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Should North Devon Council buy the White Hart pub for Bratton Fleming? | The villages last remaining pub has been closed since 2012 and has been at the centre of a campaign by villagers to get it reopened. On Monday, North Devon Councils executive will be asked to consider a compulsory purchase order on the pub, following a request by the Bratton Fleming Community Benefit Society (CBS) Ltd. Owner Philip Milton, who bought the pub in 2014, is currently appealing after his planning application to build three cottages to the rear of the pub on the beer garden and function room area, was refused. He had said this would enable the pub to reopen, together with refurbishment to create a tea room, shop and post office. Philip Milton, owner of the White Hart in Bratton Fleming. Picture: Andy Keeble Philip Milton, owner of the White Hart in Bratton Fleming. Picture: Andy Keeble But village campaigners have been at loggerheads with Mr Milton and say they fear it will never reopen if his appeal is unsuccessful. A CBS spokesman told the Gazette: We are hopeful the council will agree to at least look into it. Theres nothing else thats a real community hub thats open to the whole community. The White Hart was listed as an asset of community value in 2014 which gives the community a right to bid if it goes up for sale but that runs out this year. Mr Milton said under community asset listing rules he had given the CBS the full six month period in which to buy the property and had offered it to the group for around 400,000, but its counteroffer had only been 150,000. The CBS has claimed his valuation was double what it was worth. But Mr Milton added: The greatest sadness is that from the initial point of our purchase, we had plans to provide a community pub/hub/eatery/shop etc and it is now six years since its closure. The very unhelpful actions of a vociferous minority has resulted in no such facility of any form being available to the community, visitors and holiday makers. In relation to a compulsory purchase, I am unaware of councils across the country moving into the public house business. It would seem an inappropriate use of ratepayers money, especially as it could turn into a costly white elephant and I regret that unless members of the community committed real money to the project from inception, I cannot see the community ever stepping-forwards to put hands deeply enough into their pockets to meet the cost of purchase, the refurbishment and working capital demanded. The CBS spokesman told the Gazette they believed the property was now in a pretty poor state inside. They said they feared if his appeal failed the pub would be mothballed for the foreseeable future, adding, Obviously we dont want that as a community, as it has a community value, and also it is becoming a bit of an eyesore in the village. They said there was momentum around the country where other councils had been looking at compulsory purchase of village pubs which had been empty for a long time. | https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/white-hart-compulsory-purchase-1-5838894 |
What could Chang'e 4 discover on far side of the moon? | When we look up at the full moon, we only ever see one face: the man in the moon is always gazing back at us. Scientists believe that the far side, eternally hidden from view, may hold the key to fundamental mysteries about the moons formation and its earliest history. Chinas Change 4 mission could reveal new clues to the cataclysmic collision that created the moon and uncover the origins of the water that is unexpectedly abundant in lunar soil. The moons far side is sometimes known as the dark side, although it is not darker than the near side in any literal sense. It undergoes the same phases of illumination by the Sun as the side facing Earth. But because the moon spins on its axis at exactly the same rate as it orbits Earth, one side remains permanently out of view. | Mary Dejevsky Read more It was only in 1959, when the first images of the far side were beamed back by the Soviet Unions Luna 3, that intriguing differences were revealed. The far side is pockmarked by more craters and appears almost devoid of the seas of solidified lava, known as maria, that form the shadowy shape of a face that we see from Earth. Scientists believe that as asteroids pummelled the lunar surface during the solar systems early history, giant lava flows on the moons near side filled impact craters, obscuring them from view. On the far side, fewer lava flows occurred, leaving intact a pristine record of ancient impacts. The oldest, largest and deepest of these is the Aitken Basin, where Change 4 is now poised for exploration. Testing the composition of the soil could help narrow down theories about how the moon formed and the beginnings of the solar system. The mission will also conduct the first astronomy observations from the moons far side, which is seen as a uniquely attractive site for monitoring radio waves coming from deep space. Astronomers operating Earth-bound radio telescopes have to constantly grapple with electromagnetic interference from human activity: shortwave broadcasting, maritime communication, telephone and television signals. The far side of the moon is shielded from such signals, making it far easier to pick up faint fingerprints left by the Big Bang. These traces left across the cosmos could help tell us how the universe inflated at unimaginable speed in the first trillionth of a second after the Big Bang. Play Video 1:20 'Dark side' of the moon: China's Chang'e 4 probe makes historic landing video explainer Change 4 could also help pave the way for Chinas human spaceflight ambitions. One theory for the abundance of water in lunar soil is that it is produced by reactions between the solar wind (a flow of charged particles including hydrogen) and minerals in the soil (containing oxygen). People are trying to reproduce this process in the lab, but its really difficult to do correctly, said Martin Wieser, a researcher at the Swedish Institute of Space Physics and the principal investigator on an instrument onboard Change designed to measure how the solar wind interacts with the lunar surface. The only way, really, is to go to the lunar surface and look at it there. Change 4 is in the ideal place to study this process. Understanding how water is produced and distributed in the lunar soil could be crucial for establishing a more permanent human lunar outpost. The amount in the soil is not large an area of 10 sq metres might contain only enough water to fill a glass but harvesting it could eventually be cheaper than bringing water from Earth. The craft is also carrying a mini-greenhouse, which will test how well plants, specifically potatoes and small flowering Arabidopsis plants, related to cabbage, grow on the moon. | https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/jan/03/what-could-change-4-discover-on-far-side-of-the-moon |
Can Romney chart a course that has eluded other GOP critics of Trump? | It wont be easy in the months ahead being Mitt Romney, the highest-profile freshman Republican lawmaker in the 116th Congress. He will anger some people and frustrate many others. He will be called hypocritical as often as he is praised for criticizing President Trump. Ultimately, he may satisfy few people, but theres little doubt that he will be a senator to watch. All it took for this to come into sharp focus was the publication of an op-ed in The Washington Post that called into question the presidents fitness for office. It was not the first time Romney has called out Trump, but the timing raised eyebrows, coming on the eve of his swearing in as Utahs junior senator. What it means about things to come for Romney is much fuzzier. [Romney says Trump falls short on the character test of presidents] The article set off Washingtons nonstop speculative machinery, with the conversation quickly pivoting to whether Romney might possibly challenge Trump for the GOP nomination in 2020 or make one more likely. The 2012 nominee tried to put to rest his intentions: No, Im not running again, he told CNNs Jake Tapper, noting that his previous run did not end well, in contrast, he said, to Trumps victory in 2016. His demurral about an endorsement of the president for reelection in 2020, however, suggested that Romney may believe that he could still play a role that would affect the future of the Trump presidency and the GOP. How that might happen is the question. It wont be by voting repeatedly against the president on the Senate floor. On most issues, particularly domestic policies, Romney and Trump are closely aligned, though on trade and foreign policy, they do part company. Then-President-elect Donald Trump watches as Romney walks away after a meeting at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster clubhouse in New Jersey on Nov. 19, 2016. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post) Nor does Romneys op-ed mean he will be a constant critic of the president. He will not, as he said to Tapper, be seeking a camera to respond every time the president says something outrageous. Given his personality, Romney likely will now step back to focus on becoming the business of becoming a senator. He will be hiring staff, joining committees, gaining knowledge of Senate procedures and doing the other things that all freshman senators do. But his decision to step forward with an attack on the president suggests that he understands that he joins the Senate at what could be a particularly consequential moment, a time in which there will be a report from special counsel Robert S. Mueller III that could be damning to Trump and his presidency. He has a unique platform that comes with being a former presidential nominee. He no doubt knows he will be judged and will judge himself by how he uses it. Predictably, Romneys op-ed drew a swift response from the president, though it was far less angry than might have been assumed. Trump said he was surprised he [Romney] acted so quickly to go after him. He said, I think hes going to end up being a team player. Well see what happens. He said that, if Romney had fought the 2012 against former president Barack Obama as hard as he is fighting against him now, He would have won the election. On Twitter, reaction included praise from some Republicans, notably those who are in the Never Trump camp, and criticism from allies of the president, along with mocking and derision from many Democrats, who suggested that Romney, like some other elected Republicans who have been critical of Trump, would not back up his words with actions that would truly hold the president accountable. The article also created a rift in the Romney family. Republican National Committee Chair Ronna (Romney) McDaniel, who happens to be Romneys niece but whose political loyalty these days is to the president, tweeted that her uncles article was disappointing and unproductive. She accused Romney of doing the bidding of Democrats and the media. [Trumps defenders return Romneys searing criticism of the president] Romney wanted his article to land with force and so began with language designed to attract attention. The Trump presidency made a deep descent in December, he wrote. On that there is little disagreement, though there have been many other weeks and months of shocks and surprises. Still, December seemed even more unsettling than most other months, ending with a tweet by the president announcing an abrupt withdrawal of U.S. forces in Syria, which in turn triggered the resignation of Jim Mattis as secretary of defense. In the op-ed, Romneys sharpest language went to the issue of presidential fitness. A president should demonstrate the essential qualities of honesty and integrity, and elevate the national discourse with comity and mutual respect, he wrote. With the nation so divided, resentful and angry, presidential leadership in qualities of character is indispensable. And it is in this province where the incumbents shortfall has been most glaring. Yet the article was in some ways a metaphor for the dilemma faced by all those Republicans who abhor the presidents behavior, who believe he is temperamentally unfit to occupy the Oval Office but who nonetheless support the conventionally conservative policies like tax cuts, deregulation and even a border wall that the president has fought for. In other words, the op-ed started stronger than it finished. I will act as I would with any president, in or out of my party: I will support policies that I believe are in the best interest of the country and my state, and oppose those that are not, Romney wrote. He said the same thing during his Senate campaign and it is far from the kind of rallying cry that some Republican opponents of the president would like to see from a prominent leader of their party. It is also a reminder to Democrats that Romney, like others in the GOP who have been critical of Trump, is not about to become one of them. The challenge for Romney is not to repeat the experience of retiring Sens. Robert Corker (Tenn.) and Jeff Flake (Ariz.), whose persistent criticism of Trump ultimately left them isolated in their party without seeming to influence Trumps behavior. That isnt the model, as some of those around Romney understand. But neither is the approach of retiring House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.), who had a platform and power but whose legacy has been tarnished by not having been a stronger counterforce to the president when it could have mattered most. That means there is no easy path for someone like Romney and, on the basis of what he wrote and has said over the past 36 hours, no suggestion that he knows yet exactly how he will conduct himself, other than as a diligent senator representing his Utah constituents. He wanted to lay down a marker against Trump on his way into office and he did. What comes next and next and next will prove to be the bigger test of his leadership. | https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/can-romney-chart-a-course-that-has-eluded-other-gop-critics-of-trump/2019/01/03/cdb9d020-0ee3-11e9-84fc-d58c33d6c8c7_story.html |
Has Sony exited the South-east Asian smartphone market? | There were speculations that Sony will be shutting down its smartphone business in several markets and now it appears that Sony Mobile had quietly exited Malaysia and other South-east Asian countries. Reuters pic KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 3 Sony has been struggling in the smartphone business for the past couple of years. They were once a top 5 smartphone maker but most recently, they sold just 1.6 million smartphones worldwide in Q3 2018. There were speculations that Sony will be shutting down its smartphone business in several markets and now it appears that Sony Mobile had quietly exited Malaysia and other South-east Asian countries. The last smartphone launch event by Sony Malaysia was for the Sony Xperia XZ2 in March 2018. After that, the last model to be released locally is the Sony Xperia XZ2 Premium and it was sold without much fanfare on their online store. After Sony had announced the Xperia XZ3 at IFA2018, it appears that the Japanese smartphone maker had gone silent in Malaysia. This was quite surprising considering Sony was quick to launch their past few flagship models in our local market. On SIRIM, there were no new smartphones certified since July 2018 and the last device listed is for the Xperia XZ2 Premium. At the time of writing, the Sony Mobile Malaysian site is still showing the Xperia XZ2 as their premium Android offering for 2019. Its also the same situation as well for Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. In Indonesia, it appears that the Xperia Z5 was the last model to be offered there. Even Sony Mobiles official store on 11street (managed by Thorus) has been cleared out and the last interaction with customers was in November 2018. On top of that, Sony has removed the smartphone category from their official online store. The only thing thats active is their Facebook page with occasional posts to highlight older models like the Xperia XZ Premium from 2017. These are clear signs that they have left our market and a couple of sources have told us that Sony Mobile is no longer present in Malaysia. However, they are still active in other parts of Asia which include Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan. The smartphone business is extremely tough especially with the rise of Chinese smartphone makers. The Xperia X series is probably the final nail to the coffin with its outdated design and underwhelming hardware sold at flagship prices. Its unfortunate to see Sony which is known for making premium and water-resistant smartphones to disappear from our local market. Apart from Sony Mobile, Motorola has also exited our local market, while LG Mobile can be considered as non-existent in Malaysia. SoyaCincau | https://www.malaymail.com/s/1708884/has-sony-exited-the-south-east-asian-smartphone-market |
Is It Netflixs Turn in the Barrel? | Read: How Netflix reverse-engineered Hollywood In December, The NewYork Times revealed that Netflix was trading data with Facebook for years. The companys response again verged on self-righteous. A spokesman for Netflix said Wednesday that it had used the access only to enable customers to recommend TV shows and movies to their friends, the Times reported. Beyond these recommendations, we never accessed anyones personal messages and would never do that, he said. In both cases, Netflix responded like most tech companies used to, assuming that theyd be given the benefit of the doubt that their intentions were good. For Amazon, Google, and Facebook, this assumption gave way over the last couple of years. These are massive corporations that restructure industries and consumer expectations, and wield power to maintain their dominance. As Netflix continues to grow, it will not be able to maintain the illusion that it is some startup. When Netflix was a small auxiliary source of funding for high-quality content, that was great! Now that Netflix is spending many billions of dollars a year for programming and helping squeeze the life out of the cable industry (which funded plenty of great shows), the roles have shifted. Even assuming that people continue to love Netflixs service, when the disruptor becomes the dominant player the questions that need to be asked about the company will shift. Of course, Netflix doesnt have all Facebook, Google, or Amazons problems. But theyll almost certainly introduce new ones that dont apply to the other big tech firms that have come under scrutiny. For example, its easy to make friends in the media when youre spraying many billions of dollars around to content creators. Selling shows to Netflix is the new favored media play, whether you seek the holy grail or a Hail Mary toss. But many of those billions are funded by debt, because Netflixs business does not currently generate enough cash to cover the amount it is spending on content (and marketing) to grow its subscriber base. Netflixs fundamental business model seems unsustainable, Aswath Damodaran, a New York University finance professor, told The New York Times in October. I dont see how it is going to work out. But assuming that the numbers all work out somehow, and Netflix becomes the TV of the internet, it seems impossible that the company wont face increasing criticism over time. After all, before critics bashed the internet, they hated TV even more. | https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/is-it-netflixs-turn-in-the-barrel/579313/?utm_source=feed |
Are John McCain's gurus the miracle workers Daniel Valenzuela needs to be Phoenix's mayor? | Opinion: The Democrat clearly wants to reinvent himself to appeal to Republicans. But he might need more than that to defeat Kate Gallego. Former Phoenix council members Kate Gallego and Daniel Valenzuela. (Photo: City of Phoenix) It's hard to believe in miracles when it comes to politics. But you cant blame Daniel Valenzuela for trying to pull one off by hiring the late Republican Sen. John McCain's campaign gurus. Valenzuela is attempting to reinvent himself after finishing 19 points behind Kate Gallego in the Phoenix mayoral race. And, apparently, the progressive Democrat believes three McCain campaign alums will produce the miracle he needs to defeat former fellow council member Gallego in the March 12 runoff. Finishing a distant second is embarrassing for the Glendale firefighter with the backing of public-safety union bosses and the business elite. He needs to convince powerful and well-heeled folks that he still is a viable candidate. The question is whether turning to McCains strategists might do the trick. We have two and a half months to prove to voters that Daniel Valenzuela is the right leader to be the next mayor of Phoenix, Ryan ODaniel, Valenzuelas new campaign leader, said in a statement Wednesday. ODaniel has his job cut out for him. He has two months to do the job that the candidate himself wasnt able to do in the past year. And get this, the McCain affiliation didnt appear to serve ODaniel that well with his Republican mayoral candidate Moses Sanchez. ODaniel was a top strategist for Sanchez, who came in third in the four-way August mayoral race. Gallego got 45 percent of the vote, Valenzuela received 26 percent, Sanchez received 19 percent and Nicholas Sarwark got 10 percent. Sanchez tweeted Wednesday that ODaniel is a great person. Trustworthy, honest, humble. Literally #GameChanger. There is no reason to doubt Sanchez's assertion other than the fact that he lost. But lets assume ODaniel is the game changer that Valenzuela needs. Mathematically speaking, yes, if we assume most who voted for Sanchez are Republicans. Gallego and Valenzuela are both Democrats with similar progressive voting record on the City Council. They both need to convince Phoenicians to vote again and both need to broaden their appeal to conservatives. Valenzuela already made his case CLOSE Phoenix mayoral candidate Daniel Valenzuela on why he will give up his job as a firefighter if he is elected. Carly Henry, The Republic | azcentral.com To accomplish that objective, Valenzuela also hired two other McCain alums: Michelle Kauk as communications director and Crystal Bradley as the new finance director. Valenzuela might also be counting on lower voter turnout in the March election when fewer residents are expected go to the polls. I see this campaign for the runoff as a new election, said Valenzuela in the statement announcing his new campaign team. Yes, Valenzuela gets another chance at explaining why hes the best person to lead the city of 1.6 million residents. Unfortunately for him, Phoenicians already got a pretty good idea of his experience, his qualifications and his struggle to communicate his vision. Elvia Daz is an editorial columnist for The Republic and azcentral. Reach her at 602-444-8606 or [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter, @elviadiaz1. Click here to subscribe to azcentral.com. Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/elviadiaz/2019/01/03/john-mccain-staff-save-daniel-valenzuela-phoenix-mayor/2469901002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/elviadiaz/2019/01/03/john-mccain-staff-save-daniel-valenzuela-phoenix-mayor/2469901002/ |
Why Is Trump Spouting Russian Propaganda? | It was only one moment in a 90-minute stream of madness. President Trump convened a Cabinet meeting, at which he invited all its members to praise him for his stance on the border wall and the government shutdown. Theres always a lively competition to see which member of the cabinet can grovel most abjectly. Newcomer Matthew Whitaker may be only the acting attorney general, but despiteor perhaps because ofthat tentative status, he delivered one of the strongest entries, saluting the president for sacrificing his Christmas and New Years holiday for the public good, and contrasting that to members of Congress who had left Washington during the Trump-created crisis. But that was not the crazy part. The crazy part came during the presidents monologue defending his decision to withdraw all 2,000 U.S. troops from Syria and 7,000 from Afghanistan, about half the force in that country. Russia used to be the Soviet Union, he said. Afghanistan made it Russia, because they went bankrupt fighting in Afghanistan. Russia The reason Russia was in Afghanistan was because terrorists were going into Russia. They were right to be there. The problem is, it was a tough fight. And literally they went bankrupt; they went into being called Russia again, as opposed to the Soviet Union. You know, a lot of these places youre reading about now are no longer part of Russia, because of Afghanistan. Lets go to the replay: The reason Russia was in Afghanistan was because terrorists were going into Russia. They were right to be there. To appreciate the shock value of Trumps words, its necessary to dust off some Cold War history. Those of us who grew up in the last phases of the Cold War used to know it all by heart, but I admit I had to do a little Googling to refresh my faded memories. | https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/trump-just-endorsed-ussrs-invasion-afghanistan/579361/?utm_source=feed |
Which version of Amari Cooper will face Seahawks on Saturday? | FRISCO, Texas -- On Dec. 9, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper could not be stopped. He caught 10 passes for 217 yards and three touchdowns, including the game winner in overtime, against the Philadelphia Eagles. In the three games since, Cooper has 13 receptions for 83 yards, including five catches for 31 yards against the New York Giants in Sunday's regular-season finale. As the Cowboys prepare for Saturdays wild-card game against the Seattle Seahawks (8:15 p.m. ET, Fox), finding a way to get Cooper more involved is a must. The Indianapolis Colts doubled him; he tallied four catches for 30 yards. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (four catches, 20 yards) made it difficult for him to get over the top. The Giants (five catches, 31 yards) sent help his way too, but ... We missed chances for him to have a big day, Cowboys offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said. We had a couple. And we hadnt missed those [much]. We were actually kind of pretty hot with him on those, a couple of those that were 50-50 balls. Quarterback Dak Prescott missed Cooper on a slant-and-go in the fourth quarter that would have been a touchdown. Cooper dropped a pass and fumbled once as well. Amari Cooper has had some monster games, but he has registered just 83 receiving yards the past three games. Tom Pennington/Getty Images Some teams are very clued in to your personnel and want to take particular guys out of a play in particular situations, Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. Other teams just play their defense. Obviously, Amaris been a playmaker for us since weve gotten him. Hes made some real signature plays to help us win ballgames. Hes certainly going to be a focal point of the defense, as is [Ezekiel Elliott]. The Seahawks play a lot of single-high safety, which creates one-on-one matchups similar to what Cooper faced against the Eagles. Theres a lot of excitement because theres a lot of opportunity, Cooper said. When teams play two-high, kind of gets more difficult to catch passes over the top and things like that. The arrival of Cooper in an October trade from the Oakland Raiders helped change the trajectory of the Cowboys season. He gave Prescott an outside threat the quarterback did not have in the first seven games. A passing game that was stagnant now had some juice. In nine games with the Cowboys, Cooper has 53 receptions for 725 yards and six touchdowns. Add his numbers with the Raiders (22 catches, 280 yards, one touchdown), and he had his third 1,000-yard season in four years. Projecting his Dallas numbers over a full season, Cooper would have finished with 94 receptions for 1,289 yards and 11 touchdowns. Expecting Cooper to put up otherworldly statistics each game similar to those against Philadelphia would be foolish, but he should average more than 28 receiving yards per game. It is, however, something of a pattern for Coopers career. Playoffs schedule, Super Bowl LIII coverage The numbers can be staggering at times. He has 15 games with 100 or more receiving yards. He has 31 games with fewer than 50 yards. With the Cowboys, the high point was the matchup with the Eagles, but he had eight catches for 180 yards against the Washington Redskins and two other games with more than 70 receiving yards. He also had four games in which he did not top 36 yards. The up-and-down productivity also is a pattern for the Cowboys. Over the years, a long-standing complaint about the Cowboys offense -- whether Garrett, Bill Callahan or Linehan was calling plays -- has been that their answer to extra attention on a star receiver is to throw it to somebody else and not make it more difficult for a team to double-cover the star. In Houston, DeAndre Hopkins had 115 receptions for 1,572 yards and 11 touchdowns. The Texans second-leading receiver, Will Fuller, has 32 catches for 503 yards and has not played since October. Somehow Hopkins still gets the ball a lot. The Cowboys choose to look at Coopers recent statistical lull differently. With the attention paid to him by defenses, other players have had big days or big plays. Against the Giants, tight end Blake Jarwin caught seven passes for 119 yards and three touchdowns. Cole Beasley caught six passes for 94 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. When the Cowboys clinched the NFC East with a Week 16 win over the Bucs, Michael Gallup caught a touchdown pass and had a 31-yard reception. Ive told people this: When we added [No.] 19 to our offense, there was going to be an effect that goes full circle, and I think that had a lot to do with [Jarwin] and Beasleys game and a couple of other guys, Linehan said. These guys all of a sudden have more of an effect on what were going to do. Linehan believes it will come full circle for Cooper with others producing around him. At least, thats what the Cowboys hope happens on Saturday. A lot of it is the game plan, how theyre playing us, Prescott said. I know just by the way were practicing, this team is ready. Everyone is ready, everyone is going out there, the receivers, they all want the ball, theyre all doing the best they can to get open. Everybody is locked in and ready to go. | http://www.espn.com/blog/dallas-cowboys/post/_/id/4768425/which-version-of-amari-cooper-will-face-seahawks-on-saturday |
Can I legally get out of my gym membership contract? | As the New Year begins, people are ready to have a fresh start. For many, that means hitting the restart button and making fitness a top priority. Gyms are prepared for a New Years resolution rush and every January, millions of people rush to sign expensive gym membership contracts. The key with gym contracts is to read them carefully and only sign if youre happy with them (Photo: Shutterstock) Unfortunately, the contracts these new gym members sign can be packed with incomprehensible language, long notice periods, and even the odd unfair term. Here, Louise Newbould-Walton (a solicitor at DAS Law) shares some expert advice for gym-goers. Facility closure If the gym closes or removes a facility which formed a significant part of its offering for example, a swimming pool or steam room this could be construed as a breach of contract by the gym. This gives you grounds to argue for a reduction in fees or contract termination. Change in circumstances An increase in your gym membership fee could result in a breach of contract (Photo: Shutterstock) If you have a fixed term membership (e.g. for 12 months) but your circumstances change in an unforeseeable way a long-term illness, losing your job or having to move you could have grounds for immediate cancellation. This is because the courts in England and Wales have decided that some minimum terms of memberships are unfair, particularly where termination is prevented despite the consumer facing unforeseen circumstances. Fee increase An increase in your gym membership fee could result in a breach of contract, but it depends on the wording of your membership contract. If the wording in the contract that entitles them to increase the fee was not prominent and clearly worded - or if the price rise is large enough to show that it represents a significant departure from the original basis of the membership contract - then you may have a right to terminate your membership. Unfair terms If you have already signed a gym membership contract and, on review, believe that one or more of its terms could be unfair, you still have rights. In particular, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 means that any contract entered into after 1 October 2015 is subject to a test of fairness. If a term of the contract or the entire contract is found to be unfair it will not be binding on you. An unnecessarily long contract, unreasonable early termination fees, automatic renewals or punitive penalties may all be considered to be unfair under the Act. In general The key with gym contracts is to read them carefully and only sign if youre happy with them. If a specific clause seems unfair or inappropriate, ask the gym to remove it from your contract before you sign. If you do find that you need to terminate the contract early, check the contract to see if it covers your circumstances. If it does not, then you have good grounds for a discussion with your gym to try to reach an agreement. Disclaimer: This information is for general guidance regarding rights and responsibilities and is not formal legal advice as no lawyer-client relationship has been created | https://www.thestar.co.uk/lifestyle/can-i-legally-get-out-of-my-gym-membership-contract-1-9519181 |
Where do the Kurds fit into Syria's war? | BEIRUT (Reuters) - The future of Kurdish-led areas of northern and eastern Syria has been thrown into doubt by President Donald Trumps decision to withdraw U.S. troops who have helped to secure the region. FILE PHOTO: Kurdish-led militiamen ride atop military vehicles as they celebrate victory over Islamic State in Raqqa, Syria, October 17, 2017. REUTERS/Erik De Castro/File Photo Amounting to about one quarter of Syria, the area is the largest chunk of territory still outside the control of President Bashar al-Assad, who is backed by Russia and Iran. Trump said on Wednesday the United States would withdraw slowly over a period of time and would protect the U.S.-backed Kurdish fighters as Washington withdraws troops, but without giving a timetable. Syrian Kurdish leaders fear Turkey will use the withdrawal as an opportunity to launch an assault. As a result, they are in contact with Moscow and Damascus in the hope of agreeing arrangements to protect the region from Turkey while also aiming to safeguard their political gains. The main Syrian Kurdish faction, the Democratic Union Party (PYD), began to establish a foothold in the north early in the war as government forces withdrew to put down the anti-Assad uprising elsewhere. An affiliated militia, the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), secured the region. Early in the conflict, their control was concentrated in three predominantly Kurdish regions home to roughly 2 million Kurds. Kurdish-led governing bodies were set up. The area of YPG influence expanded as the YPG allied with the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State (IS), becoming the spearhead of a multi-ethnic militia, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). SDF influence widened to Manbij and Raqqa as IS was defeated in both. It has also reached deep into Deir al-Zor, where the SDF is still fighting IS. Kurdish leaders say their aim is regional autonomy within a decentralized Syria, not independence. The PYD is heavily influenced by the ideas of Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan, a founding member of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has waged a 34-year insurgency in Turkey for Kurdish political and cultural rights. Ocalan has been in jail since 1999 in Turkey. He is convicted of treason. The PKK is designated a terrorist organization by Turkey, the United States and the European Union. Turkey says the PKK is indistinguishable from the PYD and YPG. Turkey has a Kurdish minority equal to 15 to 20 percent of its population, mostly living in eastern and southeastern areas bordering Syria. Wary of separatistism, Turkey views the PYDs Syrian foothold as a national security threat. Syrias main Kurdish groups do not hide Ocalans influence: they organized elections towards establishing a political system based on his ideas. Turkey has already mounted two cross-border offensives in northern Syria as part of its efforts to counter the YPG. Syrias Baathist state systematically persecuted the Kurds before the war. Yet the YPG and Damascus have broadly stayed out of each others way during the conflict, despite occasional clashes. They also have been seen to cooperate against shared foes, notably in and around Aleppo. [IDnL8N1Q213V] The YPG has allowed the Syrian state to keep a foothold in its areas. The YPG commander told Reuters in 2017 it would have no problem with the Assad government if Kurdish rights are guaranteed in Syria. But Damascus opposes Kurdish autonomy demands: the Syrian foreign minister last month said nobody in Syria accepts talk about independent entities or federalism. Talks between the sides last year made no progress. The Kurdish-led authorities are launching a new initiative aiming to put pressure on the government to reach a political settlement within the framework of a decentralized Syria, leading Kurdish politician Ilham Ahmed said last week. Analysts say the Kurds negotiating position has been weakened by Trumps announcement. The territory held by Damascus and the Kurdish-led authorities accounts for most of Syria. A political settlement - if one could be reached, perhaps with Russian help - could go a long way to stitching the map back together. But it would not mark the end of the war. Anti-Assad insurgents, though defeated across much of Syria by the government and its allies, still have a foothold in the northwest stretching from Idlib through Afrin to Jarablus. Turkey has troops on the ground in this area. The rebels include Turkey-backed Free Syrian Army groups and jihadists. Enmity runs deep between the YPG and these groups. For the YPG, one priority is recovering Afrin from the rebels who seized it in a Turkey-backed offensive last year. Assad also wants Turkey out as he vows to recover every inch of Syria. (GRAPHIC: Syria control map - tmsnrt.rs/2RgCxxb) | https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mideast-crisis-syria-kurds-explainer/where-do-the-kurds-fit-into-syrias-war-idUSKCN1OX16L?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Reuters%2FworldNews+%28Reuters+World+News%29 |
Which Netflix show was the most popular in N.J. in 2018? | The smash drama 13 Reasons Why was the most popular Netflix show in New Jersey -- as well as in the country -- in 2018, a report from HighSpeedInternet.com says. Connecticut, Illinois, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio and Rhode Island were other states where the show, which was narrated by a teenage girl who had committed suicide, was the most popular. The second season of the show came out in 2018, and a third is planned for 2019. "The End of the F***ing World, meanwhile, was the most popular show in Arizona, Iowa, Maine, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina, making it the second-most popular show in the country. Daredevil, Orange is the New Black, and Stranger Things round out the top five most popular shows in the United States. Ask Alexa for New Jersey news The most popular show in every state was determined by the number of times the show title was Googled in the state, according to the report. Jeremy Schneider may be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @J_Schneider. Find NJ.com on Facebook. | https://www.nj.com/entertainment/2019/01/which-netflix-show-was-the-most-popular-in-nj-in-2018.html |
Is it OK for kittens to eat adult cat food and cats to eat kitten chow? | DEAR JOAN: I am moving and when the move is complete I will get a kitten. I already have a cat. Sue, Concord DEAR SUE: If you serve up both kitten and adult food, chances are the adult will eat most of the kitten food along with the adult food, which could result in a cat with a weight problem and a kitten not getting all the advantages it needs. Kitten food tends to be higher in calories, but it also contains some vital nutrients that a growing kitten needs. It wont harm the adult cat to eat kitten food, other than consuming the extra calories, but the kitten definitely shouldnt be eating food formulated for adult cats. It would be best to feed them in separate rooms and pick up the food after theyve eaten. That might be difficult because cats, unlike dogs that quickly wolf down their food and lick their bowls clean, tend to be nibblers, eating a little now and a little later. There are cat foods that are good for all ages, so talk to your vet about which one might be best for your cats. The good news is that kittens only need the special diet for about a year, unless its a larger breed cat, such as a Maine coon, which takes about 18 months to reach maturity. Depending on the age of your adult cat, you might need to start considering age in choosing an adult food. Older cats tend to develop teeth and gum issues as they age and might require a softer kibble or canned food. Vets used to recommend lowering the amount of protein senior cats receive, but studies now suggest its the phosphorus in their diets, not the protein, that can lead to kidney disease. Older cats probably dont digest protein and fats as well as younger cats do, so they might need those nutrients in a different form. DEAR JOAN: Some years ago, I read that the chemicals in cleaning pads are poisonous to pets. The warning said that the chemicals get on the feet of pets, then into their mouths as they groom. Sounds dangerous to me. Todays mops are pads on poles with cleaning cloths and pads attached with hook-and-loop materials. Are you aware of any scientific studies that address this cleaning danger topic. Im mostly using an old-fashioned mop, and I want my kitty, Lilac, to be safe. Bob, Martinez DEAR BOB: There have been rumors for years about floor and surface cleaning products and the theory that they kill our pets. Fortunately, these are mostly unfounded, although the jury still is out on whether the chemicals used in cleaners are particularly healthy for our pets or for us. Sea lion pup found at Oakland airport is active and feisty, veterinarians say There are cleaners that you should avoid exposing your pets too caustic cleaners with lye, for example. Standard household products present no real risk as long as they are used properly. The Pet Poison Hotline recommends, for safetys sake, keeping pets out of areas where youre cleaning, allowing scents to dissipate and surfaces to dry. Always read the label before using. Unless Lilac has a sensitivity to the cleansers, you should be fine. For more pets and animals coverage follow us on Flipboard. | https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/01/03/is-it-ok-for-kittens-to-eat-adult-cat-food-and-cats-to-eat-kitten-chow/ |
Where Did Rents Rise the Most in 2018? | Theres a good chance the monthly rent checks you write this year will be larger than they were last year, because no surprise rents are up. Nationally, the average monthly rent reached $1,419, about a 3 percent increase over the previous year, according to the 2018 Year-End Rent Report published by RentCafe. The report looked only at rental apartments in buildings with 50 or more units, in the 252 largest American cities with at least 2,900 rental units. Manhattan (which was considered separately) was found to have the highest rents of all, $4,200 on average, roughly a 4 percent increase over the previous year. It was followed by San Francisco, at $3,609 (a 5 percent hike), and Boston, at $3,292 (up about 1 percent). For the most part, in small cities like Odessa, Tex., and neighboring Midland both of which saw rents rise by about 21 percent. | https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/03/realestate/where-did-rents-rise-the-most-in-2018.html |
Will Dolphins call Ravens about John Harbaugh? | Getty Images The question in the title of this item presumes that the call from the Dolphins to the Ravens hasnt already been made. Theres a good chance it has, through back channels and intermediaries. Per a league source, its believed that the Dolphins will formally make the call to the Ravens regarding that question, if the Dolphins know in advance that the Ravens wont ask for too much. Some think the Ravens would want two first-round picks. Others think the Ravens would be more reasonable than that. The changes to the Miami front office, with V.P. of football operations Mike Tannenbaum reassigned and Chris Grier made the G.M. and given the keys to the football operation, are being interpreted by some as a move aimed at creating a structure that will attract Harbaugh. Yes, giving him full control over the team would have been even more attractive, but hes never had that in Baltimore and isnt going to get it. But Grier has a team-first, no-ego approach that could make him a good partner for a guy like Harbaugh. So it ultimately comes down to how much the Ravens will offer Harbaugh, how much the Dolphins would offer Harbaugh, and how much the Ravens would want for a guy who can coach out his contract and go anywhere he wants after one more season. One very real factor in all of this becomes whether and to what extent the Ravens survive and advance in the postseason. With each passing week, it will become harder for the Ravens to let Harbaugh leave, and harder for the Dolphins to keep waiting. For now, though, its a very real possibility. | https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2019/01/03/will-dolphins-call-ravens-about-john-harbaugh/ |
What challenges will 2019 bring for Norfolks schools? | Picture: Getty Images Mark Bowden The landscape for education and childcare in Norfolk has been through many changes in 2018, from the 10th anniversary of the countys first academy to revolts over school exclusions and the potential closure of childrens centres. Bethany Whymark looks back at the legacy of these trends and forward to what 2019 might hold. Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. School funding, performance and inspections are likely to be among the top issues in 2019 in Norfolk. Picture: Getty Images School funding, performance and inspections are likely to be among the top issues in 2019 in Norfolk. Picture: Getty Images Funding Education is certainly not alone in facing a funding crisis. The 400,000 for schools to purchase the little extras they need which Philip Hammond announced in the Autumn Budget will have gone little way towards plugging the gaping funding holes faced by many. In the coming year its likely parents and teachers will have to continue to put their hands in their pockts to fill gaps left elsewhere, while school governing bodies will keep facing difficult decisions about where scarce resources should be allocated. Education secretary Damian Hinds visiting City College Norwich in October Picture: Neil Didsbury Education secretary Damian Hinds visiting City College Norwich in October Picture: Neil Didsbury With cuts already being made to school transport, subjects on the curriculum and support for vulnerable children or those with special educational needs, its difficult to see where there is any meat left on the bone left to trim off. But many schools continue to shine through this adversity and we look forward to sharing their stories in 2019. School performance The performance of Norfolks schools is likely to come under continued scrutiny in 2019. Families and children protesting against the closure of children's centres ready to march through Great Yarmouth. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY Families and children protesting against the closure of children's centres ready to march through Great Yarmouth. Picture: DENISE BRADLEY Figures released in December showed that Norfolk had the highest proportion of under-performing primary schools in the country, in regard to 11-year-olds meeting expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Some 22 primary schools in the county were deemed to be under-performing which means fewer than 65pc of pupils reached expected literacy and maths standards. While neighbouring Suffolk has also had problems with school performance in recent years, it is perceived to be making faster progress than Norfolk. Even the regional head of Ofsted said there is no obvious reason why the latter county is falling behind. Neatishead and Barton Pre-school was one of the education providers in Norfolk to be rated outstanding by Ofsted in 2018 Picture: Charlotte Drew Neatishead and Barton Pre-school was one of the education providers in Norfolk to be rated outstanding by Ofsted in 2018 Picture: Charlotte Drew Parents in Norfolk will soon be wanting answers from schools, academy trusts and other decision-makers as to why schools in their area are not keeping up with regional standards. Special educational needs After Ofsted flagged this as a concern across the country in its annual review, inspectors are set to turn up the heat on schools to ensure their special needs provision is up to scratch. Norfolk County Council told this newspaper in December that it expects mainstream schools to put support in place for students with special educational needs and disabilities but the provision of that support, from teaching assistants to quiet rooms, has shrunk as budgets have been squeezed. With no more funding on the horizon, the situation could reach a tipping point. Alongside this is the possibility of a Norfolk local area SEND inspection, a new practice started by Ofsted in 2016. Norfolk is yet to be assessed so inspectors could come knocking in the next 12 months, while Suffolk, told it must improve in its first inspection, will soon be due for a second. Norfolk County Council is also due to begin work on three new specialist schools in 2019 expect more details on this project soon. Childrens centres The debate over the future of Norfolks childrens centres is set to continue in the new year and it is not likely to be any less fierce than it was in 2018. At its January meeting, Norfolk County Councils childrens services committee is due to discuss the findings of its consultation on the closure of 46 of the countys 53 childrens centres. The plans caused outrage and some 4,500 responded to the consultation. However, some opposition councillors have called for more information and more clarity in relation to the current operation and expense of childrens centres. There is also concern over the lack of alternatives to the closure plan put forward by the council, rather than making such drastic cuts to the current service. Expect parents, carers, the council and other service providers to end up at loggerheads over this issue again. Inspection changes Following consultation early next year, Ofsted, the schools inspectorate, is putting its new inspection framework into action in September 2019. The framework is expected to have a more holistic focus, looking at how a school tailors its curriculum and teaching to suit local demand and how it makes pupils more well-rounded individuals. While exam performance will still be important, the new framework will take some pressure off schools and teachers to chase top results and instead look at individual schools progression. It follows in the footsteps of Progress 8 scores introduced by the government as another measure of pupils performance at GCSE level which takes into account how much they have improved, rather than how highly they have achieved. It will be interesting to see how this new approach from Ofsted affects previously poor or outstanding schools. No-homework policies in schools have been around for a few years and have received mixed reviews from parents. How often our children are tested and the effect this has on their mental health has been under discussion for several years from the review of SATs taken by primary school children and the documented rise in teenagers reporting exam-related stress. Decreasing the amount of work pupils are asked to do outside the classroom could be a natural next step. Experts have also claimed that cutting down on homework gives children more time to develop other important life skills, particularly at primary school age. | https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/education/education-trends-norfolk-2019-1-5838944 |
