question
stringlengths 9
197
| article
stringlengths 174
99.3k
| url
stringlengths 23
392
|
|---|---|---|
Who are Cameron Highlands' voters... and can Pakatan's chances be predicted?
|
The four by-election candidates (from left) Sallehudin Ab Talib, Wong Seng Yee, Ramli Mohd Noor and M. Manogaran on nominations day on January 12, 2019. One way to look at Cameron Highlands is its highly diverse ethnic composition of Malays (33.5 per cent), ethnic Chinese (29.48 per cent), mainly Orang Asli at 21.56 per cent with minute portions of Bumiputera from Sabah and Sarawak and others at 0.55 per cent (cumulatively 22.11 per cent), and ethnic Indians (14.91 per cent). They made up the 32,048 registered voters in Cameron Highlands in the 14th general election (GE14), according to the Election Commission's (EC) figures. Using the latest electoral roll which he obtained from the EC on January 8, DAP assistant national director for political education Ong Kian Ming had recently said the registered voters there are now slightly lower at 32,008 which is only about 40 voters fewer. Here's how the parliamentary seat of Cameron Highlands looks like on a map. It's made up of the PH-held Tanah Rata and BN-held Jelai state seats. Picture by Miera Zulyana Look up the geography The Cameron Highlands federal seat covers the two state seats of Pakatan Harapan-held Tanah Rata whose voter population is mainly Chinese (48.12 per cent) and Indian (23.69 per cent), and Barisan Nasional-held Jelai which is virtually just made up of Malays (64.14 per cent) and Orang Asli (33.82 per cent), based on EC's GE14 figures. Zooming into the 29 polling districts in Cameron Highlands where the bulk of it is in Tanah Rata (17) and the rest in Jelai (12), each of these polling districts either have voters that predominantly come from one ethnic group or are considered mixed polling districts where none dominate. Bear in mind that GE14 had a five-corner fight involving BN, its former-rival-now-ally PAS, PH, Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), and PAS splinter Islamist party Berjasa, with BN continuing its unbroken three-win streak since the seat was created in 2003. In GE14, BN narrowly won 41 per cent of the votes (10,307 votes) against PH's 38.6 per cent (9,710 votes), PAS 14.3 per cent (3,587 votes), PSM's 2.7 per cent (680 votes) and Berjasa's 0.3 per cent, according to Ong. These results were invalidated last year by the courts due to alleged vote-buying by BN in GE14. And also note that the 2019 by-election today involves a four-corner fight involving BN, PH component party DAP, and two independent candidates. Here's a quick look at how Cameron Highland voters cast their ballots in GE14 based on Ong's analysis on January 12, and also what independent research firm Ilham Centre predicted yesterday based on its survey this week of 402 Cameron Highlands voters: 1. Malay-majority polling districts (The biggest chunk) An average of 93 per cent of Malay voters accounted for the 8,570 voters in the Malay-majority polling districts in GE14. Out of the 6,892 who actually voted in these areas, 46.9 per cent and 41.9 per cent of them voted for BN and PAS respectively, leaving PH just a mere nine per cent then, Ong's analysis showed. What Ong had said: Given the close cooperation between PAS and the BN, it may not be so easy for PH to win over a significant proportion of these Malay voters. The choice of a Muslim Orang Asli former high-ranking police officer as a candidate may put also a limit to how much support PH can increase among the Malay and Orang Asli voters. (in reference to BN candidate) What Ilham Centre said: Amid BN's manipulation of PH's perceived weakness in dealing with Malay-Muslim issues and Felda settlers' economic and housing concerns, Malay votes will split three ways: BN, the independent Malay candidate, or no-show. Ilham Centre said surprisingly most PAS voters it met will not hesitate to vote BN, with PAS machinery aggressively doing door-to-door visits to remind voters to vote BN. 2. Orang Asli-majority polling districts (Firm BN support?) An average of 91 per cent of the 5,642 voters here are Orang Asli, according to Ong's