isnt free for Prime subscribers. Episodes are available to buy for $3.99 (HD) or $2.99 (SD). You can also watch HBO via Prime Video by adding the cable channel to your Prime account. New subscribers can sample HBO on Prime with a seven-day free trial. OKAY, GAME OF THRONES ISNT ON NETFLIX. The best place to catch up on Game of Thrones is HBO NOW or HBO GO, but entire seasons of Game of Thrones are available to purchase on iTunes, Google Play, or Vudu. Where to stream Game of Thrones | https://decider.com/2019/01/22/game-of-thrones-on-netflix/ |
Can panic alarms save women in Mexico City? | BOGOTA (Thomson Reuters Foundation) - Victims of domestic abuse in Mexico City will be given panic alarms as part of government efforts to combat growing rates of violence against women in a country where on average more than seven women are killed by men every day. Authorities aim to hand out key rings with a global positioning system (GPS) tracking device and panic alarm buttons to 128 women, mostly aged 30 to 40, who have suffered domestic abuse, including those living with their aggressor, in a first-of-its kind initiative in the capital. Mexico has one of the worlds highest rates of femicide - the killing of a woman by a man because of her gender - according to the United Nations. Victims of femicide often have a long history of domestic violence, and perpetrators are often current or former partners, with many killings taking place in or near the home. It is hoped the use of panic buttons can help prevent femicides by allowing women to quickly alert the police and allow them to track down and respond to incidents of violence. They are victims mainly of domestic violence, at the hands of their partner, Nelly Montealegre, an assistant prosecutor at the Mexico City Attorney Generals Office told local media on Monday. In these cases, the aggressors control what they do, their mobile phones ... they follow them, spy on them, call them constantly and leave threatening messages, Montealegre said. Some of the women have previously received threats from their partners using guns and knives, she said. Last year, 760 women were victims of femicide across Mexico, up from 407 in 2015, and more than three women were killed in the capital alone every day, government figures show. Violence is driven by Mexicos macho culture, which tends to blame women for the violence inflicted on them and to condone it, along with low conviction rates for gender crimes, experts say. A 2018 poll by the Thomson Reuters Foundation ranked Mexico City as the most dangerous transport system for women out of five cities surveyed. It found about three in every four women the capital were not confident about using the transport system without the risk of sexual harassment and abuse or sexual violence. Mexico Citys first elected female mayor, Claudia Sheinbaum, who took office last month, has said eradicating gender violence is a top priority. Sheinbaum has pledged to increase the number of prosecutors handling femicide and domestic violence cases to get more convictions for such crimes, and make it easier for women to report violence against them. Panic buttons connected to the police are being used by women in other countries, including Brazil, the UK and Canada. In 2017, the Indian government required all mobile phones sold in India to have a panic button enabling women to call for help. | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-women-murders/can-panic-alarms-save-women-in-mexico-city-idUSKCN1PG26E |
Is Pence as Unfit for Office as Trump? | In the last two years, the press has spilled a Niagara of ink to describe President Donald Trumps lies, flipflops, personal weirdness, and sheer unsuitability for office. As for Vice President Michael Richard Pence, despite his hectoring insistence on being the chosen instrument of the Almighty, many observers have resignedly noted that at least he has had the relevant experience in state and federal government his boss lacks, and remains (if barely) within the spectrum of behaviors of the typical American officeholder. Some have even identified him as the anonymous author of the September 2018 New York Times op-ed blasting Trump. But his January 16 speech announcing ISISs defeat should dispel any notion that Pence has the competence and good judgment necessary to govern. With his characteristic combination of smugness and robotic stiffness, he declared, We are bringing our troops home. The caliphate has crumbled, and ISIS has been defeated." One need not even engage in the argument over whether U.S. forces must withdraw from Syria or notone could line up arguments on either side of the caseto recognize the fallacy of the vice presidents pronouncement. Conventional military force can seize territory from a group like ISIS and kill its adherents, but it cannot kill an ideology. Nor can military means alone defeat terrorism, which is a method, rather than a discrete and countable armed contingent with an order of battle. At best, military force can contain terrorismbut with the significant risk of stimulating local disaffection and terrorist recruitment. Pences timing was even worse than his thesis. He delivered his address an hour after the U.S. Central Command announced the deaths of four U.S. personnel in Syria, an incident for which ISIS claimed responsibility. While the press widely noted the jarring discrepancy between his remarks and the fatal attack, it was silent about the strangeness of the countrys second highest elected official, a person with his own national security staff, blithely going on with such comments after the military had already tweeted to the world about the deadly attack. Either way, he doesnt sound like the leader we need to manage a potential Cuban missile crisis. Another discordant note: it was not as if Pence were haranguing a group of local notables in a Shriners hall in Muscatine, Iowa. In that sort of venue he could probably get away with saying more or less anything. Instead, it was an address to the Global Chiefs of Mission conference at the State Departmenta foreign policy-savvy audience at a facility equipped for secure communication with all the nodes of the national command structure. That he thought he could pull the wool over their eyes with cheap talk of victory is one of those ineffable mysteries of faith. A source who moves in Republican circles informs me that with the departure of Nick Ayers, Pences chief of staff, the entire White House is virtually bereft of anyone with the knowledge, experience, and judgment to at least keep the trains running on time, which Ayers managed to do. This lack of expertise would seem to apply to the speech: the day of the Syria attack, we were told by his press secretary Alyssa Farah that the vice president was monitoring the situation." Ms. Farahs background merits explaining: Her father, Joseph Farah, reckoned to be a right-wing political extremist by the Southern Poverty Law Center, is editor-in-chief of WorldNetDaily, a publication jocularly referred to as WingNutDaily. Its greatest hits, as enumerated by the Center, include a six-part investigation claiming that eating soy causes homosexuality. Earlier in her career, Alyssa had a stint at her fathers publication, cranking out pieces with the requisite amount of truthiness. Even as the Syria incident was all over the media, Pence released a statementpresumably with his press secretarys help in draftingthat, although offering condolences for the fallen, doubled down on his original, discordant, claim: "Thanks to the courage of our Armed Forces, we have crushed the ISIS caliphate and devastated its capabilities. Nor were the Syria comments a fluke. The weekend after that incident, the day before the Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday, Pence attempted to justify Trumps border-wall obsession by repeating what he alleged was one of his favorite quotes from King: Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. While Republicans typically reveal a premeditated cynicism and effrontery whenever they invoke King (If Martin Luther King were alive today, hed be a Republican is a common trope), it is possible that Pences characteristic sanctimonious guilelessness actually led him to believe that echoing a martyred exponent of nonviolence would vindicate throwing hundreds of thousands of people out of work to extort Congresss capitulation to the wall. While he has been heavily overshadowed by the wall-to-wall coverage of his bosss antics, there has always been plenty of available evidence of Mike Pences deeply troubling dogmatism and sycophancy. His remarks on Syria are further indication of his indifference to facts, his intellectual incuriosity, and his incompetencequalities that make him unqualified for his present job, let alone the only higher one. | https://www.commondreams.org/views/2019/01/22/pence-unfit-office-trump |