Can Kulicke and Soffa (KLIC) Keep the Earnings Surprise Streak Alive? | If you are looking for a stock that has a solid history of beating earnings estimates and is in a good position to maintain the trend in its next quarterly report, you should consider Kulicke and Soffa (KLIC). This company, which is in the Zacks Electronics - Manufacturing Machinery industry, shows potential for another earnings beat. When looking at the last two reports, this semiconductor equipment maker has recorded a strong streak of surpassing earnings estimates. The company has topped estimates by 33.60%, on average, in the last two quarters. For the most recent quarter, Kulicke and Soffa was expected to post earnings of $0.34 per share, but it reported $0.45 per share instead, representing a surprise of 32.35%. For the previous quarter, the consensus estimate was $0.66 per share, while it actually produced $0.89 per share, a surprise of 34.85%. Price and EPS Surprise For Kulicke and Soffa, estimates have been trending higher, thanks in part to this earnings surprise history. And when you look at the stock's positive Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction), it's a great indicator of a future earnings beat, especially when combined with its solid Zacks Rank. Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven. The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Kulicke and Soffa has an Earnings ESP of +6.78% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock's Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner. The company's next earnings report is expected to be released on January 30, 2019. Investors should note, however, that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss, but a negative value does reduce the predictive power of this metric. Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate. Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Kulicke and Soffa Industries, Inc. (KLIC) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | https://news.yahoo.com/kulicke-soffa-klic-keep-earnings-151003190.html |
Can Baxter (BAX) Keep the Earnings Surprise Streak Alive? | If you are looking for a stock that has a solid history of beating earnings estimates and is in a good position to maintain the trend in its next quarterly report, you should consider Baxter International (BAX). This company, which is in the Zacks Medical - Products industry, shows potential for another earnings beat. This drug and medical device maker has an established record of topping earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. The company boasts an average surprise for the past two quarters of 8.28%. For the last reported quarter, Baxter came out with earnings of $0.80 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.74 per share, representing a surprise of 8.11%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $0.71 per share and it actually produced earnings of $0.77 per share, delivering a surprise of 8.45%. Price and EPS Surprise Thanks in part to this history, there has been a favorable change in earnings estimates for Baxter lately. In fact, the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) for the stock is positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with its solid Zacks Rank. Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven. The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier. Baxter currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.77%, which suggests that analysts have recently become bullish on the company's earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP when combined with the stock's Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) indicates that another beat is possibly around the corner. We expect the company's next earnings report to be released on January 31, 2019. When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock's earnings miss. Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, but that may not be the sole basis for their stocks moving higher. On the other hand, some stocks may hold their ground even if they end up missing the consensus estimate. Because of this, it's really important to check a company's Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported. Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Baxter International Inc. (BAX) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. | https://news.yahoo.com/baxter-bax-keep-earnings-surprise-151003690.html |
Is Packers Job Only Way Josh McDaniels Will Leave Patriots? | It appears that no matter what, Josh McDaniels will be working with a future Hall of Famer under center in 2019. The New England Patriots offensive coordinator, one year removed from accepting the Indianapolis Colts head coach position before changing his mind at the last minute, is still a top target for teams in search of a head man this offseason. Chief among them is the Green Bay Packers, who axed Mike McCarthy during the middle of the 2018 season. We already know McDaniels is reportedly scheduled to interview with the Packers for their job this weekend, and it appears thats the only interview he has lined up. In fact, NFL Medias Mike Garafolo reported Thursday, citing sources, that McDaniels turned down an interview with the Cincinnati Bengals. If youre wondering when Josh McDaniels interview with the #Bengals is happening, it apparently wont. Source says McDaniels is passing on Cincys request. Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) January 3, 2019 And at this point, the Packers interview is the only one McDaniels has on his plate, according to reports, which could mean the Green Bay job is the only job for which McDaniels would leave New England. The Cleveland Browns position might be tempting for an offensive-minded coach like McDaniels, and Browns owner Jimmy Haslam reportedly likes McDaniels. But for whatever reason, at least according to reports, the Browns havent requested an interview yet. That obviously could change, but interested teams likely would prefer to interview a coach like McDaniels this week while the Patriots have a bye before the divisional round. After this weekend, New England and the rest of the remaining playoff teams turn their attention toward the next game. And if McDaniels is deciding between taking the Packers job or staying in New England, its easy to see why. McDaniels has had incredible success working alongside Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, and some have wondered whether hes next in line for Bill Belichicks job if and when he decides to retire. On the other hand, the Packers job despite Green Bays issues the last two seasons has to be tantalizing. Not only do you get the chance to work with Aaron Rodgers, but you can also be credited with revitalizing his career after a down season. Not to mention, the allure of holding the same position once held by Vince Lombardi has to be pretty appealing for a football coach. But as we said, things can change and change fast just ask the Colts this time of year, and McDaniels is one of potentially a dozen candidates to interview for the Green Bay job. Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images | https://nesn.com/2019/01/is-packers-job-only-way-josh-mcdaniels-will-leave-patriots/ |
Who is Talking Buharis Politics? | Having read the two books written by Nigerias former Minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi okonjo-Iweala and the recent book by the former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, I have come to an un-researched conclusion that Nigerian politicians do not know how to talk politics. Talking politics means talking good because politics is about the goodness of society. That is why political philosophers devoted all their lives in looking for the good of the state. One of the reasons Goodluck Jonathan lost the 2015 election is because none of his followers took quality time to explain to Nigerians the good works of his administration. It was after he had left office and these books were written that I got to know that he initiated the treasury single account (TSA) policy that was geared towards fighting corruption in the Public Service. Indeed most Nigerians never knew that he fought corruption, no matter how small. When President Mohammadu Buhari came into office, he continued it on a more aggressive manner that ministries, departments and agencies of government now have access to less public funds to steal. Goodluck Jonathan should hold his lieutenants and followers responsible for losing the 2015 election: because they refused to tell Nigerians the good things he was doing, instead of quarrelling with the then opposition party. President Mohammadu Buhari (PMB) is about to suffer the same faith. Whenever I hear or listen to his lieutenants and followers, all I deduce is reactionary responses to the distracting allegations from the opposition political parties. From the Ministry of Information to the National Orientation Agency (NOA), PMBs media chiefs, his political partys publicity chiefs and all the rest behind him, they are merely quarrelling with the opposition political parties. They are not initiating, talking or telling Nigerians details of the good works PMB is doing in Nigeria today. I am yet to be convinced that this retinue of followers is doing a good work in talking and explaining what PMB has done with the Nigerian economy in the last four years. Things like the petrol scarcity and subsidy and the price of petrol, unemployment, inflation, exchange rate, food importation, foreign debts and the standard of living of Nigerians. Such explanation should also include funds released to states to enable them settle backlog of salaries and pensions, stoppage of states-debt related deductions, the reasons for the tradermoni, YESSO, and other interventions of government to reduce hardship in the land. Nigerians need to know in details the effect of governments actions in the Agricultural sector. On security, the opposition claims that insecurity has been the worst harvest by Nigerians due to the terror activities of the herdsmen and Boko Haram. Someone should take out quality and quantum time to prepare a detailed documentary on how PMB is tackling these terrorists. That documentary should be used to explain to Nigerians in simple languages and forums about the causes, origin, membership, operations and the extent of damage they have done to Nigeria. It should cover the issues of security expenditure; joint operations; military posting, training, facilities and allowances; police killing of Yusuf and many of his followers leading to the open operation of the Boko Haram, police abscondment from training to fight Boko Haram; all the issues about displaced persons and the official stealing of the funds released to care for the displaced persons and so on. It is instructive to state here that the biggest tool against the PMB government is his handling of the continuous killing of Nigerians in the North Central region especially in Benue and Plateau states. If this is not well explained to Nigerians, the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government may lose substantial votes from this region and other states affected by the herdsmen killings (Adamawa, Taraba, Zamfara and Nasarawa). On some miscellaneous issues, Nigerians need to know in details why the national assembly (NASS) increased the 2018 budget by N500 billion and PMB allowed it. Nigerians need to know how really the TSA works. The work of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) needs to be explained to Nigerians because it appears EFCC is more interested in showcasing accused persons than successfully prosecuting them. From May 2015, how many people have been accused, how many have been prosecuted and jailed (besides Dariye and few others) or released, how much has been recovered from accused persons and who are they, how many properties have been confiscated and who owns them, how has the government utilized the recovered funds etc. Another issue is that of appointments into top government offices by PMB. Nigerians have been saturated with the feeling that appointments by PMB are skewed in favour of the North. If the government does not agree with this position, it should provide alternative explanations to prove the critics wrong. Provide convincing reasons why some obvious cases should be so: for example the replacement of the former Minister of Finance who was from the South by another person from the North. President Buhari may be doing great goods in these areas, but how well do Nigerians know about that. It is the duty of his political party and those who are responsible for talking about the works of his government that should talk the politics of President Mohammadu Buhari. This has become immensely essential in this election and New Year seasons. Happy birthday and New Year my President. Okachikwu Dibia Abuja, Nigeria. | https://www.thenigerianvoice.com/news/274258/who-is-talking-buharis-politics.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheNigerianVoiceNews+%28The+Nigerian+Voice+News%29 |
Will Netflix Do to Film What It Did to TV? | Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) provided a rare glimpse at the popularity of one of its originals last week when it announced over 45 million accounts streamed Bird Box, a new original film starring Sandra Bullock. The company says that's a record for the first seven days after the release of an original film. Fully one in three Netflix subscribers watched at least 70% of the film. To date, most of Netflix's success with original content has been in TV series. And its originals have created a challenging environment for traditional television companies -- both distributors and content creators. Distributors are seeing an increase in cord-cutting because consumers can get all the content they want from Netflix and other streaming platforms. Meanwhile, Netflix's shift to originals is decreasing the value it puts on a lot of licensed content from traditional media companies. Continue Reading Below But the success of films like Bird Box brings up the question whether Netflix can do the same to the film industry as it did to the television industry. There's only one world where the size of the screen matters: the world the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences operates in. In order to make films eligible for an Oscar (or other awards) they must meet certain theatrical screening requirements. Indeed, that might be the only thing that ensures Netflix continues to play nice with theater owners. Most consumers don't care whether they see a film in theaters or at home. They just want an entertaining experience. What's more, they want value for their dollar. We saw theater ticket subscription services become a huge hit in 2018 because they provided excellent value. (Sometimes that value was too good to last.) There's a clear demand for more film content if consumers can have access to it at a reasonable price. Advertisement Netflix prizes itself on the value it provides its subscribers. Management ascribes to the strategy of providing more value than the price of its service, and raising prices after it's earned the right to do so. If consumers want to watch films, Netflix can create films and provide compelling value for its subscribers. Netflix can do it better than theaters and film studios Netflix has some big advantages over theaters and film studios. First and foremost, the company's 135 million global subscribers give it unparalleled reach. If a creator or actor wants their film seen by millions, Netflix is the best thing going. While talent may have complained about Netflix not doing enough traditional promotion (billboards, theatrical trailers, television commercials, etc. ), the results speak for themselves. Forty-five million-plus Netflix viewers don't translate into box office sales, but it's still compelling to creators that just want their work to be seen and appreciated. Netflix is able to make the most of its reach thanks to its valuable real estate -- the top of its home screen -- as well as its viewer data. The combination means the company is able to put the right piece of content in front of the right person at the right time in order to maximize engagement. Having one of the best marketing platforms available at no cost allows Netflix to spend more on content and less on marketing than other film studios, former Amazon Studios Head of Strategy Matthew Ball recently pointed out. So Netflix can make more content with less risk, which is an attractive environment for creators. The model is so compelling that Disney (NYSE: DIS), which consistently produces box-office smashes, is keeping some of its films exclusive to its forthcoming Disney+ streaming service. The live-action Lady and the Tramp will be a Disney+ exclusive. Disney sees the risk Netflix presents, and it's smartly getting on board with the latest form of distribution. Companies that can't or choose not to adapt will see considerable challenges reaching an audience as Netflix continues to attract more talent, produce more original films, and reach hundreds of millions of households around the world. 10 stocks we like better than NetflixWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has quadrupled the market. * David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Netflix wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys. Click here to learn about these picks! *Stock Advisor returns as of November 14, 2018 Adam Levy has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Netflix and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. | https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/will-netflix-do-to-film-what-it-did-to-tv |
How many people got a work permit in Sweden last year? | 2018 was a challenging year for the Swedish Migration Agency, whose operating budget was decreased by around 11 percent from the previous year, but it reached its goal in terms of the number of cases where it issued a decision. In total, 48,639 people applied for a first-time work permit in 2018, an increase from around 38,400 the previous year. All non-EU citizens who wish to move to Sweden for work must apply for and receive a permit before they can make the move, and their immediate family including partners can apply to move to Sweden on the same permit. The Migration Agency reached a decision on 51,430 cases, although not all of these will have been submitted the same year. Of these decisions, almost 80 percent (40,341) were accepted. This figure includes not only the foreign workers themselves, who made up about half of the total number, but also partners and relatives included on the same permit, and permit applicants who fell into special categories, such as those on temporary permits (including au pairs, visiting researchers, and athletes) and self-employed people. When considering only the people who received a permit to work for a Swedish company, a total of 20,841 foreign professionals were granted work permits in 2018. The number of permits granted remained fairly steady each month but ranged from 1,055 in February to 3,537 in March. The most common occupation of those who received a permit to work for a Swedish employer was defined by the Migration Agency as 'specialists'. This category includes a wide range of careers such as architects, legal professionals, health professionals, teachers and vets, who in total made up 7,059 of the permit recipients. A further 7,036 fell into the category of 'technicians and associate professionals', while 'service, care and sales' was the third most common job category. When it came to nationality, more Thai citizens (5,148) than any other nationality were granted a Swedish work permit. The next most common home countries were Indian (4,966), Ukraine (1,027), China (928) and Turkey (708), while Iraq (670), the US (554), Brazil (388), Serbia (376) and Iran (373) made up the second half of the top ten. There were significant differences between different regions, with most people moving to the southern regions home to Sweden's largest cities. That meant 11,749 work permit recipients moved to Stockholm, 3,261 to Vstra Gtaland, and 1,771 to Skne. READ ALSO: What to do if your work permit renewal is rejected | https://www.thelocal.se/20190103/how-many-people-got-a-work-permit-in-sweden-last-year |
Are Atletico Madrid preparing for a fire sale? | Atletico Madrid's success under Diego Simeone has been built on the concrete foundation of a strong defence. Sportsmail looks at the possible departures of Juanfran, Diego Godin, Lucas Hernandez, Filipe Luis and Jan Oblak and asks if all this will make Diego Simeone question his future too. They are not too concerned about losing 33-year-old Filipe Luis and soon to be 34 Juanfran. Diego Godin makes them slightly more concerned but he will be 33 in February so is also part of the inevitable regeneration. They would hate to lose Oblak. His 100m euros (90m) buyout clause is within the reach of very few clubs but they are still very keen on tying him to a new deal with a more PSG-proof clause. Lucas renewed until 2024 last summer with a buyout clause of 80m euros (72m). That does not seem to have been enough to deter Bayern Munich. The plus side of receiving a windfall for Lucas would be having the money to then tie down Godin and Oblak. Every club in Spain is salary capped by the Spanish League a quota calculated on the basis of the club's assets and income. Atletico's is set at 293m euros (264m) and they are at their limit already despite having a relatively small squad of 20 players. They need to sell to spend. Keeping Antoine Griezmann last summer by paying him more than Barcelona were prepared to has hit them hard. They must lose at least one top earner to bump up the contracts of other players. Lucas Hernandez has agreed to join Bayern Munich and the German club have agreed to pay his 80m buyout clause. Bild reported on Wednesday that Atletico want to delay his departure until the end of the season. They currently have a central defensive injury crisis. If they lost him next June they could sit down with Oblak and Godin now and thrash out deals to kick in next summer based on having the Lucas money. They are hoping the Germans can be persuaded to play ball motivated by the promising of signing Lucas for a smaller transfer fee if they wait. Oblak's buy-out is reachable but still huge. Most of the clubs who could afford 100m euros already have a top goalkeeper. The exception is PSG. Their financial Fair Play future remains in the balance but they have saleable assets that would definitely allow them to bid for the Slovenian. Keeping Oblak is the club's priority. He was promised a new deal by the club last summer as a reaction to United's late interest. But so far the club have not acted on the promise. Their hands are tied by the salary cap and they will act as soon as they can. In the meantime he is free to negotiate with any club he wants to. His loyalty to the club and to Simeone means that he is unlikely to be sitting down with anyone soon. But his agent, who is also his sister, will be fielding offers and the despite the player's age he continues to be a vital cog in the Atletico machine and there will be no shortage of suitors. He would be a fantastic free transfer signing for any Champions League club. The irony is they remain Simeone's best options in their respective positions but the club is adamant about giving senior players new long contracts. Filipe Luis was offered a one-year deal last summer which almost sent him to PSG. If he gets a longer deal then he will be off. Juanfran is in a similar position if he gets a better offer elsewhere he will go. If he stays then the club could keep him on a one-year deal. Filipe Luis has already tried the Premier League at Chelsea and it did not go well for him. At 34, Juanfran would maybe be a good signing for a top Championship side or Premier League struggler. Filipe Luis takes on Lionel Messi during Atleti's match against Barcelona back in November Oblak would have been a great fit for Liverpool but they are now very happy with Alisson Becker. And Godin would still be a great solution for United for a couple of seasons. But they will not want to be played again as they felt they were last summer. He knows the reality of Atletico's situation. He knows there was a price to be paid for keeping Griezmann. But there is a limit to his patience. He will want the club to sort out Godin and Oblak and bring in a replacement for Lucas if he goes. | https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6554493/Are-Atletico-Madrid-preparing-fire-sale.html |
Was bedeutet "Lit" wirklich? | Auch wenn Lit bisher nicht Jugendwort des Jahres geworden ist, hren wir es ziemlich oft und verwenden es immer fter in unserem alltglichen Sprachgebrauch. Meistens in Zusammenhang mit irgendwelchen Sachen, die wir richtig feiern. Der Begriff Lit drfte aus der Hip-Hop-Szene bekannt sein. Am hufigsten jedoch wird das Wort jedoch wohl mit dem Rapper Money Boy in Verbindung gebracht. Der sterreicher ist absoluter Spitzenreiter darin, mit Begriffen die er im Internet verbreitet, einen regelrechten Hype auszulsen. So hat er es beispielsweise schon geschafft, Stze wie Was ist das fr 1 Life, oder Wrter wie vong in unseren normalen Sprachgebrauch zu schummeln. Und auch mit dem Wort Lit hat der Musiker in seinen Videos auf Social-Media mal wieder einen echten Volltreffer gelandet. Alle feiern das Wort extrem ab! Die meisten Trendwrter, die wir tglich so benutzen, knnen aus dem Englischen ableiten. hnlich ist es auch bei dem Wort Lit. Nur das wir es nicht 1:1 bersetzen knnen. Lit bedeutet bersetzt zndete, was aber nicht die Bedeutung widerspiegelt, fr die wir das Wort nutzen. Lit dient eher dazu eine Handlung oder eine Sache positiv zu beschreiben. Wenn du jetzt beispielsweise deinem besten Freund erzhlen willst, wie super oder cool die Party war, kann die Party auch total lit gewesen sein. Es heit also nichts anderes, als das irgendwas besonders nice war. | https://www.bravo.de/was-bedeutet-lit-wirklich-380345.html |
Can UCF recapture the attitude that fueled long win streak? | Joe Burrow perseveres through a physical game and throws four touchdowns in LSU's 40-32 Fiesta Bowl win over UCF. (2:08) GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Seconds after UCF cornerback Brandon Moore intercepted Joe Burrow in the first quarter of the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl and defensive tackle Joey Connors decleated the LSU quarterback with a vicious block to help spring Jones' 93-yard return for a touchdown, Nate Evans bounded past Burrow, who was still regaining his senses, and the linebacker drew a penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct. "A selfish act," Evans said after the Knights lost 40-32, snapping the third-longest FBS winning streak of this century at 25 games. Evans, you see, played Tuesday on an emotional high fueled by his journey from the southern banks of the Mississippi River in Greater New Orleans -- where SEC programs overlooked him out of John Curtis Christian High School -- to first-team all-AAC recognition as a junior at UCF. "I shouldn't even be on the same field with [LSU players], according to some people," he said. Evans wasn't alone in how he felt. So, yeah, UCF was fired up to play LSU. And the defeat, the Knights' first since Dec. 17, 2016, left them just as devastated. UCF had its moments but came up short against LSU. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports UCF had channeled the collective chip on its shoulder over the past two seasons into energy that repeatedly sparked it to victory. Often born from the words of skeptics slow to categorize the Knights alongside the top teams nationally, the power of that emotion ran out in Arizona. To recreate such an environment without the motivating factors provided by the winning streak. "This program's not accustomed to losing," Heupel said. "No one in that locker room has lost in a couple of years. How we handle that in the week before we get back on campus and we first start our offseason, all of those things will speak to who and what we're going to be moving forward. "I expect the kids to handle it in a great way." UCF remains one of nine programs to play three times over the past six years in the New Year's Six and BCS group of bowl games. Despite losing just seven seniors listed as offensive or defensive starters in the Fiesta Bowl, though, you can expect a movement to find the next Group of 5 darling in the wake of the Knights' loss to LSU. Editor's Picks UCF streak dies in loss to LSU, but message will still resonate The Tigers were too strong in winning their first top-tier bowl game since 2007, but the Knights proved they could stand toe-to-toe. Maybe it's Houston, with new coach Dana Holgorsen, Utah State as Gary Andersen returns, Cincinnati, Memphis or Fresno State. UCF has greased the tracks for all of them, according to athletic director Danny White. White said he believes the Knights' winning streak and postseason performances against the SEC -- it beat Auburn a year ago -- ultimately will play a key role in earning the Group of 5 leagues a spot in the College Football Playoff. "It's been a historic run," White said Tuesday. "It'll be a big part of our history. We're such a young place that our history is by and large in front of us. We'll look to build on this success to get to even greater heights as a program." The Knights' ability to return immediately to national prominence figures to depend in part on the health of star quarterback McKenzie Milton. He suffered a serious knee injury in November and has endured multiple operations on his right leg, with more ahead. Milton watched the Fiesta Bowl from the sideline at State Farm Stadium with his teammates as freshman Darriel Mack Jr. completed 11 of 30 passes for 97 yards with one touchdown and one interception. Mack was sacked five times and lost a fumble. LSU held the Knights to 250 yards, nearly 300 below their regular-season average. Still, they managed 32 points -- more than any opponent scored on LSU in four quarters this season. The Tigers won primarily because of their edge at the skill positions. UCF couldn't stop Burrow, who threw for four touchdowns after the pick-six. With Milton, the Knights might have flipped that advantage. UCF coaches have said they hope for his return in 2019. "I expect great things from him," running back Adrian Killins Jr. said. Killins returns after rushing for 715 yards, as does Greg McCrae, who ran for 1,182 and a team-high 10 touchdowns. Top receivers Gabriel Davis, Dredrick Snelson and Tre Nixon are also set to come back for the Knights. "I think this place is just getting started," senior tight end Michael Colubiale said. "We definitely needed to have this feeling to make us stronger as a team," Mack said, "stronger as a brotherhood. But to have it happen this way, it's kind of hard -- not being able to get it done when it mattered most." Heupel, the former Oklahoma QB who coordinated Missouri's offense before taking over at UCF in December 2017, said he loved his team's fight against LSU. It showed the same spirit in the Fiesta Bowl, he said, that defined the Knights during their streak. That's not about to change, according to the coach. "That also speaks to how special this group is to be able to do that for 25 straight weeks the last couple of years," Heupel said. "I just appreciate who and what they are. I told them in the locker room, in sports you focus so much on the destination. It's important. We certainly wanted to finish this one off the right way. "But when you walk away from the destination, it truly is about the journey." The journey for UCF, apparently, has just begun. | http://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/25670929/can-ucf-recapture-attitude-fueled-long-win-streak?src=rss |
Why is Kevin Spacey in Baltimore while awaiting court appearance on assault charges? | As he awaits a court appearance for felony assault charges, Kevin Spacey has made a bizarre return to the public eye and its happening in Baltimore. The actors downward spiral began in the second half of 2017, when more than 30 people accused Spacey of sexual misconduct. In December, it was revealed that he had been charged with groping an 18-year-old man in Nantucket. Spacey responded to the allegations with a viral video that appears to have been filmed in Baltimore, speaking in character as Frank Underwood from House of Cards. Then, days later, he was spotted delivering pizza to paparazzi near the waterfront Baltimore condo to which hes been tied. Scheduled to appear in court Jan. 7 in Nantucket to be arraigned on the indecent assault and battery charges, Spacey could face as many as five years in prison if convicted. In the meantime, the two-time Academy Award winner has chosen Baltimore as his apparent place of refuge. Spaceys starring role in House of Cards from which he was fired after misconduct allegations surfaced brought him to the Baltimore area, where much of the Netflix series is filmed. In an interview with Baltimore Sun media critic David Zurawik in 2014, Spacey praised the city and the decision to anchor the political drama here. We are enormously delighted to have our home in Baltimore, he said to Zurawik after praising the quality of the local production crew and the way he and his colleagues have been so welcomed while filming on locations in Maryland that stand in for Washington. The Baltimore Suns former Calvert Street headquarters even doubled as the Washington Herald newsroom in House of Cards for a couple months in 2012. Maryland drew House of Cards with millions of dollars in tax incentives, creating over 6,000 jobs and pumping hundreds of millions of dollars into the economy. "House of Cards" has filmed in the Baltimore area throughout its run. Take a look at some of the local spots you may recognize while watching. You can also check out this Baltimore Sun map of TV filming locations. This article was shared on Nextdoor. Visit The Suns Nextdoor profile page for top stories and news on Baltimore City. (Ellen Fishel) (Ellen Fishel) The condo Rumors also swirled last year in Baltimore that Spacey had purchased a condo in the Inner Harbors Pier Homes at Harborview though the actors agent and friend Evan Lowenstein later confirmed he, and not Spacey, owned the $5.6 million home. The 9,000 square-foot estate boasts five levels, seven bathrooms and three half-bathrooms, six-bedrooms, both a spiral staircase and an elevator, a panoramic roof deck a sauna, a billiards room and a home theater, among other highlights. Its part of the 87-home gated Pier Homes at Harborview development. A 9,000-square-foot mansion on an Inner Harbor pier has sold for $6.125 million. One with the locals Before his fall from grace, Spacey assimilated into Baltimores culture over the years, making public appearances in theaters, restaurants, sporting events and coffee shops. In 2012, fans spotted Spacey and former president Bill Clinton grabbing coffee at a Mount Vernon Starbucks near the University of Baltimore campus. Spacey went on to joke about the public rendezvous on The Late Show with David Letterman. Jerry Jackson / Baltimore Sun Kevin Spacey and Baltimore Ravens first-round draft pick Marlon Humphrey talk trackside before the start of the Preakness. Kevin Spacey and Baltimore Ravens first-round draft pick Marlon Humphrey talk trackside before the start of the Preakness. (Jerry Jackson / Baltimore Sun) (Jerry Jackson / Baltimore Sun) About a week later, onlookers reported another Spacey sighting. This time, at a Navy football game, where he rooted for the home team. He was rumored to have previously worked out with the midshipmen. The same year, he name-dropped Annapolis Metropolitan Kitchen & Lounge to the Mens Journal as his favorite hang-out spot. "It's both a music venue with live bands and a bar with a roof deck," Spacey told the magazine. "A very cool place." Spacey threw out the first pitch at the Orioles vs. Toronto Blue Jays game in July 2013. He tweeted about the experience: "Jim Johnson @Orioles signed the ball I threw & gave me one of his gloves! Awesome gift. I threw a strike!" He also paid visits to Baltimores Center Stage to watch its production of "Beneatha's Place" in 2013, and to Annapolis to schmooze with lawmakers in 2014 in an effort to increase the states tax incentive for his show. Spacey was also one of the most notable celebrities to be spotted at the Preakness. Most recently, he shared laughs and conversation at the 2017 horse race with Marlon Humphrey, then the Ravens first-round draft pick. Spacey bet on Samitar, who came in fourth. | https://www.baltimoresun.com/features/baltimore-insider-blog/bs-fe-kevin-spaceys-baltimore-roots-explained-20190102-story.html |
Who's on Sky Sports this weekend? | It's a bumper football weekend on Sky Sports - including the start of the Star Sixes tournament in Glasgow. Get the lowdown on what's coming up with our handy guide... Live football on Sky Sports Football Live Star Sixes Sky Sports Football and Main Event, Friday, 7pm; Sky Sports Football, Saturday, 3pm and Sunday, 4pm Live Star Sixes Football Live on January's FansBet Star Sixes gets under way in Glasgow on Friday evening. The six-a-side tournament for ex-international stars will feature former greats such as Joe Cole, Ronald de Boer, Pierre van Hooijdonk, Gaizka Mendieta and Jay-Jay Okocha. Live Star Sixes Football Live on The six teams - including England, Wales, Scotland and a star-studded Rest of the World side - will play each other once in a mini-league, with the top two qualifying for the Star Sixes Final on Sunday, which will be preceded by third and fifth-placed play-offs. Live Star Sixes Football Live on Each day of competition will feature six matches, with all six nations in action twice, so make sure you tune in this weekend. Our football shows Soccer AM Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football and Sky One, Saturday, 10am Soccer AM Live on Portland Timbers defender Liam Ridgewell, actor Cel Spellman and the band The Blinders join Fenners, Lloyd and Jimmy on the sofa. And Grimsby fans are in the studio for a packed show that includes all your favourites like Megnuts of the Week and Let's All Laugh at Diving. Soccer Saturday Sky Sports News and Sky Sports Premier League, Saturday, 12pm Gillette Soccer Saturday Live on Jeff Stelling is back to guide you through a packed schedule of FA Cup third-round and EFL action, providing updates of all the goals as they go in, along with plenty of fun and debate alongside Paul Merson, Charlie Nicholas, Phil Thompson and Matt Le Tissier. Sunday Supplement Sky Sports Premier League, Sky Sports Football, Sunday, 9.30am The Sunday Supplement Live on Host Neil Ashton is joined by Rob Draper (chief football writer, Mail on Sunday), Jonathan Liew (chief sports writer, The Independent) and James Ducker (northern football correspondent, The Telegraph) to run through all the top football stories. | https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/11596731/whos-on-sky-sports-this-weekend |
Can Mitt Romney re-invent Republicans in their old image? | Mitt Romney, the Republican Partys 2012 nominee for president, laid down a marker this week on his way to being sworn in as the next senator from Utah. In an article for the Washington Post, he lamented the deep descent of Donald Trumps presidency and promised to speak out against significant statements or actions that are divisive, racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, dishonest or destructive to democratic institutions. Romneys interjection is unlikely to have much direct effect on the president its hard to say what could but with luck it might set a much-needed example for the new senators colleagues in US Congress. Romneys complaints arent the first. Now and then, Republicans of conscience Senators Bob Corker, Jeff Flake and John McCain come to mind have objected to Trumps degraded rhetoric and hapless administration. Sadly, McCain is gone. The efforts of Corker and Flake faltered because both were soon to leave the Senate and neither mustered a sustained critique of Trumpism, much less a viable conservative alternative to it. Many in Washington, including the president, dismissed Romneys article instantly. They might be right: Romney opposed Trump ferociously during the primaries of 2016, then seemed to warm to him as jobs in the administration began to be discussed. He accepted Trumps endorsement in his 2018 Senate race in Utah. One is entitled to ask how sincere his new disgust with the president really is. But if he means it, and is willing to fight to restore minimum standards of ethical and competent government, he could provide a pole around which other Republicans might rally. | https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/opinion/2019-01-03-can-mitt-romney-re-invent-republicans-in-their-old-image/ |
How cold is it out there? | Temperatures at 6 a.m. Thursday were in the 30s and 40s in most Southern California communities with San Fernando Valley readings dipping near or into freezing territory. Temperatures were well below freezing in the Antelope Valley. RELATED STORY: Rain, snow expected in Southern California for first weekend of the year Here are the 6 a.m. temperatures across Southern California as reported by the National Weather Service: L.A. DOWNTOWN: 45 L.A. AIRPORT: 46 LONG BEACH: 43 FULLERTON: 39 HAWTHORNE: 46 LEO CARRILLO: 53 REDONDO BEACH: 41 SANTA ANA: 42 STA MONICA APT: 47 UCLA: 50 BURBANK: 37 VAN NUYS: 40 SIMI VALLEY: 51 CHATSWORTH: 40 CLAREMONT: 37 RIVERSIDE: 38 SANTA CLARITA: 46 WHITTIER HILLS: 51 WOODLAND HILLS: 34 ACTON: 38 CHILAO: 46 SANDBERG: 38 WARM SPRINGS: 38 LANCASTER: 20 PALMDALE: 26 BLYTHE: 31 PALM SPRINGS: 38 THERMAL: 33 SAN DIEGO: 44 TIJUANA: 48 | https://www.dailybreeze.com/2019/01/03/how-cold-is-it-out-there/ |
Who Will Be The Next American Soccer Player To Command A Massive Transfer Fee? | After years of speculation, its finally happened Christian Pulisic made a big-money move. On Wednesday, the young, American star finalized a deal to move from Borussia Dortmund in Germany to Chelsea of the English Premier League, one of the biggest clubs on the planet, at the end of the season for a cool $71.3 million, the largest fee ever paid for an American. The fee Chelsea paid for Pulisic's services didn't just break the record for largest amount ever paid for an American player, it shattered it. Before Tuesday, the most expensive American players was John Brooks, who moved from Hertha Berlin to Wolfsburg for $22.4 million in 2017. After that, the next nine highest fees combined ($82.3 million) barely eclipse the sum paid for Pulisic. Suffice to say, this is new territory for American soccer. While Pulisic is clearly an exception among American soccer players both in terms of skill and transfer fee his massive fee does offer a glimpse of what the future could hold for American players at the club level and the fees they command. Transfer prices have undergone enormous inflation in recent years, so any American player signed in the future will likely garner a more exorbitant fee that a player of a similar skill set would have garnered even four or five years ago. On top of that, there are more talented, young American stars strewn across the world than ever before who could be transferred for mega-bucks in the not-so-distant future. It's unlikely that any American player will touch Pulisic's record fee for many years. (There's a strong argument to be made that Chelsea vastly overpaid for his services.) But the days of $10 million being a big fee for an American player are clearly over. While it will take a special player to touch the fee Pulisic brought in, fees that fall between his $71.3 million and Brooks' $22.4 million should become much more common as the current crop of young American stars matures over the next half-decade or so. With that in mind, let's look at a couple American players who could draw massive transfer fees in the next five or so years and jump behind Pulisic on the list of most expensive American players. Tim Weah Like Pulisic, Weah has been touted as the next big thing in American soccer for many of his teenage years, and, like Pulisic, Weah will likely help a club collect an enormous transfer fee one day. The 18-year-old attacker and son of soccer legend/Liberian president George Weah already plays for one of the biggest clubs in Europe, Paris Saint-Germain, and is on the cusp of a loan move to another major club, Scottish giants Celtic, where he could see his stock rise significantly with more playing time. His famous name alone should garner a few extra bucks in any future fee because of the marketability. And at a club the size of PSG, if he ever does become a legitimate star (a big if), his future fee could even eclipse Pulisic's. Weston McKennie Along with Pulisic, McKennie is the American playing at the highest level of club competition. The 20-year-old midfielder made a name for himself outside of American soccer circles this fall thanks to his performances for Schalke 04. After making 25 appearances in all competitions for Schalke during the 2017-18 season, McKennie has taken on a more important role this season, making 13 Bundesliga appearances (eight starts) so far, as well as four appearances in the UEFA Champions League. He even scored a match-winner against Lokomotiv Moscow that helped Schalke advance to the knockout stage of the Champions League. As long as he continues to develop and grow as an influential player in his squad, a big-money move will be waiting on him if/when he decides to leave Schalke. | https://www.forbes.com/sites/cybrown/2019/01/03/who-will-be-the-next-american-soccer-player-to-command-a-massive-transfer-fee/ |
When is Burns Night in 2019? What is the Scottish celebration? | 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 end of January brings with it the Burns Supper and Burns Night, which is simply an institution of Scottish life. At its core, the day combines haggis, whisky and poetry with general good times and celebrates the anniversary of Robert Burns, who was born on January 25. How seriously you want to take Burns Night depends on your own personal preference. You can have an informal gathering of friends to a huge, formal dinner full of pomp and circumstance. Robert Burns was Scotland's national bard. He was born on the 25 January 1759 in the village of Alloway, Ayrshire in South West Scotland. He died at the age of 37 but during his life amassed a huge catalogue of poetry and songs. His first collection of poetry, Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect was published when he was 27. This masterful collection made a huge impression on Edinburgh's literary elite, and propelled Burns to celebrity status. It's simply a supper which celebrates Robert Burns life and work, you can eat what you like although it usually involves whisky, haggis and poetry. There is no correct way to do a Burns Supper but it usually goes a little soemthing like this, according to Visit Scotland. To start everyone gathers, the host says a few words, everyone sits and the Selkirk Grace is said. The meal the starter is served, the haggis is piped in, the host performs Address to a Haggis, everyone toasts the haggis and the main meal is served, followed by dessert. After the meal the first Burns recital is performed, the Immortal Memory (the main tribute speech to Burns) is given, the second Burns recital is performed, then theres a Toast to the Lassies, followed by a Reply to the Toast to the Lassies, before the final Burns recital is performed. To end the night the host gives a vote of thanks, everyone stands and sings Auld Lang Syne, crossing their arms and joining hands at the line And there's a hand, my trusty fere!. How to make your own haggis Simmer sheeps pluck gently for approximately two hours in an unsalted water until its tender and leave it overnight in its own juices to cool down. Strain off the stock and chop the meat finely. Place it in a bowl and season it with the salt, ground white pepper, thyme, sage and rosemary. Add chopped onion, slightly toasted oatmeal, the suet and approximately a pint of the poaching liquid to moisten the mixture. Spoon it into the sheeps stomach so its around half full and sew it up with a strong thread. Prick it a few times with a skewer to let the air out and so it doesnt explode when expanding while cooking. Cook it in boiling water for approximately three hours adding more water to keep it covered. Cut it open when cooked and spoon out the filling on a hot plate. Garnish the top with chopped parsley. Serving haggis Haggis is traditionally served with neeps and tatties thats bashed turnip and mashed potatoes or maybe swede. | https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/burns-night-2019-what-scottish-15624790 |
