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Is Amazons CEO Jeff Bezos $137 Billion Divorce The Most Expensive In History?
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Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos and his wife MacKenzie are calling it quits after 25 years of marriage and after Bezos was officially crowned as the richest man in the world last year, it may turn into the most expensive divorce EVER. Bezos wrote on Twitter Wednesday, We feel incredibly lucky to have found each other and deeply grateful for every one of the years we have been married to each other. If we had known we would separate after 25 years, we would do it all again. Now, Bezos lives in a state where all assets and debts are accrued during the marriage then they are considered equally owned by both spouses unless there was a prenuptial agreement. Its unaware if Bezos and his wife had a pre-up but if they didnt, she may be entitled to half of his $137 billion fortune! Among the richest divorces in celebrity couple history, Michael Jordan split from his wife Juanita after 17 years of marriage and she was awarded $168 million. One of the largest Hollywood divorce payouts ever came from Mel Gibson after he and his wife split in 2011 after being married nearly 30 years. The two split half of his $850 million fortune at $425 million apiece. MacKenzie could walk away with $68.5 billion! was originally published on theboxhouston.com Also On 97.9 The Beat:
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https://thebeatdfw.com/3111239/is-jeff-bezos-137-billion-divorce-the-most-expensive-in-history/
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Do microbes control the formation of giant copper deposits?
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Boulder, Colo., USA: One of the major issues when studying ore deposits formed in surficial or near-surface environments is the relationship between ore-forming processes and bacteria. At a first glance, these environments appear to be a preferred place for the growth of microbial ecosystems because they potentially have large amounts of nutrients. However, studies have been restricted because of the low likelihood of microbe fossilization and because biomarkers are not always definitive. This contribution to Geology by Fernando Tornos and colleagues tries to solve the long-standing debate on the control of microbes on secondary sulfide formation. They predict that future multidisciplinary studies will prove that microbes have a key control on the precipitation of metals in these shallow environments. Their case study is based on the unusual Las Cruces deposit in southwest Iberia, where a significant part of the high-grade copper ore occurs as thick, massive veins of copper sulfides. Tornos and colleagues have direct evidence that the mineralization is currently being formed there in relationship with active aquifers and in an area isolated from the surface by a thick layer of marl. Thus, the place is ideal for tracking for anaerobic microbes. With the help of the mining company, First Quantum, the team was able to extract pristine samples that had never been in contact with the atmosphere. Different microbiological techniques and detailed electron microscope studies have shown that copper sulfides are precipitating today in relationship with colonies of sulfate-reducing microbes. The nanometer-sized crystals of covellite are embedded in the polymeric compounds that encapsulate bacteria. These crystals coalesce, later forming the big veins. However, much more work is needed in order to know to which extent these processes are global and if microbes control most of the formation of the secondary copper deposits. Fernando Tornos and colleagues. Contact: [email protected], Instituto de Geociencias (CSIC-UCM), Dinamica Terrestre y Evolucion de la Tierra, Madrid. GEOLOGY, https:/ / doi. org/ 10. 1130/ G45573. 1 . GEOLOGY articles are online at http://geology. geoscienceworld. org/ content/ early/ recent . Representatives of the media may obtain complimentary articles by contacting Kea Giles at the e-mail address above. Please discuss articles of interest with the authors before publishing stories on their work, and please make reference to GEOLOGY in articles published. Non-media requests for articles may be directed to GSA Sales and Service, [email protected].
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https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-01/gsoa-dmc012519.php
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Which Democrats are running for president so far?
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The announcements this week of Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg and Tulsi Gabbard are the latest in the already ballooning field for the 2020 Democratic nomination for president. The Democrats who have declared their candidacy or announced official exploratory committees: Pete Buttigieg, 37, mayor of South Bend, Ind. Harvard grad, Afghan War vet. Pronounced boot-edge-edge. Julin Castro, 44, from Texas. Housing and Urban Development secretary under President Obama. John Delaney, 55, former congressman from Maryland. Tulsi Gabbard, 37, congresswoman from Hawaii. Kirsten Gillibrand, 52, U.S. senator from New York. Kamala Harris, 54, U.S. senator from California. Richard Ojeda, 48, former state senator in West Virginia, retired Army major. Elizabeth Warren, 69, U.S. senator from Massachusetts. Andrew Yang, 44, entrepreneur from New York, founder of Venture for America. Among the high-profile potential candidates are Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Cory Booker, Sherrod Brown, Eric Garcetti, John Hickenlooper, Amy Klobuchar, Terry McAuliffe, Beto ORourke, Bernie Sanders and Eric Swalwell.
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https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/01/25/which-democrats-are-running-for-president-so-far/
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What happens to the stuff we leave in hotel rooms?
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Frank Ropp takes a call in the lost-and-found at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel in November. Frank Ropp takes a call in the lost-and-found at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square hotel in November. 1 / 4 Back to Gallery For more stories like this, check out The Chronicles weekly Travel newsletter! Sign up here. Jo Licata wasnt sure what to do with the 6-foot-tall stuffed dinosaur in her office. The massive Barney doll had been left at the Hilton San Francisco Union Square last year, and it was Licatas job to dispatch it. Licata, the hotels community projects manager, immediately reached out to some of the more than 50 nonprofits the Hilton works with in the Bay Area on accepting donations. If the giant toy didnt faze her, its because Licata has seen far stranger things left behind. Her office is nearly always filled with bags of guest clothing, assorted luggage and boxes of convention giveaways, from logo water bottles to clip-on tubes of hand sanitizer. Barney was just one of the literally thousands of items from phone chargers and suit jackets to diamond earrings and baby strollers that are forgotten or abandoned every month by guests and conventioneers. I love getting unusual items because it is a challenge, Licata says. Items left at hotels run the gamut from the mundane to the exotic to the (ahem) unmentionable. Most of the items left behind at the Hilton and other San Francisco hotels dont just sit around languishing in a lost-and-found pile or get tossed in the trash. Many go on to lead second lives if they arent claimed. Even random oddities such as sign boards, walkers, orphaned earrings, abandoned luggage, medical supplies and yes, a giant stuffed dinosaur are donated to organizations that can put them to good use. What people leave According to a 2015 survey released by G6 Hospitality, which owns lodging brands Motel 6 and Studio 6, 54 percent of 1,060 American travelers surveyed said they had left something behind in a hotel room at some point in their lives. The survey found that 29 percent are more likely to accidentally leave a belonging behind in a hotel room than take a hotel item like shampoo or soap home with them. In addition, 35 percent of those surveyed have returned to a hotel to retrieve what they forgot. By far, the most common items left behind in hotels are phone and electronics chargers. With 1,921 guest rooms and an additional 1,000 rooms at its Park 55 property, the Hilton Union Square alone collects about 250 chargers a month. The Fairmont San Francisco and the Palace in San Francisco also collect hundreds of chargers every month, which are held for a period of time before they are disposed of. I always tell people who have left their chargers at home to go to the concierge and ask for one, Licata says. But every six weeks, we have an e-waste company that comes and picks those items up. Clothing like hoodies and coats, business clothes, shoes, rain jackets, dresses and even more intimate items also are commonly left behind in hotel rooms, along with eyewear and jewelry. Other than the underwear, clothes, eyeglasses and other usable articles are usually donated to homeless shelters, womens shelters, the Salvation Army and other nonprofits. Suitcases and strollers that people buy just for the trip and leave behind are given to programs that help single moms and homeless families. Read Full Article
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https://m.sfgate.com/news/article/What-happens-to-the-stuff-we-leave-in-hotel-rooms-13561606.php
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Is Trump Using the Shutdown to Serve Energy and Hunting Special Interests?
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Two years into the Trump administration, its attacks on environmental regulations, policy and science are already well documented. But the current partial government shutdown, now more than a month long, provides a unique lens through which to view the administrations priorities. The list of what isnt being done is long and troubling, but equally concerning is what is being done during the shutdown. Over the past several weeks national parks have been trashed, climate change research stalled and crucial wildfire prevention work halted all while oil and gas drilling efforts continue to cruise along and national wildlife refuges are reopened to hunters. Lawmakers and nonprofits are calling out the administration for using the shutdown to cater to special interests like the oil and gas industry while theres limited oversight, and with possible suspect use of funds. Aiding Industry Several moves by the Interior Department to bring back furloughed staff to attend to oil and gas activities arent sitting well with some elected officials. Arizonas Rep. Ral Grijalva, chair of the House Natural Resources Committee, wrote a letter to David Bernhardt, acting director of the Interior Department, admonishing the agency for making sure its business as usual for oil and gas industry while ordinary Americans and the environment bear the brunt of the shutdown impacts. The letter was also signed by Rep. Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) and Rep. Alan Lowenthal (D-Calif.). The Trump administration is doing everything possible to shield the oil industry from the impacts of the #TrumpShutdown yet they have no problem leaving federal workers, their families & the American people out to dry. #EndTheShutdown https://t.co/9qRCUIVFgN Nat Resources Dems (@NRDems) January 16, 2019 Your department has continued to hold public meetings on oil and gas development on the North Slope of Alaska, refused to extend the comment period for leasing the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and opened up Bureau of Land Management field offices to allow drilling permits to continue to be issued, the letter said. Dozens of furloughed workers from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management were brought back to work on January 15 in order to complete plans for a major sale of oil and gas drilling leases in the Gulf Mexico, which is scheduled for March. They were also processing applications for seismic testing for offshore oil and gas exploration but a judge put an end to that on January 18. If you are an oil and gas company awaiting a lease, there is a big open sign at the Bureau of Ocean and Energy Management, where federal workers are being brought in without pay to service the oil and gas industry, Lowenthal, whos also the incoming chairman of the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement. It was telling, he said, that staff members of the same agency who deal with renewable energy are still furloughed. Its not just offshore waters, either. The Bureau of Land Management has continued to issue drilling permits on public lands during the shutdown, and some environmental groups are calling into question the legality of those actions, since the public is blocked from participating in the process and cant even reach agency staff on the phone or file public comments. Its not at all reasonable to completely shut the public out from any access to agencies like the BLM while allowing private industry the oil and gas industry to have apparently full access to the agencies, Connie Wilbert, director of the Sierra Club Wyoming Chapter, told US News and World Report. The public has no way to get access to the agency to find out whats going on, yet right in our local newspapers, the Petroleum Association of Wyoming is saying, Were working with BLM to get this stuff open again. One area of particular concern is oil and gas lease sales planned for February and March that would put more than 2 million acres of public lands across six western states up for auction, even when staff members who would review any environmental issues or cultural concerns from tribes are likely furloughed. All of this stands in stark contrast to the 2013 shutdown, when drilling permits and leases were halted, Bloomberg News reported. President Trump has exempted the activity during this shutdown. Gaming the Shutdown Its not just federal workers concerned with oil and gas activities that are being brought back to work. A partial restaffing of 38 national wildlife refuges was ordered to make sure hunters and others have access despite the government shutdown, the Associated Press reported after obtaining an email from Margaret Everson, principal deputy director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. Ruchs organization wrote to the US Government Accountability Office urging it to examine the legality of these staffing moves and what source of funding is being using to finance it and other nonemergency work, like the oil and gas lease sales preparation.Jeff Ruch, executive director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a nonprofit that advocates for public employees who work on environmental issues, says hes also concerned by information they uncovered that other nonessential staff from six regional offices of the Fish and Wildlife Service were being brought back from furlough to prepare National Environmental Policy Act assessments for more than 60 wildlife refuges that could open hundreds and thousands of acres of refuge lands to hunting and fishing. The Interior Department has said that workers are being paid with carryover funds, but Ruch says his organization has no idea where that money is coming from. We dont believe that there are carryover funds, he says. We think they are operating in violation of the Antideficiency Act, which is why we are asking the Government Accountability Office to find out what it is theyre doing. In the shutdown, people who are working on life and property protection are brought back as excepted workers to work without salary. But these people are doing nonemergency work on salary. It doesnt add up, he says, and the Bureau of Land Management doesnt typically have significant surpluses. Were in the second quarter of the new fiscal year. Where are they getting this money? Ruch says the administration appears to be gaming the shutdown and that activities are taking place in violation of the Antideficiency Act for political purposes. But, he admits, its hard to fully understand whats going on because Freedom of Information Act requests arent being processed and the shutdown has created a new veil of secrecy. A decision has been made at high levels to try to minimize the inconvenience of the shutdown for favored groups, he says. And while we understand the politics of it, that doesnt mean its right or it doesnt bear examination. Yes, Ill chip in 2019 is going to be an important year for us all ...which is why we urgently need everyone reading this to take a moment to help us continue our work. Unlike most news sites, we dont run ads, have a paywall or sell your info. We rely on your support. Please, help us keep fighting for a better future by making a tax-deductible donation right now. It takes seconds (we dont even need your address) and every dollar helps. This piece was reprinted by Truthout with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.
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https://truthout.org/articles/is-trump-using-the-shutdown-to-serve-energy-and-hunting-special-interests/
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Will the Kane and Toews show continue after All-Star break?
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by Scott King @ScottKingMedia Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have been providing fans with comfort during the most disappointing season since before their Stanley Cup run began. Like anything that picks up momentum, the last thing you want is time away from the ice to let it cool off (or harden?). Enter All-Star break. The Blackhawks, who will likely be eliminated from playoff contention for a second consecutive year after 10 straight postseason appearances, have had a mostly down season. They fired the coach who led them to three Stanley Cup titles, their two-time Stanley Cup champion goalie is out with another concussion and their veteran defensemen have seen better days. With that said, the up has been very refreshing in spite of all the doom and gloom. The Hawks are getting the best out of the superstars, now 30, theyve built a team around. Kane is on pace for a career best in goals and assists with 29 and 42 through 50 games. Toews is en route to a career high in points after already surpassing his goal total for the past two seasons. He has 22 goals and 26 assists in 51 games. The dynamic duos production has been even more noticeable as theyve skated alongside each other on the Blackhawks top line the past couple games. Yeah, we havent really played together in a while (prior to Sunday), so you know, coming up I would say maybe our first three or four years we were playing with each other a lot. But ever since then, weve mostly been on separate lines, which has worked out pretty well for us. So, for whatever reason, they made the switch (Saturday) and we knew we were going to play together (on Sunday), and I think we did pretty well with it. Toews netted his sixth career hat trick and two assists in Sundays 8-5 victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. Kane had five points as well, with two goals and three assists. We can play together for a long time and might not always get games like that obviously, Toews said after the game. I think today the chances that we did get we converted and he was doing a good job in his own end chipping pucks out and their D men really pressuring so we got some odd-men rushes and I think Drake (Caggiula) did a great job of going to the net and creating space. The pair also looked stellar in Tuesdays 3-2 shootout win against the red-hot New York Islanders. Toews had the game-tying goal with 22 seconds remaining in the second period, Kane had an assist and both scored in the shootout. Kane now sits one point away from 900 in the NHL. Its nice, Toews said. You want to be able to enjoy yourself. Definitely put hockey off your mind for a few days. Its to your advantage to do that and really come back fresh. So its nice to get a win going into it. The Blackhawks next play the Buffalo Sabres on the road Feb. 1 following the five-day break after Saturdays All-Star game. Given the consistency of and dedication to production all season-long from both players, its a safe bet the Kane and Toews show will continue after the break, even if it takes a couple game to re-ignite some momentum. Itll certainly help if Chicagos nuclear line stays together as well. Follow Blackhawks Crazy on Facebook for everything Blackhawks! Subscribe to the Blackhawks Crazy podcast on iTunes!
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https://wgnradio.com/2019/01/25/will-the-kane-and-toews-show-continue-after-all-star-break/
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Who is the Brexit-supporting Lord Bamford of JCB fame?
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Long before Lord Bamford, the chairman of the machinery manufacturer JCB, invited Boris Johnson to speak at his company earlier this month, the billionaire had bulldozed his way into British politics. Johnson was paid 10,000 by the company three days before he gave his 18 January Brexit-themed speech, which was widely seen as his latest tilt at the Conservative leadership and which he peppered with repeated praise for the companys business acumen and innovation. The payment was disclosed on the new register of MPs financial interests this week, which also showed that JCB was paying the former Brexit secretary David Davis 60,000 a year as an external adviser. But while this has caused the odd eyebrow to arch, JCB has a long track record of working closely with top Tories to further the Conservative cause. This was the billionaire Bamford playing to form. First, the tycoon is a director of the Centre for Policy Studies, which will forever be known as Margaret Thatchers favourite thinktank. Second, the Brexit-supporting Conservative peer and his family have a long history of writing cheques not only to fund the obligatory yacht, the private jet and the classic Ferrari collection, but also in support of their favourite political causes and actors. The Bamford family, which was said to be worth 3.6bn in last years Sunday Times Rich List, along with JCB have handed over almost 10m in political donations since 2001, according to records held by the Electoral Commission. The vast majority of that largesse has benefited the Conservative party and its MPs with former chancellor George Osborne, as well as Johnson and Davis, recorded as receiving donations ranging from 5,000 to 15,000 in the decade to 2010. Around 1.3m was donated to organisations campaigning to leave the European Union. This all chimes with the image of Bamford, who started running JCB in 1975 after his father and company founder Joseph Cyril Bamford stepped down. Born in 1945, Bamford fils was schooled at Ampleforth College, the North Yorkshire Catholic school, and then Grenoble University in the south-east of France, where he has said he did more skiing than anything else. But he was quickly to grow up, taking control of the company and converting it into a firm that now employs more than 15,000 people and in 2017 had revenues topping 3bn. The company boasts, probably justifiably, that Bamford has presided over JCB winning 30 Queens Awards for Innovation and Enterprise. So JCB is a business success, but it is far from just being a British success. Plenty of its triumphs have been forged overseas and, specifically, in Europe. JCB Service the top of the chain in the group of UK JCB companies is owned by a company in the Netherlands, which the UK accounts say is controlled by the Bamford family. Europe accounts for 28% of the more than 3bn revenues booked at JCB Service, the largest single market, India is next with 23%, and the UK third at 19%. But it is not just Bamfords education, property and business that ties him to jurisdictions outside the British Isles. The register of Lords interests shows that Bamford owns a house in Cabasson on the French south coast, where a yacht reportedly owned by the tycoon is currently moored. On Thursday the JCB private jet touched down in Barbados, which apart from being the venue where England were playing a Test match is also a part of the world in which Bamford has had other ties. Months before he was made a peer by David Cameron, the businessman closed down a company registered in the British Virgin Islands, according to documents seen by the Guardian during the Panama Papers investigation. This had echoes of the previous occasion Bamford had been recommended for a peerage by Cameron, shortly after the Conservatives formed a government in 2010. However, the businessman then withdrew his name from consideration. Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk He told the Telegraph in 2013: There was a black mark next to my name with the [Inland] Revenue, but PricewaterhouseCoopers, who had not been my personal accountants, did an in-depth and complete review of my accounts going back 10 years. And actually found that the revenue owed me money. [The allegations were] completely wrong. Other controversies include a 39.6m fine for JC Bamford Group in 2000 from the European commission for very serious antitrust violations. The competition commissioner, Mario Monti, said at the time: It is shocking that important companies present in all member states still jeopardise the most fundamental principles of the internal market to the detriment of distributors and, ultimately, consumers.. JCB did not respond to invitations to comment.
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https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/25/brexit-supporting-lord-bamford-of-jcb-fame-boris-johnson-david-davis
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Will A Debt-Ceiling Liquidity-Bailout Trump An Earnings Recession?
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Authored by by Andreas Steno Larsen and Martin Enlund via Nordea Bank, Evidence of the risk of a global earnings recession is gathering, but the risk appetite still chugs along decently, maybe in anticipation of a debt ceiling liquidity bailout. We have warned about a combination of weaker momentum in global trade and GDP growth coupled with higher cost pressures (accelerating wages and higher credit spreads) for a while. We continue to expect more of the same in coming quarters and the early trade data from South Korea this month again underpinned our viewpoint. The preliminary South Korean trade data revealed an apparent collapse in South Korean exports in January (-12% year on year) this is one of the oldest canaries in the coalmine when it comes to global EPS growth, as South Korean exports are an early indicator of trend changes in global demand. The trade data hence add to an already growing list of indicators pointing at an elevated risk of an earnings recession in 2019. Chart 1: One of the oldest canaries in the coal mine, South Korea, now indicates an elevated risk of EPS recession On top of the combo of slowing trade and rising cost pressures, we also continue to find increased evidence of slowing growth in the broader money supply in the global economy. Tighter liquidity conditions in the US, the Euro area and in Japan show a slowdown in M1 growth a sign that borrowing demand is slowing. If money makes the world go around, as we think is the case, then the slowing M1 growth is a concern for the global growth outlook (and the outlook for risky assets). There are admittedly early signs in our models that Chinese M1 growth could re-emerge as a lagged consequence of the continued liquidity injections into the Chinese economy (also a driver behind the improving sentiment). The Chinese M1 comeback may still be six to nine months away, though. We think the current rebound is likely a temporary bull trap (Nordea View: High bull trap risk) Chart 2: Money growth is slowing an issue if money makes the world go around. The debt ceiling liquidity bailout Markets may have rallied on the anticipated upcoming liquidity bailout stemming from the debt ceiling deadline 1 March. Over the next four to five weeks, the US treasury is legally bound to bring down the cash balance at the Fed, as they cannot hold an above normal liquidity buffer ahead of the expiration of the debt ceiling suspension. The commercial banking system will be on the receiving end of this USD liquidity, which should be temporarily positive for risk appetite. ), but at least four to six weeks of further liquidity easing are likely on the cards (the cash balance will not increase again unless politicians lift the debt ceiling), especially given the deadlocked political situation in the US with the ongoing partial government shutdown. Chart 3: A debt ceiling liquidity bail-out is coming up As the amount of USD liquidity is likely to increase over the coming four to six weeks, the chance of a weaker USD also increases. In our models the USD could weaken as much as 3-4 % broadly if Steven Mnuchin and the US Treasury re-adds +300 USDbn worth of liquidity over the next months. Most eyes will be on the FOMC meeting concluding Wednesday night and many will in particular be looking for clarity from Jerome Powell, who has been uncharacteristically capricious in recent weeks. First it seemed like he back-tracked a little from the otherwise almost robotic neglection of the balance sheet as a policy tool at the December press conference, but then shortly after Powell said that the balance sheet would be substantially smaller when the Fed had normalised policy. Flip-flopping at its best. We would be surprised if Powell sounds ready to discuss the pace of the balance sheet run-off as a policy tool already, especially given that the calmer markets have provided him with some leeway (Fed Watch: Explaining patience) Should the Fed opt to pause the balance sheet rundown at some point during H1 2019, we would consider such an event a positive game-changer for risky assets and consequently a negative game-changer for the USD. Chart 8: QT comments from Powell will be key for markets next week Also, the market will likely be even more sensitive towards the US ISM index than usual (Friday), given the 5-index point drop in December. Even though regional surveys hint of a more benign January report, we see mainly downside risks, as in particular the swiftly slowing import component of the Chinese PMI hints at a weaker ISM index. Also, even with the recent rebound of equities, financial conditions still suggest more medium-term downside in the ISM Manufacturing index. Hence, we see downside risks to the early consensus of an unchanged reading of 54.1 in the ISM Manufacturing index. Chart 9: Even despite the recent comeback for equities, financial conditions still point to more ISM pain The monthly US job report has government shutdown written all over it on Friday, as data on everything from the size of the labour force to wages could be distorted by the shutdown. Furloughed public workers will though not count as unemployed in the NFP, but the indirect effects on private contractors (working for the public sector) may be substantial. Chart 10: Some of the most bearish indicators hint that US unemployment has already troughed However, we still keep an eye on the unemployment rate, as some of our more bearish indicators have started to hint at an upcoming trough in the unemployment rate relatively soon. Our main view that the labour market tightness will drive wage growth even higher (than expected) remains intact.
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https://www.zerohedge.com/news/2019-01-25/will-debt-ceiling-liquidity-bailout-trump-earnings-recession?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+zerohedge%2Ffeed+%28zero+hedge+-+on+a+long+enough+timeline%2C+the+survival+rate+for+everyone+drops+to+zero%29
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How Can I Use a Fingerprint to Log into Websites?
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As we round out wake-up week here at Lifehacker, I hope that you, like me, look forward to a generous pour of Tech 911 every Friday a.m. This week, were taking on a question that Ive been curious about for some timenot that Im never not curious about your questions, but this one is a topic thats bounced around my head a bit, because I am lazy and I hate fussing with password management whenever possible. Lifehacker reader Kenan writes: First of all, thanks for the helpful articles on lifehacker. Keep up the good work! I have a problem and I couldnt find any solution so far. I bought this Microsoft keyboard, which has a built-in fingerprint button, for my windows PC. It would be a very cool feature if I could use this button for logins to websites in Google Chrome. But I couldnt find anything on the Chrome Web Store. I am just using it to login to my Computer at the moment. If there is an add-on in google chrome or a software that could do this that would be nice. Advertisement First, even though Im rocking a light-up mechanical keyboard that I love, Im envious of your keyboards fingerprint button. Ive only really played around with biometric authentication on my MacBook, and its absurdly convenient to to tap your finger to approve or authenticate into a website or app versus typing in an account name and password (or whatever), even if this is a fad most smartphone users have known about since, say, 2013. On paper, youre completely correct about the process. You should be able to use your keyboards built-in fingerprint scanner to log into websites and Windows alike. Mozilla started rolling out support for this in Firefox 60 early last year, followed by Microsoft and Google shortly after. Advertisement The problem with this passwordless dream is that websites first have to support the FIDO2 protocol for fingerprint authentication to work. And even then, I cant think of a lot of major sites that let you authenticate invia the browserusing only your fingerprint. (Admittedly, the website isnt verifying your fingerprint; the device is, then sending along the message that you are who you say you are.) My point is more that you have to initially register your device with a site or a service in order to use passwordless authentication, and I can think of many sites that support fingerprint readers (or Windows Hello). You can get into your Microsoft account using Windows Hello (via Edge), but I dont see a similar option for a Google account. A security key, sure, but not a fingerprint reader. Thats just one example, but the same can be said about Twitter, Facebook, my online bank, my credit card company, et cetera. Rather than listing out websites and services that do or dont support fingerprint authentication, I have an alternate proposal. Consider using a password manager like 1Password or LastPass, if you arent already. You can set up both services to use fingerprint authentication, which makes it even faster to paste your login credentials into a site. Advertisement Dont go and change your original password for your password manager to something wild and impossible to remember, however, as youll still need to use it from time to time to log into your account (after restarting your PC, for example). Once youve done that, you can re-authenticate into either service using your fingerprint whenever you need to summon a password into a web form. While this isnt the true login using only my fingerprint kind of a setup you probably have in mind, its a good alternative while we wait for everyone to kill passwords for goodor, at the very least, provide the complementary option of a biometric login. Advertisement
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https://lifehacker.com/how-can-i-use-a-fingerprint-to-log-into-websites-1832025199
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Does Dwyane Wade believe he deserves spot in All-Star Game?
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Despite finishing with the second-most fan votes among Eastern Conference guards, Dwyane Wade did not get selected as an All-Star starter for the Feb. 17 game. Wade has no problem with that. The Heat guard has made it clear he believes other East guards deserve the honor over him, and he made the point again Friday. If Im choosing an All-Star, Im not picking me, Wade said in advance of the Heats road game against the Cavaliers. Its not an indictment on anything, but guys that deserve to be All-Stars will be All-Stars. Digital Access For Only $0.99 For the most comprehensive local coverage, subscribe today. Bostons Kyrie Irving and Charlottes Kemba Walker were the two East guards voted in as starters. While Wade, who is in his 16th and final season before retirement, finished with the second-most fan votes among East guards, he was sixth in both the player and media vote. In the end with all of the different categories of votes accounted for (fan balloting 50 percent of the vote, with players and a media panel each accounting for 25 percent of the vote), he finished tied with Philadelphias Ben Simmons for third place. Theres still hope for Wade to make one final All-Star Game before he retires, but it will have to be as a reserve. The coaches determine the seven reserves from each conference, which will be announced next Thursday. On Thursdays TNT broadcast, Charles Barkley said hes against Wade getting a spot in the All-Star Game based solely on this being his final NBA season. There are guys that are only going to make the All-Star team one time in their life, Barkley said. This might be their only time. ... We all love Dwyane Wade. But for the reserves, there are some guys Im pulling for, who this might be the only time in their life they are going to make the All-Star team. Thats why I dont like that. The 37-year-old Wade entered Friday averaging 13.8 points on 43 percent shooting, 3.6 rebounds and 4.2 assists in a bench role for the Heat this season. Wades competition for a backcourt reserve spot includes Simmons (16.6 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.3 assists), Washingtons Bradley Beal (24.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 5 assists), Milwaukees Eric Bledsoe (15.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists) and Torontos Kyle Lowry (14.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 9.4 assists). Indianas Victor Oladipo would have made this list, but he suffered a ruptured quad tendon Wednesday that will force him to miss the rest of the season. All of these players are putting up better numbers than Wade, but his selection as a starter would have more to do with celebrating the final season of a Hall of Fame career and less to do with statistics. For the first time, I actually agree with Charles Barkley and what he said, said Wade, who is a 12-time All-Star and has been voted in as a starter 10 times over the first 15 seasons of his NBA career. Theres a lot of guys that get their first chance to be All-Stars [Simmons and Bledsoe], and if they deserve it then they deserve it and they should have those spots. I appreciate the love from my fans to even vote me, to have as many votes as I did. But from an All-Star standpoint, theres multiple guys that deserve to be in there and I hope they get their opportunity. Rodney staying patient Despite receiving his first DNP-coachs decision (did not play, coachs decision) of the season in Wednesdays loss to the Clippers, Heat wing player Rodney McGruder is keeping a positive attitude about his role. Coach [Erik Spoelstra] has done a great job of keeping me focused, keeping my mind clear, McGruder said before Fridays game. Its just being prepared if my number is called. So Im just sitting back waiting on my moment, hearing my number called. At the end of the night, just being a great teammate and doing all the little things that can help lead to a victory. Before Wednesday, McGruder had started in each of the 44 games he had been available for this season. Hes only been unavailable once, missing a Dec. 23 win over the Magic because of a stomach illness. Tyler Johnson started in place of McGruder against the Clippers. You just have an understanding you only can control what you can control, that is being prepared and being professional, McGruder said. Guard Dion Waiters missed Friday mornings shootaround because of a migraine. He is a game-time decision for the Heats matchup against the Cavaliers.
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https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/article225065175.html
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Is America really letting Saudi Arabia get away with murder?
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The repercussions from the Trump administration giving a hall pass to Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi are reverberating through the annual Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires, which started earlier today. The G-20 is an obvious place for the United States to either reassert a principled view of our values and interests around the world or not. Sadly, I am betting that not wins this time. Top of mind is the current aggression by Russia in and around Ukraine, a clear expansion of the war of attrition, which is four years old and has claimed a reported 11,000 lives. Capturing naval vessels and blocking ports is not a subtle move. It is another test of President Trump Donald John TrumpWarriors visit Obama during trip to DC Kushner's top secret security clearance was rejected twice: report Senate Democrats reject Trump's 'pro-rated' wall funding pitch MORE and Western leaders by Vladimir Putin, who has in recent years been fingered for poisoning and murdering his enemies on foreign soil, as well as conducting influence operations to disrupt and sway the outcome of elections. It is welcome news that Trump canceled his meeting with Putin at the summit, which also sends a signal to others flaunting international law, including China, Syria, and (remember this one?) North Korea. ADVERTISEMENT With new information revealing undeclared North Korean missile operating bases, which is evidence that Kim Jong Un may be cheating on the so called deal he struck with Trump, putting this challenge back on the main policy agenda is critical. The good news is that many of the parties central to achieving a serious deal with North Korea will attend the G-20. The hard part is that our agendas are not perfectly aligned. America wants denuclearization, South Korea wants reconciliation, Japan wants protection from nuclear tipped intermediate range missiles (Trump has a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe), China wants containment and a guarantee against collapse, and North Korea clearly wants to keep its nuclear weapons as regime survival insurance. After Trump and Kim shook hands in Singapore over the summer, the president publicly announced on Twitter that they had agreed to the denuclearization of North Korea, assuring his followers that they could rest easy. Yet, the reported secret North Korean missile operating bases indicate that, if anything, Kim feels emboldened by recent events, and he is certainly not taking meaningful steps towards denuclearization. If Trump fails to conceptualize the North Korean negotiations as multilateral, by instead continuing to view this conflict merely as him versus the dictator, Kim will keep on having the upper hand. Thus, until the battling agendas of all five major players are addressed and aligned, any kind of deal or agreement Trump strikes will make the abandoned Iran nuclear deal look even better than its advocates staunchly claim. So too with Saudi Arabia, where there are foreign policy options beyond the binary choice of letting Mohammed Bin Salman get away with murder or losing an important ally. The United States can encourage the kingdom to move the crown price sideways and select a more responsible member of the royal family to carry out impressive modernizing reform there. In his dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump can work to settle long standing tensions, especially the high stakes trade war and digital intellectual property theft, while charting a joint course on North Korea and the safety challenges of artificial intelligence. Just last week, to the credit of the administration, Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer Robert (Bob) Emmet LighthizerMcConnell urges GOP senators to call Trump about tariffs Companies brace for trade war MORE released a report describing Chinese technology transfer policies and state sponsored cyberattacks against a range of sectors including manufacturing. This gives Trump some leverage if he wants to use it. It is ironic that a sleeping Congress has showed signs of life in recent days by pushing back against White House support for the Saudi proxy war in Yemen, which has yielded the largest humanitarian crisis on the planet today. In an overwhelming show of support, the Senate will debate a bill to cut off military support. Condemnation of Russian adventurism and action to curb or fence military support for Saudi Arabia could follow. Just imagine a nuanced policy that both confronts and cajoles the many players who will be together in Buenos Aires. That would be an artful deal and a huge win for an administration that surely needs one. Jane Harman is president of the Wilson Center. She served 16 years in Congress as a representative from California and was the ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Intelligence Subcommittee.
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https://thehill.com/opinion/international/419156-is-america-really-letting-saudi-arabia-get-away-with-murder
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Where is King Salman?
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Since ascending the throne in January 2015, King Salman of Saudi Arabia has been a frequent traveler. In 2016, he went on a tour of surrounding Gulf countries and in 2017, he did a month-long tour of Southeast and East Asia, in addition to other international travel. This all changed in 2018. Surprisingly, King Salman has not left the kingdom since a visit to Russia in October 2017. This includes forgoing his annual month-long summer vacation in Morocco. King Salman is believed to be in the early stages of dementia, and as time goes on, his condition surely worsens. Though Saudi officials continue to deny that the kings health is in decline, recent episodes contribute to continued speculation regarding his mental state. King Salmans speeches have become significantly shorter; his latest address to the kingdom lasted a mere eight minutes. Meetings with foreign dignitaries have also become more brief and less substantive. The king reportedly recently asked a Libyan delegation about the health of Moammar Gadhafi, at which point Royal Court aides cut the meeting short. Given his declining health, one would expect the king to continue traveling for summer vacations, even if he chooses to curtail official state visits. Therefore, it is particularly striking that King Salman did without his annual month-long trip to Morocco in 2018. Perhaps the reason for the kings lack of travel is more political in nature. King Salmans last foreign trip was in October 2017, one month before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) led a shakedown of Saudi Arabias elites in the name of ending corruption. Given the fact that this move made enemies out of many of the kingdoms most powerful, it may be that King Salman recognizes that should he leave the state, other members of the royal family may mobilize in an effort to remove the crown prince from the line of succession. The kings presence also adds legitimacy to MBSs policy decisions, both domestic and foreign. Conversely, perhaps the king chooses to remain in the kingdom in an effort to reign in the crown prince and keep him in check. For all of the attention MBS has received as the face of the kingdoms recent reforms and policy decisions, it is clear that King Salman continues to have final say. This has been made evident time and again, with instances such as the king calling off the Aramco IPO or clarifying that the kingdom remains a staunch supporter of the Palestinians and would not bend in its support for Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestine. Though it is impossible to conclusively state the reason for King Salmans complete abstention from foreign travel at this time, whatever the impetus for the kings lack of travel, it is likely to have significant ramifications for the future of internal Saudi politics. The below timeline outlines the kings foreign travels since 2015 and will be updated regularly to reflect any changes. king salmans travels
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https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2019/01/09/where-is-king-salman/
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Why Do We Love Serial Killers?
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on PC: Republica Sarah Grace Goolden Opinions Editor Netflixs, You was released early this September and has already secured a second season. Viewers went crazy over the first 10 episodes. The show stars Penn Badgley as Joe Goldberg, a man who becomes obsessed with a girl that comes in his bookshop. Over the course of the show, his life begins to revolve around her to the point of lying, stalking and even murder. Badgley is quick to shut down all fans that glorify his character on Twitter. Weve seen it before. In fact, its kind of a pattern. Many people fall in love with those handsome guys on TV shows, despite being literal psychopaths. For example, think about Evan Peters as Tate Langdon on American Horror Story: Murder House. He is a cult favorite. There are blogs dedicated just to his one character on the one season. Fans love Tate. He also happened to rape his girlfriends mother and kill multiple people, including terrorizing a high school in a very Columbine-esque way. This is absolutely not someone that should be idolized. Tate should be seen as repulsive. But that doesnt stop people from loving Tate, the same way they now love Joe. The cruelty behind the character doesnt stop the glorification of Dexter Morgan from Dexter or Patrick Bateman from American Psycho. Sure, theyre not real, but the sentiment itself should be a little disturbing. It should be important to note that despite these characters being fictional, there are a lot of real-life serial killers that are equally as adored. A movie on the life of Jeffrey Dahmer came out in 2017 to many positive reviews. Netflix has more murder documentaries than you could ever watch. Why are humans capable of binge-watching Criminal Minds? It should be too horrifying to watch, but it isnt. In fact, its addicting. Weve all probably encountered that edgy teenager that thinks being obsessed with serial killers is cute and claims theyre all misunderstood. That is very different from thinking the psychology behind murder is interesting. As long as you understand that Ted Bundy and John Wayne Gacy are bad people, go ahead and turn on Bates Motel. This may be partly due to a desensitization to death in general, but especially to murder. 24/7 news outlets and social media shove information in our faces at all times. It is almost impossible to avoid hearing about death on a daily basis. It almost feels distant and unreal, until it happens to someone you love or somewhere close to you. Its morbid, but I think the people that empathize with serial killers are neglecting the fact that people actually did die. Parents lost their child. A human being was killed for no real reason. Serial killers are not lone wolves or misinterpreted. On a less individual scale, serial killers are a part of American culture, with their popularity surging in the 60s and 70s. Since then, countless movies, TV shows and even song lyrics have been dedicated to them. Our society seems to enjoy that. We love serial killers like we love horror movies: its fun to scare ourselves, then press the off button and curl up into bed, safe and sound. I dont think the overwhelming success of Silence of the Lambs was because we all think murder is cool. Understanding the devastation of serial killers while still being able to learn about them is possible. I love how Badgley is responding to the strange tweets hes receiving after You aired. After all, theres no better way to reply to someone asking you to kidnap them other than no thx. I think its important that actors keep this kind of distance from their character. Badgley knows Joe is a bad person, and is not in the mood for the twitter fangirls. Theres nothing wrong with being interested in psychology but if that turns into romanticizing serial killers, fictional or otherwise, you should probably ask yourself why. Categories: Opinions
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https://carolinianuncg.com/2019/01/23/why-do-we-love-serial-killers/
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Should We Care Less About the News?