How Can Apple Regain Investors' Trust? | The iPhone market, which is two thirds of Apple, could be stabilized at high volume but lower margins in late 2019. This achievement and the possibility of success in new. Apple Stock Price The collapse of iPhone sales and Netflixs (NFLX) dropping the use of the app store led to a constant stream of negative analysts reports. Apple (AAPL) needs to take action to turn the situation around. The iPhone XR is priced too high for the market but it is unlikely that Apple will take action until the March results are in. Investors will remain uncertain about the most profitable two thirds of its business. They have taken action to open up its Services sector. More evidence that they have stabilized the iPhone and have new growth opportunities would make it a great buy, but they have not demonstrated that, so it is a hold. Apple always faced the risk of the smartphone becoming a commodity. Yet they have continued to sell models that are ever more expensive. In 2018, it introduced three new models from $1100 to the XR at $750. The older 8 and 7 models were retained. The iPhone is a status luxury brand and the older 8 and 7 did not fit that image. The phone for the mid-market was the XR and that was too expensive, so the iPhone revenue declined 15%. The chart below illustrates revenue per phone grew 28%. This is the last quarter that Apple provided this data. Apple services also took a hit. iPhone subscribers to Netflix through the apps store created 30% commission to Apple. Netflix terminated that arrangement. The chart below illustrates the impact of the lower iPhone sales. Last year, revenue grew 12.6% over the prior year while this year it shrunk 4.9%. Apple highlighted the 19% growth of the non-iPhone sales but that is less than 8% above the previous growth. It is likely due to the new computer products and Apple Watch. The Apple business model is to link the iPhone to the computers and iPad services like Apple Pay and iTunes. The latest products to join the ecosystem were Apple TV and Home. The problem is that these products do not have the uniqueness to strengthen the closed Apple system. The lack of great products from Apples $14 billion annual research and development spending is the reason for these problems. Apple is working to expand into Medical with the Apple Watch and a medical records system. However, so are Microsoft and Amazon. While medical is a fast growing field it is slow to develop and it requires attention to detail. It is a good fit with the culture that has evolved at Apple. However, profits are needed to fund this long development cycle. Apple is working on a streaming TV service, which may be announced this year. Apple has made good moves joint venturing with companies. iTunes is now on Amazons Echo. Apple TV is with Samsung and LG. The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple is readying three new phones this year with three camera lenses and the others with two lenses and liquid crystal displays, which are lower cost. These phones will presumably arrive in the fall. Apple has the advantage of low production cost. The line, while high priced, has been aggressively cost reduced by combining functions on chips and eliminating high cost suppliers such as QUALCOMM. The manufacturing cost is about 50% of sales price. In fiscal 2018, the iPhone was 66% of revenue. Fifth generation is an opportunity for Apple but expensive new phones require some 5G capability in 2020. This complicates the fall introduction. Some talk of new products that will become the future of Apple. However, it has not developed any new products that have produced significant profits except services that are propelled by the iPhone. Currently Apple is promoting trade ins. An iPhone XR is available in trade for $449 or an XS for $699, but that is for the trade in of an iPhone 8. An iPhone 7 trade is $50 more. These phones are in the current Apple new phone line up. The problem with trades is that the base of users interested in the trade is soon used up. So the deal must be sweetened. This can be done by offering subsidies to the cell phone network, which is a hidden price cut. Apple would prefer to keep the sales up until the arrival of the new products in the fall. If the sales cannot be kept up, Apple needs to be prepared to make a major cut in the iPhone XR. This will hurt profits per phone but the volume will increase. Apple can say that it is prioritizing growth and the stock is so low that the price will likely not be impacted. Apple will probably not make this decision until after the second quarter. Sales of all other businesses besides the iPhone are likely to be weaker in the quarter ending in March. Thus, the results of the next quarter will drive the decision. Conclusion Apple new product development activities are less productive leading to products that cannot command the margins that Apple used to enjoy. The new markets Apple is talking about in AI and medical have Amazon and Microsoft competition. To achieve these markets requires more agility than Apple has shown in recent years. Apple must stabilize the iPhone market and demonstrate that it has new growth. The new growth is unlikely to be demonstrated in 2019. The stock is a hold. Disclosure: I/we have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article. | https://seekingalpha.com/article/4234741-can-apple-regain-investors-trust |
Is Tom Brady Going to Retire if the Patriots Win the Super Bowl? | The New England Patriots are the favorites to win the Super Bowl in two weeks. And if that becomes the reality, some, including Michael Vick, believe it could end up being the last game Tom Brady ever plays. Even while he looked so far from done Sunday appearing as dominant as ever against the Chiefs, it makes more sense than not. The general consensus is already that he is the greatest to ever do it I disagree, I think it is Aaron Rodgers and a sixth Super Bowl really can only elevate him so much just like a seventh, and an eighth, and so on could. With the way the NFL has evolved in the salary cap era, it takes quite the dreamer for anyone to even try to envision any quarterback catching his five, in this hypothetical six, Super Bowl victories. So, no, there really is not a single thing Brady could do to that would impactfully alter his legacy (Well, besides prove Max Kellerman wrong). Not only does it makes sense, but following John Elway and his archrival Peyton Manning by going out on top after another Super Bowl victory actually feels like a real possibility. This is Bradys ninth time going to a Super Bowl, but it looks and feels different this time. He is acting different this time. Brady has, for the most part, been humble with his words publicly and doesnt often provide instant headlines. As of late, he has been pretending the world is against his team, calling himself the baddest [bleeper] on the planet, and trolling on Instagram. Another possible clue, if we are looking at this like the detectives on True Detective, his reaction to advancing to the Super Bowl was almost as if he was in shock, felt an unparalleled relief, and that it meant something more than it has the eight other times. And then there is his wife If this becomes a decision Brady contemplates, all the indications are his wife will help sway him toward hanging them up. As Brady said, Gisele wanted him to retire years ago. Jay Feely told the story last year, after vacationing with the family, that Gisele even tried to get him to convince Brady to stop playing and that she was dead serious about it. For the first time in his career, there are enough reasons for him to seriously consider it. | https://thebiglead.com/2019/01/22/tom-brady-retire-gisele-bundchen/ |
Do Everton need a drastic change in formation to kick-start their stuttering season? | Get Everton FC 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 The Royal Blue podcast panel have turned into the style council this week as Everton's approach is again on the agenda. Host Phil Kirkbride is joined by Dave Prentice, Chris Beesley and Gav Buckland to discuss if a change in formation is required to help kick-start the Blues' stuttering season. Gav has strong opinions on the shake-up and pushes the idea of a major switch in position for Gylfi Sigurdsson. The pressure on Marco Silva is next on the agenda with the lads sharing their views on the manager after another disappointing result, and performance, over the weekend. The dip in form of Andre Gomes is talked about and whether the priority for this summer is finding him a more suitable midfield partner than Idrissa Gueye - or the other way around. Yannick Bolasie's shock return is up next for debate as the lads ask if there is any way he can force his way into Silva's thinking. The response is unanimous. And we wrap up the first podcast of the week by pouring over Sam Allardyce's latest comments about the Blues' style of play during his time as manager. Sit back, relax and enjoy Listen and subscribe to our Everton FC podcasts... On Apple Podcasts 1) Search for 'Royal Blue' and find the Liverpool Echo podcast or go straight to https://itunes.apple.com/gb/podcast/royal-blue/id1109062967 2) Click subscribe under the Royal Blue podcast logo 3) If you like what you've heard, give us a good rating as it helps us reach more Blues fans On Acast 1) Go to https://www.acast.com . 2) Search for 'Royal Blue podcast' in the top right hand corner. 3) Click the show you want to listen for FREE. Spotify subscribers can also find Royal Blue in the podcast section of the app. | https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everton-need-drastic-change-formation-15717264 |
What time do the National Television Awards 2019 start and what channel are they on? | 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 Tonight is the night, the National Television Awards will be coming live from the O2 in London. Millions will want to tune in to the event as we see some of our favourites from the small screen collect awards. We are covering the programme live, bringing you all the latest news, winners and pictures from the red carpet. But if you want to watch it on TV, here is everything you need to know. The NTAs are broadcast live on ITV1 from 7:30pm. Hosted by presenting veteran, Dermot O'Leary, they are due to finish at 10pm, but this is live TV, so anything could happen. Earlier this month Dermot spoke about the thrill of live TV and how everything is fine as long as it is not you who slips up. The X Factor presenter spoke to OK Magazine about the time he was accused of swearing live on air at a contestant. Recalling the moment, Dermot said: "I havent dropped the F bomb yet. There was a terrible moment when Katie Waissel was on the show. She was in the sing-off and I said: Good luck hun, but when it was replayed on YouTube it sounded like I said: Good luck and then the worst swear word you can think of. "To the point where she came in and asked for an apology. My producer said: He cant apologise for something he didnt say! The 2019 National Television Awards will be broadcast live on ITV from 7.30pm on Tuesday January 22 - follow our live coverage here. | https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/tv/what-time-national-television-awards-15717183 |