analysis of GE14 figures. Out of the 4,749 who actually voted in these Orang Asli-majority polling districts, an overwhelming 74 per cent voted BN, while only 10.1 per cent voted PH and 2.7 per cent voted PAS. What Ong said on January 12: Increasing support among the Orang Asli will be key in increasing the chances for PH to win this seat. What Ilham Centre said: Orang Asli votes are no longer fixed deposits for BN since it now has to go on level-playing field instead of offering promises, while PH has federal power. There may be some small-scale switch in support to PH, but still not enough for a win for PH who will need at least 30 per cent of Orang Asli votes. 3. Chinese-majority polling districts An average of 79.9 per cent of the 8,295 voters here at Tanah Rata are ethnic Chinese, based on Ong's analysis of GE14 figures. Out of the 6,670 who voted in these polling districts, PH won the bulk at 76.9 per cent compared to BN's mere 18.1 per cent and PAS's 1.5 per cent. 4. Indian-majority polling districts An average of 59.9 per cent of the 2,613 voters here in Tanah Rata are Indians, according to GE14 statistics analysed by Ong. Out of the 1,775 voters who turned up in these polling stations, they are mostly PH supporters at 61.4 per cent, compared to BN's 26.8 per cent and PAS's 2.1 per cent. 5. Mixed polling districts The ethnic breakdown in these polling stations in Tanah Rata are on average: Malays (30 per cent), Chinese (30 per cent), Indian (31 per cent), Orang Asli (10 per cent) for the 6,888 voters there. Out of the 4,646 voters who showed up, PH won 50.9 per cent, while BN won 33.9 per cent and PAS 8.3 per cent. Not so fast. According to Ong's analysis of GE14, the voter turnout according to polling districts were Orang Asli-majority polling districts at 84.1 per cent, Chinese-majority (80.7 per cent), Malay-majority polling districts (79.9 per cent), Mixed (67.9 per cent) and Indian majority (66.6 per cent). Ong predicted: Orang Asli's voter turnout to have lowest decrease since they make up highest percentage of those staying in Cameron Highlands, while Chinese voter turnout will have biggest fall since more of them are outstation and less likely to come back. Others have speculated that the proximity of the January 26 by-election to the Chinese New Year celebrations which kick off just around a week away on either February 4 or February 5 (Chinese New Year eve and the actual Chinese New Year day) means that Chinese voters would be unlikely to return home twice in such a short period of time. For PH to have a shot at winning Cameron Highlands today, Ong said the coalition needed to ensure voter turnout especially among its core supporters does not fall below 55 per cent. This is on top of getting at least 70 per cent of Chinese and Indian votes, boosting support from Malay and Orang Asli voters to at least 30 per cent, as well as increasing early and postal voter support to 40 per cent. Ilham Centre noted that non-Malays' voter turnout rates in the by-elections after GE14 have tended to be quite low, saying that PH's winning chances would be dim if this trend continues. Today, Cameron Highlands' voters will choose between four candidates that coincidentally come from four different professions and different ethnic groups: BN's retired senior policeman Ramli Mohd Noor who is an Orang Asli; PH's lawyer-cum-politician M. Manogaran as an Indian who is an Indian; independents Institut Aminuddin Baki senior lecturer Sallehudin Ab Talib who is a local Malay resident and Cameron Highlands farmer Wong Seng Yee who is a Chinese. But some Orang Asli and Malay residents in Cameron Highlands had recently told Malay Mail that ethnicity is not the primary consideration. For now, there's only Ilham Centre's prediction yesterday that BN will retain its seat with majority support from the Malays and Orang Asli, as well as due to the expected lower turnout rates from Chinese and Indian voters. And the hours-long wait for the decision tonight.
|
https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2019/01/26/who-are-camerons-voters...-and-can-pakatans-chances-be-predicted/1716568
|
Who defaced the Bomber Command Memorial?