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on PC: Derek Harper Patrick OConnell Staff Writer Ive heard some describe our time period as the Post-Truth age, essentially meaning that truth has become irrelevant. There is no finer example of this than the amorphous creature known as, Media bias, that seems to have gotten a stranglehold over our society like a constrictor. Media bias exists to spread lies. It whispers falsehoods into the ears of the opposition, making them believe things that make no sense in the context of our own reality. Media bias wants nothing more than to manipulate the supple, malleable and promising minds of those who will eventually be on the other end of the political spectrum. Its also, like many problems in our society, just a combination of massive failures of multiple systems in our world. However, the fight against media bias doesnt start with censorship and regulations; it starts with personal responsibility. Word spreads through a phenomenon we know in our age as, media. If a nun trips on a bagel in Northern Oklahoma, someone tells someone else, and that someone else tells someone at the news and that someone at the news uses print or some other form of communication to spread this poor nuns fate like wildfire. Before this story was told, nobody knew this nun existed nor the bagel. In the minds of anyone outside of this nuns life, she may as well have not existed. So this story is published and the nuns face is put up everywhere. The news serves an important role in society. It should be objective and based entirely on fact. However, it very clearly isnt. Living in a commercialist society, information must be sold like any other product. Media companies feeds on attention. It is a business, after all. Like most businesses, they have a customer base to cater to. This customer base is also known as a demographic. News has to be dressed up to appeal to the largest amount of people possible. It has to catch the viewers attention by creating outrage but also by confirming what they already believe. Some news stations say, the bagel could have been placed by some evil baker in a plot to harm nuns and bagels should be banned. Bagel-haters and nuns tune in and are loving this story. Some news stations say the bagel was most likely defending itself against an aggressive nun. Bakers as well as nun-haters tune in and love this version of the story. Nuns march in the street demanding justice while bakers march demanding legal protection of their bagels. Both sides are only acting to fight an evil presented that they wouldnt have heard of otherwise and really doesnt exist. The true, fake news from media bias is the creation of false outrage to incite potential viewers. Bias from political leaning is no more than having a demographic to sell a narrative to. Now, lets get existential for a bit. The world we perceive is the world we know. Reality is essentially based on what knowledge we have. To a child on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus is real. What is real to an individual is based entirely on what they perceive. In the big picture, truth is relative. If nobody was around to hear the tree, it may as well have not even fallen. All the issues created by media bias, such as false outrage and misinformation, could be avoided by re-prioritizing the value of the news in our lives. When media plays into their customer base and gives them the narrative they want over objective truth, a bias is created. This is how people on both the left and right can have such contrasting views of the world. I think it isnt necessarily the medias fault. They only give their customers what they want. Regular salt-of-the-earth types of people never truly need to worry about global politics because it is unlikely to directly affect them. News is a messenger from the larger world- a foreign world that only exists as a story. What truly matters to regular people is their own lives, because to them that exists physically. So, I want to present the idea that perhaps its time we care just a little bit less about the stories on the news. It might sound dangerously apathetic, but it might help us rekindle our humanity. No. Im not even proposing any legislative change. To force any sort of truthfulness on media would be a nebulous and easily corrupted task. As I said before, truth is relative when dealing with the big picture. When the powers that determine what is the truth have agendas, as people in power tend to have, weve entered the murky waters of legal censorship. What Im proposing is that we prioritize our lives. Not to say we stop caring, but we care about what is tangible a bit more. We stop flaming on twitter at Russian bots, and get involved in local politics, help out at the soup kitchen, pick up litter, hold hands and sing kumbaya. But these are just the beliefs of an idealistic college kid. Take them with a grain of salt. Categories: Opinions
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https://carolinianuncg.com/2019/01/23/should-we-care-less-about-the-news/
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Is Israels Inevitable War With Iran Already Underway?
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Israeli Air Force F-15 planes. Photo: Reuters / Amir Cohen. JNS.org Israelis enjoying themselves on the slopes of the Mount Hermon ski resort in the Golan Heights were startled on Sunday afternoon to witness an Iranian missile heading their way. Had it not been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile-defense system, many innocent vacationers, as well as residents in the area, would have been killed. The surface-to-surface projectile, fired by the Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force in Syria, did not cause the skiers to pack up their gear and run for shelter and hot chocolate, however. After filming the scene on phones and helmet cams, they picked up where they left off. For most Israelis, the rain of enemy rockets is not nearly as novel as mounds of fresh snow. Disappointment was high, then, when the IDF announced that the popular site, adjacent to the Syrian and Lebanese borders, would be closed on Monday. The IDF was already planning the retaliatory strikes that it carried out late Sunday night against Iranian bases and soldiers stationed near Damascus a mere 30 miles from Mount Hermon. On Tuesday morning, the IDF reopened the ski resort to the public, just as a joint US-Israel test of the advanced Arrow 3 missile defense system designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles was executed successfully off the Mediterranean coast. Israelis enjoying themselves on the slopes of the Mount Hermon ski resort in the Golan Heights were startled on Sunday afternoon to witness an Iranian missile heading their way. Had it not been intercepted by the Iron Dome missile-defense system, many innocent vacationers, as well as residents in the area, would have been killed.The surface-to-surface projectile, fired by the Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force in Syria, did not cause the skiers to pack up their gear and run for shelter and hot chocolate, however. After filming the scene on phones and helmet cams, they picked up where they left off. For most Israelis, the rain of enemy rockets is not nearly as novel as mounds of fresh snow.Disappointment was high, then, when the IDF announced that the popular site, adjacent to the Syrian and Lebanese borders, would be closed on Monday. The IDF was already planning the retaliatory strikes that it carried out late Sunday night against Iranian bases and soldiers stationed near Damascus a mere 30 miles from Mount Hermon.On Tuesday morning, the IDF reopened the ski resort to the public, just as a joint US-Israel test of the advanced Arrow 3 missile defense system designed to intercept long-range ballistic missiles was executed successfully off the Mediterranean coast. The temporary quiet on the frosty northern border was interrupted by a sharp flare-up in the literally and figuratively blazing south. Following yet another violent Palestinian protest at the Gaza border during which an Israeli officer was shot, and two terrorists were apprehended crossing the fence into Israel Israeli Air Force fighter jets bombed a Hamas training camp. Across the ocean in New York, the UN Security Council was conducting business as usual, holding a special session on the Middle East for the purpose of castigating Israel. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon tried to remind participants that the real danger to the region lies elsewhere. And that the Jewish state is bearing the brunt. The Iranian regimes obsession with Israel is not just well-known, said Danon. It is expensive. Seven billion dollars annually are directed toward the never-ending attempts to destroy Israel. Follow the bloody trail of money starting in Tehran, and you will arrive at the terror tunnels in Lebanon and Gaza and the weapons warehouses in Syria. It is now trying to infiltrate Judea and Samaria. Danon continued: With the help of Saleh Al-Arouri, Hamass deputy political chief, and Saeed Izadi, the head of the Palestinian branch of the Iranian Quds Force, Iran is trying to turn Judea and Samaria into a fourth military front against Israel. The worlds silence allows Iran to continue with its operations and aggression to undermine stability in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the Iranian regime weakened by restored US sanctions and the massive unrest of its subjugated populace is boasting about its military prowess. This is par for the course in Tehran, particularly as the ruling mullahs are marking the 40th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, which ousted Shah Reza Pahlavi and ushered in Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeinis reign of terror. In an interview with Iranian state TV on Tuesday, Ali Akbar Salehi, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, went as far as to flaunt the regimes nuclear achievements, thanks in large measure to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action the nuclear deal signed with world powers in 2015 which, he said, marinated Irans right to enrich uranium. The only drawback he mentioned was the fact that for Europeans, a centrifuge takes eight years from designing to become operational, while the process takes us 10 years. Salehi then announced that he would be traveling at the end of the month to Ardakan to oversee the transport of 30 tons of yellowcake produced there to [the Uranium Conversion Facility at] Isfahan, [which] means that the Ardakan site has become operational. It would be a grave mistake to dismiss Salehis words as mere saber-rattling, given the Iranian regimes stated intention and increasingly overt attempts to annihilate Israel, even at its own potential peril. Rather than looking the other way, at best or, worse, condemning Israel at international forums the world should be thanking the Jewish state for doing its dirty work. The inevitable war against Iran should have been fought by America decades ago. Today, it is up to the IDF. When the snow melts on Mount Hermon, we Israelis will be back in shorts and sandals, heading for the polls this spring to elect the next Knesset. The only question at this point is whether we will be doing so in bomb shelters.
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https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/is-israels-inevitable-war-with-iran-already-underway.598789/
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Can Israels Iron Wall Contain Hamas?
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Any discussion of the Palestinian struggle always invokes broader debates concerning self-determination, colonialism, and resistance. An examination of narrower aspects of the struggle certainly can be illuminating but only if it remains very much linked to the wider historical picture. Tareq Baconis Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance places itself within this context, attempting to balance the broad with the narrow. The idea of containment is key. Baconis book straightforwardly summons the Iron Wall concept of force and coercion that Israeli leaders cherish; it is a helpful perspective in discussing Hamas, Palestine, and Israel. The radical revisionist Zionist and ideologue Zeev Jabotinsky forcefully advocated the concept of the Iron Wall in 1923, arguing that the Arabs of Palestine would never accept a Jewish state created on their land by force. This colonization [of Palestine], Jabotinsky wrote, can continue and develop only under the protection of a force independent of the local populationan iron wall, which the native population cannot break through. A metaphor that now has partially materialized in actual concrete, the Iron Wall of Jewish military might, Jabotinsky hoped and predicted, would separate the new Jewish state and protect it against the Palestinians and Arabs, who would keep banging their heads against it in despair. Every native population in the world, he argued, resists colonists as long as it has the slightest hope of being able to rid itself of the danger of being colonized. That is what the Arabs of Palestine are doing and what they will persist in doing as long as there remains a solitary spark of hope that they will be able to prevent that transformation of Palestine into the Land of Israel. At the time, Jabotinsky directed his argument particularly against those Zionists who advocated diplomacy and dialogue with the Palestinians. Jabotinskys early acknowledgement that Palestinian resistance is fundamentally anti-colonial ironically contradicts the narrow security-obsessed view of the current Israeli governmentwhich claims to be his ideological heirthat Hamas or any form of Palestinian resistance is simple terrorism or aimless violence. The Iron Wall paradigm has dominated Zionist thought since Jabotinskys time, becoming an integral part of the collective psyche of Israeli leaders. Defense ministers, foreign ministers, and prime ministers with military pedigrees brought this toughness into the realm of politics. Leaders without a military background have striven even harder to be no less tough than the first group. In recent decades, the effectiveness of the Iron Wall has been clearleading to Egypt, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and Jordan signing peace treaties with Israel in 1981, 1993, and 1994, respectivelymore or less on Israeli terms. Several other Arab states, such as Morocco, Oman, and Qatar, later created various forms of tacit relations with Israel. Presently, relationships between Israel and a number of Gulf states are warming, and they anticipate the exchange of ambassadors in the near future. Against this tide of Israeli containment of the Arabs and Palestinians, Hamas stands outdefiantrefusing to recognize and yield to the Iron Wall. It is within this broader understanding of the centrality (and brutality) of power in Israeli thinking that one better appreciates Baconis impressive historiography of Hamas. Leaving barely any literature on Hamas untouched, Baconis book is extensively and solidly based on original material in Arabic: leaflets, communiqus, old founding documents and many newer ones, interviews with Hamas officials as well as an extensive reliance on issues of the monthly magazine Filastin al-Muslima, which was considered by many as the unofficial mouthpiece of Hamas for years. Baconi introduces the concept of Israeli pacification and containment of Hamas. He argues that Israel eventually succeeded in dealing with Hamas by neutralizing its military, pacifying the attitudes of some of its leaders, and containing the threat it posed. This has been far from a complete decapitation or destruction of Hamas, but it has prevented the movement from using its military arm in ways that continually harm or seriously threaten Israel. Baconi follows Hamass evolution from its inception in late 1987 through 2016. Hamas advanced its resistance in the first half of the 1990s in reaction to the PLOs decision to pursue peace talks and diplomacy that culminated in the Oslo Accords in 1993. For many Palestinians, Oslo was a trap baited with vague promises of Israeli withdrawal and the creation of a Palestinian state. The agreement guaranteed PLO recognition of Israel in return for Israels recognition of the PLO as the sole representative of the Palestiniansbut not recognizing the Palestinians as a people. Hamas protested that Oslo didnt end the Israeli occupation and reiterated that, as Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantissi put it, the continued presence of the occupation means the continued presence of resistance. In response to the killing of more than 29 Palestinians praying in Hebrons Ibrahimi Mosque by a fanatical Jewish settler (whose grave was transformed into a shrine revered by settlers today), Hamas launched a wave of suicide attacks inside Israel that shocked Israeli society and its leaders. The Oslo Accords collapsed over the following years amid Hamass continued military operations and Israels expanding settlements. In September 2000, Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon visited Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem accompanied by armed Israeli police, triggering a major riot and the renewed bloodshed of the Second Intifada. In response, Yasser Arafat and his Fatah movement finally joined forces against the Israeli army, seemingly vindicating Hamass resistance approach. Israel responded mightily by crushing the Palestinian Authority and placing Arafat himself under confinement until his death in 2004. During the first month of the Second Intifada, showing the ruthlessness of the Iron Wall concept, the Israeli army fired between twenty-eight and thirty-three thousand bullets per day against Palestinian stones and light arms, Baconi writes. During the Second Intifada, Hamas managed to build a strong military infrastructure, thereby cementing its significance on the resistance and political scene. Mahmoud Abbas succeeded Arafat in 2005, within the volatile regional context of U.S. President George W. Bushs war on terrorism. Hamas felt politically vulnerable and decided to run for Legislative Council elections in 2006, opting to protect itself by becoming part of the political system. Within the year, a bloody conflict erupted between Hamas and Fatah that resulted in a split at the heart of the Palestinian national movement, with Hamas running Gaza and Fatah and its Palestinian Authority running the West Bank. Since then, as Baconi masterfully explains, Hamas has found itself caught in the duality of resistance and governance in poverty-stricken, blockaded Gaza, failing to credibly deliver either. In Gaza, Hamas has ruled with an iron fist, suppressing its opponents and imposing religious rulessuch as a dress code for schoolgirls, banning alcohol, and prohibiting women from smoking shisha pipeswhile bearing the brunt of successive Israeli wars on Gaza in 2008-2009, 2012, and 2014. Regional misfortunes, as Baconi refers to them, resulted in Hamas losing its Syrian backing because of its support for the popular uprising against Bashar al-Assads regime. At the same time, Hamass relations with Iran dropped to their lowest point. In 2013, the yearlong lifeline provided by then-Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood ended with Morsis toppling by the army and was followed by an even more draconian blockade on Hamas from the new Egyptian regime, compounding the air, sea, and land siege already imposed by Israel. Baconi explores how Israel managed to maintain its containment strategy. Central to this strategy was keeping an undermined Hamas in powerweak enough not to threaten Israel but strong enough internally not only to prevent the situation in Gaza from slipping into total chaos but, particularly, to stay capable of suppressing more extreme jihadi groups that could cause unanticipated troubles to Israel. To achieve this, Israel combined continuous military strikes to keep Hamass lawn mowed short with disproportionate force and heavy bombardment against civilian areas to maintain military deterrence; thus, Baconi writes, Hamas had been contained. There is considerable merit in this thesis. However, there are other elements that need to be accounted for as well. It is hard to believe that Israeli right-wing leaders and an increasingly religious establishment would accept a defiant force that is still resisting their Iron Wall and causing a serious (if not existential) threatdemonstrated by Hamass niggling tunnels and occasional rockets hitting Israeli cities. The Israeli military is wary, to say the least, about its achievable options when it comes to dealing with Hamas. The most recent threat of war against Gaza in November 2018, after months of Hamass Great March of Return along the Gaza-Israeli border, exposed Israels limited options. The possibility of Hamas still being capable of inflicting more harm on Israel has complicated Israeli political and military calculations, creating divisions in the government and the recent resignation of far-right Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman. The scenarios on the table regarding Gaza and Hamas include maintaining the status quo, giving Gaza some waterway access, and allowing joint foreign administration on borders while tolerating Hamas rule. These are not necessarily in line with a policy of containment nor likely to coerce a foe to pursue a desirable outcome. Moreover, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza is speedily deteriorating and will render the area, according to United Nations reports, uninhabitable by the year 2020. In this light, the continuation of the status quo, the key to containment, is a recipe for an explosion that neither Israel nor Egypt nor any other nearby country wishes to see. Baconi concludes that after Israels war on Gaza in 2012-2013, Israel again failed to instill lasting deterrence. Hence, what the world is witnessing now is a sort of half-containment and half-deterrence by Israel over Hamas, while Hamas delivers its half-insurance (against fresh jihadis and total chaos) and military half-threats to Israel. This unstable balancing act continues while the humanitarian and political nightmare created by Hamass half-government rumbles beneath Gaza.
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https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/01/25/can-israels-iron-wall-keep-hamas-in-check-contained-netanyahu-gaza-tareq-baconi-review/
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Should the Mavericks make a move before the NBA trade deadline?
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Dallas Mavericks guard Wesley Matthews (23) talks to Dallas Mavericks guard Dennis Smith Jr. (1) during an NBA basketball game at American Airline Center in Dallas on Tuesday, Jan. 22, 2019. (Shaban Athuman/The Dallas Morning News) Newy Scruggs, sports anchor at NBC5 in Dallas-Fort Worth (KXAS-TV) and radio host weekly from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on NBC Sports Radio Sirius XM 213/202 and NBCSportsRadio.com, answered your questions recently. Scruggs: I do not see Dennis Smith Jr. playing for the Mavericks next year. Smith needs the ball in his hands. Luka Doncic needs the ball in his hands. Doncic is the better player, so it will be in the best interest of the Mavs to move Smith on. This isn't a slam against Smith, who I love. I was his biggest champion and pleaded with the Mavs to draft him. He can be a good player, but the Mavs will have to build this club around Doncic. All the parts must fit around him. Scruggs: The Mavs can make a good trade if one presents itself before the deadline. Mark Cuban will get plenty of trash trade offers. The key is to find a good trade that can improve the club for now and down the road as they build around Luka Doncic. Scruggs: As Clint Eastwood said in the movie Unforgiven, "deserves got nothing to do with it." The NBA fans want Luka Doncic in the game as a starter then he should be there. Right on, Doncic will be a starter. I have NO issues with it. The NBA asks fans to vote for their favorite players and Luka-mania has spoken. Good for him. Good for the Mavs and good for the NBA fans.
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https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-mavericks/mavericks/2019/01/23/mavericks-make-trade-before-deadline
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Does the loss to the Rams look better now that Los Angeles is in the Super Bowl?
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Los Angeles Rams linebacker Dante Fowler (56) plays to the crowd as they wait for a fourth quarter timeout to end against the Dallas Cowboys in their NFC Divisional Playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Saturday, January 12, 2019. (Tom Fox/The Dallas Morning News) Kristi Scales, the sideline reporter for the Dallas Cowboys radio network, answered your questions about the team in a live chat recently. Scales: Re-signing DeMarcus Lawrence is the number one priority for the Cowboys' defense, followed by additions at safety and defensive tackle. Scales: No, Stephen Jones has already said the Cowboys don't expect to be big players in free agency this offseason. The priorities are to sign DeMarcus Ware and have money to extend the likes of Byron Jones, Dak Prescott, Zeke Elliott and Amari Cooper. That doesn't mean all extensions will get done by this summer, but the groundwork is being laid. Randy Gregory is a guy they'd love to lock-up long term, too. There are also mid-tier players like Geoff Swaim and Cam Fleming whose contracts are up. I expect that this offseason will be similar to the last two in which the personnel department targets affordable free agents at specific positions. The signing of Fleming was a really good one last year. So was Antwaun Woods. They are two of the best examples of what to expect moving forward. Scales: Not really, especially since the Rams' win over the Saints in the NFC Championship Game is tainted due to the non-call on the obvious pass interference penalty. The way the Cowboys couldn't stop the Rams' run game, coupled with the Cowboys' inability to run the ball on offense (and take advantage of one-on-one matchups in the passing game), is what will stick in the craw of Cowboys Nation for the rest of the offseason, no matter whether the Rams beat the Patriots to win Super Bowl LIII. Scales: I think Cole Beasley and Damien Wilson and Cameron Fleming are likely to get high dollar contracts from other teams which the Cowboys may not be able to match. In terms of which free agents will stick around, there's DeMarcus Lawrence who will get tons of money to stay. And I think Geoff Swaim is someone the Cowboys would like to keep at an affordable rate, and veteran backups like Joe Thomas/Caraun Reid. I'm hoping the Cowboys pony-up and keep Cam Fleming because he is a very valuable player as swing tackle, especially with Tyron Smith's recent injuries.
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https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/dallas-cowboys/cowboys/2019/01/23/loss-rams-look-better-now-los-angeles-super-bowl
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What will Kyler Murray be doing one year from right now?
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Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley and Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray (1) confer during a time out during the University of Texas Longhorns vs. the Oklahoma Sooners NCAA football game at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas on Saturday, October 6, 2018. (Louis DeLuca/The Dallas Morning News) Chuck Carlton, Big 12 beat writer for SportsDayDFW.com and The Dallas Morning News, answered your questions about the league in a live chat recently. Carlton: Or Lincoln Riley is saying that fixing the scheme and personnel is the first -- and easiest --priority. You can't turn over a college roster in one season, although Riley clearly is targeting defensive talent in recent recruiting classes. But you can change a coaching staff. If Alex Grinch can just show progress to producing a competent defense, that would be a huge step. What stands out about Grinch is that he produced a major defensive turnaround at Washington State working for Mike Leach. We've all heard about the challenges of being a defensive coordinator for an Air Raid coach. Grinch still produced results. Best guess: you will see a better Oklahoma defense sooner rather than later. Carlton: Best guess: Kyler Murray will be finishing his rookie season in the NFL, having flashed enough potential to silence skeptics concerned about his height and size. Just think this past season and all the football success was a game-changer in his thought process and career horizons.
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https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/college-sports/collegesports/2019/01/24/will-kyler-murray-one-year-right-now
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What Kind Of Brexit Is Priced Into GBP/USD?
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The United Kingdom is expected to leave the European Union next March 29th, but as of now, no Brexit deal has been reached and approved by the UK Parliament. Next Tuesday, January 29th, a Plan B presented by PM Theresa May is set for debate and vote. Prior to it, our staff of chief analysts discusses the different scenarios and endless possibilities that this ongoing political situation might bring, analyzing prospects for the Pound. Valeria Bednarik: Ha! clearly, the market firmly believes that the UK will avoid a hard landing. Either by an extension of the current limbo situation or through a new referendum that could turn things around. Anyway, and in my opinion, this is pure denial: a hard-Brexit is coming. Yohay Elam: A hard Brexit is the default option, but there are other scenarios. Valeria Bednarik: Because the EU is firm in its posture of "teaching a lesson." I don't know, ever since the Union was made, we have been discussing how "fragile" it is, and about the multiple reforms that are needed, but are still pending. The UK leaving is a "low blow" to the future of the Union. The EU can't allow another exit or make it easy for its members to leave. It would all fall apart. That's why the EU is making it as tough as possible to the UK. Yohay Elam: I agree the EU wants to punish the UK and teach others a lesson, but they prefer the Brexit deal which is bad enough for the UK and good for the EU than a hard Brexit. A hard Brexit would also inflict damage to Ireland (first and foremost), France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and also Germany's car industry. Mario Blascak: And above all everyone involved realizes how detrimental it would be for the UK to leave the EU with no deal. The Bank of England estimated four different baseline scenarios for Brexit, with the close economic partnership expectedly resulting in the loss of relative GDP of -1.25% to a -3.75% compared to the level from May 2016, while the worst case (no-transition, no-deal Brexit) could see a relative loss of GDP amounting to -7.75% up to -10.50%. So a no-deal Brexit, or other hardliners scenario, will be, in my view, avoided. Valeria Bednarik Indeed, it would inflict damage to the EU but politicians are taking that cost. And, by the way, the market seems to be blindfolded on how Brexit will affect the Union. Yohay Elam: At the time of our conversation, GBP/USD is around 1.2900. And yeah, as you say, EUR/USD will fall as well. If markets are not pricing a hard Brexit for GBP/USD, the same applies for EUR/USD... Valeria Bednarik: Yups, 1.20 is there, because the only thing keeping the Pound afloat is hope. Call me a pessimist, but with 2 months to go, the EU has put a checkmate on the UK and there we go: hard-Brexit. Yohay Elam: 1.20 was the flash crash low of October 2016 and is also a very round number. Mario Blascak: The Bank of England modeled scenario paints much darker picture of Sterling falling 25% in case of disorderly Brexit. Yohay Elam: 25% is closer to parity from current levels... Mario Blascak: The lowest level in 200-years. Valeria Bednarik: Well, as I always say, I can't see that far away without my glasses, but for sure, not waiting for Pound bulls to take it nicely. Yohay Elam: 200 years ago, the post-Waterloo generation. Mario Blascak: This is what the mathematical model said, taking into account all the bad assumptions. Yohay Elam: The renowned economist Paul Krugman, who can't be blamed for supporting Brexit and is a dove, criticized the BoE and said they went too far. My guess is somewhere in the middle: 1.10-1.15 I believe that in case of a hard Brexit, central banks will come together to stabilize the situation, at least in the FX market. Mario Blascak: That is one of the options. Common FX market intervention is rare, but happened in the past and certainly belongs to central banks arsenal. Yohay Elam: Central banks intervened after the horrific earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster in Japan in March 2011. A hard Brexit could justify such a cooperation, but it's still a long shot. Valeria Bednarik: As long as a second referendum is. And here we are, with the Pound up on Corbyn's proposed amendment about ways to finish the stalemate, that only mentions it as a possibility. Yohay Elam: Yep, the amendment provides hope and supports the Pound. Valeria Bednarik: First to "go" will be PM May, as it will be the epitome of complete failure. I can't recall a time, over these last two years, when she didn't say she will deliver as promised. The market could go wild, as relief of no-Brexit will oppose to fears of political chaos. I would say that if a second referendum is confirmed, GBP/USD could jump to 1.45/1.46, pre-2016 referendum levels, only to give up relatively fast good hundreds of pips, back to 1.36/1.37. Yohay Elam: I'm eyeing the referendum night level of 1.5000, which is also a round number. But many other things have changed since then. I guess it can settle around 1.36-1.37 if a second referendum is approved, and jump to higher ground if Brexit is reversed. The outcome of such a second vote is up in the air... Mario Blascak: The option of second Brexit referendum was accepted by the EU officials as legitimate, therefore we see Sterling on a trade-weighted basis at a 10-week high but still about 10% below the levels at the time of the Brexit referendum on June 23, 2016 So there is certainly a scope for further appreciation. Although I do not expect the second Brexit referendum to materialize, I agree that Sterling would be initially boosted, even with the result uncertain. Mario Blascak: I expect 1.35-1.37, maybe even higher. Markets are irrational. Yohay Elam: As Keynes said: "Markets can remain irrational longer than the trader can remain solvent". Always consider your leverage and trade responsibly. To me, it is a complete UK failure, and the market will well decide to buy the rumor and sell the fact. A second referendum will come alongside a new government, as it is not going to happen with May in charge. That can't be bullish for the Pound. Furthermore, consider the market has already priced in some kind of positive outcome, name it as you want it, and in this scenario, political uncertainty will skyrocket. Yohay Elam: I think that markets are pricing in a delay of Brexit, but not the chance of it being cancelled. Another referendum opens the door to a total reversal, something that markets want. If Corbyn is elected, they won't like it, but if the Conservatives remain in power and there's no Brexit, it's a win-win for market. Chances are low, though... One thing is certain: uncertainty is high. There are countless scenarios, twists and turns. At the moment, we have the following timeline: Parliament votes on amendments to the Brexit debate on January 29th. Brexit Day, if there's no delay, is on March 29th. The European Parliament elections are on May 26th. But things are fluid, and GBP/USD remains highly volatile.
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https://www.benzinga.com/news/19/01/13040268/what-kind-of-brexit-is-priced-into-gbpusd
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Has Warren Buffett Gone Car Crazy?
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October 12, 2014 6 min read This story originally appeared on Fortune Magazine Last week, Warren Buffett made a big announcement hes getting into the car dealership business. Buffetts investment company Berkshire Hathaway said it would acquire Van Tuyl Group, which is headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz., and is the fifth-largest owner of dealerships in the country. So the car industry now has a titan in its midst. I dont think it makes sense, to be honest, said Sarwant Singh, a senior partner and automotive industry analyst at Frost and Sullivan. The dealership stricture, especially in the US, is an age-old model that is going extinct. Singh is referring to the franchised-dealer car sales model: car manufacturers such as Ford and General Motors have regional franchise dealers, which are owned either locally or by a chain, which is being upset by online shopping and mobile apps. Singh expects the number of U.S. dealerships to shrink by as much as 30% in the coming years. In an interview at Fortunes Most Powerful Women Summit earlier this week, Buffett said he got into the business because it has high volume and low capital investment needed, meaning that even with relatively low margins, profits can be substantial. Plus, he can sell insurance and financing products. The question, though, isnt whether car dealerships have been good businesses, its whether they will be in 10, 15 or 20 years, given that the industry is seeing the same technological disruption so many other post-World War II industries have. Car-buying in the future could follow a model more similar to Teslas, where there is no lot, just a small showroom, and where the office is more often in a city center than in the suburbs. Singh notes that millenials dont like salespeople, they prefer product champions, like the folks working at the Apples AAPL 0.54% Genius Bar employees who are engaged but cool, who at least appear to be trying to help you get the product you want as. They want to feel like theyre getting coffee, not engaged in negotiatory combat with a slick-haired huckster in a bad suit. Thats hard in the concrete purgatory of a car lot. For instance, Singh points to an automotive dealership in London where 60% of the cars are purchased without a test drive. If that model grows and eventually crosses the Atlantic, that would be a bad sign for Buffett. Analyst Greggory Warren of Morningstar, though, thinks its hard to see a majority of the market going to stores that are Tesla-clones, leaving plenty of space for the traditional car dealership. If a quarter of that business goes away to a different model, that still leaves 65% of the market, he said. And that remaining market is wide open. AutoNation, the largest dealership chain in the country, owns 266 dealerships, a minuscule percentage of the approximately 17,000 in the U.S. This means that Buffett can continue to gobble up dealerships and build Van Tuyl to be a bigger player. Imagine the family-owned dealership in your home town. If the grandchildren of the founders decide they want to do something other than sell cars, theyve got to sell it enter Buffett and Van Tuyl, who can make it part of their chain. The other big plus Warren sees in the dealership business for Buffett is the service component, which is a big part of business for dealerships. Steve Anenen, CEO of dealer services company CDK Global which recently completed a spinoff from payments company ADP thinks that if Buffett is successful in his pursuit of acquisition, hell be very successful in the business. Anenen also pointed out that he wouldnt be shocked if Buffett got Van Tuyl into the used car business, which is a much bigger business in terms of volume in the United States. Still, there are other reasons this purchase is a head scratcher. Auto sales are moving towards the end of a cycle. Its expected that this year between 16.2 million and 16.4 million cars will be sold. Expectations for 2015 are hovering around 16.7 million. After that, growth will almost certainly plateau or perhaps begin shrinking again. If Buffett were going to get into the car business, it would likely have made more sense to look for an opportunity in 2011 or 2012, when the business was building to its current peak following a bigger-than-usual valley during the depths of the credit crisis. This is a short-term concern, as barring another major crisis the cycle will eventually come back around, but its still strange to get into a business at the end of a boom. Warren, though, doesnt think thats ultimately a big deal. He said that Buffett and the Berkshire people know that it is a cyclical business, and that with the market going down, it could actually make the expansion part of the plan cheaper, perhaps evening out the cost in the long-run. Its hard for anyone to question an investment decision made by the Oracle of Omaha. But much like when Buffett began his foray into the world of newspapers an industry that, unlike car dealerships, no one doubts is circling the drain you cant help but wonder what it is that he sees that others are missing. The question of whether or not this investment works may depend on one thing: the ability and desire from Buffett and the largely intact management of Van Tuyl to fundamentally change. If, 20 years from now, car dealerships have responded to technological disruption with aplomb, fundamentally shifting the way they do business, and if Van Tuyl is at the forefront of that revolution, Buffetts bid could go down as genius. If, though, the auto industry reacts with the general aversion to changing mores that it has in the past, and the franchised auto dealership becomes a relic to go with video rental stores and travel agents, it could be seen as a major blunder.
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https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238356
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Why on Earth Does eHarmony Offer Real-Life Matchmakers?
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October 9, 2014 3 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. When it comes to online dating, we're often our own worst enemies. On the Internet, it's easy to be rigidly selective to rule out anyone who lives more than 10 miles away, for example, or is shorter than 6'1, isn't vegan, is vegan etc. thus missing out on some potentially great matches. Love isn't a science, after all. The above is a familiar argument, mostly made by individuals staunchly against online dating, those men and women hell-bent on meeting the "natural way." It's rarely, however, a line of reasoning you'll hear from online dating sites, whose core business lies in convincing people that love, in fact, can be solved by an algorithm, and that in our messy world, a high compatibility percentage is a good foundation on which to build a lasting relationship. It's strange, then, that eHarmony -- one of the biggest online dating sites around -- is essentially admitting that, when it comes to love, an algorithm will only take you so far. Related: EHarmony Wants to Find You a Job This past November, the company introduced a service called eH+, which sets users up not by algorithm, but through a flesh-and-blood matchmaker or "personal relationship coach." The service which rings in at a very hefty $5,000 a year, compared with the site's average annual fee of $700 -- provides users with a matchmaker, typically a licensed psychologist, tasked with sorting through suitable online profiles that the computer, for whatever reason, would have likely skipped over, The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday. With the introduction of this service, eHarmony is conceding that its much-touted compatibility ratings, based on a 200+ questionnaire users fill out when they sign up for the site, has its limitations. People still "fail out of eHarmony," Grant Langston, eHarmony's vice president, told the Journal. They use it, and it doesnt appear to work for them. In general, Langston explained, this is because people are too restrictive when it comes to dating preferences, telling the computer to reject all individuals who aren't athletic/'foodies'/dog-lovers etc., which results in the filtering out of otherwise great matches who lack one or two preferred traits. Related: New Dating App Startup Aims to Be the 'Thinking Person's Tinder' The matchmaker's job, then, is to essentially act as a hand-holder, advocating for -- and opening lines of communication with -- suitable candidates their clients would otherwise reject. According to Langston, people's preferences are often too complex and too subtle for an algorithm to accurately read or even pick up on. People dont know themselves a lot of the time, he told the outlet. The preferences theyre using may be sabotaging their goals. The lesson here is twofold. First, apparently when it comes to love, we don't always know what we want. And second, for all those online daters out there: instead of forking over $5,000 for an offline matchmaker, consider widening your preferences on your dating profile. Related: HowAboutWe's Founders Redefine Online Dating -- And What It Means to Be a CEO
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https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/238322
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Has CBI raided the wrong premises of Videocon group?
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Going by the address of Videocon Industries as given in the FIR, the actual CBI raid should have taken place in the 17th-floor office on the B-Wing of the sprawling Mittal Court complex in the tony Nariman Point area of the city. But CBI sleuths have carried out the day-long raids in the 17th-floor office in the C-Wing of the same complex where other Videocon Group industries are housed! To be fair, it has been found that both the wings are inter-connected, though. What is more ironical is that the nameplate of Videocon Industries, the prime accused in the FIR, is written in Marathi with a sketch pen, while the other group companies have proper nameplates in metal frames. ALSO READ: Former ICICI CEO Chanda Kochhar, husband indicted in ICICI-Videocon loan fraud case The name Videocon Industries is pasted with a packaging tape from inside the door, which can be seen only if the door is opened! Earlier in the day, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has booked the Dhoots of the Videocon group along with Chanda Kochhar, the former CEO and MD of ICICI Bank and her husband Deepak, for alleged irregularities in sanctioning six loans worth Rs 1,875 crore to the now crippled Videocon Group and other group entities. In the FIR, Videocon Industries is mentioned as located on the 17th floor of the B-Wing of the Mittal Court complex, while group entities like Videocon Industries, Videocon International Electronics and four other entities are located on the 17th floor of the C-Wing of the same building. The other companies on the 17th floor of the C-Wing include Videocon Games, Chhattisgarh Power Ventures, Prosperous Energy, and VOVL. Interestingly all these companies are not mentioned in the FIR filed by the CBI. It could also not be established immediately whether these companies are indeed Videocon group entities. The FIR names Videocon International Electronics, Videocon Industries, VN Dhoot, the group managing director; Chanda Kochhar, Deepak Kochhar, the head of Nupower Renewables and the company Nupower Renewables, Supreme Energy, Other unknown private persons and Unknown public servants. When PTI visited the premises in the evening, we could see CBI sleuths who flew down from New Delhi for the raid, busying themselves in searching the offices located in the C- Wing. Since most reporters were not aware of the exit from other C-Wing, all waited for CBI officials at B-Wing only. When some journalists tried to enter the office from the B-Wing, they found it locked from inside, even though all the action was going on in the C-Wing. A few staffers of the group were also present inside the office. When asked one of them told PTI that he is an employee but has not been paid for the past four months. Another man said he works in the pantry and claimed to know nothing about the raids. Yet another person, found seated at the reception in the C-Wing office along with a few others, said the raid is on across the Mumbai and Aurangabad offices of the group.
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http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/jan/24/has-cbi-raided-the-wrong-premises-of-videocon-group-1929606.html
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Will France ban Huawei for espionage?
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ID4me is an internet service that enables its users to log in to many different internet services with one account. This is also known as "single sign on". Unlike existing global single sign on solutions like the ones from Google or Facebook, ID4me does not track and analyze the internet surfing habits of its users. ID4me will make sure that the surfing habits stay secret. Also, ID4me does not belong to an enterprise. It is an open standard that is maintained by a nonprofit organization. Anyone who wants to can participate. This way the users can chose freely between different ID4me providers and can also change the provider anytime. Further information can be found here: https://id4me.org/ The last section of the technical overview explains how to set up an ID4me account: https://id4me.org/documents
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https://www.androidpit.com/will-france-ban-huawei-for-espionage
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Will the government roll out fake budget numbers to hide spending spree?
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By Bloomberg In a few weeks, Indias finance minister will present whats called an interim budget - the accounts of the year gone by, as well as his plans for the year to come. It isnt supposed to be a regular budget because the government faces reelection in a few months; the convention is that the next finance minister gets to make the final decisions about expenditure after a new government is formed. Hoping for a second term, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to lay out ambitious spending plans anyway. Modi has a reputation for fiscal prudence, so the expectation is that somehow or the other his Finance Ministry will get the numbers in line. The problem is that the number well be given is likely to be very deceptive. Thats because it wont reflect what its supposed to reflect: the degree by which the government is overspending. That, in turn, is because Indias federal government according to its own auditor, among others is concealing its expenditure in half a dozen unprecedented ways. In a report presented to Indias Parliament earlier this month, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) argued that the cost of many subsidies, for example, was being massively understated in the budget. Payments to Indian farmers to make fertilizer affordable were being routed through special banking arrangements essentially a loan from state-owned banks to cover outstanding subsidy payments. Meanwhile, the cost of buying farmers produce, borne by the state-run Food Corporation of India, is being paid out of whats called the national small savings fund, which administers various government-run savings schemes. The pattern is repeated in the power sector and the railways, in both of which new investment is being paid for indirectly, through borrowing by government-run agencies. As the CAG says, using such off-budget financial arrangements ... increases the cost of subsidies, and understates the annual subsidy expenditure and prevents a transparent depiction of financial indicators for the relevant year. In other words, its auditor has accused the Indian government of blatantly fudging the numbers. The misuse of the small savings fund is particularly galling. This is not even public-sector earnings it is depositors hard-earned cash, which theyve given to the government to hold on their behalf. Worse, its handing out the cash to Indias chronically loss-making state-owned airline, Air India Ltd. Thats hardly a safe or sensible destination for a poor familys savings. This isnt the only way in which the government has sought to conceal its expenditure. For example, its forcing various public-sector enterprises to buy others essentially a way to get cash from the company in question into the governments own kitty. Some of these forced mergers make very little sense. For example, the government is selling the Rural Electrification Corporation Corp. Ltd., which focuses on creating generation assets, to the Power Finance Corp. Ltd., which finances overall electricity infrastructure. Unsurprisingly, both the markets and rating agencies have turned bearish on the companies. Other public-sector companies are being made to conduct share buy-backs especially those in various natural resource-intensive sectors such as petrochemicals and mining. Again, that shifts cash from these companies to the Finance Ministry and reduces the amount available to them for investment. It means populist spending is happening instead of investment exactly the kind of decision that should make the fiscal deficit look worse. Except this makes the deficit look deceptively better. Fiscal deficits are supposed to be more than a measure of how responsible a government is with tax money. More importantly, theyre a guide to whether government borrowing is squeezing out the private sector as a destination for savings. If government spending and borrowing is going to be concealed in this manner, then the deficit figures arent going to be useful or relevant in any way. If Modi wants to retain a reputation as a fiscal hardliner, hes going about it the wrong way. HSBCs analysts have already noted that their measure of the net supply of government paper has gone up sharply, from 6.6 per cent in 2015-16 to 8.2 per cent in 2017-18. And that doesnt take into account a lot of other off-budget borrowings thats been scaled up recently. The government would be far better advised to tell the truth about its profligacy. Populism costs money. And, just because the budget numbers arent telling you how much doesnt mean it costs any less.