Is Self-Service the Only Way to Save Money in the Contact Center? | Are you sure its turned on?) or frustration (This is the third time your product broke down. I want my money back!). But whatever happens, many CEOs and chief financial officers still see contact centers as a cost center. That is an attitude we should strive to overcome, because call centers can be so much more but the high cost of running a contact center is a reality we need to deal with. As a result, those in charge are constantly trying to cut costs. The High Cost of Labor Labor is the major contributor to the overall cost of running a contact center (easily about 75 percent), so the obvious approach to cutting costs is to reduce the size of the contact center staff. For decades, companies have been trying to reduce the amount of human labor needed in the contact center by moving to a self-service model. It started with interactive voice response (IVR) systems, which initially used Press 1 for ... messages to help direct callers to the information they needed and now often feature messages inviting callers to Please state your problem with a few words. Then came web pages with lists of answers to frequently asked questions, followed by systems that enabled customers to set up accounts so they could log in to access their specific information, such as account balances. More recently, social media has been incorporated into the mix, so customers can involve peers in the resolution of their issues. In 2016, the chatbot craze started, which led me to issue a cry for help from professional conversational UI designers. There is nothing wrong with the idea customer self-service. In fact, consumers arent opposed to the idea of helping themselves per se. Those are rhetorical questions of course, because certain kinds of self-service systems have a role to play and are indeed helping companies cut their contact center costs. An easy way to enable customers to control the conversation would be to give them a way to engage with the contact center when they want to. Customers might want to kick off conversations with companies by sending messages via their favorite messaging apps. For requests that arent urgent, they might not mind sending the message and then going on with their lives while waiting for a response instead of being locked into a conversational session that might time out. That would make it possible for someone from the contact center to respond asynchronously but still provide the human touch that customers like. In fact, a contact center might choose to start a new customer relationship with that human touch, because it would start the relationship off on a positive note. The savings are in the asynchronicity. Data compiled by my company, Sparkcentral, a maker of a digital messaging customer service system, shows that untethering the agent from the customer as a one-to-one, real-time connection improves productivity to a degree that far exceeds the gradual improvements in efficiency other self-service channels have brought about. One of the benefits of using a messaging app to connect with customers is that it makes it possible for contact center employees to send customers rich media files (images or videos, for example) and links to web content. Conventional wisdom has it that a customer service experience starts with self-service, then leads to a live agent session when needed. That way, your agents give your customers what I call self-service leave-behinds in the form of, say, links to web-based content that customers can access whenever they need it. Moreover, with messaging apps retaining a perpetual conversation thread that never goes away, customers will have a place to go back to for more help in the future. Maybe it is time to try something different in the contact center. Maybe it is time to embrace messaging, as billions of us have already done in our personal lives. | https://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/is-self-service-the-only-way-to-save-money-in-the-contact-center/?utm_source=cmswire.com&utm_medium=web-rss&utm_campaign=cm&utm_content=all-articles-rss |
Was will Barca eigentlich mit Kevin-Prince Boateng? | Er kommt von Sassuolo. Ein halbes Jahr war er dort, schoss ganze vier Tore in 13 Ligaspielen. Zuvor ein Jahr bei Eintracht Frankfurt, ein Jahr bei Las Palmas, eine halbe Saison bei der AC Milan. Barcelona ist jetzt sein elfter Verein. Kevin-Prince Boateng ist also der Strmer, den Barca gesucht hat. Alvaro Morata soll weit oben auf dem Wunschzettel gewesen sein, wie spanische Medien berichteten. Doch der frhere Real-Strmer entschied sich, von Chelsea zu Atletico Madrid zu wechseln. Denn Barcelona sucht vor allem einen Back-up fr Luis Suarez. Der Uruguayer ist kongenialer Partner von Lionel Messi im Sturm und schoss in der Liga bisher 15 Tore. Dazu ist sein unermdlicher Einsatz Gold wert fr Spaniens Meister. Ebenfalls zur Debatte standen der frhere Nationalspieler Fernando Llorente (Tottenham), der Uruguayer Cristhian Stuani (Girona) und der Mexikaner Carlos Vela (Los Angeles FC). Fr Boateng sprach, dass er die spanische Liga aus seinem Jahr bei Las Palmas gut kenne, schreibt "Mundo Deportivo". Angesichts der Tatsache, dass Llorente und Vela deutlich mehr Liga-Erfahrung in Spanien mitbringen und Stuani gerade die Meisterschaft etwas aufmischt, eine merkwrdige Begrndung. Namen wie Timo Werner (RB Leipzig), Luka Jovic (Eintracht Frankfurt) oder Krzysztof Piatek (Genua) geisterten immer wieder durch Spaniens Bltterwald, fielen aber wegen ihrer Preisschilder durch den Raster. Vorlufig. Denn Barcelona suchte einen, der eigentlich nur bis Saisonende bleiben soll aufgrund der zweifelhaften Kaderplanung im letzten Sommer. Da entschied sich Trainer Ernesto Valverde fr den Verbleib von Munir El Haddadi und gegen Paco Alcacer. Letzterer wurde an Borussia Dortmund ausgeliehen, mit einer (bereits aktivierten) Kaufoption von rund 24 Millionen Euro. Alcacer schoss in 13 Bundesligaspielen 12 Tore, sein Marktwert betrgt nun 40 Millionen Euro. Und Munir, dessen Vertrag im Sommer ausluft, weigerte sich zuletzt, das Arbeitspapier zu verlngern. Also verkaufte man ihn im Jnner fr eine Million an Sevilla. Deshalb die Eile. Boateng ist zwar technisch hochbegabt, gilt aber dennoch als Mann frs Grobe. Wohl vor allem wegen seines schlimmen Fouls an Deutschlands damaligem Kapitn Michael Ballack, der deswegen die WM 2010 verpasste. Der in Berlin geborene ehemalige Nationalspieler von Ghana kmpfte auch spter nicht gegen den Ruf an. Auerdem war Kurzpassspiel auch nicht das Geheimrezept der Frankfurter, um 2018 berraschend den DFB-Pokal im Finale gegen die Bayern zu gewinnen. Das verriet Boateng in einer TV-Doku gleich selber. "Vor dem Spiel hat der Ante in seinem unvergleichlichen Deutsch gesagt: Bruda, schlag den Ball lang! Und ich habe ihm gesagt: Bruda, ich schlag den Ball lang!" Worte, die so in der Barca-Kabine relativ wenig zu hren sein drften. Nicht zuletzt deshalb eher durchzogen. Stuani schien wegen seiner beeindruckenden Torquote im Vorteil (aktuell 12 Ligatore), umso berraschter waren sie in Spanien, als pltzlich die Meldung kam, dass Boateng in die katalanische Metropole wechseln soll. Die Sportzeitung "Marca" bezeichnete sie einmal als "surreal" und spter als "Witz". Auerdem erinnern sie in Madrid gensslich daran, dass Boateng vor zwei Jahren sagte, dass er lieber bei Real als Barcelona spielen wrde. Die Barca nahestehenden Zeitungen sind noch etwas zurckhaltend. Bei "Mundo Deportivo" wollen sie ihm immerhin Zeit geben. "Warten wir ab, ob er mit 31 die Chance seines Lebens packt: Auf der Barca-Bank sitzen zu drfen." Er ist auf mehreren Weisen einsetzbar. Er kann Mittelstrmer, zentrales Mittelfeld, tanzen und rappen. Ausserdem trgt kaum einer das Barca-Snapback-Cap so schn wie er. Immerhin: Boateng ist der einzige der realistischen Kandidaten, der zuletzt einen Titel gewinnen konnte. Es wird jetzt immerhin als eines der wenigen Argumente fr Boateng verwendet. Ein zweites liegt Jahre zurck: 2011 schoss er in der Champions League ein hbsches Tor. Mit Milan, gegen den FC Barcelona. Schwer zu glauben ist jedoch, dass die Barca-Verantwortlichen sich ein siebeneinhalb Jahre altes Youtube-Video anschauten und begeistert riefen: "Den brauchen wir!" Vielmehr drfte es primr am Mangel an Alternativen gelegen haben. Und an Boatengs abgebendem Verein. Seit Sassuolo Barcelonas Innenverteidiger Marlon ausgeliehen (und im vergangenen Sommer fest verpflichtet) hat, pflegen die beiden Vereine gute Verbindungen. Auch deshalb kam Barca wohl gnstig an Boateng: eine Million Leihgebhr und Kaufoption fr acht Millionen Euro. Deshalb ist das Risiko mit Boateng relativ gering. Zumindest finanziell. Nicht auszudenken jedoch, sollte sich Luis Suarez in der entscheidenden Saisonphase verletzen. Dann heit es in der Barca-Kabine vielleicht doch: "Amigo, schlag den Ball lang!" Das knnte Sie auch interessieren: (heute.at) | https://www.heute.at/sport/fussball/story/Was-will-Barca-denn-mit-dem--45975164 |