What time is Luther on tonight and when is the finale? | Luther is back in 2019 (Picture: BBC Photographer: Robert Viglasky) Fans of Luther will be going through mixed emotions right now as while were being treated to a brand new episode every night this week, it means the finale is coming. Luther came crashing back onto our TV screens on Tuesday night, with the first episode of series 5 three years after the last series aired. Luther returns with its third episode tonight on BBC1 at 9pm. The four-part series is broadcasting over consecutive nights, ending on Friday with its finale. Luther series 5 will be a return to form (Picture: BBC) Writer and show creator Neil Cross had said in December last year: We missed John Luther. We missed some old friends. And we wanted to make the biggest, scariest, darkest, most thrilling series of Luther theres ever been. So thats what weve come back to do. Advertisement Advertisement Luther has never been scheduled to do it every year, Idris Elba recently pointed out. We do it whenever we want, and thats why this feels like a good time to come back; its just because weve been away for a while. There is unfinished business, but theres also more Luther. A new nightmare awaits DCI John Luther in series five, and he must once again confront the depths of human depravity. The official press release states: As a series of monstrous killings becomes ever more audacious, Luther and new recruit D.S. Catherine Halliday are confounded by a tangle of leads and misdirection that seems designed to protect an unspeakable horror. But even as the case brings him closer than ever to the nature of true evil, a reluctant Luther must also face the ghosts of his own past. Striding back into the line of fire, he must choose who to protect and who to sacrifice. Whatever his next move, it will have devastating consequences for those around him and change John Luther forever. Luther is back filming (Picture: BBC) Lets see a trailer To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video The BBC finally released the trailer for the fifth series in November and it looks bloody good. Advertisement Advertisement A long three years has passed since we last Idris Elbas DCI Luther swooping in to save Londoners from a horrifying number of murderers and his return looks set to be as dramatic and exciting as ever. Idris Elba as Luther is finally back (Picture: BBC) Set to a revamped version of Britney Spears Toxic, the trailer sees the iconic character delve right into the deepest depths of human depravity with new recruit D.S. Catherine Halliday (Wunmi Mosaku) by his side. Luther is forced to confront his own demons of his own recent past and must choose who to protect and who to sacrifice. Yep, were bursting with anticipation too. As well as Idris and Ruth, Dermot Crowley, Michael Smiley and Patrick Malahide will return for the four-part series as DSU Martin Schenk, Benny Silver and George Cornelius; and Wunmi Mosaku, who won a BAFTA for her performance in BBC Ones Damilola, Our Loved Boy in 2017, as well as starring in current Channel 4 drama Kiri, will join as new recruit D.S. Catherine Halliday. Filming for series five, created by Emmy-nominated writer Neil Cross and produced by BBC Studios,.took place in London. Advertisement Ruth Wilson has admitted hat she is open to fronting a Luther spin-off if the script was right. The 36-year-old actress, who plays wicked research scientist Alice Morgan in the BBC1 detective drama, said that she is in talks to star in a show focused on her own villainous character. Weve talked about it actually. Yes, definitely, if the script is right and the storyline is right, she said. Its funny. People like watching her because she comes in and out. I dont know. Ruths character Alice Morgan is obsessed with Luther, played by Idris Elba (Picture: BBC) The screen star said that she would be prepared to branch out on her own because her alter ego is so multifaceted. Shes a scientist, shes incredibly intelligent. Shes not like Luther [played by Idris Elba], she told The Sun newspapers Bizarre TV column. Youd have to make the show quite different in style though, and get inside her head. Youd have to find a new pivot, but yes we have talked about it, and she is an amazing character. Whether youre late to the party or you want to relive all of the great previous series, all four seasons are available to download on BBC iPlayer, so theres no reason not to get acquainted with Luther. Luther airs on BBC One every night this week at 9pm. Series 1-4 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/03/time-luther-tonight-finale-8307128/ |
When is Easter 2019 and why does the date change each year? | Christmas and New Year may have only just come and gone, but people are already turning their attention to the Easter holidays this year. After a handful of bank holidays in the very recent memory, the thought of the next batch is already dawning. Michael Schumacher's daughter pays emotional tribute on his 50th birthday We all know what time of the year Easter comes around on, but unlike other Christian holidays such as Christmas, there is no set date for Easter Sunday. It would be an awful lot easier if Easter fell on the same date every year, or even something straightforward like the second Sunday of April, but alas no. Instead, it is a pretty complicated arrangement which has caused Easter to land anywhere between March 22 and April 25. Advertisement Advertisement Easter Sunday falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the March equinox. The March (or Spring) equinox is the moment the Sun crosses the celestial equator from south to north and falls on March 19, 20 or 21 each year. The first full moon after the equinox is called the Paschal full moon and the Sunday following that is Easter. The hot cross buns will be out in force again this year (Picture: Getty) Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection of Jesus after his death, but no set date of this is mentioned in the Bible. It is said that Jesus death, and subsequent resurrection, happened around the Jewish Passover, which is celebrated on the Paschal Moon each year. This is how Easter Sunday came to be celebrated on the Sunday following Passover. This dog loves Easter (Picture: Getty) The way the date is decided can lead to a wide disparity in when the day actually falls. The earliest date of Easter Sunday ever recorded was March 22 in 1818, with the latest being April 25 in 1943. 2019 will see the latest Easter Sunday for 19 years as it falls on April 21. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/03/easter-2019-date-change-year-8307073/ |
What has The Chases Paul Sinha said about his famous neck? | (Picture: ITV) The Chases Paul Sinha has reason to celebrate after announcing he has become engaged to his boyfriend. The 48-year-old quizmaster popped the question to his boyfriend two days into 2019 and subtly announced his engagement later that evening on Twitter. Pauls become popular not only on The Chase but also as a comedian, having performed at the likes of the Hackney Empire and Edinburgh. And hes also famous for something else his neck. Well, a lot of it comes via social media as he has previously explained, saying: One of the perils of being a Z list celebrity is Twitter. Its brutal. At five minutes past five the national decides to tell me that I have a shit neck. Advertisement Advertisement You would not believe the level of abuse or scale of hatred directed at this neck every time Im on the show. People go OMG. your neck is so shit, youre the Indian Michelin Man. He hasnt stopped there, mind. Whoever tweeted that my neck looks like the accordion from Rosie and Jim- thanks, always gets a laugh. Paul Sinha (@paulsinha) May 31, 2016 Sinha won praise after opening up about his sexuality on The Chase back in 2017. The moment happened after host Bradley Walsh asked a question about beloved video game Mario Kart, asking: In what well-known racing video game are bananas and turtles thrown? After replying Grand Theft Auto in a wild guess and being told the right answer, Paul joked: My ex used to play Mario Kart all the time he also said I never paid attention to him. However he later pointed out he had made a number of references to his sexuality on the show over the years. In an interview with GuysLikeU he said: I assumed everyone knew I was gay. I have been on the show six years and I have made lots of references to being gay. But they mysteriously never made the edit. There was one time that did make the edit when I was asked how many pieces was there to a bikini. Now you couldnt ask a question more simple and out of my comfort zone. But I got it wrong. The Chase continues weekdays on ITV at 5pm. If you've got a story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk Entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page - we'd love to hear from you. | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/03/chases-paul-sinha-said-famous-neck-8306882/ |
When is The Grand Tour season 3 release date and how to watch? | The Grand Tour will be back on TV screens very soon (Picture: PA) Its January 2019 which can only mean one thing this month we will be reunited with Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May. Yep, thats right folks The Grand Tour is hurtling our way and will be with us in a matter of weeks. The terrible trio are returning for a third season later this month and have been enjoying teasing us with trailers over the past few months. The Grand Tour will return on Friday 18 January 2019. That means in just over two weeks, well be reunited. The trio are back on our screens soon (Photo by Matt Jelonek/WireImage) At the start of October the official Grand Tour Twitter account asked for people to apply to be in the audience for the tent recordings ahead of the new season, meaning the show will finish filming very soon. Advertisement Advertisement Okay, lets see the new trailer A trailer, which dropped in November, sees Hammond risking his life again, breaking down in a 4X4 across a bridge which would just about carry us and our weekly food shop. Hammond gave Metro.co.uk an exclusive chat while filming the latest GT and admitted he was loving winding up his co-host, Clarkson. Were filming for series 3 of The Grand Tour at the moment, he said. Where we have traveled to China, Mongolia, Detroit and so many other places. We can all be a bit grumpy. Weve been through a lot together and you cannot spend as much time together as we do without winding each other up. How to watch it You you will able to watch The Grand Tour on Amazon Prime Video and you can already watch the whole of the first two seasons of the show which are available to watch at any time. Amazon Prime subscription service that providers users with TV, films, music and books as well as free next day delivery on most products that you buy from Amazon.co.uk. Membership costs 79.99 each year or you can pay a 7.99 monthly fee, or if you just want access to Amazon Prime Video and nothing else then you can pay just 5.99 each month. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Jeremy Clarkson recently addressed the shows future after it emerged the trio were quitting the studio car format after season three, confirming it wouldnt be the end of the show. Advertisement Advertisement In a post, Clarkson wrote: Can we just be clear on this. The Grand Tour goes on. Yes. Amazon Prime have confirmed that a fourth series of the show will indeed be happening but its going to look a little bit different. Because the next series wont be episodic, but will consist of a series of specials with staggered release dates, and featuring road trips from around the world (yup, no more tent) Were proud to say that Prime Video will continue to be the home for Jeremy, Richard and James, Amazon Prime Videos Jay Marine said. Theyve got some ambitious new ideas that Prime members are going to love. Were excited to be bringing more Clarkson, Hammond and May to Prime Video for years to come. The lack of tent is probably for the best, considering they had a number of difficulties surrounding filming because of it. James has made sure he took a lasting memento of the show, and nicked the carpet as a keepsake. Lets just hope they all stay pals long enough to film the fourth season, seeing as May moaned Clarkson drives me nuts and branded him the enemy in a recent interview with The Telegraph. Advertisement He drives me nuts. I would say Jeremy is the most conservative of us, and hes the most establishment, he said. Despite his reputation for being anti-establishment, hes actually probably part of it. Hes the enemy, he added. Clarkson has already teased itll have a budget to make Marvel Studios quake in its boots. The Grand Tour season three releases on Amazon Prime 18 January. MORE: Star Trek Discoverys Spock will not be the character we know in the original series MORE: Jeremy Clarkson branded the enemy by The Grand Tour co-star James May: He drives me nuts! | https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/03/grand-tour-season-3-release-date-watch-8306967/ |
Can a Video Game-Based "Digital Medicine" Help Children with Autism and Co-occurring ADHD? | PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) evaluated a digital medicine tool designed as an investigational treatment for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and co-occurring attention/deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The results of the study, published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, confirmed the acceptability, feasibility, and safety of Project: EVO, which delivers sensory and motor stimuli through an action video game experience, designed by Akili Interactive, a prescription digital medicine company. As many as 50 percent of children with ASD have some ADHD symptoms, with roughly 30 percent receiving a secondary diagnosis of ADHD. However, since ADHD medications are less effective in children with both disorders than in those with only ADHD, researchers are exploring alternative treatments. Children with ASD and ADHD symptoms are also at high risk for impaired "cognitive function," including the brain's ability to maintain attention and focus on goals while ignoring distractions. As children reach school age and beyond, these cognitive impairments make it more difficult for them to set and achieve goals, as well as successfully navigate the demands of day-to-day life in the community. "Our study showed that children engaged with the Project: EVO treatment for the recommended amount of time, and that parents and children reported high rates of satisfaction with the treatment," Benjamin Yerys, Ph.D. , a child psychologist at CHOP's Center for Autism Research (CAR) and first and corresponding author on the study. "Based on the promising study results, we look forward to continuing to evaluate the potential for Project: EVO as a new treatment option for children with ASD and ADHD." The feasibility study was conducted by a team of researchers at CAR in collaboration with Akili. The study included 19 children aged 9-13 diagnosed with ASD and co-occurring ADHD symptoms. Participants in the study were given either the Project: EVO treatment, which is delivered via an action video game experience, or an educational activity involving pattern recognition. The primary outcome measure for efficacy was the TOVA API, an FDA-cleared objective measure of attention. Key secondary outcome measures were caregiver reports of ADHD symptoms and the ability of the child to plan and complete tasks, as well as a cognitive test battery assessing working memory. The study found that children adhered to the treatment protocol by engaging with the treatment for 95 percent or more of the recommended treatment sessions. Both parents and children reported that the treatment had value for improving a child's ability to pay attention and served as a worthwhile approach for treatment. The study also found that after using Project: EVO, children showed a trend toward improved attention on the TOVA API score, and they showed general ADHD symptom improvement based on parent reports. Though the sample size of the study was small, the study showed that using Project: EVO was feasible and acceptable with potentially therapeutic effects. The research team is planning a larger follow-up study for continued evaluation of Project: EVO's potential efficacy. This study was sponsored by Akili Interactive, which provided financial support to Dr. Yerys and co-author Jennifer Bertollo. All other authors were advisers to Akili and participated in study design, data interpretation and manuscript preparation. Co-author Robert Schultz holds stock options for consulting work to Akili, and is also a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Akili. Co-author Geraldine Dawson is on the Scientific Advisory Board of Akili. Akili participated in the study design but did not participate in the data analysis, manuscript preparation or decision to publish. Yerys et al, "Pilot study of a novel interactive digital treatment to improve cognitive control in children with autism spectrum disorder and co-occurring attention symptoms," J Autism Dev Disord, online December 20, 2018. About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 546-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu About Akili: Akili is a prescription digital medicine company combining scientific and clinical rigor with the ingenuity of the tech industry to reinvent medicine. Akili is pioneering the development of digital treatments with direct therapeutic activity, delivered not through a pill but through a high-quality action video game experience. Akili is advancing a broad pipeline of programs to treat cognitive deficiency and improve symptoms associated with medical conditions across neurology and psychiatry, including ADHD, MDD, ASD and various inflammatory diseases. Akili is also developing complementary and integrated clinical monitors and measurement-based care applications. The Company was co-founded by PureTech Health (PRTC.L) and is a founding member of the Digital Therapeutics Alliance . For more information on Akili, please visit: www.akiliinteractive.com. Contact: Ben Leach Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (267) 426-2857 [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/can-a-video-game-based-digital-medicine-help-children-with-autism-and-co-occurring-adhd-300772443.html SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia | http://www.sys-con.com/node/4362435 |
Does China's Admiral Luo Yuen understand that we shoot back? | Since PRC leaders mean what they say, a "Victory at Sea" sequel maybe fast approaching. A Chinese admiral in the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) named Luo Yuan* just told America we had best sound General Quarters. ("Sound General Quarters all hands man your battle station" is a Navy term meaning prepare to fight.) "What the United States fears the most is taking casualties," Admiral Lou declared. He said the loss of one super carrier would cost the US the lives of 5000 service men and women. Sinking two would double that toll. "We'll see how frightened America is." Rear Admiral Luo Yuan (image credit: Voice of America). Anywhere a U.S. Navy ship sails, it will be prudent for any adversary to know there is the high probability that the spirit of U.S. Navy World War II fleet admiral Nimitz travels with it. There is a great quote about Nimitz's personal leadership in World War II. His chief of staff, Raymond Spruance, said of Nimitz that he "never knew what it meant to be afraid of anything." Less than a year after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the "Doolittle Raiders" had their "30 Seconds over Tokyo" bombing raid. In doing so, the Navy-Army Air Corp team gave the Japanese leaders a real wake-up call that they would ultimately lose WWII. B-25 Army Air Force crews made their heroic flight launching from the deck of the CV-8, USS Hornet. After the Doolittle Raid, the USS Hornet continued to fight the Imperial Japanese Fleet. At the Battle of Midway, the entire complement, save one pilot, of Torpedo Squadron 8 from the Hornet were all killed, but the great "miracle at Midway" victory was achieved. Finally, the heroic ship was sunk at the Battle of the Santa Cruz Island. Quoting various reports about the battle proved that it was a hard ship to kill. In a 15-minute period, Hornet took three bomb hits from "Val" dive bombers, another bomb hit compounded by the "Val" itself crashing into the deck, two torpedo hits from "Kates", and another "Val" crashing into the deck. Because of the damage the Hornet was taken under tow when another Japanese plane scored a hit. The order was given to abandon ship. U.S. forces then attempted to scuttle Hornet, which absorbed nine torpedoes and more than 400 5 in (130 mm) rounds from the destroyers Mustin and Anderson. Mustin and Anderson moved off when a Japanese surface force appeared in the area. Japanese destroyers Makigumo and Akigumo then finished Hornet with four torpedoes. At 01:35 on 27 October, she finally sank with the loss of 140 of her crew. It was the last U.S. fleet carrier to be sunk in WWII. And another history lesson, this time from my class in naval history over four decades ago at the U.S. Naval Academy. I have tried to find the original source, but I just remember the Pprofessor's narrative. As the war in the Pacific got closer to the main islands of Japan, Kamikazes the drones of the day were used to attack the American battle fleet. At that time the aircraft carrier was the primary ship leading the attack. Killing carriers was the goal. The Navy, knowing this, screened the fleet carriers with radar picket destroyers to both give warning and provide anti-aircraft fire at incoming Kamikazes. During a lull after a wave of deadly Kamikaze attacks, a voice was heard skipping across the waves by sailors of the main fleet (sound can do this at sea). As told, it was an ensign on a radar picket ship, and he was telling the crew that all the officers were killed, but he was in command, and they would continue to fight the ship. I was told the destroyer was lost. If PLA satellites are a problem and it is a choice between putting a carrier battle group at risk or fighting a space war, I think the fighting Navy is capable and ultimately ruthless enough to blind the PRC military. After the PLA shot down a satellite from a land-based launch pad, the U.S. Navy demonstrated our at sea capability. From a Department of Defense report: At approximately 10:26 p.m. EST, Feb. 20, (2008) a U.S. Navy AEGIS warship, USS Lake Erie (CG-70), fired a single modified tactical Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) hitting the satellite approximately 133 nautical miles over the Pacific Ocean as it traveled in space at more than 17,000 mph. USS Decatur (DDG-73) and USS Russell (DDG-59) were also part of the task force. So let us make it simple for the PLA, PLAN, PLAAF, and 2nd Artillery: the U.S. Navy is battle-tested, with a legacy of carrying the fight to any enemy. In the 21st century, it will be important that no platform fight alone. USN satellite-killing Aegis ships are joined by F-35Bs flying from the Navy/Marine Amphibious Readiness Group "Gator" Navy the USMC F-35B V/Stol. This is a huge at sea multiplier in capability. Carrier battle group air wings with the F-35C will give naval forces afloat both situational awareness and the ability to fight a three-dimensional war. Anti-submarine warfare is a huge war-at-sea weakness of the Chinese PLAN. In the American Navy community, historically, it was proven that "courage runs deep" in our submarine force. In WWII, Navy undersea warriors accounted for 52% of all ships sent to the bottom, with 52 "Still on Patrol." They are to this day a fearless group of sailors. Finally, like the radar picket ships of WWII, current destroyers and frigates can add a huge defensive element against CHICOM incoming missiles. The capability to spoof and jam incoming guided weapons is an art of electronic warfare practiced by Navy forces for decades. The 21st-century Navy can blind them and blast them and sink them and that is real deterrence and should give the PRC pause. Before starting a hostile action, if you fight "Feet Wet," Admiral Lou, all your ships will be sunk. *Spelling of this name varies: Luo Yuen, Luo Yuan, and Lou Yuen have all appeared in print. Ed Timperlake is a Naval Academy graduate who commanded VMFA-321, a Reserve Marine fighter squadron. | https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2019/01/does_chinas_admiral_luo_yuen_understand_that_we_shoot_back.html |
Who will take on President Trump? | Apparently most members of the press do not like our president, Donald J. Trump. Many of them think he is a tyrant in the making. Others think he is stupid and a tyrant in the making. They believe he is likely to be beaten in 2020. I think he would be beaten too, if he were running against Franklin D. Roosevelt or Ronald W. Reagan or George Washington, but he most likely will be running against one of the patheticoes bejeweling the Democratic Party today and frankly I cannot detect a Roosevelt or a Reagan or a Washington in the field, not even a Washington Boulevard. I can detect a Charles Schumer and a Nancy Pelosi, though both are likely to be undone by President Trumps talk of a wall. Just wait until 2020 and see how unpopular Mr. Trumps wall will be, and, in the case of Mrs. Pelosi, she is always apt to forget her place in a speech or even where she is giving that speech. Let us face the facts: The Democratic Party is getting pretty long in the tooth. It is time for the party to come up with a new generation, and that suggests the presidential prospects of Congresswoman-elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress. The problem is that she sounds like the youngest woman ever to serve in Congress. I would put her age at roughly 14 and that is not a precocious 14. To be candid, she is a born dolt. Then there is Beto ORourke. I am not sure where he got the nickname Beto from, but if I were in Betos shoes I would have stuck with his birth certificate, which clearly reads as Robert Francis ORourke. Robert Francis worked for Robert Francis Kennedy, and Beto has a Bob Kennedys haircut and the teeth to go with it. He is famous for raising $70 million to challenge Texas unpopular Sen. Ted Cruz. It is indeed a stupendous pile of lucre, but the problem for him is that he lost to the unpopular Mr. Cruz. What kind of a slogan is Vote for Beto, He lost to Ted Cruz? No, I do not see anyone out there who will unseat Mr. Trump in 2020. The possible candidates in both parties seem a bit threadbare, particularly when compared with our suave president, he of the sonorous tweets. Even the widely esteemed Hillary Clinton strikes me as over the hill. I know, I know, there are many legendary psephologists out there who still see her on her toes and in fighting trim, for instance, Philippe Reines and the fabled Begala & Carville tag team. Yet let me be honest. Her candidacy was always preposterous. She was forever being called the inevitable candidate, but anyone who had bothered to review her life in politics would be struck by the fact that as Bill Clintons first lady, even as his first lady back in the Little Rock days, she was extraordinarily unpopular with voters. When I wrote Boy Clinton: The Political Biography back in 1996, she was the most unpopular first lady of modern times. In fact, in 1996 she became the first first lady in modern times to receive a thumbs-down from a majority of the American people. Only 43 percent approved of her and most of them were dubious. My guess is that if there had been first lady ratings going back to the 1920s even President Warren Gamaliel Hardings bossy wife, known derisively as the Duchess, would have been more popular than Hillary. Yet, when she ran for the presidency the media called her candidacy inevitable, twice. Now we are witnessing Hillary and her team of flimflam artists, armed with their Russian dossiers, their mendacious FBI and CIA con artists, and other hocus-pocus prestidigitators, driving another preposterous fable. They are insisting that Vladimir Putin somehow linked up with candidate Trump in 2016 to steal the election from Hillary, that crafty lifelong anti-Communist and opponent of the Kremlin. She, who toyed with Communists and Black Panthers in college and urged dialoging with Mr. Putins predecessors for decades, while the majority of Americans resisted them, had somehow raised Mr. Putins ire by 2016. He was forced to choose Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton. Well, now Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin are at loggerheads. Special counsel Robert Mueller is going to save the republic from the Putin-Trump cabal, though there is no evidence of collusion after months of Mr. Muellers investigations and with a vast team of Hillary supporters at his side. I have my doubts. There is no evidence of collusion between Mr. Trump and Mr. Putin and there never has been. Only a fantasist would believe that a capitalist in good standing such as Mr. Trump would gamble with an erstwhile communist and thug such as Mr. Putin. But the modern-day Democrats believe in fantasy. My suggestion for the Democrats in 2020 is that they nominate Miss Ocasio-Cortez. She will be the youngest woman ever to lose a presidential race another first. R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. is founder and editor in chief of The American Spectator. He is the author most recently of The Death of Liberalism, published by Thomas Nelson Inc. Copyright (c) 2019 News World Communications, Inc. - This content is published through a licensing agreement with Acquire Media using its NewsEdge technology. VN:D [1.9.6_1107] Rating: 6.5/10 (2 votes cast) | http://www.gopusa.com/who-will-take-on-president-trump/ |
Was bringt das neue Mieterschutzgesetz? | Bitte fllen Sie alle Pflichtfelder mit * aus. Bitte stimmen Sie unseren Nutzungsbedingungen zu. Bitte stimmen Sie unserer Datenschutzerklrung zu. Bitte geben Sie Ihr Einverstndnis. Bitte akzeptieren Sie die Datenschutzbestimmungen. Bitte whlen Sie Ihren Benutzernamen. Bitte tragen Sie Ihre E-Mail-Adresse ein. Diese Email-Adresse ist bereits bei uns registriert. Bitte versuchen Sie es mit einer anderen Adresse. Mailadresse bereits bekannt, bitte mit bestehendem Account einloggen und Kinderprofil anlegen Diese E-Mail-Adresse scheint nicht korrekt zu sein sie muss ein @ beinhalten und eine existierende Domain (z.B. zdf.de) haben. Die eingegebenen Passwrter stimmen nicht berein. Bitte versuchen Sie es erneut. Das Passwort muss mindestens 8 Zeichen lang sein. Das Passwort muss mindestens einen Grobuchstaben enthalten. Das Passwort muss mindestens einen Kleinbuchstaben enthalten. Das Passwort muss mindestens ein Sonderzeichen enthalten. Das Passwort muss mindestens 8 Zeichen lang sein und mindestens eine Zahl enthalten. Die Registrierung hat leider nicht funktioniert. Bitte berprfen Sie Ihre Angaben. Benutzername E-Mail Passwort Passwort wiederholen Das Passwort muss mindestens 8 Zeichen lang sein, einen Grobuchstaben, eine Ziffer und ein Sonderzeichen enthalten. Ich akzeptiere die Nutzungsbedingungen des ZDF * Ich akzeptiere die Datenschutzerklrung des ZDF * Ich bin einverstanden, dass mein Kind 'Mein ZDFtivi' nutzt. * Ich akzeptiere die Datenschutzbestimmungen zur Nutzung von 'Mein ZDFtivi' * Pflichtfelder * Registrieren | https://www.zdf.de/verbraucher/volle-kanne/was-bringt-das-neue-mieterschutzgesetz-100.html |
What on Earth Is The Masked Singer ? | Update (11:15 A.M.): The Masked Singer was a huge hit on its premiere night, drawing in 9.2 million total viewers and an impressive 2.9 rating among viewers ages 18 to 49, beating out all of its broadcast competition and delivering a ratings win overall for Fox on Wednesday night. The original post continues below. If asked whether she might consider appearing on Foxs new musical-competition show The Masked Singer, Mariah Carey would likely reply, I dont know her. But that didnt stop the Elusive Chanteuses ex-husband Nick Cannon from casually hinting at the possibility Wednesday night, when the series made its debut with Cannon as host. Carey or no Carey, though, this feverish serieswhich looks like it was designed by a broadcast executive who just attended their first Deadmau5 concertmight end up being this winters most appealingly insane distraction. The series is based on a South Korean format, King of Mask Singer, in which Ryan Reynolds once danced while dressed as a unicornwhich probably tells you most of what you need to know. In case you need more: each week, elaborately masked and outfitted celebritiesthe sort you might expect to see on Dancing with the Starsperform at the worlds most over-the-top costume party. Two masked singers face off in each round of competition; the losers from each match join the bottom three, and at the end of every installment, one performer is eliminated and unmasked. (This week, it was the Hippo, a.k.a. Pittsburgh Steelers player Antonio Brown.) But simple as the format may be, its the details that make The Masked Singer engineered to be an instant Internet hit. The costumes carry an aesthetic that can only be described as overly competitive Halloween meets straight-faced warehouse rave. In addition to Cannon, whose hosting getup looks an awful lot like what Kenan Thompson wears during What Up with That?, Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong, and Nicole Scherzinger are also on hand as judgesa random assortment of people, some of whom have a lot more musical experience than others. It seems Fox is hoping their chemistry, and perhaps the what? factor they inspire, will be enough to spark conversation. And then there are the performers themselves, including the Peacock (whom many Internet sleuths already believe to be Donny Osmond), the Lion, and that now-unmasked Hippoeach of whom gave little clues about their identities in dramatic pre-performance videos and after their initial songs. (Sample: the Lion said her pride contained a lot of women.) Almost certainly none of them are Hugh Jackman, Jimmy Kimmel, or Lindsay Lohanthough the judges guessed, during the competition, that all three might actually be beneath one of those masks. If anyone on the panel is aware that A-list celebrities have better things to do than appear on their show, they dont betray that to the camera. The Masked Singers charming self-seriousness doesnt end there, either; given the extraordinary measures the shows production used to keep its contestants identities a secret, one would think they were guarding a plot twist from Game of Thrones. If nothing else, youve got to admire this programs pluck. In a broadcast landscape rife with reality-competition shows that recycle the same format over and over again, The Masked Singer feels less like a straightforward take on the genreand more like a corner of Weird Twitter brought to life by some unholy Hollywood ritual. All of its trippy trappings could, perhaps, be interpreted as commentaryon the empty banter that characterizes competition-show judging panels; on the over-the-top gimmicks employed by Lip Sync Battle and its various cousins; on our continued cultural fixation on gathering celebrities and making them sing and dance (often mediocrely) for our amusement. Really, though, The Masked Singer is a series designed to make one ask, What the hell did I just watch?and for the most part, it succeeds. Look: were living in an age when Aquaman and a kraken-like character voiced by Julie Andrews are taking over the box office. Detective Pikachu and his gang of fuzzy Pokmon friends are charging theaters later this year. Sonic the Hedgehog is getting a movie, and his legs look weird in it. Within this milieu of bizarre, fever-dream anthropomorphization, The Masked Singer certainly feels like the show we deserve in 2019. R.B.G. Sign up for our daily Hollywood newsletter and never miss a story. | https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/01/the-masked-singer-fox |
Who was The Masked Singer? | After a gleefully weird premiere episode, FOX's new reality singing competition series The Masked Singer revealed the first of its celebrity contestants. The audience, the panel of judges consisting of Jenny McCarthy, Nicole Scherzinger, Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke, and host Nick Cannon had spoken. Despite a crowd-pleasing rendition of Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative," everyone wanted to know who the agile performer dressed as a hippo really was. It was none other than Antonio Brown, the Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver whose recent spat with his team had made it all but certain that the player would end up at another team. These controversies notwithstanding, however, all of the judges literally lept from their chairs when Brown took off the bulky hippo mask. The panel had quickly surmised that the hippo was an athlete of some sort early on in the show, and his climactic revelation meant they were right. In a behind-the-scenes video posted onto The Masked Singer's official YouTube channel, Brown called appearing on the show "an awesome experience" and "an amazing opportunity." "It was a challenge, being able to learn the songs really fast and also being able to perform it," he explained. "I picked this song [Brown's "My Prerogative"] because I really felt comfortable with singing a song with a lot of energy. I thought I would be able to pull this one off." As for being dressed as a rapping hippo, Brown seemed to love the idea wholeheartedly. "The hippo fit my personality. He had the chains, he was super cool and athletic, though his head was a little bigger than mine," he said. "It was pretty amazing being the hippo, being under the radar and being able to just do my thing. Good luck to all the contestants. I had so much fun challenging myself, being able to sing, dance and perform. I love it." The Masked Singer airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET on FOX. | https://www.metro.us/entertainment/tv/who-was-the-masked-singer |
Was bringen Zahnspangen? | Bitte fllen Sie alle Pflichtfelder mit * aus. Bitte stimmen Sie unseren Nutzungsbedingungen zu. Bitte stimmen Sie unserer Datenschutzerklrung zu. Bitte geben Sie Ihr Einverstndnis. Bitte akzeptieren Sie die Datenschutzbestimmungen. Bitte whlen Sie Ihren Benutzernamen. Bitte tragen Sie Ihre E-Mail-Adresse ein. Diese Email-Adresse ist bereits bei uns registriert. Bitte versuchen Sie es mit einer anderen Adresse. Mailadresse bereits bekannt, bitte mit bestehendem Account einloggen und Kinderprofil anlegen Die E-Mail-Adresse ist leider nicht korrekt. Bitte berprfe Sie sie noch einmal. Die eingegebenen Passwrter stimmen nicht berein. Bitte versuchen Sie es erneut. Das Passwort muss mindestens 8 Zeichen lang sein. Das Passwort muss mindestens einen Grobuchstaben enthalten. Das Passwort muss mindestens einen Kleinbuchstaben enthalten. Das Passwort muss mindestens ein Sonderzeichen enthalten. Das Passwort muss mindestens 8 Zeichen lang sein und mindestens eine Zahl enthalten. Die Registrierung hat leider nicht funktioniert. Bitte berprfen Sie Ihre Angaben. Benutzername E-Mail Passwort Passwort wiederholen Das Passwort muss mindestens 8 Zeichen lang sein, einen Grobuchstaben, eine Ziffer und ein Sonderzeichen enthalten. Ich akzeptiere die Nutzungsbedingungen des ZDF * Ich akzeptiere die Datenschutzerklrung des ZDF * Ich bin einverstanden, dass mein Kind 'Mein ZDFtivi' nutzt. * Ich akzeptiere die Datenschutzbestimmungen zur Nutzung von 'Mein ZDFtivi' * Pflichtfelder * Registrieren | https://www.zdf.de/kinder/logo/was-bringen-zahnspangen-100.html |
Can Overnight Oats Make Mornings Less Excruciating? | Oats, pre-overnight. Photo: Madeleine Aggeler Over Easy is a weekly food column by a 20-something woman who can barely cook an egg and just wants to learn how to throw together an elegant three-course meal for her friends. I have never once in my life woken up refreshed. Every morning for the past 27 years, I have woken up (lucky) and groaned, sometimes silently, sometimes out loud. Regardless of how much rest Ive gotten, regardless of how excited I am for the day ahead, the prospect of peeling my heavy carcass up and out of the sweet, gentle embrace of sleep feels, for the first five minutes at least, Sisyphean. It doesnt have to be this way, apparently. Ive heard rumors, from friends, and celebrity trainers, and my former classmates involved in fitness pyramid schemes, that it is possible to wake up feeling energized and raring to go. I hope so. I would love to bound out of bed in the morning, instead of slithering to the floor, bleary-eyed, hissing angrily at anyone who dares approach me. Being, however, unwilling to go on any of the cleanses or detoxes which often seem to be prerequisites for such early morning refreshment, I had to find some other potential motivator, something delicious to coax me into wakefulness, that would also require zero assembly in the morning. I decided to try overnight oats. My first experience with overnight oats was three years ago, when I was staying at a friends house for a few days. She made batches for us each night, throwing together oatmeal, almond milk, greek yogurt, bananas, and blueberries in bowls, and then covering them and putting them in the fridge. The whole process took about five minutes, and in the mornings, even through my dense fog of sleep, I could tell that the oat mixture was creamy and sweet, but not cloyingly so a soft, cozy blanket of texture and flavor to ease you into the day. I thought my friend was a genius and I tried my best to tell her so, grumbling praise in her general direction. Since then, overnight oats have become a wellness staple theyre easy, nutritious, and generally come in camera-friendly mason jars. Even Wellness Empress Gwyneth Paltrow included a recipe for them in her cookbook, Its All Easy (though hers dont actually sound that easy). Currently, there are over 586,000 #overnightoats posts on Instagram, many of which include captions about starting 2019 off right. I too wanted to start 2019 off right. Part of the appeal of overnight oats is that there are, conservatively, 8 million possible toppings. For my toppings, I decided to try the overnight oats with coconut, dates, almonds, and honey from Claire Saffitz at Bon Appetit, because it seemed like it would taste kind of like a breakfast cake (very appealing). The first step, for me, to get cute little jars to contain the oats. This isnt technically necessary, and as youll see if you scroll through some of the 586,000 #overnightoats posts, tupperware also works just fine. But I wanted to start my 2019 off right with photogenic jars that I would, in all likelihood, use three more times and then never again. I found some at the convenience store up the street from me, in an aisle next to the nail polish, and across from the underwear. The date mixture. Photo: Madeleine Aggeler At home, I started by making Bon Appetits base overnight oat mixture first, pouring a cup of rolled oats, two tablespoons of flaxseeds, cup of plain whole-milk Greek yogurt, and 1 cups of almond milk. While that sat, I pitted and chopped four Medjool dates, which was a rather sticky process, cut up roughly cup of raw almonds, and then mixed them in a bowl with two tablespoons of melted coconut oil, 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, cup of honey, and dried coconut flakes. I was wary of how the apple cider vinegar would interact with the other ingredients, but when I tasted it, I found it gave the sweet toppings a pleasant zip. I poured the regular overnight oats into my four cute, newly acquired jars, spooned some whole milk yogurt into the middle of each, and then topped it with the dates and coconut mixture, screwed them shut, and put them in the fridge. Altogether, the whole process only took about 15 minutes, and then five more minutes for me to take pictures and let people know Im starting 2019 off right. The next morning, even thought I knew a delicious breakfast awaited me, I spent the first several minutes after my alarm went off wondering about the logistics of renting a remote cabin where I could go sleep for three months, uninterrupted. Concluding that it would probably be too expensive, and impossible get the time off work, I slid into the kitchen and grabbed one of the jars. Saffitz recommends warming the oatmeal before serving, but I forgot this time, so I just ate it cold. Even cold, it was hearty and comforting, sweet and smooth, and the crunch of the coconut and the almond prevented me from feeling like I was feeding myself baby food. The next morning, I still wanted to dissolve into dust when I woke up, but I remembered to heat the oatmeal this time (one minute in the microwave), and it was even better. The heat elevated the flavor of the honey and the vinegar, and gave the oatmeal more complexity, which I was somewhat able to appreciate as I scrolled through emails. The next couple of mornings were much the same. Maybe Ill never wake up refreshed, and surfacing from sleep will always feel like pulling a tooth. But having something filling and tasty to grab in the morning that requires zero effort makes the whole process significantly more pleasant, and when I can finally retire to my remote cabin to sleep for several months, I will bring with me the makings of overnight oats, for whenever I finally wake up. My Report Card Preparation: A+ Taste: A Mornings: B+ My Overall Performance: A- Stay in touch. Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily Email By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. | https://www.thecut.com/2019/01/overnight-oats-fast-easy-breakfast-over-easy.html?utm_source=nym&utm_medium=f1&utm_campaign=feed-part |
When is The Goldbergs Wedding Singer crossover? | For the past six seasons, The Goldbergs has happily taken advantage of its 1980s aesthetic by placing its characters in situations that revolve around the decade's pop culture. Such was the case for the ABC show's recent Halloween episode, which saw Freddy Krueger actor Robert Englund don the iconic hat, sweater and razor-sharp glove on last time. When the comedy series returns on Wednesday, Jan. 9, however, it will crossover with an Adam Sandler classic from the late 1990s in a really fun way. Here's what you need to know about The Goldbergs Wedding Singer crossover. Yes, that's right. The world of The Goldbergs is about to merge with Sandler and Drew Barrymore's The Wedding Singer, the 1998 romantic comedy that actually took place during the previous decade. Creator and showrunner Adam F. Goldberg confirmed the crossover on Twitter with a 45-second preview of the highly anticipated wedding episode, which is appropriately titled "The Wedding Singer." "Hey @goldnerds! January 9th at 8:00 is the big wedding episode of @thegoldbergsabc!" Goldberg said in a tweet accompanying the promo video. "Thanks to our producer Adam Sandler, my 80s family actually meets the 80s most infamous WEDDING SINGER! This is my favorite episode EVER." When followers began asking Goldberg for clarification about the crossover, the television producer and writer happily provided it. "It's Happy Madison, so yeah, Adam Sandler produces the show!" he wrote when one asked if Sandler "actually [has] anything to do with the show." Responding to another question, Goldberg confirmed that The Goldbergs and The Wedding Singer were in fact in the "same universe." Hey @goldnerds! January 9th at 8:00 is the big wedding episode of @thegoldbergsabc! Thanks to our producer Adam Sandler, my 80s family actually meets the 80s most infamous WEDDING SINGER! This is my favorite episode EVER. At 8:30 we premiere @SchooledABC and I am so proud of it!! pic.twitter.com/tjopoHLyRx Adam F. Goldberg (@adamfgoldberg) January 3, 2019 According to the short preview, "The Wedding Singer" will merge the properties in at least two ways. Barry (Troy Gentile) will be on the same flight as Sandler and Barrymore's movie characters. Meanwhile, Beverly (Wendi McLendon-Covey) and other members of the Golberg family will be in attendance at one of the film's iconic wedding scenes. The Goldbergs returns Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. | https://www.metro.us/entertainment/tv/when-is-the-goldbergs-wedding-singer-crossover |
Why Richard Ashcroft's "turning point" was The Smiths' How Soon Is Now? | The former Verve frontman explained how The Smiths' track was part of the "profound" change in his attitude to music. completely changed the way he felt about music. Watch our video above where he explains his biggest influences. The former Verve frontman took part in a special conversation with Radio X's John Kennedy at London's Hammersmith Club in front of an intimate audience, where he discussed everything from his early beginnings and inspirations to his solo career. When asked about when he began thinking about making music, the Surprised By The Joy singer listed off various music he was listening to as a teenager, such as "a couple of Beatles albums, a soul compilation and a Carpenters album". by The Smiths... That was a big turning point for me." artwork inset. Picture: Jon Mo Photography/ Artwork "I realised there was this whole other world, but at the time I was too young to get involved with it," he said, adding: "I think from then on, probably High School going into college that music became my true education..." Ashcroft also revealed how another legendary Manchester band influenced one of his most-loved solo singles. Ashcroft explained: "I was in a hotel in London. It was a pretty shoddy hotel and back in the day there was still some of those bedheads with built-in radios. "I was in a love situation," he continued. "Had a bit of a love affair thing going down and I turned the radio on and [Joy Division's] Love Will Tear Us Apart bizarrely came out of this radio on the bedhead. "It kind of triggered this 'play Misty for me' thing of "DJ play a song for the lovers" because the timing of this tune and Love Will Tear Us Apart coming out of this bedhead seemed perfect, you know?" Watch our video below: He added: "So I decided right, 'what about expanding that thought to make the Song For The Lovers?' A song for that feeling of trepidation, anxiety, excitement. You're on the precipice. Potentially this person might be with you for life. "Who knows where we're heading, but we're definitely on the train together. We've definitely gone beyond thinking about it or talking about it. | https://www.radiox.co.uk/artists/richard-ashcroft/smiths-how-soon-is-now-turning-point-music/ |