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http://www.newindianexpress.com/business/2019/jan/24/indias-fake-budget-numbers-1929576.html
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When is the FA Cup fifth round draw and when are the fixtures played?
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(Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) The fourth round of the FA Cup gets underway on Friday night as Arsenal host Manchester United at the Emirates. Just 32 teams remain in the competition, but they will be whittled down to 16 by the end of this round and the remaining clubs face another open draw. The Gunners taking on the Red Devils is undoubtedly the pick of the fourth round ties, but there are interesting contests elsewhere, as Everton go to Millwall and Crystal Palace host Spurs. Here is everything you need to know about when and where the fifth round draw will take place. The draw will be made on Monday 28 January between 7-7.30pm as it is being shown on BBC Ones The One Show. It is taking place before the final match of the fourth round, which is Barnet vs Brentford which is being shown live on BT Sport 2 on Monday night. The matches will be played on the weekend of the 16 February. The final will be held at Wembley on Saturday 18 May. MORE: Martin Keown explains why Alvaro Morata flopped at Chelsea ahead of January move MORE: Gary Neville should be Manchester Uniteds next manager, says Phil Brown
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https://metro.co.uk/2019/01/25/when-is-the-fa-cup-fifth-round-draw-and-when-are-the-fixtures-played-8392177/
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What is an OB-GYN and what do they do?
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An obstetrician-gynecologist, or OB-GYN, is a healthcare professional that specializes in female reproductive health. People trained as OB-GYNs specialize in both obstetrics and gynecology: obstetrics involves working with pregnant women, including delivering babies gynecology involves the female reproductive system, treating a wide range of conditions, including sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and chronic pain In this article, we look at what an OB-GYN is, what procedures they can carry out, their qualifications, and when someone should see them. We also discuss how a person can become an OB-GYN. An OB-GYN specializes in both obstetrics and gynecology. An OB-GYN specializes in both obstetrics and gynecology. AN OB-GYN is a doctor who has broad and specific training in obstetrics and gynecology. OB-GYNs provide a wide range of preventive care services, including pap smears, STI testing, pelvic exams, ultrasounds, and blood work. They can answer a person's questions about pregnancy, sex, reproductive health, infertility, and numerous other topics. Though recommendations vary with age and change over time, many women see their OB-GYNs at least once a year. Some use these physicians as their primary or only doctor. A Montefiore news release reports that many may see their OB-GYNs as their primary care doctors. Researchers surveyed women about their use of various physicians, finding that 56 percent aged 18 to 40 visited only an OB-GYN on an annual basis. Even some women with a chronic condition primarily saw an OB-GYN. OB-GYNs are trained surgeons who can perform a wide range of procedures, including: cesarean sections instrumental deliveries during childbirth a hysterectomy removing growths, such as ovarian cysts and uterine fibroids surgery to repair pelvic organ injuries OB-GYNs can also perform a wide range of routine and in-office procedures, including: pap smears to test for cervical cancer STI tests fertility treatments, such as egg retrievals for IVF or egg-freezing pelvic ultrasounds to check the pelvic organs and monitor pregnancy infertility treatments and counseling management of urinary issues, such as urinary tract infections and urinary incontinence treating common problems, such as anemia breast exams and breast health management, including mammograms and other breast cancer screenings OB-GYNs may also address general health needs, such as screening for mental health issues, filling prescriptions for common ailments, performing blood work for common diseases, and referring people to specialists. OB-GYNs can choose from a wide range of specialties. Some opt to specialize only in obstetrics and care for pregnant women. Others only offer gynecological care and do not deliver babies. Some OB-GYNs choose to focus on a specific aspect of the field. For instance, an obstetrician might specialize in vaginal births after cesarean delivery (VBAC). Some also treat women using a holistic approach, or osteopathic perspective. This care often prioritizes natural or traditional remedies. The American Osteopathic Association certifies osteopathic doctors, including osteopathic OB-GYNs. OB-GYNs may also specialize in an area that requires additional training, expertise, and accreditation, such as: Maternal-fetal medicine specialists Maternal-fetal medicine specialists treat high-risk pregnancies. They specialize in the health of the mother and the baby, and may also oversee complicated or high-risk deliveries, such as the vaginal delivery of a baby in the breech position. Reproductive endocrinologists Reproductive endocrinologists are infertility specialists. They diagnose infertility problems and develop treatment plans. Many offer in vitro fertilization (IVF) procedures. Gynecologic oncologists Oncologist is the medical term for a doctor that specializes in cancer treatment. Gynecological oncologists treat cancer of the reproductive organs, such as ovarian and cervical cancer. Female pelvic specialists Female pelvic medicine specialists and reconstructive surgeons focus on injuries to and disorders of the pelvic floor and related structures. They may treat incontinence, provide pelvic floor physical therapy, or perform surgery to repair prolapsed pelvic organs. It is advisable that all women have an annual well-woman check. It is advisable that all women have an annual well-woman check. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommend that a person should first visit an OB-GYN between the ages of 13 and 15. This visit will establish a relationship between the teenager and the doctor. The doctor will not typically perform a pelvic exam if the individual has no medical problems and is not sexually active. A person should have their first pelvic exam and pap test around the age of 21 or when they first become sexually active. ACOG also recommend that all women see their gynecologist annually for a well-woman visit. The specific tests a person needs at each visit vary with age, lifestyle, and health risk factors. The American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology certifies all OB-GYNs in the United States. After graduating from high school and college, a person takes the following steps to become an OB-GYN: 1. Graduate from medical school The first 2 years of medical school focus on general medical education, including human anatomy and physiology. In the final 2 years, medical students spend much of their time in clinics or hospitals, as apprentices for doctors. 2. Residency After medical school, the individual may practice medicine under the supervision of a more senior doctor. This is called a residency. During a residency, a doctor chooses their specialty. An OB-GYN residency typically lasts 4 years and gives a doctor the chance to observe and perform a wide range of procedures. 3. Speciality examination After completing a residency, a doctor can take specialty board examinations. OB-GYNs must take and pass a day-long oral examination. After a further 2 years, they must also take an oral exam during which six different doctors ask them questions. 4. Board certifications OB-GYNs who pursue additional board certifications may need to take other board examinations. 5. Ongoing development Additionally, doctors must meet state licensure requirements. This usually means completing a certain number of continuing education credits each year. Most OB-GYNs are active and engaged members of their profession who may have additional qualifications. Some teach at medical schools or supervise residents. Many publish research or comment on other doctors' academic publications. Some attend or speak at professional conferences, while others may support patient or consumer organizations. Takeaway An OB-GYN is a doctor who specializes in pregnancy and female reproductive health. They can perform a wide range of procedures, including sexual health screening, cancer screening, and pregnancy-related problems. Women who cannot access an OB-GYN may be able to seek gynecological care from a primary care physician (PCP). Nurse-midwives are an excellent option for low-risk pregnant women, but they cannot perform surgery. According to a 2018 article, the United States is currently facing a critical shortage of OB-GYNs, with fewer medical students choosing this specialty. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists report that there is a "minimal or modest shortage of OB-GYNs that will increase in the future if past standards continue." Raising awareness about the importance of this specialty may help to reverse this shortage.
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https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324292.php
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Why Are Investors Pouring Millions Into 3-D Printing?
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3-D printing, once thought to be a consumer-targeted solution, is more often seen today in industrial environments, speeding prototyping processes and increasingly producing end-use parts. Demanding industries like automotive, aerospace, medical and manufacturing are installing 3-D printers -- both desktop and industrial, printing in both plastics and metals -- and putting them to use in operations. To continue to see advances in additive manufacturing, the companies behind the technologies need significant funding. And theyre getting it. This week alone, major investments included Desktop Metals phenomenal $160 million and a $22 million funding round for Essentium. Following successful rounds of investment, three companies in the 3-D printing industry are currently valued at over $1 billion. These unicorns, Carbon, Desktop Metal and Formlabs, have each seen marvelous growth over the last several years. Carbon, which hit unicorn status back in 2015, has, as of November 2018, raised $422 million in venture funding at a valuation of $1.7 billion. The Redwood City, California-based company has since been joined by the two Boston-based firms in unicorn status. In 2017, Desktop Metal hit the billion dollar valuation mark; after this weeks round, valuation is up to approximately $1.5 billion, with $438 million in total investment. Kickstarted on Kickstarter and with investment north of $100M and significant desktop 3-D printer sales, Formlabs reached unicorn status in August 2018. With startups seeing success and long-lived public companies that patented some of the first 3-D printing technologies -- think 3D Systems (with selective laser sintering, or SLS) and Stratasys (with fused deposition, or FDM) -- pulling in hefty revenues, this industry is picking up significantly. Valuations are high, investments rising steadily and business prospects booming. The investment announcements this week provide some insight there: both Desktop Metal and Essentium are looking specifically toward industrial solutions. While 3-D printing traces its roots back to prototyping applications -- where there remains significant opportunity to lower costs and shorten timelines in the product development cycle -- excitement in 2019 centers around production. Scale production, at speeds and costs to rival traditional technologies, remains something of a holy grail for 3-D printing. The additive manufacturing workflow is still held up with several well-known roadblocks and barriers to entry. Design for additive manufacture (DfAM) is its own skill set unique from conventional design for subtractive technologies, and mastering these new techniques and putting to use next-generation capabilities (e.g., generative design, topology optimization) is a stumbling block in adoption. Once designed, a piece must then be built: the actual 3-D printing. Process controls and metrology are critical here, as is the materials science of the powders, resins, pellets, filaments or other input materials that will be built up. Post-processing was long referred to in the industry as the dirty secret of additive manufacturing, as impressive print speeds would be followed up with post-processing flows that might be equivalent to 100% of the print time with the many processes involved (think removal of support material, sintering for metals, surface finishing). The companies that are overcoming these hurdles in the end-to-end additive manufacturing process are the ones attracting investment. Essentium, for instance, has developed a High Speed Extrusion (HSE) platform that promises unprecedented speed and strength in extrusion-based 3-D printing. Work with partners BASF for materials and Materialise for software extended into this weeks $22M funding, as both partners are also investors. (The three companies relationships run deep, as BASF is also a $25M investor into Materialise.) The hope for HSE is to overcome existing limitations in extrusion-based (FFF/FDM) 3-D printing for, ultimately, impact in industries like aerospace, automotive, biomedical and contract manufacturing. This Series A funding round is designated for scale manufacturing, engineering, international distribution, sales and marketing operations to meet market demand for HSE as the technology targets injection molding for strength, speed and scale. For its part, Desktop Metals $438M combined funding rounds now make it, says the company, the highest funded private 3D printing endeavor in history. This is unsurprising for the fast-growing operation, which had pulled in hundreds of millions before shipping a single product but had plenty to show potential investors. Now shipping its initial suite of products, the Studio System that seems to give Desktop Metal its name with desktop 3-D printers, the company is set to soon start shipping its larger Production Systems this quarter. But the massive cash flow at Desktop Metal is not bound only for these two systems. A recent conversation with Desktop Metal co-founder and CEO Ric Fulop elicited more intrigue with promise of still more to come from the busy Boston company. Fulop, who called from Davos, where hes been exchanging thoughts on 3-D printing at the World Economic Forum this week, said that his team is continuing to do our thing and this investment round was a long time in the making and opens up lots of opportunities. We have a very rich product roadmap of things we have not talked about publicly, Fulop told me. Whats exciting for us in funding these projects is that were expanding the applications our technology is currently targeting. Hopefully this will turn into lots of new things that will really advance our industry forward. The company is set to explore advanced materials and metal processes, working to amplify the range of things you can do with 3-D printing. Conversations at Davos were interesting for Fulop, as he noted interactions with people you thought would never need a metal 3-D printer. But metal parts are used in all sorts of stuff, if you can change the design of products it really opens the possibilities. Opening possibilities is something of a throughline across the board in 3-D printing, which enables new geometries and properties not possible with any other manufacturing method. Todays technologies are increasingly differentiated, with new solutions emerging to target existing deficiencies. Recent funding rounds are many, indicating the many ways in which the additive manufacturing industry is growing. A very small sampling of investments to emerge recently include: $19M for Stratasys spin-off Evolve Additive Solutions $13M for metal company Digital Alloys $5M for post-processing startup Dye Mansion $2.5M for Fortify and its composite technology $1.2M for ASTM International to continue to develop standards around additive manufacturing And of course, companies continue to seek additional investment to grow. Israel-based Nano Dimension, with about $30M in funding to date for its electronics 3-D printing technology, is reportedly seeking a $29M investment round. Poland-based Sinterit, which raised $1M in 2017, is currently seeking new investors for its desktop SLS 3-D printers. The breadth and increasing depth of the 3-D printing industry show an increasingly competitive environment. With seven ASTM-recognized 3-D printing processes to date, each with their own unique pros and cons, and additional technologies developing at a fast clip, investors have quite a field to examine. The companies looking to grow know this. The reckless start-up era is going down, and money-burning companies are in retreat. Now, especially in Europe, it is more difficult to get financing for the venture, so the companies must show the real potential, Sinterit acknowledges as it prepares for its next funding round. The company says it experienced 260% growth in 2018, adding that, Effective investment trend shows that we are facing the professionalization of the market. 3-D printing has faced hype in the past, with the accompanying disappointment of technologies that did not live up to their promises and companies that saw their stock values plummet. The promises are growing again as the industry grows up, and investors are increasingly requiring further proof to build their confidence and open their wallets. Growth in 3-D printing is significant, and the currently $7 billion industry is expected to continue to see substantial (read: double-digit annual) gains. Large players see great potential, with promises from the likes of HP Inc. to disrupt the $12 trillion global manufacturing market as 3-D printing continues to make headway in production. Investors are buying in, and we can expect to hear announcements of more major funding rounds pop up regularly as R&D and proofs-of-concept continue to make their way toward viability. With such a bright road ahead for 3-D printing, it makes sense that the path to funding is an important part of the journey. While more competitive than ever before, the landscape of 3-D printing is flush with opportunity to develop and grow new processes and business strategies -- and investors are keeping close watch.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahgoehrke/2019/01/25/why-are-investors-pouring-millions-into-3-d-printing/
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Is Restoration Hardware The Retail Experience That Will Change The Way Millennials Buy Furniture?
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We are living in one of the most historically difficult times for retail. Stores are closing, the number of salespeople on the floor is dwindling and the consumer experience hasnt changed much, at least for the better, in a long time. But high-end furniture brand Restoration Hardware is looking to refine the retail experience. While millennials (and generation Z for that matter) tend to value experiences over things, Chairman and CEO of RH, Gary Friedman doesnt see this a problem. He has reinvented RH to create a retail experience that is totally unparalleled. More importantly, there is proof his strategy is working. The companys Third Quarter Report of 2018 revealed the adjusted net income increased 92% to $46.8 million. A Retailer Without Stores RH doesnt call their retail locations stores, but rather galleries, of which there are 86 total. The companys mall-based legacy galleries, which range in size from approximately 6,000-10,000 square feet are being phased out. This makes sense, as malls throughout America have been in decline for years now. Instead, Friedman is choosing to focus on large format design galleries, which are anywhere from 46,000 to 90,000 square feet. While the smaller stores offered an experience that wasnt too different from most furniture stores, albeit at a higher price point, the new galleries are offering up way more than furniture and dcor. Location is also key to this strategy. In addition to markets like New York, Chicago etc, RH has also been opening up bespoke galleries in affluent second home markets that are specially tailored to the local culture. There are currently locations in the Hamptons, Palm Beach, and Yountville, with plans to open in Aspen. Selling A Lifestyle In New York One of the most notable locations is the RH Gallery in the Meatpacking District in New York, which opened in September 2018. The historical landmark building was originally owned by John Jacob Astor in the late 19th century. RH collaborated with architect James Gillam of Backen & Gillam to renovate the building which features the original brick faade with cast iron I-beams. At the very least, the space can be described as majestic. It has six floors over a sprawling 90,000 square feet. Every large and small detail of the gallery is highly intentional. There is not one inch of space that has been overlooked. One hallmark is artist Alison Bergers dramatic installation New York Night, which prominently hangs 90 feet through the staircase. There is also a glass elevator so striking, it almost feels like a tourist attraction without the grit. The Goods With all of these amenities, the last thing to notice is that the store actually sells furniture. But there is plenty to buy with individual floors dedicated to each line, Modern, Outdoor, Baby & Child, and TEEN. Complimentary in house-design services are also available. Hospitality While chasing down a bottle of water can be a challenge at most furniture stores, the galleries in Chicago, West Palm Beach, Nashville, Toronto, New York, and Yountville have food and beverage programs. The New York gallery has a rooftop restaurant by Brendan Sodikoff, as well as a barista bar and wine terrace. Sodikoffs restaurant doesnt look or feel like any restaurant you would find even at a high-end department store. The space itself is easily fit for a wedding or other high-end event. (But no, they dont allow it.) There are multi-million dollar city views and even an outdoor garden terrace. The level of sophistication is also reflected in the menu, which includes American favorites like lobster rolls and truffled grilled cheese. An Experience Like No Other The interesting thing about RHs galleries with restaurants is that many customers are likely just going there to eat. Speaking to several people who had been to the New York restaurant or were planning on it, they revealed that they had no plans to buy furniture. The vibe of the space feels more like the nearby Soho House than a retail store. The restaurant almost feels entirely separate from the rest of the store. But perhaps thats Friedmans master plan. Go for the salmon. Stay for the sofa. Today, you might stop by for a glass of prosecco to celebrate a promotion. Tomorrow, youre treating yourself to a new chair. A Unique Business Model Friedman prides himself on eschewing modern business practices. RH has no social media accounts to promote the brand. They continue to use mail catalogs, which they call Source Books. Furthermore, while items do go on sale, theyre somewhat limited. Dressers wont be 75% off on Labor Day. Instead, RH has a membership model. For just $100 annually, customers can save 25% off all full-priced items and 20% off all sale items, which can easily pay for itself in one purchase. Reality VS Budget Many millennials wouldnt dream of stepping into a store filled with furniture that exceeds not only their budget, but also the size of their living space. However, a closer look reveals RH is more affordable than its reputation would lead one to believeif you know how to shop the store. While the brands signature Cloud Sofa can cost up to $15k, the RH Teen line of sofas is more affordable, better suited for an apartment in terms of size and have the appearance of being designed for adults. The Future Of RH The company isnt limiting the hospitality aspects of their business to galleries. The plan is to open up what the brand calls Guesthouses. The first RH Guesthouse will open in 2019 at 55 Gansevoort Street adjacent to the New York Gallery. Its certainly looking that way.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/amandalauren/2019/01/25/is-restoration-hardware-the-retail-experience-that-will-change-the-way-millennials-buy-furniture/
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When is the Liberty Hall concert celebrating Luke Kelly? Who's playing at it? And how much are tickets?
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Get daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Celebration plans to mark the erection of two Luke Kelly statues in Dublin have been announced. The long-awaited statues will be marked with a concert in Liverty Hall next Wednesday 30 January. The concert comes as a second statue was announced meaning Kelly's figure will be standing tall north and south of The Liffey. Both will be officially unveiled on January 30. (Image: Getty) The South King St piece will be unmasked at 2pm while the one on Guild st, near his Sherrif st home, will be unveiled at 3.30pm. Speaking on behalf of organisers Dublin City Council, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Nial Ring said: Lukes presence is still felt on the streets of his birthplace Sheriff St and the pubs and haunts of the literati circles around Grafton St/Baggot St where he frequented. (Image: Collins Photo Agency) The concert will also be held Wednesday 30th in Liberty Hall Doors open at 7.30pm, show starts at 8pm. The line-up for the concert later that evening includes those who loved him, those who collaborated with him as an artist and those who have been heavily inspired by him. Close friends and special guests include John Sheahan, the last surviving member of The Dubliners; Glen Hansard, acclaimed Irish musician and actor; rising spoken word artist Natalya OFlaherty and much-loved singer and songwriter, Damien Dempsey. Tickets are priced at 11.80 and are available from Ticketmaster here .
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https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/luke-kelly-concert-liberty-hall-15734890
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How do the Lakers get Lonzo Ball's confidence back?
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The Los Angeles Lakers experienced some of the best weeks of Lonzo Balls career leading up to his injury in Houston. A mixture of strong play and regained confidence led to Ball averaging 12.5 points, 7.2 assists and 5.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals while hitting 37.3 percent from three-point territory. One of the biggest differences for Ball and the Lakers in that span did not necessarily center around any on-court changes from Ball but instead a mindset change. Long a player who lets his confidence positively and negatively affect his game, the two-week stretch of play showcased how dynamic Ball can be with high confidence levels. Unfortunately, his injury came at a particularly bad time and derailed both the Lakers and Balls season. On top of putting the team in a predicament without a point guard, it also abruptly stops Balls strong play and throws his future into peril. On top of a 4-to-6 week timeline feeling generous, it also puts Ball up against a timeline with his return coming just weeks before the start of the playoffs. With all that in mind, the second episode of the Speak It Into Existence podcast welcomes draft guru and The Basketball Indexs Mike Garcia to talk about how the Lakers get Lonzo Balls confidence back once he returns to the lineup. The two also talk about Balls progression on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball and where his next steps in development should come. LaMelo Ball also comes up in conversation as the two look at his high school season and his development this season. The two also discuss the similarities between LaMelo and Lonzos game and project where he may go in the NBA Draft and his role in the league. Lastly, Jacob and Mike give some prospects to look for in the upcoming NBA Draft. Be sure to subscribe to the Speak It Into Existence podcast on iTunes and leave a rating and review while there!
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https://lonzowire.usatoday.com/2019/01/25/how-do-the-lakers-get-lonzo-balls-confidence-back/
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How Whatsapp Become The Big Success In The Industry?
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Constant crashes and glitches dated back in WhatsApp have attributed to its success rate. January 25, 2019 3 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. This week, Facebook-held messaging app, WhatsApp revealed that the application has crossed 5 million users-marker. Within a years launch of WhatsApp Business app, small, as well as medium entrepreneurs, are making use of it to connect with customers and thrive in the market. In Days Of Yore The messenger application was founded by two former Yahoo employees in 2009. Initiating a standard messaging app to adding VoIP feature and photo-sharing attribute, WhatsApp has been meticulously changed to what it is today. The increasing popularity of WhatsApp grabbed the attention of Facebooks founder and later, the application got officially acquired by Facebook in February 2014. As time goes by, the messaging app who now owned by Facebook got immensely popular and gained a user-base of 1 billion as reported by Forbes. Recognition Amid The Users The popular messaging application plunged numerous hurdles to become the most-preferred and secure messaging app. There was a time when Jan Koum, one of the founders, decided to give up the project owing to the recurring glitches in the mobile application. Mainly, the first few versions of the app were dysfunctional in many ways which, in turn, grew dejection in the then-founder. Nonetheless, the founder kept working on it and soon gained 250 million users, followed by highest 1 billion users in 2016. Timely addition of new attributes helped popularize the messaging app. Earlier on, new updates in the series incorporated launching iOS and Blackberry versions only whilst later, newly introduced versions augmented users experience and thus, expanded its reach by addition of OTT services, status feature, group audio and video call feature, and lastly, WhatsApp Business launch. Adversaries In The Industry Texting and communication go hand-in-hand and thus, a fusion of both segments has enlivened the masses across the world. Following the emergence of WhatsApp, a series of other messaging apps were introduced envisioning the same success that the former achieved. Currently, there are abundant texting applications other than WhatsApp or WhatsApp Business that users employ in their day-to-day lives viz. WeChat, Viber, Line, Telegram, Hike and Facebook Messenger. For survival in the nascent competitive industry, the present acquirer of WhatsApp, Facebook scrutinizes the market and keeps adding on new features so as to keep the messaging application on number first position. Revolving Around The Texting Segment After ruling in the texting segment, WhatsApp plunders into other industries. In 2018, the messaging app was planning to invade in the Indian digital payment domain but RBI regulations and Facebook-Cambridge Analytica episode delayed the plan. However, WhatsApp Business proposal got easily actualized and has grown popularized among small and medium-sized entrepreneurs. The Indian-based entrepreneurs reckon that the messaging-cum-business application has accelerated their business and outgrown their enterprises in the respective communities. Witnessing the success, the WhatsApp celebrates the achievement and envisions to serve the users better.
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https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/326977
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Why Did Trump Take So Long to Fold on the Shutdown?
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Jeff Greenfield is a five-time Emmy-winning network television analyst and author. Watching President Trump stumble his way through the shutdown, with his poll numbers declining as Speaker Nancy Pelosi treats him like a lead-footed sparring partner, its hard to remember that this was a setback entirely of his own making. If youre into armchair psychoanalysis, you could noteas his biographers have written that for Trump, acknowledging error is more or less impossible. But it would be a mistake to see this as simply the latest demonstration of the Presidents uniqueness as a politician. Rather, his display of willful blindness is a fresh reminder of one of the most enduringthough hardly endearingtraits of political leaders: the inability to acknowledge error, even when the perils of continuing down a dangerous path become obvious. Story Continued Below Maybe the shutdown is Trumps Brexit. Two and a half years after narrowly voting to extricate itself from the European Union, Britain finds itself two months away from a breakup that shows every sign of triggering a social and economic catastrophe. Every promise made by the Brexiteershundreds of millions of pounds suddenly showering down on the populace, a smooth transition that would not disrupt trade with the Continenthave been shown to be a product of delusion or prevarication. The governments plan went down to defeat by one of the largest margins ever suffered by a ruling party, one that remains in power only because Labour leader Jeremy Corbin has steadfastly refused to produce anything remotely resembling a planother than his own ascension to power. The response to this predicament would seem clear: a forthright assertion by Prime Minister May that, seeing clearly what a disaster exit would be, let the people decide whether to remain in the European Union after all. Such a vote would be roughly equivalent to a busload of passengers saying, Now that we see we are headed off a cliff, its clear we took a wrong turn and we want you to turn back. But thats not what May is saying. Rather, she asserts that a new vote would do irreparable damage to the integrity our politics, because it would say to millions who trusted in democracy, that our democracy does not deliver. Or maybe its Trumps Vietnam. Half a century ago, when the war was taking 500 American (and countless Vietnamese) lives a week, and when quagmire had become a clich, a popular song captured the reckless pursuit of an increasingly elusive victory. Waist Deep in the Big Muddy," by Pete Seeger, describes a World War II training mission in which a thick-headed captain orders his platoon to ford a river even as his sergeant tells him of the danger. We were waist deep in the big muddy, the big fool says to push on, the chorus goes. Eventually, the captain drowns, the platoon escapes andjust in case the Vietnam analogy wasn't clear enoughthe narrator says: Every time I read the papers/That old feeling comes on/We're, waist deep in the Big Muddy/And the big fool says to push on. The real story of Vietnam, however, was even more chilling. President Johnson was fully aware of the futility of the war. In a telephone call on May 27, 1964 with Senator Richard Russell, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, the two men despaired of what was happening in Southeast Asia. The two men agreed that the situation was a mess, that there was no prospect of victory in any real sense of the term, and that there was no strategic value in remaining there. Russell wished for a Saigon government that would ask us to leave; LBJ worried about the political cost of losing Vietnam. In the years to come, LBJ wouldsometimes reluctantly, sometimes aggressivelyescalate the conflict. Russell would be one of the most hawkish voices in the senate, urging more troops, more firepower. Unlike the clueless captain in Seegers song, they knew that wading into the Big Muddy would likely lead to disaster. They just couldnt fathom saying that to the American public. They were not the only leaders who felt that way: All through the last year of his life, President John F. Kennedy made two arguments in private: that committing ground forces in Asia was folly, and that he could do nothing about that pitfall until after he was re-elected in 1964. Fifty years later, the shutdown is not the only quagmire our political leaders refuse to wade out of. We have been in a war in Afghanistan for some 17 years, pursuing the delusion that we can someday leave a stable, functioning Afghan government in place. We have been waging a war on drugs for longer, refusing to acknowledge that the appetite in the United States for these drugs pours tens of billions of dollars every year into the pockets of the cartels and the military and governmental leaders who protect them. No one like to admit mistakes. A host of social science studies talk about confirmation bias, and some even show that people dont change their minds when presented with evidence of a strongly held beliefinstead, they believe even more strongly in the falsehood. Confessing error can also erode self-confidence: A study, published in the European Journal of Social Psychology, found that people who refused to apologize after a mistake had more self-esteem and felt more in control and powerful than those who did not refuse. When President George H.W. Bush apologized to his Republican Party for breaking his read my lips, no new taxes pledge, it helped protect his 1992 opponent, Bill Clinton, from charges of inconsistency. More broadly, the presidency is a tough enough job without coping with self-doubt. That may be why another Bush (George W.), when asked to identify a single mistake in his first term, could not think of a single misstep. There are good reasons for resisting doubts about a political course. If youre the leader of your party, youve rallied allies behind your idea, either out of conviction or party loyalty. Theyve spoken on behalf of your ideas and defended them at town halls, on TV, on the floor of the House and Senate. If you then say to the country, I was wrong, and were changing course, you are likely to cause serious problems for your own side. Still, one of the most striking exceptions to presidential obstinance came from the Great Communicator himself. When his administration was threatened by reports that it had traded arms for hostages, and then funded the anti-Sandinista contras in Nicaragua, Ronald Reagan said this in a nationally televised speech: I take full responsibility for my own actions and those of my administration. This happened on my watch. He added, A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that is true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not. And he even said, There are reasons why it happened but no excuses. It was a mistake. That frank statement happened at the end of an investigation. And it did not involve, for example telling the families of soldiers who died in a conflict that the war was no longer worth fighting. It did not involve telling millions of people who voted to leave a multinational union that the promises behind such a vote were essentially fraudulent. It did not involve telling hundreds of thousands of people who are going without paychecks that youre settling for a deal that you could have gotten weeks ago. So yes, the cost of changing course for Trump could be steep, even politically fatal. But so could the cost of wading further into the Big Muddy. This article tagged under: Donald Trump Government Shutdown
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https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2019/01/25/government-shutdown-over-trump-224293
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Are we finally falling back in love with carbohydrates?
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The world of wellness has been obsessed with low-carbohydrate eating for some time now. Diets such as Keto, Dukan, Paleo and Atkins continue to be popular approaches for people trying to lose weight and have also helped position healthy fats and protein as the perceived drivers for good dietary health. Rob Hobson, a leading nutritionist, says healthy carbs should be celebrated Carbohydrates cover a wide variety of foods The demonizing of carbohydrates as being unhealthy and a group of foods that cause weight gain has given them a bad reputation that has been hard to shake off, but not all carbohydrates are created equally. Carbohydrates cover a broad spectrum of foods with those such as sugary snacks and meals including pizza or white pasta with creamy sauces at one end, then foods such as oats, brown rice and pulses at the other. Foods lacking fiber such as sugar and highly processed grains are digested quickly in the body and fail to keep us feeling full for long, cause rapid spikes in blood sugar and can encourage overeating and weight gain if eaten in excess. Those rich in fiber such as whole grains are much more filling and have less impact on blood sugar levels, which can help with weight management. Studies show fiber from carbs lowers disease risk Fiber is one of the key nutrients found in wholegrains such as brown rice, bread and pasta, and appears to be a key driver in the new carbohydrate revolution. REVEALED: ONLY A FEW OF US ARE EATING ENOUGH FIBER The UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey has shown: Recommended daily intake for fiber is 30g Only 4% of adult women and 9% of adult men eat enough fiber Average adult fiber consumption is about 19g per day The US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey has shown: Recommended daily intake for fiber is 25-30g Average adult fiber consumption is about 15g per day Fiber intake was greater among those with higher incomes The increased awareness of plant-based eating that is sweeping the nation may also be helping to change attitudes to carbohydrate foods as they play a pivotal part in maintaining nutritional balance. Fiber describes those carbohydrate foods which are not digested in the small intestine and diets rich in fiber have been shown to have many health benefits. A recent study published in the Lancet reviewed the data from over 240 studies and found that eating more fiber-rich whole grains reduced the risk of many diseases. The study showed a 15-30 percent decrease in death rates and a reduced risk of developing heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and colorectal cancer in people who ate the highest amounts of fiber in their diet (25g-30g per day). Higher intakes of fiber and low glycemic index (GI) diets were also shown to significantly lower body weight, systolic blood pressure and cholesterol. Fiber is good for digestion and gut bacteria Fiber is essential for a healthy digestive system and it also helps to support a diverse microbiota, which is the vast ecosystem of bacteria, fungi and yeasts in our digestive system. Soluble fibers called beta glucans are found in carbohydrate foods such as oats and barley and have been shown to help reduce cholesterol on the blood and may help to promote bacterial growth in the gut. Further to this, researchers at Tufts University in Massachusetts also found that a high consumption of wholegrain carbohydrates boosted healthy gut bacteria and certain immune responses. Carbohydrate foods such as potatoes and white pasta, also help keep the gut healthy as they develop resistant starches after being cooked then cooled, which also act as a prebiotic so should not be demonized. Other health benefits of carbohydrate foods come from their micronutrient content which includes a source of B vitamins (help to maintain healthy skin, eyes, nervous system and release energy from food), selenium (antioxidant that helps to protect cells from damage and supports the immune system), zinc (helps make new cells and promotes wound healing) and magnesium (helps to release energy from food and maintain a healthy nervous system). Whilst carbohydrates are usually thought to include cereals, potatoes, wholegrains and bread, you will still find a source of carbohydrates in fruits, vegetables, pulses and beans, which all offer an abundance of other health-giving nutrients. Not necessarily as some white carbohydrate foods are either fortified or shown to have a low GI compared to other similar foods. Another thing to remember is that you can team quickly digested foods such as white bread and pasta with a source of protein and fat, which will slow down the release of sugar into the bloodstream. Although brown bread is best, white still has a lot to offer as its fortified with vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron and B vitamins. If brown rice isnt your thing then opting for basmati is a good option as it has a low GI and of course you can also mix white and brown together for different tastes and textures whilst still getting a useful source of fiber. Potato consumption has also been on the decline but these are a nutritious staple for many families especially the older generation and those on limited budgets. Research published by the University of Surrey reviewed the evidence and showed how white potatoes are a valuable source of vitamins C, B and potassium. They showed how a single jacket potato (about 300g) contains nearly half of the RDA for vitamin C and vitamin B6. By leaving the skins on also helps to retain their fiber content. Focus on real food and not nutrients Nutrition and diet are often discussed and presented in terms of nutrients but really it should be about the food. Much of the confusion about what to eat has stemmed from the over complication of dietary advice and carbs are a good example. Carbohydrate-rich foods span everything from white sugar through to brown rice and their impact on satiety and blood sugar levels are part of what defines them in terms of health. But food choice is as much to do with common sense and its clear that a bowl of brown rice will be healthier than a pizza or that a fruit and oat bar is going to offer more nutrition than a bag of sweets, although they are all classed as carbohydrates. Making healthy food choices doesnt need to be over complicated by what the food contains, and we should be putting the focus on which foods to include in our diet rather than how a nutrient may negatively impact on health if eaten to excess which can also be driven by the latest trends.
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https://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6633347/Are-finally-falling-love-carbohydrates.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490
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Will eating less meat help save the planet?
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Turning the tables, Jan. 23 There is some positive feedback about the new Canada food guide, not only from nutritionists, but from people concerned with global warming issues. People seem to be in agreement that a reduction in farming livestock could help reduce greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time the new food guide was released, meetings were taking place at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. As was reported in the Guardian, experts predicted up to 1,500 private jets will fly to and from airfields serving the Swiss ski resort this week, up 11 per cent from last year. As these indispensable ones fly back to their respective countries, including Canada, we will no doubt be told that we all must make sacrifices to ensure that this spinning blue ball we live on will be safe for future generations. John McCullagh, Sudbury
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https://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors/2019/01/23/will-eating-less-meat-help-save-the-planet.html
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Could robots be the writers of the future?
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It might be concerned with aliens, outer space and dimensional jumping for now, but 'sci-fi' might have to be redefined if the latest advances in automated writing continue apace. Software that can construct sentences, analyse data and even put a 'spin' on a news story are threatening to make the newsdesk and the author's writing room very different places. Journalism isn't complicated. The popularity of online news stories can be tracked and therefore the importance of news easily ranked while almost everything is written using the inverted pyramid structure. Narrative Science's Quill is the leading automated writing software title. It transforms structured data into readable, plain English stories that are identical to those written by humans, though at far greater speeds. "Quill's power lies in the fact that it is a synthesis of data analytics, artificial intelligence and editorial expertise," says Kris Hammond, Chief Technology Operator at Narrative Science. Automated writing software like Narrative Science's Quill can mimic many parts of a journalist's job Quill has artificial intelligence in the form of a natural language engine, as well as an ability to describe, predict, and advise based purely on data. "From a data perspective, the system incorporates state of the art analytics to extract insight, describe situations, predict outcomes, and generate prescriptions based on the core data and the goals of the vertical in which we are working," says Hammond. "From an artificial intelligence perspective, the system uses the results of these analytics to drive a heuristically based inference engine and the central natural language generation." Quill's success hinges on its ability to reproduce journalistic 'angles' on a story the 'spin' and it's that part which is protected by patents. The rest is just algorithmic analysis of the type that all software uses. Obviously it can't conduct interviews with politicians, celebrities and football managers, but give it data and Quill can reproduce a bona fide news story in seconds. Ex-CTO of BT Peter Cochrane thinks error and bias-free writing software deliver better results than humans Some see other weaknesses in humans that automated writing software overcomes. "Some journalists don't understand what they are writing about and occasionally get the story wrong, or have an irrational bias one way or the other," says Peter Cochrane, former CTO of BT and now an independent technology analyst based in Suffolk. I can't fundamentally disagree with that statement without displaying bias, though the concept of a machine being able to review consumer electronics products, apps and software, for instance, from a human user perspective the only perspective that's relevant is a concept that doesn't make any sense. TechRadar is safe, and investigative journalism is surely beyond the reach of robots, too. Perhaps and there's no denying that machines do have advantages when compared to humans. "They never sleep, never miss important information or the latest facts, and they deliver better results than humans," continues Cochrane, insisting that automated writing software has already taken over in the financial industry. "The only limit on the technology is that Quill can only generate language where there is data to begin with," says Hammond. "While this could, in theory, include textbooks and novels, it is doubtful we will see the technology applied to those problems in the near term. It does, however already send out Tweets during sporting events." That sounds like a bit of a time-saver for the sports desk. It writes news stories and the financial section, leaving human journalists to do the interviews and attend the boozy press functions. If automated software is a time-saver, bring it on. "No one should be worried about automated writing systems," says Hammond. "As with our technology they are designed for writing into spaces where no one else is writing, and working in coordination with other writers and analysts.
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https://www.techradar.com/sg/news/computing/could-robots-be-the-writers-of-the-future-1141399
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Will DA add charges in Jayme Closs case?