Who Should the USMNT start vs. Panama? | After a year of waiting, a year of continued disappointment that saw a FIFA World Cup come and go without the United States taking part of it, the road to redemption for the U.S. Mens National Team has finally arrived. New head coach Gregg Berhalters first appearance on the touchlines for the USMNT starts this weekend when they take on Panama in a friendly on Sunday in Glendale, Arizona in the first of two friendlies to conclude the teams January camp. While this is just the first friendly of the new calendar year as the program starts to prepare for this summer Gold Cup, Berhalter will want a positive result to kick off his tenure on a good note, and to show USMNT fans that progress is being made. Here is how the USMNT could line up against Panama: Steffen Cannon Zimmerman Long Lima Bradley Trapp Arriola Roldan Lletget Zardes This Starting XI wont be anywhere close to the one well see this summer at the Gold Cup, but coming off of a January camp with a roster full of MLS players, it doesnt hurt to see what you got and certainly Berhalter will have various combinations and rotations for his first two international friendlies. Starting in the net, barring any injury or sudden come up by anyone else, Zack Steffen should be the starting goalkeeper for the national team going forward. He earned his spot internationally last year under interim head coach Dave Sarachans guidance and has earned the opportunity to prove that he is the right call as the No. 1 keeper for the country. In the backline, Nick Lima is definitely one to watch. Hes shown he can create and defend with a less-than-average Earthquakes side in his first two seasons out of Cal and he continues to get better. He is also capable of playing at left back, where Daniel Lovitz is the only natural option remaining after Greg Garzas departure from camp with an injury. Aaron Long is coming off an MLS Defender of the Year season and should anchor the central defense, with Walker Zimmerman slotting in next to him. Youngsters Auston Trusty and Mark McKenzie have shown well in camp, but it may be a bit early to give them starting nods. In the midfield, Michael Bradley is a good bet to start and provide experience in the middle, though there are a variety of combinations Berhalter could turn to if he deploys two defensive midfielders, and Russell Canouse could be the option. Wil Trapp has pulled the strings in the midfield for Berhalter in Columbus and its a safe bet Berhalters first match as USMNT coach will feature Trapp in the heart of the midfield. A Trapp-Bradley combination would be able to dominate possession against Panama, and allow the attacking four up front to focus on creating chances. The current squad lacks true wing options, but Arriola qualifies as one and should get the nod on the right. Sebastian Lletgets versatility make him a good fit anywhere across the attacking midfield three, but for this match deploying him on the left makes sense. Roldan isnt a pure playmaker, but he has adapted to Berhalters system well and can handle the responsibilities of the role in the middle. Gyasi Zardes should get the nod up top, as his familiarity with Berhalters system gives him the edge over the other forwards in camp. Share your thoughts below. | https://sbisoccer.com/2019/01/who-should-the-usmnt-start-vs-panama-7 |
Can Winx take home the title of Worlds Best Racehorse after two years of heartbreak? | Winxs trainer Chris Waller and part-owners Debbie Kepitis and Peter Tighe are hoping it is a case of third time lucky for their champion mare in her quest to finally win the Longines Worlds Best Racehorse Awards in London on Thursday morning (AEDT) This is the third year in succession Winx has been a finalist for the most coveted and prestigious award in world racing. No horse has ever been a three-time contender but Winx is yet to claim the honour. She was third in 2017 behind American champ Arrogate then controversially relegated to second behind Arrogate again last year. Winxs main challengers for the title of 2018 Worlds Best Racehorse are English trainer John Gosdens duo of Cracksman and Enable, Americas unbeaten triple crown winner Justify and multiple Group 1 winner Accelerate, and Japans super filly Almond Eye. On the eve of the awards ceremony, Team Winx were escorted by event organisers on a sightseeing tour of some of Londons most iconic landmarks including Buckingham Palace, St Pauls Cathedral and Trafalgar Square before discussing their thoughts on the possible outcome of the Longines Worlds Best Racehorse title. It would be fitting if Winx could finally win the award, Waller said. The last two years she has been named the best turf horse in the world only to be eclipsed for the top award by an American dirt track horse. The award is for the highest rating for one race but Winxs strength is she is dominant every start but doesnt necessarily win by big margins. Winxs racing style is to sit back, stalk her rivals and run them down. Hughie (Bowman) knows when to ease up on the mare so we can go through a series of races to make sure she is racing just as well at the end of his campaign as she is at the start. Camera Icon Picture: News Corp Australia The Longines Worlds Best Racehorse Award is determined by a ratings figure as judged by a panel of international handicappers with Winx and Cracksman both achieving a 130 rating prior to the release of the final rankings at todays award ceremony. If Winx wins, loses or draws the award, we are still very honoured to have our mare included among the very best horses in the world for a third year, Tighes said. There is a criteria for the award, we are not about changing the criteria, we dont analyse it and we dont have any say in it. If Cracksman reaches that same figure as Winx and they share the award, then so be it. They are the rules. Kepitis said the fact Winx has been a contender for three successive years is recognition of her ability and the strength of Australian racing. | https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/horse-racing/can-winx-take-home-the-title-of-worlds-best-racehorse-after-two-years-of-heartbreak-ng-90d3c04e09d6f554922c17e3417dd4ec |
Can NFL kickers be leaders? | Matt Stover played 13 seasons as a professional football place kicker for the New York Giants, Indianapolis Colts, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens. In 2009, he was the third most accurate kicker in the history of the National Football League (NFL), even bringing home a Super Bowl championship when he played for the Ravens. In 2011, Stover was inducted into the Ravens Ring of Honor. Contributed photo Matt Stover was a kicker in the NFL for 19 seasons, most notably with the Baltimore Ravens. Stover was inducted into the Ravens Ring of Honor in 2011 and is a two-time Super Bowl champion. The mission of his organization, The Matt Stover Foundation, is to provide financial support to under-funded educational, religious and other charitable organizations. He is also co-founder of the Players Philanthropy Fund, an organization that enables athletes and others to create charitable funds for the causes they are passionate about. Stover agreed to an interview with Biblical Recorder correspondent Roman Gabriel III about faith and leadership. What follows is edited for clarity and length. Q: You were not only a great kicker and Super Bowl champion, but also a team leader. A: Roman, when you look back at my career over 20 years, one of the things I tried to do as a leader was know my teammates stories. I tried to know where they came from, so I could empathize. I could minister to them in different ways. These guys have struggles like everyone else, and you can be a beacon of hope for them in the locker room. A: Its what I do every day with the Players Philanthropy Fund. Im helping and assisting them with their foundations if they dont have one. They can come inside the Players Philanthropy Fund and operate as if they have one. There are hundreds of great athletes out there doing great work. Its like that all the way across the league. To learn their stories and hear about their faith, family and football is very encouraging. A: No. At the beginning of my career, my faith was very superficial. It wasnt deep nor intimate. When I was kicking for the Browns, I was really caught up in the NFL career and needed to change my priorities. I decided to put God first. I was married, so my marriage and my faith came first over football. When I understood where the priorities should be, it gave me freedom. I dont think a lot of people understand that the freedom to fail is so empowering. It gives you the ability to perform at a level you would never think of. As an athlete, if your identity is tied up in your career only, and things dont go well, youre going to get paralyzed and youre not going to perform. Thats where my faith and my family my priorities became such a big issue. Contributed photo Matt Stover meets Roman Gabriel III during media days at a recent Super Bowl. A: Brian Hansen, who spent 18 years with the Cleveland Browns as a punter. I met him when he was 10 years into the league (32 years old). He had a family, and he gave me a beacon, a light to see what it was supposed to be. What a faithful guy he was, as a husband and father. And then I understood where my faith needed to go. A: I was very challenged at the beginning of my career by our team chaplain. He really showed me how to share my faith and connect with players. He modeled that in his life. When I was with the Ravens, it was Joe Ehrmann. He showed me exactly how to do it. He was a mentor of mine for four years. He went on to be a great mentor, to write several books to assist high school and college football coaches to be faithful in their training of players. The best thing I could do at the time was walk around the locker-room and be exactly who I am, not trying to be somebody I wasnt. In return, my teammates paid attention to how I lived my life. A: Yes, my first time on Monday Night Football, I missed all three of my field goal attempts. We lost the game. I took it, then went back to work, and only missed one more field goal the whole year. My teammates look back on that and say, Wow, you showed me a lot about your faith the way I handled myself in a positive manner. Those are the stories you remember. Handle yourself in the right way, earn the right to speak and know the other players stories so you can speak truth into their situation. From there, youve got an opportunity to be influential for the rest of their lives. Find out more about the Players Philanthropy Fund at PPF.org and the Matt Stover Foundation at MattStoverFoundation.org. (EDITORSS NOTE Roman Gabriel III is an evangelist and motivational speaker. Visit the Faith Family Sports website: fspn.net. Hear his Sold Out Sports Talk Radio program on American Family Radio in 200 cities nationally or streaming live at afr.net. Visit his website: soldout-tv.com; Facebook: Roman Gabriel III; connect on Twitter: @romangabriel3rd. Contact at (910) 431-6483 or email: [email protected].) | https://brnow.org/News/January-2019/Can-NFL-kickers-be-leaders?feed=blogs |