Will 2019 be the year of lab-grown meat? | Lists outlining ways in which we can reduce our carbon footprint regularly encourage meatless Mondays or becoming a vegetarian. But these increasingly common lifestyle changes may soon disappear as lab-grown meats come closer to being available commercially. Read more: Change your ways, save the environment In December, Israel-based Aleph Farms unveiled the first steak grown in a laboratory. In producing the thin piece of steak, the company was able to surmount one of the major challenges faced by this young industry: growing a meat product in the lab that integrates both muscle and fat tissue. "Meat is a complex tissue, not just a mass of cells," said Didier Toubia, co-founder and CEO of Aleph Farms. "It's various types of cells interacting together forming that very specific 3-dimensional structure." In the US a few months earlier, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture announced that they would "jointly oversee the production of cell-cultured food products derived from livestock and poultry" a signal that the commercialization of such meats may not be far off. The race is on In vitro meat has been in the pipeline for years, since NASA began looking into growing seafood and meat back in the early 2000s. The first lab-grown hamburger in 2013 cost 250,000 (more than $300,000) to produce The first successful production, though, was a burger made in a Dutch lab at Maastricht University. The material was made from stem cells extracted from a cow's neck. Being the first to synthetically grow meat wasn't cheap, as the burger cost 250,000 (more than $300,000) to produce. By comparison, Aleph Farms' small piece of steak now costs $50 to produce. Today, at least half a dozen companies are working on a variety of "cultured" meats ranging from pork sausage to foie gras to chicken nuggets. Benjamina Bollag, CEO and co-founder of one such company Higher Steaks predicts that most companies working in this space will be focused on perfecting the development of their products and lowering their price points this year. "I think we'll see more people heading really towards small scale and maybe looking at one restaurant [to work with]," she told DW. "You'll otherwise see people starting to apply to regulation of their respective countries." With global meat consumption projected to rise 70 percent in the next three decades, and with Earth's population expected to hit 9.6 billion by 2050, lab-grown meats could help offset the environmental costs. Meat consumption has increased in countries like China and India, adding to global demand Livestock comprises 14.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions linked to human activity, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Beef represents the largest emitter in this sector. Livestock also occupies the majority of agricultural land, which it requires both for grazing and to grow the crops to use as feed. Although growing meat in a lab is currently very energy-intensive, a World Economic Forum report released today suggests, "as production processes mature and production is scaled up, leveraging renewable energy sourcing and localizing production in cities (much like craft beer is today), the environmental benefits of lab-grown meat could be enhanced significantly." Still, some are skeptical that it would actually reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Carolyn Mattick, a Science and Technology Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science, says there's a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the environmental impacts of current and future manufacturing processes. "Until high-quality, peer-reviewed life cycle analyses are performed on specific production practices, we really cant quantify the environmental impacts of cell-based products or determine the tradeoffs with respect to livestock rearing," she told DW. One major promise of lab grown meat is a reduction in the number of cases of meat-born illness like salmonella, E.Coli and mad cow disease. When meat is grown in a lab, the risk for bacterial contamination is greatly, if not completely reduced. Cell-based meat would also not require the use of antibiotics or hormones that industrial livestock producers currently depend on. "We believe that is a very big deal," said Toubia. "Those are advantages which are not spoken about." Beyond these concrete health benefits, companies may be able to adjust certain factors in the meat, such as overall salt content or the ratio of saturated and unsaturated fat. "The aspect that is more dependent really on what the consumer wants is around making meat that's healthier," said Bollag. "So replacing fat, adding kinds of vitamins, you can add a lot of things. You can replace saturated fats with omega 3s." Exploring the Food Revolution 5.0 Bioplastic Fantastic by Johanna Schmeer Johanna Schmeer's project explores how enzyme-enhanced bioplastics produce nutrients by being exposed to light. She's among the 30 designers invited to imagine what and how we will eat in the future for the exhibition Food Revolution 5.0: Design for Tomorrow's Society, on until September 30 at Berlin's Kunstgewerbe museum. It shows how our decisions about the food we consume are highly political. Exploring the Food Revolution 5.0 Sea-Meat Seeweed by Hanan Alkouh Since cattle farming alone produces more CO2 than driving cars, Kuwaiti designer Hanan Alkouh created a vision for a meat substitute made of seaweed, itself a superfood. To preserve "the theatrics of trade vocations like farmer, slaughterer or butcher," the seaweed was designed to look strikingly similar to a huge piece of meat. Exploring the Food Revolution 5.0 System Synthetics by Maurizio Montalti Exploring alternatives to fossil fuels, Italian designer Maurizio Montalti created a transparent system to show how one fungus can break down plastic, while another makes it into bio-ethanol. Here, chopped up rubber duckies demonstrate how micro-organisms can get rid of our waste. Exploring the Food Revolution 5.0 One Third by Klaus Pichler Photographer Klaus Pichler's photo project One Third takes its cue from a UN study that found that one third of the world's food goes to waste, while 925 million people are threatened by starvation. These intricate still life photos, including these rotting strawberries, call attention to overconsumption. Exploring the Food Revolution 5.0 Hare from Mealworm Paste by Carolin Schulze Hoping to make Europe's disgust of eating insects a thing of the past, artist Carolin Schulze created a rabbit shape out of mealworm paste with the help of a 3D printer. Exploring the Food Revolution 5.0 Edible Growth by Chloe Rutzerveld Another project that makes use of new technology, Chloe Rutzerveld's Edible Growth creates a 3D-printed dough that grows edible fungi in a pleasing form. Rutzerveld calls it a "high-tech but fully natural, healthy and sustainable food." Exploring the Food Revolution 5.0 Mobile Hospitality by chmara.rosinke This mobile kitchen was created as a community project to unite 12 strangers who are required to sit together for the 1.5-hour duration of a three-course meal. "We were thinking about how to create a project where we get to know people, and the result was that we need a big table and food," says designer Ania Rosinke. Exploring the Food Revolution 5.0 Second Livestock by Austin Stewart Creating a matrix for chickens, this project by American artist Austin Stewart imagines what would happen if industrial livestock were given VR headsets to simulate a happy, free-range farm life. Exploring the Food Revolution 5.0 Food by Henk Wildschut A far cry from a quiet life in the countryside, Henk Wildschut's photo series Food provides an inside look at how food is produced. These piglets are among the many animals that spend their lives in such clinical spaces before ending up in grocery stores around the world. Author: Sarah Hucal The next disruptive industry According to Toubia, the realistic texture and smell of Aleph Farms' steak is promising for the future of lab grown meat. This year they plan to work on increasing the size of the cuts, slightly improving the taste, and reducing costs. "We still have at least two years of development until we reach a commercial product and then probably two more years to transfer it to production and to scale it up to larger quantities required for commercial activity," said Toubia. That would make their product ready for the supermarket shelves by roughly 2022. So while the prospects of lab-grown chicken breast and meatballs in your grocery store may be enticing, don't expect to be grilling a lab-grown strip steak on the grill just yet. | https://www.dw.com/en/will-2019-be-the-year-of-lab-grown-meat/a-46943665 |
What makes two species different? | Most evolutionary biologists distinguish one species from another based on reproductivity: members of different species either won't or can't mate with one another, or, if they do, the resulting offspring are often sterile, unviable, or suffer some other sort of reduced fitness. For most of the 20th century, scientists believed that this reproductive incompatibility evolved gradually between species as a by-product of adapting to different ecological circumstances: if two species were geographically isolated, they would adapt differences based on their environment. New research conducted at the University of Rochester, in collaboration with the University of Nebraska, shows, however, that there are more factors at play--specifically the presence of selfish genes called meiotic drive elements, whose flow among species may dictate whether two species converge or diverge. In a new paper published in the journal eLife, the researchers show that sex chromosomes evolve to be genetically incompatible between species faster than the rest of the genetic chromosomes and reveal the factors at play in this incompatibility. When two members of a species mate and exchange genetic material, this is known as gene flow. When two members of different species mate, however, gene flow is reduced. "Genes from one species simply can't talk to genes from the other species," says Daven Presgraves, a dean's professor of biology at Rochester. Though the genes may work fine on their own genetic background, when they are moved into the genetic background of another species, they have negative effects. "All of the gene copies in you and me work in the human genome. But if we were to take a gene out of you and stick it in a macaw parrot, they haven't seen this sequence before and it might not work together with the other genes. That would compromise some sort of function like fertility." This is what happened when Presgraves and members of his lab crossed two different species of fruit flies, one from Madagascar and the other from the island of Mauritius. When the two species were crossed, their female hybrid offspring were fertile, but the hybrid male offspring were completely sterile. "One of the steps on the way to complete reproductive isolation is that the XY sex becomes sterile first in that gradual build-up of incompatibility," Presgraves says. In the case of fruit flies, as in human beings, the XY sex is male. Chromosomes are divided into two types: allosomes, or sex chromosomes, and autosomes, or body chromosomes. Genetic traits linked to an organism's sex are passed on through the sex chromosomes. The rest of the genetic hereditary information is passed on through the autosomes. When the researchers mapped the factors that cause hybrid males to become sterile, they found that there were many more incompatibility factors on the X allosome compared to the autosomes. This means that sex chromosomes become functionally different between species much faster than non-sex chromosomes, Presgraves says. "There's a lot more exchange going on between the autosomes than on the X." The researchers found that a class of "selfish genes" called meiotic drive elements are responsible for making sex chromosomes genetically incompatible at a faster rate. In general, selfish genes are parasites of the genome--they propagate themselves at the expense of other genes. Meiotic drive elements in particular sabotage the rules of typical inheritance: in normal Mendelian inheritance, a gene is transmitted to half the offspring. Meiotic drive elements, however, manipulate reproduction so they can transmit themselves to more than their fair share of the genome. In hybrid male fruit flies, meiotic drive elements usually kill any sperm that don't carry them, leaving only (or mostly) sperm that do carry the meiotic drive elements. "This could be because multiple meiotic drive elements from both parental species are unsuppressed in hybrids, and their combined action causes sterility," says Colin Meiklejohn, a former postdoctoral student in Presgraves's lab. In a twist, however, the researchers also found that if meiotic drive elements are able to experience gene flow, they can also help bring species together. During early speciation, when two different species are just beginning to break away from one another, reproductive incompatibility can be incomplete and "leaky"--some part of the genome may still be compatible and exchangeable. "If two populations are leaky and there is opportunity for gene flow, a selfish gene can leak over into the other population and spread there," Presgraves says. If the species interbreeds and this selfish gene is able to be passed down, instead of becoming incompatible, "that part of the genome will become perfectly exchangeable. In some cases a selfish gene will basically erase the build-up of incompatibilities for a part of the genome." That is, meiotic drive elements can cause incompatibilities between species if they do not experience gene flow, or they can cause a convergence of the species, if they species does experience gene flow. A major factor in determining whether or not a species is compatible hinges on whether or not there is gene flow between the species, Presgraves says. "Species--even ones that are geographically isolated--are much leakier than we thought." ### | https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/uor-wmt010319.php |
What predicts teen partner rape? | If teen partner rape could be predicted, it could be better prevented. Social scientists from Michigan State University are helping close that gap by identifying risk factors linked to sexual violence in young women's first relationships in life. "There's this idea that sexual violence doesn't happen in relationships - certainly not in young women's first relationships - which is absolutely not the case," said Angie Kennedy, associate professor of social work and lead author. "We wanted to examine the most severe forms of sexual violence - rape and attempted rape - to better understand the specific risk factors linked to partner rape among young women. Our results can be used to inform prevention and intervention efforts aimed at reducing sexual violence among young people." Kennedy and colleagues interviewed 148 college-aged women between the ages of 18 and 24 who experienced partner violence in at least one prior relationship. To get a diverse sample, the researchers recruited participants from a university, a two-year college and community sites serving low-income young women, including a county health clinic and a transitional living program. In the interviews, the researchers asked the young women to talk about all of their partner relationships, starting with their first relationship, which began when they were around 15 years old on average. The results, published in the Journal of Interpersonal Violence, showed consistent risk factors for partner rape across the three groups of women. During their first relationships, lower socioeconomic status, being of a younger age, and higher levels of physical abuse and coercive control predicted sexual violence. Key risk factors across all of the young women's relationships include a greater age difference between them and their partners, as well as physical abuse and coercive control. "Rape or attempted rape in a relationship isn't typically an isolated incident. It's usually connected with other forms of abuse or coercion," Kennedy said. "Young age and higher age difference between adolescent girls and their male partners may make them more vulnerable to experiencing abuse, particularly partner rape." The researchers also found differences in the rate of sexual violence across the three groups. While young women from the university group had a higher rate of partner rape in their first relationship, their rate dropped significantly over the course of all of their relationships in comparison to the two-year college students, who experienced an increase in partner rape over the course of their relationships. These results suggest that experiences with partner abuse, much like the three groups of young women, are diverse. "We shouldn't assume that young women are all alike in terms of what they go through, or that experiences are consistent across all relationships. For prevention and intervention efforts to work, we will need to take this diversity into account," Kennedy said. Past studies tended to focus on sexual assault as it relates to college campuses. Kennedy's research, however, focuses on young women's first relationships as well as all of their relationships over the course of adolescence and emerging adulthood; it's also the first to compare these different groups in terms of their experiences with partner abuse. "Most college-aged sexual assault research focuses on residential colleges and universities where there is dorm life, drinking on campus and co-ed living," Kennedy said. "But there are more than 5 million students enrolled at two-year community colleges in the United States and even more who don't pursue a higher ed degree. We need to get beyond four-year institutions and learn more about these other groups' experiences with partner abuse." The researchers' next steps include examining young women's disclosure of physical and sexual partner abuse, as well as the role of labeling and stigma in shaping mental health outcomes associated with abuse. ### | https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/msu-wpt010319.php |
Was macht Leila Lowfire beruflich und warum ist sie berhmt? | Busen-Bekanntheit Leila Lowfire hat Sex-Podcast Nur ein Jahr spter grndete Leila Lowfire mit Radio-Journalistin Ines Anioli die Podcast-Reihe "Sexvergngen". Auch Ines Anioli ist keine Unbekannte. Bei einem Konzert signierte Pop-Star Robbie Williams ihre Brste. ", "Big Dick Energy und Schenkelsex" und "Vakuumierte Exfreunde, Scheidenpilz und zweite Geigen". Gegenber "Meedia" sagte Leila Lowfire: "Gerade die Deutschen gehren klischeemig nicht zu den Menschen, die besonders offen ber ihr Sexleben sprechen, bei Sexpodcasts lernt man viel dazu und ich denke auch, dass es manche Leute dazu veranlasst, neue Dinge auszuprobieren, von denen sie vorher dachten, sie wren die einzigen, die das geil finden knnten." | https://www.abendzeitung-muenchen.de/inhalt.dschungelcamp-kandidatin-was-macht-leila-lowfire-beruflich-und-warum-ist-sie-beruehmt.3d255cc0-645b-4beb-88b4-1dacca8b5ac5.html |
What is cloud computing? | Cloud computing is a popular buzz-phrase on the internet, with a Google search revealing 103 million occurrences of the term. Cloud computing refers to delivering on-demand computing services, originally storage, and now more recently processing power and apps, over the internet, with companies using this on a pay-as-you-go basis. The 'cloud' in cloud computing has its origins in network diagrams that draw the internet as a fluffy cloud. History of cloud computing Despite the modern popularity of cloud computing, the notion of computing over a network goes some decades back to 1961. An MIT professor, John McCarthy, considered a founding father of artificial intelligence, in an address at their centennial celebration prophetically spoke: Computing may someday be organized as a public utility just as the telephone system is a public utility. Each subscriber needs to pay only for the capacity he actually uses, but he has access to all programming languages characteristic of a very large system Certain subscribers might offer service to other subscribers The computer utility could become the basis of a new and important industry. The first use of the actual term cloud computing is more modern dating to August 9th, 2006 at the Search Engine Strategies Conference . It is credited to Google CEO Eric Schmidt who said: What's interesting [now] is that there is an emergent new model.... It starts with the premise that the data services and architecture should be on servers. We call it cloud computing they should be in a 'cloud' somewhere. And that if you have the right kind of browser or the right kind of access, it doesn't matter whether you have a PC or a Mac or a mobile phone or a BlackBerry or what have you or new devices still to be developed you can get access to the cloud. For over a decade ago, these words are quite visionary- except the part about BlackBerry, although not surprising in retrospect that Googles Android mobile platform debuted just over a year later, which for sure has contributed to the popularity of cloud computing. Cloud computing and business Cloud computing does simplify things for companies. The burden of owning your own data center and company infrastructure is gone. Rather, the company can then rent the applications, processing power, and storage they need from their cloud service provider. Costs at the front end are reduced, and the company only pays for what they actually need and use, with the ability for it to grow as needed, on demand. Also, the maintenance and updates are all done by the cloud service provider, reducing the tasks for in house IT. The first half of cloud computing is the cloud. While the cloud is not local to the computer, there is some variation to where it is located. For example, there is the term public cloud where the company is not responsible for the upkeep of the server. Its counterpoint is private cloud, where the company takes on the maintenance, and is physically at the location, known as on-premises cloud, or more remote at a data center. Private cloud is often used for more data sensitive applications to maintain control of the data for a higher level of security. A popular solution today combines aspects of a private cloud with a public cloud, gaining advantages of distributing the workloads for optimal performance, which is known as a hybrid cloud solution. There is also the variant of a community cloud where multiple organizations create and maintain their own cloud solution in a collaborative effort. Software-as-a-Service The other half of cloud computing is the computing part, and these days just about any application that does not have the requirement that you need to be in close physical proximity to the computing hardware is amenable to cloud computing. These cloud computing applications get placed into several categories. A popular one is SaaS, which is known as Software-as-a-Service. Other variants of cloud computing applications include PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service), and IaaS (Infrastructure-as-a-Service). A popular example of SaaS is the Microsoft Office 365 suite. Rather than run the program locally, Office 365 is sold as a subscription. For the price of $9.99/month, all the Microsoft Office applications are included. Advantages include that the software, as it is hosted on their server, is continuously kept up to date, and documents are backed up to the cloud for reliable storage, and ease of sharing. Other popular examples of SaaS include Adobe Creative Cloud, Slack, DocuSign and Salesforce.com. Platform-as-a-Service PaaS is the second type of cloud-based computing platform, complete with an operating system, a programming language execution environment, as well as a database. A popular example of a PaaS is Microsoft Azure, which is used by top organizations including Toyota, UPS and Coca-Cola - in fact Microsoft claims that 90% of Fortune 500 companies use it. The hosting is done across 54 Azure datacenter regions available in 140 countries. Folks use Microsoft Azure for a variety of diverse projects, including management of SQL relational databases, cloud-based Microsoft or Linux based virtual machines, and cloud based web apps via Microsoft Azure WebApps. Other examples of PaaS include IBM SmartCloud, the open source RedHat OpenShift, the Google App engine, and Java-based CloudBees. Infrastructure-as-a-Service The third main category of cloud computing is Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS). In this variant, the goal is to provide virtualized computing resources through the internet, with the cloud provider hosting a full suite of infrastructure services, including servers, storage, and networking, and a virtualization layer- in essence everything that would be required at an onsite data center. IaaS provides essential services such as security, log access, monitoring services, and storage resiliency to provide a more robust offering than if it was hosted locally, with a turnkey solution. There are many examples of IaaS, with popular ones including Amazon Web Services, Rackspace Open Cloud, Google Compute Engine, and Apache CloudStack. In fact, Amazon Web Services is so popular, that last year all of the entire companies operating income was derived from their cloud offering. With the power of shared resources in the cloud, whether for software, as a platform, or an entire infrastructure, it is no wonder that cloud computing has enjoyed such large popularity. For all indications it really looks like when it comes to the future of cloud computing, the sky's the limit. | https://www.techradar.com/news/what-is-cloud-computing |
What Are Content KPIs & Why Do They Matter? | ADVERTISEMENT Content key performance indicators (KPIs): they will make or break your content marketing efforts. Because when you do not consider the content KPIs that will go into your ongoing reporting and ultimately your overall content strategy you can make errors in judgment that ultimately will doom your content marketing (and SEO) efforts. When you consider or communicate incorrect key performance indicators, you also run into making decisions based on a result that may or may not be true. When these results are reported, uncertainties can creep into your content strategy, and can ultimately derail your success. Lets take a look at the most common content KPIs and what they can do to help you become a more successful digital marketer. Key performance indicators for online marketing can fall into four categories: SEO Metrics Business and Conversion Metrics Social Engagement Metrics User Engagement Metrics Key Performance Indicator Bucket 1: SEO Metrics SEO Metrics are all the metrics that fall into the SEO bucket: Links Rankings/SERP position Organic clicks Organic click-through rate (CTR) Impressions Page speed Crawl errors And many others. An SEO typically uses these metrics to report on increases in performance in the search results, usually reporting these to their client, shareholders of their company, or their boss. These KPIs are valuable because they can track things like: How a site is performing in the search results. Their organic reach (or how much of a market share they are gaining in terms of keyword phrases). How many people are viewing the site. How much time people are spending on the site. And other useful metrics. When these metrics are reported incorrectly, the result can be bad judgment calls and strategic decisions. This is not good for the SEO implementation as a whole. Say that you found a user spent so much time on the site because they were looking at certain content one month, but then the next month, they were not. While many things can cause this issue, it is important to rule out technical errors and related specific issues that can cause it. This is because a situation like this can also be seasonal, depending on the type of website were dealing with. If you make a change based on one months worth of metrics without considering the entire 12 months (or even a few years worth of data) you could make a judgment call that does not consider the seasonal aspect, and this can be bad for the future. You have now wasted a perfectly good execution based on false assumptions about certain metrics at play. Key Performance Indicator Bucket 2: Business & Conversion Metrics These types of metrics are extremely useful for calculating the business side of things. They help ensure that website metrics are translating to the most important business metric that determines whether a company keeps running: ROI, or return on investment. Lets not kid ourselves. SEO, content marketing, or social media marketing, while creative endeavors, are also business endeavors. These efforts need to be reported on accurately, succinctly, and in such a way that communicates the proper ROI to those in the know and in charge. This will allow a business to keep its doors open, so that it can continue running for the foreseeable future. Heres an example of how a content marketer could track ROI through content marketing: Say you want to tailor content marketing toward keyword phrases with particular content execution strategies in mind. One example would be to use keyword phrases and always make sure they have some performance in the form of search volume. And ALWAYS make sure to use the exact keyword phrases somewhere on the page that youre optimizing. A few months later, as you nail down the reporting of said content metrics and ROI, you can report on whether the content itself was executed in an effective manner. The end result occurs after translating the keywords gained into conversions, and ultimately calculating the final ROI results using the formula for ROI, which is: ROI = Net Profit / Total Investment * 100. The key is to always make sure that you can track the performance of these keyword phrases in some way. If there is no search volume, but there are other metrics associated with positive increases in performance (such as CPC Cost Per Click on the PPC side or market competition), this could be an indicator that the keyword phrase is competitive enough that it has some viability as an SEO keyword. But, as an example: just using a keyword because it has better user intent without any search volume is a mistake, and a wise SEO would do better to choose the keyword with less of an intent, but also has search volume to help in easier tracking and reporting on results. Another business conversion metric to keep an eye on includes conversion rates. Conversion rates tell you the other side of how your content is really performing for you. If you have content on your site that has low conversion rates, and people barely sign up for your services, it may be time to consider A/B testing to identify where improvements can be made to ensure that the content improves in a positive direction. Yet one more important metric to keep reporting tabs on includes reviews. This is an important reputation management tactic that can make or break your websites performance. Reviews form a perception of your business to potential clients. This perception can make clients want to do business with you, or drive you away. Heres an example of a business that cannot survive when reputation management principles are not applied: Katie has had a business for a year and has nothing but stellar reviews for her product and service. A major headhunter from a Fortune 500 company comes across her service and is impressed with all of her positive reviews. This leads to a contract with one of the top companies in the world, and a major win for Katie. This one contract catapulted her income to more than hundreds of thousands of dollars per year, all because she was careful about her reviews. Take Taryn. She has had a floundering business for over four years, with not very much happening for her positively. Her attitude toward customers is awful, so much so, that they have complained about her for a year. After many complaints, the board of directors of the administration for her license finds out and suspends her after verifying the complaints are, in fact, true. This is one example where a negative reputation, without any reputation management involved to mitigate the risk, can come into play for a very negative outcome for the business proprietor. Many of these metrics that we discuss in this book fall into similar veins, and they really can make or break an online marketing strategys success when they are not properly considered. Key Performance Indicator Bucket 3: Social Engagement Metrics When we think of social engagement metrics, we usually think about metrics involved with social media like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram. And the former is correct in terms of how to think about these metrics. Think about it: social engagement is a major method of increasing a brands reach towards real consumers online for a reason: because this is where real people go online to hang out, chat, and get involved with their favorite brands, celebrities, friends, and discussions. Its more than just a social platform its a conversational social outreach explosion. Making sure that you tally the right social engagement metrics is an important part in the reporting of the effectiveness of your content KPI wins. Say for example: you wanted to report on the most popular content that your market segment consumes. Your market segment read your most recent piece of content a 7,000-word piece over 5,000 times, shared your most recent piece of content 2,500 times on Facebook, 2,700 times on Twitter, and 1,700 times on LinkedIn. Looking at the content, we see that for our market, a 7,000-word piece of content ended up doing extremely well with our growing audience. This lets us know that our audience prefers meaty content with substance about our topic, and that they will share it when it reaches the right people. This is one example of effective KPI reporting, while it considers several metrics, helps us form our content strategy for next time, and tells us specifically how to tailor our content for our audience. Also, to continue our theme on errors in judgment that can occur when you dont consider other contributing metrics: say our content was a particularly effective piece of content on Christmas holiday wrapping that was shared during the month of December. Not looking up this piece of information could mislead you to believe that all content for your blog should be written in a similar fashion. While this is an egregious example, it is something that happens quite often. Again, considering all the information, especially when making decisions based on content KPI reporting data will help you make better, more informed choices on what to do next in your content strategy. Key Performance Indicator Bucket 4: User Engagement Metrics These metrics are important to a websites performance KPIs because they tell us how effective content is and how effectively it is gathering traffic and drawing people to your website. Things like conversion rates, time on page, bounce rate, and page views can all be skewed or otherwise erroneously reported on, leading to errors in judgment about where to go next in the overall website content strategy. Heres an example: Lets take our content example above that was shared over 5,000 times. Taking a look into the conversion rate shows a pretty high conversion rate of over 50 percent, which means that it is likely that we obtained 2,500 sales of the service as a result. But, if you dig deeper into user engagement metrics on the order placement side after the order was placed, we found that the sale was one sale for 2,500 instances of the service to one person, not 2,500 sales. This means that one person out of 5,000 shares bought 2,500 instances of the service. This is where errors in judgment and furthering your content strategy can be tricky, because if you dont take into account that additional dimension, you could potentially see that 2,500 sales of a service were completed, but not that they were completed by one person. This is where things like goals in Google Analytics or UTM parameters can come into play. By tying social conversion metrics into the goal completions in Google Analytics, you can drill down more effectively into how someone ultimately completed the sale of those services through user engagement metrics. User engagement metrics are also useful for finding out what people are physically doing on your site. For example, if you find that most traffic from Google is being seen on 10,000 valuable pages, but you have 25,000 pages on the site, then you know that you need to cut 15,000 pages that are not being seen as anything valuable whatsoever. But, if you have a site with 25,000 pages, all 25,000 pages are receiving traffic, but people are spending more time on certain pages than others, then you know that you need to conduct A/B testing. The goal of this A/B testing would be to figure out how to make your remaining pages interesting enough for this traffic to engage and ultimately convert on your site. Why Content KPIs Are Important & Why They Matter to Your Overall Content Strategy Many content KPIs are available for reporting on how your content is performing online. These KPIs can further be used to identify and shape your overall content strategy. By choosing the right KPIs, putting together the right data, and reaching the correct conclusions based on what the key performance indicators tell you, it is possible to adjust your SEO strategy to match what your audience expects, and what they will ultimately successfully consume. When you do this effectively, it is possible to zero in on good judgment calls that will ultimately make you successful in the long run. You will also be able to eventually nail down what it will take to make your content strategy succeed and destroy your competition in the space. No one ever succeeded in a vacuum without the proper data to back up their conclusions. Proper KPIs are so important in todays reporting and can make or break your success. Image Credits Featured Image: Paulo Bobita Category Content Marketing | https://www.searchenginejournal.com/content-marketing-kpis/what-are-content-kpis-why-they-matter/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedpress.me&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+searchenginejournal |
Can we 'put a little space between what we feel and how we respond'? | Peter Sara writes on appealing to emotions, not reason. The recent reaction to the decision by the Rev Stu Crossan's congregation about same-sex marriage was entirely predictable (St Matthew's Anglican Church, Dunedin). These days, those who express points of view which are contrary to the prevailing orthodoxy are likely to get similar treatment. The opinions or views themselves are not often carefully distinguished from their makers, so we see again and again instances of "playing the man, not the ball" (ad hominem) usually abusive, always disparaging and most likely bullying. This is a serious issue for us all, because we will be asked to deal with issues which are divisive and controversial. Euthanasia and cannabis use reform are but two. Already the noise has begun on both issues and lines are being drawn. Positions are being taken and the machinery of influence will no doubt crank up through the usual channels of media, leading up to voting time. The point of this piece is not so much with the content of the influencing campaigns or the arguments which will be presented for and against such issues, but with our responses to them. Everyone likes to think that they are a rational being and eschew bigotry and ignorance. Kiwis see themselves as fair-minded and reasonable, and have an intense dislike of anyone or anything which attempts to deceive in order to win an argument. Con artists are not our favourite people. Carol Travis and Elliott Aronson, both psychologists, wrote a book about this very topic: Mistakes were made (but not by me), which may well be worthy compulsory reading for everyone. The authors argue that self-justification is a universal human trait which can let us off the hook in ways which are acceptable such as not beating ourselves up about taking the wrong route on a journey, but which are potentially disastrous for ourselves, and others, if allowed mindless free reign. They go on to name the villain (described as the "engine of self-justification") as cognitive dissonance (dissonance for short). This in turn is described as a state of tension that occurs whenever a person holds two cognitions (ideas, attitudes, beliefs, opinions) that are psychologically inconsistent. They go on to show that rather than process information logically, we will instead commit "confirmation bias". By this they mean if the information conforms to our beliefs we will think it is useful and well-founded, but if it is contrary (dissonant), then we consider it biased or foolish. By that token, National Party supporters who continue to hold the ground at 45% have confirmation bias about the superiority of its policies, and that very bias confirms the confirmation bias in Labour supporters that National supporters are blind to the government's achievements. The point is no-one is exempt from confirmation basis. Two solutions are offered by the authors: admit we are fallible and admit mistakes when we make them. "By looking at our actions critically and dispassionately, as if we were observing someone else, we stand a chance of breaking out of the cycle of action followed by self-justification, followed by more committed action. We can learn to put a little space between what we feel and how we respond, insert a moment of reflection, and think about whether we really want to hold on to a belief that is unfettered by facts." The second thought is about how we react to disagreement. Vince Vitale wrote in Jesus among secular Gods: "Sadly, because truth so often has been abused as power play, experience has taught us that disagreement goes hand-in-hand with devaluing. We have learned that the trajectory of disagreement is from disagreement to devaluing to intolerance to violence. In fact the opposite should be true. Disagreeing with someone who is being completely irrational is futile. Our bothering to take the time to disagree with someone should be a sign that we think we can learn from them, that there is enough truth in what they are saying that, with revisions, to believe their ideas could make a positive impact. My disagreement with you should be itself an act of valuing you." It goes without saying that we should conduct ourselves with civility and respect as we encounter the winds of influence which may buffet our positions. May it be that we are quick to listen and seek first to understand, as we grapple with issues our ancestors would never have imagined. - Peter Sara is an elder at the Elim Church, Dunedin | https://www.odt.co.nz/opinion/can-we-put-little-space-between-what-we-feel-and-how-we-respond |
Is Ariana Grande Back Together with Ricky Alvarez? | NO ONE, that's whoat least according to a recent tweet claiming she's going to remain single for the entirety of 2019. Buuuuut on the other hand she was just spotted wandering around New York City with her ex-boyfriend and fellow donut-licker Ricky Alvarez. Here's some footage posted to Ari's Insta story taken during their hang sesh: Ariana Grande making weird noises with Ricky in NYC is the best thing Ive seen pic.twitter.com/Umh41zzJsM Kelsey (@KelCookieDoe) January 2, 2019 FYI to those of you assuming that Ariana and Ricky must be back together, some photos were taken of them chilling and a) they weren't holding hands or being otherwise romantic, and b) it's possible for exes to be just friends! Which, by the way, Ariana pointed out in early December: Instagram It looks like Ari and Ricky rekindled their friendship right around the release of "Thank U, Next." She even showed him the song, and they had a cute convo about his shoutout on Instagram: | https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/a25732614/ariana-grande-ricky-alvarez-relationship-2019/ |
Did Media Blow It on 130/80 BP Target? | The most balanced media coverage of the 2017 expanded definition of hypertension came from journal articles, researchers suggested. When the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) announced in November 2017 that they were jointly lowering their official threshold for hypertension down to 130/80 mm Hg in a broad population, the ensuing news stories tended to be too uncritical, suggested the team led by Raymond Moynihan, PhD, of Bond University in Gold Coast, Australia. Of 100 English-language news articles -- largely from consumer publications around the world, excluding physician-focused publications like MedPage Today -- 98 covered the benefits of the expanded definition and 67 did not mention any harms. Moreover, 73 of the stories mainly focused on the benefits, and 98 failed to mention conflicts of interest belonging to the authors of the new hypertension cutoffs, Moynihan's group showed in a paper published online in JAMA Internal Medicine. Not surprisingly, the 15 press releases studied were even more glowing about the expanded coverage. "In light of moves to reform disease definition processes, our findings suggest a need to improve media coverage of expanding disease definitions, particularly when those expanding definitions may cause many people harm," the authors said. On the other hand, most of the 37 published editorials and commentaries from that period were neutral regarding the risk-benefit balance, as nearly 80% of these journal articles did mention harms. (MedPage Today covered the 2017 ACC/AHA guideline release. Judge for yourself how we stack up.) Given that the analysis was limited to English-language articles available from the ProQuest database, Moynihan and colleagues acknowledged that they did not capture all media stories on the new hypertension cutoffs. Nevertheless, there remains concerns about potential overtreatment and uncertainty regarding blood pressure measurement methods. Both the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Family Physicians declined to endorse the tighter definition. Instead, the two organizations recommend a systolic blood pressure target of 150 mm Hg among adults ages 60 and older (or 140 mm Hg for patients with high cardiovascular risk or a history of stroke or transient ischemic attack). Moynihan disclosed receiving grant support from Australia's National Health and Medical Research Council as well as serving on the scientific committee for the Preventing Overdiagnosis conference. 2019-03-01T00:00:00-0500 | https://www.medpagetoday.com/cardiology/hypertension/77208 |
Are NFL teams holding Colts fiasco against Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels? | originally appeared on nbcsportsboston.com As the regular season drew to a close, conventional wisdom held that Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would be near the top of the list for teams seeking a new head coach. Scroll to continue with content Ad But with one-quarter of the league's jobs open, McDaniels has reportedly been contacted by just two teams -- the Packers and Bengals so far. Browns owner Jimmy Haslam is also said to be "high" on McDaniels after having interviewed him twice in the past. By rule, McDaniels can interview this week with the Patriots on their bye. He cannot meet with teams after this week until the Patriots are eliminated or during the bye week prior to the Super Bowl if the Patriots make it that far. Pro Football Talk poobah Mike Florio joined me on Tuesday's Quick Slants to discuss the NFL coaching landscape and, if his perspective is a guide, maybe last season's "I'm in, I'm out . . . " routine with the Colts has cost McDaniels. I don't know how he's gonna land a staff." MORE PATRIOTS Story continues Florio was alluding to assistant coaches Matt Eberflus, Mike Phair and Dave DeGuglielmo, who were all committed to coach for the Colts under McDaniels. When McDaniels pulled out of the Indy job two days after the Super Bowl and a day before he was to be announced in Indy, the Colts decided they would honor all three contracts. DeGuglielmo (who was the Patriots' offensive line coach in 2014 and '15), Eberflus and Phair all stayed. Florio raises a legitimate point. Prospective head coaches can't just show up for an interview and shrug when asked who their offensive and defensive coordinators will be. They need to have done advance work to both find out who will be good lieutenants, both philosophically and in terms of personality. Those would-be assistants are putting faith in the candidate. McDaniels is going to have to quell concerns among prospective assistants that that won't happen again. Another reason for the slow response could be the presumption McDaniels is in line for the Patriots head coaching position and is going to bide his time at a hefty financial rate until Bill Belichick steps aside. The only issues there are that McDaniels has not been assured he's the next head coach of the Patriots and Belichick really isn't showing signs he's about to shove off. Of all the opportunities out there, the Bengals is by far the least appetizing. They are a notoriously cheap franchise that lags behind most of the league in facilities, scouting and player amenities. They also aren't talented. Green Bay has an aging, future Hall of Fame quarterback in place who's coming off a dysfunctional run with former head coach Mike McCarthy. Buyer beware is good advice for anyone considering that job. That also could be the advice right now on McDaniels. Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device. NBC SPORTS BOSTON SCHEDULE | https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl-teams-holding-colts-fiasco-192001506.html?src=rss |