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Jake Patterson, 21, of Gordon faces two counts of first-degree homicide, armed burglary and kidnapping and is being held in the Polk County (Wis.) jail on $5 million cash bail. The question of whether additional charges will be filed in Douglas County, where Closs was believed to have been held captive for 88 days, remains open. District Attorney Mark Fruehauf this week said the case is still under review and declined to give any specifics about the investigation. Cecelia Klingele, assistant professor of law at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said that a prosecutor's chief concern is making sure a defendant is held responsible for his or her actions. Klingele said it's not uncommon for a defendant to be charged in multiple jurisdictions when crimes have occurred in more than one location. Sometimes that comes from a worry that charges in one jurisdiction won't be enough to punish a defendant adequately. The charges filed in Barron County this month are enough to put Patterson in prison for the rest of his life. "These are very, very serious charges," Klingele said. "The evidence in this case appears to be strong, and when you have a strong case for serious crimes, particularly crimes where there's a mandatory life sentence on the line, typically (these) charges are going to be enough to hold a defendant accountable." In other cases, Klingele said, additional charges might be filed as a way for local communities to signal their disapproval of the alleged crimes. "They want to say, 'Our county isn't OK with what happened,' and so charges will often be brought sort of to send that community message," she said. Individual counties and district attorney's offices can be limited in resources, and often jurisdictions will coordinate on filing charges for the sake of efficiency, Klingele said. If Fruehauf determines that Patterson committed a crime in Douglas County, charges must be filed within a specified time frame. The statute of limitations for most felonies is six years, but some more serious felonies have much longer windows. "These are difficult decisions to make; there are no clear, right answers," Klingele said. District attorneys also may consult with victims and their families when making charging decisions. In traumatic cases such as this one, that communication may be done through a victim/witness specialist who can help provide needed support services beyond the justice system, she said. From a legal perspective, however, prosecuting crimes closer to when they occurred tends to be better for the judicial process, Klingele said. "Witnesses' recollections are clearer, and evidence is fresher and easier to obtain." she said. "For that reason, it tends to be the default of the system to bring charges more quickly rather than waiting for a long time unless there's a good reason to do so." Search warrants sealed Search warrant applications and findings related to the case have been sealed for six months by judge's order, so without a new criminal complaint from Douglas County, details of what allegedly occurred at the Patterson house may be scarce for some time to come. The warrants were issued for Patterson's residence, vehicle and person Jan. 11 in Douglas County. A second search warrant for "The residence of Jake Patterson" was issued the following day, according to court records. Whether the warrant was for a second residence or the same one was unclear. Fruehauf said this week that he planned to provide an update on whether he'll file additional charges before Patterson's Feb. 6 court date. Maria Lockwood contributed to this report.
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https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/news/crime-and-courts/4561952-will-da-add-charges-jayme-closs-case
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Were Spotify Accounts Hacked to Boost Streams for Fake Artists?
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Uh-oh. Photo: Daniel Sambraus/Getty Images If your last Spotify year-in-review looked a little fishy, theres some bad news to explain why: Your account mightve been compromised. The BBC reports that several Spotify accounts were victim to a breach where plays for fake artists were planted in peoples listening histories to generate fake streams. Dubbed as mysterycore, the BBC and some users discovered artists under names like Bergenulo Five, Dj Bruej, Bratte Night, and more all with no internet presence, suspiciously similar album artwork and track lists, and albums with little to no lyrics and mostly short songs that began showing up in peoples listening histories with irregularly high streams beginning last October. Theyve determined that these artists are fake, and accounts mightve been accessed due to a Facebook breach last September that violated access tokens, which are used to allow you to log in to Spotify with your Facebook account. Facebook said at the time that it canceled all compromised access tokens, but BBC sources say some mightve been missed, though they report that personal information from your Spotify account (like credit-card details) might not have been accessed. Spotify confirmed in a statement to the BBC that it has removed these fake artists from the platform, but did not go so far as to say the platform was hacked: These artists were removed because we detected abnormal streaming activity in relation to their content. We take the artificial manipulation of streaming activity on our service extremely seriously. Spotify has multiple detection measures in place monitoring consumption on the service to detect, investigate and deal with such activity. We are continuing to invest heavily in refining those processes and improving methods of detection and removal, and reducing the impact of this unacceptable activity on legitimate creators, rights holders and our users. They denied that the breach had anything to do with the Facebook hack or access tokens, but could not confirm who created the fake artists, how they manipulated peoples accounts, or even if the scheme was successful in getting money from Spotify through royalties. (Spotify began allowing artists to upload music directly to the platform with no label or distributor just before these fakes artists began cropping up, which could also explain how they got onto the platform.) Spotify has come under fire in the past for allegedly paying producers to create fake artists and flood their playlists with those songs as a way of cheating for streams, all of which Spotify denied doing.
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https://www.vulture.com/2019/01/spotify-reportedly-hacked-to-boost-streams-for-fake-artists.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nymag%2Fvulture+%28Vulture+-+nymag.com%27s+Entertainment+and+Culture+Blog%29
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Will the Broncos bring back DeMarcus Ware as a pass-rush consultant?
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Former Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos edge defender served as a part-time pass-rush consultant for the Broncos last season. He wont be promoted to outside linebackers coach in 2019 Denver has already hired Brandon Staley for that position. Ware may return as a pass-rush consultant, though. We havent had those discussions yet, new Broncos coach Vic Fangio said on Thursday. Ware certainly seems open to the idea of returning to the team: On Jan. 27, Ware retweeted this tweet about a potential return: Heres hoping that @DeMarcusWare has a similar role to the one he had last season for the #Broncos. Love to see former players make their way back to the organization. https://t.co/ZQdyX5d1gw Ian St. Clair (@IanStClair) January 17, 2019 Ware, 36, spent the first nine years of his career in Dallas before signing with Denver as a free agent. He recorded 117 sacks during his time with the Cowboys, the most in franchise history. Ware spent the final three years of his career with the Broncos, recording 21.5 sacks. Ware helped Denver win Super Bowl 50 to cap the 2015 season and he played one more year after that before hanging up his cleats. Serving as a part-time coach last season, Ware helped Von Miller and Bradley Chubb combine to record 26.5 sacks. Related DeMarcus Ware named AFC captain for 2019 Pro Bowl
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https://broncoswire.usatoday.com/2019/01/25/will-denver-broncos-bring-back-demarcus-ware-as-a-coach/
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Where does Cain/Yelich day rank in the greatest offseason maneuvers in Wisconsin sports history?
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Christian Yelich celebrates his two-run home run with Lorenzo Cain. (Photo: Morry Gash, Associated Press) We've arrived at the one-year anniversary of the day Milwaukee acquired both Lorenzo Cain and Christian Yelich, one via free-agent signing and the other in a blockbuster trade with the Miami Marlins. The deals are separate but will forever be inextricably linked as the moment the Brewers made a successful play to reach the upper tiers of the baseball postseason. RELATED: One year ago Friday, the Brewers' rebuild accelerated with deals for Christian Yelich, Lorenzo Cain Cain and Yelich went on to become two of the best players in the league in 2018, and Milwaukee, of course, made it to the seventh game of the NLCS. Yelich went on to become the 2018 National League MVP. By the way, it's still fun to look back on the replies to this tweet. The #Brewers have acquired OF Christian Yelich from Miami in exchange for OF Lewis Brinson, OF Monte Harrison, INF Isan Diaz and RHP Jordan Yamamoto. Here are nine other major blockbusters (we're not counting the actual draft for this exercise -- with one half-exception) that changed the trajectory of their franchises. The Minister of Defense Packers general manager Rolf Wolf introduces All-Pro defensive end Reggie White at a news conference at Lambeau Field while joined by coach Mike Holmgren on April 6, 1993. (Photo: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) The Packers could not have made a more franchise-altering maneuver than it did on April 6, 1993, when it signed free-agent prize Reggie White, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles. White never missed the playoffs in his six seasons with Green Bay, helping the franchise escape a playoff dry spell and transforming them into a perennial contender. In the 25 years before the White era, Green Bay went to the playoffs just twice. In the 25 years after he signed, the Packers went 19 times. He was of course on board the team that won Super Bowl XXXI and appeared in Super Bowl XXXII. RELATED: Twenty-five years later, Packers still reaping the ripple benefits of signing Reggie White The Gunslinger arrives Brett Favre throws a pass during a drill in Green Bay two months after being acquired from the Falcons in a trade in 1992. (Photo: Journal Sentinel files) The 1B to Whites 1A signing (or is it the other way around?) that put the Packers on a different trajectory. On February 11, 1992, Packers general manager Ron Wolf acquired the Atlanta Falcons second-year quarterback, who had attempted just four passes in his brief stint with the Falcons (and two of them were intercepted; none were completed). Wolf surrendered a first-round pick (19th overall), which looked like a risk at the time given that Favre was just himself a second-round pick in 1991. He wound up playing 16 seasons in Green Bay, became one of the states most beloved athletes ever, led the Packers to two Super Bowls, won one of them and is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He started 253 straight games for the Packers (and finished with 297 games overall) for a record that may never be broken. He won three MVP awards, made 11 Pro Bowls and finished his career with a staggering 508 touchdown passes. The Bucks win a coin flip Lew Alcindor (he later changed his name to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) was expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 1969 NBA draft, which came to the Milwaukee Bucks in a coin toss. (Photo: Journal Sentinel files) In advance of the 1969 NBA Draft, both the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns were in contention for the top pick in the NBA draft, and it was clear the winner of a coin flip between the two franchises would draft UCLA center Lew Alcindor, who became better known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Both had the worst records in their divisions in 1968-69, though the Suns (16-66) actually had the lesser record, with the Bucks at 27-55 the previous year. But the coin flip was the format of the day rather than simply awarding the worst record the first pick. The Suns called heads; it was tails, and the Bucks won the first overall pick in the upcoming draft. Abdul-Jabbar went on to become the NBAs all-time leading scorer where he stands to this day and led the Bucks to their only NBA title in 1971. Bucks trade for Big O Oscar Robertson was a two-time NBA All-Star with the Bucks (1971, '72). (Photo: File photo) In the immediate aftermath of the 1970 season, the Bucks traded for Cincinnati Royals veteran star Oscar Robertson, making a splashy move for the 31-year-old and adding a piece that would be vital to the NBA title in 1971. Robertson averaged 19.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.2 assists that year, teaming with Kareem to lead the Bucks to the crown. In return, the Bucks traded Flynn Robinson and Charlie Paulk. It was rumored that Robertson clashed with Royals owner Bob Cousy, and that may have been a catalyst in the Royals being willing to part with Big O. He only spent four seasons in Milwaukee, but they included two trips to the finals and two other trips to the playoffs. His No. 1 jersey now hangs from the Fiserv Forum rafters. Packers acquire Charles Woodson Charles Woodson will be eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021. (Photo: Evan Siegle/Press-Gazette Media) Woodson was a gamble as an injury risk when the Packers signed him in April of 2006, and he wound up being one of the biggest signings in franchise history which is surprising considering it appeared only one other team (the Buccaneers) had interest in signing him. Green Bay gave the 29-year-old cornerback a seven-year deal. He went on to win the 2009 AP Defnesive Player of the Year, was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame All-2000s team and led the Packers on a massive run of success, including a win in Super Bowl XLV. Coooooooop On Dec. 6, 1976, the Brewers parted with one of their most popular and productive players in the first stretch of the franchises existence, George Scott, to acquire first baseman Cecil Cooper from the Red Sox. Cooper went on to be a star in Milwaukee, making five all-star teams, winning three silver sluggers, two gold gloves and finishing top-five in the MVP voting three times. He was, of course, a centerpiece in the 1982 team, delivering a game-winning single in Game 5 of the ALCS against the California Angels. Hes perhaps the best player in Brewers history to not have his number retired. Pitcher Rollie Fingers was one of three key pieces brought over in a trade that helped put the Brewers in the 1981 and 1982 playoffs. (Photo: William Meyer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) Milwaukee landed three major components to what would become a run to the World Series when it acquired relief pitcher Rollie Fingers, catcher Ted Simmons and right-hander Pete Vuckovich from the Cardinals on Dec. 12, 1980. A lot went the other way four players, highlighted by outfielder Sixto Lezcano and pitcher Larry Sorensen but Milwaukee unquestionably got the better end of the deal. Sports Illustrated called it The Trade That Made Milwaukee Famous. Fingers won a Cy Young and MVP Award in 1981, Vuckovich won the Cy Young in 1982 and Simmons was a two-time All-Star. Fingers, of course, is now in the Hall of Fame and has his No. 34 retired at Miller Park. The Brewers go all-in Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Zack Greinke delivers a pitch to the St. Louis Cardinals on April 7, 2012. (Photo: JEFFREY PHELPS, Associated Press) Milwaukee made a big splash to acquire right-handed pitcher Zack Greinke from the Kansas City Royals (and shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt) in exchange for a boatload of young talent Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi. Oddly enough, Jeffress and Cain would eventually return to Milwaukee and become all-stars on the 2018 NLCS team. Odorizzi would make the big leagues elsewhere, and though Escobar became a mainstay at shortstop in KC, the Brewers appeared to get good value in the trade, as Greinke helped the Brewers win 96 games in 2011 and reach the NLCS. Spider Man Ben Oglivie poses with a couple kids in 1978, future Brewers manager Craig Counsell (left) and Jennifer Counsell. (Photo: Photo courtesy of Jan Counsell, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) On Dec. 9, 1977, the Brewers got Ben Oglivie in a trade for Jim Slaton and Rich Folkers. The Brewers franchise turned it around immediately after Oglivie arrived, with 93 wins in 1978. He was a big piece in the Crews run to the 1981 and 1982 playoffs. Brook Lopez talks to Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Wes Edens during media day. (Photo: Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel) OK, this is a little bit overstatement, since Milwaukee's decision to sign Brook Lopez this offseason probably can't stack up -- yet -- to the other moves on this list. But it's becoming increasingly clear that Milwaukee's under-the-radar signing in July had a tangible impact on the Bucks' ability to space the floor and kill opponents with the outside shot.
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https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2019/01/25/where-does-cain-yelich-rank-among-great-wisconsin-offseason-moves/2676937002/
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Will Dallas Morning News layoffs imperil key beats?
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Its an all-too-familiar story, versions of which played out this week at BuzzFeed, HuffPost, and Gannett-owned newsrooms: revenue declines, and so staffers are laid off. The cuts announced January 7 at The Dallas Morning News43 people in all, nearly half of them from the newsroomtold another tale, one of a major metropolitan newspaper eliminating writers dedicated to major beats. The layoffs hit reporters covering immigration, transportation, the environment, and more. The paper let go of a staff writer who covers the Dallas County courts just days after a new district attorney began his work. With no clear statement from the paper about shoring up the affected beats, its audiencereaders, community leaders, and other journalistsvoiced concerns for topics critical to Dallas and Texas that may no longer receive the attention they deserve. From the archives: Dallas Morning News recreates a fatal standoff with special investigation Staff cuts included Jeff Mosier, a 23-year veteran of the paper who most recently covered energy and the environment. That loss is a real tragedy, Tom Pelton, a spokesman for the nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project, which keeps an office in Austin, says. Texas is the epicenter of the American energy revolution, Pelton writes in an email. To not have anyone examining the environmental impact for the Dallas metropolitan area is to remove a conscience that a healthy democratic system requires to function. Bobby Magill, president of the Society of Environmental Journalists, calls the potential decrease in environmental coverage in the state extraordinarily unfortunate. Days after the layoffs, Morning News publisher Grant Moise announced plans to redistribute the papers coverage in print. Those changeswhich include the reconfiguration of its business section, the consolidation of editorial and opinion pieces, and efforts to concentrate [arts] coverage in three sections a weekwent into effect January 14. Sign up for weekly emails from the United States Project Today, readers of The Dallas Morning News will notice substantial changes to the print edition of the newspaper, read an editorial published that day. But amidst the newly remade print edition of this newspaper, we want to note what is not changing: Our values and our focus on serving the community that we live in, that reads us and that is engaged in improving the lives of those around us. The same editorial announced three new areas of engagement for its coverage: human trafficking, education coverage that intersects with poverty issues, and civic participation. But the editorial does not explain how the paper will allocate resources for its new areas of engagement, or whether the newsroom would be reorganized to cover those beats directly affected by the layoffs. Reached by CJR, Editor Mike Wilson declined to speak to those questions. Since the layoffs, the paper has posted job openings for two reportersone covering city hall and the other covering aviation for the business sectionand a sports producer for its digital platforms. Still, some readers felt their needs were no longer being served. Perhaps most affected by cuts is the papers arts team, which lost its culture critic, its books editor, its theater critic, and its music critic. Theres so many holes to fill now, says Will Evans, founder of the nonprofit Deep Vellum Publishing and owner of Deep Vellum Books, a store in Dallas Deep Ellum area. Cuts to the arts section are a worst-case scenario for what we do, says Evans, who adds that changes to the Morning News dont really stand for the things I find most important in my community. Longtime immigration reporter Dianne Solis was also among those laid off. The decision surprised Daniela Gerson, the creator of the newsletter Migratory Notes and an assistant professor of journalism at California State University, Northridge. Texas is at the center of immigration, which is one of, if not the biggest, stories of our time, Gerson says. I'm in shock to read that @dallasmorningnews could make a move so stupid as to let go, at a time like this, of veteran immigration journalist @disolis. She has extraordinary depth of knowledge, writes beautifully and is always out there working the beat. Daniela Gerson (@dhgerson) January 8, 2019 Solis has a reputation as an amazing mentor, says Gerson, and wrote big, hard-hitting stories along with smaller ones crucial to the communities she covered. To get rid of someone like that at a time like this is a travesty, Gerson says. Obed Manuel, who joined The Dallas Morning News last year as part of the Report for America initiative, covers matters affecting second-generation Hispanic immigrants in North Texas. On the day of the staff reduction, he wrote on Facebook about an unspecified mentor. Help us by joining CJR today Emily Goldstein is a doctoral student at the University of Texas and a former copy editor for The Dallas Morning News and the Dallas Observer. She tweets at @editwithemily.
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https://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/dallas-morning-news-layoffs.php
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What is herd immunity and why doesnt Clark County have it?
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PORTLAND, Ore. Herd immunity is what happens when a community has an immunization rate of 90 percent or more: both the individual and community are safer from disease. Because so much of the population is immunized the people who cannot be immunized, like children who are too young and people with compromised immune systems, will be protected. As of Friday, there are 30 confirmed cases of measles in Clark County and an additional nine suspected cases. RELATED: Clark County measles outbreak: Confirmed cases expands to 30, 9 suspected Clark County has not had herd immunity since 2004-2005. According to the Washington State Department of Health, since 2005 the immunization rate of Clark County has not surpassed 88.8 percent. It means that people who are not immunized, which is 23.5 percent of the county according to the 2017-2018 numbers, are susceptible to viruses like the measles, which is normally well-controlled with a well-immunized population. The number of unvaccinated also puts people who cannot be immunized and people with compromised immune systems at risk. RELATED: Parents with children too young for measles vaccine worry as Clark County outbreak grows Of the people in Clark County, only 1.2 percent of people had a medical exemption, 6.3 were exempt for personal reasons and 0.3 percent were exempt for religious reasons. You can still be vaccinated as an adult or teen. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention outlines what you need to know about the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. You can read that information here. RELATED: Verify fast facts: Measles
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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/washington/what-is-herd-immunity-and-why-doesnt-clark-county-have-it/283-0fae3015-94b1-4c6c-b2b4-4eb1196a2a66
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Is it worth going out on Valentine's Day 2019?
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Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. If William Hill did bets on Valentines Day disasters, my husband (of 15 years) and I would be odds on favourites for a calamity in 2019. You see, its not an occasion we do very well at all. In fact, its become so habitually bad I dont even look forward to it any more. Seriously. Heres a potted history of my marital V-Days. 2003: The one where we drank too much liebfraumilch at a Thai restaurant, I had a wardrobe disaster and Mr Jarvis told me repeatedly on the way home that he could break through a brick wall with his bare fists. 2005: When I was pregnant and the restaurant refused to leave the shallots off the green bean side dish accompanying my steak, leading to a scene involving me retching all the way (such a long way) to the toilets. 2006: Turning up to the wrong restaurant we blame baby brain. 2008: The year Mr Jarvis made dinner (steak and chips, simple) and used all the pans. All of them. Dinner was served at 10pm and I was left to do the washing up the next day. Romantic. Not. 2009: The do-over dinner to make up for last year. But my husband isnt one to look at the ingredients as he buys them. Cue the shopping bag opening to reveal pork steaks instead of beef, a bag of browning salad leaves and a bunch of tiger lilies (almost dead). 2010: Cheese and wine night at home. Except I wore white and we chose red wine which ended up all the way down the front. Also stinky cheeses arent very romantic. 2015: When we went to a restaurant and the serving staff practically ignored us for the entire evening. We had to ask to pay the bill four times and it was practically empty. 2018: Last year I started to come down with the proper flu on Valentines Day. Mr Jarvis had already opened the Champagne and didnt want to waste it. He fell asleep at the dinner table Had these incidents been on any other day of the year, I scarcely think Id have remembered them, but its the pressure of Valentines and having to be perfect for just one day, which makes them stand out. Personally, Id rather have romance throughout the year than be forced to put on a show on February 14. That said, should he forget to give me a card and/or present there will be hell to pay. Im not alone in thinking Valentines Day dinner is a big fat waste of time. Emily Cotton from Suffolk said: As much as Id love to be wined and dined at a fancy restaurant on Valentines, chances are, for that one day, prices are a hell of a lot more than usual, for pretty much the same thing! Id be more than happy going out for a meal a day or two after February 14, or alternatively, a pizza and a bottle of wine at home would do me perfectly. But even these options have been capitalised on. Valentines is no longer just one day. Many restaurants run their set menus for a week or so, just in case us savvy diners try to pinch our pennies and eat out a few days before or after. And even ready meal offers hike their prices for the occasion. The famed M&S Dine in for a Tenner offer usually doubles in price to 20. OK, so thats not going to break the bank for many of us compared to eating out but still! I love our columnist Lynne Mortimers guide to Valentines Day eating. 1-15 years of relationship: Absolutely worth it. A nice venue. A night without the kids. The chance to remember why you fell in love. Sex when you get home. 15-35 years of relationship: Nothing to talk about. You end up reading aloud from the menu. Sex is not a given. 35 years or more of relationship: Cant eat anything exciting in the evening heartburn, indigestion. Sex pencilled in for weekends only. It is rather sad going out at Valentines and seeing all the couples around you whove obviously only ventured from the house because they had to. Husband and I, on previous romantic dinners at romantic places have had great fun working out whats going on in the minds of the non-speaking pairs. 1. Because Ill never hear the end of it. 2. Surely theyre going to offer us free bread? 3. If I time it right I could slip to the toilets and check the footie results on my phone. 4. I could have made this better at home. 5. Stop talking and eat your frigging dinner so we can get home and watch Cold Feet! Although maybe Im just being a big fat cynic. Maybe you have your own special tradition. Write to me
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https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/call-me-a-cynic-but-i-think-valentine-s-dinner-is-a-waste-of-time-1-5860266
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How to Select the Best Elliptical Machines?
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Whether you are working out from home or at the gym, Elliptical trainers can provide one of the best low-impact cardio workouts you will ever get in your life. While treadmills are a more popular choice among many people, Ellipticals mimics the motion of running but without any impact or strain on your legs. This helps protect your joints from damage, which is important for anyone with knee, hip, or lower body injuries. By bringing your gym experience to your home, an elliptical can make workouts more fun. So its no wonder that this machine is an athletes favorite when it comes to home workout equipment. With that being said, buying an elliptical machine can be a bit confusing as there are so many options to choose from. To understand the differences between types of elliptical trainers, you need to do some research to learn what works out best for you and narrow down your options. To simplify this process, we have rounded up these 10 useful tips for choosing the best elliptical machine for you. 1. Machine Size Especially if youre buying one for use at home, size is unarguably an important factor to consider when choosing an elliptical machine. Before heading to the market, you will want to consider the amount of space you have available, both for during workout and storage. Theres no point in buying a machine that will force you to take your workouts to the backyard if not spend chunks of money on remodeling your home to accommodate it. On average, the standard elliptical machine is somewhere between 4 and 7 feet long by approximately 2.5 feet wide, with the pedals sometimes extending a bit further than this. This means that the space in question should be able to accommodate this, plus an extra 20 inches or so to allow a safe and convenient workout experience. Additionally, the machine you go for should be able to fit into that space in terms of height. 2. Consider Weight Weight is another important factor to consider when picking an elliptical machine. In most cases, heavier machines tend to provide much more support than their lighter variants. Additionally, the heavier your machine is, the more stable and robust it is. As for user weight support, medium and high-end elliptical trainers can support up to about 130-150 kg. On the other hand, most entry-level elliptical bikes take only up to 90-100 kg. It is always best to pick a machine that supports more weight than that of your own. 3. Pick A Convenient Style/Design Design is another important factor that no elliptical bike buyer should ignore. This is because the choice you make in terms of style will affect you and your workout in more than a few ways. Essentially, elliptical bikes come in 3 basic designs, each with its own perks and drawbacks. Often categorized by the kind of drive the machine features, they include the following: Front-drive Of the three, the front-drive tends to be the most affordable alternative but can be a bit noisy. It features a large housed wheel on the machines front. Of the three, the front-drive tends to be the most affordable alternative but can be a bit noisy. It features a large housed wheel on the machines front. Center-drive On the other hand, the center-drive elliptical provides a gentler workout and almost looks like a treadmill with the pedals replacing the track. It is also more ergonomic, features a compact design and reduces the strain on your hips. However, the downside is that they dont come with a ramp for easy cross training. On the other hand, the center-drive elliptical provides a gentler workout and almost looks like a treadmill with the pedals replacing the track. It is also more ergonomic, features a compact design and reduces the strain on your hips. However, the downside is that they dont come with a ramp for easy cross training. Rear-drive In this elliptical, the flywheel is located at the back. It can be a great option for beginners considering its ease of use. However, it tends to be the longest option of them all, even though foldable space-saving options are nowadays available. When choosing an elliptical bike style, it is also important to consider its aesthetic appeal in addition to the above, especially if you dont have a home gym or space in your home that youve clearly set aside for your workout sessions. 4. Exercise Intensity and Resistance The elliptical bike you go for should be able to help you meet your fitness goals without breaking you apart or deceiving you. In other words, it should neither be too hard for you nor too easy in terms of the required strain and input (resistance). For this reason, most bikes feature a variable resistance. The ideal bike should be easy to pedal at the lowest resistance setting, and a bit challenging as you approach. 75% toward the highest setting. This allows you some room to improve your workout intensity and to gradually up your game in your workouts. This brings us to the next important point! 5. Mechanical Vs Magnetic Resistance With mechanical resistance, the more you run, the more difficult it is to pedal. Magnetic resistance that is also known as a motorized braking system, on the other hand, is modified through a console in the elliptical trainer. Magnetic resistance is much more comfortable because it lets you maintain your cardio workout routines while automatically changing in the resistance levels by itself. 6. Elliptical Machine Pricing In most cases, price reflects a products quality in that for you to get a high-quality machine, you have to expect to pay more. In other words, a cheap elliptical will just not have the best features! Most low-cost elliptical trainers come with a light flywheel, less pedaling comfort, and insufficient resistance. Most of them are also noisy, less robust, and less durable. If you want a high-quality, quiet and robust elliptical trainer on which you plan to exercise at least once a week, you should invest a little more. Dishing out a little extra cash for medium or high-end elliptical trainers will definitely go a long way for you. 7. Flywheel Weight The flywheel directly affects an elliptical trainer quality, comfort, and fluidity of pedaling. Thus, you should be really careful in your flywheel weights choice. The flywheels that are too light range from 7 to 10 kg and can cause your pedaling to be too uncomfortable. Based on the speed and acceleration, the flywheel determines the amount of resistance with its very light wheel. In other words, the more resistance you encounter when you go faster, the more effort you make pedaling. So with this very light wheel, your bike accelerates and decelerates faster, therefore, forcing you to apply less effort. If you want something more effective, go for a heavier wheel. This can be more convenient for weight loss, offers a greater pedaling fluidity, and provides more comfort. 8. The Machines Stride Length This is one of the most crucial criteria when it comes to choosing the right elliptical bike for you. The stride length is a way to measure your leg movement as well as how the pedaling is comfortable for you. You should be able to balance out the stride length with your leg movement; not making it too long or too short, but rather a sufficient length for your legs. This, of course, is directly affected by the size or length of the elliptical machine and your height. If you chose a smaller bike just because it was cheaper and you are a tall person, it will not be comfortable for you because it will most probably have short stride lengths. 9. Wattage The maximum resistance in an elliptical bike goes hand in hand with its watt level. An elliptical bike with a low watt level and a high maximum resistance would be indicative of potential quality issues. 10. Entertainment and convenience Nowadays, many elliptical bikes come with a Bluetooth connection, which allows you to connect your phone or tablet wireless to your elliptical trainer for some entertainment. Also, some allow you to position your phone on the bike console so that you can use it as a smart/touch console. This way, you are able to see important readings such as your pedaling speed directly on your smartphone or tablet. Additionally, you can also adjust settings such as the pedaling difficulty or resistance level from your smartphone! This is definitely a plus as it makes the workout more interactive. At this particular juncture, it is safe to say that the best elliptical trainers for home training are the ones that fulfill all quality criteria (comfort and fluidity of movement, silent pedaling, good resistance levels and strength) for a very good price. If you find that magical combination, go for it right away!
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http://geniusbeauty.com/about-sport-activities/10-tips-choosing-best-elliptical-machines/
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Is QCOM Stock Poised for an Epic Implosion?
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Despite a bull run in tech stocks during the past five years, Qualcomm (NASDAQ: QCOM ) stock has been mostly on the downtrend. During this period, the return has been an average -4%. True, the company still creates cutting-edge technologies, has a global footprint and a massive patent portfolio. But it hasnt mattered much. For the most part, the litigation risks have been a major overhang on QCOM stock. Source: Shutterstock This week we got more evidence of this when short-selling firm, Kerrisdale Capital, targeted the company with a brutal report. On the news, Qualcomm stock fell about 5%. The main takeaway from the report: QCOM stock could plunge a staggering 60%, which would put market cap to under $25 billion. Well, Kerrisdale believes that QCOM could lose its antitrust battle with the Federal Trade Commission. This would force the company to license its cellular technologies to rivals, such as Intel (NASDAQ: INTC ). Most importantly, the terms would need to be on fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory. Essentially, this would be a major blow to the core business model for QCOM. For several decades, the company has generated billions in high-margin revenues from its extensive patent portfolio, which has allowed for high barriers to entry. Yet any cracks in this could worsen quickly as there would likely be renegotiations of many existing contracts, such as with Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL ) and its various partners (Apple is currently in litigation with QCOM regarding fee disputes). Ultimately, it will get tougher and tougher for QCOM to monetize its technologies. Its true that predicting the outcome of a complex regulatory case is extremely difficult. Its not just about the existing law but also political considerations. But Kerrisdales analysis is well argued. It notes that federal judge Lucy Koh has already made several unfavorable rulings for QCOM. The report also provides references to documents that indicate that the company may have been too aggressive with its business practices. In terms of the financial impact, heres the analysis from Kerrisdale: Even if we assume a far higher fair royalty of $1.50 per device an amount that Apples chief operating officer said in sworn testimony that he proposed as relatively fair back in 2007 we estimate that resetting Qualcomms licensing revenue to fair levels will slash revenue by $2.7 billion (relative to fiscal year 2018) and reduce run-rate diluted EPS to $1.64, implying a fair value stock price of ~$21 based on historical Qualcomm and peer multiples [[61%]] lower than the current price. Even in this scenario, Qualcomm would continue to siphon $2.5 billion per year out of the cellular industry an amount that few outside of Qualcomm would likely view as unjustly paltry. Bottom Line on Qualcomm Stock QCOM stock still has its bright spots. Keep in mind that the dividend yield is a hefty 4.53%, which is one of the highest among tech companies. QCOM also should benefit from the move towards 5G. The company has definitely been an innovator in this space. Oh, and Wall Street is still upbeat on QCOM stock, with the price target at $67.60. This implies 30% upside from currently. However, the FTC case is a big-time wildcard and the judge is expected to hand down a decision within the next couple weeks (there will also be the announcement of the quarterly numbers during this time period). So given the potential grave consecutive of a negative ruling, its probably best to stay clear of QCOM stock for now. Tom Taulli is the author of High-Profit IPO Strategies, All About Commodities and All About Short Selling. Follow him on Twitter at @ttaulli. As of this writing, he did not hold a position in any of the aforementioned securities.
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https://investorplace.com/2019/01/qcom-stock-poised-epic-implosion-simg/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+InvestorPlace+%28InvestorPlace%29
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Were the British really the first Europeans to sight Australia?
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We've long been taught that the British were the first Europeans to land on Australian waters. Popular history dictates that Australia was first visited by the Dutch in the early 17th century, and later fully explored by Captain Cook. But some theorists claim our pubs and shepherd's pies could just as easily could have been Oportos and caldo verde on every block, news.com.au reports. Some historians have claimed Portuguese navigators were the first Europeans to sight Australia in the 16th century. Advertisement In his 2007 book Beyond Capricorn, Canberra-based science journalist Peter Trickett made the startling claim that Australia was actually discovered in 1522 by a Portuguese seafarer named Christopher de Mendonca. The book points to a 16th century maritime map showing that Portuguese adventurers rather than the British or Dutch were actually the first Europeans to hit Australian land. The map, which accurately marks geographical sites along Australia's east coast in Portuguese, appears to prove that de Mendonca lead a fleet of four ships into Botany Bay almost 250 years before Britain's Captain James Cook. In the mid-1500s, the Dieppe mapmakers created elaborate hand-drawn world maps, which were beautifully preserved. The world maps depicted a large landmass located between Indonesia and Antarctica, labelled as Java la Grande. Part of one of the maps, which bore a close resemblance to the coast of Queensland, featured 120 place names in Portuguese. Trickett, who bought a rare portfolio of these maps in the late 1990s, argued that the atlas compliers in Dieppe may have made an alignment error in the Portuguese charts they were copying from. When a computer expert cut the map in two and rotated the bottom half, it revealed the east coast of Australia stretching right down to Kangaroo Island in great detail, The Sydney Morning Herald reported. In Kenneth McIntyre's 1977 book The Discovery of Australia, he notes that the chart scripts were written in both French and Portuguese. The Australian historian suggested the Portuguese may have been searching for Marco Polo's fabled Isles of Gold and sighted Australia in the process. That's not the only relic that suggests the Portuguese beat the Dutch and English to the punch. Some have speculated that this is a drawing of a kangaroo. Photo / Supplied In 2014, a document was acquired by a New York gallery, Les Enluminures, which appeared to show a sketch of a kangaroo curled in the letters of a Portuguese manuscript. That manuscript dates back to the 16th century hundreds of years before the British officially entered Australian waters. However, some have disputed what the animal in question is. La Trobe University's Peter Pridmore suggested it was more likely an aardvark than a kangaroo, noting the shape of its snout and ears, the proportions of its limbs, and its deep thorax. But despite objection from several critics, McIntyre stands firm that the Portuguese discovered Australia before the Dutch. "Every critic who seeks to deny the Portuguese discovery of Australia is faced with the problem of providing an alternative theory to explain away the existence of the Dieppe maps. If the Dauphin is not the record of real exploration, then what is it?" he wrote in his book. RARE MAP SHEDS DOUBT ON PORTUGUESE THEORY In 2017, a rare 17th-century wall map was rediscovered that directly contradicted the Portuguese theory. According to Sotheby's, it was the very first map to call Australia "Nova Hollandia" and was "extremely rare". It was the first to put Tasmania on the map, quite literally, following the findings of Dutch explorer Abel Janszoon Tasman during his explorations in 1642-1643 and 1644. Tasman spotted the west coast of Tasmania on November 24, 1642, naming his discovery Van Diemen's Land, after Antonio van Diemen, Governor-General of the Dutch East Indies. He set foot on its shores in Blackman Bay, approximately 50 kilometres east of metropolitan Hobart, and proceeded to plant the Dutch flag in his newly discovered land. He returned on a second voyage in 1644, mapping the north coast of Australia and "making observations". Tasman gave Australia the name New Holland, which remained popular until the mid-1850s. Just a few years later, Tasman's discoveries would be added to the map. In his book, Australia Unveiled, Dutch author Gnter Schilder said it was "possibly the best general map of Dutch sea power in South-East Asia executed in the seventeenth century. It contains all Dutch discoveries in Australia and those in Tasmania and New Zealand of Tasman's first voyages". The map was chartered after the Dutch became attracted to new areas of trade and were looking for new routes across the world in the hope to expand their operations. Dutch trading interests "already extended to the Moluccas in the east, to China and Japan in the north and to the Coromandel Coast and Surat in the west. The expansion to the south was immanent", wrote Mr Shilder in his book. But despite basically discovering an entire new country, the Dutch were disappointed by Tasman's explorations; to them he returned empty-handed, he hadn't found a useful shipping route and didn't fully explore this new land. After this, for more than 100 years, until James Cook's explorations in 1770 and the subsequent landing of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia was largely untouched by Europeans.
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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12196611
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Who Will be the Winners and Losers When Federal Cannabis Prohibition Ends?
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/ The pioneers who braved federal threats to create the legal cannabis market are least likely to benefit commercially when prohibition eventually ends. January 25, 2019 7 min read Opinions expressed by Green Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Most analysts are predicting no longer whether, but when, cannabis will become federally legal for adult use in the United States, as it has in Canada, Uruguay and a few other countries, with others such as Mexico expected to soon follow. It may come in the form of the government itself removing cannabis as a scheduled drug under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). It may come in the form of the current STATES Act pending in Congress, which would remove state-legal compliance from being subject to the CSA, or through other Congressional action. It may come through court action, such as the current constitutional challenge to the CSA as it applies to cannabis, whose initial dismissal was recently argued on appeal. Let us step back, however. Paraphrasing political activist Michael Moore in reacting to the Trump election: How the **** did this happen? Cannabis was prescribed for many ailments prior to its U.S. federal criminalization, first in the 1930s and again in 1970. In short, racism, business and politics explain. Strong Mexican immigration in the early 1900s took lower paying jobs away from Americans, sowing racist anger. Major newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst, whose timber interests were threatened by hemp, published scathingly negative articles about the immigrants and the evil marijuana they brought with them. Not to mention companies like DuPont feeling that their then newly patented nylon also was at risk. The head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics from the 1930s through the early 1960s, Harry J. Anslinger, was infamous in his hatred of cannabis. One of his tamer quotes: By the tons it is coming into this country -- the deadly, dreadful poison that racks and tears not only the body, but the very heart and soul of every human being who once becomes a slave to it in any of its cruel and devastating forms. ... Marihuana is a shortcut to the insane asylum. Smoke marihuana cigarettes for a month and what was once your brain will be nothing but a storehouse of horrid specters. Hasheesh makes a murderer who kills for the love of killing out of the mildest mannered man who ever laughed at the idea that any habit could ever get him. This, of course, with no scientific evidence backing up any of his claims. Thus Congress outlawed cannabis in the 1930s. Then in 1968, activist Timothy Leary was arrested for cannabis possession. He fought in the courts and in 1969 the Supreme Court overturned the 1930s criminalization as unconstitutional. The Nixon Administration, starting to worry about the 1972 election, had to do something. Nixons domestic policy chief, John Ehrlichman, who was eventually jailed for his role in the Watergate scandal, gave a surprisingly honest interview in the 1990s after his incarceration. He said this: The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. We knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities, Ehrlichman said. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Of course we did. Those of us of a certain age remember the brainwashing that took place in schools throughout these decades. Cannabis makes you crazy. It makes you commit crimes. It is a clear gateway to more serious drugs. So now, as more and more states are legalizing, we are at last breaking down the stigmata and realizing that the fear-mongering was not based on any scientific evidence of harm. Lets examine what I consider the top five of each. Winners when the U.S. legalizes cannabis. Big alcohol, pharma, beverage and tobacco: The giant sin companies and other operators realize that they would rather join than fight, and have been investing heavily in legal countries, particularly Canada. Big multistate cannabis operators: Those that have been quickly building their businesses to be as large as possible likely will sell to the giant multinationals. Farmers: Growing cannabis and hemp is generally profitable compared to other crops. Hemp is environmentally benign and is good for the soil. In addition, having a national, or even potentially international market, as opposed to state-limited market will enhance potential sales. Investors: Until now public U.S. cannabis companies have been prevented (with one exception) from listings on national exchanges such as Nasdaq and the NYSE. With legalization these companies, a number of which have market values well in excess of $100 million, would see the benefits of trading on the larger exchanges. Taxpayers: Legal cannabis means tax revenue. It is expected that, much like with cigarettes, the federal government will, upon legalization, impose taxes on top of those already being charged by states that have legalized cannabis. Related: Steep Taxes on Recreational Marijuana Are a Powerful Incentive for States to Legalize Losers when the U.S. legalizes cannabis. Drug Traffickers: It is estimated that in 2016 about 18 percent of drug trafficking arrests related to cannabis. Legalization is hoped to significantly erode this black market. Smaller Operators: Craft brands may emerge much as with alcohol but I fear that those with a single dispensary or grow facility will be challenged by the economies of scale and marketing muscle that larger operators and brands will enjoy. It reminds me a bit of when the big box hardware stores like Lowes entered the market and crushed most of the decades-old local hardware shops. Social Media and Content Sites: A number of cannabis-focused sites likely will find stiff competition from larger similar sites that until now have eschewed cannabis content and advertising. When companies such as Yelp, Facebook, news outlets and others enter the space, they will challenge these operators (or possibly acquire them). Opioid Manufacturers: Studies are beginning to confirm that cannabis use can help folks reduce or eliminate the use of highly addictive opioids for pain. This is one reason the pharma companies are planning big investments in cannabis to prepare for this challenge. Maybe Both. Service Providers: Many law, accounting and consulting firms have come out of the closet in recent years to start representing U.S. cannabis companies. Most of the largest of their competitors have stayed away until now. Once they enter (as they have already begun to do so working with legal Canadian operators), those who took the risk early on will face much stiffer competition. If I were to add a sixth winner, it would be U.S. workers and, indirectly, the overall U.S. economy. It is estimated that hundreds of thousands of jobs will be created by a legal U.S. cannabis industry. If I were to add a sixth loser, it might be, sadly, Canada. They are likely to become essentially an asterisk in the cannabis legalization story once it happens here. U.S. companies will no longer see the need to go public or raise money there, or be incorporated there. Canadas population is smaller than that of California, and while it is expected they will continue to grow their cannabis industry, the U.S. will dominate and dwarf them in comparison. Place your bets and ready the bongs. The U.S. is going to legalize cannabis.