Does Soda Make Kids Violent? | Yet another study is warning parents to limit soda consumption with children. While previous studies have linked soda consumption with higher rates of obesity, a study published in the journal Pediatrics, says it also causes aggressive, violent behavior in children as young as 5 years old. The study: Researchers at Columbia University followed the habits of about 3,000 mother-child pairs from 20 large cities in the United States. While the children were followed since birth in the long-term study, the data pertaining to soda consumption was compiled when the children were 5 years old. Researchers asked the mothers to self-report how many servings of soda their child drinks on a typical day, and then answer a series of behavioral questions. The results: Children who consumed at least four servings of soda per day were twice as likely than those who didnt drink any soda to display aggressive violent behaviors such as destroying other peoples belongings, starting physical fights and verbally attacking other children. The kids were also more likely to have trouble paying attention to instructions, and were more withdrawn socially compared to 5-year-olds who didnt consume soda. There was a dose response, said Shakira Suglia, study author and associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University. With every increase in soda consumption, we saw an increase in behavior problems. It was significant for kids who consumed as few as one serving of soda per day. The association was present after researchers adjusted for parenting styles, and socio-demographic factors such as how much violent television the children were exposed to, their sleep schedule, and candy consumption. Limitations: Because researchers relied on self-reporting by mothers, they were unable to pinpoint the type of soda (diet versus regular), or the exact serving size associated with the increase in negative behavior. The American Beverage Association disagrees with the findings of this study. In a statement to CNN, the group said: It is a leap to suggest that drinking soda causes these or any other behavioral issue. The science does not support that conclusion. The authors themselves note that their study is not able to identify the nature of the association between soft drinks and problem behaviors. Importantly, our member companies do not promote or market the consumption of soft drinks to children in the age group examined in this study. Takeaway: The researchers say their findings add to the mounting evidence that soda consumption has a negative effect for children. Other experts warn to limit soda consumption. Despite the multitude of studies exposing the negative effects of soda consumption, Americans continue to buy and drink more soda than those in any other country, said Marlo Mittler, registered dietician from Cohen Childrens Medical Center of New York, and not affiliated with the study. In an effort to reduce the effects on a childs possible negative behavior, it is suggested to eliminate or avoid any soda consumption. The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends parents and caregivers limit giving children caffeinated or sugar-sweetened beverages, and should instead offer them calorie-free beverages and milk. | https://5newsonline.com/2013/08/16/does-soda-make-kids-violent/ |
Will Winx win Worlds Best Racehorse? | Winxs trainer Chris Waller and part-owners Debbie Kepitis and Peter Tighe are hoping it is a case of third time lucky for their champion mare in her quest to finally win the Longines Worlds Best Racehorse Awards in London on Thursday morning (AEDT) This is the third year in succession Winx has been a finalist for the most coveted and prestigious award in world racing. No horse has ever been a three-time contender but Winx is yet to claim the honour. She was third in 2017 behind American champ Arrogate then controversially relegated to second behind Arrogate again last year. Winxs main challengers for the title of 2018 Worlds Best Racehorse are English trainer John Gosdens duo of Cracksman and Enable, Americas unbeaten triple crown winner Justify and multiple Group 1 winner Accelerate, and Japans super filly Almond Eye. Team Winx being tourists in London @superracing pic.twitter.com/7ayMb3UIPf Ray Thomas (@RayThomas_1) January 22, 2019 On the eve of the awards ceremony, Team Winx were escorted by event organisers on a sightseeing tour of some of Londons most iconic landmarks including Buckingham Palace, St Pauls Cathedral and Trafalgar Square before discussing their thoughts on the possible outcome of the Longines Worlds Best Racehorse title. It would be fitting if Winx could finally win the award, Waller said. The last two years she has been named the best turf horse in the world only to be eclipsed for the top award by an American dirt track horse. The award is for the highest rating for one race but Winxs strength is she is dominant every start but doesnt necessarily win by big margins. Winxs racing style is to sit back, stalk her rivals and run them down. Hughie (Bowman) knows when to ease up on the mare so we can go through a series of races to make sure she is racing just as well at the end of his campaign as she is at the start. The Longines Worlds Best Racehorse Award is determined by a ratings figure as judged by a panel of international handicappers with Winx and Cracksman both achieving a 130 rating prior to the release of the final rankings at todays award ceremony. If Winx wins, loses or draws the award, we are still very honoured to have our mare included among the very best horses in the world for a third year, Tighes said. There is a criteria for the award, we are not about changing the criteria, we dont analyse it and we dont have any say in it. If Cracksman reaches that same figure as Winx and they share the award, then so be it. They are the rules. Kepitis said the fact Winx has been a contender for three successive years is recognition of her ability and the strength of Australian racing. | https://www.news.com.au/sport/superracing/can-winx-take-home-the-title-of-worlds-best-racehorse-after-two-years-of-heartbreak/news-story/90d3c04e09d6f554922c17e3417dd4ec |
Where were adults during confrontation between students and protesters in Washington D.C.? | In this Friday, Jan. 18, 2019 image made from video provided by the Survival Media Agency, a teenager wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat, center left, stands in front of an elderly Native American singing and playing a drum in Washington. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Covington in Kentucky is looking into this and other videos that show youths, possibly from the diocese's all-male Covington Catholic High School, mocking Native Americans at a rally in Washington. There were at least five chaperones in front of the Lincoln Memorial with the 150 or so students when the incident happened, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported Monday. None stopped the students as they confronted African-American protesters who had shouted slurs at them. Nor did they step in when the students surrounded an elderly Native American man and mocked his singing, a few students making what appeared to be a demeaning tomahawk chop motion. The man, Nathan Phillips, said later he had stepped between the students and the other group to defuse the tension. Butit wasnt his responsibility. It was the chaperones job. The last time I chaperoned a school field trip, in April 2014, I left for the Musical Instrument Museum with 10 students and came back with 10. Mission accomplished. (Photo: Karina Bland/The Republic) As a parent, Ive chaperoned plenty ofschool trips. The last time, I lined up the 10 students assigned to me before we got on the bus and told them that while this trip waseducational and fun, it also was about making me look good. Their behavior would reflect on me. So don't do anything stupid. They agreed. Most of the time, chaperoning a school trip is easy duty. But it comes with the responsibility of making sure students are safe. The Covington chaperones didnt do that. According to student accounts, a chaperone gave them the OK to shout school-pride chants to counter the hateful things shouted at them. This wasnt a time for school pride. It was a moment to swallow that pride and walk away. In one video, a chaperone tells the young men to move back. The woman suggested the students stop arguing. Youre not going to change their minds, she said. It wasnt enough. The students left quickly enough when it was time to board the buses. Its a call the chaperones should have made sooner. Reach Bland at [email protected] or 602-444-8614. Read more at karinabland.azcentral.com. Click here to subscribe to azcentral.com. Go to connect.azcentral.com for a staff list, for more information about the newsroom and for details about upcoming events. Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/karinabland/2019/01/22/chaperones-covington-confrontation-broke-first-rule-chaperoning/2647198002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/karinabland/2019/01/22/chaperones-covington-confrontation-broke-first-rule-chaperoning/2647198002/ |