How perfect is Lloyd Kelly for Liverpool? | Rishabh Zarapkar FOLLOW CONTRIBUTOR Feature 436 // 03 Jan 2019, 22:18 IST SHARE Share Options Facebook Twitter Flipboard Reddit Google+ Email Just last week, Liverpool left-back Alberto Moreno expressed his thoughts about the lack of game time at Liverpool and was talking about a move away from the club. Moreno has been constantly kept out of the Liverpool side by Andy Robertson, Jurgen Klopp's first choice for the position. It is quite unlikely now for Moreno to break into the Liverpool first team right now unless Robertson picks up an injury. He is at that stage of his career where he needs to play regularly for a team, and is hence looking to seek a move away from the club. Lloyd Kelly may be the man to replace Moreno at Liverpool. As a likely Moreno replacement and a likely back-up to Andy Robertson, Liverpool has been watching Bristol Citys 20-year-old Lloyd Kelly. Kelly is a technically gifted player, very talented and has had a good season so far with Bristol City averaging a WhoScored rating of around 7, based on his overall performances. He is good at his position, very calm and confident on the ball. So far, he has scored one goal this season with, surprisingly, zero assists. Crossing the ball is one aspect where he would need to improve upon. Other than that, he is a perfect Moreno replacement for Liverpool at the moment, available for less than about 15 million. He is valued currently at about 1.5 million, but due to competition to sign him from other clubs and other factors like current inflation, the price may rise to around 12 million - 15 million. Kelly maintains his position quite well at left back. He moves forward just like any other player in that position, but more importantly, he tracks back quite well. He is an attacking threat, but would also offer defensive stability to the side. In his 22 matches for Bristol City this season, he has managed 53 clearances and 23 interceptions, which is also more than what the Liverpool full-back Robertson has managed this season. At this early age, it will be perfect for Kelly to make his breakthrough in the Premier League. If Liverpool manages to sign him, he will definitely add more utility to the squad and will be happy to support Robertson and also compete with him, on the other hand, for the left back position. It will be a good move for Liverpool too because the lad has definitely the potential to become one of the best left-backs in the world. He might actually replace Robertson in Liverpools first team after some years. For Lloyd, to work with Jrgen Klopp and to work alongside the likes of Van Dijk, Alisson, even Robertson in Liverpools defence will be an invaluable experience. It will definitely help him to develop and become the best left back in the world in the future. Advertisement | https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/how-perfect-is-lloyd-kelly-for-liverpool |
Would Kohlis team selection have back-fired if India had lost the toss in the Sydney test? | Amarjeet Nayak FOLLOW ANALYST Feature 286 // 03 Jan 2019, 21:25 IST SHARE Share Options Facebook Twitter Flipboard Reddit Google+ Email Virat Kohli Though there are still four days left in the Sydney test, India have already moved to a very dominant position with three hundred plus runs already on the board and six wickets still intact. Whats more, they have two set batsmen at the crease. So, despite the glorious uncertainties of the game, it is difficult to see India losing from here. In fact, the pitch is expected to assist turn from day three onwards and India has two skillful spinners in Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav, and the threat of Jasprit Bumrah cannot be overlooked on any surface and against any team. So, at this point, an India victory is the most likely result, with an Indian defeat the least likely one. If that indeed happens, it will be one of the greatest moments in Indian cricket history. Generations of great Indian cricketers have come to Australia, only to leave the shore after heavy defeats or few drawn series. This Indian team is on the verge of creating history by being the first Indian team to win a test series in Australia. Though this is a hypothetical situation, but cricketing logic says, India would have struggled too, primarily because of the reason that Kohli had decided to go with just two pace bowlers, who would have had to share much of the burden as the spinners would have got little assistance. The match would have been an entirely different one and Indias team selection would have come under the scanner. The whole point of writing about this hypothetical situation is not to find fault with the captain and team management, but to simply point out that even the greatest of people, including sporting legends need a bit of helping hand from the lady luck to create history. Indias likely series win against Australia is not down to luck; its primarily due to the collective effort of a terrific set of cricketers. And they deserve their share of good fortune here, after it had completely deserted them in England when Captain Kohli lost all the five tosses in the test series. Three out of the four tests that India lost in England were quite competitive and there is enough cricketing logic to speculate that the scoreline would quite possibly have been very different if Kohli had managed to win at least a couple of tosses there! Advertisement | https://www.sportskeeda.com/cricket/would-kohli-s-team-selection-have-back-fired-if-india-had-lost-the-toss-in-the-sydney-test |
Can Modi recover from election defeats? | Among the A-listers who flocked to the lavish $100 million wedding that gripped India last month, one man was conspicuous by his absence. Narendra Modi has forged close ties with Mukesh Ambani, Indias richest man, since sweeping to power in 2014. With Mr Ambani drawing politicians, business associates, Bollywoods brightest and Beyonc to his daughters marriage, it was safe to assume that the prime minister was high on the guest list. Mr Modi, 68, failed to appear, however. Instead, on the day of the wedding, he was digesting the heaviest electoral beating of his premiership. His Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had slipped to defeat in three state elections in Indias Hindi heartlands which will be crucial at national polls in the spring, when Mr Modi | https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/can-modi-recover-from-election-defeats-q56n0z2bv |
Why does macOS keep downloading the incompatible app list? | Ever since I first developed SystHist and was able to see exactly which packages were being installed on my Macs, one repeated installation has puzzled me: the Incompatible App List used by System Migration. Every few weeks, on Sierra, High Sierra, and now Mojave, my Macs tend to download the package com.apple.pkg.incompatibleAppList and install it, even though it is almost always unchanged. The package itself is quite innocent. It lives in /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SystemMigration.framework and is a bit of an oddity. Although its sort of security data it gives System Migration a blacklist of apps and software which musnt be migrated it doesnt seem to get pushed out as a silent update when its changed. Quite why it seemed to be updated every few weeks was a mystery to me, though. On 31 December 2018, at 14:08, SystHist recorded another one of those mystery updates. The package com.apple.pkg.incompatibleAppList.10_14.16U1638 was installed yet again, although it hadnt changed from the version dated 29 October 2018, which I had noticed had already been installed at least three times on this Mac. Having caught it red-handed at last, it was time to take to the log and discover how this update came about. The short answer is com.apple.mac.install and System Migration, in its daemon systemmigrationd . What I had done to prompt this update was open Migration Assistant, to take a screenshot for an article for MacFormat. The log entries are interesting, as they give insight into what Migration Assistant does before you even pass its first splash screen. When you open Migration Assistant, it starts up a group of tools including systemmigrationd , the daemon which apparently connects to another Mac for migration purposes. This is announced in the log by three entries: 36.705387 systemmigrationd: Starting 37.565241 systemmigrationd: New connection for System Selection 37.566009 systemmigrationd: Adding client <SMDSystemScanner_XPCClientConnection: 0x7fc448a17270%gt; SystemMigrationUtils is then ready to inform a potential remote System Migration client of its currently-booted system using a UUID identifier for it, in case System Migration is going to be used in server mode. The next task is to scan all available volumes, looking for those which can be used as sources for system migration. Each is checked by BSD mountpoint to see whether its a disk image, is encrypted or locked, and whether the scanner can mount it. Where a volume looks a promising migration source, SystemMigrationUtils looks for the Directory Services Database (DSDB) and SystemVersion.plist. SystemMigrationUtils concurrently downloads the macOS software update catalogue, requests the Incompatible App List, then installs it: 38.250693 Checking Software Update catalog URL https://swscan.apple.com/content/catalogs/others/index-10.14-10.13-10.12-10.11-10.10-10.9-mountainlion-lion-snowleopard-leopard.merged-1.sucatalog 52.064520 Catalog download complete. 52.917953 Update package downloaded to /var/folders/zz/zyxvpxvq6csfxvn_n0000000000000/T/SMIncompatibleAppUpdate/CFNetworkDownload_JJrVAL.tmp 52.969824 Began to install update to Incompatible Software Data. According to SystHist, at 14:08:53, the new copy of MigrationIncompatibleApplicationsList.plist and supporting files were installed in /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks/SystemMigration.framework. The bug here appears to be that SystemMigrationUtils doesnt check to see whether the list has changed since the last version installed, a minor point I know, but this repeated download was puzzling. Im also not convinced that it is only downloaded when Migration Assistant is opened: Im sure that even I dont open that tool as often as the file has been updated here, and suspect that there may be other triggers. Theres a lot to System Migration: its tools include SystemMigration, compatchecker, DirectorySurgeon, migrationhelper, migrationTool, removexattr (to strip extended attributes), safecp (for safe copying), and the systemmigrationd daemon itself, none of which seems to be documented in any way. | https://eclecticlight.co/2019/01/03/why-does-macos-keep-downloading-the-incompatible-app-list/ |
Is There Any Hope for J.C. Penney? | The stock of J.C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) recently closed under $1 per share for the first time in its history, highlighting its parallels with Sears Holdings (NASDAQOTH: SHLDQ) all too closely. Yet where the bankrupt retailer Sears just got a stay of execution as Chairman Eddie Lampert submitted a last-minute bid to buy it, J.C. Penney apparently doesn't have a deep-pocketed savior waiting on the sidelines. It increasingly looks like J.C. Penney could go under, and there may be no recourse to resurrect the 117-year-old retailing icon. Woman picking up an order from a J.C. Penney employee More Image source: J.C. Penney. The Christmas season was the retailer's last chance to show it can remain a viable business. Mastercard's SpendingPulse report found strong consumer confidence during the holidays, with U.S. retail sales between Nov. 1 and Dec. 24 hitting over $850 billion, a 5.1% jump over the same period in the previous year, the largest increase in the last six years. Department store online sales were 10% higher than last year. Yet investors don't see those gains applying to J.C. Penney as the SpendingPulse report also indicated that sales at physical locations of department stores fell 1.3% for the two-month holiday period, suggesting that even with store closures and employee layoffs, retailers were still having a rough time. After a poorly received third-quarter earnings report in November that showed a 5.4% decline in comparable-store sales, comps guidance that was lower for the year, and deep discounts to clear out inventory, Penney's future looks bleak. Quick action is needed, and the retailer is running out of time. The ever-present threat of Amazon Penney needs to come up with a strategy that reconnects with consumers who are no longer attracted to its mid-tier retail position, while countering Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN), which continues to consume the world. Although the e-commerce giant didn't provide specifics -- it rarely does -- it called the holiday season a record-breaking one that saw more items sold worldwide than ever before. It noted that just in the U.S., over 1 billion items were shipped via its Prime member loyalty program, which now has over 100 million members globally. With Amazon sucking all the oxygen out of the room, there's little wonder that retailers in general are having a hard time catching their breath, let alone financially troubled ones like J.C. Penney. Becoming a penny stock Although trading under $1 per share is a warning sign, Penney isn't in immediate danger of being delisted. The stock only closed below $1 on one day -- Dec. 27 -- and the NYSE wouldn't begin the delisting process until the stock closed below $1 for 30 consecutive trading days. That doesn't mean investors shouldn't worry. The troubled department store needs to begin showing signs it is reversing course and can attract customers once again. It needs to generate more cash because it carries a heavy debt load exceeding $4 billion while having little money in the bank. It will continue to be cash-flow-positive by the end of the year, and that's no small thing, but having closed below $1 per share for the first time indicates that Wall Street really doesn't hold much long-term hope. A slim chance is better than none | https://news.yahoo.com/hope-j-c-penney-161300793.html |
Who do Manchester United FC fans WANT to win between Liverpool FC and Manchester City? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email They are the forgotten men of a Premier League title race they would definitely rather forget themselves. As Liverpool and Manchester City form two of what is at present a three-horse title race, Manchester United supporters are facing their sporting apocalypse. For plenty of the Old Trafford faithful, the choice between the two clubs and who they would rather see lift the Premier League in May is like asking which finger they would like to lose. Yet one United fan has put his head above the parapet and admits he will be supporting City tonight report the Liverpool Echo. Speaking to the Times, United We Stand editor Anthony Shaw says it's difficult to accept how their two bitterest rivals will battle it out in the most anticipated game of the season. Watching Liverpool and Manchester City fight it out for the title is a dreaded scenario for any Manchester United fan, Shaw said. We were hoping Spurs might throw a spanner in the works, but I think its a two-horse race. Its not a nice choice to make, but if United fans had to choose between the two for who they most want to win the league, most would prefer it to be City. Thats mainly because they are not close to United in terms of league titles, whereas Liverpool are. (Image: PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images) Theres also the fact that City are probably a smaller club and some consider them a way behind United in terms of size and trophies won. Given how long Liverpool have gone without winning the league, it would be a big monkey off their back if they won it, but with City its just normal for them to win things at the moment due to the amount of investment. I will watch the game tonight. Its difficult to accept that United arent involved in the biggest game of the Premier League season, but that is how it is. I hope that City prevail, but I definitely wont be cheering if they score a goal. I would never do that. | https://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/who-manchester-united-fc-fans-15626722 |
Are the Anti-Fascists the Real Fascists? | To listen to the radical left, youd think that the Republicans and the Conservatives were the real fascists who are undermining our society, including the people who support that Hitler Clone, President Donald Trump. That libel and slander of calling the opposition fascists, has persisted up till the present day Back in 2010, during the height of the Tea Party Movement, the left (a/k/a Democrats and Progressives), were accusing that group of using fascist tactics in opposing the policies of the medias fair-haired boy, President Barack Obama. The more the Tea Party pointed out the failings of the Obama Administration the more they were called racists, bigots, and, of course, fascists. The great dichotomy of those labels is that wherever and whenever the Tea Party demonstrated, no violence occurred, no property damage happened, and no violence-inducing rhetoric was spoken, no arrests were made by the police, and by the way, whenever the Tea Party left a demonstration venue they left the area practically as clean as they found it (compare that with the lefts version of the Tea Party, the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) anarchists who demonstrated around the same time and left mounds of filth and trash). That libel and slander of calling the opposition fascists, has persisted up till the present day when the radical left has smeared Republicans and Conservatives with those same unjustifiable libels and slanders. Two good (or worse examples) of the fascist left are ANTIFA (an acronym for anti-fascist) and BLACK LIVES MATTER. They do not demonstrate peacefully, they demonstrate by inciting riots, they damage private property, and they harass law enforcement. They are the ones who use fascist tactics by stopping speakers with an opposing point-of-view on college campuses, and other venues, they are the ones who chant Pigs in a blanket, fry em like bacon (referring to policeman) and What do we want, dead cops, when do we want it, now, and they attack others using violence causing physical injury to others. | https://canadafreepress.com/article/are-the-anti-fascists-the-real-fascists |
Is there any way back for these players at Everton FC? | Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Having been ostracised by Jose Mourinho at Manchester United, the French midfielder was able to find his best form on a football pitch again and there was a buoyancy about him once the pair were parted. This isnt a tale about Paul Pogba, now revitalised at Old Trafford and the latest to experience the tough love of the once self-styled Special One but his compatriot Morgan Schneiderlin who left Old Trafford for Everton two years ago in the transfer window but now faces an uncertain future. Having been left out in the cold by Mourinho, Schneiderlin initially impressed at Goodison Park with a string of eye-catching displays as the Blues climbed the table in Ronald Koemans first season. However, once the novelty has worn off, luxury vehicles can sometimes prove high maintenance and form-wise the engine wasn't working Schneiderlin in 2017-18 in what was a tough season for both club and individual. A ridiculous sending off in Lyon and alleged training ground incident also involving Kevin Mirallas did not help the players popularity with Blues fans and the relationship appeared to be deteriorating when he was booed at Goodison Park when coming on as a substitute. However, with the slate seemingly being wiped clean under new manager Marco Silva last summer there was an opportunity for Schneiderlin to start afresh. He started four out of the first five Premier League matches under the new boss but hasnt been picked in the first XI in the competition since the 3-1 reversal at home to West Ham United on September 16. (Image: Jan Kruger/Getty Images) Less than a week ago, Silva told the Liverpool Echo that he was refusing to give up on Schneiderlin but admitted the player faces a big challenge. But Schneiderlin is far from being the only player at Everton to have suffered a fall from grace. One thing Silva hasnt been shy in doing since his appointment has been making big calls with high-profile players that often havent been that palatable for the individuals in question. The clubs prodigal son Wayne Rooney was packed off to the USA before pre-season began and while the squads two longest-serving players club captain Phil Jagielka and Leighton Baines - the Blues best left-back of modern times - who have both been at Goodison since 2007 were at least given the chance to show their merits, they quickly made way for new arrivals. And were not just talking about being given a potential occasional run-out in fixtures like this Saturdays FA Cup tie at home to League Two Lincoln City. Unlike Koeman and Sam Allardyce, Silva it seems doesnt like to operate with two defensive midfielders and therefore there isnt room for both Schneiderlin and Idrissa Gueye in the side with the manager preferring the more creative talents of his compatriot Andre Gomes. A player of Schneiderlins standing wont be satisfied with what has now almost become a replica of his Manchester United situation at Everton but like so many of the expensive misfits from the previous regime, the challenge for Marcel Brands is being able to offload such players. (Image: Tony McArdle/Everton FC via Getty Images) While Goodison stalwarts Jagielka and Baines seem likely to be retained as squad options for the remainder of their current contracts at the end of this season, the summer of 2019 seems an opportune time for a parting of the ways for both after a dozen years of sterling service apiece - its just a shame that neither has yet been given a testimonial game. For members of the squad still in their 20s who have found themselves out of favour though, amicable solutions seem less straightforward. Silva has a large virtually fully-fit squad to choose from but despite his players having the least rest of any of their Premier League rivals over the hectic festive period and his lacklustre side heading for a 1-0 defeat in an atrocious New Years Day contest at home to Leicester City, he chose not introduce a third substitute. Such a gesture only fuels speculation that the manager does not have much faith in the options at his disposal. While Schneiderlin has found himself cast aside, Silva has shown great faith in homegrown hero Tom Davies, handing him the captaincy on occasions at the tender age of 20 but while the midfielder had been poised to come on against Leicester, he was sent back to the bench after the visitors went ahead. The chaos factor of Oumar Niasse, who Silva previously brought to Hull City on loan, was utilised as one last desperate throw of the dice in the previous contest at Brighton & Hove Albion but was absent from the matchday squad against the Foxes. Also missing was Ademola Lookman, whose stop-start career on Merseyside continues to frustrate. The young winger would have been a potential game-changer but was not included. After suffering a sickening double leg break last January, James McCarthy still hasnt returned to the first team picture despite apparently now being back up to speed fitness-wise and the Irish international has been linked to a potential exit this week. Like many new managers, Silva has tried to be fair to many of the players he has inherited but with now over half a season gone, his ideas are beginning to crystallise and those not at the forefront of his thoughts are starting to look increasingly surplus to requirements. There will continues to be casualties along the way as for the umpteenth time in recent years the squad is reshaped but while the clubs new-found wealth thanks to Farhad Moshiri has enabled them to flex their financial muscles in the transfer market, Everton have found it far easier to bring players in than dispense with them and that includes the army of high-earners they currently have out on loan. | https://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/any-way-back-players-everton-15626374 |
Can Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally make real history? | Opinion: Arizona's first female senators, Kyrsten Sinema and Martha McSally, could make real history, the sort of history that would matter. U.S. Senate Candidates Martha McSally and Kyrsten Sinema (Photo: The Republic) Arizona made history on Thursday as its two new U.S. senators were sworn into office. They are the 12th and 13th senators to represent the state, both of them women. Both are smart, savvy politicians. Both claim to want to do right by the state. Now well see if they really mean it. Outgoing Sen. Jon Kyl, in his departing press conference on Wednesday, lamented the sorry state of those who claim to represent us in Washington, D.C. "The chasm between Democrats and Republicans is wider than ever," Kyl said. "There's an estrangement that exists between the two 'teams' now. Yes, there are always differences. We've had two political parties and there are going to be differences. But today there seems to be an estrangement, an inability to work with each other and almost an unwillingness to even try that wasn't that evident when I left five years ago." The next year will be a high-wire act for McSally. Everything she does will be with an eye toward getting elected in 2020. Everything. Certainly, she can continue to lead the chorus of amens every time President Donald Trump opens his mouth or his Twitter account and delight her hard-right followers. But to get elected, she has to move to the center toward Sinema, in fact. Tomorrow at noon, Ill take the Oath of Office as a United States Senator, McSally tweeted on Wednesday. I look forward to advocating for our great state and all Arizonans. Well be watching, Sen. McSally, to see if you really mean that. Still, it seems to me that Sinemas got the tougher hill to climb in 2019. Arizonas only elected senator won because she long ago moved from her partys fringe to that increasingly rarified earth called middle ground. In her victory speech in November, Sinema addressed the poisonous political environment that has turned Americans into enemy combatants. Our challenge today is to heal the rent in our countrys fabric, to come together as a people and as a nation, to set aside our minor differences and unite around our love of country and its fundamental freedoms guaranteed by our great constitution, she said. Of course, that was before Gov. Doug Ducey appointed McSally to be the other part of Team Arizona in the Senate. Galling doesnt even begin to cover it, Im sure. I dont imagine Sinema relishes the idea of holding hands and skipping into the future with someone who not even three months ago called her a traitor to her country. I dont imagine shes much interested in doing anything that might boost McSallys election chances. Sinema is pals, after all, with Republican-turned-Democrat Grant Woods, who is contemplating a 2020 run for the seat now held by McSally. "The chasm between Democrats and Republicans is wider than ever," Kyl lamented on Wednday. Arizonas first female senators, one a Republican, one a Democrat, have a chance to make history now -- not by virtue of their gender but by virtue of their ability, should they possess it, to lead the way and bridge that gaping chasm. Arizona is watching, senators ... and hoping ... Reach Roberts at [email protected]. Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2019/01/03/can-kyrsten-sinema-and-martha-mcsally-make-real-history/2472827002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/laurieroberts/2019/01/03/can-kyrsten-sinema-and-martha-mcsally-make-real-history/2472827002/ |
Is Organic Food Over? | One morning in 2015, instead of heading into the fields, a group of about 50 farmers gathered in a parking lot in Vermont a handful on tractors. They arrived to protest outside a meeting of the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB); on a mountain of decomposing kale stalks, onion peels, and tomato stems, they objected to a proposal that would allow producers of hydroponic vegetables to put a USDA-certified organic label on berries and greens grown without soil. The demonstration was the start of a movement called Keep Soil in Organic, and its one small example of the many big ways people are arguing about what organic really means now. Unlike vague food label terms like natural and humane, the USDA-certified organic label has long been seen as a reliable stamp: It signals that a food was produced according to set standards that prohibit the use of most synthetic pesticides and includes other requirements related to conserving biodiversity and animal welfare. It means the farm and any processing facilities involved in producing that food have been evaluated by a third-party certifier to verify the standards are being followed. Those who believe in organic as a solution to negative effects of conventional food production assumed the word would evolve into shorthand for healthy but it was never going to be that simple. Talk to farmers like the ones at the protest, and organic is a lifestyle that involves a philosophical understanding of the relationship farmers (and all people) have to the earth; talk to a Whole Foods supplier and organic is a value-add that means a higher price on the shelf. Talk to a consumer, and organic is now simply confusing. A big reason for that is that those within the industry not to mention the institutions that use and govern the term dont agree on several contentious issues. First, animal welfare standards: Advocates say factory farm operations that use organic feed but confine thousands of chickens or cows into cramped indoor spaces do not meet the standard, but those farms are continually approved for certification. Farmers like those at the protest see these issues as related to an influx of corporations trying to cash in on the term. Organic product sales reached nearly $50 billion in 2017 and demand still vastly outstrips supply, sometimes leading to outright fraud. A Washington Post investigation last year, for example, revealed that in the rush to satisfy demand, millions of pounds of soybeans and corn from Turkey were sold into the U.S. market as organic but had been grown using conventional farming practices. Theres no question organic is at a very critical juncture right now, says Max Goldberg, founder of Organic Insider. It has become very big business, and everyone wants a piece of it. The history of organic To understand the organic standard, it helps to know the history. Chemical pesticides began to transform American agriculture after World War II. With war-torn countries desperate for food, the global call was to produce as much food as possible, quickly. Fast facts In 2017, the organic food market hit $45.2 billion in sales. (Source: OTA) The Organic Trade Association (OTA) is a membership-based business association for organic agriculture and products that represents 9,500+ organic businesses. Fraud After a Washington Post investigation, USDA inspectors found Aurora Organic Dairy which was producing private-label organic milk for Walmart, Target, and Costco in violation of 14 tenets of the organic law, including confining their cattle (grazing is required by law). At the time, the farm housed 4,400 cows. (Source: Cornucopia Institute) 21 million pounds: The amount of imported certified organic soybeans sold to consumers before it was discovered they were fraudulently labeled organic. (Source: Washington Post) Chemical companies had the answer. During the war, the insecticide DDT was credited with saving thousands of lives thanks to how effective it was at eliminating disease-carrying insects. Plus, companies like I.G. Farben which had produced chemical weapons and gas chamber poisons like Zyklon B and participated in the operation of concentration camps needed new markets. (The company was broken up into smaller entities after a postwar trial. Two of those entities, BASF and Bayer, are still among the biggest manufacturers of agricultural chemicals today. Bayer also purchased Monsanto earlier this year.) With these suddenly available tools that made commodity agriculture easier, many farmers heeded the call to scale up using chemical inputs, including synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. And that call got louder in subsequent decades, when famed secretary of agriculture Earl Butz repeatedly told farmers to get big or get out. However, a different idea about how to feed the world was also taking root. The American version of An Agricultural Testament, a book that sparked interest in organic agriculture, was published in 1943, and J.I. Rodale founded the pioneering research organization the Soil and Health Foundation (now the Rodale Institute) in 1947. In 1962, conservationist Rachel Carson published Silent Spring, a popular book that sounded an alarm about the damaging environmental (and to a lesser extent, health) effects of pesticides. In response, part of the anti-establishment awakening of the 60s and 70s became the back-to-the-land movement. It was part of a counterculture movement moving back to the land, eating whole foods, and growing this fruit without a lot of chemical pesticides or fertilizers, right? says Dave Chapman, an organic tomato farmer and one of the leaders of the aforementioned Vermont protest. In the process we learned a lot of very good reasons to do it that way. For these pioneers, it was about more than just not using pesticides; it was about environmental stewardship, family health, and living in line with the principles of nature. And their original customers were local eaters with the same principles, who purchased food from them directly. Over the years, as more organic food was produced and sales shifted to bigger grocery stores, a movement for an organic certification emerged. The movement was concerned with establishing a set standard for the term so that shoppers could easily identify organic food and so that the term could not be co-opted by farmers not following agreed-upon practices. In 1973, Oregon passed the first state law regulating organic, and other states followed. To create a uniform federal standard, Congress passed the Organic Foods Production Act in 1990. Even then, disagreement pervaded the industry. After a few failed attempts, a final rule establishing the USDA organic standards went into effect February 2001. Chapman was in the first group of farmers to be certified by Vermonts state program and then later by the USDA. As the whole system became less intensely local, certification became something that was more important to the participants both the farmers and to the consumers, he says. We had to figure out how to find each other. As far as I was concerned, the whole thing was working pretty well. For a while, in most ways, it was. Cheating and disagreements in organic While the vast majority of organic farmers are sticking to the standards the label established, many say that lax USDA enforcement means some are now getting away with cheating as they try to cash in on the growing market for organic food. Its a failure in the system, says Cornucopia Institute co-founder Mark Kastel. Now you have to look for this label and do your homework. Cornucopia released its first-ever Organic Dairy Brand Scorecard earlier this year because the association was alarmed by the rise of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in organic dairy, Kastel said. Many conventional dairy cows are kept indoors in large, factory-like settings (although small dairy farms that are not organic do exist). In contrast, the organic standard requires that cows have access to pasture at least 120 days per year. Investigations have revealed, however, that some of the bigger organic dairy brands are not meeting that requirement. Kasters team set out to help consumers separate what he calls the organic wheat from the organic chaff. In fact, almost everyone in the industry agrees that the animal welfare requirements in the USDA standard are not in line with what consumers imagine when they choose organic (i.e., happy cows grazing on tall grass). During the Obama administration, a set of rules called the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) were finalized to correct that discrepancy. The rules focused on further codifying what provisions in the standard related to things like outdoor space really meant, so that things like small covered porches outside cramped chicken barns would no longer be seen as sufficient outdoor access. The implementation was delayed, however, until President Donald Trump took office, and in March 2018, the USDA announced it was withdrawing the rules. The leading voice in the industry, the Organic Trade Association (OTA), is now suing the USDA over the agencys failure to put into effect new organic livestock standards. Its also leading a task force to prevent fraudulent food imports like the aforementioned shipments of organic soybeans and corn from Turkey. Cheating isnt the only issue. Organic farmers and food producers also dont agree on how to treat companies that are getting into organic food but still primarily produce conventional food within the industry, or on which practices do and dont belong in organic. In July of this year, the Natures Path cereal and grain brand made a loud exit from the Organic Trade Organization with a press release, citing (among other issues) the association allowing controversial members to join. Those members included BASF, one of the worlds largest producers of pesticides, and Cargill, a company that dominates the market for livestock feed (GMO grain) used in CAFOs. Goldberg of Organic Insider broke the story with an impassioned post outlining how misaligned the interests of the two companies are with the organic mission. (OTA CEO and executive director Laura Batcha said that while the companies do have other interests, the OTA only represents their interests in organic.) Natures Path also cited the OTAs support for allowing hydroponics in organic as a major factor in its decision, which illustrates how contentious arguments in the organic community can center around distinctions that, to outsiders, may seem small. Hydroponic farming growing food in water with added nutrients and no soil, usually indoors has grown in the public consciousness as companies like Square Roots and Gotham Greens have expanded, and many argue that even if those farms are not using any of the substances outlawed by the organic standard like synthetic pesticides or GMOs they should not be eligible for organic certification. Hydroponics is a complete violation of the Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, which says that you have to have a management plan that fosters soil fertility, Goldberg says, emphasizing that hes not against hydroponic farming; he just doesnt think it qualifies as organic. Calling hydroponically farmed greens organic is creating an unequal playing field for these soil-based farmers who cant compete fairly, Goldberg says. At the end of 2017, the NOSB voted to allow hydroponic vegetables to be certified organic. Supporters of that decision see it as a sign of progress and growth, since it will mean many more fruits and vegetables will be eligible for organic certification. But it didnt end there. Chapmans group of protesting farmers decided to forge its own path. A coalition of farmers and industry leaders established the Real Organic Project (ROP), a certification that will function as an add-on to the USDA organic label. In other words, it requires farms to be USDA certified but then checks that theyre meeting additional standards like soil fertility and animal welfare requirements that the organization feels the USDA is failing to enforce. ROP has lined up 50 farms across the country to launch the certification, and has already inspected about half of them. Meanwhile, the Regenerative Organic Alliance is trying to raise the bar even higher with a new certification called Regenerative Organic Certified (ROC). Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario who also helms Patagonia Provisions, maker of packaged foods like smoked salmon and breakfast grains said the idea came out of an observation: Many forward-thinking food producers began calling their practices regenerative to signify they were going beyond organic. They were saying [Organic] is not going far enough, or you know, its too big of a hurdle, or its a political lightning rod, she says. Marcario and collaborators like Dr. Bronners CEO David Bronner didnt want the term regenerative to cannibalize what they saw as its foundation organic or to be tossed around in a way that would lose meaning. (While Dr. Bronners is known for its soap, it now makes food products too, like coconut oil for kitchen use.) We thought, well, whats the harm in putting together the highest bar certification that encompasses those three pillars: soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness? Marcario says. The idea is that were going to regenerate soil over time, sequester more carbon, and give the customer the peace of mind that the animal welfare standard is the highest level of certification and that were providing economic stability and fairness to farmers, ranchers, and workers. Twenty-one farms and brands (of 80 that applied) including Patagonia Provisions and Dr. Bronners are now part of the 2018 pilot program. Marcario expects the ROC certification label to appear on the grocery shelf in early 2019. Advocates say certifications, no matter how imperfect, are still the best tool for quickly conveying value to a consumer and leveling the playing field for honest farmers especially when selling not at a local farmers market, but into a growing global market. Theres money to be made; there are fortunes to be made, Chapman says, and, you know, were not in Kansas anymore. Lisa Elaine Held is a journalist based in New York City who covers the intersection of food, health, and sustainability. Keith Carter is an illustrator and designer living in Portland, Oregon. Editors: Erin DeJesus and Daniela Galarza | https://www.eater.com/2019/1/3/18165140/organic-food-definition-natural-gmo-controversy |
Can Michigan basketball recapture early season magic in Big Ten play after sloppy December? | Zavier Simpsonand Isaiah Livers celebrate with Ignas Brazdeikis after he made a basket and was fouled against Villanova at Finneran Pavilion on Nov. 14, 2018, in Villanova, Pennsylvania. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) ANN ARBOR, Mich. - It's finally time for the college basketball season to truly begin. As of Thursday, the six major conferences -- the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Pac-12 and SEC -- have completed their nonconference games and will turn to league play for the rest of the regular season. Instead of 20-point favorites beating up on smaller schools night in and night out, it's time to see which teams can get through the grind of league play, when any team can win and everyone has to play on the road. Few teams made it through the first two months of the season unscathed, but as of Jan. 3, Michigan finds itself one of only four teams in the country without a loss -- along with Virginia, Nevada and Houston. The 13-0 record is all that really matters for Michigan, but that doesn't change the tale of two seasons that have played out so far for the Wolverines. On the first day of December, Michigan was the darling of college basketball. It had the best resume in the country with wins over Villanova, North Carolina and Purdue and at least a 17-point margin in all eight victories. Charles Matthews and Jon Teske celebrate a win over North Carolina at the Crisler Center on Nov. 28, 2018, in Ann Arbor. (Leon Halip/Getty Images) Michigan's winning ways continued throughout December, but it hasn't looked like the same dominant team. From the start of the season through Dec. 1, Michigan played three teams that are currently ranked in the top 25 on KenPom. Since then, the Wolverines have played No. 52, No. 124, No. 210, No. 263 and No. 328. Despite the drop in competition, the games were much closer. After winning the first eight games by at least 17 points each, Michigan beat Northwestern, South Carolina and Western Michigan by a combined 21 points. In each of the last five games, Michigan's opponent has been within at least six points in the second half. Northwestern had a 3-point lead with under six minutes to go. South Carolina and Air Force stayed within single digits well into the second half. Western Michigan was down just 5 points with under two minutes to play, and Binghamton was within 3 points with under 12 minutes remaining. Michigan coach John Beilein shouts out instructions during the game against South Carolina at the Crisler Center on Dec. 8, 2018, in Ann Arbor. (Leon Halip/Getty Images) Most importantly, Michigan won the games. But as Big Ten play begins, the Wolverines have to get back to the level of play that carried them through a tough November slate. There are 10 good teams in the Big Ten, and nobody is a pushover on the road. Of the 18 games remaining on Michigan's regular-season schedule, only two will come against the bottom four teams at home, meaning the other 16 offer some type of challenge. Michigan's goal over the next two months is to win a Big Ten regular season title. If it plays like it did in the first month of the season, Michigan is the favorite. The team that sleepwalked through December would have trouble keeping up with the likes of Michigan State, Wisconsin and Nebraska. John Beilein's teams are known for improving drastically into February and March. This year's team got off to a much quicker start than the teams that went to the Sweet 16 and Final Four the last two seasons. Michigan will try to avoid what happened the last time it entered the new year undefeated. In 2012-13 the team started 16-0 before finishing just 10-7 and earning a No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That doesn't sound bad -- especially since the 2012-13 team eventually went to the national championship game -- but Michigan has much higher expectations right now as the No. 2 team in the country. The grind begins Thursday night when Michigan hosts Penn State at the Crisler Center. January also includes four games against ranked opponents -- two on the road. Michigan proved in November it can play with any team in the country, and the recent struggles could very well be the result of long breaks and unexciting opponents. But there are no days off in Big Ten play, so it's time for Beilein's team to flip the switch once again. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. | https://www.clickondetroit.com/all-about-ann-arbor/hail/can-michigan-basketball-recapture-early-season-magic-in-big-ten-play-after-sloppy-december |
What is Burns Night and when is it being celebrated this year? | 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 Hoots Mon! Burns Night is on its way and while it is, of course, first and foremost a Scottish celebration, all are welcome to join the festivities. In Newcastle the night has become a big attraction over the years and tickets are already selling fast at special Burns events at several venues in and around the city. While most of us have probably marked it at some point by having a wee dram of whisky or tucking into haggis, there will be some who have yet to taste their first haggis. So, here we answer the question 'what exactly is Burns Night?' and offer a reminder of when the 2019 celebrations will be. Theres not long to wait if youre itching to dig out your tartan Tam OShanter/See You Jimmy hat and recite some poetry: Burns Night is January 25 which is a Friday this year - all the better for party-goers. It falls on the same date each year because January 25 is the day that Scotlands most famous poet, Robert Burns, was born. His most popular work is arguably Auld Lang Syne, which is sung at New Year's Eve celebrations in Scotland, parts of the United Kingdom, and other places around the world. Burns was born on this date in 1759 and its celebrations the world over feature a huge formal dinner which includes the piping-in of the haggis and a Burns Supper which traditionally includes readings and performances of Burns poems and songs followed by a ceilidh. As its name suggests, the evening is a celebration of all things Robbie - or 'Rabbie' - Burns. Most people choose to mark it with the Burns Supper, which is mentioned above, hearty cuisine and speeches but the supper can be either formal or informal. Whatever the tone of the evening, it will typically include haggis which is a type of sausage prepared in a sheeps stomach that is minced with onion, oatmeal, suet (raw beef or lamb fat), spices, and salt, all mixed with stock. Those celebrating also have mashed neeps and tatties which are turnips, swedes and potatoes, and to go with the meal, Scotch whisky is the ideal drink. And for dessert many people will delve into the traditional Scottish cook book and serve up cranachan (a mixture of whipped cream, whisky, honey and fresh raspberries, with toasted oatmeal) or Tipsy Laird (whisky trifle) followed by oatcakes and cheese, all washed down - again - with Scotch whisky. Traditional and formal Scottish celebrations will also include lots of laughter and fun, and the meal is usually presented while bagpipes play in the background. These are something that have become synonymous with Burns Night festivities. The evening traditionally begins with The Selkirk Grace- a well-known thanksgiving said before meals, in the Scots language. In more formal settings, or where a piper or a set of bagpipes is at hand, the haggis is then brought in on a big plate to a soundtrack of pipes. A tribute is then paid to the famous Scottish dish with the Address to the Haggis and Toast to the Haggis before guests tuck in to their food. But the speeches dont end there for those going all out with their Burns Night. The Immortal Memory (a short speech, remembering some aspect of Burns life or poetry) should be given next followed by a Toast to the Lassies (a light-hearted view on women as given by a male guest) and then comes the Reply to the Laddies (the ladies chance to respond!) and the singing of Burns' songs or readings of his poems. Finally the host will call upon one of the guests to give the vote of thanks, after which everyone is asked to stand, join hands, and sing Auld Lang Syne, bringing the evening to an end. Burns Night started shortly after the poets death in 1796, when his friends celebrated his life and career in Ayrshire, Scotland, in the late 1700s on the date he died: July 21. The date was later changed to the day of his birth and now those in Scotland, and some areas within the UK and parts of the world, also mark Burns Night at the same time. | https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/burns-night-2017-when-what-8436202 |