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https://www.greenentrepreneur.com/article/326713
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Did LG save Android before it began?
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The name LG could have been as synonymous with Google's OS as HTC, according to an article on Android founder Andy Rubin. The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) has published a look at the rise of the operating system - and the most interesting fact claimed is that LG backed out of a deal to be the primary partner for Android in 2007. HTC brought the first three Android phones to market and now enjoys a status as one of the world's largest smartphone makers, whereas LG is struggling to make waves in the same industry. I'd have to go with the latter - we've seen LG's propensity to make sub-par phones when it comes to user interfaces (S-Class' spinning cube UI combined with a resistive touchscreen was never going to set the world on fire). At the time when HTC was launching its Android smartphone brigade LG was still betting big on feature phones - the Viewty, Arena and Chocolate range were its take on next-gen phones and never really catapulted LG to market leader. Whereas HTC became an integral player in the development of Android - John Wang, HTC's chief marketing officer once told me, "We had HTC employees running around the Google campus, wearing Google badges and eating Google food well before the first Android announcement." Compromise is key Therein lies the difference in my opinion: HTC was willing to work with Google (perhaps as a more acquiescent partner) to help build the correct hardware around Google's Android vision - it's hard to see LG not wanting to stamp its own authority all over the project and ruined the early simplicity of the UI with flying dodecahedrons or something. Fast forward five years, and we're seeing accolades aplenty for HTC with the likes of the Desire and Sensation - and LG is pushing hard to capture the market with its Optimus range, ironically using Android as its primary operating system. The article also claims that Android, now the world's largest smartphone operating system, nearly went out of business back in 2003 (prior to being acquired by Google) as Rubin struggled to get funding for the futuristic project. It was only in a meeting with Google founders Sergei Brin and Larry Page, fans of Rubin's Sidekick phone project with Danger, that the possibilities were outlined and the Android gravy train pulled out of the station - which would probably mean Apple's iOS would have more market share than it could shake a stick at now, and Nokia would still be claiming that Symbian was a world-beating OS.
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https://www.techradar.com/au/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/did-lg-save-android-before-it-began-993362
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Why is Roger Stone being arrested a big deal for Donald Trump?
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Get politics updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing We have more newsletters Show me See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Roger Stone, a long-time associate and advisor to Donald Trump was arrested today in what could prove to be a key moment in the investigation into the Trump campaigns links with Russia. The arrest took place at 6am this morning, under cover of darkness, as armed FBI agents under orders from Special Counsel Robert Muellers surrounded Mr Stones Florida home. He was arrested on charges of making false statements to congress, obstructing an investigation and witness tampering - and a long, detailed indictment was published online. Heres everything you need to know. (Image: REUTERS) Roger Stone, 66, is a veteran Washington political operator, who has described himself as a dirty trickster. Hes been an advisor to several Republican presidential campaigns, cutting his teeth on Richard Nixons 1972 campaign. Among his earliest activities in politics was to contribute money to a potential rival candidate in the name of the Young Socialist Alliance, then leaking the receipt to the press. Still in his 20s, he worked on Reagans 1976 and 1980 campaigns - maintaining close links with Nixon after he resigned as President. His relationship with Donald Trump began in the 90s, when he became a lobbyist for his casino business. He was campaign manager for Trumps first, brief, bid for the presidency in 2000, running for the nomination of the Reform party. He served as an advisor to Trump in the early months of his 2016 campaign, but left the campaign in August 2015. But even after his departure he remained a strong Trump supporter. He has frequently spread unsubstantiated conspiracy theories about various Politicians and Washington operators, including as a presenter for InfoWars. (Image: REUTERS) Roger Stone is thought to have been a go-between linking members of the Trump campaign and Organisation 1, which is understood to refer to Wikileaks. During the 2016 presidential campaign, he implied he had access to information obtained by hackers that could embarrass Democrats, including Trump's rival for the White House, Hillary Clinton. Its now widely believed that the hackers were backed by the Russian government. According to the indictment, Stone had talked to senior Trump campaign officials about Organization 1, "and information it might have had that would be damaging to the Clinton Campaign." Stone was also "contacted by senior Trump campaign officials to inquire about future releases" by "Organization 1," according to the indictment. Additionally, Stone "took steps to obstruct" investigations by intelligence committees in the House of Representatives and Senate into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, prosecutors said. Stone had "sent and received numerous emails and text messages during the 2016 campaign in which he discussed Organization 1, its head, and its possession of hacked emails." Stone was arrested in a dramatic dawn raid on his Florida home. (Image: Getty Images) Most of the others facing charges from Mueller's inquiry have been arrested by appointment. There's a couple of reasons the Special Counsel might have gone this way with Stone - it could be a PR move - after all, CNN cameras were there to catch the action. It's also possible that they planned to search Stone's home for more evidence, but it's currently unclear if they've executed a search warrant. But while Stone's indictments are a powerful piece of the puzzle in Mueller's investigation, even if he's found guilty it isn't necessarily a smoking gun. There's nothing in the indictment that links Stone directly to Trump with regard to the hacked emails - but campaign staff and their associates are mentioned. Nor is there anything that ties Stone directly to Russia. The White House denies Stone's indictment has anything to do with the President. "The charges brought against Mr. Stone have nothing to do with the president, has nothing to do with the White House," spokeswoman Sarah Sanders told CNN. "The president did nothing wrong."
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https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/politics/roger-stone-being-arrested-big-13906565
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Who is Marie Kondo on Netflix and what is the KonMari method?
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Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. Marie Kondo, star of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, thanks a piece of clothing for its service (C) Netflix Marie Kondo, star of Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, thanks a piece of clothing for its service (C) Netflix As I close my eyes and thank a stained flannel which someone (spoiler alert: not me) has used to clean their football boots with for its service and wish it well, I wonder not for the first time if this is the proof that I have finally lost all semblance of sanity. I am, of course, attempting to follow the latest must-do trend, namely the minimalist manifesto made popular by petite tidying typhoon and organising consultant Marie Kondo, the Mary Poppins of Getting Stuff Done who suggests to every householder that a clean home equals a clean mind. Tidying Up With Marie Kondo is proving to be a huge hit for streaming channel Netflix. The Japanese tidying gurus 2014 book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying, was a best-seller but it wasnt until the TV series that the KonMari method of tidying swept the world. As the New Yorker put it, Kondos techniques isnt about throwing stuff out, its about transformative existential keeping. Of course it is: Im forever on to the kids about their transformative existential keeping ethic, especially when I can no longer see the floor in their bedrooms. Somewhat passive-aggressively, my mother bought me Kondos book for Christmas in 2015 when I say somewhat, I mean totally. My mother is the untidiest person Ive met, and while I am very definitely not a minimalist, I like order, cleanliness and serenity in my house or I am as twitchy as rabbits septum she thinks I am a control freak, I would rather gnaw off a limb than live with her level of tidiness. We came to a compromise when I was 17, namely I went to live somewhere else: it worked for both of us. While I am keen on cleanliness and tidiness, I do like to have stuff dead stuff in bell jars, strange stuff in printers blocks, collections of tiny things on shelves, books, pictures, plants, old linen, records, glassware which means theres all that stuff to keep clean. I am ably assisted in my cleanliness endeavours by the lovely Caroline, who attacks my house with vigour and vim (not actual Vim, the taxidermy would moult) every Friday for four hours which I am aware means that I am very lucky and spoilt and in no position to whinge about doing any other cleaning whatsoever because I have, effectively, outsourced my anxiety. What Caroline cant do, however, is help me decide which objects in my house spark joy. Sparking joy is at the heart of Kondos philosophy: discard everything that does not spark joy, she instructs, either on the page or via a translator on her Netflix show, and above all, she warns, do not commit the cardinal sin of buying organising equipment, which will simply enable you to keep storing your joyless, cluttering rubbish. The KonMari method of tidying, in a nutshell (as long as a nutshell doesnt count as organising equipment), is to declutter your entire house in one horrific hit, completing the whole process in one strike so that you dont simply disperse stuff from one room into the next. Items should be sorted by category, so for example when you sort out your clothes, you must sort out every piece of clothing you own, gathering up every garment from every room before you evaluate it. Thank it for its service, remove it from your house and move on. Before I impart more of Maries wisdom, back to my laundry room (I realise how hateful I sound) as I thank a flannel. I have piled every piece of clothing I own in a heap and am surveying it without a single spark of joy: some of you may already know this about me, but for those that dont, I only wear black. I have worn solely black since I was 12 and never deviate from the righteous path of blackness: I used to wear black on the outside because it was how I felt on the inside (man), now I wear it in the vain hope that it will somehow disguise the fact that my backside is used by astronauts as a homing device when they return to Planet Earth. I am the only person I know to whom getting dressed in the dark holds no fear and my pathological hatred of fashion or clothes shopping means that as soon as I find a garment I can bear, I instantly buy six identical garments and then rotate them until I find something new that I like. When I look at my clothes en masse, it is like surveying Queen Victorias entire collection of widows weeds gathered over 40 years of mourning. Nothing in this pile sparks joy. On the other hand, I fear arrest or white-coated professionals holding nets if I send the whole lot off to the clothes bank and am forced to walk the streets in my birthday suit. No. Yes. Yes. No. Yes. BrigSta: 1, KonMari: O. After clothes, Kondo informs us that next on the hit list is books, papers, miscellany and mementoes: my entire house is made of books, papers, miscellany and mementoes. The Japanese Tidy Queen has 30 books to her name, my husband and I have, at a rough guess, about 6,000, including several entire shelves of novelty and bizarre cookbooks (including: The Pyromaniacs Cookbook, Cookin With Coolio, Roald Dahls Revolting Recipes, The Special Effects Cookbook and Life on a Plate by Sid Rickaaay Owen). THEY ALL SPARK JOY. I quickly realise, as I scan my house and wait for the Joyless Klaxon to sound, that the only things that come into my house that dont spark joy are people, but picking them up, closing my eyes, assessing how I feel about them, thanking them for their service and putting them in a bin bag is frowned upon, apparently. Swiz. My own obsession with order, albeit in a house which does have its fair share of stuff, is my way of bringing that same kind of controlled order to my mind and I think, in the spirit of transformative existential keeping, that its for this same reason that the KonMari method has gained so much ground. Brexit, Trump, global warming, plastic-filled oceans, poverty, rising homelessness, violent crime statistics, Universal Credit, increasing right-wing populism, religious conflicts, inequality, Mrs Browns Boysthese are troubled times cluttered with thorny issues that none of us can control. We can, however, control what happens in our own homes, in theory at least. And then I think about what narks me the most about the KonMari method, namely the fact that if we effect the change that our admittedly adorable tidiness guru suggests, we are simply creating piles of stuff for other people to deal with: charities (which spend millions every year sending the items that arent fit to be sold to landfill), international aid agencies (which impacts local markets) and councils (whose rubbish dumps are filled with things that didnt spark joy for other people). It doesnt just vanish when it leaves our threshold, our newfound tidiness just moves the problem elsewhere. And with that, I finally choose a book to go to the charity shop: no prizes for guessing which one, but it wasnt written by Sid Owen. Write and let me know. Five terrifying quotes from clean queen Marie Kondo 1) To go throughout life without knowing how to fold is a huge loss. 2) If you want to lead a life that sparks joy, there is only one thing you must do, and that is to tidy your home. 3) Tidying is a dialogue with oneself. 4) Clothes, like people, can relax more freely when in the company of others who are very similar in type, and therefore organizing them by category helps them feel more comfortable and secure. 5) I have spent more than half my life thinking about tidying.
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https://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/news/marie-kondo-konmari-method-tidying-up-netflix-series-1-5865233
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What will a Tory Brexit mean for EU migrants?
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The Tories are using Brexit as an excuse to strengthen Britains vicious immigration system. They are forcing European Union (EU) migrants to register in order to stay after Britain leaves the EU. Its a disgraceful attack on nearly three million people who have made their lives in Britainmany for decades. Attacks on migrants encourage racism and help to divide ordinary peopleso we have an interest in resisting them. Migrants have to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme if they want to stay in Britain after the transition period following Brexit. Britain is officially set to leave the EU on 29 March this year, and the transition period would end on 30 June 2021. Successful applicants to the scheme will keep the right to work in Britain, use the NHS and education services and access some benefits and pensions. And they will be able to travel in and out of Britainand stay out for up to five years. People will have to declare any criminal convictions as part of the process. Confusionand fear of being turned downwill put some people off applying altogether. This could create a layer of vulnerable unregistered migrants. Only EU migrants who have lived in Britain for a continuous five year period can apply for settled status. People who have been here for less than five years have to apply for pre-settled status. If successful, they can then apply for settled status once they have lived in Britain for a continuous five year period. People under 21 can apply for the same immigration status as their parentsin which case they will be forced to prove their relationship with their parents. It isnt always clear which status people are eligible for. The Roma Support Group said that government department records have wrongly stated that some applicants are only entitled to apply for pre-settled status. These kind of problems could leave some migrants without official legal status after the transition period ends. There are not many differences between settled status and pre-settled status. But there are someand they are designed to make it difficult for migrants to build a life in Britain. So children born to people with settled status will automatically be eligible to become British subjects. Children born to people with pre-settled status will have to apply for British citizenship independently. Or, if one of their parents is British, they will have to go through a complicated process to prove they have citizenship by descent. Similarly, if people have lived in Britain for five years their family members can come here on a family visa. Family members of those with pre-settled status do not have the same rights. People who were granted indefinite leave to remain in Britain before their home countries joined the EU dont have to apply to the settlement scheme. They have the right to permanent residency already. Yet theres still uncertainty. When one migrant with indefinite leave to remain contacted the EU Settlement hotline last week they were advised to apply for settled status anyway. People with indefinite leave to remain will have a stamp in their passport. But they wont necessarily keep old passportsand so dont necessarily have the proof. And if people came here as children, the proof is often only written into one of their parents passports. Indefinite leave to remain status should be attached to peoples passport number. But the migrant calling the hotline was told that the possibility of an IT glitch or whatever meant it was better to apply for settled status. Irish nationals are covered by the Common Travel Area between Britain and Ireland. This agreement means people can move between Britain and Ireland with minimal controls. Home secretary Sajid Javid claimed the scrapping of the fee showed that we want EU citizens to staydeal or no deal. Many people rightly saw the fee as an insult, and the retreat over it shows the Tories weakness. But a raft of nasty policies remain. The settlement scheme is wrapped up in xenophobia. People will have to jump through hoops to keep the rights they already have. The Home Office can ask for supporting documents, alongside ID, to prove how long someone has lived in Britain. But some people wont have been given documents such as pay slips and bank statementsor wont have kept them. Dealing with this bureaucracy will be harder for people who are more vulnerable or who dont have access to computers. Racism means western European migrants who are white will be treated differently than Roma people from Romania or Slovakia for instance. The fight is still on to defend migrants rights. The EU Settlement Scheme is not part of the Tories Brexit deal, officially known as the EU Withdrawal Agreement. Its an independent policy of the British government. This means the government can keep it or change itwhether theres a deal with the EU or not. Anti-racists should argue for the EU Settlement Scheme to be scrapped. EU migrants should have the right to remain in Britain without having to pass through the states immigration rules. And the fight to defend the three million should be part of a bigger fight to defend and extend freedom of movement for all migrants.
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https://socialistworker.co.uk/art/47792/What+will+a+Tory+Brexit+mean+for+EU+migrants
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Who is Tyler on Coronation Street?
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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 We thought we'd seen the last of Tyler Jefferies after he terrorised Simon Barlow and his family last year - and now he's at the centre of the Amy Barlow pregnancy drama after being revealed as the dad. Seventeen-year-old Tyler previously terrorised Simon on Coronation Street after the pair broke into elderly Flora McArdle's flat, and Simon turned him in to the police. Tyler, played by Will Barnett from Warrington, showed Simon the force of his anger after Simon talked to the police about the burglary both teens were involved in. When the lads found out elderly Flora had inherited 250,000 from her beloved son Harvey, they hatched a plan to break into the corner shop flat where she has been living with lovebirds Daniel Osbourne and Sinead Tinker. But it went horribly wrong when Flora returned home and disturbed them, and Tyler threw a jewellery box at her, knocking her unconscious. (Image: ITV/Coronation Street) Simon stayed to make sure she was okay until help arrived, but was shopped to the police when Flora revealed that he was in the flat, despite protests that he had fallen in with the wrong crowd like her late son. His furious dad Peter urged police to take him away as sulky Simon refused at first to tell the truth, but eventually he did the right thing and offered to wash up in Roy's cafe for free to make amends for his ways. But things went wrong when Tyler walked in and said he'd forget about what Simon did in exchange for a free sausage sandwich. (Image: ITV) But sadly Tyler's true motives became clear when he slips the sandwich under the gate of number 1 Coronation Street and poor Eccles the beloved pet Barlow dog became a target. Eccles was seriously and it was revealed that she ate the sandwich laced with slug pellets. Luckily she survived, but then Simon's dad Peter was next in the firing line when he was shot by Tyler with a paint gun because of the feud and sent Simon a menacing text to say "next time it will be a real bullet", aimed at leaving troubled teen Simon afraid of standing up in court. But Simon did the right thing and has been a reformed character ever since, and Tyler served two months behind bars. Join our Coronation Street Fan Chat group on Facebook where you'll also get updates, spoilers and more.
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https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/tv/who-tyler-coronation-street-15728861
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How Can Rent Possibly Succeed in 2019?
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Rent has always been a bundle of contradictions: a cool Broadway musical, a painfully earnest Gen-X fantasy, a woke milestone that doesnt seem to know the difference between trans people and drag queens. Following its debut in 1996, Jonathan Larsons most famous work won four Tonys, a Pulitzer Prize, and the acid derision of public intellectuals like David Rakoff; by this stage in its life, its both a canonical classic and an easy punch line. Fox will attempt to cut through all that noisewhat Rents artist and artist-adjacent characters would call baggageon Sunday night, when it presents a new live production, performed by a rainbow coalition of social-media influencers and fresh, young triple threats. The network has set a tall order for itself: to hook young viewers who probably watch Drag Race but definitely dont remember the height of the American AIDS crisis; to satisfy the still-vocal hardcore Rent fans who wont be pleased to see any aspect of their holy text altered for the sake of network television; and maybe even to win over the even louder contingent of people who have made a cottage industry out of criticizing the musical in recent years for its many faults, including but not limited to the idea that its not only possible but noble not to pay your rent, rent rent rent rent rent, if you dont want to pay rent. Like the sharpest critics of any cultural phenomenon, these naysayers tend to be not detached observers, but fully invested insidersex-Rentheads themselves, apostates who enjoy making fun of the show as much as or more than they once enjoyed loving it. Many of their critiques are good-natured, the affectionate ribbing youd give an adored but hopelessly misguided aunt (were rhyming sensitive aesthete with brush the sauce onto the meat, really?). Many others are harsher, accusing Rent of being not just a flawed work of art but a betrayalan empty, juvenile vessel that reinforces the very system its supposed to be railing against. Thats the risk run by any fervently anti-establishment piece that ends up going mainstream; its tough to keep credibly yelling at the Man when hes sitting in a $200 front-row seat, whooping it up as you cheerfully toast to leather, and dildos, and curry vindaloo. (As the Forbidden Broadway parody of Rent put it in 1996, just months after the musical had rocketed to the top of the zeitgeist: 525,600 write-ups / 525,000 magazine spreads / 525,600 photos / How do you measure our swelling heads?") But the tenor of this vitriol underscores the steep uphill battle facing any modern incarnation of Rent. The musical is nave and dated, and fundamentally sort of silly; its seven heroes all live and love in Manhattan, but only two of them deign to have jobs. (One is a lawyer; the others an exotic dancer. America! America!) The bad guysubtly named Benjamin Coffin IIIis the landlord who lets two of them freeload off of him for entire year, then asks them to pay their rent (boo, hiss! ), then tells them they can live in the building gratis after all, as long as they convince another friend to cancel a protest shes planned in the lot next door (where hes hoping to build a state-of-the-art digital, virtual, interactive studio, bless his heart). Its a head-scratching sequence of events, especially when observed in the age of side-hustles and spon-con. Its also very much a product of the New York where Rent was bornwhen the Disneyfication of Times Square had only just begun; when St. Marks Place housed head shops, not juice bars (or at least not head shops next to juice bars); when straight white guys in glasses and scarves could still be accepted as uncomplicated protagonists. If Rent is to succeed in 2019, it shouldnt make an embarrassing grasp at timeliness; it should emphasize the ways in which its become a captured-in-amber period piece, where the passage of time is marked by answering-machine messages and everyone sets beeper alarms so they know when to take their AZT. If nothing else, that seems like a surefire way to get the kids interested; after all, a different 90s relic is reportedly among the most popular shows on Netflix. And another of Rents biggest detriments may end up being its greatest asset. The shows occasionally mawkish sentimentalityits essential optimism in the face of poverty and AIDS and drug addiction, the earnestness that leads Mark to declare, with a straight face near the end of Act 1, that the opposite of war isnt peace, but creationis perfectly aligned with an ascendant aesthetic that, I regret to inform you, is being called hopepunk. Depending on who you ask, hopepunk is as much a mood and a spirit as a definable literary movement, a narrative message of keep fighting, no matter what, Aja Romano wrote recently in Vox. If that seems too broadafter all, arent all fictional characters fighting for something?then consider the concept of hope itself, with all the implications of love, kindness, and faith in humanity it encompasses." Nothing could possibly be Rent-ier than that. You must break your own heart to do [Rent], original Broadway cast member Fredi Walker-Browne said on a recent episode of the podcast Everything Is Rent. (Yes, theres a podcast devoted to going through this musical song by song; its delightful.) The challenge was always to get the stuffiest, most suit-and-tied-up, arms-folded, Im not going to like this person to weep. . . . When you do that, thats when youve done Rent right. Because it is designed to open the soul. If Foxs version can hit that nerve, itll be goldenand since the fearsomely talented Brandon Victor Dixon has been cast as Collins, the character who gets to sing the shows most heart-wrenching ballad, that seems all but assured. The shows openly beating heart, by the way, is also what makes dunking on Rent feel not only easy, but sort of shamefulat least now, nearly two decades removed from its cultural dominance. (Ira Glass let audio of Rakoffs blistering critique of the show linger on his computer for years, releasing it only after Rakoff died in 2012. Because it just seemed weird to pick a fight with a hit Broadway show that had closed and nobody was talking about anymore anyway.) If Rent teaches us anything, its that snark takes little effort; its caring, loving, hoping that are difficult, especially in the face of enormous obstacles. Thats a message worth conveying, even in imperfect packaging (but especially through criminally catchy songs). And its a message worth remembering, even for the now grown-up Rentheads who soured on the show sometime during the second Bush administration. Twitter may light up with snide comments the second those familiar opening chords begin to play on Fox Sunday night; in fact, it definitely will. But I suspect that beneath all that, this new production might just remind a lot of people of what Rent does rightthat it still has the capacity to make us feel like being an us, for once, instead of a them. Sign up for our daily Hollywood newsletter and never miss a story.
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https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2019/01/rent-live-musical-backlash
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Did Queen Elizabeth Make a Subtle Comment About Brexit?
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Over her roughly 65-year reign, Queen Elizabeth has famously remained neutral when it comes to politics. Throughout the past few years of the Brexit mess, the Queen has, for the most part, stayed above the fray. On Thursday, during an address to the Sandringham Womens Institute, the monarch made comments that many are interpreting as political. The Queen delivered her speech to mark the centenary of the Womens Institute, a club near her country house that she has belonged to since 1943. In her speech, which took place just four days before a critical vote on Prime Minister Theresa Mays Brexit deal, she focused on the importance of compromise. As we look for new answers in the modern age, I, for one, prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek out the common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture, the Queen said. To me, these approaches are timeless, and I commend them to everyone. The Queen has met privately with prime ministers throughout her time on the throne. Her conversations with May, the 13th prime minister of the Queens reign, are completely behind closed doors, and its unclear if the two have ever discussed Brexit. But, in 2016, it was rumored that the Queen told former prime minister Nick Clegg that she thought the E.U. was heading in the wrong direction, notes The Guardian. Shortly before the Scottish independence vote in 2014, the Queen also reportedly told a well-wisher, I hope people will think very carefully about the future. That remark, though nearly as vague as her comments Thursday, was interpreted as an expression of her opinion. If this was a subtle comment on the Brexit vote to come, then the Queen has been quietly hinting for a while about her wishes for the British people. During her televised 2018 Christmas address, she similarly said, Even with the most deeply held differences, treating the other person with respect and as a fellow human being is always a good first step toward greater understanding. More Great Stories from Vanity Fair Behind the scenes of Rents new Seasons of Love Kamala Harris leans into her controversial record The P.R. Sign up for our daily newsletter and never miss a story.
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https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/01/did-queen-elizabeth-make-a-subtle-comment-about-brexit
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Was wei die Bundesregierung ber britische Einflussoperation "Integrity Initiative" in Deutschland?
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Grobritannien fhrt europaweit eine Geheimoperation unter dem Namen "Integrity Initiative" durch. Ziel: Aufbau von "Einfluss-Zellen" mit Schwerpunkt auf Deutschland. Grobritannien hat die Existenz der Operation bereits eingestanden. Doch die Bundesregierung gibt sich unwissend. Die Hackergruppe Anonymous hat einen Skandal enormer Reichweite aufgedeckt: Die vom britischen Geheimdienst installierte Stiftung Integrity Initiative fhrt ein Geheimprojekt durch, das zum Ziel hat, europaweit einflussreiche Politiker, Experten, Wissenschaftler, Journalisten und Meinungsmacher als transatlantische Einflussagenten zu rekrutieren, um so Russland und Personen, die sich fr eine Entspannung mit Moskau aussprechen, mittels Kampagnen in den Augen der internationalen ffentlichkeit zu verunglimpfen. Dafr wird in fast jedem europischen Land eine Zelle aufgebaut. Der strategische Schwerpunkt liegt auf Aktivitten zur Einflussnahme in Deutschland. Der Politologe Peter W. Schulze von der Universitt Gttingen erklrt dazu: Erklrtes Ziel des Projektes ist es, den noch verbliebenen moderat oder pragmatisch eingestellten Russlandexperten in Wissenschaft und Medien und das sind nicht mehr viele praktisch den Mund zu verbieten. Kopf der deutschen Zelle der Integrity Initiative soll laut den geleakten Dokumenten Hannes Adomeit sein, ein Politikwissenschaftler mit einschlgiger Vergangenheit in transatlantischen Kreisen. Die geleakten Dokumente, die wohlgemerkt von der britischen Regierung nicht dementiert werden, belegen, dass als "Fhrungsoffizier" der deutschen Zelle der Brite Harold Elletson agiert. Dieser war frher als Agent des britischen Auslandsgeheimdienstes MI6 in Osteuropa und auf dem Balkan ttig. Zur Funktion Elletsons fr die deutsche Zelle schreibt Adomeit in seiner Funktion als Leiter der deutschen Zelle, dass "alle Aktivitten mit ihm koordiniert wurden und werden." Ebenfalls als Mitglied der deutschen Zelle wird der Direktor des Instituts fr Sicherheitspolitik an der Universitt Kiel, Prof. Dr Joachim Krause, gefhrt. Das dritte bekannte Mitglied der deutschen Zelle ist die ehemalige Grnen-Politikerin Marieluise Beck, welche zusammen mit ihrem Ehemann Ralf Fcks (lange Leiter der Grnen-nahen Heinrich-Bll-Stiftung) den transatlantischen Thinktank Zentrum Liberale Moderne (Libmod) leitet. Abgesehen von den NachDenkSeiten (NDS) und dem Onlineportal Telepolis hat bisher kein einziges deutsches Medium ber diese umfangreiche britische Einflussoperation berichtet. Auch in Grobritannien ist das Presseecho sehr berschaubar, obwohl die Labour-Opposition das Thema bereits in Form einer parlamentarischen Anfrage ins britische Parlament eingebracht und eine Gruppe kritischer Wissenschaftler in einem Arbeitspapier ausfhrlich die aufgedeckten Machenschaften der Integrity Initiative analysiert hat. Mehr zum Thema - Aufgedeckt: Verbindung zwischen BILD und der britischen Geheimoperation "Integrity Initiative" Auf Nachfrage von RT Deutsch auf der Bundespressekonferenz gab die Bundesregierung vor, rein gar nichts von den britischen Aktivitten in Deutschland zu wissen: Wie schrieb doch Jens Berger auf den NDS unter der berschrift "Die Medien schweigen": Man muss sich dies alles erst einmal auf der Zunge zergehen lassen: Eine geheimdienstnahe dubiose Organisation, die aus staatlichen Kassen finanziert wird, manipuliert in anderen Lndern die Meinung, strzt missliebige Geheimdienstchefs in befreundeten Staaten, fhrt Cluster, die bis in das nhere Umfeld befreundeter Regierungschefs reichen, und fhrt dazu noch im eigenen Lande ber die sozialen Netzwerke einen Infokrieg gegen den Oppositionsfhrer [Corbyn]. Und wir reden hier nicht ber die USA, die fr derartige Kampagnen bekannt sind und ber die transatlantischen Netzwerke ohnehin schon tief in den deutschen politischen und journalistischen Eliten verankert sind, sondern ber Grobritannien ein Land, das noch zur EU gehrt und allem Geplnkel zum Trotz als enger Freund gilt. Ein Skandal erster Ordnung, der jedoch erstaunlicherweise in Grobritannien selbst kaum und in Deutschland berhaupt nicht von den Medien aufgegriffen wurde. Mehr zum Thema - Sponsored by UK: Bellingcat-Aktivist verfasste Skripal-Artikel fr Geheimnetzwerk
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https://deutsch.rt.com/inland/83145-was-weiss-bundesregierung-uber-integrity-initiative/
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How Much Is Vale's Recent Deleveraging Expected To Contribute To Its 2018 EPS?
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Vale S.A. (NYSE: VALE), which is expected to report its FY 2018 earnings in February 2019, is all set to achieve its target of reducing net debt to $10 billion by the end of 2018. Before the company announces its results for the year, it would be interesting for the investors to know how much have they gained out of this deleveraging program announced in 2017. The company reported debt of $16.8 billion as on September 30, 2018, a 25% reduction from $22.5 billion reported as on December 31, 2017. Assuming the same level of debt at the end of 2018, we project interest expense to be reduced by $762.4 million, which would be a direct addition to the companys net income and increase its EPS by $0.15 for the year 2018. You can view our interactive dashboard Impact of Vales Recent Debt Reduction On Its EPS In FY2018 and make changes to our assumptions to arrive at your own estimates of debt, interest and EPS for the company. Higher prices of iron ore and copper, along with lower capital spending, led to higher cash flow for Vale in 2017 and 2018. Toward the end of 2017, Vales management decided that the increased cash flows would be used to reduce debt, which had reached alarming levels in 2016, and to reward shareholders in the form of higher dividend distributions. Vale has consistently been able to reduce debt every quarter in the last one year. Net Debt saw a reduction of almost 50% in a year, from $21.1 billion in 3Q 2017 to $10.7 billion at the end of 3Q 2018. Gross debt as of September 2018 stood at $16.8 billion, much lower than $22.5 billion at the end of 2017. Interest expense of $3,019 million in 2017 was 13.4% of the total debt for the year. Even if we assume $16.8 billion to be the total debt at the end of 2018 (similar to Sept. 2018), at the same interest expense ratio (13.4%), FY 2018 is likely to see interest expense drop by 25%. Reduction of $762.4 million in interest would be a corresponding increase in the years net income. Outstanding shares at 5,126 million would translate this additional net income of $762.4 million into an incremental earnings per share of $0.15. Conclusion: Our analysis shows that the success of this deleveraging program would provide Vales shareholders with better returns in the form of incremental EPS of $0.15. On the completion of the program, Vale has indicated that it will now focus on other methods of rewarding its investors, probably through a higher dividend, which is likely to help support the companys stock price. Explore example interactive dashboards and create your own.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/01/25/how-much-is-vales-recent-deleveraging-expected-to-contribute-to-its-2018-eps/
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Can Hunter Labrada Win in 2019?
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by Matt Weik In November 2018, we all watched as Hunter Labrada won his IFBB Pro Card after winning the NPC Nationals. As many of you already know, Hunter is the son of the great, Lee Labrada a champion in the sport of bodybuilding who currently owns Labrada Nutrition. When it comes to legacy bodybuilders, the only two current competitors are Hunter and Sergio Oliva Jr. (son of Olympia winner Sergio Oliva). For a few years now, Ive been watching Hunter come up in the ranks and watch him transform his physique into what it is today and I must say, hes come a long way and was completely deserving of his pro card win. Hunter Labrada brought an amazing package to the stage and won in a very deep line-up of super-heavyweight bodybuilders at nationals. There isnt much you can pick apart on Hunter as he has a nearly complete package up on stage. He carries some decent size and his conditioning is always on point. His legs are always diced with great separation. The only things that I could really say he should improve on are his abdominals and chest. Im being hyper-critical since there isnt much you can say negatively about Hunters physique, but his chest could use a little more size and his abdominals could be a little more defined. The abdominals could be a water retention/carb issue as they are somewhat soft in some poses and angles, but the great thing is he does not have any distention which can be a huge point of differentiation when he stands next to many of the other IFBB Pros on the stage today. I most definitely think this off-season Hunter Labrada will make some major improvements and further create a winning physique. The biggest challenge he faces is how will he look next to some of the mass monsters like Roelly, Bonac, Ramy, and Phil. When it comes to complete packages like what Hunter brings to the stage, he has a very classic bodybuilding look to him. Hes not cartoonishly big, yet hes not small. Hes somewhere in the middle but thats also la-la-land. To compete, I believe Hunter will need to continue adding size to his frame while keeping things tight and continuing to nail his conditioning think of a look similar to what Rhoden brought to the 2018 Mr.Olympia. There will definitely be some smaller shows that I can see Hunter jumping in and being a contender for the win. Yet, there are certainly others (like the New York Pro, Pittsburgh Pro, and a few others) where Hunter can get lost in the mix of some mass monsters. But, depending on how his off-season goes, he could wipe away any doubt and stand next to some of the big boys and compete for a top-five placing. At this stage, it might be too early for talks of that caliber, but in a few years that might be a discussion we need to have depending on how he progresses and if he can stay healthy. When it comes to Hunters physique, as mentioned earlier, his legs are a strong point and, in my opinion, look better than most who step on the Arnold Classic stage. He has great arms and good definition from the back. I think he definitely has a shot. Thats pushing it but anything can happen between now and then. Big Shoes to Fill While never actually winning the Olympia, Lee Labrada has come close in 1989 and 1990 with 2nd place finishes. He finished his career with 22 bodybuilding wins to his name and was inducted into the IFBB Pro-Bodybuilding Hall of Fame in 2004. Lee had a very complete physique and while not the biggest bodybuilder on stage, he has what we consider the classic lines for a bodybuilder especially in his era. While the times have changed in the sport, Hunter would be wise to listen to and take advice from his father. Honestly, its hard to say but Im going to say no for the time being. Maybe in a year or two when we see some changes to not only Hunters physique but also how the sport is changing and evolving, we can bring the topic back up. All in all, Hunter is a fantastic bodybuilder and I think there are a lot of people excited to see him win his pro card and end up on an IFBB bodybuilding stage. He has some amazing genetics and his work-ethic can take him far. It will be interesting watching him as he starts making his way onto the pro stage in 2019. I, for one, hope to see his hand raised in many shows as I think hes good for the sport and a good kid in general.
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http://www.ironmagazine.com/2019/can-hunter-labrada-win-in-2019/
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Who are the top candidates to replace Mike Teel at Don Bosco?
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There will be many interested coaches in the Don Bosco Prep job now that Mike Teel has resigned. Heres a look at some of the top candidates: Nunzio Campanile Rutgers assistant coach Non-Public Group 4 state football final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, on Friday, December 01, 2017. BC Head Coach Nunzio Campanile gets water dumped on him as BC begins to celebrate defeating SP. (Photo: Michael Karas/NorthJersey.com) Campanile is finishing up his first full year as an assistant at Rutgers after a stint as Bergen Catholics head coach. Before he was at Bergen Catholic, he was the AD and wrestling coach at Don Bosco (while serving as Greg Toals offensive coordinator). Danny Marangi St. Joseph defensive coordinator Danny Marangi was part of a coaching staff that led Don Bosco to nine state titles. (Photo: Chris Pedota/NorthJersey.com) Marangi was the unsung hero of all of Don Boscos football glory in the 2000s as defensive coordinator. He left the school when Toal was dismissed. Hes been itching for a shot at a top job and should be a big-time candidate. Dan Sabella Ridgefield Park coach Dan Sabella, pictured on March 18, 2017. (Photo: Viorel Florescu/NorthJersey.com) This time last year, it was Sabella who stunned everyone by walking away from Paramus Catholic after two seasons and one state title. He may not want to get back in the non-public grind. But if he doesnt, maybe his brother Joe at Paramus might be interested. Joe has turned the Spartans around. Keith Migliorino Northern Highlands head coach Northern Highlands head coach Keith Migliorino looks disappointed after another Gaels touchdown. (Photo: Danielle Parhizkaran) Hes a former Don Bosco linebacker and has solid credentials as a coach, guiding the Highlanders to the playoffs each of the three seasons hes been there. Hed fit the Don Bosco Prep model as a hard-nosed coach. Rob Stern St. Joseph offensive coordinator Stern is also a Don Bosco alum, and being the head coach at Don Bosco might be his dream gig. Hes been a head coach before and has deep connections in the North Jersey football community. Greg Russo Northern Highlands offensive coordinator Coach Greg Russo works with players at Paramus Catholic football practice on Tuesday. (Photo: Marko Georgiev/Staff ) Passed over at Paramus Catholic last year and the last football coach Queen of Peace (n)ever had, Russo is still the best coach in North Jersey who has never been given a head coaching job. Hed bring an attitude to the Ironmen and a potent offensive scheme. Itd be fun to see what he could do with Jalen Berger he had some success with Jabrill Peppers when he was the OC there. Iggy Urbina Don Bosco assistant coach Iggy deserves to be considered as he has been at Toal and Teels side at Don Bosco for a long time. Hes well liked by the players and staff at Don Bosco. Adam Baiera Hasbrouck Heights assistant coach Baiera worked at Don Bosco and is still close with many alumni there. Hes done brilliant things with the Aviators. Hes got big-time head football coach written all over him, all he needs is a chance. Ralph Cinque Clifton head coach Ralph Cinque and Clifton check in at No. 11 in NorthJersey.com's pre-season top 20 football poll. (Photo: Demitrius Balevski/NorthJersey.com file) By all reports, Cinque is happy at Clifton, but hes a rising star in the profession who has made the Mustangs in his image, hard-working and tough. His style would fit in nicely with the Ironmen.