How to Build Effective Communication as a Leader? | Imbibe communication skills to become an exemplary leader for the employees January 22, 2019 4 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Communication is an imperative catalyst in the business ecosystem. The vocal transmission of the thoughts not only conveys ones message but also facilitates in the decision-making process. Becoming a business leader does not make an individual a good communicator; primarily, both the terms are two sides of the same coin. Attaining a C-suite position in the company does not necessarily make you a leader. For leadership, you need to imbibe entrepreneurial abilities and effective communicationtwo factors altogether help to influence people around you. Creating a positive aura is utmost important in the workplace. Kumar Mangalam Birla, a renowned industrialist, quotes, The work environment is very important in determining how enjoyable work is. It is very important to work with smart guys who have a superior level of intellectual bandwidth and still have softer skills as well. No Renaissance Man Required For Becoming a leader or an effective communicator you dont require to become proficient in various areas. Conversing ideas with others and professing faith in your ideologies are certain traits that you as a leader should learn. Many successful industrialists indeed preach the same message and thus, give space to their employees to nurture as well as grow. Indian companies namely, Infosys, Tata Motors, TCS and HDFC are exemplary of effective leadership. These companies have been deemed best by the consumers as well as the employees. Owing to which, the Indian firms got in Forbes the best-regarded companies list in 2018. These questions simultaneously go in the mind when you learn the backdrop of the successful leaders as well as their companies. The Secret Mantra Each company has its own set of regulations and conventions which it clings to throughout the course. Some companies follow the prevalent transparency policies whilst others trail channelizing order. However, there is one thing that is common in the leaders as well as organizations no individualism; binding the organization as a whole. Aggregating the employees and leading them along with you is really important. An authoritative leader is always a flourishing leader; such a leader reveres others suggestions and collectively comes on a decision. Supremacy is not the sole agenda of a good leader, leading upward along with others is invariably his perception. Build The Bridge Despite how ambitious you are, if you fail to advocate your decisions then others may overtake you and win the support. So, before learning to walk, it is imperative to imbibe how to crawl. Herein, crawling is relatable to communication, which is a core of every business enterprise. Apprehending the others emotions and demonstrating your emotions in a meaningful manner, is a crux of business communication. 1. Effectively Converse With The Listeners The first step of becoming an effective communicator is building your audiences interest in you. Communication is originally a wordplay, wherein you address your addresses in the most profound way. It is not imperative that you need to be humorous, enterprising or possess a list of achievements for delivering a speech. Indeed, your perception, self-created methodology and intellect are strands that govern your speech. 2. Adhere To Genuineness Showing off, bragging and displaying an immodest picture of oneself are certain deeds that should be averted since the beginning of the entrepreneurial journey. Masses revere those leaders, who are corrigible and learn from their mistakes. Thus, if you desire to be a successful leader then embrace your flaws and rectify them sooner. 3. Be Self-Confident Morale is the biggest thing that helps you going regardless of the hurdles. Hesitation and anxiety commonly empower an individual and hinder progress. So, while communicating with the audience, make sure you are certainly right in laying out your ideas. Adopt these communication skills so as to become an effective communicator and leader. | https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/326728 |
When is pup season at Piedras Blancas CA elephant seal beach? | Pup season is the loudest time at the Piedras Blancas elephant seal viewpoint. Pups squawk their high-pitched plaints, mothers resist male advances and defend their pups from other mothers, beachmasters answer challenges from other bulls. Although these seals spend most of their lives underwater, when they are on the beach, they communicate with their voices. Seal vocal calls A new study published in November documents how the male elephant seal calls have changed in the past 50 years. Back in the 1960s, when Burney Le Boeuf studied the seals at Ano Nuevo, San Miguel, San Nicolas and Guadalupe Islands, he recorded distinct differences from one location to another dialects of elephant seal bellows. Digital Access for only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. Working with Dr. Le Boeuf for the past four years, two researchers, Caroline Casey and Colleen Reichmuth, found that the calls are now diverse across all locations. The dialects have disappeared, but individual differences now identify each bull. These animals emit what we call vocal displays and each male has its own unique vocal signature that others within the colony come to recognize. ... They learn the rhythms, Casey told the San Francisco Chronicle. Its as if a guy walked into a bar and called out, Im Sam, and the other tough guy in the bar said, Oh, thats Sam. Sam beat me up before. Im going to run away. The dominance hierarchy reduces the amount of fighting among bulls. Thats important, because they stay on the beach as long as 100 days without eating. Conserving energy helps them prevail over more females, longer. Pups constantly being born Pups are often born at night, but daytime births are frequent. More than 5,000 pups will be born in the rookery, so theres lots going on. Look for seals that are urgently tossing sand on their backs. It doesnt have much to do with the process, but seals seem to do it when they are stressed. Females will continue to arrive on the beach to give birth into February. This years King Tides happened in December and over the January 20-21 weekend, but tides are still high. This year, they combine with high surf to threaten the newborn pups. The pups can swim, but lack the stamina to survive in the ocean. If washed out, skinny young pups without the buoyancy of blubber can drown. Gaining weight Once born, the pups need to start nursing. Pups born in December are already being weaned. Look for rotund, fat pups. They often rest close to the edge of the bluffs. Some will learn to steal milk from other mothers, ballooning up to even more than the usual 300 pounds. Those 500-pounders are superweaners. They are willing to nurse from any mother willing to tolerate them. Eighty percent of pups nurse on at least one mother other than their own. Not every pup survives, and those bereaved mothers may adopt one or more strays. Some mothers are particular and chase pups other than their own away. Nursing more than one pup puts the nursing couple at risk. Mothers produce milk from their blubber, losing two pounds for every pound the pup gains. Stray pups are nursing from a limited source. It appears to even out. Around 95 percent of pups at Piedras Blancas survive to be weaned. | https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/community/cambrian/cambrian-opinion/article224907590.html |
Do we need a code of conduct for virtual reality? | A team of German researchers has come up with a list of the major risks that might arise with virtual reality technology, as well as a "code of conduct" to minimise problems down the line. The promise that VR holds in business, education and entertainment has driven major excitement around the technology in the last few years. But Michael Madary and Thomas Metzinger from Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz say that associated ethical concerns have received far less attention. "One's environment can influence one's psychological states," the pair write in the article, published in the journal Frontiers in Robotics and AI. "Immersion in VR can have psychological effects that last after leaving the virtual environment." Referring to recent studies showing these effects, Madary and Metzinger argue that VR could create vast opportunities for psychological manipulation. "These studies suggest that VR poses risks that are novel, that go beyond the risks of traditional psychological experiments in isolated environments, and that go beyond the risks of existing media technology for the general public." Solutions The code of conduct they have come up with as a solution revolves partially around scientific practice. Researchers shouldn't create false hopes in patients, for example, and repeatedly remind them of the experimental nature of any such research. They call for more studies on what's lost in social interactions based on telepresence. But there are worries over consumer applications too. Madary and Metzinger point out that EVE:Valkyrie, one of the most heavily anticipated VR titles, takes place in a universe that rewards characters that manipulate and deceive other players. "There is cause for concern about behavioral patterns rewarded in immersive games such as EVE: Valkyrie having a lasting influence on the psychological profile of users," they write. "Torture in a virtual environment is still torture" They also warn of using violent and pornographic content where the risk of psychological trauma is higher. "Torture in a virtual environment is still torture," they say, recommending that users be clearly informed of these dangers. "The fact that one's suffering occurs while one is immersed in a virtual environment does not mitigate the suffering itself." Finally, Madary and Metzinger point out that there are few regulations regarding the ownership of avatars in virtual spaces. They write: "There are strong reasons to place restrictions on the way in which avatars can be used, such as protecting the interests and privacy of individuals who strongly identify with their own particular avatar on social networks" | https://www.techradar.com/news/wearables/do-we-need-a-code-of-conduct-for-virtual-reality-1316357 |