When is Islamic New Year 2019 at the start of Muharram? | 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 New Year has begun for most of the western world who follow the Gregorian calendar. But it doesn't come at the same time for everyone. Among other variations are Chinese New Year , Sikh New Year, Jewish New Year and Islamic New Year. Islamic New Year - sometimes known as Arabic New Year or Hijiri New Year - marks the start of the month of Muharram, the first month in the Islamic calendar Muharram is the most sacred month of the calendar after Ramadan . The first Islamic year was in 622AD when the prophet Muhammad and his followers moved from Mecca to Medina after hearing of an assassination plot. This was used as the beginning of the Islamic calendar. This migration is referred to as the Hijira or Hegira. The Muslim calendar is based on the moon so it varies from the sun-based Gregorian calendar. A lunar year - consisting of 12 cycles going from new moon to full moon - covers around 354 days, shorter than the 365 of the Gregorian/Western calendar. This means dates vary and appear to slide back by 10 or 11 days a year. At present, Islamic New Year is a long way after the January1 New Year of the Gregorian calendar. Islamic days run from sunset to sunset so that's something else to bear in mind. In 2018, Muslims celebrated their New Year's Day on Tuesday, September 11 (it actually started at sunset on September 10 and ran until sunset on September 11). With the dates shifting back, celebrations of Islamic New Year in 2019 are expected to be on Saturday, August 31 (it will actually start at sunset on August 30 and run until sunset on August 31). The date will be confirmed nearer the time by a moon sighting, a method used to determine the start of each month of the Islamic year. If the first crescent of the new moon is seen in the evening of the 29th day of a month, then that month ends and the next month begins. If the moon isn't seen, the month goes on for another day. There is sometimes a second attempt to observe the moon, on the evening of the 30th day, to get positive confirmation of the date of the start of the month. | https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/islamic-new-year-2019-start-15627292 |
When is Call the Midwife back on TV? Who are the new nurses and what is going to happen? | Call the Midwife is back on BBC1 for an eighth series in 2019 and a number of exciting new faces are set to join Nonnatus House. Advertisement The Christmas Day special gave a hint of what the future holds for the beloved BBC drama, but there is plenty more change afoot as the show returns for a series of eight new episodes. Heres everything you need to know about the much-anticipated return of Call the Midwife. Following on from the Call the Midwife 2018 Christmas Day special, series eight will begin on Sunday 13th January at 8pm on BBC1. In the USA, the drama is expected to premiere on PBS on 31st March 2019. If you cant wait until then, the first six series of Call the Midwife are available to watch on Netflix. Watch the trailer for Call the Midwife series eight below. It's Official!! Call the Midwife Series 8 will premiere on @BBCOne on Sunday 13th January!! Only a few weeks to wait!! Harry Potter star Miriam Margolyes has joined the cast of Call the Midwife as Sister Mildred, a forthright and indefatigable sister from the Order who appeared in the Christmas special. She will return in the first episode of series eight as a guest star. Shes not the only newcomer, because after we first met them at the nuns Mother House in the Christmas episode two more new characters have arrived at Nonnatus to make up for diminished numbers. Fenella Woolgar will play Sister Hilda, and Ella Bruccoleri will play Sister Frances. The final addition to the cast is Georgie Glen, who appears as the redoubtable Miss Higgins, the new receptionist at Dr Turners surgery. Weve already said goodbye to Charlotte Ritchie as Nurse Barbara Hereward, whose sad death from sepsis cast a shadow over Poplar at the end of series seven. Luckily, she wasnt forgotten in the Christmas special, with her friends and colleagues paying tribute to her memory. Speaking at a screening, creator Heidi Thomas said, You will all be pleased to know that the joy and the optimism of Call the Midwife did not die with Nurse Barbara Hereward, 1936 to 1963. I think something of Barbaras spirit carries on, and multiplies. We reference it in the Christmas special. Her on-screen husband Reverend Tom Hereward (Jack Ashton) will not be back for the new series either, as the character has travelled to New Guinea for his missionary work with Barbaras father. Sister Winifred actress Victoria Yeates has also left Call the Midwife to focus on her role as Bunty in Fantastic Beasts, although the door has been left open for her return. The Call the Midwife team has confirmed the return of Helen George as Nurse Trixie Franklin, announcing, Were delighted to confirm that our Trixie is back where she belongs for Christmas and the forthcoming series. Trixie was absent from much of the previous series as she sought recovery from her alcoholism (and as actress Helen George gave birth to her own child), but fans can look forward to seeing her back on the job. Behind the scenes on Call the Midwife series 8: Sixties summertime!Hello all!We just love this pic of Leonie Elliott Posted by Call the Midwife on Thursday, June 28, 2018 Series eight moves into the spring of 1964. In the first episode, anticipation is building for a new royal baby, and community-minded Violet is holding a Teddy Bears Picnic and raising funds through a competition on whether the Queen will have a boy or a girl. But when the midwives are introduced to their new midwifery bags, old Sister Monica Joan becomes distressed as her dementia takes a turn for the worse With the addition of the two new Sisters and the return of Trixie, Nonnatus House feels full once more. Trixie has come back from Portofino fully healed of her demons, with a whole new wardrobe, which is just delightful, Heidi Thomas told press at a screening in London. love story with the gruff Sergeant Woolf. Later in the series we have romance for Lucille. Throughout the series we have the possibility of romance for Nurse Crane, but Ill let you see how that unfolds, she said. And at Nonnatus House we have several new faces. Miriam Margolyes joins us and will appear at intervals throughout the new series. We also have two lovely new nuns who I think have really helped to back up the spiritual qualities of Nonnatus House. The synopsis for the first episode also reveals that Shelagh must help Trixie with a birth take takes a surprise turn, while Lucille is seen caring for heavily pregnant Lesley White, whose sister Cath, an aspiring model, has been feeling extremely unwell. Call the Midwife has gained a reputation for highlighting issues of physical and mental health, putting the spotlight on conditions from Huntingdons to pica to sepsis. In series eight, well meet a woman who belatedly discovers that she is intersex; that is, biologically speaking she does not have a male or female body. Intersex people can be born with ambiguous sexual anatomy or may have variations in their chromosomes or sex hormones. I think in this series weve got some fantastic medical cases, Thomas said. Our trusty foe, pre-eclampsia, puts in an appearance, but we also meet a young woman who, on the eve of her marriage, discovers that she is a hermaphrodite. What does it mean to have a female body? She added, We also have a beautifully told and I have to say, fantastically well-realised story about a baby boy with cleft lip and palate, and the effect that has on the wider family structure. Sister Mildred (Miriam Margolyes) arrived unexpectedly at Nonnatus House with four Chinese orphans in tow, including adorable little May (April Rae Hoang). The child refugees had been found abandoned in Hong Kong. They were being adopted in the UK as part of the World Refugee Project, and their unexpected visit to Poplar brought joy and chaos in equal measure particularly when Mays adoptive parents failed to show up and the Turner family stepped in to provide a foster family. The Christmas special also saw the return of Trixie to Poplar, just in time to cover for the Sisters as they were summoned back to the Mother House. The Orders Mother Superior had been taken ill and a new spiritual leader needed to be elected. Advertisement Sister Julienne was horrified to discover she was the favoured candidate, but ultimately it was Sister Mildred who was chosen by the nuns as their new leader. Meanwhile, Sister Winifred found her calling at the Orders orphanage and decided not to return to Nonnatus House. | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-03/call-the-midwife-series-8-2019-cast-plot-trailer-new-characters-bbc1/ |
When is Years and Years on TV? Whos in the cast? Whats it about? | Years and Years, the new Russell T Davies drama which follows a tumultuous 15 years in Britain through the eyes of one family, is set to air on BBC1 in 2019. Advertisement Though Davies says he has wanted to write the series for the last 20 years, it seems extremely relevant today, tracking the rise of an outspoken celebrity-turned populist politician, played by Emma Thompson. Find out everything you need to know about Years and Years below. There is no confirmed release date as yet but the BBC says it will be in early 2019. The six-part drama takes a look at a fictionalised version of current affairs through the eyes of the Lyons family in Manchester over the course of a 15-year period. According to the BBC: Everything we fear, and everything we hope for, is happening around this tight-knit family. Society is hotter, faster, madder, with the turmoil of politics, technology and distant wars affecting the Lyons in their day-to-day lives. Britain withdraws from Europe, America becomes a lone wolf, China asserts itself, and a new world begins to form. The biggest danger to their well-being, however, is possibly Emma Thompsons Vivienne Rook (Thompson), a Trumpian MP described as a an entertainer, a rebel, a trickster and a terror, who is currying favour with an increasingly disenfranchised populus. Emma Thompson leads the way as Vivienne Rook, while Jessica Hynes, Rory Kinnear, Ruth Madeley, TNia Miller, Anne Reid and Russell Tovey star as the various members of the Lyons family. Check out a picture of them gathered round a computer, looking worried, below. Not yet. But you can catch a brief glimpse of Emma Thompson in this 2019 BBC drama trailer Advertisement Years and Years will air on BBC1 in 2019 | https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-01-03/years-and-years-russell-t-davies-air-date-cast-plot/ |
Does Philip Rivers need a Super Bowl to finally get his due? | Philip Rivers covered his head with his parka when he watched the Denver Broncos convert a third down in the final minutes of a Divisional Round game in January 2014. A couple minutes later, he put on his helmet and watched the Broncos kneel the final seconds off the clock. Rivers jogged on to the field in Denver helmet still on to shake Peyton Mannings hand. It was the last time the San Diego Chargers appeared in the playoffs. Rivers was excellent that day. He completed 18 of his 27 passes for 217 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions against the Broncos defense. But his 115.8 passer rating wasnt enough in the 24-17 loss even if it was better than Mannings 93.5 rating. Now 15 years into his NFL career, Rivers is eighth all-time in passing yards with 54,656, and sixth in touchdowns with 374. His streak 208 consecutive starts is the longest active run in the NFL and 11th-longest ever. But every player above him on the passing leaderboards has played in a Super Bowl. Even Dan Marino famous for a brilliant career, but no championship rings made it to Super Bowl XIX. Rivers, though, has only made it as far as the AFC Championship. That was back in January 2008, a 21-12 loss to the then-undefeated New England Patriots. The game is best remembered for Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson sitting on the bench due to a knee injury. He watched with his helmet on through a dark visor while Rivers struggled against the Patriots with no touchdowns and two interceptions. Now, at age 37, Rivers is getting another crack at the one thing that has eluded him during his NFL career: postseason success. If he finally finds it, maybe hell get the long-deserved recognition that has also proved evasive. Even before his NFL career, Rivers was outside the spotlight Rivers began his career as the consolation prize for the Chargers after Eli Manning demanded a trade during the 2004 NFL Draft. The New York Giants sent first-, third-, and fifth-round picks to the Chargers along with Rivers to get Manning. It was a fitting precursor of the career to come for Rivers. Hes been mostly outshined and overlooked due to peers like five-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, all-time passing touchdowns leader Peyton Manning, and all-time passing yards leader Drew Brees. Eli Manning, who has 14 fewer touchdowns than Rivers but 61 more interceptions, is heralded for two Super Bowl victories over the Patriots. Ben Roethlisberger was selected 11th overall in 2004 seven picks after Rivers and also has two Super Bowl victories. Even when Rivers had arguably the best season of his career in 2018, a young superstar in his division stole the spotlight with 50 touchdown passes. The Kansas City Chiefs Patrick Mahomes is likely the NFLs MVP, but he and Rivers split their pair of regular meetings. The most recent was a 29-28 win for the Chargers on the road in Kansas City. The Chiefs had a chance to clinch the AFC West with a win, but Rivers orchestrated back-to-back touchdown drives in the fourth quarter capped by a two-point conversion with four seconds left to seal the deal. It shows you the type of quarterback he is, former North Carolina State coach Chuck Amato told SB Nation of Rivers game against the Chiefs. So he lost the game. He had to score two touchdowns and a two-point play in the last less than four minutes of the game. Why couldnt his competitor do it? Amato became the head coach at NC State in January 2000 the same month that Rivers arrived on campus as a two-star recruit. Both Rivers agent Jimmy Sexton and Amato say the only SEC school that recruited the Alabama native was Auburn, but that then-head coach Tommy Tuberville wanted him to play tight end. Rivers father said it was the chance to play quickly that pushed his son to NC State. No matter how Rivers wound up in Raleigh, it didnt take him long to impress. There were two quarterbacks that returned one had played and the other was a redshirt freshman he was third-string behind these two guys, Amato said. The second day he was second-string. The third day he was first-string. In spring. Both these guys transferred because they saw they werent going to be able to beat him out. By the time spring was over, the offense knew he was the leader, and by the time the offseason was over, the whole team knew that he was going to lead the team. When he was a freshman. Philip is something special, he really is. He started in all 51 games over four seasons with the Wolfpack and finished his collegiate career as the ACCs all-time passing leader with 13,484 yards. No player has even reached 12,000 since. When Tramain Hall arrived in 2001, Rivers had already established himself as NC States star player. And when Hall first saw the field at running back and wide receiver as a redshirt sophomore in 2003, Rivers was a senior with the NFL on the horizon. He communicated with all of us really well, on and off the field, Hall told SB Nation. At times, as a quarterback, there are times when you can be like its my way or whatever, and Philip was never like that. I ended up catching close to 70 balls and 800 yards from the guy. I dont think I wouldve done that if I didnt have a guy who relates to other guys on the team. That being kind of a father/leader really helped me as a young guy develop and understand the college football game. To the point where hed say Tramain, thats not the right way to do it, I dont want you to run the route that way. Those moments were a huge thing for me. But despite Rivers prolific career, NC State never finished in the top three in the ACC standings. The Wolfpacks best season was an 11-3 year in 2002 that ended with a Gator Bowl victory and the No. 12 spot in the final AP Poll. Rivers finished seventh in Heisman Trophy voting as a senior and couldnt convince the Chargers he was worth taking with the No. 1 pick even if he eventually landed there. Rivers isnt hunting for recognition No team landed more players in the Pro Bowl than the Chargers when the rosters were announced in December. Thats a little surprising considering they may be the least popular team in the NFL. The Chargers play in front of only 27,000 fans in their tiny temporary home in Carson, California, and even that stadium is often packed with visiting fans. The team has played at the diminutive StubHub Center, now rechristened as Dignity Health Sports Park, since 2017 after relocating from San Diego to Los Angeles. Theyll eventually share a nearly $5 billion stadium with the Rams. But so far the move has only cast the Chargers as the little brother team in their new market, far behind the Rams who spent nearly five decades in Southern California before moving to St. Louis. Rivers is one of the Chargers seven Pro Bowlers, along with running back Melvin Gordon, who admitted that he too was a little surprised that the Chargers did so well in Pro Bowl voting. He said even playing in San Diego, it was easy for players namely, Rivers to be forgotten. I think its probably the market, Gordon told SB Nation. He spent his whole career in the San Diego market, and I think people are just now starting to realize how much hes been overlooked. I dont know. But I remember not too long ago I was talking to him like Man, I cant even complain about not getting recognition because its been like that for you forever. He really doesnt care, though. Hes just like Im so blessed, I get to stay out of the spotlight and be with my family, so it doesnt really bother him. He just does what he does. But even if Rivers hasnt received the love from the national media throughout his career, he hasnt been disregarded by his peers. Its just the outside world that doesnt really pay enough attention, Gordon said. Obviously, here, everybody has huge respect for him, because we see him every day. But I think I really started to realize how respected he is when I went to the Pro Bowl for the first time. Just being around other players and talking to them showed me how much the players around the league respect him. Ask NFL players to name the most overlooked players in the league and it usually doesnt take long for Rivers to be mentioned. In December, New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan was quick to bring up Rivers as a player who may deserve more prestige than Roethlisberger. Rivers was Devin McCourtys choice for the NFLs most underrated when the Patriots safety was asked by MassLive a couple weeks ago: Since Ive been in the league, hes had multiple years where two of his starting receivers go on injured reserve like Week 3 or 4, and they pick up guys on Tuesday, and they go out there and play Sunday. And he gets em right and they win games. Obviously everyone knows hes a good player, but I dont think he gets recognized for how good he is at what he does. Ive always been a fan of his. Even notorious trash talker Jalen Ramsey of the Jacksonville Jaguars called Rivers pretty good, which is about as effusive as hell get about a player who doesnt play for his own defense. Rivers may be playing for a chance to finally leave a lasting legacy and earn the media superlatives that have escaped him for a decade and a half in the NFL. But according to other players, hes already earned those. Rivers would like to play in the Chargers new stadium in Los Angeles expected to open in 2020. Dont count on it. I laugh when I hear Drew [Brees], [Tom] Bradys already 41, when I hear them say mid-40s, I go, Yall can have that. I have no desire to get there, Rivers told Sports Illustrateds Albert Breer in August. A ninth child is on the way for Rivers, who got married shortly after his freshman year of college. Family time is a top priority for Rivers. He always wants to be with us, his 10-year-old son Gunner told Chargers.com last month. Whenever hes home, he plays with us and hes with us all the time. Wherever we go out we go all kinds of places random people just come up and ask for his autograph and for pictures. Its cool. But hes always there for us. But when hes home, we like to throw the football in the yard. We like to putt on the putting green, watch football, and do things like that. Rivers said hes looking forward to coaching high school football one day, but its anyones guess how far off on the horizon that is. Either way, its no secret that Rivers wont be around to lead the Chargers for much longer. I wouldnt say pressure, Gordon said. We want to get it for him, but we also want to get it for us. We want to be the first Chargers team to win [a Super Bowl]. So I think its just excitement. Pressures not the right word, its more excitement. And the team has a reason to be excited. The 12-4 season was the Chargers first with double-digit wins since Tomlinsons last year with the team in 2009. Los Angeles is No. 6 in points scored and No. 8 in points allowed. The Chicago Bears and New England Patriots are the only other teams that finished the regular season top-10 in both categories. The Chargers are a team with notoriously bad luck, but theyre finally get some breaks to go their way. That could mean the Chargers are primed to find some January success, especially because theyre good at just about everything: The scary thing for the Chargers is that theyll likely need three road victories to get to the Super Bowl. Los Angeles 12-4 record was tied for the best mark in the AFC, but because theyre in the same division as the other 12-4 team the Chiefs the Chargers were relegated to the No. 5 seed. The first game on the docket is a rematch with the Baltimore Ravens, who traveled to Los Angeles in Week 16 and beat the Chargers, 22-10. Now the Chargers will have to avenge that loss after a cross-country flight to Baltimore. And if they dont, the Chargers are still well set up for the future with young stars like Gordon, Joey Bosa, Keenan Allen, and Derwin James. But windows close fast in the NFL, and a division that now has Mahomes leading the Chiefs leaves little margin for error for the Chargers. So a loss to the Ravens leaves a real possibility that the Super Bowl door slams shut for good on Rivers. Hes a great either way, Gordon said. Itll be something they have conversations about when it comes to the Hall of Fame for the first ballot or whatever but hes getting in either way. And he is. Rivers is a surefire Hall of Famer. But his career may forever remain in the most underrated category instead of the greatest if it isnt punctuated with a Lombardi Trophy. | https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2019/1/3/18165517/philip-rivers-los-angeles-chargers-nfl-playoffs-2019-legacy-hall-of-fame |
Who Is Justin Biebers Mysterious Sexual Healing Duet Partner? | The Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo, probably. Photo: GUMU, SPOT/GAMR / SPOT / BACKGRID Justin Bieber first began his ascent to fame by uploading covers of famous songs to YouTube. Now, his songs are famous, hes toured the globe several times, and hes married to Hailey Bieber, but Justin has seemingly not forgotten his roots, according to a new video obtained by TMZ. In the clip, which was taken outside the Montage Hotel in Beverly Hills on Wednesday night, Justin tried to serenade Hailey with a cover of Marvin Gayes Sexual Healing. (Also of note: The acoustics provided by the Montages awning are very, very good.) When Hailey took a step back, presumably to let Justin shine in the spotlight, he reached an arm out to a bemused onlooker. It is this man I would like to know more about. See how he knew to meet Justins outstretched hand with his own, like a modern-day Sistine Chapel. Bear witness to the way he enveloped Justin in what can only be known as the dad-hug, a fatherly reach around the shoulder so that you are both in an one-arm embrace. Marvel at how he casually whips his phone out to take a selfie, without so much as pausing Justins serenade to ask for one! (While its preferable to ask another person before taking a photo with or of them, I imagine that their singing a very horny song at you kind of lowers the barriers here.) And finally notice how Justin was so in the moment, he decided to pull Hailey in for a quaint family photo. Alas, the man hopped into a car, presumably readied by the Montages valet, and Justin resumed to serenading Hailey. Where this man is now, is only known to him, and the teenage family member who will likely go viral in the next few hours with his photos. Sir, if you are out there, I have so many questions for you, up to and including where you copped those selfie skills. You are an influencer in the making. Stay in touch. Get the Cut newsletter delivered daily Email By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us. | https://www.thecut.com/2019/01/justin-bieber-serenades-hailey-baldwin-random-man-sexual-healing.html?utm_source=nym&utm_medium=f1&utm_campaign=feed-part |
Is climate change making the muskoxen sick on Victoria Island? | An Eye on the Arctic Documentary Report: VICTORIA ISLAND, Canada _ It hasnt been an easy day for Nunavut hunters Colin Amegainek, Ryan Angohiatok and Roland Emingak. They left their home community of Cambridge Bay in Canadas High Arctic just as the sun came up. Its late afternoon now. Theyve travelled almost 70 km across the rocky island terrain, criss-crossing back and forth across the ice-covered Ekalluktok Lake looking for muskoxen, an animal they rely on for everything from food to employment as big game hunting guides. Finally, Amegainek, 42, sees something. Hoove prints. He hops off his snowmobile. But close inspection shows the prints filled with snow. The animals are long since gone. Probably one or two days ago. Moving on to the next location, the hunters run their snowmobiles and supply-laden sleds, known as komatiks, up an embankment, rock-ribbed and rough with ice. Stopping on top, they take out their binoculars, glassing the horizon for the animals. Roland Emingak shakes his head and lets the binoculars fall back onto his chest. Still nothing in sight. The hunters continue. But later on that afternoon, far, far in the distance, they notice a handful of clouds slowly swallowing up the line between the bright blue sky and ice-covered ground, blurring the horizon. Ground storm, Amegainek says. Time to head back to the community and try again tomorrow. *** Hunting for muskoxen wasnt always like this, community members say. If you go back twenty years ago, just outside the community, (it) would be roaming with a lot of muskoxen, Amegainek said later on in the week from the home he shares with his father David. Now we travel, I dont know, sometimes a couple of hundred miles before we see a muskox. It makes me nervous. The importance of muskoxen Cambridge Bay, the village where Amegainek, Angohiatok and Emingak live, is a predominantly Inuit community of approximately 1600 people on Victoria Island in Canadas Arctic archipelago. You dont have to walk around much to realize how important muskoxen are to the people here, culturally, economically and as a food source. Harvested muskox lie in the snow outside hunters homes. Muskox pelts are stretched on boards around the community so the skin can be used for leather. And in the parking lot of the local hotel, members of Cambridge Bays hunters and trappers organization, employed by the local outfitter, pick up sport hunters, an important source of employment in this remote region of the world with few educational and employment opportunities. Photos: Introducing Cambridge Bay, Nunavut A rooftop in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. The importance of hunting culture is everywhere you look in this community. (Eye on the Arctic) Harvested muskox, preserved by the cold, are found in front of hunters homes throughout Cambridge Bay. (Eye on the Arctic) A komatik (an Inuit sled) used for transportation when hunters go out on the land. (Eye on the Arctic) Muskox skins drying on boards in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. After hunters harvest a muskox, the meat is used for food. The qiviut (fur undercoat) is used for things like sweaters, socks, hats and scarves. The skin is used for leather. And the animal's horn is used by local carvers to make artwork. (Eye on the Arctic) A member of the Ekaluktutiak Hunters & Trappers Organization in Cambridge Bay gets an American big game hunter settled in before leaving for several nights out on the land. The sport hunt provides well-paying jobs for subsistence hunters in this part of Canada where unemployment is high. (Eye on the Arctic) Hunters out on the land in the southeast portion of Victoria Island, Nunavut prepare to bring a muskox skin back to the community of Cambridge Bay. (Eye on the Arctic) But hunters are noticing changes in their muskoxen. Not only do they seem to be moving further away from the community, but when the hunters do find them, theyre often sick. Sometimes so sick that the meat cant be consumed. And in a part of Canada where food costs are at least twice as expensive as the national average, the ripple effect of these changes are already being felt. Cultural and economic implications The next day, Amegainek, Angohiatok and Emingak head out again. They leave the community at 8am. Its especially hard to today: -42 with bracing winds. So cold, that during rest stops, a frozen crust forms on the tea just seconds after its poured from the thermos. Finally, near 4pm, the hunters spot three muskox. Amegainek harvests one. But now the work is just beginning. The men use their komatiks to block the frigid winds as they prepare the animal to bring back to the community. But as the hunters start butchering it, they notice almost immediately that something is wrong. The lack of fat already has them concerned. Ryan Angohiatok, 29, stands up. Hes seen enough. We should leave the meat here, he says. Colin Amegainek nods his head besides him. But they continue working on the animal, they need to make sure. Today the men are also taking samples with scientists, and the more they work on the animal, the more worrying things they see: cysts, infection, sticky intestines. The list goes on and on. But eventually, its all too clear. Theres too much wrong with the animal. No meat to bring back to the community today. Its a big waste, Amegainek said when asked about the hunt later on that week. Before, hed only come upon one or two sick muskoxen a year, he says. But now, thats changed. Its starting to become a normal thing to see diseases, he says. (Its) every other time I go out. The cultural and economic implications of this are being felt by hunters throughout the community. We dont get as much meat for the winter, says Julia Ogina, a subsistence hunter in Cambridge Bay and a project coordinator at the Kitikmeot Inuit Association that represents Inuit in western Nunavut. We have to purchase a lot of store bought meat. Were not used to having to rely so much on the store bought meat because its something we never grew up with. Even to go and find the animals we have to go more than once, its multiple times, she says Both my husband and I work, so we got hunting on the weekends. And if we dont get anything we have to go back the next weekend and the next. Even more difficult is after days of hunting, finding an animal, and then seeing the meat is too diseased for consumption. Its concerning, its alarming, Ogina says. As Inuit we dont like to waste food. You wonder how bad is it going to get. Changing climate, changing health Canada is home to the worlds largest muskox population but there are no exact estimates available. The International Union for Conservation of Nature lists muskoxen numbers at approximately 121,000 in Canada. However, the declining island population and recent muskox die-offs in the Arctic archipelago further complicate the picture. Nobody is sure why the muskox seem to be getting sicker. But three things have gotten scientists attention in recent years: lungworm, a parasite; erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae, a bacteria; and orf, related to a virus found in domestic sheep and goats. Now the next step is to see what role climate change is playing in their proliferation on the island. Photos: Here's what's got hunters & scientists concerned ... The lungworm. Before it was too cold for the worm to complete its life cycle in Canadas Arctic archipelago. Now, warming temperatures have allowed it to make its way two-thirds of the way up Victoria Island. (Eye on the Arctic) Lungworm is a natural parasite of muskoxen, but when it is able to complete its lifecycle, it can make the muskox sick, causing it to bleed through the nose when it runs. (Eye on the Arctic) Scientists collecting a field sample near Washburn Lake on Victoria Island to test for orf virus. Scientists are researching the origin of the virus and its impact on muskox populations. Orf virus can be transmitted to humans through direct contact with infected material. (Courtesy Matilde Tomaselli) A scabby lesion is found above a muskox hoof after its been harvested on Victoria Island. It later tested positive for orf virus. Increasing numbers of muskoxen are being found with tell-tale scabs on the nose, mouth, and near the hooves suggestive of orf virus infection (Courtesy Matilde Tomaselli) Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae in a petri dish. This bacteria was responsible for a number of muskox deaths on Victoria and Banks Islands between 2009 and 2013. The bacteria can infect humans.. (Courtesy Taya Forde) The Arctic is warming twice has fast as other regions of the world. Theres a number of things going on and its not just one factor, says Susan Kutz, a professor of veterinary sciences at Canadas University of Calgary, who has spent the last 20 years studying the effects of climate change on Arctic animals. The climate in the Arctic archipelago has been a lot warmer in the last few decades. Though scientists and the community of Cambridge Bay are working closely together on muskox health research projects, hunters in the community worry about the effects the poor muskox health in recent years will have on the younger generation. The knowledge that I gained as a child, is not the same amount of knowledge as our young people today can get, hunter Julia Ogina says. If were lucky, which is most of the time not now, so theyre lucky if they get to see an animal. You wonder how bad is it going to get. When are the answers coming and what can we do about it? Hunter Colin Amegainek agrees and says he hopes theres a way for more research to be done on animal health in the Arctic to help slow the rapid changes Inuit are seeing. I think the rest of Canada needs to know about what our situation is, he says. Cause I want the muskoxen to be around for our younger generation. Write to Eils Quinn at eilis.quinn(at)cbc.ca Related stories from around the North: Canada: Canadian Inuit blast ruling on continued EU seal ban as morally reprehensible, Eye on the Arctic Denmark: Reinstilling pride in the Inuit seal hunt, Eye on the Arctic Finland: Indigenous rights under fire says Finnish Saami leader, Yle News Greenland: The changing sea ice & what it means for Inuit, Eye on the Arctic Iceland: Feature Interview Hunting culture under stress in Arctic, Eye on the Arctic Norway: Indigenous Peoples knowledge can help us prevent climate changes says Ban Ki-moon, The Independent Barents Observer Russia: Anthrax outbreak in Arctic Russia could be just the beginning: scientist, The Independent Barents Observer Sweden: Bear hunt quota worries reindeer herders in Swedens Arctic, Radio Sweden United States: When Alaska fishing village residents cant fish, normal life comes to an end, Alaska Dispatch News | http://www.rcinet.ca/eye-on-the-arctic/2016/12/05/is-climate-change-making-the-muskoxen-sick-on-victoria-island/ |
Has The Drake Curse Hurt Alabamas CFP Championship Hopes? | Getty Image Drake loves his sports, but unfortunately for him, sports dont always love him back. The Canadian star is a fixture of many NBA arenas court-side seats and is often photographed with prominent athletes and a huge smile, but some fans have determined that the Drake co-sign, which is a Midas touch in the music industry, often has the opposite effect for athletes and teams he supports. The latest recipient of the Drake co-sign is Alabamas Crimson Tide football team, currently prepping to take on the Clemson Tigers in the upcoming CFP Championship game Monday, January 7, and like clockwork, the jokes are already rolling in about the dreaded Drake Curse. Drakes support is no coincidence. Often accused of being a bandwagon fan of great teams, hes throwing his rooting interest behind a team that has been undefeated this season, which echoes his prior support of teams and athletes like the NBAs Golden State Warriors, who went 73-9 to become the winningest regular season team in NBA history before becoming the first to blow a 3-1 lead in the Finals, or Conor McGregor, the UFC fighter whose recent loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov resulted in a derisive tweet from his rap rival Pusha T. Of course, as with any meme, the Drake Curse is mostly fluff with a little truth added in to make it believable at first glance, but that hasnt stopped college football fans from going all-in on the memes, jokes, and commentary that come standard with any high-profile matchup that also includes an appearance from one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. Check out more below. | https://uproxx.com/hiphop/drake-curse-alabama-clemson-cfp-championship-game/ |
Can Blyk succeed? | New advertising-supported free mobile phone network Blyk will be a very interesting project to follow in the coming months. Aimed at 16 to 24-year-olds, Blyk is an invite-only service that gives its users free texts and voice minutes every month. We take a look at the key issues which will make or break the service. The youth market is notoriously difficult to attract. If Blyk is a hit, then surely we'll see the arrival of similar services from other UK networks, as well as ad-supported free mobile services from Blyk for other age groups too. Inviting friends The age issue is interesting because it adds an aura of inclusiveness from the start. Only the young between 16 and 24-years-old will be able to join, creating a feeling of being part of an elite club, full of like-minded people. Extra minutes or texts, or special discounts from advertisers, would be an incentive for most young people. Message frequency The frequency of advertising messages is another question. Six ads per day sounds like a lot, even for brand-aware teenagers. According to the Blyk T&Cs, you have to keep your phone switched on during daytime hours to receive your quota of messages. No incentive The advertising messages will be interactive, encouraging users to reply to questions about favourite sports/drinks/TV shows/celebrities/make-up (depending on what you're interested in). Again, there is no incentive for replying to messages, although Blyk said the interactive messages may contain special discounts and offers occasionally. You won't be penalised if you don't reply to messages either; you'll still get your free minutes and SMS allowance. With text messages priced at 10p and voice calls costing 15p per minute, impoverished youngsters are likely to switch over to another pay-as-you-go operator rather than topping up with Blyk. It will be interesting to see what the average monthly cost for users will be. Locked phones Many potential users will be locked into prepay contracts with operators other than Blyk, and many might not realise that you can't switch SIM cards on a locked handset. Therefore Blyk risks losing customers whether they've signed up already or not. It will be interesting to see how well Blyk does over the coming months, and whether other operators like O2, Orange, T-Mobile, Vodafone and 3 will follow in Blyk's footsteps. We can but wait and see... | https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/can-blyk-succeed-153714 |
Could an Atlas of the Brains Genome Solve Neuropsychiatric Disorders? | Dr. Thomas Lehner was tired of his research repeatedly hitting a wall. A scientist at the National Institute of Mental Health, Lehner studies the genetic underpinnings of neuropsychiatric disorders. Teasing out associated genes turned out to be relatively simple. Schizophrenia, for example, is linked to small variations in some 360 genes. The problem is identifying the ones that really matterculprit gene variants that can be turned into predictive tests, similar to the BRCA gene for breast cancer. Thats where the wall comes in. Despite increasingly sophisticated tools and best efforts, the complex web of disease-related genes and their interactions have stymied scientists for years. About a decade ago, Lehner began advocating for an audacious project: an all-hands-on-deck, brute force group effort that surveys the entire genetic landscape of human brains across the lifespan. Neuroscientist Dr. Pamela Sklar at Mount Sinai, who passed away in 2017, soon jumped on board. By integrating individual genomic maps into a Google Earth-esque digital guide to the brains genome, Lehner and other geneticists will have a rich source of data that could finally lead to the roots of neuropsychiatric disorders. Flash forward to 2015, their vision came to fruition in the form of a $50 million government-sponsored consortium called PsychENCODE. Fifteen individual teams obtained access to over 2,000 human brainsa scale previously unheard ofto tease out their genetic secrets. Last week, the PsychENCODE team released their first batch of results in a wave of 10 papers published in Science and sister journals. Their model cataloged not only genes, but also parts of the genomes dark matter that contain code that regulates gene expression, and how the two elements interact. Supplementing these genetic data is information about the brains various cell types and developmental changes across the lifespanfrom both healthy brains and those from people with schizophrenia, autism, or bipolar disorder. This is a massive undertaking, said Dr. Christine Denny at Columbia University who was not involved in the project. Its pretty phenomenal. Predictive Power To be clear, the PsychENCODE consortium did not crack the genetic code for psychiatric disorders. Were not claiming in the remotest way to have figured out the underlying mechanism of these diseases, or how you would go about designing drugs, but we are highlighting genes, pathways, and also cell types that are associated with these diseases, said Dr. Mark Gerstein at Yale University, who worked on several of the published projects. The data trove has already yielded new insights. Previous studies have found wide variations in gene expression in different brains, but why this is and what it means for brain biology was unclear. In one of the studies led by Gerstein, the team combed through the dataset to identify groups of genes that tend to express together and often have similar functions. They linked up specific genes previously implicated in psychiatric diseases with regulatory elements in the DNA, which helped pinpoint the genetic elements that may actually contribute to the disorders. The team then integrated these data with gene expression patterns from single cells in the brain into regulatory networks. Most of the gene expression variance between people is because everyone has a different proportion of cell types in the brain, which changes with age and in disorders such as autism. Digging deeper, they embedded the regulatory networks into a deep learning model for disease prediction, and the model worked six-fold better than previous attempts. Despite high heritability, People dont have any clue about mechanisms between the underlying gene variants and the symptoms in psychiatric diseases, explained Gerstein. The team analyzed tissue from people of all ages in 16 different locations in the brain. Some of these samples were healthy, others came from people who were diagnosed with a disorder. Tracking gene expression and other molecular events from fetal stages to adulthood, the team found two major periods of genetic turmoil: early prenatal development and (you guessed it) early adolescence. Further analyses revealed gene networks in specific cell types that correlate with neuropsychiatric disorderswhat the researchers call modules. One of these, dubbed ME37, contained genes previously implicated in how neurons talk to each other, learning and memory or neurogenesisthe birth of new neurons in the brain. Whats more, the richness of the dataset allowed the team to begin parsing out characteristic modules for specific disorders, which often appear months or even years before the onset of symptoms. Previous studies have found that genes related to neuronal signaling tend to express lower than usual in autism, bipolar, and schizophrenia. But the analysis here uncovered further details that set autism apart. One set of genes responsible for packaging neurotransmitterschemical messengers that transfer information across neuronswas particularly active in bipolar and schizophrenia, but not in autism. Modules related to autism are detected at younger stages, whereas those for schizophrenia and bipolarwhich begin displaying symptoms in young adulthoodalso seem to form later in life. Having this insight will help us establish some potential causes and what they mean for neuropsychiatric disorders, and create new, testable hypotheses, said Sestan. They may also reveal critical windows where treatment could be most effective. A First Step Gerstein and Sestans results are just a sliver of the results released by PsychENCODE. Other studies looked at the effect of gaining or losing repeated chunks of DNA on the risk of developing schizophrenia. Yet others examined networks of microRNA, molecules that regulate gene expression, rather than single genes, with the goal of better understanding the root cause of complex neuropsychiatric disorders. Overall, the genome atlas represents just a first step. Although many in the field welcome the project as a resource, others question its eventual usefulness. To Dr. Dan Graur at the University of Houston, the project may be doomed from the get-go. Neuropsychiatric disorders are themselves poorly defined and heterogeneous. If you correlate something vague with millions of variations in the genome, eventually youll find something that seems significant but is instead just spurious, he said. Dr. Michael ODonovan at Cardiff University is also skeptical. These publications are important, but they do not provide the definitive answer to how genetic changes contribute to brain diseases These are reasonably substantial steps, but they are just steps. The PsychENCODE team agrees that this is just the beginning. Efforts such as the PsychENCODE project address how to link molecules, genes, and their regulatory elements to higher levels of biological complexity, from a single cell to human behavior, the team said. However, continued investigations are necessary, and we envision that future work will provide additional insights into human brain origin, development, and function in health and disease. Image Credit: vitstudio / Shutterstock.com | https://singularityhub.com/2019/01/03/could-an-atlas-of-the-brains-genome-solve-neuropsychiatric-disorders/ |