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https://www.northjersey.com/story/sports/columnists/darren-cooper/2019/01/25/don-bosco-football-who-top-candidates-replace-mike-teel/2681196002/
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Will The RealReal Be the First US Resale Site to File for an IPO?
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After raising nearly $300 million, opening two brick-and-mortar stores and trouncing many of its competitors, luxury consignment site The RealReal may be preparing to go public. According to Reuters sources, the eight-year-old company is in talks with investment banks about a potential IPO in 2019. While she has yet to comment on the reports, founder and CEO Julie Wainwright expressed plans for an eventual public offering as early as 2016, and in the years since has scaled the company significantly, investing in massive warehouses across the country, launching pop-up shops and permanent retail spaces and, last year, raising $115 million in Series G funding. If its successful, it will be the first U.S. resale site to go public, underscoring the increasing importance of the re-commerce sector, which also includes resale sites like ThredUp, Poshmark and Depop, as well as brick-and-mortar chains like Beacons Closet and Buffalo Exchange. (A Japanese second-hand luxury fashion and accessories company, SOU Inc., deputed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange in March 2018.) According to a 2017 report from Coresight Research, the resale market is growing 20 times faster than the broader retail market, and the total U.S. apparel resale market (brick-and-mortar and online) is on track to be worth $33 billion by 2021. The RealReal has come to dominate the upper end of the market in fashion and accessories (it also sells furniture and art), promising authentic pieces from designer names like Dior, Balenciaga and Gucci. While it is on good terms with the two biggest luxury conglomerates in the world Kering and LVMH and has collaborated with Stella McCartney on a sustainability campaign, theres still one name that has yet to get on board. In November, Chanel filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that the site sold counterfeits and misled customers into thinking it was affiliated with the house. The RealReal has since denied all claims and filed a motion to dismiss, which is still pending.
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https://footwearnews.com/2019/business/retail/the-realreal-ipo-1202735209/
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Who is longtime Trump associate Roger Stone?
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President Donald Trump's longtime friend and political consultant Roger Stone speaks to reporters outside the Fort Lauderdale federal courthouse, Jan. 25, 2019. FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. - If you follow politics closely, you've heard of Roger Stone and probably know his history as a "dirty trickster" -- a label he wears proudly. Stone is at the center of Robert Mueller's investigation into possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. Mueller's prosecutors said Stone lied in testimony to the House Intelligence Committee last year and allegedly encouraged another operative to back him up when he testified. He did not look worried Friday as he wore a smile and made a victory sign as he emerged from federal court following his early-morning arrest. "I will plead not guilty to these charges. I will defeat them in court," Stone told reporters after he was released from custody. "I believe this is a politically motivated investigation." Stone has been motivated by politics all his life. He started out working for Richard Nixon in 1972. He's even got a tattoo of the late disgraced president on his back. Stone has been friends with Trump for three decades and was a formal adviser to his campaign in 2015. He's been an informal adviser since and the two remain friends. "I am one of his oldest friends. I am a fervent supporter of the president. I think he is doing a great job in making America great again," Stone said. The president sent out an angry tweet after Stone's arrest. Greatest Witch Hunt in the History of our Country! NO COLLUSION! Border Coyotes, Drug Dealers and Human Traffickers are treated better. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 25, 2019 Stone told reporters he would not "bear false witness" against Trump as the investigation continues. "There are no circumstances whatsoever under which I will bear false witness against the president nor will I make up lies to ease the pressure on myself," Stone said. That's music to the ears of an embattled president. Of course, other close friends and supporters of the president, like attorney Michael Cohen, said they'd never flip and testify against him, but they eventually did. If Stone doesn't, he could be in line for a pardon. Copyright 2019 by WPLG Local10.com - All rights reserved.
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https://www.local10.com/news/crime/who-is-longtime-trump-associate-roger-stone
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Can Nicolas Maduro Ensure the Survival of Venezuelas Socialist Government?
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Posted on by martyrashrakat Darko Lazar Venezuelas slow-moving political crisis shifted into a new phase this week as the countrys opposition leader and President of the National Assembly, Juan Guaido, swore himself in as interim head of state. Despite never having stood as a candidate in recent presidential elections, or ever receiving a single vote, Guaidos maneuver was quickly given the seal of approval from Washington under the pretext of restoring democracy to Venezuela. In what appeared to be a well-coordinated campaign, dozens of US allies followed suit, while anti-government demonstrations flared up in the streets of Caracas, leaving scores dead. For those working the Venezuela beat, labels like colored revolution and another Maiden were increasingly hard to resist. Meanwhile, the countrys elected leader, Nicolas Maduro, called it what it was a coup dtat. Maduros point of view was shared by his counterparts in Iran, Syria, Turkey, Cuba, China, Bolivia and Russia all of whom have denounced Washingtons policy of regime change. These dramatic developments have sharply accelerated the Venezuelan crisis, giving it brand new domestic, regional and international dimensions. And although Maduro has been weathering challenges to his leadership since the death of his predecessor, Hugo Chavez, in 2013, the situation has never been quite so intense. This suggests that the campaign to remove him from office has officially peaked. The question now is whether Maduro is able to ensure the survival of the socialist government that over 9 million Venezuelans voted for in the last election one that has sought to liberate the country from Washingtons iron grip. According to the Director at the Center For Syncretic Studies, Joaquin Flores, the Venezuelan president is not going anywhere, anytime soon. You are not going to see a speech tomorrow or in ten days from now, declaring out of the blue that Maduro is stepping down. That just doesnt seem like its on the cards, Flores told Al-Ahed News. In yet another crucial development on Thursday, the Venezuelan military took to the airwaves to vow loyalty to the embattled president, declaring that Maduro represents an independent country in the face of imperialist aggression. Flores believes that such realities on the ground further limit options for the opponents of the Venezuelan leader. Maduro still enjoys support from broad segments of society and importantly the command of the military, he added while ridiculing the foreign interpretation of the Venezuelan constitution, which is used to justify Guaidos recognition as interim president. There is no vacancy of the presidency in the way that it is being ridiculously interpreted, Flores explains. The president would have to be missing not just declared a persona non grata by a foreign entity. Furthermore, that vacancy does not move over to the president of the National Assembly. It moves over to the vice president [of Venezuela]. In the event that there is no vice president and there is a vice president then it goes over to a new election. For his part, researcher in Latin American affairs, Hassan Al-Zein, shares Flores optimism about Maduros political future. There is a good possibility that Maduro will not be toppled, Al-Zein said. He can avoid it because the army is by his side. There is also popular support. Tough obstacles A combination of harsh US sanctions, a subversive, foreign-backed opposition, and the collapse of oil prices have crippled Venezuelas economy, fomenting years of unrest. The country with the worlds largest known oil reserves is now plagued by skyrocketing inflation and a shortage of basic goods. However, most of the mainstream coverage of the Venezuelan crisis will attribute these problems to the incompetent and widely unpopular Maduro government. Not surprisingly, perhaps, other states that oppose and challenge US dominance appear to have a lot more confidence in Caracas. During the two decades of Chavista rule, Venezuela has emerged as one of Irans most important strategic allies, with the two countries signing economic and military agreements valued in the billions of dollars. Late last year, Maduro was hosted in Moscow by Russias Vladimir Putin, where the two inked multi-billion-dollar partnerships for oil exploration, mining and other trade ties. Meanwhile, in the first nine months of 2018, Caracas exported over 23 tons of gold worth USD 900 million to Turkey, after Maduro decided to abandon gold refining from Switzerland over fears that his countrys assets may be seized in line with US sanctions. And then there is China, which has given Venezuela USD 65 billion in loans, cash and investment over the last decade. More importantly, China exerts a great deal of influence in the whole of Latin America, where it is the second largest trading partner. As such, both Al-Zein and Flores agree that Washingtons efforts to remove the Maduro government are unlikely to go unchallenged by Venezuelas powerful allies. Things arent going to happen in Venezuela that China perceives are contrary to its interests in the region, Flores opined. I think China likes Maduro and I think that China likes the present government in Venezuela. So thats a very tough obstacle. Meanwhile, Al-Zein is convinced that another obstacle will come in the form of Russian troops on the ground. I believe that Russia considers that Venezuela resembles President Bashar al-Assad. It cannot allow the overthrow of this man no matter the price. This is clear from the strong statements, as well as the planes [Russian Tupolev Tu-160 nuclear-capable bombers] it sent. It is difficult to ascertain how seriously these scenarios are being considered in Washington where US President Donald Trump refuses to rule out military action against Venezuela. But with two men claiming the post of president, the Venezuelan crisis has the potential to quickly morph into another Syria-style bloodbath with far reaching geopolitical consequences. Source: Al-Ahed News Related Articles Advertisements Share this: Share Facebook Twitter Email Like this: Like Loading... Related Filed under: American Aggression, American Lies, AngloZionist Empire, China, Creative Chaos, regime change, Russia, sanctions, Syria | Tagged: Bolivia, Maduro, Venezuela, Venezuela-Cuba axis |
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https://uprootedpalestinians.wordpress.com/2019/01/25/can-nicolas-maduro-ensure-the-survival-of-venezuelas-socialist-government/
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Where are self-driving cars being tested?
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An Arizona woman was killed after being struck by a self-driving Uber vehicle this week - prompting the company to suspend all testing of self-driving vehicles in cities across the country. The Uber was in autonomous mode at the time of the collision in Tempe, and there was a vehicle operator behind the wheel, police said. The crash killed 49-year-old Elaine Herzberg. Uber is one of dozens of companies testing out self-driving cars across the country. Here is a look at where a few companies are testing their vehicles. Cruise Automation Our driverless cars are on the road in California, Arizona, and Michigan navigating some of the most challenging and unpredictable driving environments, Cruise Automation says online. We look forward to introducing this amazing technology to more communities soon. Lyft Lyft is set to test self-driving cars at GoMentum Stations 5,000 acre autonomous vehicle proving grounds located in Concord, California, a March 8 release said. Lyft has a driverless pilot program in Boston and offered driverless rides around the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Digital Trends reported. Uber The company has been testing autonomous vehicles in Pittsburgh, San Francisco, Toronto and the greater Phoenix area for months. Waymo We've tested our self-driving vehicles across multiple locations in the US, Waymo says online. By driving every day in different types of real-world conditions, we teach our cars to navigate safely and comfortably through all sorts of situations. Testing locations listed on the Waymo site include Atlanta, Detroit and Austin. Arizona is also the home for multipe testing sites, including Chandler, Gilbert, Guadalupe, Phoenix, Mesa and Tempe. California testing sites include Carmel, Daly City, Half Moon Bay, Los Altos, Menlo Park, Merced, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Sunnyvale,Tiburon and Truckee. At least 52 companies have permits to test out self-driving cars California alone. Fox News Travis Fedschun and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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https://www.foxnews.com/auto/where-are-self-driving-cars-being-tested
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How Did the Bucket Strategy Work in 2018?
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A whole lotta red ink. That's what many investors see when they look at their portfolio's results following 2018. While stocks have enjoyed their strongest January start since (ummm) 1987, last year's tumultuous market provided investors with few places to hide. Most core U.S. stocks and bond funds incurred single-digit losses for the year, but even small drops can be unnerving when you're retired. What made 2018 especially painful is that neither stocks nor bonds impressed. Bond yields rose, leading the Barclays Bloomberg Aggregate Index to post just a tiny gain for the year, but many bond funds endured losses. Stocks, meanwhile, underwent a punishing sell-off in the last few months of the year. The U.S. market lost about 5%, while most foreign-stock funds endured losses in the neighborhood of 14% to 15%. The Bucket approach to retirement portfolios, which calls for holding a cash bucket alongside a long-term portfolio, is designed with such an environment in mind. In upward-trending markets, cash is a drag on returns. But holding a cash cushion of one to two years' worth of living expenses helps protect against having to withdraw from long-term holdings after they've taken a dip (or worse). Cash Has a 'Moment' I decided to explore those questions with my Model Bucket Portfolios, using the Aggressive Mutual Fund Bucket Portfolio as the base case. (I'll do a more thorough performance discussion of the mutual fund and ETF portfolios over the next month, as well as update my Bucket portfolio "stress test" stretching back to the year 2000.) The Aggressive Mutual Fund Bucket portfolio features an 8% cash stake, roughly a third of assets in a diversified bond portfolio, and the remainder in a global equity portfolio. I arrived at the 8% cash position for the model portfolios by assuming a 4% initial withdrawal rate (4% times two years' worth of portfolio withdrawals), but urge investors to customize their own allocations based on their spending needs. All told, the Aggressive Bucket Portfolio lost 3.38% last year. Vanguard Dividend Appreciation (VDADX), the largest single position in the portfolio, admirably held its ground and is partly responsible for the Bucket portfolio's strong performance relative to those benchmarks; its 2% 2018 loss put it in the top decile among large-cap blend funds. I like the fund for retiree portfolios precisely for its showing in years like 2018: Thanks to its focus on companies with a history of increasing their dividends, its concentrated in reliable, financially healthy firms that have historically held up well on the downside. Vanguard Total Stock Mkt Idx Adm (VTSAX) and American Funds International Growth & Income (IGIFX), which together hold about a fourth of the assets in the portfolio, were the Bucket portfolio's worst performers, losing 5% and 14%, respectively. Don't Overlook These Savings Vehicles Morningstar's Christine Benz suggests wealthy investors consider backdoor IRAs, health-savings accounts, and 529 plans to maximize tax savings. On the fixed-income side, the core bond holding in the portfolio, Harbor Bond (HABDX), posted a small loss, though it finished the year in the top half of the intermediate-term bond group. Lower-quality bonds generally underperformed high-quality ones last year, so it's not surprising that Loomis Sayles Bond (LSBRX), a multisector bond fund, was the worst-performing bond holding in the portfolio, losing about 3%. Meanwhile, as higher-quality and short-duration bonds performed well, so did tamer holdings like Fidelity Short-Term Bond (FSHBX) and Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Bond (VTAPX). Vanguard Wellesley Income (VWINX), predictably, posted returns that fell between stocks' and bonds' last year. While some of the bond holdings pitched in very modest gains, the real standout in the portfolio last year was cash, gaining almost 2%. (I use Vanguard Prime Money Market (VMMXX) as my cash proxy.) While cash is reliable ballast, it can sometimes be overshadowed by bonds in periods of equity-market weakness. Bond yields tend to be higher on an absolute basis, and rough equity markets can drive up demand for bonds, giving bond-fund investors a capital appreciation boost. But rising interest rates were a headwind for bonds for much of last year, while cash investors don't have to contend with rate-related shocks to principal. The answer depends on the retiree's own strategy: how large a cash cushion she's maintaining, what approach she's taking to extracting cash from her portfolio on an ongoing basis (income, rebalancing, or a combination), and how she's managing her asset allocation. (This article does a deeper dive into these questions.) For a retiree who's maintaining two years' worth of portfolio withdrawals in cash and employing a laissez-faire approach to tweaking asset allocation, doing nothing is probably the right course. (The ability to do nothing and leave long-term holdings untouched in such instances is one reason I favor holding two years' worth of portfolio withdrawals rather than just one.) She'd have another year's worth of portfolio withdrawals left, and last year's market volatility wouldn't have altered her portfolio's basic stock/bond allocation enough to warrant a rebalancing. She could take a look at her suballocations, however, as her foreign stock weighting may well be lighter than she intended following 2018's slump. Retirees who are running with tighter cash allocations of just one year's worth of portfolio withdrawals, however, can't sit on their hands; they'll need to take action to identify cash flow sources for this year. The good news is that today, retirees employing an opportunistic bucket strategy can find more than half of their cash-flow needs through current income without going out on a (risky) limb for yield. Whereas the Aggressive Mutual Fund Bucket Portfolio yielded about 1.9% in September 2017, its yield popped up to 2.33% last year. That means that a retiree seeking a 4% overall withdrawal from his or portfolio can pick up more than half of that amount through income distributions alone. A more income-centric portfolio--one featuring a fund like Vanguard High Dividend Yield (VHDYX) in lieu of Vanguard Dividend Appreciation, for example--could boost yield into the 3% range or above. Remaining cash-flow needs could be drawn from short-term bond holdings; those holdings would ideally be topped back up when other portions of the portfolio post meaningful gains.
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https://www.morningstar.com/articles/908784/how-did-the-bucket-strategy-work-in-2018.html
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Why are traditionally conservative suburbs increasingly up for political grabs?
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Jonathan Kappler, from the North Carolina Free Enterprise Foundation, has the inside look. I think its really two fold. Theyre kind of related but distinct trends. One is that there are a couple of election cycles that have been accelerated due to President Trump, where traditionally Republican oriented voters particularly highly educated and women voters in these suburban communities who are re-orienting themselves away from the Republican Party because they dont necessarily like the brand of conservative populism that President Trump embodies and that the Republican Party is embracing right now. Related to that, is that these are often high growth communities. You have a lot of folks moving into these communities that are not native to North Carolina or those areas specifically. By and large the trend here in the state of North Carolina is that those communities are attracting voters who are more left leaning than the residents who are already there. So you have this dual factor of people moving to these communities and adding to the density that are more Liberal and you have folks who are already there that are starting to cast their ballots a little bit more for Democrats than they have in the past.
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http://wptf.com/on-demand/why-are-traditionally-conservative-suburbs-increasingly-up-for-political-grabs/
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What is happening in Venezuela?
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The unbearable destiny of Latin America showed its face again last Wednesday as Venezuela became the latest victim of foreign intervention in its domestic affairs. After the long-standing uprising of the opposition, the U.S. recognized 35-year-old opposition leader Juan Guaido as the legitimate president of Venezuela. The U.S. decision was also supported by others, including Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Panama and other Latin American countries. On the contrary, Turkey, Russia and China recognize current President Nicolas Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela. The root causes of the escalation During the 1990s, the former president of the United States, Bill Clinton, made a tradition of issuing informal apologies to countries, including Guatemala, Iran and Greece, because of suffering from external pressure of the U.S. during military interventions. Once this fact is taken into consideration, it is not an exaggeration to say that the U.S. has taken the stage once again in Latin America in Venezuela. Indeed, understanding the root causes of the latest crisis in Venezuela requires looking back into the history of the country, which is full of examples of coups and external pressure. Like other Latin American countries, Venezuela has experienced many military interventions supported by external forces. All seven coup attempts in Venezuela harmed the legitimacy of the constitutional democracy of the country, who has tried to consolidate for a long time. There has always been some speculation regarding the role of external forces in these coup attempts. The first comprehensive investigation on this issue was conducted on the involvement of the U.S. in the coup attempt of 2002. Contrary to then-President Hugo President Chavez's claims of evidence of U.S. involvement in the process via foundations in Venezuela, Washington denied the claims by condemning the coup attempt as a proof. Nonetheless, the activities of U.S.-origin foundations and the Department of Defense have always been an issue. However, the latest incident shows a deviance from previous crisis and interventions. This time, the U.S. has directly involved itself in the domestic affairs of Venezuela and delegitimized Maduro. The ongoing crisis dates back to Maduro's predecessor Chavez's presidential term. Contrary to the dominance of rightist presidencies in Latin America, Venezuela has been an exception under the presidencies of leftist presidents such as Chavez and then Maduro. Thus, neither Chavez nor Maduro got along with the U.S. during their presidency. Especially after the Venezuelan Constituent Assembly election in 2017, the crisis in Venezuela escalated again. While Maduro intended to create a new constitution by establishing an "alternative" assembly, opposition groups claimed that the election was fraudulent, and Maduro turned out to be a dictator, establishing his own constitution consisting of pro-government representatives. There have been lots of anti-government uprising on the streets criticizing Maduro and his governance. Nevertheless, since the armed forces stood by Maduro, the uprisings were unable to get results. Meanwhile, Venezuela has been facing one of the biggest economic crises in its history. Because of the skyrocketing hyperinflation, the Venezuelan bolivar has become nearly worthless. The results of this severe economic downfall were very dramatic; there have been shortages of food and medicine in the country, and people have been unable to meet their basic needs. This economic chaos sharpened the divisions between the government and the opposition irreversibly. While the government was blaming the U.S. and other Western countries, the opposition accused Maduro of causing the economic failure. The final trigger of the recent crisis was the re-election of Maduro for a second six-year term in May 2018. While opposition parties boycotted the elections, the U.S. and some prominent international organizations claimed that the elections were unfair. The low voter turnout, 46 percent, and allegations of election fraud were emphasized by the U.S. as evidence of unfair elections. Since the uprisings have re-emerged again after the elections, the latest crisis was the final stage of all the incidents. Since Venezuela's National Assembly is controlled by the opposition, it was no surprise that the U.S. recognized the head of the assembly as the legitimate leader. Nevertheless, contrary to the official statement of the U.S., the recognition of Guaido as the president goes against the constitution of Venezuela. Article 233 of the constitution underlines that if the president becomes unavailable to serve in the case of "death; resignation; removal from office by decision of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice; permanent physical or mental disability certified by a medical board designated by the Supreme Tribunal of Justice with the approval of the National Assembly; abandonment of his position, duly declared by the National Assembly; and recall by popular vote," the executive vice president would take charge of the presidency. Contrary to U.S. claims, the head of National Assembly may serve as the president only if the president becomes unavailable prior to his inauguration. However, since Maduro's inauguration was completed, the U.S.' efforts to demonstrate legitimacy of its decision have failed. Consequently, the crisis in Venezuela becomes more intractable with every passing day. Since Maduro has the support of the masses and the military announced its allegiance to Maduro, there is still an option for him to turn the tables on himself. Nevertheless, it is quite clear mediation is needed in Venezuela to solve the crisis before it gets worse. * Researcher at the SETA Foundation, Ph.D. candidate in political science at Bilkent University
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https://www.dailysabah.com/op-ed/2019/01/26/what-is-happening-in-venezuela
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Can Trump declare a national emergency to build the border wall?
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The longest government shutdown on record is over...for now. Continue Reading Below After a 35-day stalemate, President Trump and Congress reached a temporary agreement on Friday to fund the government for the next three weeks as the White House looks to find a way to finance a wall along the U.S-Mexico border. Because the continuing resolution did not contain funding for the border wall, Trump has said hes giving Congress three weeks to hash out a compromise on the wall. If theres no deal at the end of the three weeks, Trump has floated the option of declaring a national emergency and move forward with construction. Its unclear whether the president could legally declare a national emergency to build the wall; if he were to do so, it would likely face immediate outcry -- and a legal challenge -- from Democrats. Under the National Emergencies Act of 1976, Trump does have the legal authority to declare a national emergency. However, the act does not specify what constitutes an emergency, nor did it set specific criteria for declaring one. Instead, it set up the procedural requirements. Advertisement In order to call it, Trump would have to formally submit to Congress and the Federal Register a declaration of the national emergency and to specify the exact statutory authorities hed be invoking. If he did not renew the declaration every year, it would expire. Congress is able to rescind a declaration, but to do so, theyd need to pass a joint resolution. According to PolitiFact, however, declaring a national emergency would not automatically allocate the $5.7 billion Trump wants for the wall. Some experts also believe the president would invoke 10 U.S. Code Section 2808 and 33 U.S. Code Section 2293, which allows the use of armed forces to undertake military construction projects, and the termination or deferment of Army civil works projects and using those resources to undertake other construction essential to national defense, PolitiFact reported. Since November 1979, there have been 58 declared national emergencies, according to data published by the Brennan Center; 31 are still in effect. They often deal with issues pertaining to national security or foreign affairs. Experts also believe that the grounds for a declaration surrounding immigration in the U.S. are limited -- and could be tantamount to an abuse of executive powers. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP "There is little to support claims of gushing in between points of entry or that the gaps in the existing barriers are the source of any threats to national security," Toni Massaro,constitutional law professor at the University of Arizona James E. Rogers College of Law, told PolitiFact. "Building a wall on the southern border may not solve the specific perils identified by the president; and the president's party had absolute control of the federal government for the past two years and did not authorize funds to build the wall."
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https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/can-trump-declare-a-national-emergency-to-build-the-border-wall
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What happens to federal workers' insurance during a shutdown?
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Hundreds of thousands of federal workers are unable to work as a result of the 35-day partial government shutdown, and since it began on Dec. 22, many have reported struggling financially. According to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), federal workers affected by the shutdown will receive additional time before theyre billed for their vision and dental coverage. Workers will have until they miss their third paycheck -- Feb. 8 -- before they need to directly pay their premiums for coverage, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the news. The decision came after OPM initially said workers would have to pay their premiums beginning this week, or lose their coverage. Advertisement Federal workers are not, however, at risk of losing their health insurance, despite the funding lapse and despite hundreds of thousands being furloughed. The health insurance benefits will stay in effect through the duration of the shutdown even if they are not receiving a paycheck. Once the agencies are funded again, the accumulated premiums will be deducted. Because dental and vision coverage are not included under that, workers will be billed directly for it, according to the Post. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX BUSINESS APP Federal workers missed their second paycheck on Friday as the partial government shutdown, the longest in U.S. history, dragged into its 35th day. Although employees are guaranteed back pay once the shutdown ends thanks to a bill signed by President Trump, it takes at least two to three days for the government to process payroll, according to an official for the American Federation of Government Employees union, so its unclear when exactly workers would receive that money.
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https://www.foxbusiness.com/healthcare/what-happens-to-federal-workers-insurance-during-a-shutdown
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Why Has It Not Worked Out for Thierry Henry at Monaco?
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Thierry Henry's brief stint as coach of Monaco came to an end on Thursday when the France legend was officially suspended with his team languishing in the Ligue 1 relegation zone. There is next to no chance of him being seen on the bench in the principality again, with his sacking expected to be confirmed in the coming days. AFP Sport looks at where and why it went wrong for Henry, whose first job as a head coach has lasted barely three months. - Injury nightmare - Henry took over a team who were in the bottom three after just one win in their opening nine Ligue 1 games and already struggling in the Champions League. For all the undoubted quality in Monaco's squad, too many players were unavailable due to injuries. Henry pointed the finger at poor pre-season preparations under former coach Leonardo Jardim, and there were still a dozen players in the treatment room last weekend. "I am going to have to see if I can get a license," Henry said shortly after arriving, joking that he would have to get his boots back on. Nevertheless, in an interview with L'Equipe this week Jardim hit back at criticism of the squad's fitness under his watch. "That is an excuse from people with bad intentions. Either that or they understand nothing about football," he said. "You need no more than a month to correct a team's physical preparation." - Communication problems - Henry was a great player, the all-time leading goal-scorer for Arsenal and France. But that in itself does not make a great coach, and Henry has too often betrayed a frustration at working with players inferior to his own previous level. "Some of the things we did were just illogical. There was a minute to go and we were just knocking the ball about in front of our own box. It was bizarre," he moaned after a 1-0 loss at Reims in November. That has raised questions about whether he had those players onside, even if the move to appoint the experienced Franck Passi as his assistant in December seemed a step in the right direction. During the 5-1 defeat against Strasbourg last weekend, Henry was caught mouthing a vulgar insult at an opposition player and later expressed fury at a faulty VAR system. The signs were that it was all becoming too much. - Henry seemed to let his heart rule his head when he accepted the challenge at Monaco. Having sold almost all their leading players since their 2017 title success, Jardim -- who is now in line for a dramatic return -- knew this season would be immensely difficult. "I am not surprised that the team is still in this position," he told L'Equipe this week. Henry leaves with just five wins in 20 games, one of which was on penalties and two more in cup competitions against lower-league sides. He announced last year that he intended to strike out on his own as a coach after working as an assistant with Belgium. Starting out at Monaco, where his glittering playing career began, sounded romantic, but Henry might now wonder if he should have accepted a different offer after rejecting overtures from Bordeaux and Aston Villa earlier this season. - Monaco had started 2018 with two cup wins, reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup on penalties, before a 1-1 draw at Marseille, when new signing Cesc Fabregas made a promising debut. Henry had been waiting to get to the January transfer window where he hoped to stamp his mark on the squad, and Fabregas would not have signed had it not been for the presence of his former teammate on the bench. But the Strasbourg debacle and then a 3-1 home loss to Metz in the French Cup forced Monaco's Russian owner and vice-president to panic. They could have waited until after this weekend's game at relegation rivals Dijon, and next Tuesday's League Cup semi-final against Guingamp, but instead they felt the need to act now.
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http://www.naharnet.com/stories/en/255667-why-has-it-not-worked-out-for-thierry-henry-at-monaco
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How many young people have to die before we pill test?
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THIS long weekend, tens of thousands of young people will attend one of three music festivals taking place across the country. And as a result, my Instagram is sure to be flooded with group shots and glittery bums. But what I'm praying I don't see is news of a dead friend. I'm 21 years old and I've lost count of how many music festivals I've been to. I've slept in flooded tents, spewed in mosh pits, and danced with strangers until 3am. But what I haven't done is watch a friend die from a drug overdose. Though I'm terrified that it's only a matter of time until I do. Since the tragic death of 19-year-old Alex Ross-King only weeks ago, the pill testing debate in Australia is louder and angrier than ever before. Alex Ross-King died of a suspected drug overdose at the FOMO music festival in Parramatta. Picture: Instagram The teenager died of a suspected MDMA overdose at Parramatta's FOMO Festival earlier this month. This makes Ross-King the state's fifth young person to have died after taking illicit drugs at a music festival since September 2018. The NSW Coroners Court has launched an inquest into the deaths, and news media is filled with heated debate around the controversy surrounding the issue. Because by reaching out to my small network alone, I have spoken to the friends of those who have overdosed and died, those who were there for the pill testing trial in Canberra where two "deadly" pills were detected, even one person who took what she thought was Ketamine, only to later discover it was actually crystal meth. Had pill testing been available and she knew what she was taking, she assures me there is no way she would have taken it. We all feel that something's gotta give. Because wherever you land on the issue, you have to admit that a dead kid a month means that the status quo isn't working. Those opposed to the implementation of pill testing have argued that it has the potential to send the message that taking drugs is safe, that those young people who wouldn't otherwise take them might be tempted. In a recent opinion piece, NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro asked "How many others might be tempted to dabble in drugs if NSW Labor is telling them their pill is 'safe'?" Let me be frank, In all my years of attending music festivals, I have never taken a single pill. And I probably never will. Abbey Lenton has lost count of the amount of festivals she has been to. Picture: Supplied As a non drug-user, I can tell you that a pill testing tent will not tempt me - and it might actually discourage people who were planning to take something. Stacey is a 22-year-old festival aficionado. She was there for the pill testing trial at Groovin The Moo in Canberra last year. She describes walking towards the tent, nervous that it was one big police trap. When she arrived though, she was greeted by a happy volunteer. "She gave us handouts of information on drugs, and there was even a board that had posts about what random/deadly substances had already been found." What politicians don't seem to understand is that at these tents, young people aren't getting a happy-go-lucky pro-drug green light. They're getting much needed education and informed intervention. It feels like the only thing a young person can do to be heard is to die. I was contacted by a friend of Callum Brosnan, the 19-year-old from Baulkham Hills who died from a suspected drug overdose after a festival in December last year. The friend, who wishes to remain anonymous, said that he feels with certainty that had the festival had pill testing, Callum was the kind of person who would have used it. "It sucks knowing that the technology existed and it's possible that his death could've been prevented and he'd still be here today," he told me. Video still of Callum Brosnan dancing at Knockout Games at Sydney Olympic Park shortly before he died of a drug-related overdose. Picture: Facebook Last week, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian told Sunrise host David Koch that "pill-testing doesn't deal with overdoses. Pill-testing doesn't say to one person, 'This is gonna kill you', whereas to someone else it might be safe." There's that word again, "safe". Politicians seem to be stuck spinning the rhetoric that the implementation of pill testing will in some way send the message to young people that taking certain drugs is "safe". If there's one thing I can assure you, it's that in the numerous conversations I've had with my peers, none of us are under any sort of impression that pills are safe. Young Australians are completely aware that all drug taking is harmful - our PE teachers got us that far. 19-year-old Alex Ross-King. Picture: Facebook If we take drugs, we're being reckless and we know it. But we would like to know how reckless. As 23-year-old James told me: "Kids do die from pure pills, but at least with pill testing the ones that are actually poisonous and deadly, they can be stopped." WE SIMPLY HAVE TO DO SOMETHING "Maybe it won't work, but we have to do something" - it's a desperate and disheartened plea, and one that's been said over and over. Because while we clearly accept that all drugs are dangerous, something politicians won't believe, the no-tolerance approach has obviously failed. As young people, we feel that our hands are tied. That no one is listening to us. We're not ignorant of who is doing what like most parents are. We're in the thick of it. In our minds, 'a pill popper' does not equate to a filthy delinquent. They're our friends, our siblings, our classmates - and unlike many politicians, we've rejected the idea that those who take drugs get what's coming to them. A MESSAGE TO PARENTS If you're a parent and you're riding on the notion that the child you've raised is above taking drugs, know this: Research by the 2016 National Drug Strategy Household Survey found that by age 19, one in five young people have tried an illicit drug. So even if it is sincerely not your kid, you can bet your ass it's their friend. It's a kid you've had at some stage around your dinner table. The dialogue from non-young people is all too cold and removed. That is until one of us dies. Then we're given a face and a name, a family who no longer have the privilege of playing with hypotheticals anymore. They don't turn on the television and see a face that could almost be their daughter's. Because it is their daughter's. "Premier, please: can we have this pill testing done. It's such a small thing to do, it's not hard. Let's try and get it out there," begged Ms Ross-King's grandmother Denise Doig on Network Ten. People are desperate for a resolution and we owe it to them to try something. Nope, and I will personally testify to that. According to similar measures taken in Europe, it very well might. But even if it doesn't, surely we have to try. Yes! They've told me they will. If weeing on a pile of sawdust can become a festival norm, lining up to get your pills tested sure as hell can.
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https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/how-many-more-young-people-have-to-die-before-we-e/3631916/
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What will the Navys denial of Camp Lejeune claims mean for other contaminated bases?
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The announcement Thursday that the Navy would deny 4,400 claims from Marines and their families who say contaminated water at Camp Lejeune made them ill raises the question of whether any affected military community could ever be compensated for cancers and other illnesses. On Thursday, Navy Secretary Richard Spencer said despite the Navys acknowledgement there were harmful cleaning solvents and fuels that may have sickened Camp Lejeune personnel from 1953 to 1987, he decided this week to deny claims from those Lejeune lawsuits. In all, the claims sought $963 billion in damages. Spencers announcement seemed to end the families' quest at least on the military front to seek damages. I am perfectly cognizant of the fact this will be a disappointment to the claimants, Spencer said, However it would be a disservice ... to hold the claims without a decision or a way forward." DoD: At least 126 bases report water contaminants linked to cancer, birth defects The water at or around 126 military installations contains potentially harmful levels of perfluorinated compounds, which have been linked to cancers and developmental delays for fetuses and infants. Spencer cited three reasons the Navy decided to deny the claims: That recent court decisions found the contamination at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, did not meet the conditions to grant a waiver to allow affected members to sue the government under the Federal Tort Claims Act; that service members themselves could not sue because of the Feres Doctrine; and that the spouses and dependents of service members who could have sued the government for their own cancers have likely passed the time frame in which they could have filed a case. The Navy has been considering the Camp Lejeune issue for 20 years. This is a difficult decision, to be very frank with you, Spencer said. Kicking it down the road provided no help whatsoever. But Congress may soon be stepping in. On Friday, Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif., announced her personnel subcommittee would be looking at legislative fixes for the Feres Doctrine, which could have broad implications for the militarys ability to sue the government when injured. Fear no longer. Be the first to hear about breaking news, as it happens. You'll get alerts delivered directly to your inbox each time something noteworthy happens in the Military community. Thanks for signing up. By giving us your email, you are opting in to our Newsletter: Spencer stressed that the service members will still have full VA assistance for treatment for Camp Lejeune-related illnesses. But as far as what other remedies might be available, particularly for spouses or children of service members who grew up at Lejeune, the Navy secretary didnt know what they might be able to do besides potentially work with Congress on a solution. On Friday, attorneys for some of the plaintiffs in the Camp Lejeune cases said the Navys announcement would have a chilling effect on other communities' lawsuits, which may have been the intent. The Navys announcement that 'We will not be paying our claims that alone is going to deter people from filing a claim that they may have, said Daniel Maharaj of the Whistleblower Law Firm, which represented some of the Lejeune clients. Hundreds of communities across the U.S. face groundwater contamination from chemical compounds that were used in military firefighting foam and are linked to cancers, birth defects and other illnesses. The Navys decision on Lejeune should not keep those communities from moving forward, said Natalie Khawam, the founder of the Whistleblower Law Firm. File the claim. Despite what the news of the day is, thats not a court decision. Dont let a non-court decision out there deter you from filing your claim," Khawam said. While those communities may decide to proceed with their own lawsuits, their priority should be making sure the illnesses they are facing get linked to their time at a contaminated base, said Dan Hoffman, an attorney at Gordon & Peters who also represented Lejeune plaintiffs. What I tell people is file for everything, file right away, Hoffman said. Affected veterans should be actively and aggressively pursuing their VA benefits." Hoffman said his firm represents veterans as their claims are heard by the VAs review board, and has recently been working to get additional illnesses included for treatment, such as adding mental health assistance. Hoffman said moving forward, he doubts there will be a case like Camp Lejeune, where the cases have been challenged to prove negligence, because of a lack of government documentation which could have helped the veterans. I think in the future it will be a lot easier to prove the negligence, Hoffman said, Because records are a lot harder to make go away now that they are all electronic. Other affected service members, such as women who were told Dont get pregnant at George Air Force Base in the 1970s and 1980s have previously told Military Times their medical records have been lost entirely, or have missing files.
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https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2019/01/25/what-will-the-navys-denial-of-camp-lejeune-claims-mean-for-other-contaminated-bases/
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Will Canadas choir-boy act finally pay off?
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Long-time Trump associate Roger Stone is indicted in the Mueller probe. Donald Trumps State of the Union address is postponed after he is outfoxed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The record-length government shutdown finally concludes. Venezuela erupts. The U.S supports an opposition takeover. Russia doesnt. Oh and theres a story about the Trudeau governments ambassador to China. He strayed off the party line in making some controversial remarks about a potentially pending extradition case in Canada involving an executive of a telecommunications giant. To say this story, amid so many other detonations, hasnt come across the radar down here would be an understatement. Story continues below advertisement John McCallum, the ambassador in question, humiliatingly had to roll back his declarations, which lent some credibility to the Chinese position vis-a-vis the American one in respect to the detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou. Ms. Meng was taken into custody in Canada for allegedly covering up violations of sanctions on Iran. But his apology, oddly, wasnt prompted by any public pressure from the Trump administration (who, it should be said, should hardly be allowed to complain about mixed messaging from governments). The Canadian embassy didnt get one complaint from the Trumpites before the mea culpa materialized. Rather, Mr. McCallum had to withdraw his statements because he had crossed the line into the political sphere from the legal one. The Chinese, of course, have brutally forced the matter into the political sphere with the detention of two Canadians and the death sentence of another on drug-smuggling charges. And with Mr. Trump, everything is in the political sphere. Hes said he would use the Meng case as a bargaining chip if necessary in trade negotiations with China. But in contrast to the two megapowers, choir-boy Canada wont dirty its hands. It will keep the matter Mr. McCallum be damned entirely in the legal realm. Yes, he went off message. Yes, he was on shaky ground commenting on a matter possibly going before the courts. But it was good that he let the Chinese know and did so publicly that Washington wouldnt automatically get its way in Canada. Though it lasted only a flash, it was one of the few instances of proactivity from the Canadian government. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, we learned this week, told Mr. Trump that if the Meng case is used as a negotiating chip, the U.S. needs to make sure the two innocent Canadians are released as a result of the bargaining. Its a message that should be repeated. Friendly, said Canadas Washington envoy, David MacNaughton. But Ottawa did not go public with it when it happened and has no plans to escalate any kind of political pressure on Mr. Trump. I have kept the U.S. fully informed of our position from when she was first detained, Mr. MacNaughton said Friday. That position hasnt changed. Story continues below advertisement Story continues below advertisement Playing by the book and trying to abide by sound principles were strategies used by Ottawa in the trade negotiations. Unlike the Americans, our negotiators didnt put forward unreasonable demands that they could use as bargaining chips. It appeared the Canadian side was on the defensive most of the way. But the strategy didnt work out too badly. Ultimately, Mr. Trump backed down on a couple of his demands and an agreement was reached. In a similar way, Canada could find its way out of the China imbroglio. Mr. Trump is facing so many challenges that, as on a new North American free-trade agreement, calmer heads might persuade him to compromise on trade with China. In respect to Ms. Meng, several scenarios are possible. The U.S. might conveniently miss next weeks deadline for the extradition filing, or the Americans might file such a weak case that it will easily be dismissed in a Canadian hearing. They dont appear to have a strong case in the first place, and the Chinese are masters of inscrutability in their business dealings. Another is that Mr. Trump, using Ms. Meng as leverage, will get a trade deal with Beijing. The Canadians will be released in the process of it. Mr. McCallum will slip the villain tag.