Can LoRa Withstand the Cellular Stampede? | For anyone who gets their hands dirty with low-power, wide-area networks (LPWANs), one of the big questions of the moment is whether the cellular industry's stampede into this market -- with the development and launch of the NB-IoT and LTE-M standards -- will flatten the non-cellular technologies that preceded them. Chief among those are Sigfox, which comes from the French company of the same name, and LoRa (or LoRaWAN, to give the network protocol its correct name), whose main backer remains Californian chipmaker Semtech. A flattening was certainly what Matt Beal, Vodafone Group plc (NYSE: VOD)'s head of technology strategy, was anticipating when he spoke with Light Reading way back in April 2016. "NB-IoT will crush Sigfox and LoRa because it means there will be no need for them," he said during Vodafone's opening of a dedicated NB-IoT lab at its Newbury headquarters in the UK. With its elephantine economies of scale, and the support of the world's biggest equipment vendors and service providers, NB-IoT would supposedly give its non-cellular rivals no chance. (See Vodafone to 'Crush' LoRa, Sigfox With NB-IoT.) Smart cities represent a big opportunity for the developers of IoT connectivity solutions. So far, it has not worked out that way. Perhaps partly because of a rushed job on standards development, the cellular LPWAN technologies have not taken off in some countries as quickly as the bulls hoped. Vodafone UK, for instance, did not announce its first trial customer for NB-IoT until last September, more than two years after the technology was first standardized. In the meantime, Sigfox and LoRa have continued to land deals. (See Ericsson, Huawei Incompatibility Threatens NB-IoT Sources and Vodafone Brings NB-IoT to UK, Starts Trial With Scottish Power.) Set up to promote and develop LoRa technology, the LoRa Alliance this week claimed that 100 network operators worldwide are now deploying LoRa technology. Growth this year, it says, has been explosive, with the number of devices connected to LoRa networks tripling since the start of 2018. "We've grown over 60% in terms of networks," says Donna Moore, the CEO of the LoRa Alliance. "In terms of device connections, that is in the millions and growing strongly." An industry source says 80 million connections would be a "conservative" estimate of the number today. For all the momentum, this puts LoRa far behind the roughly 1.1 billion IoT connections expected on cellular networks in 2018, according to Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC)'s most recent mobility report. Moreover, according to the Global Mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), as many as 116 operators were deploying NB-IoT networks in August last year, with 47 then investing in LTE-M. (See IoT Boom Won't Pay Off for Mobile Operators.) Cellular IoT Connections Per Region (Billions) Source: Ericsson. Yet NB-IoT and LTE-M would account for only a share of these cellular connections. Many are still provided using old-fashioned (and often sub-optimal) 2G and 3G technologies. In its mobility report issued in November 2017, just a few months after NB-IoT standardization, Ericsson estimated there would be around 500 million cellular IoT connections at the end of 2017. GPRS, a 2G technology, would account for most of these, it said. Since then, a government push in China has been responsible for most of the NB-IoT growth. That endorsement seems partly an effort to support Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. given the Chinese equipment giant's investment in NB-IoT. China Mobile, a telco building a nationwide NB-IoT network, served 384 million IoT connections at the end of September, although it is unclear whether all of these were based on NB-IoT. Take out China and the gap between cellular and LoRa might not be so extreme. (See China Mobile Sees NB-IoT Boom as Profits Rise.) There are several reasons for an investor, and especially one outside the telecom industry, to prefer LoRa to cellular. One, perhaps, is LoRa's reliance on unlicensed spectrum. It is the big operators," says Ali Hosseini, the CEO of SenRa, an Indian operator building a LoRa network. "LoRaWAN, being more of an open community technology, allows anyone to throw up a private network without taking on astronomical fees and getting approvals from the government and so forth." Next page: The LoRa sweet spot | https://www.lightreading.com/iot/m2m-platforms/can-lora-withstand-the-cellular-stampede/d/d-id/748965?_mc=RSS_LR_EDT |
Whats Really Going on with Trump and the Russian Oligarch Oleg Deripaska? | When President Trumps Treasury Department proposed lifting sanctions on companies tied to the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska in December Secretary Steven Mnuchin vowed that the firms would be forced to significantly diminish Deripaskas ownership and sever his control. But, the New York Times is now reporting that Treasurys promises were illusory: The deal contains provisions that free [Deripaska] from hundreds of millions of dollars in debt while leaving him and his allies with majority ownership of his most important company. This is a dark twist in a sub-plot of Trump administrations love story with the Russia of Vladimir Putin. Deripaska has been called Putins favorite industrialist and also had contentious and longstanding ties to now-jailed former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Manafort who had received $10 million loan from Deripaska offered to give the aluminum magnate private briefings on the state of the presidential race in the summer of 2016. In recent days, Deripaska has also been linked to the decision by Russian authorities to arrest the Belarusian model Anastasia Vashukevich in a Moscow airport. Vashukevich had claimed to have information about Deripaska and Russian interference in Trumps election. Treasurys decision to lift sanctions on Deripaska was always suspect. In mid-January, Senate Democrats, joined by 11 Republicans, attempted to override Mnunchin and keep sanctions in place. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) even laid out the math: Voted against Russia sanctions deal yesterday b/c Deripaska loses stock,but not control. He keeps 35% of the voting shares, Putins bank has 7.35% & company with a long history of corruption & of partnering with Deripaska has 10.55%. And Russia corp boards have little power. Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) January 16, 2019 But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell held together a coalition of 42 Republicans, including erstwhile Russia hawks Mitt Romney (R-UT) and Lindsey Graham (R-SC), to keep the lifting of sanctions on track. Publicly, Treasury insisted Deripaksa would receive no cash from the companies that reduced his ownership stake. But citing a confidential Treasury document, the Times reveals that Deripaska is instead being rewarded with the cancellation of bank debt that had been secured with shares of the stock he is losing. Moreover, according to the Times, Deripaska and his allies will retain collective control of the company that holds the majority stake in the aluminum giant Rusal, whose shares have surged on the lifting of sanctions. The former U.S. ambassador to Russia, Michael McFaul, argues that even if the restructuring had been on the level, the Trump approach misses the point of sanctions, which are meant to weaken Putins hold on power, not improve corporate governance. There seems to be confusion about the purpose of sanctions on Russia, McFaul tweeted. They should be designed to change Putins belligerent behavior (not ownership restructuring of individual companies). | https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/deripaska-trump-782332/ |