What Kind of Person Pays to See the Band Phish 150 Times? | The man from whom I bought my ticket had seen Phish over 150 times. Encouragingly enough, he was in excellent physical shape and had a business and a wife and multiple kids who were spending the rainy closing hours of 2018 a safe and conspicuous distance from Madison Square Garden. It is possible to thrive even with a Phish addiction, and in some cases impossible to thrive without itWe should all hope for obsessions and enablers as healthy as my scalpers, although scalper cheapens the relationship somewhat. In the Phish world, I had just experienced whats known ats a miracle. Of course on any major holiday one mans miracle is anothers night at the office and I soon found myself schmoozing a few of the Gardens production men, who seemed amused at my long-burning curiosity about what the arenas attic is like (apparently its a cluttered labyrinth of submarine-like industrial passageways and during the Phish run it gets incredibly loud because of its proximity to the amplifiers that the band hangs from the rooms gently sloping ceiling and also becomes pretty stuffy because of the smoke rising from the crowd not far below). It used to be like it was raining, one of the productions guys said of the torrents of glow sticks that cascade from the upper decks during Phish shows. Now, we barely have anything to pick up afterwards. You all are getting old. Its a question Ive often asked myself having seen Phish on a measly 17 occasions. (Obviously, yes). That last one was something of an open question among fans up until their Bakers Dozen stunt in the summer of 2017a run of 13 shows at the Garden in which they were jammier and weirder and freer than theyd been in a long time. For the next years worth of decent to sometimes well-north-of-decent live performances, the more honest fans would bitterly reflect that it took a high-stakes gimmick for Phish to really become their best and truest selves, after which they reverted back to late-period predictability. And then, another coup: The surprise live debut of an albums worth of some of the weirdest and funkiest and sneakily darkest (and absolute best) songwriting of their career, introduced via the magisterial Kasvot Vxt Halloween prank of 2018. The quartet that played four nights at the Garden last week was one that really did seem to grasp the existential significance of having the Simple thats been rattling around in your head for years or decades dazzlingly manifested in sound and vision. For my money, they played just such a Simple during the opening hour of 2019. Obsessions are indulged foror, more cynically, sustained by that handful of moments in which they make absolute, perfect sense. So it was when Phish embarked on a hazy, grungy Steam in the first set on New Years Eve, with the choruses punctuated with decidedly un-Phish like eruptions reminiscent of the end of Day in the Life (come to think it, the No Quarter they played Saturday night sometimes reminded me more of like, Ride than it did of Led Zeppelin or Phish). A Bob Dylan lyric occurred to me during the glorious windup for Run Like an Antelope: It frightens me, the awful truth of how sweet life can be. And then almost immediately I remembered the doggerel that closes Gravitys Rainbow, which is written in a notably similar meter to Auld Lang Syne: There is a hand to turn the time/Though thy glass today be run. Phish has only a small number of songs that really stand on their own and the bands power comes from the four musicians ability to both embrace and transcend the inherent absurdity of their material. But on New Years their songs took on an unexpectedly profound quality. On Down With Disease Trey Anastasio and Page McConnell were yelling stop! at the galloping hour hand. The day is longer than your year, they insisted as the outset of Mercury, just around 11:50 PM. The jam that preceded midnight felt intense and sludgy and pleasantly unmelodic, liminal in a way that channeled the psychic and temporal moment. Then thousands of silver balloons dropped from the ceiling, and the crowd batted them around like giant pachinko balls. Dressed in space suits and screened by a forest of glistening streamers, Trey and Mike Gordon hovered a hundred feet above the crowd, absolutely nailing Say it to me S.A.N.T.OS (one of funkiest, weirdest, and darkest of the Kasvot Vxt numbers) while harnessed far, far away from their pedals and monitors. Dancers dressed as pepperoni pizza slices and flying saucers traipsed across the stage, and a few of the inflatable giant green aliens crowd-surfed down 7th avenue after the show finally let out around 1 AM. These were the hands to turn the time, though thy glass today be run. *** During one of the set breaks, a Phish newbie in my section said he was once under the mistaken impression they were a Christian band, with their name being a possible reference to the multiplication of the loaves and fishes (Matthew, chapter 15). Now we all know that Phish is a Jewish band as anyone who went to Jewish sleepaway camp in the past quarter-century or listened to the YEM > Yerushalayim Shel Zahav > YEM they played on July 16th, 1993 can attest. But this is a beautiful connection nonetheless, this idea of a small thing becoming a cosmically big one, or at least of the existence of some higher alchemy that human witnesses can verify. Were Phish, in fact, a Christian band, the name might refer to the idea that live music and religion share some core experiential similarity (in fact its derived from the last name of drummer John Fishman). A Phish show is its own strange sort of spiritual community that exists for a few hours at a time and then dissolves with fearful instancy. Theyre not exactly a popular band or one with particularly broad appeal; their success has come from mining the same somewhat large group of enthusiasts over the course of several decades and effectively preventing that audience from wandering off. The people at a Phish show really do want to be thereevery square inch of the floor and seating bowl are filled at the Garden and only the truly inebriated manage to stand perfectly still. No one watches indifferently. Five hours pass in a moment, and the lacuna in real life jolts to an unwelcome end. This is so sad, someone in my section remarked, watching the balloons and ribbons being swept away. The universe is no longer here. Armin Rosen is a New York-based writer. He has written for The Atlantic, City Journal, and World Affairs Journal, and was recently a senior reporter for Business Insider. | https://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/277958/what-kind-of-person-pays-to-see-the-band-phish-150-times |
What are the worlds safest airlines for 2019? | Its not something most avid travelers think about, but knowing youre in reliable hands when flying from one side of the world to the other is always a plus. Which is why its worth a glance at the annual AirlineRatings.com list naming the worlds safest airlines and discovering which one is rated the best. For 2019, the airline at the top of the list, once again, is Australian carrier Qantas. Accidents involving air transport are still incredibly rare, although the past 12 months saw a year-on-year rise in fatalities. Last year AirlineRatings was unable to single out one airline over its rivals. This year the Australia-based safety and product rating website had a more definitive outlook, says editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas. Qantas was a clear winner given its industry leadership in safety innovation, he tells CNN Travel, spotlighting the airlines new nonstop Australia-UK route for its reliability. AirlineRatings analyzed data for 405 airlines across the world to put together its list of the top 20 safest carriers. It used 12 separate criteria, including audits from governments, aviations governing bodies and lead associations. Also considered were the crash and serious incident records for each carrier plus fleet age and profitability. Safety first Qantas held the accolade of AirlineRatings world safest airline from 2014 to 2017, but took joint honors in 2018 when the website chose not to rank its top 20. For 2019, Qantas is singled out as the best, while the remaining 19 safest airlines havent been ordered and are instead listed alphabetically. The result is a list that includes what the website calls a whos who of airlines, praised for being reliable and secure. The top 20 are: Air New Zealand, Alaska Airlines, All Nippon Airways, American Airlines, Austrian Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific Airways, Emirates, EVA Air, Finnair, Hawaiian Airlines, KLM, Lufthansa, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Scandinavian Airline System, Singapore Airlines, Swiss, and United Airlines and Virgin group of airlines (Atlantic and Australia). United returns to the list after being notably absent in 2018. Excluded in 2019 are former stalwarts Japan Airlines and Etihad. Two US giants American Airlines and United Airlines are in the top 20 as they have reduced their fleet age significantly taking delivery of a large number of new aircraft, explains Thomas. Japan Airlines was excluded this year one of its pilots was found to be intoxicated at Heathrow Airport, he adds. Etihad was also excluded because of its significant losses. Although Qantas pipped the other carriers to the post, Thomas is keen to stress every airline in the top 20 deserves championing. The top 20 safest airlines are all exceptional operations and the benchmark for excellence when its comes to safety and reliability, he says. High and low AirlineRatings also pinpointed the top 10 low-cost airlines with the best safety records. In alphabetical order, the top 10 safest budget airlines are: Flybe, Frontier, HK Express, Jetblue, Jetstar Australia / Asia, Thomas Cook, Volaris, Vueling, Westjet and Wizz. Mexican airline Volaris and Hungarian carrier Wizz are new additions to the list, while Aer Lingus lost its 2017 spot. AirlineRatings.com ranks the airlines using its seven-star rating system with the top 20 airlines all achieving the full seven stars. The lowest-rated airlines for 2019, achieving only one or two stars in the rankings, are Ariana Afghan Airlines, Bluewing Airlines, Kam Air and Trigana Air Service. | https://wgno.com/2019/01/03/what-are-the-worlds-safest-airlines-for-2019/ |
Whats on the California Democrats 2019 ban list? | This month, plastic straws join our old friends the incandescent bulb, plastic grocery bags and foie gras as California contraband, as restaurants will be banned from providing them unless a customer specifically requests one. Restaurants are already transitioning to paper straws, which are fantastic for the first 30 seconds of use before they disintegrate into a clumpy white substance. Now, every time you hit the drive through at Mickey Ds, youre gonna look down into your Mr. Pibb and suspect that the Hamburglar slipped you a mickey. With Democrats now controlling the governors mansion and two-thirds of both houses of the state Legislature, the list of items and activities that will land on the no-fly list will surely expand. Youth football Because of the threat of concussions and a cornucopia of scandals involving sex, drugs and violence at the professional and collegiate level, many parents simply wont allow their children to play the game. But letting parents choose what is best for their children isnt something that neighborhood Napoleons are interested in. The next generation of California kids might be playing as much football as Colin Kaepernick none. Thermostats that homeowners control Over the summer, my neighbors and I got regular alerts telling us to limit our air conditioning. Winter brought warnings to lay off the heater and hot showers. Whenever the electric bill comes in the mail, its decorated with charts and graphs trying to shame me into using less electricity than my neighbors. Charging obese people double for airline tickets Every year it seems that new groups gain protected class status, including the homeless, parolees and those addicted to drugs and alcohol. Its only a matter of time before the obese get their seat at the table too. Airlines rightly say that they are forced to charge these passengers for two tickets because thats how much space they take up. But in a world that is hyper-sensitive to any perception of bullying or shaming, this practice could be going the way of free meals in coach. The sale of fur Several cities across California already have fur sale bans in place, including West Hollywood, Berkeley, and San Francisco. Earlier this year, Los Angeles unanimously passed a motion in favor of a similar measure. Currently, Democratic Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, has proposed legislation that would outlaw the sale and manufacture of new fur products state-wide. Without Joan Rivers and Lucille Ball around to advocate for their winter wardrobes, be prepared to say adios to fur. Water guns Banning water guns would be a California hat trick in one piece of legislation, busybody lawmakers could cut consumption of water, fight any positive attitude about guns and, most importantly, ban fun. Teachers, stand up to the Goliath of the UTLA union How a corrupt marijuana testing lab incident highlights the benefits of legalized marijuana Some things that brought happiness this year: Letters Buying pets from private breeders in the state In 2017, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation that mandated that pet stores could only sell dogs, cats and rabbits if they came from shelters or nonprofit rescue organizations. Under the law, individuals are still allowed to buy from private breeders, but stores cant. Eventually, someone in the Legislature is going to decide that doesnt go far enough and the private breeders will be put out of business. So if you want a hypo-allergenic cockapoo youll have to invest in a Las Vegas phone book. The new year will reveal just how far the Democratic supermajority will go, and what the rest of the country will be mocking us over in 2019. John Phillips can be heard weekdays at 3 p.m. on The Drive Home with Jillian Barberie and John Phillips on KABC/AM 790. | https://www.whittierdailynews.com/2019/01/03/whats-on-the-california-democrats-2019-ban-list/ |
What does the future hold for key Bristol Rovers attackers left on the sidelines? | Caretaker manager Graham Coughlan confirmed their was a sickness bug going around the Pirates camp on New Years day as the Gas drew 0-0 at home to Burton Albion. Missing from the squad altogether in the first game of 2019 were two men who have featured regularly on the wings this season under Darrell Clarke, Kyle Bennett and Sam Matthews. (Image: Alex James/JMP) Bennett joined the club in February last year as a free transfer having been released by Portsmouth and Sam Bennett arrived in the summer from Bournemouth. Matthews, 21, has played 22 games this season and did come off the bench in the 2-1 win over Fleetwood on December 22. Other than that he has not played for Coughlan. Bennett, 28, has featured 25 times this season but again has played a few minutes off the bench in the 2-1 defeat away at Sunderland since Clarke left. After the match Coughlan said he was disappointed with the impact his subs made and said he had been forced into making them. (Image: Robbie Stephenson/JMP) Coughlan has outlined his policy that while the team is doing well he will continue to select the same side, but that must make a spot on the sidelines all the more difficult to swallow. While BristolLive can not conclusively say neither man had the bug which was going around the Rovers camp we can confirm that both Bennett and Matthews were at the Memorial Stadium on Tuesday and in good enough shape to be put through their paces after the final whistle in a fast paced training game. Also taking part in the session with the substitutes was Daniel Leadbitter who has not played a minute under Coughlan. (Image: Alex James/JMP) And you have to ask yourself just how far down the pecking order have Bennett and Matthews fallen with Joe Martin picked ahead of them on the left wing with Tareiq Holmes-Dennis, Coughlan's first choice player in that position, rested. Martin is a defensive minded player and Coughlan confirmed he was one of the squad members battling illness on Saturday when the Gas beat Oxford United 2-0. Stefan Payne missed that game with what Coughlan described as a virus but was back in the squad on Saturday, again ahead of the pair of attacking players. The caretaker boss has said his toughest job has been selecting a match day squad from 25 players but the players missing out must wonder whether they have a future under the manager. | https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/what-future-hold-key-bristol-2386866 |
Does mountaintop removal also remove rattlesnakes? | On the Cumberland Plateau in eastern Kentucky, surface coal mining is destroying ridgelines and mountaintops, and along with them, the habitat of a surprisingly gentle reptile species - the timber rattlesnake. "Timber rattlesnakes may be the most docile, calm animals of their size in eastern US forests," Thomas Maigret, a researcher from the University of Kentucky, said. "On several occasions, I've witnessed spiders using a rattlesnake as an anchor for a web. Females, especially, move very infrequently, and pose almost no threat to a careful human." Unfortunately for the timber rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) and other species in this region - both plant and animal - surface coal mining requires complete removal of mature forest cover and the upper soil layers. This means that soil is scraped away, rocks disturbed and dug out, plants and trees removed, or the ridgetop landscape flattened and made more uniform to reach the coal buried in the earth. This alteration eliminates many diverse, unique places for animals to live and hibernate. The central Appalachia region spans eastern Kentucky, northeastern Tennessee, southwest Virginia, and southern West Virginia and is one of the most diverse non-tropical ecosystems in the world with thousands of plant and animal species, many that are only found there. Maigret and his colleagues tracked timber rattlesnakes in a study published today in the Ecological Society of America's journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. The researchers implanted radio transmitters in snakes of the Cumberland Plateau and tracked their movements until they retreated to hibernation sites in the fall. The data gathered provided a roadmap for identifying other potential hibernating sites, or "hibernacula," across the study area. "Snakes of the eastern U.S. vary in their hibernacula selection behavior, and for many species not much is known about hibernacula preferences," Maigret explained. "For example, many aquatic snakes prefer damp hibernacula near the streams where they reside during the summer. But for other species, any warm, protected crevice they can fit into seems to suffice." By analyzing remote-sensing and satellite imagery, mining maps, and permit data from the USGS and other sources, the researchers were then able to determine how mining might affect a wide range of hibernation sites. They found that because timber rattlesnakes tend to hibernate in the same places that make ideal mines, surface mining disproportionately alters or eliminates their preferred habitat. "Other species with habitat preferences similar to timber rattlesnakes - including some snakes - may also be affected disproportionately by mining. On the other hand," Maigret said, "species associated with middle or lower slopes will not be affected by mining to the same extent." In other words, the mining operations here are selecting against timber rattlesnake habitat, effectively cutting into the region's biodiversity. The Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 does not require mining companies to reforest the area to the original mountaintop landscape after mining has wrapped up. The law does dictate that the "approximate original contours" of a site be re-established, in an attempt to not leave the area uninhabitable by the species that once lived there. However, it is rare for forests and biodiversity to fully recover from mining-related disturbances, to the detriment of many animals and their habitats. While researchers are actively improving the ability to restore habitats on reclaimed mine lands, surface mining acts as an eraser of unique ecosystems, creating a uniform landscape where there once were diverse habitat options. In the Cumberland Plateau, mining leaves conservation and management efforts very little to work with even after an operation restores the approximate original mountaintop landscape. Still, Maigret is optimistic about the future of restoring mined areas for the docile rattlesnakes. "Coal mining in central Appalachia has serious economic headwinds," he stated, "and may never return to the rates of surface mining of the late 20th century. Timber rattlesnakes are resilient, and their ability to adapt to previous landscape changes - including massive deforestation in the 19th and early 20th century - should not be underestimated." ### Journal Article Maigret T.A., Cox J.J., and Yang J. 2019. Persistent geophysical effects of mining threaten ridgetop biota of Appalachian forests. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. DOI: 10.1002/fee.1992 Authors Thomas A. Maigret, Department of Biology, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Kentucky John J. Cox and Jian Yang, Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Kentucky Author Contact Thomas A Maigret ([email protected]) | https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/esoa-dmr010319.php |
Should We Change the Official New York State Song? | A Democrat from Montana is pushing for an official rock song for his home state. A hit called "Hippy Hippy Shake" was written by a Montanan while he was still in high school. The proposal was introduced recently to the state legislature with a lyric from the song: "WHEREAS Montanans shake it to the left and shake it to the right and do everything with all their might." Meanwhile, here in the Empire State..."I Love New York," from the famous ad campaign, was adopted in 1977 by New York as the official state song. I think we can and should do better. Not that there's anything really WRONG with "I Love New York." It just feels a bit...outdated. Plus, we have so many other great options. New York, New York. The song essentially owned by Frank Sinatra is still played over the P.A. system following every baseball game at Yankee Stadium. New York State of Mind. The masterful lyrics and piano from Billy Joel capture the spirit of New York. Back in the New York Groove. The version by Ace Frehley from KISS features one of the most infectious beats in rock & roll, thanks in part to the percussion of one-time Late Night with David Letterman drummer Anton Fig. Empire State of Mind. The copious lyrics to the opus by Alicia Keys read like a novel. The only down side is the use of the N-word. My snarky Facebook Friends also nominated ACDC's "Hells Bells," along with "Taxman" by the Beatles, and the "So Long, Farewell" song from The Sound of Music . | http://wour.com/should-we-change-the-official-new-york-state-song/ |
What Is Diabulimia? | If you have type 1 diabetes, you know how essential insulin is to your health. In fact, its life-saving. But some people with the condition are manipulating their insulin in order to purge after a large or high-carb meal. The condition is called diabulimia. While its not a formal diagnosis, the term refers to the unique eating disorder symptom of insulin restriction for the purposes of calorie purging, says Ann Goebel-Fabbri, PhD, a former assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of Prevention and Recovery From Eating Disorders in Type 1 Diabetes: Injecting Hope. While you may have heard of people purging through self-induced vomiting or diuretic or laxative use, it can be done by misusing necessary medications like insulin as well. This is a very dangerous behavior that can lead to diabetes complications and increase the likelihood of early death, Goebel-Fabbri says. People with type 1 diabetes dont produce insulin. Insulin acts like a key to allow glucose to enter into cells, explains Susan Herzlinger, MD, a specialist in eating disorders in people with diabetes at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston. Glucose is the fuel your body runs on, but without insulin, your body cant utilize the glucose in your blood. Normally, your pancreas does this automatically. With type 1 diabetes, you need to give yourself insulin either through injections or an insulin pump. RELATED: 15 Ways High Blood Sugar Affects Your Body Those with diabulimia may underdose their insulin or skip it altogether. Then, blood sugar rises and the kidneys dispose of the excess glucose in urine. This is a way to purge whats been eaten because the sugar you ingested isnt absorbed and instead is eliminated, says Dr. Herzlinger. Whats more, limiting insulin forces your body to digest fat (and some muscle) to support the brains functioning, she says. Doing this can leave people feeling irritable and fatigued at best. Worst, it can be deadly. The most severe consequences when blood sugar is allowed to become so high and insulin so low is a risk of developing diabetic ketoacidosis, says Dr. Herzlinger. This is an emergency medical condition where fat is broken down too quickly into ketones, making the blood acidic (which is different from what happens in the popular ketogenic diet). Diabetic ketoacidosis usually requires an ER visit at minimum and often admission to intensive care, she says. The long-term consequences are serious, too. That can include damage to smaller blood vessels, leading to vision loss, kidney failure, and dialysis. Its also possible to develop peripheral neuropathy that causes pain and loss of sensation that increases risk of wounds and ulcers in the feet. Plus, overtime, misusing insulin can damage large blood vessels that supply the heart and brain. Weve had women with a history of eating disorders getting heart bypass surgery in their 30s, says Dr. Herzlinger. RELATED: 9 Ways to Help a Friend With an Eating Disorder Diabetes and eating disorder risk People with type 1 diabetes, particularly women, have a unique risk for eating disorders or EDs, research shows, and that includes manipulating insulin dosage to avoid the consequences of a large meal. Goebel-Fabbri notes that women with type 1 are approximately 2.5 times more likely than women without the condition to develop an ED of any kind. In one study of 126 girls with type 1 diabetes, nearly one-third could have been diagnosed with an ED as young women, according to a 2015 study in the journal Diabetes Care. Thirty to 40% of women with type 1 will say theyve restricted their insulin for weight loss at some point in their lives, says Goebel-Fabbri. It doesnt mean they all have eating disorders, she says, but it is part of a larger fabric of doing dangerous things to lose weight. You have to be hyper aware of your food intakecounting carb grams, planning out meals, estimating insulin requirements. Couple that with the general societal pressures to be thin, and the practice of food vigilance can take a turn, says Goebel-Fabbri. Whats more, some patients have even told her that theyve learned to do this from health care materials that are intended to be cautionary against underdosing or skipping insulin. While the development of EDs is multifactorial, there is a weight component, too. Whats underappreciated is that its more difficult for people with type 1 to manage their weight, despite maintaining moderate habits, says Dr. Herzlinger. With a tool like insulin, the discovery that weight manipulation is possible can become a dangerous habit for some. However, its also important to know that underdosing insulin may not give someone the weight loss results theyre after. Weight loss really does happen early on but is seriously dangerous and may not last, says Goebel-Fabbri. In her research on women who were manipulating their insulin for weight loss, she followed up with study participants 11 years later. Those who stopped restricting insulin were at a healthy body mass index, while those who continued to do it were at an elevated BMI. I speculate that its probably because eating becomes more and more out of control. People with high glucose are much hungrier than those with healthier levels, she says. RELATED: 7 Things You Shouldn't Say to Someone Who's Had an Eating Disorder How to seek help Unfortunately, the first clue that someone may be suffering from diabulimia could be admission to the hospital with diabetic ketoacidosis. Routine blood tests to monitor blood glucose levels may also tip doctors off that theres a problem. Hemoglobin A1c levels (the average blood sugar over three months) may rise without explanation, says Dr. Herzlinger. Certainly, A1c can be elevated for a variety of reasons, but doctors will want to investigate the underlying cause. (People may also be underdosing or skipping insulin for other reasons, including the exorbitant cost of the medication, as one New York Times story outlined.) Diabulimia treatment often requires a team approach to address diabetes management, eating disorder recovery, and mental health support, as a person may be dealing with depression and anxiety as well, says Goebel-Fabbri. Here's what it might entail. Talk to a trusted provider. The struggle [can be] very shaming, so its hard to disclose this to a doctor. A patient needs to feel safe from judgment and lectures, says Goebel-Fabbri. Foster team communication. The challenge, says Goebel-Fabbri is that many mental health providers, including eating disorder experts, are not trained in type 1 diabetes management, and it should not be the responsibility of the patient to teach them, either. Your diabetes provider should work closely with the mental health professional to learn about eating disorders from them. Similarly, your doctor should be willing to teach the ED expert about type 1. Reestablish good habits. Often, someone with diabulimia has uncontrolled blood glucose. Rather than trying to recover great glucose management quickly, Dr. Herzlinger recommends aiming for good. She has patients begin taking insulin at meals but in a lower dose than appropriate. This will reestablish the habit of taking insulin. As recovery progresses, the amount taken can gradually increase. Revamp your diet. With other eating disorders, putting someone on a diet can be dangerous. However, in this case, working with a knowledgeable dietitian to develop a healthy, moderate-carbohydrate diet, focusing on lower glycemic index carbs, can be helpful. A patient then does not have to take large amounts of insulin, something that isnt palatable in the beginning stages of recovery. But dont get strict. Focusing on eating regularly in a non-depriving way can help someone bring back the flexibility to their diet that they need, says Goebel-Fabbri. Prepare for (possible) gain. Its natural to have a fear of weight gain, and weight gain may or may not happen in recovery. Goebel-Fabbri says that one issue is that high blood sugar levels cause dehydration, and once someone starts taking insulin appropriately, they can gain water weight, which may be distressing. This is completely normal and will resolve, but no one can promise how long that will take. I warn patients that this happens in the beginning so that they dont drop out of treatment, she says. Decreasing glucose levels gradually can help lessen this side effect. | https://www.health.com/type-1-diabetes/diabulimia |
How many of Portsmouths players have Championship experience ahead of Norwich FA Cup tie? | Have your say On paper, its by far Pompeys toughest test to date. The Blues travel to Premier League-chasing Norwich in the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday. The Canaries are flying high in the Championship this campaign, sitting in second spot behind Leeds. Although Kenny Jacketts side top League One, theyre in for a stern examination at Carrow Road even despite home boss Daniel Farke likely to make wholesale changes. For as strong as Pompeys current squad is, there arent many with second-tier experience under their belt. In fact, only seven of Jacketts troops have featured in the division above. Brett Pitman has spent a significant part of his career in the Championship, representing AFC Bournemouth, Bristol City and Ipswich. The Blues skipper netted 13 goals when the Cherries were promoted into the top flight during the 2014-15 season. Tom Naylor was plying his at the level above for the past two seasons before moving to Fratton Park from Burton Albion in the summer. The midfielder has 68 appearances in the Championship during his career. Matt Clarke will undoubtedly continue his trajectory up the Football League ladder. Theres arguably not a better defender than him in League One. The centre-back was brought to Pompey by Paul Cook in 2015. Hed played four times for Ipswich during 2014-15 in the second tier as a teenager. Christian Burgess arrived the same summer as Clarke. The defender made a solitary outing for Middlesbrough on the final day of the 2013-14 season. Ben Thompson is set to play his final game for Pompey before returning to Millwall. The midfielder has endeared himself to the Fratton faithful following a highly-impressive loan spell. But despite him being recalled, Thompson made only three substitute appearances for the Lions last term. Andre Green and David Wheeler are also on loan at Pompey from Championship outfits Aston Villa and QPR respectively. The former played twice for Villa in the Championship this term before moving to the Blues in August, as well 18 times in total beforehand. Wheeler represented QPR on nine occasions during 2017-18. | https://www.portsmouth.co.uk/sport/football/pompey/how-many-of-portsmouth-s-players-have-championship-experience-ahead-of-norwich-fa-cup-tie-1-8757649 |
Could Tesla Price Cuts Mean Demand is Slowing? | Tesla made about 9,300 more vehicles than it delivered last year, raising concerns among industry analysts that inventory is growing as demand for the companys electric cars may be starting to wane. If demand falls, they say, the company will enter a new phase of its business. Like other automakers, Tesla will have to either cut production or reduce prices to raise sales. A drop in demand could also curtail the companys earnings and jeopardize CEO Elon Musks promise to post sustained quarterly profits. On Wednesday, Tesla did cut prices, knocking $2,000 off each of its three models. The company said the cuts will help customers deal with the loss of a $7,500 federal tax credit, which was reduced to $3,750 this month for Tesla buyers and will gradually go to zero by the end of 2019. They have for a long time had more demand than supply, Gartner analyst Michael Ramsey said. Its becoming apparent that that dynamic is changing. Tesla reported that it produced 254,530 cars and SUVs last year and delivered 245,240. The companys deliveries for the full year matched Wall Street estimates, but its figures for the fourth quarter didnt reach expectations. Tesla said it delivered 90,700 vehicles from October through December. Analysts polled by data provider FactSet expected 92,000. Jeff Schuster, a senior vice president at the forecasting firm LMC Automotive, said demand for Teslas lower-priced Model 3 has been artificially high for the past six months as the company overcame production problems at its Fremont, California, factory. Youve had these inflated months because of delayed deliveries, Schuster said. Were probably getting to that point where were getting to equilibrium and consumers arent necessarily waiting for vehicles. Last year, Tesla reported that about 420,000 buyers had put down $1,000 deposits to join the Model 3 waiting list. LMC predicts that Tesla U.S. sales will rise in 2019 because its the first full year on the market for the Model 3. It anticipates sales to then fall by about 10,000 in 2020. Losing the tax credit will hit those who have been holding out for the $35,000 version of the Model 3, Schuster said. At present, Tesla is selling only versions that cost at least $44,000. Under federal law, buyers get the full tax credit until a manufacturer reaches 200,000 in sales since the start of 2010. Tesla hit 200,000 in July but the full credit continued for vehicles delivered by Dec. 31. It was cut in half on Jan. 1 and will go away by the end of the year. Youve had your early adopters, those early followers have already come in to buy, Schuster said. Now youre trying to appeal to the mainstream market. I think that will have an impact on overall demand. At the same time, inventory appears to be rising. The company parked hundreds of cars at lots and Tesla stores all over the country at the end of last year, which could indicate excess stock. Tesla wouldnt give inventory numbers but said it has lower stocks than its two biggest competitors, BMW and Mercedes. The Associated Press found one lot on the north side of Chicago where Tesla was storing dozens of vehicles in late December, and Mark Spiegel, a hedge fund manager who bets against Tesla stock, said other lots were full across the country. Tesla said it sometimes stores vehicles on lots as theyre being shipped to company dealerships across the nation. The lot in Chicago has fewer cars on it now, the company said. Our inventory levels remain the smallest in the automotive industry, the company said Wednesday. Tesla also says Model 3 sales should grow worldwide as it expands distribution and begins to offer leases. Deliveries in Europe and China will start in February, and a right-hand-drive version is coming later in the year, the company said. In addition, inventory dropped in the fourth quarter as Tesla delivered a few thousand vehicles more than produced. Tesla said it had about 3,000 vehicles in transit to customers at years end. But even with that number, Schuster said production still exceeded deliveries, which doesnt fit Teslas business model of building cars when they are ordered by customers. Still, even at 9,300, Teslas inventory is smaller than other automakers that have to stock dealerships, Schuster said. | https://www.voanews.com/a/could-tesla-price-cuts-mean-demand-is-slowing-/4727401.html |
Do Good Fences Make Good Neighbors? | From Robert Reich Blog [I wrote this for the New Yorker magazine's issue of November 30, 1998] It used to be that people who owned a lot of things could protect themselves and their things by erecting sturdy houses and, if necessary, putting a lock on the door. Today, it seems, that's not enough. It's estimated that three million American households live within gated communities -- twenty thousand of them, often equipped with private security guards and electronic surveillance systems. Some years ago, the town of Rosemont, Illinois, erected a beige wrought-iron fence. Rosemont is a suburb of Chicago, with a population of four thousand, and it has one of the largest auxiliary police forces in the United States. A wall is being erected around the nation, too an outer perimeter, separating the United States from the Third World. So far, our national wall extends along only 64 miles of the nearly 2,000-mile border with Mexico, but Congress has appropriated funds for lengthening it and also fortifying it. The urge to erect walls seems to be growing, just as disparities in wealth are widening. Many of the Americans who reside within gates like Rosemont's have become substantially wealthier during the past several years, whereas a great many Americans who live outside the gates have not. (One man, appropriately named Bill Gates, has a net worth roughly equaling the combined net worth of the least wealthy 40 percent of American households.) On a much larger scale, inhabitants of the planet who reside at latitudes north of the national wall are diverging economically from those who live south of it. The consequence is that at both perimeters the town wall and the national wall outsiders are more desperate to get in and insiders are more determined to keep them out. Yet the inconvenient fact is that increasingly, in the modern world, the value of what the insiders own and of the work they do depends on what occurs outside. Half a world away from Rosemont are places whose currencies, denominated in bahts, ringgits, rupiahs, and won, began toppling more than a year ago, and seem to have come to rest only in the last several weeks at levels far below where they started. This has caused most of these countries' citizens to become far poorer. An Indonesian who had worked for the equivalent of three dollars and 33 cents a day before the rupiah's decent is now working for about one dollar and 12 cents. Efforts by the International Monetary Fund to build back the "confidence" of global investors in these nations by conditioning loans on the nation's willingness to raise interest rates and cut their public spending have had the unfortunate side effect of propelling more of their citizens into ever more desperate poverty. After the tremors spread to Russia last summer, and it defaulted on its short-term loans, the worldwide anxiety grew, spreading all the way to Brazil, the largest economy in Latin America, with the widest gap between rich and poor. In return for its promise of austerity, Brazil is now set to receive an international line of credit totaling 41 and a half billion dollars, designed to convince global investors that its currency will not lose its value, and that, therefore, there is no reason for them to take their money and run. All this commotion has also diminished the economic security of quite a number of people who thought of themselves as safely walled in. ... Recent government data show that in the third quarter of 1998 the profits and investments of Americans companies shrank for the first time since the recession year of 1991. This is largely because their exports to Asia and Latin America have continued to drop, while cheap imports from these regions are undercutting their sales in the United States. In consequence, they have been laying off American workers at a higher pace, and creating new jobs at a slower pace, than at any time in recent years. We do not know how many residents of Rosemont will lose their jobs or the value of their stock portfolios because of the continuing global crisis. No burglars will climb over the steel barrier now walling off the United States and then scale Rosemont's beige wrought-iron fence, but some residents of Rosemont will lose a bundle nonetheless. The major risks of modern live now move through or over walls, sometimes electronically, as with global investments, but occasionally by other means. A lethal influenza virus originating among a few Hong Kong chickens could find its way to Rosemont via a globe-trotting business executive. Drugs are flowing across the border as well, not because the walls are insufficiently think but because the people behind them are eager to buy. Something these is in capitalism that doesn't love a wall. Perhaps it is because we feel so unprotected of late. Amid all the blather about taking more personal responsibility for this or that, there is a growing fear that random and terrible things can happen to us. Solid walls at least create the illusion of control over what we call our own, and control is something we seem to need more of these days, when almost anyone can be clobbered by a falling baht. | https://www.opednews.com/articles/Do-Good-Fences-Make-Good-N-by-Robert-B-Reich-America_Border-Wall_Business_Capitalism-190103-209.html |
Could these tiny one-bedroom pop-up homes solve Britain's housing crisis? | Get daily news updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Tiny pop-up homes could be rolled out across an English city in a bid to solve the its housing crisis. Currently Bristol City Council's planning policy does not allow the building new single-occupier homes. This is because the local authority recommends that at least two bed spaces should be made available and room for additional visitors in every new property. However, proposals for three tiny one-bed, one-person homes in the Hillfields area have recently been approved. An existing two-story Victorian building will be divided into two flats. And a new pop-up 'Snug' home will be created in the rear garden of an existing house. At 37sqm to 44sqm, the ground-floor flat, first-floor flat and prefabricated 'box' house all meet or exceed minimum internal floor space requirements under UK housing standards. (Image: Bristol Post WS) Each home will have its own little grassy space, and two of them will have a small patio as well. And while only one new 'Snug' house has been approved so far, it could lead to the roll out of future homes. Planning committee members approved the new homes after developer Ecomotive urged them to stand up and make new precedents to help solve Bristols housing crisis. But council officers had recommended that councillors reject the plans, arguing that the proposed one-person homes do not provide enough room for everyday activities. An officer said: Bristol does not accept one-bed spaces because they cannot accommodate extra residents should the need arise. Bristol City Council expects that all new dwellings provide at least two bed spaces. It is considered that this is the smallest unit size that can meet the flexibility and adaptability of the policies outlined, i.e., accommodate sufficient space for a partner, a child, temporary carer or visiting friends or relatives. But Michelle Asher from Ecomotive, which is developing the 'Snug' home design, disagreed. She said: Id hate to see Bristol City Council turn down a totally viable living option which addresses the need for affordable housing, small footprints, enough space for people to live comfortably and with dignity and the right to choose just based on limiting bureaucratic regulations. (Image: Bristol Post WS) The councils development manager, Gary Collins, advised councillors to change local planning policy if necessary rather than make a habit of overruling it. Councillors backed the house conversion by nine votes to two before unanimously approving the Snug prefab home in the rear garden. The planning report reads: "The dwelling itself is proposed to be a two storey, 1 bedroom, 1 bed space dwelling with an overall gross internal floor area of approximately 41sqm, divided over its two storeys. "The dwelling would be 6.25m in height and adopt a modern box / SNUG home design with a flat roof. "Amenity space would be provided through a small patio area (approximately 8sqm) to the rear of the proposed dwelling and an area of grass (approximately 21sqm) achieved through the subdivision of the existing garden at 225 Forest Road." No members of the public had objected to either application and 20 wrote in support of the prefab home. Mr Collins added that the council is developing a new policy approach to modular units. | https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/could-tiny-one-bedroom-pop-13808248 |
Who Is the Peacock on The Masked Singer? | Where to Stream: The Masked Singer More Options Last night marked the premiere of The Masked Singer, the networks singing competition show all about big name celebrities belting it it in elaborate costumes, a.k.a. the weirdest reality show of the year (and its only January). After a so-so performance of My Prerogative we learned Antonio Brown is (or was) The Masked Singers Hippo, but that barely matters, because theres one competitor far worthier of your speculation. If all of this sounds like nonsense you probably havent seen The Masked Singer. Adapted from the wildly popular show King of Mask Singer show from South Korea, the series follows a group of people in elaborate costumes. All that we and the judges know about these singers is that theyre famous in some way Whether because of their acting prowess, athletic ability, or professional singer status. Its the judges jobs to guess who each character actually is, and each episode a new character is unmasked to either confirm or deny their suspicions. Its like Guess Who? but with a much larger budget. But even among all of this madness, there was one singer who stole the show. Heres everything we know about Peacock, the performer who brought the house down singing The Greatest Show from The Greatest Showman. Everything We Know About the Peacock on The Masked Singer After wowing the audience with his soulful performance, the Peacock dropped a handful of hints about who he could be. According to this colorful mystery man, he chose to be the Peacock because they both love the spotlight, and he first walked on stage when he was five years old. But that was then and this is now. The Peacock revealed hes an older celebrity looking for a comeback. At one point he said, Its probably been a while since your mom had a poster of me on her bedroom wall. This celebrity was close with Michael Jackson, so much so that he referred to the late performer as a dear friend. Also, as the judges noted, he gave off major Las Vegas vibes. Not only did he introduce himself while waving a deck of cards and playing on the piano, but he dropped a major clue during the interview portion of his round. Though hes never been mauled by a tiger, he has been part of a magic act. Heres Who the Judges Think the Peacock is on The Masked Singer Theyre all over the map on this one. Originally pop culture guru Jenny McCarthy thought the Peacock is Hugh Jackman because of his song selection, but Robin Thicke struck down that idea because the performer is too short. The Peacock Might Be It seems like Twitter has the Peacocks number on this one. Many watched last night identified the Peacock as none other than Donny Osmond. The shoe fits pretty well on this one. Osmond was a teenage heartthrob in the early 1970s, and he was at least friendly with Michael Jackson. The pair was supposed to record a song together. He also has a history with Vegas. And Donny and Marie Osmond performed at least one magic routine in 1999. Other popular guesses on Twitter have included Elton John, Tom Jones, Corey Feldman, and Brandon Urie from Panic! at the Disco. But cmon. This one has got to be Mr. Osmond. We can feel it. Where to stream The Masked Singer | https://decider.com/2019/01/03/the-masked-singer-peacock/ |
Is The Masked Singer On Hulu? | The Masked Singer is in a word NUTS. Foxs newest reality sensation debuted last night and set social media ablaze with its addicting, bizarre presentation. The first water-cooler show of 2019 centers on a group of intricately disguised celebrities squaring off in a singing contest. With their identities shrouded in mystery, both the panelists and viewing audience are left to wonder whos singing behind the mask. Buckle up, everybody. This is only episode one. Heres everything you need to know. The Masked Singer airs on Fox. The next episode, which is titled New Masks on the Block, airs Wednesday, January 9 at 9:00 p.m. on Fox. Yes! The first episode of The Masked Singer is now streaming on Hulu. Future episodes will arrive on the platform the morning after they air on Fox. Nope. The Masked Singer isnt currently streaming on Netflix. No problem! Episode 1 of The Masked Singer is currently available to watch on Fox.com. The Masked Singer airs on Fox, which means if you have a proper cable login, you can live stream the reality series via Fox.com or the FOX NOW app (available on iTunes, Amazon Fire Stick, Android, and more). Depending on your location, you may be also be able to find a Fox Masked Singer live stream if youre a DIRECTV NOW, fuboTV, YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV, Sling TV, or PlayStation Vue subscriber. Where to stream The Masked Singer | https://decider.com/2019/01/03/is-the-masked-singer-on-hulu/ |