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https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-will-canadas-choir-boy-act-finally-pay-off/
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Will Nike's Partnership With MLB Result In Radical Uniform Changes Or More Of The Same?
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Today, Nike and Major League Baseball confirmed the rumors that sent shock waves across the sports uniform landscape last year. Nike will indeed become the official uniform and shoe provider for MLB and this will go into effect for the 2020 season and will go on for 10 years. This also includes an agreement with Fanatics when it comes to merchandise which means that MLB is about to enter a brave new world when it comes to aesthetics for both their uniforms and their merchandise as well. The main question that will probably receive plenty of discussion from now until Nike officially takes control is whether or not we'll see another sea change of uniforms once the agreement kicks in. When Nike took control of the NFL, we saw plenty of teams take that opportunity to make changes to their uniform, whether they were slight changes or complete overhauls. The same went for the NBA and that included what could be considered an avalanche of uniform changes and additions. It would be safe to assume that Nike would probably like to implement their own design tastes onto MLB uniforms as well, so we'll probably see a few teams make some major changes once Nike comes aboard. It'll be especially interesting to see what happens with the San Diego Padres, who will be undergoing changes ahead of the 2020 season. Will Nike take the opportunity to do a bit of experimentation with San Diego's uniforms, or will we see them continue to stick to normal baseball trends when it comes to the new look. It will definitely be interesting to see just how Nike treads the line between radical experimentation and traditional baseball uniform aesthetics. Football and basketball tend to learn towards the progressive side of design and that's why you see all sorts of interesting color schemes and striping patterns when it comes to their uniform designs in those sports. Baseball, on the other hand, is a completely different animal. This is a sport where simply wearing a color such as powder blue in lieu of gray as a road jersey is considered to be a major switch in uniform design. There is room to experiment and come up with progressive design but you also run the risk of messing with a good thing. Major League Baseball is currently sitting on extremely solid ground when it comes to their uniforms and you could argue that no team could use a major change. It's safe to say that we won't see teams like the Yankees or Tigers making major changes but we could see teams use the alternate uniform landscape as their opportunity to take Nike's hand and explore their options. Of course, this is all speculation at this point in time. There's still a year to go before this goes into affect and other than San Diego, there's no telling as to who will make a big change at this time. However, it will be interesting to see which direction Nike goes in when it comes to their aesthetic influence. Only time will tell.
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https://www.forbes.com/sites/demetriusbell/2019/01/25/major-league-baseball-nike-uniform-changes-2020/
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Where will Meghan Markle and Harrys baby go to school and how much could it cost?
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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are expecting their baby in the Spring. Royal Family children are generally sent to very expensive fee paying schools. It is likely Meghan and Harrys children will be no different. Eton College If Meghan and Harry have a boy, they could attend Eton. All pupils at Eton board at the school, which has a long history. It even has a glossary so that students can understand some of the strange words used there. This includes called a teacher a beak and referring a weekly meeting with their tutor as private business. Etons current fees for the next academic year are a 2,100 joining fee. Then parents will pay 13,556 per term or 54,224 a year. If their child wants to study 60 minutes of a music a week it will add 620 a term to their fees. In total the basic fees along will cost 379,568 for Harry and Meghans child to attend from year 13 to year 18. Gordonstoun This is a mixed school, which was the traditional school to send royal children to, before Princess Diana sent Harry and William to Eton. This school is also incredibly pricey. The junior school (from year 2 to year 8) costs 7,786 a term for boarding, or 31,144. The whole of junior school would cost the royal parents 218,008. Years 9 to 12 cost 11,500 a term for boarding, 46,000 a term, and 184,000 for the whole four years. Two years of sixth from will cost 25,530. From from year 2 to year 13 parents will spend 458,682.
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https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/1078041/meghan-markle-news-latest-prince-harry-baby-pregnant-school
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Is Victoria Beckham the Most Fashionable Patron of the Arts?
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Advertisement 1 / 12 The term old masters reflected the realities of history. Theres not really room for women. It just does not have the same gravitas, noted Aimee Ng, associate curator at the Frick Collection. So Im particularly gratified that one of the most powerful voices right now rejuvenating the field of old masters painting, and bringing in new audiences and new perspectives, is a strong leading woman. The formidable woman Ng was referencing is Victoria Beckham, who, last night at Sothebys, helped celebrate the The Female Triumphant, an exhibition of 21 works by groundbreaking female artists from the 16th through the 19th centuries. The showcased works are part of Sothebys annual Masters Week, but before they were installed at the auction houses York Avenue outpost, four of the paintings up for auction spent a whirlwind weekend in London, where they were exhibited at Beckhams Dover Street boutique. According to her, it all started with a trip to the Frick on a recent visit to Manhattan. I found myself in New York on my own, and I found it so inspiring, the most incredible environment to look at art, Beckham explained. And that was the first time that I became interested in the old masters. Im not going to stand here and pretend I know an enormous amount about them, I dont, but what I have really enjoyed is learning. Beckham wasnt the only one experiencing an art history enlightenment. Many in the room last night were introduced to new names of female painters long overlooked by the male-dominated hierarchy of the arts; painters like Michaelina Wautier, Fede Galizia, and Marie-Victoire Lemoine. Among them were works by more recognizable female artists like lisabeth Louise Vige Le Brun (perhaps best known for her portraits of Queen Marie Antoinette), who was celebrated in a sweeping traveling exhibition in 2015 that began at Pariss Grand Palais. Exhibited last night was Vige Le Bruns commanding portrait of Mohammed Dervish Khan and a resplendent portrait of Mrs. Spencer Perceval, ne Jane Wilson, rendered in pastel. Also on view was the Caravaggio-esque Saint Sebastian Tended By Irene by the trailblazing artist Artemisia Gentileschi, who is widely regarded as the most skilled female artist of the 17th century. In this instance, she employs her female perspective to depict the martyrdom of Saint Sebastian; she quite literally highlighted his caretakers, Irene and Lucina, and flouted the more practiced depiction of a burly Sebastian, deceived, distraught, and pierced by arrows. After the Sothebys reception, Beckham led her guests, including Sarah Hoover and Lucy Chadwick, back to the Frick for an intimate dinner hosted in the rarely open Directors Dining Room, located on the upper floor of the historic Fifth Avenue manse Henry Clay Frick once called home. These are very special events that we host up in the inner sanctum of the house. As you know, if you know the Collection, this is not an area thats usually open to the public, explained Frick curator Xavier F. Salomon. Were actually standing in two old bedrooms that were turned into one big room in the 1930s . . . once Mrs. Fricks and her daughters bedrooms. The highly atmospheric room was expectedly luxurious; guests took their seats at an elegantly appointed dinner table. Famous oil paintings of goddesses and aristocrats of yore only added to the impressive company. I have to say its very posh, Beckham quipped. An apt description indeed.
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https://www.vogue.com/article/victoria-beckham-sothebys-frick-exhibition
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Is Huawei welkom in Nederland?
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Het is een bedrijf waar tien jaar geleden maar weinig mensen van hadden gehoord, maar ineens is het overal. Het Chinese Huawei maakt mobiele telefoons, tablets en alles wat achter de schermen nodig is om ze te laten werken, zoals antenne's, zendstations en netwerkapparatuur. En daar is steeds meer ophef over. Want nu wereldwijd wordt gewerkt aan nog snellere netwerken, staat Huawei voorop om ze te leveren. Maar steeds meer Westerse landen zijn bang dat de Chinese overheid het bedrijf gebruikt voor spionage en dus weren ze het bedrijf voor de aanleg bij de van 5G, de opvolger van ons huidige mobiele internet. Ook Nederland staat in de startblokken om miljarden te investeren in een nieuw mobiel netwerk. Huawei is voor veel bedrijven een logische keus: technisch hoogwaardig en goedkoop.
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https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/artikel/2269065-is-huawei-welkom-in-nederland.html
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Could the Sharks play preseason games in Europe next season?
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SAN JOSE NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said Friday the league will be holding more preseason games in Europe next season, including Germany, raising the possibility the Sharks will be one of the teams taking part. On the heels of games held in Europe and China last fall, Bettman, at a downtown press conference, said the league will be holding more exhibition games overseas next season, tentatively scheduled in Switzerland and Germany. A season-opening game will also be held in Prague of the Czech Republic and two regular season games will be held in Stockholm, Sweden in November. The NHL held Global Series Games in Europe this past October, with one preseason game between Edmonton and New Jersey taking part in Cologne, Germany and a regular season game between the two teams in Gothenburg, Sweden. We are not ready today to announce the dates or teams, for next season, Bettman said, but more to come shortly. Sharks majority owner Hasso Plattner is a native of Germany and the software company he helped found, SAP, is a major corporate partner of the NHL. In talking about the Sharks, the host team for this weekends NHL All-Star Game festivities, Bettman praised the stability of the organization, led by Plattner and general manager Doug Wilson. It is incredible to see the central role that this organization and the SAP Center have played, and are playing, in the success of this great city, Bettman said. More to come.
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https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2019/01/25/could-the-sharks-play-preseason-games-in-europe-next-season/
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Is Google TV gunning for games consoles?
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Google TV already includes Flash Player 10.1 as part of the platform - it needs that to play everything on YouTube as well as many of the other video sites it turns into TV channels (and for the full experience when you're browsing web pages) That means if there's a Flash game on a web page, you'll be able to play it on the first version of Google TV. Read more: Trello But an update to Google TV will let you download and run apps that don't run inside the built-in Chrome browser, Adobe CTO Kevin Lynch told TechRadar. "Google TV is taking an approach initially that's very browser centric; you're viewing web pages. You go to URLs and you can see apps that have been put on the website. "Those apps can be built with HTML and Flash together because we worked with the Google TV team to really create an excellent experience for Flash and HTML on these boxes. "It's really well integrated with the TV experience, so you can browse not only web sites but you can go to TV channels - it's all interleaved really well. Over time we're also looking at applications that you could put on your box and the installation will be different for those. There will be applications as well as browsing; right now it's browsing and the Flash player." Google TV performance Part of the issue is making sure the performance is good enough, Danny Winokur of Adobe's Flash Client Platform told TechRadar. "The architecture of Google TV is a very interesting combination of things. You've got the new Intel hardware plus an Android clair derivative it's not pure clair and then you've got Chrome instead of the Android browser. "The way that stack lines up means there are some particular challenges in getting [the] performance [you want]. It turns out there's a lot of buffering going on As we get to subsequent updates that will help to give us a lift in performance. Video is doing really well right now, rendering is a bit of a problem, as you'd expect on a TV." We asked Rishi Chandra, lead product manager for Google TV, what kinds of apps to expect. "TV is an entertainment device and there are plenty of web apps out there, web content - whatever might be [relevant]. Games obviously make sense on the big screen in the living room. But I think there's going to be plenty of opportunities for a whole bunch of different applications that can make sense on the platform." He still couldn't give a Google TV UK release date, apart from to say that "next year you should expect us to roll out in multiple countries."
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https://www.techradar.com/au/news/television/is-google-tv-gunning-for-games-consoles-903949
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Has Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick found himself a new nemesis for the 2019 legislative session?
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CLOSE The split that tore apart the Texas Democratic Party of the past could hold lessons for modern-day Republicans John C. Moritz/USA TODAY Network Austin Bureau Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's decision to bust a senior senator from his committee chairmanship could have repercussions on issues pending in Austin. AUSTIN When the Legislature was in session two years ago, the drama running in the background was the escalating feud between Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Joe Straus. It was a fair fight. Patrick, the firebrand conservative Republican, ran the Texas Senate while the more measured Straus, also a Republican, was in charge of the lower chamber. They disagreed on issues ranging from school vouchers to the so-called bathroom bill. Fast forward to 2019, Straus has left the stage while Patrick was returned by voters to another four-year term. But, it didn't take the lieutenant governor long to find a new nemesis. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is the Texas Senate's presiding officer. (Photo: John C. Moritz/USA Today Network Austin Bureau) 'Era of good feeling' fades quickly The era of good feeling that generally prevails in the opening days and weeks of every legislative session was still present under the Capitol Dome when on Jan. 18 Patrick handed down the committee assignments for the Senate. And busted from the prestigious post of chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee was long-serving Amarillo Republican Kel Seliger. State Sen. Kel Seliger (Photo: Courtesy: Texas Senate) Also, Patrick took Seliger off two of the Senate's most prized committee -- Finance Committee and Education. And then less than a week later, Patrick busted him again. This time from his consolation prize as chairman of the less prestigious post as chairman of the Agriculture Committee. And as it was in the case with Straus, Patrick and Seliger disagreed on issues ranging from school vouchers to the bathroom bill. And when Seliger griped publicly about his new assignment, a top staffer in Patrick's office publicly suggested the lawmaker was acting like a prima donna. To which Seliger publicly suggested the staffer could, in effect, kiss his backside. In politics, fights have consequences Even though it all sounds like inside baseball at best, or a high school skirmish at worst, political fights, public and private, have consequences when it comes to getting anything done in Austin. Consider this year's top legislative priority, overhauling Texas' outmoded and unpopular school finance system. As a longtime member of the education committee, Seliger knows the ins and outs of the complex issue about as well as anyone in the Capitol. More: Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick strips a senior GOP senator of committee chairmanship in running feud But that expertise probably won't have a seat at the table, or at least the grownups' table, as state leaders get down to the nuts-and-bolts task of coming up with a new way to pay for public schools. And consider the partisan makeup of the Senate. Under the rules, it takes 19 of the 31 senators to advance legislation. There are 19 Republicans. But with one of them feeling unappreciated, there could be the temptation to hold out, which would strengthen the Democrats' hand on the most partisan issues. The session is still young, and nothing of real legislative substance happens in the early weeks. So we'll have to wait and see how this little drama plays out. Fellow senator takes a poke at Ted Cruz Speaking of the intersection of personality and politics, consider Thursday's dust-up in D.C., when Texas' junior U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz was singled out by one of his colleagues. Cruz, a Republican who's starting his second term, was laying the blame for the ongoing government shutdown at the feet of the Democrats. But one rather obscure Democratic senator from Colorado was having none of it. U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colorado (Photo: Courtesy: U.S. Senate) I have worked very hard over the years to work in a bipartisan way with the presiding officer with my Republican colleagues, but these crocodile tears that the senator from Texas is crying for first-responders are too hard for me to take," U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet said in floor speech that followed Cruz's remarks. It went on for several minutes and it was all carried on C-SPAN then echoed through the canyons on social media. A bearded Ted Cruz addresses his fellow senators. (Photo: Ted Cruz's YouTube page) When the senator from Texas shut this government down in 2013, my state was flooded. It was under water," Bennet continued, invoking the Cruz-led shutdown six years ago in an Obamacare dispute. "People were killed. People's houses were destroyed. Their small businesses were ruined forever. And because of the senator from Texas, this government was shut down for politics." . @SenatorBennet responds to @Sentedcruz: "These crocodile tears that the Senator from Texas is crying for first responders are too hard for me to take." pic.twitter.com/g4FBxdfiGY CSPAN (@cspan) January 24, 2019 Cruz returned fire, accusing Bennet of hysterical "table-banging." "The senator from Colorado spent a great deal of time yelling, spent a great deal of time attacking me personally, Cruz said. I will say in all of my time in the Senate, I don't believe I have ever bellowed or yelled at a colleague on the Senate floor and I hope I never do that. All of which goes to show that political fight know no boundaries. John C. Moritz covers Texas government and politics for the USA Today Network in Austin. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @JohnnieMo. More political coverage More: Clash of the Texans: Beto O'Rourke, Julian Castro may be rivals in 2020 presidential race More: Julian Castro launches his presidential campaign More: Beto O'Rourke slams Trump on government shutdown as chatter about 2020 run intensifies More: Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick begin second terms with promise of bipartisanship Read or Share this story: https://www.caller.com/story/news/columnists/john-moritz/2019/01/25/more-political-drama-austin-involving-dan-patrick/2671522002/
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https://www.caller.com/story/news/columnists/john-moritz/2019/01/25/more-political-drama-austin-involving-dan-patrick/2671522002/
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What Is the Equal Rights Amendment and Why Do We Need It?
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Its 2019 and I still dont have equal rights under the Constitution. Neither do any of you, the nearly 162 million women across the U.S. The absurdity is mind boggling; because I have a vagina, my opportunities for equality and justice are limited. It has been a long, uphill battle to try and rectify American womens second-class citizenry. The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), which would guarantee equal legal rights for all American citizens regardless of sex, was passed by Congress in 1972 (it was initially introduced almost 100 years ago, in 1923). But by the time the arbitrary deadline for state ratification ended in 1982, we were three states short of the 38 needed to put the ERA into the Constitution. Today, we are one state short. One. State. Short. The writer at a 2018 ERA rally. Getty Images Tom Williams Just days ago, Virginia senate passed the ERA. Notably, seven Republicans crossed the aisle to vote in favor of the amendment in a 26-to-14 vote. Then a Republican-led House panel rejected the measure entirely earlier this week. Because I have a vagina, my opportunities for equality and justice are limited. According to the ACLU, There is an important reality that most Americans dont understand. According to a poll by the ERA Coalition/Womens Equality Fund, 80% of Americans mistakenly believe that women and men are guaranteed equal rights in the U.S. Constitution. In reality, they are not. Even former Justice Antonin Scalia recognized that the U.S. Constitution does not prohibit sex discrimination. They think its there because they think it should be. The same polls tell us that 94 percent of Americans support constitutional equality for women. That question is not rhetorical. Heres why we need the ERA: Well, for starters under the Trump administration, we are clawing to keep the scant rights we have; the rights previous generations of women desperately fought to secure. Yes, we can vote, pursue higher education and enter the workforce, but by no stretch of the imagination are we equal. We just arent. Not within society, not in the workplace and not under the law. The ERA would require states to enforce laws against gender violence, so that police can no longer turn their backs on women whose deaths were preventable. Woman are harassed, paid less than were worth, face abuse and assault at disproportionate rates, and are denied equal access to healthcare. The overwhelming majority (81 percent) of women have experienced sexual harassment. It will take more than two centuries for women to earn what our male counterparts make. It will take more than two centuries for women to earn what our male counterparts make. And it would offer sweeping workplace protections by safeguarding against pregnancy discrimination and maternal profiling, and requiring the Supreme Court to use the higher standard of strict scrutiny rather than intermediate scrutiny in sex discrimination cases. Simply put, we need the ERA now because the Constitution does not guarantee equal rights for women (and no, the Equal Protection Clause does not protect women from sex discrimination). The ERA would fix this by expressly prohibiting discrimination against girls and women on the basis of sex. Well...its good for women. Bad for the patriarchy. Our country has allowed men to use our founding documents to preserve their power and privilege, while denying women protection from the consequences. If the last two years have proved anything, its that when women come together and transform our collective pain into collective power, we are unstoppable. If the renewed enthusiasm of the House of Representatives is any indication, and with 116 women newly elected to Congress, I have to believe we can get the ERA passed. Im hopeful. This past June, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney and Congresswoman Jackie Speier held a Congressional shadow hearing on the ERA, where I testified, and most recently, Congressman Jerry Nadler announced plans for a House Judiciary hearing in the new Congress. We are 100 percent equal, by virtue of being human. As for the Republican-led Senatewhich has enabled Trumps anti-woman, and what sometimes feels like an anti-human, agenda for nearly two years nowthis is their chance to do something historic for the women theyre elected to represent, but have failed. Supporting the ERA would help mitigate the horrors theyve made possible. Women are 51 percent of the U.S. population. We represent nearly 47 percent of the workforce. And we are 100 percent equal, by virtue of being human. Its time our government enshrined this equality where it belongsin the Constitution. Ratifying the ERA would be a statement of principle. It would send a message to our daughters. It would send a message to our sons. It would send a message to every state in the country. And it would send a message to the world. These rights are our birthright. But enshrining them in our Constitution is our responsibility.
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https://www.cosmopolitan.com/politics/a26038657/equal-rights-amendment-history-definition-alyssa-milano/
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How do our high temperatures vary through the year?
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Thanks, William Girard, Shorewood John Biemer, Oak Park Dear William and John, The citys normal high temperature dropped to 31 degrees, the lowest value of the year, on January 2 and it will remain there through January 29. As daylight gradually increases and the suns rays become more direct as the sun rises higher in the sky, the citys normal high temperature will begin to slowly, but steadily, increase. By the end of February, it will climb to 40 degrees, 53 by the end of March, 65 by Aprils close, 75 at the end of May and 84 at the end of June. The citys achieves its highest normal temperature of 85 degrees on July 9 where it remains through July 15, when it then begins it slow descent back to 31 degrees by January 2.
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https://wgntv.com/2019/01/25/how-do-our-high-temperatures-vary-through-the-year/
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Why Arent Texas Politicians Standing Up for Texas Landowners?
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If you spent any time on social media yesterday, theres a good chance you saw that viral video of Colorado senator Michael Bennet laying into Ted Cruz on the floor of the U.S. Senate for failing to protect South Texans from President Trumps desire to build a wall on their land. Cruz had just made the argument that the Senate should give Trump $5.7 billion in funding for a border wall so the government shutdown could be lifted and Coast Guard employees could get paid. (Earlier today, the shutdown ended, at least temporarily, minus the $5.7 billion appropriation.) Bennet, with unusual fervor for a Senate debate, denounced the Texas senators crocodile tears, recalling that back in 2013 Cruz himself led a government shutdown that had catastrophic consequences for Colorado when it was inundated with floods. And then he laid into Cruz on the matter of eminent domain. Bennet would never encourage the federal government to take his constituents land, he said. It was a reminder that one of the strange things about the Trump era is how many events are funhouse-mirror images of events that transpired during Barack Obamas presidency. In the last few years, weve watched Republicans relearn to love executive power and Democrats learn to hate it again. The party that scorned Obamas negotiations with Iran as cowardly and weak is cheering Trumps handholding with the supreme leader of North Korea. And, as the Bennet v. Cruz bout reminded us as well, the fight over Trumps border wall bears a strong similarity to another recent attempt by the federal government to seize private land in Texasone that played out a lot differently. In 2009 the Bureau of Land Management published a series of surveys in the Federal Register that laid claim to small strips of land between the medial line of the Red Riverthe invisible line down the middle of the waterway that constitutes the border between Texas and Oklahomaand the rivers south bank. A mundane turning of the federal bureaucracy, one might think, except that the BLM and Texas landowners south of the river happened to disagree pretty vigorously on where the south bank of the river actually was, and the difference between the two put the ownership of a lot of privately owned land in doubt. The substance of the matter was labyrinthine, but the political reality of the fight was simple. Here was a federal agency under the purview of Barack Obama coming to Texas to take land from ranchers. The headlines wrote themselves , and politicians and pundits were happy to weigh in. The Texas Public Policy Foundation, a conservative think tank in Austin, launched a major effort to fight the feds in court. Texas elected officials, from Governor Greg Abbott on down to minor lawmakers like state Rep. Jonathan Stickland, toured the area and pledged to fight them too. Abbott told the agency to come and take it in a fundraising email, recalling the Battle of Gonzales, and Stickland expressed hope that the situation didnt blow up into a Nevada-type situation, with landowners taking up arms. For a moment, that seemed as if it might happen: militia members came and rallied on some of the disputed land, employing superheated rhetoric, and the FBI followed them. The immense political pressure workedafter reducing its claim, the BLM dropped the matter entirely when President Donald Trump took office. The lesson, hard won by the feds, was that Texans could be brought to revolt even in defense of thin strips of inaccessible river scrubland. But lets fast forward a few years and jump from the northern riverine boundary of the state to the southern. Texas politicians may well have been right to come to the defense of the Red River ranchers. If so, its hard to understand, as a matter of consistency, their relative silence in regard to another threatened federal land grab, this time on the Rio Grande. In order to build Trumps border wall, or fence, or whatever, the federal government will have to seize a substantial amount of land on the Rio Grandes north bank. In Texas, most of that land is privately owned. These actions would be, in many ways, worse than what the BLM contemplated along the Red River, where the land would have been kept in more or less the same condition, regardless of who owned it. By contrast, wherever the border fence goes up, the federal government will seize and clear-cut a 150-foot buffer zone, fill it with lights, cameras, sensors, and access roads, and build a three-story steel and concrete structure, with additional infrastructure behind it. Much of this would cut across nature preserves, homesteads, ranches, colonias, and historic sites. It would be one thing if Congress agreed to fund and build the wall, signifying it as a national prioritythats how things are supposed to work. But, even after the shutdown was lifted today, Trump continued to threaten to circumvent the peoples representatives entirely by declaring a national emergency and authorizing funds himself. The BLM at least claimed a mandate from Congress and could be reined in by Congress. In this case, the executive branch is threatening to go it aloneinitiating a process that would seize Texans land on shaky legal grounds. Because the fight over the wall is understood by the national media to be a D.C. storyabout whether Trump or his foes will prevail in a political gamethe impact that the wall would have on people who live next to it has received very little play in the national media. Its fallen to Texas journalists to try to raise their stature. In the Texas Observer, Gus Bova wrote about Father Roy Snipes, known around Mission, Texas for his love of Lone Star beer, a propensity to swear freely and the menagerie of rescue dogs hes rarely seen without. Snipes is fighting to save the modest La Lomita chapel, built in 1899, which falls in the buffer zone of a border wall the feds are planning to build in Hidalgo County. At the Intercept, Melissa del Bosque wrote about Ramiro Ramrezs attempt to save the family cemetery of his ancestors, the Jacksons, who ran a post on the underground railroad. The feds will either have to exhume the bodies or build over them, just like the government plans to clear-cut and build through the National Butterfly Center . These stories and others helps illustrate how much life in South Texas has historically been oriented around the river, and how much of an imposition the taking of land would be on top of the many impositions the federal government has made on south Texans in recent years. Much of the border land between El Paso and Brownsville may belong to wealthy ranchers, but along the border there are also plenty of poor communities and homeownerslike Pamela Taylor, an octogenarian Trump supporter who faces eviction from her home in Brownsville. The area as a whole is poorer and more Hispanic than the rest of the state. Maybe its worth it. Thats what conservative politicians say when asked. Eminent domain is for projects in the collective interest, and maybe a border wall is one. But in that case, the evidence that the border wall would help the United States ought be weighed against the imposition it would place on citizens who live along the river. And thats not the conversation weve had. When people talked about the Red River, they focused on the lives of the ranchers. Yet the lives of south Texans have been far from the center of the argument over the wall. One group of people who could change that, of course, is the same group of people who put the Red River ranchers front and centerTexas politicians, and groups like the Texas Public Policy Foundation. They havent, of course. While TPPF analysts once described Trumps border wall as evidence of a rigid and polarized debate over immigration, theyve been quiet lately. So has Governor Abbott, who hasnt been enthusiastic about the wall but hasnt offered words of caution, either. Stickland hasnt been to Mission to rally with Father Snipes. And Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick considers additional wall building a life-or-death matter for Texas. Ted Cruz was another one of the people who made hay out of the fight on the Red River, pressuring the agency and then, when declaring victory in 2017, writing that Texans along the Red River should not be subject to the seizure of property they rightfully own. On Thursday, on the Senate floor, when he rose to urge Democrats to capitulate and pass funding for the wall, Senator Bennet noted how odd it was that Cruz was going to the mat in support of a project that would seize his constituents property. I can assure you that in Colorado, that if a president said he was going to use eminent domain to erect a barrier across the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, he was going to steal the property of our farmers and ranchers to build his medieval wall, Bennet said, there wouldnt be an elected leader from our state who would support that idea. Thats what you would expect, normally. Whether the BLM was in the right or not about the Red River borders, Texas senators were going to oppose them, because thats what elected officials usually do for their constituents.
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https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/texas-politicians-ted-cruz-standing-up-texas-landowners/
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Did Ontarios anti-electric government encourage General Motors to close Oshawa plant?
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GM firm on closure of Oshawa plant, Jan. 16 Consider this: General Motors committed last fall to an electric vehicle future. It has asked for federal electric and zero-emission vehicle policies. It has asked governments to provide incentives for electric vehicle purchases and infrastructure investments to accelerate accessible, convenient electric charging. It recognizes there is a world-wide shift to an all-electric future and wants to be a leader. The opposite. It has cancelled the electric and hydrogen vehicle incentive program and removed charging stations from GO station parking lots. I think the people of Oshawa can lay the blame of the plant closure directly on Premier Doug Ford.
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https://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors/2019/01/16/did-ontarios-anti-electric-government-encourage-general-motors-to-close-oshawa-plant.html
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Why the secrecy around Robert Lloyd Schellenbergs prior drug convictions?
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Canada decries China death sentence, Jan. 16 I find it hard to stomach Canadas biased media on so many issues but I will not ignore the characterization of Abbotsfords Robert Lloyd Schellenberg as an innocent pawn in the diplomatic dust-up between Canada and China over the arrest of a Chinese billionaire in Vancouver. Canadas media would have us think so.But I read, heard and viewed many news reports before learning that Schellenberg had served prison time for drug crimes in Canada before going to China. Our justice system, which we laud with noses raised, found him guilty and convicted him twice to serve one- and two-year sentences, which amounts to mollycoddling in countries that are serious about fighting drugs.
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https://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters_to_the_editors/2019/01/16/why-the-secrecy-around-robert-lloyd-schellenbergs-prior-drug-convictions.html
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Can The St. Marys Boys Team Turn Its Season Around?
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The St. Marys Roughriders boys basketball team is in need of a win in the worst way. After a 3-2 start and a three-game win streak, the Roughriders (3-7, 0-3 WBL) have dropped five straight with their latest loss coming in another agonizing fashion in a 54-53 last-shot loss to No. 4 ranked St. Henry on Tuesday. In breaking down the Roughriders recent struggles, in four of those losses the Roughriders have lost by six points or fewer, two points or fewer in three of those five losses. Aside from the 31-point defeat to Shawnee, St. Marys has lost by a combined 10 points. I love this group and I wouldnt want any other group, Roughriders Craig Szymczak said after last weeks game against Kenton. We have a gauntlet coming up with six games in the next two weeks. We are getting better and we are a team that no one is going to want to play at the end of the season. There are actually reasons to be optimistic, and there are obviously reasons to be skeptical of St. Marys in its remaining 12 games. In one reason to be optimistic St. Marys still has 11 games on its regular season schedule, plus one game to be rescheduled against Fort Recovery and add another game in a sectional semifinal. Szymczak has said numerous times that the team can still turn the season around and there is still that opportunity even if recent history suggests otherwise. If St. Marys were to win half of the 12 remaining regular season games giving it nine wins that in itself would be an improvement since it would be the highest win total in a season in the four years under Szymczak. The other factor to keep in mind is how St. Marys has lost. The saying goes that a team has to be both good and lucky and St. Marys is playing good, just not lucky hence the close defeats against Van Wert, Piqua, Kenton and St. Henry. The Roughriders have shown that they are good enough to play against any team anywhere in any game aside from state-ranked Ottawa-Glandorf and Shawnee but they have shown that they are not lucky enough to win those games. We need something good or we need to make something good happen, Szymczak said after the Shawnee game. It is not like game No. 15 or 16, we have a whole lot of season to go and we can still turn it around. There are, however, reasons to be skeptical when it comes to St. Marys turning the season around. The main culprit is the schedule. The Roughriders dont catch a break throughout the remainder of their schedule except for maybe Bath (1-13, 0-3). Their next three opponents have winning records and six of their next eight all have winning records. In addition, The Riders are in the middle of playing seven games in a 15-day span. Recent history is another reason to be skeptical. St. Marys was 8-8 two years ago before losing to Celina, and that critical loss at the Celina Fieldhouse affected the team the rest of the way when they did not win another game. Last season, St. Marys consistently struggled to finish games and Szymczaks teams have not shown that ability to bounce back yet. But, the coach continues to be optimistic about his players and his players have continued to show the confidence in their abilities and in the team. And just like Szymczak has said throughout this season, once something good happens, things can change. I love this group and I wouldnt want any other group, Szymczak said. We have a gauntlet coming up with six games in the next two weeks. We are getting better and we are a team that no one is going to want to play at the end of the season."
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https://www.theeveningleader.com/content/can-st-marys-boys-team-turn-its-season-around
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Are These Expired Tax Breaks Gone for Good?
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Tax season is just about to start, and taxpayers will be starting to prepare their returns for the 2018 tax year. Yet even as they do so, lawmakers haven't yet addressed some key provisions of the tax laws that expired at the end of 2017 -- and there's no guarantee that they'll be able to get their act together in time to let taxpayers and the IRS take them into account in their tax filings. Most tax policy specialists have paid close attention to all the tax reform-related changes from new laws that took effect in 2018. That's pushed some older tax breaks out of the spotlight, and between the government shutdown and the latest incarnation of Washington gridlock, things aren't happening the way they usually do to fix them. Alarm clock, piles of coins, and letter magnets spelling "TAX" on a wood table. More Image source: Getty Images. How tax extenders got to be a problem The tax laws are full of provisions that offer breaks to certain groups of taxpayers for certain activities. Some of them are permanent provisions of the tax code that taxpayers can rely on year in and year out, but others are designed to last for a specific period of time, with firm expiration dates. Each year, lawmakers face pressure to extend the expiration dates on favored tax breaks. However, doing so comes with a budgetary cost, and that cost can be substantial when tax breaks become permanent. It's cheaper from a budgetary perspective simply to extend the expiration date for a single year, kicking the can down the road into the future. Recently, Congress has been increasingly late in dealing with tax extenders. For the 2017 tax year, these provisions didn't get extended until February 2018. That was late enough to create challenges for both taxpayers and IRS staff members. Yet it seems that no one's learned from that lesson, and now some think that lawmakers might just give up on the extenders rather than trying to deal with them after the start of tax season. At issue are a number of popular tax breaks, including the following: Deductibility of private mortgage insurance (PMI) payments in the same manner as mortgage interest. Deductions from gross income for qualified tuition and fees for college. Exclusion from income of debt forgiven on a qualifying principal residence. Various credits for renewable energy initiatives, including certain electric vehicles. There are also dozens of breaks that apply largely to businesses, especially in the energy arena. Even though the extenders have generally had a good track record of getting renewed each year, there's reason to believe that this year could be different. With so many other tax changes having taken effect, it'd be easier to end these provisions without having as many taxpayers notice as they would in a year with fewer tax changes. In addition, some of the provisions have largely run their course. For instance, the exclusion of debt forgiveness was largely tied to the housing crisis in the late 2000s, and a rising housing market in the past decade has made mortgage modifications a lot less common. It'd be tougher to kill some of the other credits. Electric vehicles have gotten a lot of notoriety from the rise of Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), and even though enough Tesla vehicles have used the credit that the amount of money available has been on the decline, it's still an incentive to further innovation in the industry. Millions of homeowners pay PMI on their mortgages, and although the higher standard deduction might make this deduction less relevant than in past years, it could still be perceived as negative. Similarly, many taxpayers use education provisions other than the tuition deduction, but those who do use it will feel its loss.
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https://news.yahoo.com/expired-tax-breaks-gone-good-224600731.html
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Whats happening to Tony Onoh?
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There has been an unusual quietness from the side of foremost Nigerian entrepreneur, Anthony Onoh. Many have been asking where is Onoh, the one-time effervescent CEO of Eurafric Oil and Coastal Services. This question may remain unanswered until probably when he resurfaces on the social scene. This query became pertinent given that Onoh was one of the big boys in the oil and gas sector during the immediate past administration of former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Onoh thrived very well under the Jonathan administration with interests in various sectors of the economy including Aviation, Power, Oil & Gas, Commodities Trading and Real Estate. But since the Jonathan administration left in May 2015, Onoh has literally taken cover for some inexplicable reasons. It was gathered that his last major outing was in February 2016 when one of his companies, Sapele Power Plc, which he purchased some years ago, signed a 300 MW Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Cummings Cogeneration Ltd, as part of plans to build one of Africas largest gas-fired power plants. But it has not been a rosy report as Onohs company is said to be struggling now. Obviously, his story will continue to astound many who know him to be a businessman and chief executive with an unusual gut. As a businessman, he does not cringe, even in the face of difficulty. Perhaps, this unique attribute was the impetus that made him go into the oil and gas business at a time when many had not given him any chance of survival. When Onoh set up Eurafric Oil and Coastal Service in the 90s, many had sneered at him, but he simply refused to allow his dream die. However, with his disappearance on the social radar, many are insinuating that the businessmans muse seems to have left him.
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https://www.sunnewsonline.com/whats-happening-to-tony-onoh/
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Why did a D.C. Council member put the kibosh on a much-needed project?
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In an Oct. 2 news release, Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) announced a proposal for mixed-use development in Ward 8, the citys most impoverished community, located east of the Anacostia River. The ambitious project, Bowser stated, would be financed by the wards first-ever, $60.8 million Tax Increment Financing (TIF) program. TIF allows the city to lend for development by issuing bonds to be repaid with future tax receipts generated by the project. Bowser declared, The project will bring jobs, housing and opportunity to Ward 8. She followed with an imposing description of the project, called Reunion Square: a 180-room hotel, an apartment building with 133 units 20 percent of which would serve as affordable housing 250,000 square feet of office space, more than 13,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, underground parking and dedicated space for new, high quality cultural, arts, and community facilities. Making big investments to ensure that every corner of our city is able to participate in D.C.s prosperity is her goal, said Bowser, adding, and thats what were doing here. Not quite four months later, the TIF project for Ward 8 is dead in its tracks. The councils Finance and Revenue Committee, which oversees the TIF program, held a public hearing on the TIF bill on Nov. 14 but did not approve it. Asked why, committee chairman Jack Evans (D-Ward 2) told me via email, I held a hearing but Councilmember Trayon White asked me not to move it forward. So, it expired at the end of last year. Evans said the he acted out of courtesy to a colleague in whose ward the project was located. Thus, on Whites say-so, an economic development initiative that the Bowser administration said would create more than 162 construction jobs, 93 permanent hotel jobs and 185 permanent retail jobs; would include office space for 1,252 workers; and would bring workers and hotel guests to patronize existing Ward 8 businesses that initiative got shelved. At least for the time being. Should White (D-Ward 8) get over his objections and give his blessings to the Reunion Square project, Bowser could resubmit the TIF program for the councils consideration. Inquiring minds may wish to know what caused White to put the kibosh on a much-needed project. Its not as if the development team dropped out of the sky and started plotting under the cover of darkness. According to the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development, real estate development companies Four Points, Curtis Investment Group and Blue Sky Housing held about 15 community meetings in the ward with about 50 attendees at each meeting. The local Advisory Neighborhood Commission voted to support the project and entered into a community benefits agreement with the development team, requiring it to provide specific amenities and address specific neighborhood concerns. In an interview with City Paper just after Thanksgiving, White criticized the project for providing, as City Paper reported, too few affordable units, too few guaranteed jobs for Ward 8 residents, and too few commitments to involve local businesses in the planned retail space. White had essentially made the same points during the finance committee hearing. White also voiced concern that the project would increase property values in the area and people wont be able to afford to live there. As for the promised 180-room hotel on the site, White said, Theres no use to there being a hotel if people cant afford to stay there. Another concern expressed by him and echoed by witnesses during the Finance Committees public hearing was the likelihood that the Reunion Square TIF project would benefit recent well-off arrivals in the ward but not meet the needs of the people like the guys on the corner, the grandmas, the people who have been here for 20 or 30 years who need education, economic opportunities and careers. Brian Kenner, deputy mayor for planning and economic development, told me in an interview that the Bowser administration still supports the project and continues to urge White and the development team to resolve any outstanding issues that might stand in the way. Kenner, however, said he didnt know the exact nature of Whites objections. As Evans told me, the old bill expired at the end of the year. But this is a new year and a chance for a do-over. Three sources familiar with the broad contours of the Reunion Square project have raised that possibility. The key player here is White. Several calls to him and his chief of staff, Wanda Lockridge, regarding Reunion Square have gone unanswered. Many in Ward 8 and friends across the city have been asking whats next. Now we are all watching. Read more from Colbert Kings archive.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-did-a-dc-council-member-put-the-kibosh-on-a-much-needed-project/2019/01/25/80c856f4-2015-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html
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What would it take for Trump to get a primary challenge in 2020?