Why arent Ant and Dec and the Britains Got Talent judges at the National Television Awards 2019? | 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 Fans rejoiced with the news that Ant and Dec are back together for the first time in almost a year. But despite their well-publicised reunion, and their three nominations, the presenting duo will not be at the National Television Awards this evening. It was confirmed on Monday that they will not be attending the ceremony due to a clash with Britain's Got Talent filming. This also means that the talent show's judges Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon will also miss the glitzy event. Filming begun for the new series last week, with all stars arriving at the London Palladium for the first day of auditions for the talent show before they head to Manchester in early February. It is the 18th consecutive year that Ant and Dec have been nominated in the TV Presenter category at the NTAs. (Image: PA) Theyre also up for best talent show (Britains Got Talent) and the Bruce Forsyth Entertainment Award for Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway - despite the latter hosted solely by Dec. This will also be the first time that Im a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here! will not be represented by the Geordie duo - Dec took the reins with Holly Willoughby for the 2018 series, much to fans delight. (Image: PA) The ITV series has won 14 NTAs since it first hit screens in 2002. The best-loved presenters were pictured back together at the auditions for Britain's Got Talent, marking Ant's return to work after he stepped away from his TV duties following a drink-driving arrest. They posted a photo to their joint Instagram and Twitter page with the caption: "#BGT 2019. Audition day 1. The boys are back in town!" It is almost a year since Ant, 43, stepped down from his presenting duties in April 2018 following a drink-driving conviction. Ant, who divorced wife Lisa last year, previously struggled with a two-year addiction to super-strength painkillers following a knee operation. He was later banned from the road for 20 months and fined 86,000 for driving while more than twice the legal drink-drive limit. | https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/ant-dec-national-television-awards-15717341 |
Is John Cena Really Injured? | John Cenas status in the Mens Royal Rumble Match is in question following an apparent left ankle injury sustained during the main event of Raw last week. In that match, Cena faced Finn Balor, Baron Corbin and Drew McIntyre for the right to challenge Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship at the Royal Rumble. As seen in the video below, the injury seemingly occurred when McIntyre trapped Cena in the ankle lock submission hold. Cena can then be seen favoring his left ankle while leaving the ring after Raw went off the air. According to a report by Dasha Fuentes before Raw yesterday, the injury was exacerbated earlier in the day while Cena was training his legs at the gym. Cena is not actually injured, according to Dave Meltzer on the post-Raw edition of Wrestling Observer Radio. Cena is slated to take time off soon to film a family comedy movie in Vancouver, British Columbia called Playing with Fire. He stars as the leader of a rugged crew of wildfire fighters who meet their match when they attempt to rescue three rambunctious kids. According to a report yesterday by the Vancouver Sun, production starts on February 4. Meltzer reported two weeks ago that WWE had plans for Cena to face Lars Sullivan at WrestleMania 35. He speculated that the original plan was for Sullivan to injure Cena to take him out of the Rumble. This would have started the build toward their match at WrestleMania and kept Cena off television while he filmed Playing with Fire. Sullivans status, however, remains in question after he reportedly had an anxiety or panic attack hours before his main roster debut at Raw on January 7 and ceased communication with WWE. With Sullivans status in question, WWE did the injury angle in case Cena does not compete in the Mens Royal Rumble Match. Rajah.com previously reported that WWE planned on having Sullivan make his television debut on Raw last night in a pre-taped segment where he would have attacked Cena. WWE planned on taping the segment at Raw last week in Memphis, Tennessee, but the idea had to be scrapped since WWE was unable to get in contact with Sullivan. | http://www.pwmania.com/is-john-cena-really-injured |
Has Apple abandoned pro users? | The Mac Pro was updated this summer, but it was a minor speed bump. Many Pro users were disappointed When Phil Schiller introduced the Mac Pro to audiences at WWDC 2006, he was clearly in awe. "I am so excited," he said, during the presentation. "This is the Mac so many of our highest end customers have dreamed of." Read more: iMovie 10.1.10 At WWDC 2012, Schiller was excited about the Retina MacBook Pro. After two years of neglect, the Mac Pro received a derisory refresh: a speed bump to the processors, but no new graphics hardware, no Thunderbolt and no USB 3.0. "The only high-end thing about it is the price," wrote Andy Hertzfeld, who helped design the original Mac. In 2009, Tim Cook said that Apple would "participate only in markets where we can make a significant contribution." Say it with towers If by 'pro market' you mean 'Mac Pro market', then in financial terms the answer is probably no. Apple canned the Xserve server in late 2010 on the grounds that hardly anybody was buying it, and the Mac Pro's position is looking similarly shaky: it's a tiny bit of Apple's PC business, which in turn is dwarfed by iOS. In its most recent financial quarter, Q3 2012, Apple brought in $16 billion from the iPhone, $9 billion from the iPad and just under $5 billion from Macs, and of the four million Macs it sold, three million were laptops. That leaves one million iMacs, Mac minis and Mac Pros, and while Apple doesn't break down the sales of its individual models it does say that its 1,010,000 desktop sales brought in revenues of $1,287,000,000. That works out as an average selling price (ASP) of $1,274. That's just $75 more than the cheapest iMac and just over half the price of a basic Mac Pro, so it suggests that Mac Pros aren't flying out of Cupertino in enormous quantities. It seems that copies of Apple's pro programs weren't flying off the shelves either, because Apple appears to be repositioning its pro apps towards the bigger prosumer market: the latest versions of Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro are significantly cheaper than their predecessors, and in the case of Final Cut Pro X, many pro customers were appalled by a release that, they felt, skipped crucial features and backwards compatibility. What's interesting about those programs is that you don't need a Mac Pro to run them. Mac Pro: oh no The argument for the Mac Pro is simple enough: while consumer Macs have become significantly more powerful in recent years - for example, Thunderbolt replaces the need for a big tower's various expansion slots and Grand Central Dispatch has been making the most of multi-core consumer Macs since OS X 10.6 - there's still a large gap between the maximum storage, RAM and processing power in a consumer Mac and in a Mac Pro. Where ordinary Macs come with single quad-core processors, Mac Pros can be configured with twelve cores; where desktop Macs run out of RAM at 16 or 32GB, Mac Pros can handle 64GB, and so on. It's a machine for Apple's big-spending customers who expect cutting-edge tech. This year, they didn't get it. As Andy Hertzfeld put it: "Still no Thunderbolt, still no USB 3.0, no SATA III or RAM speed improvements - it seems like it's stuck in time in 2010." And he's got a valid point: while maxing out the options list can take the 2012 Mac Pro well past the 10,000 mark, the top-end graphics option is a pair of 100 ATI Radeons that have been around since 2009. Hertzfeld wasn't the only person with concerns. Instapaper creator Marco Arment wrote: "If you wanted to kill a product line, an 'update' like today's would be a good way to clear out parts and keep selling to a few desperate buyers for a bit longer without any real investment." | https://www.techradar.com/au/news/computing/apple/has-apple-abandoned-pro-users-1118130 |
What Would Daredevil Season 4 Have Looked Like Had It Not Been Canceled? | Whether its a case of Netflix cutting its losses on underwatched and expensive programming or Disney consolidating all of its Marvel content under one roof, one thing is for certain: Our beloved small-screen heroes are disappearing. Last year, Luke Cage, Iron Fist and the immensely popular Daredevil were all canceled. Jessica Jones and The Punisher are also expected to get the ax before Disney launches its direct-to-consumer streaming service, Disney+, later this year. Daredevil star Charlie Cox has implied that he didnt see the cancelation coming (no, thats not a blind Matt Murdock joke) as he and the shows cast and crew were preparing for a fourth season. In a recent interview with Inverse, Cox opened up about the upcoming story lines the show was expected to tackle. Subscribe to Observers Entertainment Newsletter Theyd had a preliminary conversation with me about what might happen and who might be involved or what the story might be. [] [W]hat I heard was very exciting, Cox said. So I had a vague sense of what the show might be. I had some idea. [] I was looking forward to Wilson Bethel kind of getting to inhabit the character of Bullseye. Season 3 was kind of an origin story for the character and how Agent Poindexter becomes that character. So I was looking forward to having a season where he really embodies the Bullseye persona and what that dynamic would be between Bullseye and Daredevil. In the comics, Bullseye and Kingpin, portrayed by the excellent Vincent DOnofrio (#EmmyWinforVin), are the heros most notable adversaries. The pair provided the third season of Daredevilwhich we really enjoyedwith what was probably its top mix of villainsthey served as both existential and philosophical threats as well as worthy physical opposition. As the most well-rounded of Netflixs Marvel series, Daredevil deserved the opportunity to conclude on its own terms. Its a shame it didnt, but, for what its worth, Cox wasnt devastated by the cancelation because, as he puts it, Season 3 had been so well received. Still, while Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige will likely resurrect the character at some point down the line, its doubtful Cox will remain in the role. | https://observer.com/2019/01/netflix-daredevil-season-4-details-charlie-cox-marvel-vs-disney/ |
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