What movie should we see? | An opinionated guide to what's playing in Tallahassee, from the Democrat's own film fanatic, Mark Hinson. Jay Ellis, Taylor Russell, Logan Miller and Tyler Labine try to make it out of the upside-down world of "Escape Room." (Photo: David Bloomer) NEW THIS WEEK: "Escape Room," "If Beale Street Could Talk," "Moynahan" Aquaman PG-13, 143 minutes. Some profanity, action violence, watery nonsense, major pecs. Jason Momoa, Nicole Kidman. Find out the origin story of the superhero as well as his battle for an underwater throne and Atlantis' beef with humans. Directed by James Wan ("Saw"), who gives in to bombast and too much CGI. At least Momoa is having fun. The viewer sure won't. With Amber Heard, Julie Andrews, Dolph Lundgren, Dijmon Hounsou, Partrick Wilson and Willem Dafoe. (C-) AMC 20, CMX, Governor's Square, IMAX Backyard Wilderness Not rated, 40 minutes. Frogs humping. Take a closer look at the raccoons, birds, spotted salamanders and other critters dwelling nearby in a suburban northern neighborhood on a pond. Set-up documentary aimed at the elementary- and middle school-age viewers. Not bad if it's taken for what it is. Listen out for Tom Petty. (B) IMAX Bohemian Rhapsody PG-13, 134 minutes. Profanity, sexual content, thematic material. Rami Maleck, Lucy Boynton. Freddie Mercury and his band rise to world-wide fame in this fun but by-the-numbers bio-pic. Just fine as long as the viewer does not know anything about Queen. Plays fast and loose with the truth and when songs were actually released. Director credit given to Bryan Singer ("Usual Suspects") even though he was let go of the project. Great songs, though. (B) AMC 20, Governor's Square Bumblebee PG-13, 113 minutes. Profanity, violence, scary special effects. Hailee Steinfeld, John Cena. After landing in the middle of the American military during an exercise in the late '80s, an Autobot from outer-space (aka a "Transformer") hides out as a 1967 VW Beetle in a junkyard until a teenage girl from the San Francisco Bay area takes the big bot home. Action flick directed by Travis Knight ("Kubo and the Two Strings"). AMC 20, CMX, Governor's Square Creed II PG-13, 130 minutes. Profanity, violence, blood galore. Michael B. Jordan, Sylvester Stallone. In this overly long boxing melodrama, a champ must get past his reluctant trainer and wife's pregnancy before he can face Russian boxer Ivan Drago's mean son for a big bout. Does not wander far from its predictable script. With Dolph Lundgren and Phylicia Rashad. (C) AMC 20 Escape Room PG-13, 100 minutes. Terror, perilous action, violence, some suggestive material and language. Deborah Ann Woll, Taylor Russell. A group of strangers thinks they're going to one of those fun escape room games, but discovers they were wrong and have to work together to survive. With Taylor Russell, Tyler Labine, Jay Ellis and Nik Dodani. AMC 20, CMX, Governor's Square Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald PG-13, 134 minutes. Violence, scary special effects. Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp. In 1927, the magi-zoologist named Newt is trying to catch a freshly escaped villain in London while other fantastic stuff happens. Always-moving action-fantasy directed by David Yates ("Fantastic Beats and Where to Find Them"). Jumpy and complicated, it requires knowledge of this world. With Zo Kravitz and Jude Law. Written by J.K. Rowling, of "Harry Potter" fame. (C) AMC 20 The Favourite R, 119 minutes. Foul language, violence, nudity, sexual content, cat fights, smoking. Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone. In this historical farce, two women in the court of eccentric, gout-stricken Queen Anne jockey for power positions while wearing thick powder and wigs during the 18th century. Olivia Colman plays the crazed leader and she is a wonder to watch. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos ("The Lobster," "The Killing of a Sacred Deer") who makes this historical period piece his most accessible film yet. Yes, this is is considered accessible in the director's world. (A-) AMC 20 Green Book PG-13, 130 minutes. Profanity, violence, racial slurs. Mahershala Ali, Viggo Mortensen. At the dawn of the 60s, a white palooka from the Bronx drives a black pianist through the segregated South and they slowly learn to like each other. Predictable race drama directed by Peter Farrelly (Dumb and Dumber) is so-so. Hopefully it sends viewers to Pensacola pianist Don Shirley and revives interest. It takes its title from a travel book aimed at blacks during Jim Crow days. (C+) Governors Square The Grinch PG, 90 minutes. Bathroom humor, rude jokes. Voices of Benedict Cumberbatch, Kenan Thompson. A grump living in a mountain cave with a dog name Max decides to steal a dumb reindeer and pose as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. After he rips off Christmas, the orphaned green guy goes on an apology tour. It took six directors to mess up this simple Seuss tale. Evidently none of them read the book. (C) AMC 20, CMX, Governor's Square Holmes & Watson PG-13, 89 minutes. Profanity, violence, sexual content, drug humor. Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly. During Queen Victoria's rule in England, the world's most famous detectives are called in to stop an evil plot by Moriarty, but they are bumbling idiots. Comedy directed by Etan Cohen ("Get Hard"). With Ralph Fiennes and Pam Ferris. Opened this week. AMC 20, CMX, Governor's Square If Beale Street Could Talk R, 119 minutes. Some sexual content. KiKi Layne, Tish Rivers. A pregnant woman in Harlem tries to prove her fiance is innocent of a crime. Written and directed by Barry Jenkins, the FSU Film School graduate who won the Academy Award for Best Picture for "Moonlight." AMC 20 In "If Beale Street Could Talk," Sharon (Regina King) is particularly strong willed. (Photo: Tatum Mangus/Annapurna Pictures) Instant Family PG-13. 119 minutes. Profanity, violence, sexual humor, child endangerment. Mark Wahlberg, Rose Byrne. Two house-flippers and anxious parent-wannabes jump in feet first when foster adoption hooks them up with three children, including a hard-headed teen. Directed by Sean Anders ("Daddy's Home"), who makes this pat Hollywood tale much funnier than it has a right to be. With Octavia Spencer, Margo Martindale, Isabela Moner and Tig Notaro, who are all in top form. Surprisingly entertaining. (B) AMC 20 Mary Poppins Returns PG, 130 minutes. Some violence, thematic material, lots of musical numbers. Emily Blunt, Lin-Manuel Miranda. In this sequel to the 1964 Disney classic, a magical and unpredictable nanny arrives in the nick of time to help out the Banks family during the pre-war 1930s in London. Fantasy directed as a musical by Rob Marshall ("Into the Woods," the de-Fosse version of "Chicago") who crams in too many songs. As hard as Marshall tries, he can't cover up Blunt's fresh new take on Mary Poppins. Don't worry, the kids will love it. With Meryl Streep, Ben Whishaw, Emily Mortimer, Julie Walters, Dick Van Dyke and Angela Lansbury. (B-) AMC 20, CMX, Governors Square Mary Queen of Scots R, 124 minutes. Some profanity, war violence, rape, sexual content, smoking. Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie. British Queen Elizabeth I is not sure what to do when her feisty half-sister returns to her throne in a nearby country in this history costume drama. Directed by newcomer Josie Rourke. With Guy Pearce, David Tennant and Guy Rhys. AMC 20 Mortal Engines PG-13, 128 minutes. Violence, action scenes, scary special effects. Hera Hilmer, Robert Sheehan. After civilization has collapsed, the predatory, moving city of London is out for the kill and its up to a young woman to put a stop to it in the action-fantasy. Directed by newcomer Christian Rivers who puts all the recent sci-fi hits in a blender and pushes the mix button. Fans of the genre will love it while others scratch their heads. Co-produced and co-written by famed director Peter Jackson ("Lord of the Rings"). With Hugo Weaving and Jihae. (C+) AMC 20, Governor's Square A new documentary follows the life and work of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the senator from New York. (Photo: First Run Feature) Moynihan Not rated, 102 minutes. A biographical portrait of Daniel Patrick Moynihan, ambassador and U.S. Senator from New York. This documentary captures the spirit of Moynihans ideas as they evolved over the course of his tumultuous life in postwar America, featuring both the triumphs and the controversies. All Saints Cinema The Mule R, 116 minutes. Profanity, bloody violence, sexuality, nudity, drug content. Clint Eastwood, Bradley Cooper. Based on a true story, a charming, womanizing horticulturalist who is getting up in years is the top drug-runner for a Mexican drug cartel until clock-watchers take over and don't like his laid-back style. Drama directed by Eastwood which never kicks into high gear. All build-up with no payoff. With Andy Garcia, Dianne Wiest, Laurence Fishburne and Michael Pea. (B-) AMC 20, CMX, Governor's Square Pandas G, 43 minutes. Moments of peril. Ben Kilham, Jake Owens. International experts on ursine behavior gather in China to prepare a captive bear named Qian Qian (pronounced Chen Chen) for release into the wild. Family-aimed 3D documentary narrated by Kristen Bell. Directed by David Douglas and Drew Fellman ("Islands of Lemurs: Madagascar"). Yes, there are cute, tumbling, bamboo-munching pandas galore all with heads as big as Hello, Kitty. But when the doc stumbles into a serious matter, not enough explanation is delivered. (B) IMAX Ralph Breaks the Internet PG, 112 minutes. Game violence, bathroom humor, inside jokes. Voices of John C. Reilly, Sara Silverman. In this satire of everything from Disney to capitalism, two arcade-game characters must surf the internet to find a broken steering wheel. All sorts of misadventures ensue when they take off to figure out eBay. Most of the jokes are aimed at adults but the kids will love all the eye candy. (B) AMC 20, CMX, Governors Square Second Act PG-13, 104 minutes. Some crude sexual references, and language. Jennifer Lopez, Vanessa Hudgens. A retail worker reinvents herself to show the big leagues that books can't teach you everything. Think "Working Girl" but with JLo. With Leah Remini, Treat Williams and Milo Ventimiglia. AMC 20, CMX Simmba Not rated, 159 minutes. Violence, adult material, dancing for no reason. Ranveer Singh, Sonu Sood. An orphan who grew up to be a corrupt cop must choose between his abused family and the easy life of an amoral official when everything comes to a crossroads. Directed by Rohit Shetty ("Chennai Express"). Subtitled. AMC 20 Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse PG, 100 minutes. Mild profanity, violence, thematic elements. Voices of Shameik Moore, Jake Johnson. A young teen from a diverse background growing up in Brooklyn is thrown for a loop by his new superpowers as well as meeting crime-fighters from other dimensions. Straight-up fun animated action movie from a superhero you thought was done to death. Directed by three people: Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey and Rodney Rothman. With voices of Liev Schreiber, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin and Hailee Steinfeld. (B+) AMC 20, CMX, Governor's Square Vice R, 132 minutes. Profanity, violence, war footage, Christian Bale, Sam Rockwell. From a drunk in Wyoming to the most powerful politician in nation's power seat, watch the rise of Dick Cheney from his early days to the age of Isis in the White House. Bio-pic directed in an unconventional manner by Adam McKay ("The Big Short"). With Amy Adams, Steve Carell, LisaGay Hamilton and Tyler Perry. AMC 20, CMX, Governor's Square Welcome to Marwen PG-13, 116 minutes. Profanity, violence, war images, sexual content, animated dolls. Steve Carell, Leslie Mann. Based on a true story from upstate New York, an artist has his memory beaten from him thanks to five thugs, but he recovers from his brutal attack by creating a fantasy World War II village with dolls. Directed in tone-deaf mode by Robert Zemeckis ("Forrest Gump"), who pours on the sap pretty thick. Be sure to watch the excellent documentary "Marwencol" (2010), which is worth seeking out. With Diane Kruger and Janelle Mone. (C) AMC 20, CMX Read or Share this story: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/entertainment/2019/01/03/what-new-movie-should-we-see/2455740002/ | https://www.tallahassee.com/story/entertainment/2019/01/03/what-new-movie-should-we-see/2455740002/ |
What Drew the Line? | These were some of the questions that Jitish Kallat asked himself as he returned to painting last year, after a hiatus of five years. I wanted to paint by dropping the muscle memory of how I have actually touched a canvas previously, just so that I could drop the predictable responses I would get from them. When you stand in front of an 8ft x 6ft canvas, especially, there is a particular posture with which you begin, and I just wanted to paint in a way that would allow me to stay committed to many of the questions that I ask myself as an artist, but at the same time see if I could be pushed to think through the paint, says Kallat. Its not like there was an image or a thought that could be articulated verbally, which he wanted to put on the canvas. The pigment had to generate everything from itself, he says, how the various elements interact with each other, how they hydrate or dehydrate, how the paint glides or drips, the kind of imagery that can be created simply from the movement of the pigment across the canvas. It would be formed by a certain turbulence on the surface of the work, a bit like the push and pull of weather or atmospheric turbulence. Advertising The works Palindrome/Anagram paintings that emerged from this self-interrogation will be on view in Kallats third solo exhibition in Paris at Galerie Templon from January 12. And while it might seem like they represent a break from the 44 year olds existing body of work, they are actually a continuation of the explorations that have pushed Kallat through his over two decade long career. For example, the idea that the artist might surrender the direction of his work to external forces, was explored in works like his Rain Study and Wind Study series. In the former, graphs drawn with watercolour pencils were exposed to the rain and as each drop hit a line of colour, it released the pigment from its confines, allowing it to bloom on the paper. In the suite of works titled Wind Study (Hilbert Curve) Series, on the other hand, a line made with flammable material on paper was lit up and exposed to the vagaries of the outdoors, with the flame bending to even the most imperceptible shift in air currents and leaving behind scorch marks. Such a letting go, says Kallat, was a central part of his return to painting. If I did it, it would allow me to renew myself. I could work with different postures and gestures. So I knew the entire muscle memory would have to go. It allowed me to find aspects of myself that needed to be manifested in my work, he says. Yet, even as the material guided itself into shapes both recognisable and abstract Kallat saw something else emerging in each work. A friend of his, he reveals, applied the words conceptual and narrative to the new paintings and while he had always resisted these tags before, Kallat found himself accepting them this time. He says, It feels like theres a dimension of narration in these works which are not verbal or representational narrations, with one form leading to another. For example, a free-moving line of charcoal started to create shapes and boundaries or a flow of water onto stable flat pigment seemed to create some kind of luminosity as if changing dimension from simply liquid to photons. This intersection of different dimensions the celestial with the terrestrial, the terrestrial with the corporeal has long been one of Kallats preoccupation. In the 2017 photographic work titled Sightings D7M62017, for example which will also be on display in Paris he exposes what look like starfields on the surface of a fruit. The celestial stood revealed on a small piece of the botanical and this intersection of dimensions represents, to the artist, the sublime reality of our very existence. We are nothing but the perennial manifestation of these conflations of different dimensions, he explains and adds, At this moment each of our bodies have millions of atoms that have been in the body of every other species. Every three weeks, a quadrillion atoms go through our bodies, which have been through the body of every species on the planet. Through a mix of the structured and the structureless, abstraction and form, can the painting really generate its own world? | https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/jitish-kallat-palindrome-anagram-what-drew-the-line-galerie-templon-5522439/ |
Has the Xbox Two controller leaked in plain sight? | Microsoft is working on a new and improved gaming controller that could potentially be issued with the rumoured Xbox Two console. According to patent filings spied by Windows Latest, the company is planning to make significant improvements to the controllers trigger technology. Filings pertaining to motor-driven force-feedback and adjustable tension triggers could potentially result in a new generation of gamepads that would give game developers power to place different levels of resistance on the triggers, to match the action on screen. Heres how Microsoft describes the force-feedback technology in the application, which was published last month: Such a motor-driven, force-feedback trigger configuration enables the user-perceived state of the trigger to be dynamically adjusted in a variety of ways. For example, the trigger may be driven by the force-feedback motor to adjust a user-perceived resistance of the user-actuatable trigger. In another example, the trigger may be driven by the force-feedback motor to simulate a hard stop that effectively adjusts a pull length or range of rotation of the trigger. In another example, the trigger may be driven by the force-feedback motor to assist the trigger in returning to a fully-extended or unpressed posture when a user s finger is removed from the trigger. In another example, the trigger may be driven by the force-feedback motor to vibrate the trigger. Related: PS5 vs Xbox Two The second filing pertaining to the adjustable tension triggers explains how the trigger can be configured to pivot on an axis. Microsoft writes: The force-feedback motor is configured to drive the rack gear based on a force-feedback signal and thereby adjust a spring force applied by the return spring to the user-actuatable trigger. The patent filings follow rumours that a new Xbox Elite controller is in the works. However its equally possible these technologies could be built into the standard Xbox Two controller. Recent speculation suggests Microsoft is working on a wide-ranging strategy for its next hardware, including a streaming-only box and a high-end machine offering 4K 60fps visuals. No launch is expected until 2020, but we should learn more as 2019 rolls around. Tweet us @TrustedReviews on Twitter. | https://www.trustedreviews.com/news/xbox-two-controller-3640834 |
Can GM beat Ford with pickup offerings? | U.S. automaker General Motors is betting big on pickup trucks in 2019, amid an overall decline in sales last year. Continue Reading Below We are very bullish on pickups heading into 2019, Kurt McNeil, GMs U.S. vice president of sales operations, said in a statement on Thursday. Demand for pickup trucks was strong in 2018 which saw declining sales of passenger cars -- a trend U.S. automakers are keen to profit from. Looking ahead, GM has a lot riding on continued strength in pickup sales, Ivan Drury, senior manager of industry at Edmunds, told FOX Business. Similar to Ford, the company made the decision to reduce its car lineup, which leaves no alternative other than to invest heavily in pickups and SUVs. On Thursday, GM announced it sold almost 974,000 pickups in 2018 part of a total of more than 2.9 million total vehicles delivered. Advertisement GM faces a tough rival in Ford where pickup trucks are concerned. Fords F-series truck has been Americas best-selling pickup model for 42 consecutive years. In 2018 alone, the company said it sold more than 900,000 F-series trucks. However, GM could have the advantage this year, according to Drury, because Ford isnt expected to unveil any major overhauls to the iconic F-150 over the near-term. So GMs redesigned trucks could be more marketable to customers who want the latest and greatest, while also preventing GM customers from switching to Ford. Drury does see some major obstacles for General Motors, including the all-new Ford Ranger a mid-sized pickup truck that will challenge the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. Earlier this year, GM announced it would shutter a handful of U.S. plants, lay off 15 percent of its workforce and discontinue production of six sedans including the Buick LaCrosse, Chevrolet Volt and Cadillac CTS as it attempts to cut costs. GM is also concentrating on its lineup of electric vehicles, after it reportedly hit a sales threshold last year that will trigger a phase-out of a $7,500 federal tax credit in the spring. President Trump, who has been sharply critical of GMs decision to cut U.S. production, has also said its focus on electric vehicles is not going to work. GM sales fell 1.6 percent in 2018 and nearly 3 percent in the fourth quarter. Ford reported U.S. sales of more than 2.49 million vehicles in 2018 a 3.5 percent decline from 2017. Full-year sales of the F-Series were up 1.4 percent. | https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/can-gm-beat-ford-with-pickup-offerings |
What does Epiphany 2019 mean? How is it linked to Twelfth Night and 12 days of Christmas? | Epiphany arrives the day after Twelfth Night, the last day of Christmas when most Britons take down their festive decorations. Christians tend to disagree as to whether Twelfth Night happens on January 5 or January 6, depending on whether they count the start of Christmas as December 25 or 26. Western Christians traditionally celebrate Epiphany on January 6. The religious festival celebrates the day when the Magi, also known as the Three Kings, visited baby Jesus in his stable. The term Epiphany originates from Greece and means manifestation of the divine. The day is a symbolic celebration of the revelation God incarnate through his son Jesus. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Epiphany represents the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles as represented by the Magi in the Bible. Carol singers in Germany mark Epiphany However, Eastern Orthodox Christians use the saying to reference Jesus baptism by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. They also celebrate Epiphany later on January 19 as their Christmas Day is held on January 7 in line with the Julian calendar. Festivities for Epiphany vary from country to country. Russians and Greeks are known for plunging into icy pools as a reference to Christ's baptism. King Cake is eaten on Epiphany Poland holds huge parades reacting the Three Kings visit to Jesus while in Mexico, people celebrate by gathering to eat Rosca de Reyes, the ring of kings. Twelfth Night marks the 12th and last day of Christmas when people take down their festive firs and get ready for Epiphany. The eve of Epiphany is often spent baking pastries and a Kings cake, which is eaten on the Christian day. Epiphany marks the day when the Three Kings visited Jesus | https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/1066816/Epiphany-2019-what-does-epiphany-2019-mean-link-twelfth-night-12-days-of-christmas |
What are 'no kill' eggs? | There's a German company that recently started selling "no-kill" eggs. If you're scratching your head, you're not alone. Chickens aren't killed for their eggs, so how can an egg be marketed as "no-kill?" The chickens that lay eggs aren't killed to meet our demand for eggs; it's the chickens that would never lay eggs the male baby chicks that often end up getting killed. It's a not-so-well-kept secret that most egg eaters would rather not think about too much. In the United States alone, each American consumes about 278.9 eggs a year, according to Statista. And the number of eggs we eat each year continues to rise, which means we need more chickens to be born. The problem is that about half of the chickens born can't lay eggs because they're male. Those male chickens aren't desirable for meat, either, because they don't grow fast enough. Many of them about 4.6 billion around the world annually are destroyed about a day after they are born. The process is called chick culling, and it's done by suffocating or sending live male baby chicks into a grinder. That's difficult to comprehend; it's no wonder we don't want to think about it. Thankfully, there are those who have thought about it and they've found a solution. An alternative to chick culling Scientists have found a way to make sure this chick is a female. (Photo: S-F/Shutterstock) That solution is the patented "Seleggt" process, in which the eggs that contain male embryos are identified nine days after fertilization. Those eggs can be destroyed once they are identified, roughly 12 days before they would hatch. The process was created by Dr. Ludger Breloh, who worked for four years with the German supermarket Rewe Group in effort to make its market brand of eggs more sustainable. Scientists at the University of Leipzig had already created a chemical marker to detect the hormone that's present in female eggs. That chemical marker is accurate 98.5 percent of the time. Breloh then worked with a Dutch technology company to create a way to quickly, efficiently and hygienically test all eggs after they are fertilized but before they hatched. Fluid is taken from each egg through a hole burned by a laser beam. The fluid is tested for the female hormone. Those without the hormone are destroyed. The entire process takes about one second per egg. Last year, Seleggt started using this method and hatched flocks of only female baby chicks. The eggs from those hens showed up on supermarket shelves in November. Those eggs are the ones being marketed as "no-kill" and have a seal on them that reads "respeggt." Chick culling in the United States Is the U.S. ready to adopt a method that would make sure eggs are 'no-kill?' Sooner or later, it should, or we need at least some method of eliminating chick culling. In 2016, the United Egg Producers, a group that represents 95 percent of the eggs produced in the U.S., released the following statement. United Egg Producers and our egg farmer members support the elimination of day-old male chick culling after hatch for the laying industry. We are aware that there are a number of international research initiatives underway in this area, and we encourage the development of an alternative with the goal of eliminating the culling of day old male chicks by 2020 or as soon as it is commercially available and economically feasible. The U.S. egg industry is committed to continuing our proud history of advancing excellent welfare practices throughout the supply chain, and a breakthrough in this area will be a welcome development. Now that a way to eliminate culling of day-old male chicks has been developed, the U.S. egg industry should be able to adopt the process by its 2020 goal. The United Egg Producers has yet to make a statement regarding the recently developed Seleggt process or any other process. A German grocery store is selling "no kill" eggs after discovering a process that makes chick culling unnecessary. | https://www.mnn.com/money/sustainable-business-practices/blogs/no-kill-eggs-chick-culling-alternative |
Is my daughter too young for kindergarten? | Photo illustration by Slate. Photo by SbytovaMN/iStock/Getty Images Plus. Care and Feeding is Slates parenting advice column. In addition to our traditional advice, every Thursday we feature an assortment of teachers from around the country answering your education questions. Email [email protected] or post it in the Slate Parenting Facebook group. This weeks Ask a Teacher panel: Matthew Dicks, fifth grade, Connecticut Brandon Hersey, second grade, Washington Katie Holbrook, high school, Texas Carrie Bauer, middle and high school, New York I have a question about the wisdom and latest research regarding starting kindergarten early. My almost-3-year-old daughter is in her second year of a full-day five day a week Montessori program in which she is thriving. She loves it, she loves her friends, her teachers say she is a leader in the classroom and excels in her work. Her January birthday means she isnt even close to the September kindergarten cutoff in our district, so shes looking at 2 more years of Montessori preschool. The district will transfer students in as second-graders in this way. This girl is going to be Ready with a capital R, socially, emotionally, and academically. I feel like if we just go with the districts age guidelines shell be bored and potentially missing out on academic opportunities later on. For context, my 6-year-old is where she should be and thriving on the districts curriculum, but my 8-year-old (whos young for his grade) is bored and still brings home perfect papers and tests. He qualifies for gifted programming, but the academic enrichment curriculum here is underfunded and does not really amount to much. Im trying to get ahead of potentially seeing the same boredom and frustration crop up for my youngest. Decades ago, I also skipped a grade, and it was definitely the right call, so maybe Im just more open to messing with the grade levels to match the child. But if you tell me that this would set her up for failure or the research says it doesnt help, Id love to take that into consideration. Obviously I have a while to keep thinking this through. Parent of Precocious Preschooler Dear PPP, In terms of the research, its mixed at best. In most cases, I think it comes down to the child. Regardless of the research, here are three reasons I would recommend against putting your daughter into school now: 1. Academics are only part of your daughters educational experience. Her social and emotional development are equally important, and by placing your daughter into school early, you ensure that she will be the youngest in almost every situation at school. This may not be a big deal now, but as she enters middle and high school, her friends are likely to be physically and emotionally ahead of her. I see this every day as a fifth-grade teacher. My younger students are simply more innocentplaying with toys and believing in Santaand less physically developed and less likely to be flirting with their latest crush. This can create quite the divide in my classroom, and it often results in younger students emulating the older students in order to feel like they belong. This may not be a big deal now, but as she enters middle and high school, her friends are likely to be physically and emotionally ahead of her. 2. Moving your daughter into private school for the first two years, and then moving her to public school also guarantees her a transition from one school to another. While kids make these transitions all the time, they arent always easy socially or academically, and transitioning from private to public school can also be challenging for many kids. 3. Most importantly, we only get so many years with our children. In the blink of an eye, children grow up. Many parents would give their right arm for one more year of their child at home. Sending your daughter off to school early steals away one of those precious years, and forces her to become an adult one year earlier than necessary. For this reason alone, I wouldnt do it. My daughter is in fourth grade, moving onto middle school next year. I am keenly aware that I have eight more years with her before we send her off to college and her future life as an adult. Eight years. It feels so short. What I wouldnt give to hit the pause button and stop the relentless loss of childhood. Dont force your daughter to grow up too fast. Childhood is fleeting and precious. Allow it to last as long as possible. Mr. Dicks Our daughter is in kindergarten. While shes doing well by all academic markers, and her teacher confirms that shes very well-behaved in class, shes completely miserable. Per her reports, her teacher yells a lot at the other kids, and at the whole class. Shes gone from being very confident and happy to being fearful and extremely negative about her own abilities. Weve attempted to engage with the teacher, focusing on she feels that instead of you yell, but the result was a messthe teacher decided to talk to my daughter (fine) and then engage in a big debate with her over whether the teacher yells. This culminated in a full-class meeting, in which the other children in class were asked to confirm that the teacher doesnt yell and our daughter is wrong. Our daughter was mortified and is now too sick every morning to go to school, and has generally turned into a nightmare at home. Im at a loss. Weve had great teachers at this school for years with our older child, and weve never had to deal with something like this. Spiraling Situation Hey there Spiraling, Wow. Yelling is probably the fastest way to cause anxiety in a child, so its no wonder your daughter has been feeling sick. Based on your account, youve done all the right things to try to address this issue in a thoughtful, professional way. Thats more than we can say for the teacher! When I read about her full-class meeting, my stomach turned! What a tough scenario for your daughter to endure. There are a few things you can do. If your school has a counselor, Id request a meeting with your daughter, so that the counselor can help her work through some of her anxiety. Its important this happens quickly, since her behavior at home is escalating. You want to rebuild her love for learning before this self-doubt and negativity become fully ingrained in her. If your school doesnt have a counselor, Id ask the principal or a district official to suggest outside resources. Oftentimes these services can be very affordable or even free. Also, this class meeting seems more like an attempt to publicly shame your daughter. This is incredibly inappropriate. It has created an incredibly hostile learning environment for her. However, to avoid worsening the situation, Id recommend revisiting the conversation with the teacher only if this type of treatment continues. And if that doesnt work, you always have the option of going directly to the principal. In primary education, trust between teacher and student is everything. Rebuilding your daughters love for school and her trust in her teacher wont be easy, but with enough positive supports in place, Im confident shell be back to her normal self in no time! Mr. Hersey My fiances brother and family emigrated from Vietnam to the United States about three years ago. His two kids (daughter is 15 and son is 17) are in regular high school classes but still very much learning English, and neither is receiving language support. While they are both doing OK in school grade-wise, I know they are struggling with the language issue. For example, my niece-to-be told me that she recently had no idea what she was supposed to do on a major, semester-long history project because she had difficulty understanding the instructions. My fiance and I have some idea of how to help (checking in periodically, reviewing assignments, etc. ), but we want to do more. The challenge is that my fiance is not in a position to do thisshe is bipolar and in the midst of a prolonged depressive episode that previously required hospitalization. I dont mind taking the lead, but I feel a little uncertain about my role, what is appropriate, and when I am overstepping my bounds. For example, over Thanksgiving, my future nieces mom wanted her to fill in at the nail salon where her mom works, but I thought she should spend the time catching up on school assignments. (I didnt say anything.) I also think she needs an adult figure to reach out to the teachers to make sure that she is getting the in-school support she needs, but I am very conscious of the fact that I am not technically family. Any advice on how I can advocate for them given these relationship dynamics would be appreciated! Lost in translation Dear Lost, All English language learners are entitled to programs or services that ensure they can meaningfully participate in schoolits their civil right. If these kiddos moved to the U.S. three years ago, theres an excellent chance they need services, but there are two reasons they might not be in English as a second language classes. They may have tested out of ESL by performing well on a proficiency exam (but they still qualify forand likely needcontinued support). Or, their parents may have opted out of the program, which they can legally do. However, the school is required to monitor students who have exited or opted out of services to ensure they are thriving. Youre right that your position as the aunts fiance makes things complicated. Legally, parents advocate for and make decisions about their childrens education. Your ability to help will depend on your relationship with this family. Determining how they spend their Thanksgiving break is more of a parenting issue than an education issue. In my experience, most parents are not looking for outsider advice when it comes to parenting. However, if the family comes to value your knowledge and experience with the American school system, they may appreciate your perspective. So I would start there. First, you can certainly offer yourself as a tutor to the teensthey are old enough to decide for themselves whether they would appreciate the help. Let your future niece and nephew know youre eager to help them study, understand instructions, or proofread essays. As you get to know their situation, you may find that the school is not meeting its obligations. Once you have more concrete information, you can talk to the parents to ensure they know their childrens rights and help them navigate the bureaucracy. As far as reaching out to the teachers yourself, I have only communicated directly with a tutor when parents have explicitly asked me to do so, as there are legal privacy issues at play. But another way you can help these teens is to brainstorm how to advocate for themselves in school (I recommend role-playing!). If their grades are pretty good, teachers may not realize they are struggling. And in some cultures, students are loath to challenge a teacher, and therefore may be reluctant to speak up when in need of assistance. There are also a wealth of resources online! Investigate resources specific to your state. Your desire to help is laudable! It takes a village. Ms. Holbrook As a weird, introverted kid, I clashed a lot with my school administration. I was diagnosed with a developmental disorder (though I dont really think I have it) when I was 15. My parents and I talked to the principal, the school psychologist, and some other administrators to figure out how my IEP would work. Shortly after, my principal used that to prevent me from doing my favorite extracurricular activity, essentially punishing me for something out of my control. I quit a few months later. Even back then I thought that could be illegal under the Americans With Disabilities Act, but suing wasnt worth the time and expense. Once I got to college, I began having some mental health issues. My school eventually forced me to take a leave of absence. I recently found out that the school was pretty unethical in its treatment of other mentally ill students, to the point where a nonprofit is suing on their behalf. I felt that the school had definitely not tried to see my perspective during the whole incident, to say the least. I spoke to a lawyer at the nonprofit about my experience. I distrusted most of my teachers in high school because of my experience with the principal. I tried to interact with my teachers as little as possible because I was always worried I would get in trouble. I definitely dont want this to follow me around in college. Trying to Move On Dear Move On, Youve been through a lot, and I really admire your perseverance in continuing to pursue your degree despite the challenges youve faced. It sounds like you really value education, as I obviously do, too. I also appreciate and support your instinct to process your past experiences and move forward with confidence. As for the question of how to do that, heres the thing: Part of my responsibility as a teacher is to recognize which issues I have the skill and knowledge to address and resolve. Another part of my responsibility is to recognize issues that I dont have the skill and knowledge to address and resolve. When the latter occurs, it is my job to try to identify the person or support system that can meet my students need, and to then connect my student to that support. When I read your letter, I reached out to a few friends with expertise in mental health and higher education, and we are all in agreement: My role here is to encourage you to connect with a counselor you trust. It sounds like you identify your past experiences as unresolved trauma; a mental health professional can offer you the nuanced guidance and sustained support that will be most helpful to working through that. I think that universities usually offer counseling services via the student health center, so I would investigate that as a starting point. If thats not an option, then I might try reaching back out to your contact at the nonprofit that intervened at your school. My hunch is that they will have a network of connections at various support services, and they may be able to point you in the right direction. Good luck. This sounds tough, and you deserve to feel better. Ms. Bauer | https://slate.com/human-interest/2019/01/ask-teacher-kindergarten-red-shirting.html |
Why is Mitt Romney talking tough about Trump now? | To listen to this episode of Trumpcast, use the player below: Get More Trumpcast Slate Plus members get extended, ad-free versions of our podcastsand much more. Sign up today and try it free for two weeks. Join Slate Plus Subscribe to Trumpcast Copy this link and add it in your podcast app. copy link copied! For detailed instructions, see our Slate Plus podcasts page. Listen to Trumpcast via Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, Stitcher, or Google Play. Virginia Heffernan talks to Matt Miller, an MSNBC justice and security analyst, about why hes supportive of Romneys op-ed in the Washington Post amid cries that it comes off as hollow talk. Follow Trumpcast on Twitter: @realtrumpcast Podcast production by Melissa Kaplan with help from Merritt Jacob. Further Reading Mitt Romneys op-ed in the Washington Post Trumps Most Blatant Assault Yet on the Rule of Law by Matt Miller and Mimi Rocah in the Daily Beast. | https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/01/why-is-mitt-romney-talking-tough-about-trump-now.html |
Who Is Justin Roses New Club Manufacturer Honma? | We take a look at the brand that has just signed former world number one Justin Rose. Justin Rose shocked many when he recently announced he was moving away from TaylorMade clubs and signing with the Japanese brand Honma. The Englishman had a ridiculously good 2018 season in that he got to world number one for the first time, won a couple of tournaments and showed remarkable consistency all year to win the FedEx Cup. We delve a little deeper into Roses new brand that has been making desirable clubs for almost 60 years. Founded in 1959, the Tsurumi Golf Centre Company was created by the Honma brothers and three years later their first clubs emerged onto the golf market. Ever since, the brand has been making super premium golf clubs with some of the most famous being their Prancer irons released in 1982, 1995s Super BIG-LB hollow persimmon woods and their Space Voyager putter released in 2003. They also released the Twin Marks franchise in 1999 and the famous Beres Series in 2005. From their clubs, to their processes, all the way to even their logo which features a thin font with a mole poking its head through the O, it is clear that Honma do things a little differently to other brands. Honma are a brand renowned for their craftsmanship. Many of the workers at their factories have been their for decades perfecting their craft. Alejandro Sanchez, general manager of Honma Golf Europe said, This is the beauty of Japan, where work life goes in stages from learner to apprentice to craftsman after many years of doing exactly the same routine. Testament to their incredible attention to detail, Honma hand-roll their own shafts, have 100 individual craftsmen handling each and every club during a 156-step production process and all their clubs also go through a final human-eye inspection before leaving. Given Justin Roses precision and eye for detail, it comes as no surprise that he signed to play clubs with the same kind of ideology. Indeed, now under Chinese ownership which came about in 2009 after being bought by golf enthusiast Liu Jiangao, the signing of Rose is a reflection of a new direction for the brand. Honma have previously struggled to make in-roads in the UK and European golf market, but signing England and Europes current best player is an attempt to break new ground and will make an impact. Considering they have managed to persuade him away from TaylorMade, this is a big coup for the Japanese club-makers. Interestingly, Paul Casey has also been pictured with Honma irons so maybe there could be another big gear move from another Englishman in the coming days. Their other high profile players include Shanshan Feng and So Yeon Ryu, a two-time Major winner and former World number one on the LPGA Tour. | https://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/gear/gear-news/who-is-justin-roses-new-club-manufacturer-honma-171262 |
What is the European Tour's Rolex Series? | By Lewis Blain. The Rolex Series is back in action for a third year with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship kicking it off for 2019. It will be the first time the event has been elevated to one of the European Tours premier tournaments and will be one of eight Rolex Series events on the calendar this year. The Rolex Series offers an increased purse compared to regular events, with at least $7million up for grabs. Thats roughly two-to-three times the average European Tour purse. All eight tournaments also offer increased Race to Dubai points. It was created in 2017 by European Tour Chief Executive Keith Pelley in order to attract the best names and highest ranked players in the world that would tend to favour the PGA Tour. He said: The Rolex Series will celebrate the highest quality of golf and the international spirit of the game; values that Rolex and the European Tour strengthen with this announcement. We are tremendously proud to have Rolex as our partner in this exciting new venture and we thank them for their continued support. | https://www.golf-monthly.co.uk/features/the-game/what-is-the-rolex-series-171277 |
What is the Bird Box Challenge? | Human beings are curious little things. Through creative inspiration, we can invent entertainment that will resonate with wider audiences that trickle down and take on larger movements shifting our culture in ways the creators could have never imagined. As these things get popular, the people that consume these things also tend to sensationalize them in their own ways. Think the Ice Bucket Challenge or any meme featuring Drake's awkward dance moves. The most recent case of this kind of fandom has come on the heels of Netflix's wildly popular Sandra Bullock starring post-apocalyptic film Bird Box as fans have been partaking in a new viral sensation known as the Bird Box Challenge. The Bird Box Challenge Yup, it's a thing. Photo: Netflix For those of us that have seen the film, the basis of this challenge is pretty obvious. But for those of you that have not and have come across the Bird Box Challenge since the film was released, bare with me. The film is set in a world that is under attack by mysterious spirit-like beings that put whoever sees them under a strange trance that either sends them into an unhinged murderous mindset or compels them to commit suicide. To avoid this nasty fate, Bullock's character and the rest of her survival gang including Lil Rel Howery, John Malkovich, two children known as "Boy" and "Girl", and Machine Gun Kelly of all people to wear blindfolds whenever they travel outside. This has caused a slew of fans to try and imitate this dystopian future in search of YouTube glory. With how insanely popular the movie has been for Netflix, you can only imagine how many videos have been uploaded online since the Bird Box Challenge was created. In fact, the sheer amount of people ambling around their homes and venturing out into the street blindfolded has been such a cause for concern that Netflix had to release a statement disavowing the Bird Box Challenge warning of the harm that it could cause. "Cant believe I have to say this," their statement on Twitter read, "but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We dont know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes." Cant believe I have to say this, but: PLEASE DO NOT HURT YOURSELVES WITH THIS BIRD BOX CHALLENGE. We dont know how this started, and we appreciate the love, but Boy and Girl have just one wish for 2019 and it is that you not end up in the hospital due to memes. Netflix US (@netflix) January 2, 2019 You see kids if the alien-apocalypse hasn't arrived yet, leave these stunts up to the professionals. The Bird Box Challenge just ain't worth it. | https://www.metro.us/entertainment/what-is-the-bird-box-challenge |
Does Arizonas proposed teacher-ethics code have a racist origin? | State Rep. Mark Finchem, R-Oro Valley. Phoenix New Times pointed out that Republican Rep. Mark Finchems proposed code of ethics for Arizona teachers was copied almost verbatim from a project sponsored by the David Horowitz Freedom Center. And that the Southern Poverty Law Center calls Horowitz a driving force of the anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant, and anti-black movements. If the accusation fits... This is not left-wing inflammatory rhetoric. It is not difficult to figure out where Horwitz is coming from. For example he tweeted: Black Africans enslaved black Africans. America freed them sacrificing 350k mainly white Union lives. American blacks are richer, more privileged, freer than blacks anywhere in the world, including all black run countries: https://t.co/qLburbJFoi David Horowitz (@horowitz39) August 16, 2018 And: Meanwhile, the country's only serious race war - against whites - continues. https://t.co/7K0ohS5gDp David Horowitz (@horowitz39) November 7, 2017 Of former President Barack Obama he said, Im actually sure hes a Muslim, he certainly isnt a Christian. Hes a pretend Christian in the same way hes a pretend American. It really is disgraceful. Hes inviting the terrorists to behead more Americans when he should be attacking them with our military. His whole agenda in office has been to defeat America, he lost the war in Iraq deliberately, he created a vacuum which ISIS has filled. In his own words He also wrote: Unfortunately, as a nation we have become so trapped in the melodrama of black victimization and white oppression that we are in danger of losing all sense of proportion. If blacks are oppressed in America, why isn't there a black exodus? It goes on, but you get the idea. MORE BY MONTINI: Read or Share this story: https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2019/01/03/david-horowitz-arizona-legislature-redfored-teachers/2473879002/ | https://www.azcentral.com/story/opinion/op-ed/ej-montini/2019/01/03/david-horowitz-arizona-legislature-redfored-teachers/2473879002/ |
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