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Opinion writer The government shutdown has not been good to President Trump. Polls consistently show that clear majorities of the public put the blame on him. His approval rating has fallen since it began, with a new Post/ABC News poll finding it at 37 percent, with 53 percent blaming Trump and Republicans for the shutdown. Meanwhile, Trump and his administration seem determined to show that they dont care about the fortunes of regular people, which isnt helping. Nothing is permanent, of course. Trumps fortunes could revive as all Americans come to realize just how fabulous a president he really is. But if that fails to happen, and his approval ratings remain low, dont be surprised if he gets a primary challenge for his reelection. It has always seemed like the remotest of possibilities, given Trump's apparent hold on his party, and it still may be less than likely. But for this most unusual president, circumstances may combine to bring it about. Its one of the truisms of contemporary presidential politics that a president who gets a primary challenge winds up losing. Its what happened to George H.W. Bush in 1992 (who was challenged by Pat Buchanan), to Jimmy Carter in 1980 (Ted Kennedy), and to Gerald Ford in 1976 (Ronald Reagan). Whats much less clear is whether the primary challenge is effect or cause: whether its that the challenge exposes the president to high-profile criticism and divides his party, or if only weak presidents on the road to defeat get challenged in the first place. There may be truth in both, but weakness is the necessary condition for a challenge to begin. The first requirement is that those approval ratings remain low enough that it looks like Trumps defeat in November 2020 is, if not inevitable, then at least highly likely. At that point even a loyal Republican candidate or voter might come to believe that the only thing that would save the party is to have someone else lead the ticket. Then there are the things that would keep those approval ratings low, or even drive them lower than they are now. The first is a downturn in the economy, which more and more experts are saying is entirely possible some time in the next two years. While Trumps claims that he alone is responsible for every good jobs report or up day on the stock market are absurd, like all presidents he gets credit whether he deserves it. Then, of course, theres the Russia scandal. At the moment, most Republicans might dismiss it as a witch hunt, but its not over there are more indictments to come, Michael Cohen will eventually testify in public, and who knows what else might be revealed. Even if it doesnt produce an impeachment, it could still erode Trumps standing further. Thats not to mention all the other scandals that Democrats in the House will be investigating. Nevertheless, even if Trump remains unpopular and Republicans grow more panicky about the possibility of him losing to a Democrat, it will still be a big leap for them to support a challenge, since those challenges have always failed, at least in modern times. But the unusual nature of Trumps presidency might make the challenge more plausible as something other than a quixotic effort. Yes, a president being defeated for his partys nomination hasnt happened since 1884, and only once in U.S. history has a sitting president who won election in his own right lost the nomination (that would be Franklin Pierce in 1852). It would take a challenger who sees it as something other than career suicide, and Kasich is the name most often mentioned. He might look to Ronald Reagans example as someone who challenged his partys president, lost and then four years later became president himself. There is a major difference, however. Like all modern primary challengers, Reagan was coming from his partys edge and challenging a president he and his followers viewed as not just a failure but as too centrist. Thats what Buchanan and Kennedy argued as well. Nobody is going to outflank Trump on the right; a candidate such as Kasich or Flake would be coming at him from the center. Not that they arent extremely conservative, but they wouldnt be saying Trump isnt conservative enough. That would be a tough argument to make in a primary. Nevertheless, many Republicans believe that Trumps essential political strategy always cater to the bases worst instincts, never reach out beyond your most avid supporters is fundamentally flawed, particularly for a party that represents a shrinking portion of the electorate. If it looks more and more like the strategy has failed, a challenge could start to seem eminently reasonable. And then Trump would really be in trouble.
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https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/01/25/what-would-it-take-trump-get-primary-challenge/
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What will LSUs weekend rotation look like?
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Its become like a reflex for Paul Mainieri. The question is so constant that even when he isnt being asked about it he tries to get out in front of it. Zack Hess isnt going back to the bullpen. Mainieris so confident about that, he went even further to start LSU baseball media day Friday (Jan. 25). Lets just say this right now, right up front: Zack Hess is going to be our Friday night starter for the entire season, Mainieri said. Hess was one of the best relievers in baseball in 2017, the Tiger with a 2.51 ERA the final three months of LSUs College World Series run before being moved to the starting rotation in 2018. Ma'Khail Hilliard shut down again, should return soon He had mixed results as a starter last season, going through dominant stretches combined with rough ones to finish the year with a 5.05 ERA. When Hess surprised some by turning down $600,000 from MLB teams to return for his redshirt junior season this summer, some fans started clamoring for Hess to return to the bullpen. Its led to a running joke of Mainieri saying every interview Hess will be his starting pitcher. Theres no consideration to moving him to the bullpen, Mainieri said Friday. Hes our dude, and I think hes ready to be if not the best one of the best pitchers in the Southeastern Conference. Hess said he tries to not listen to the bullpen talk, but he definitely hears the support from his coach. Any time your head coach puts that kind of faith in you, it really means a lot, and it motivates me to go back that confidence he has in me, Hess said. Mainieri then said redshirt sophomore Eric Walker will be his Sunday starting pitcher after missing all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery. Walker was a Freshman All-SEC star for LSU as a freshman on the World Series run. He went 8-2 with a 3.48 ERA before the injury. Mainieri often tells Walker he thinks LSU would have beaten Florida in the finals if Walker was healthy. Those two spots are secure. The competition is between four freshmen, but one has a clear lead. If I had to guess right now it would be Landon Marceaux, Maineiri said. Mainieri and pitching coach Alan Dunn are extremely confident in the freshman from Destrehan who MLB scouts considered one of the most polished prospects. Mainieri told reporters in June that Marceaux turned down six figures. Fellow freshmen like Cole Henry, Jaden Hill and Chase Costello are also in the mix for that third weekend spot and will also compete for the midweek starting jobs. MaKhail Hilliard, one of LSUs top starters last season, is shut down for a week with shoulder soreness. He isnt expected to compete for the weekend starting role when healthy, though. Mainieri said Marceaux is a notch against the rest, and his pitching coach is excited. He knows himself very well as a pitcher in terms of his stuff, Dunn said. He knows what makes it works. Hes a three-pitch mix guy who has command of three pitches. When you do that, you have a chance to be a pretty good pitcher.
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https://www.nola.com/lsu/2019/01/what-will-lsus-weekend-rotation-look-like.html
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Why wasnt hearing on NOPD consent decree televised?
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Six years ago, the New Orleans Police Department entered into a landmark agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to enact far-reaching reforms to prevent the excessive use of force, promote bias-free policing, combat corruption and ensure meaningful engagement with the community. Today, as the city prepares to make the case that the NOPD has met the terms of that agreement, it is vital that this process remain as open and transparent as possible. The City Councils decision not to televise Fridays (Jan. 25) public hearing on the NOPDs consent decree was completely wrongheaded and unjustifiable. It sends entirely the wrong message of preference for closed-door government at a time when the city should strive for absolute transparency. Remarkable reforms made at NOPD, but work on consent decree remains, judge says Although court hearings on the consent decree are public, they are held at times and locations that are not accessible for most workaday residents. This fact has made it difficult or almost impossible for most New Orleans residents to stay informed about the NOPDs progress in meeting its obligations. This is unacceptable. While the federal monitors charged with tracking the citys progress have acknowledged admirable steps forward, they dispute the citys internal assessment of 93 percent compliance. This is all the more reason for the public to have every opportunity to see for themselves the progress thats been made and the work that still needs to be done. Taxpayers also have paid dearly for NOPDs past abuses, as spending related to the consent decree is expected to reach $55 million by the end of this year. Thankfully, reporters at the Lens and NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune stepped in to provide live video of the hearing, and media coverage shed light on the proceedings. But the citys opposition to broadcasting the hearing on public-access television signals that Mayor LaToya Cantrells administration, the NOPD and the City Council prefer to operate in obscurity. Moving forward, city leaders should operate with the openness and transparency New Orleans residents deserve. Alanah Odoms Hebert Executive Director of the ACLU of Louisiana
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https://www.nola.com/opinions/2019/01/why-wasnt-hearing-on-nopd-consent-decree-televised.html
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Is Arizona on the verge of becoming a soccer mecca?
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Phoenix Rising fans set off a smoke bomb and cheer on their team during a 1-0 victory over Orange County on June 29. (Photo: Brian Munoz, Brian Munoz / The Republic) Phoenix, soccer mecca. In a market where soccer has fallen short of other major sports, the game is undeniably on the rise throughout Arizona and it all comes to a climax over the next six weeks with a strong presence in the Valley. It starts with the U.S. Mens National Team training in Phoenix leading to a friendly match Sunday in Glendale against Panama, the first under new head coach Gregg Berhalter, It continues with the Major League Soccer preseason that's under way throughout Arizona and continues deep into February. MLS preseason activity in Arizona, especially Tucson, is not new. What is unique is that several teams will play in preseason tournaments, such as the Mobile Mini Sun Cup, that includes dates in the Valley. And it culminates with the first preseason matches for Phoenix Rising FC, whose highly anticipated 2019 United Soccer League campaign will follow a Western Conference title last season. The Rising will host MLS teams for scrimmages on Feb. 6 (Sporting KC) and Feb. 16 (Real Salt Lake). Rising midfielder Devin Vega, right, pushes the ball past Orange County forward Thomas Enevoldsen during a match on June 29. (Photo: Brian Munoz / The Republic) The Rising are at the foundation of this. Last season, the Rising were at or over capacity of their 6,000-plus seat stadium for almost every home game, and broke the franchise record with more than 7,000 in attendance for the clubs final home game against the Las Vegas Lights. I think the growth of the franchise has been very strong, Club Governor Berke Bakay said. We had approximately 136,000 fans attending our playoffs and regular-season matches and last year We won the Western Conference championship where we beat Orange County in an away match. For a young franchise to have this kind of traction is great. The Rising aren't the first club to give professional soccer a shot in Arizona, but they seem to be juggernauts in the way the club has captivated such a significant fanbase in such a short amount of time all while playing in a league one level below MLS. The buzz has raised significant speculation that Phoenix could be awarded a franchise slot in the near future as the MLS continues its rapid expansion. The league will add Cincinnati as its 24th franchise this season, and has announced it will be adding teams in Miami, Nashville and Austin, Texas on its way to 28. Although Phoenix wasnt on the latest expansion list, Rising ownership has been vocal about its goal of nabbing one of those spots. FC Cincinnati will join Major League Soccer starting in the 2019 season. Austin FC will enter the league in 2021. (Photo: Sam Greene / The Enquirer) For now-retired MLS and U.S. national team defender Brad Evans, who grew up in Phoenix, the fanfare surrounding soccer in the Valley has captured his attention. And although the Mountain Pointe grad no longer resides in Phoenix, Evans has taken a vested interest in the growth of his hometown soccer market. I think its on the rise, Evans said. I think the demand is there, and now its about whether the (Rising) and the product can promote itself to really gain followers. We talk a lot about signing big-name players and building a massive facility to attract fans, but at the end of the day its the product on the field that fans want to come back to keep watching. From what Ive seen, its a significant growth with the USL team, the ownership thats there, the fans and then obviously having preseason down there says a lot about whats going on in Phoenix. Its a place that the National Team plays (regularly). So its there, but now its about what the perfect combination is to get an MLS team there. Thats the big question. Evans, 33, announced his retirement in December after a 12-year MLS career with Sporting KC, Seattle Sounders FC and the Columbus Crew SC. The Phoenix product said he hasnt yet decided what his next challenge will be, but Evans said he would be open to getting involved with the local club. Im obviously very interested, Evans said of the Rising. I know that I want to be involved in soccer now that Im retired as a player, and Phoenix for me is like an untapped market. We know that its been in the papers and the ownership has been very vocal about having an MLS team. Having somebody that is from the area, has played at that level, and knows the ins and outs about what it takes to succeed in MLS, it could be a good combination there. Im fresh out of retirement and trying to build those connections again. Potentially theres something there in the future. When Evans thinks back to his childhood in the Valley, everything seems different. He remembers club teams being the only available option. He remembers only being able to train a few days a week. He remembers that playing soccer was only about hanging with friends. Cristian Martinez and Rosendo Gonzalez, left, play soccer as a dust storm approaches near Estrella Foothills High School on Aug. 12. (Photo: Thomas Hawthorne / The Republic) I remember it being a really fun and relaxed time, Evans recalled. I had no aspirations of playing professionally. It was just what I did with my friends. There was no pressure at that time, and after a long career you look back on those times when it was just so much fun. You realize that those times were kind of once-in-a-lifetime bonds. It was a different time for soccer in Arizona and throughout the country. For those that have been around long enough, its beginning to feel like the time is now for soccer in Arizona. For Bakay, the biggest takeaways have been the almost 9,000 kids playing for the Rising-affiliated youth clubs across Arizona and the introduction of the club's minor-league affiliate in Tucson. Those things, coupled with the Risings on-field success, has the club in no hurry to reach the next step. While an MLS franchise might still be the goal, the Rising seem content riding the wave in terms of their growth as an organization and their focus on impacting the community. First of all, USL is the fastest-growing professional soccer league in the world, Bakay said. Thats very important to highlight. Multiple brand new franchises joined the league this season. The value of these franchises are increasing drastically. If its like other professional sport leagues itll probably stop at 30 or 32, but the USL has done a great job taking advantage of the other markets out there that could also be suitable for a league that size. Still, there are those on the outside looking in who feel the sky is the limit for the Rising and for soccer in Arizona. Nobody wants to see that happen more than Phoenixs own 12-year MLS veteran. MLS should be the aspiration for that group, Evans said of the Rising. From what I see around the league, theres absolutely no reason why Phoenix shouldnt have a team. MORE SPORTS Richard Morin covers the Coyotes and Diamondbacks for azcentral sports. He can be reached at [email protected] and by phone at 480-316-2493. Follow him on Twitter @ramorin_azc.
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https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/soccer/rising/2019/01/25/arizona-verge-becoming-soccer-mecca/2681007002/
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Which North Rocky business is closing down?
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WE'LL TAKE THAT: Journalists Leighton Smith and Christine McKee receive a carton of beer from One Nation for clarifying the Labor leader's position on coal. WE'LL TAKE THAT: Journalists Leighton Smith and Christine McKee receive a carton of beer from One Nation for clarifying the Labor leader's position on coal. is closing its doors. Their last trading day will be Thursday, February 28 and they are having 50 per cent off all of their goods. Can I Wear That in Berserker will close it doors next month. Contributed Cheers to Bill and One Nation FOR months now, Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has been under fire for his "difficult to determine views on coal. Critics say his position depends on who he's talking to. So while Mr Shorten was in Rockhampton this week, One Nation candidate Wade Rothery threw out a challenge, offering a carton of beer to any journalist who could clarify the Labor leader's position once and for all. The Bully crew are always up for a challenge and never keen on being beaten to a good story, and our persistence eventually paid off. We figured our readers, regardless of their position on coal, were also pretty interested to hear where he stood. Mr Shorten made it clear that "anyone who says there is no future for coal is kidding themselves and kidding the Australian people. "We are going to keep exporting coal, and that's a fact, he said. It wasbeers all round yesterday afternoon in the newsroom. Tasting session KEV Brown's Butchery in North Rockhampton is hosting their "Famous Kabanas Tasting Day from 10am today. A free event, you can take advantage of this opportunity to try Kev's wood-smoked kabanas. Find Kev Brown's Butchery at Highway Palms, 379 Yaamba Rd. Afterpay arrives MANE Street Hair Studio in Mount Morgan announced last week the salon has introduced Afterpay for their customers. Kodie Dodd at Mane St Hair Salon in Mount Morgan. Chris Ison ROK110118chair1 Available with any purchase over $100, head down to the salon on Morgan St in the town's CBD. Politics heats up THERE'S no doubt the Labor Party is keen as beans to win the seat of Capricornia. This week the top brass were all in town. Federal leader Bill Shorten brought the man many think should be leading the party, Anthony Albanese and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Expect plenty of attention on Capricornia as electioneering heats up. Fill your face THE Park Avenue Hotel Motel is today hosting a pie eating competition from 2pm. Those who've registered could be in the running to win $100.
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https://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/which-north-rocky-business-is-closing-down/3631375/
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Do our performance-driven attitudes wreck our witness?
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Sheryl Boldt (Photo: 2018 Bob O'Lary) Congratulations on your sales today, Peggy. I had to force myself to say the words. It was even harder to be sincere. For weeks, Id been asking God to help me consider others needs more often including their need to succeed. So as I walked back to my office that day, I silently thanked God for giving me the grace to take this small step toward obeying Him. Back then, as a sales executive for a Christian radio station in Louisiana, I was extremely performance-driven. I could barely function when my name didnt appear at the top of the sales board. My attitude was destructive to me and to those around me. When I returned to radio sales in Florida many years later, I resolved to do it differently. With Gods help, I believed I could still be a great salesperson (maybe even the best), but do it with a more Christ-like attitude. Imagine how applying Philippians 2:4 in our everyday lives would change us. Imagine how it would it change our relationships. When we live with others in mind, we become different people. Less selfish. More humble. We no longer act as if life is all about us, and we begin to see others and their needs in a clearer light. As a result, our witness (the way we live in front of those who are watching us) is no longer compromised, because we begin to behave and love like the One we claim to follow. I fail in this area way too often. Perhaps you do too. But Im determined, with Gods help, to do better. Sheryl (Hamilton) Boldt is a sales executive for Wave 94 and author of the blog, www.TodayCanBeDifferent.net. You can reach her at [email protected]. Read or Share this story: https://www.tallahassee.com/story/life/faith/2019/01/25/take-look-performance-driven-attitudes/2681201002/
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https://www.tallahassee.com/story/life/faith/2019/01/25/take-look-performance-driven-attitudes/2681201002/
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How important is tutorial creating for the researcher?
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The professional yet child-like quality of the sculptures against the dramatic abstract backdrop weaves the viewer through the space with the anticipation of a whimsical journey. As an art professional in Spartanburg, I am pleased to see such a pairing of unsuspecting artists in a local guild. Kudos to their gallery. The professional yet child-like quality of the sculptures against the dramatic abstract backdrop weaves the viewer through the space with the anticipation of a whimsical journey. As an art professional in Spartanburg, I am pleased to see such a pairing of unsuspecting artists in a local guild. Kudos to their gallery. Click here to read the full post
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https://www.goupstate.com/blogs/20190125/how-important-is-tutorial-creating-for-researcher
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How is defence technology developed?
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The defence sector is spearheading a collaboration with academics to develop cutting-edge technologies and find real, practical uses for them From mixed reality to long-range threat detection, university researchers are pushing boundaries with a helping hand from industry. BAE Systems works closely with academia including five strategic-partner universities to develop defence technology. Here, two PhD students from these institutions tell us about their ground-breaking projects. How mixed-reality tools can transform defence aircraft From "wearable cockpits" to VR training tools Chris Bibb University of Birmingham In a university laboratory sits a cabinet filled with virtual reality (VR) headsets, haptic gloves and other off-the-shelf technology that hasnt quite lived up to expectations. Theres an awful lot of hype around these products, most of which arent fit for purpose, says Professor Bob Stone, director of the University of Birminghams Human Interface Technologies Team. We need academic research to evaluate what works and what doesnt. Prof Stone oversees PhD student Chris Bibb, whos investigating how humans interact with mixed reality which combines virtual and augmented reality (AR) with the physical world. Chris has just completed a PhD studentship focusing on command and control situations, funded under the Industrial Cooperative Awards in Science and Technology (ICASE), and supported by BAE Systems. Chris has evaluated how people respond when they confront the physical objects overlaid with the virtual information. Hes looked at headsets, holograms, touchscreens, eye tracking and more. His work has helped inform future projects such as BAE Systems wearable cockpit in which controls become increasingly virtual; and hes also helped create a prototype mixed-reality command-and-control table. Chris has evaluated how people respond when they confront the physical objects overlaid with the virtual information This is a physical table overlaid with virtual information, which would allow one commander to oversee a whole fleet of platforms within one centralised display. Chris has been drilling down to see if these products are at the level of maturity where they can be used in industry, says Prof Stone. For example, Chris might monitor eye movements, pupil size, physical gestures and physiological responses such as cortisone levels to understand and assess the mental workload of users. In action: Chris evaluates the usability of VR-supported technology Chris research makes up a portfolio of work sponsored by BAE Systems, says Dr Rachel Geatches, technology manager at BAE Systems, and the company aims to increase the number of researchers in collaboration in the coming years. Theres great potential to use the immersive environments of mixed reality to train both civil and military staff, says Dr Geatches: The more immersive the training virtual environment can be, the more tailored it can be to individuals. Were building relationships with universities and looking into the future to help us understand the art of the possible. The tech that can sense threats from far away Building a bigger picture of your surroundings with long-range sensors Fraser Macfarlane University of Strathclyde When planes, satellites and drones gather tens of thousands of images in a short time, military powers on the ground need to make sense of that information swiftly to be able to identify and understand imminent threats. Researchers working with BAE Systems have been designing algorithms to help streamline how this long-range imagery is processed at speed. Sensors will play an ever more vital role as autonomous technology becomes more commonplace in military situations particularly in the air, says Henry White, lead technologist for sensors at BAE Systems. Recognising, identifying and trying to understand the intent of what you see is crucial, as is avoiding collisions. More information from images can help build a bigger picture of what an aircraft should be doing. ICASE doctoral student Fraser Macfarlane at the University of Strathclyde has been developing algorithms to make processing of data from sensors more efficient Henry has been liaising with ICASE doctoral student Fraser Macfarlane at the University of Strathclyde, who has been developing algorithms to make processing of data from sensors more efficient. With fast jets such as [Eurofighter] Typhoon, the speed at which you get the information is vital, says Fraser. Were trying to present it in a more meaningful way. Frasers research could be applied in the defence sector within the next couple of years, says Henry, and it could also be deployed in the next-generation fighter jet programme. Team Tempest: processing data quickly will be key for the success of future projects In his second year of research, Fraser has already published two academic papers, and will present his work in the US later this year having already won an ICASE award for his efforts. He has also visited BAE Systems sites to understand more behind-the-scenes workings of industry and will spend time within the defence firm in the near future. I can see the merits of careers in both industry and academia, but Ive still three years to go before I decide, he says. With fast jets such as [Eurofighter] Typhoon, the speed at which you get the information is vital Fraser Macfarlane, ICASE doctoral student Key to a successful academic industrial partnership is academic freedom, says Henry. Partnerships with these students prove an excellent way to gain access to high-quality fundamental research in our universities, he continues. We can help give it relevance in the industrial world. But we mustnt use researchers as just a resource for projects. We need them to identify novel areas of research and then we can approach how to apply it for a specific problem.
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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/stem-awards/defence-technology/research-in-defence-tech/
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Whos in Taylor Swifts New Squad?
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Scroll To See More Images It may be time for squad 2.0. Back in the day, when she was still shaking it off and she was welcoming every celebrity imaginable to the stage, Swifts squad was everywhere, and we could name the main members like it was the back of our hand: Karlie Kloss, Lorde, Lena Dunham, etc. But as the years have went on and Swift traded in her girl squad for snakes and her baking parties for wine nights, her squad has evolved. Though shes still friends with mainstays like Dunham and Kloss, theyve gone to the wayside on her Instagram to make room for a new age of famous friends. You might know some of them well, like the A-list couple with beautiful children, while others might be more of a mystery as to how they came to be a part of Swifts life. Like every friend group, Swifts squad is ever-changing. Friends come and go. And though we dont know who has gone for good, we can at least tell you the new friends shes become close with over the years. Find out whos in Swifts new squad ahead. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds Swift and Lively (and eventually, Livelys husband, Reynolds) became friends at the tail end of her 1989 era, which is why is why fans never saw the Gossip Girl star on stage with Swift. Still, theyve remained close over the years, with many fans thinking that the couple has replaced Kloss and Lorde as Swifts go-tos. Along with visiting Lively and Reynolds at the hospital after the birth of their second child, Ines, Swift even featued the couples other daughter, James, on her song, Gorgeous. She also wore the actual costume Reynolds wore in Deadpool for Halloween in 2016, if that says anything of how close they are. Lively and Reynolds were last seen at Swifts New Years Eve costume party, where Lively dressed as Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and Reynolds dressed as a gin-drinking man. Cazzie David Davidthe daughter of comedian Larry Davidis a new friend of Swifts. She was first seen on Swifts Instagram in January 2019 after she attended a wine night with Swift and two of the singers longtime squad members, Este Haim and Selena Gomez. Its unclear where David and Swift met, but fans have discovered that David is close friends with Swifts ex, John Mayer. Tiffany Haddish Haddish and Swift became friends after Haddish hosted an episode of Saturday Night Live in November 2017, where Swift was the musical guest. Not too long after, Swift invited Haddish to dinner, where she served brisket, chicken, potato salad and cornbread. (Haddish said brought the joyful greens.) Taylor can cook. She can cook! Haddish told Ellen DeGeneres in December. The comedian and singer became so close that Swift even recruited Haddish to record a video for her Reputation World Tour. The video was played during Swifts performance of Look What You Made Me Do and consisted of Haddish answering a phone and uttering this iconic line: Im sorry, the old Taylor cant come to the phone right now. Oh, cause shes dead! Amber Rose Rose and her 5-year-old son, Sebastian Taylor Thomaz, have fans of Swift for a long time. But they didnt meet until May 2018 when Rose and her son attended Swifts Reputation Stadium Tour in Pasadena, California. The concert came two months after Swift personally invited Rose and her son to her tour with VIP tickets. Thank you @taylorswift you have made my baby the happiest lil Pumpkin ever! Rose captioned an Instagram of Swift and her son sitting together. She model also snapped a photo with two other celebrity guests at the tour: Rebel Wilson and Julia Roberts. Hayley Kiyoko Kiyoko and Swift had a dramatic start to their friendship after Swift defended Kiyoko after fans accused her of shading Swift in an interview with Refinery29 where she compared her often singing about women to Swift often singing about men. Taylor Swift sings about men in every single song and video, and no one complains that shes unoriginal, Kiyoko said. When Swifties came for Kiyoko, Swift defended the singer on Tumblr, writing, We should applaud artists who are brave enough to tell their honest romantic narrative through their art, and the fact is that Ive never encountered homophobia and she has. Its her right to call out anyone who has double standards about gay vs straight love interests. Their friendship later evolved, with Swift later inviting Kiyoko to perform with her on her Reputation World Tour. Kiyoko later returned the favor by recruiting Swift to duet Delicate in December. If theres a collaboration in the future with anyone, its likely Kiyoko. Troye Sivan Sivan and Swifts friendship began in 2015 when Swift endorsed Sivans EP, Wild. GO @troyesivan WILD IS STUNNING AND AWESOME. (YES CAPS LOCK IS NECESSARY HERE. ) she tweeted. Not too long after, Sivan started appearing at Swifts parties and on her Instagram before the two took their friendship to the next level by performing together in May 2018 at Swifts Reputation Stadium Tour. The duo performed Sivans 2018 single, My, My, My. On an episode of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Sivan revealed that Swift was one of the first people who heard his 2018 album, Bloom, in full. He also revealed that he almost fainted from the nervousness of performing with his idol. Todrick Hall Hall and Swifts friendship dates back to 2016 when Hall was starring in Broadways Kinky Boots and the singer visited him backstage, following their meeting on her 1989 World Tour in 2015. Since then, the two have had a close friendship. And though Hall never performed with Swift on her 1989 World Tour, the singer did recruit him to dance and choreograph her music video for Look What You Made Me Do, Swifts 2017 single and return to the spotlight after over a year away. Since their friendship blossomed, Hall has continued to wax poetic about Swift in interviews. She just always outdoes herself, Hall said. One day she said to me, I follow every zig with a zag. I dont try to necessarily outdo myselfI just try to do something slightly different,' Hall said of Swift in a 2018 interview with AOL When she says things like that to me, I try to apply those things to my own life. [] I think for a lot of artists thats hard for them to do, but Taylor hits the nail on the head every time. Ruby Rose Despite being one of Swifts closest friends, Rose has never appeared with her on stage. Their friendship can be dated back to the 2016 GLAAD awards, where the singer honored her friend with an award. Since then, Rose has been loyal to Swift and is one of the singers few celebrity friends who have gone to bat for her in the media. Shes defended Swift amid the singers feud with Katy Perry. (In a now-deleted tweet, Rose called Perrys music purposeful poop and bomb a petite. In August, Swift defended Roses casting as Batwoman in The CWs upcoming show. YES @rubyrose !! So excited for you, youre gonna be amazing! Swift wrote on Instagram after Rose faced backlash for becoming one of the first gay actresses to play the superhero. View this post on Instagram What can I even say about everything you have achieved so far @taylorswift What an incredible journey you are on. I am blessed to have you in my life. Your dedication, hard work and perseverance is unparalleled. Mixed with your self awareness, generosity and what you stand for, you continue to light up the people around you and shine brighter than 60,000 people in New Orleans with glow sticks. I love you and Im so proud. X Olivia and Meridith .. you did really well too. A post shared by Ruby Rose (@rubyrose) on Sep 23, 2018 at 1:05pm PDT Joe Alwyn It might sound weird to call Alwyn a squad member, but hes one of the closest people in Swifts life right now. The two met in 2016, at the tail end of Swifts 1989 era, when they both attended the Met Gala together. Its unclear how their relationship started, but their love blossomed into a fast romance, with many of Swifts songs on her latest album, Reputation, being about her British beau. Though theyve kept their relationship private, Alwyn was latest seen in the background of one of Swifts Instagrams from her New Years Eve party. Charli XCX Unlike Swifts other Reputation opening act, Camila Cabello, Charli XCX is a recent friend of the singers. Its unclear where they met (the British singer and Swift did duet Boom Clap on Swifts 1989 World Tour in 2016), but Charli was one of two female artists Swift chose to open her Reputation Stadium Tour. The threesome (Cabello included) have developed a fast friendship, from performing Shake It Off together every night to appearing on each others Instagram. Maren Morris Morriss career is often compared to Swifts because of their similar country-to-pop transition, so it was no surprise that Morris was one of a few guests that performed with Swift on her Reputation Stadium Tour. Were not sure, but the two have taken a liking to each other. Along with performing her song The Middle with Swift on her Reputation Stadium Tour, Morris has professed to being a huge Swiftie who has already seen the singers Netflix special. [Swift] was so thoughtful to reach out and offer me the Dallas show, Morris told Taste of Country. I was over the moon and so was my family and friendsthey all got to come and we just had the best day. She added, I watched the beginning of the show in Dallas before I sang with her, but I didnt get to see the end of the show because I was coming off the stage. So, it was cool to see it on Netflix. Iris Apatow Apatow is another question who were not sure if shes actually in Swifts squad. The 16-year-old was at Swifts New Years Eve party, dressed as Cinderella, but their friendship goes back way farther than that. Swift has invited Apatows older sister, Maude Apatow, backstage on her 1989 World Tour and Apatows parents, Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann, even referred to the singers as their new daughter. But the detail that really bonds Iris Apatow and Swift is the fact that theyre both dating Alwyn brothers. Swift is obviously dating Joe Alwyn, while Apatow is dating the actors younger brother, Patrick Alwyn.
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https://stylecaster.com/taylor-swift-new-friends/
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Will Financial Digitization Take Away A Banker's Job?
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You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Digital revolution has taken over the world and has given an outright threat to many jobs. But the one sector, which has often been at the receiving end of this question, has been the banking and financial industry. From payment wallets getting a boost, thanks to demonetization, to the increased interest in blockchain technology is set to make processes simpler and easier. But, traditionalists have often wondered whether it will do away with a lot of jobs. In fact, a recent study by Citigroup revealed across the world, another 30% of bank jobs could be lost between 2015 and 2025, mainly due to retail banking automation. Vikram Sud, former APAC operations and technology head of Citibank and also ex-group COO of Kotak Mahindra Group explained to the Entrepreneur India the various kinds of jobs involved in a bank and mentioned the services that could take a hit. When you enter a branch, there are different services offered to you. There are sales people, tellers, operations and then product managers. The product managers are the ones whose jobs are safe and secure, though it will evolve the most. They will need to learn all the tools and techniques. The people and the banks that embrace the change will do the best. But, the number of branches will decline, thereby reducing along with it the sales staff. Consumers will start evaluating everything online and even process things online soon, he said. While the process of taking deposits will get more automated than it is now, it is the lending part where people will start using alternative platforms a lot more. What will happen is that banks will continue to ask these alternative lending platforms to book their loans on their banks, Sud added. He emphasized that traditional banking industry was undergoing the process of digital transformation. There are some aspects that will certainly go completely digital like opening a bank account. The Singapore government has already approved the digital opening of accounts as long as the digital ID works. RBI, too, has given DBS the go ahead and open accounts digitally. Access to Aadhar could give a boost to the digitization process in India, he said. Amit Goel, Co-founder and MD of Lets Talk Payments said there are two perspectives on the issue. Theres one perspective that automation will kill jobs and the same question had risen when ATMs had come into existence. People thought tellers or clerks would lose their jobs but that didnt happen. Instead, these people started focusing on other things, people just got redistributed, he said. But according to Amit what will change the game is Artificial Intelligence. Theres going to be some lay-offs because of AI, as it does what a human being can or will do. It even replaces the thinking part of the job, he said. AI will play a big role and the most exciting sector for it would be investment, according to Sud. From what-to-buy to when-to-sell, AI will be able to give recommendations and will play a much more contextual role. Then, banks will be able to read a consumers needs and accordingly offer services, he said. However, in the short term, theres nothing to worry about. I dont think that digitization will affect jobs in the short term. It will take some time for the customers to get used to the processes. Re-skilling can also happen. Also, there are different scenarios where automation cannot take over completely. The mainly repetitive processes will be taken over by automation but for some, human supervision will be required. AI has not yet reached the level where it can finish tasks from end to end, especially in the banking industry, said Chandrashekhar Bhide, a mentor/advisor for start-ups and an independent business consultant who used to earlier lead digital banking at DBS.
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https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/294142
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Who was Captain Matthew Flinders and how did he help shape Australia?
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A long-deceased explorer, Captain Matthew Flinders, made headlines this week after his long-lost grave was found by archaeologists in London. Lauded Down Under, but largely forgotten in his native England, Flinders was a prominent navigator and cartographer, famous for completing the first ever circumnavigation of Australia a country he also helped name. Born in Donington, Lincolnshire, in 1774, Flinders was induced to go to sea against the wishes of my friends from reading Robinson Crusoe. Clearly untroubled by Defoes tales of cannibals and pirates, he joined the Royal Navy as many a young lad did then at the tender age of 15. The whippersnapper sailed on various expeditions in the Caribbean, where he caught the attention of his superiors. By 1795 the rising star was appointed midshipman aboard the HMS Reliance, which was transporting the newly-appointed governor of New South Wales, Captain John Hunter, to Australia. Flinders was influential in naming Australia, previously known as New Holland Credit: ALAMY He shone on this journey, too, and was subsequently entrusted to lead the first ever circumnavigation of Australia, a mission that he successfully completed, earning him a reputation as one of Englands most prominent seafarers. I would make the case [that Captain Flinders] is one of three great figures of the discovery of Australia by Europeans, along with Cook and Phillip, says George Brandis, High Commissioner of Australia to the UK. Critics claim men like Flinders were harbingers of the decimation of ancient Aboriginal societies and cultures that followed. Theres also added controversy over the role of an aboriginal Australian aide to Flinders named Bungaree, who has been largely eclipsed by his British captain, but who historians believe played a crucial role in success of the voyages. Flinders helped map Australia, declared it a continent and was also influential in assigning it a name (it had previously been known as New Holland). Today many places take his name. Theres Flinders Island, off the north coast of Tasmania; Flinders Street, a busy thoroughfare in Melbourne that is home to one of the most eye-catching railway stations in the world; the Flinders Ranges, home to South Australias loftiest peaks; and Flinders Bay, a popular surfing spot in New South Wales. The Flinders Ranges in South Australia Credit: ISTOCK Theres also Flinders Chase National Park on Kangaroo Island, Flinders University in Adelaide and Flinders Reef, one of Queenslands leading dive sites. From the countrys badlands to its business districts, the Flinders name is everywhere. Flinders was accompanied on his circumnavigation of Australia by a feline called Trim, which, as a kitten, reportedly fell overboard, but survived after swimming through the swell and climbing back aboard the ship via a rope. The cats plucky determination apparently won the heart of Flinders. The exact fate of Trim is unknown. Whilst sailing back to England from Australia, Flinders was arrested by the French, with whom Britain was at war, and incarcerated in Mauritius. It was here that Trim went missing with Flinders reportedly claiming he had been eaten by a hungry slave. A statue of Trim and his master in Port Lincoln Credit: Camloo/Wikimedia Various statues honour Trim, most notably on the window ledge of Mitchell Library in Sydney, where it is accompanied by a poem about the cat, written by Flinders while he was in jail. It reads: The best and most illustrious of his race The most affectionate of friends, Faithful of servants, And best of creatures He made the tour of the globe, and a voyage to Australia, Which he circumnavigated, and was ever the Delight and pleasure of his fellow voyagers There are also statues commemorating Flinders, including one in Market Place, Donington, where Flinders was born; one outside St Pauls Anglican Cathedral, Melbourne; and one in Port Lincoln, South Australia, a city named after Flinders hometown.
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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/oceania/australia/articles/who-was-captain-matthew-flinders-and-how-did-he-help-shape-austr/
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What does real beauty actually mean?
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For years, women have been fed with pre-conceived notions of what looking beautiful entails great hair, long legs, curves in all the right places. It has essentially led girls and women to believe that there can only be one kind of beautiful: tall, almond eyes, and blemish-free skin. But there are women who are shattering these inane ideas of beauty by allowing their natural beauty to shine through, sans filters. Paloma Monappa is an unconventional model, Sapna Bhavnanis hair makes her a rebel in her own right, Shikha Talsania exemplifies her belief that real beauty is accepting ourselves just the way we are. The definition of beauty is evolving, slowly but surely we are breaking free from archaic stereotypes to champion the real. Doves #LetsBreakTheRulesofBeauty campaign has tirelessly crusaded the idea of real beauty by encouraging women to redefine beauty ideals and reveal their true selves.Theres never been a better time to celebrate women for who they are! Lets start the new year by redefining beauty for what its meant to be - our own kind of beautiful and owning it like never before.
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https://www.femina.in/beauty/what-does-real-beauty-actually-mean-115059.html
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What if the WI were negotiating Brexit?
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The government has overcooked the jam I for one prefer the tried and tested recipes, like speaking well of each other and respecting different points of view; coming together to seek the common ground; and never losing sight of the bigger picture. The Queen has spoken at the 100th anniversary tea of the Sandringham Womens Institute. As a WI member (Chinley & Buxworth, in the Derbyshire High Peak) my heart swelled with pride, as did the hearts of a quarter of a million women members in 6,000 branches throughout the country. She is The Boss, our national President. The WI knows how to get things done. Through a unique blend of polite pragmatism, cheerful camaraderie and British common sense,...
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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/25/wi-charge-brexit/
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