|
Every month or so, Air Commodore Charles Clarke visits the Bomber Command memorial to remember his fallen comrades. The 95-year-old travels from his home in Richmond, West London to Green Park to stand in silent tribute underneath the bronze statue of a seven-man air crew returning from a mission. Whenever I am there I cant help reflecting how lucky I was to survive, says the Bomber Command veteran and bomb aimer who flew 18 missions during World War Two before his Lancaster bomber was shot down by a Luftwaffe fighter in 1944. Three crew members were killed and the rest including Clarke were captured as prisoners of war. Contrast this image of one veterans dignified sole act of remembrance...
|
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/01/25/defaced-bomber-command-memorial/
|
Did Jennifer Lopezs diva demands derail her career?
|
In 2006, Jennifer Lopez was frustrated. Her acting career had stalled, the Category-5-hurricane hysteria over her relationship with Ben Affleck had diminished to a light breeze, and the offers just werent as alluring as they used to be. By that point in time, Lopez had long evolved beyond being a mere actress, or a singer, or a walking billboard for fame and brand endorsements. She had become an industry all of her own, and very much knee-deep in the drawbacks such notoriety often brings. You know, I started in [dramatic movies], working with Oliver Stone in U Turn, and so many of my earlier projects, she reminded Entertainment Weekly. So after doing a lot of romantic comedies, which I love...
|
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/did-jennifer-lopezs-diva-demands-derail-career/
|
Is Kwara slipping from Saraki?
|
By Emmanuel Aziken, It could be a potentially deadly faceoff that interestingly has two medical doctors as the central characters. Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, the All Progressives Congress, APC Senate candidate in Kwara Central is matched against Dr. Bukola Saraki, the Senate President who interestingly is the incumbent running for a third straight term in the Senate. Sarakis aspiration is on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP. If he succeeds, Senator Saraki will become the first senator from Kwara including his father, the late Senator Abubakar Saraki to serve three terms in the Senate. If Bukola wins the contest, it would also mean that the Kwara Central Senate seat would have stayed in the hands of a Saraki for the fifth consecutive term. Before Bukola, his sister Gbemisola had occupied the same seat for two terms between 2003 and 2011. Before then, their later father, Senator Abubakar Saraki also won the same seat for two terms between 1979 and 1983. Since the creation of the state, only two other persons not from the Saraki family have occupied the seat, albeit for six years. So, the voice of dissent against Senator Bukolas third term aspiration was in part understandable. But whether the agitation of Dr. Oloriegbe is the popular aspiration of the majority of the people of the senatorial district is another matter. That agitation has taken shape on the ground among the dissenters with the slogan, Otooge! popularized by APC governorship candidate Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. It means enough is enough in the local parlance. Last Thursday, Dr. Oloriegbe, who besides his practice of medicine also styled himself as a development expert spoke to a group of newsmen where he enumerated appalling social indicators in the constituency which he claimed have prevailed despite Sarakis representation. Besides the poor social indicators of the high unemployment rate, social disorder on account of misbehavior by area boys, street begging among others, he also cited the high level of infrastructure decay. As he spoke that day, he observed that the era of the Sarakis had come to an end. Nothing is permanent, not only in Kwara but everywhere in the world. You can have emperors, you can have godfathers, from ancient history you have had the pharaohs, they were strong, but they were defeated. Before Dr. Abubakar Saraki, the Waziri came, some people were in charge of the politics of Kwara. He lost his first election in 1964, but he came back in 1977 and won. He took over from some people, and his son took over from him, and it is time for his son also to give way. According to him the local government elections in November 2017 which saw the PDP lose ground in some council wards within Ilorin/Asa Federal Constituency was indicative of Sarakis loss of political capital. If in an election he conducted as recent as November 2017, and we could defeat him where the state government superintends, it shows the peoples will for change. So, in a free and fair election conducted by an umpire such as INEC, we can defeat him. In that local government election, the people stayed on and defended their votes and that is why they couldnt change those two wards, but they changed many others. Remarkably, Dr. Oloriegbe asserts that a member of the Saraki dynasty, Senator Gbemisola who is a member of the ruling APC is backing his aspiration to unseat her brother. If we are in the same party, then the take is that she is supporting APC. We are close, talk as party members, and yes, I will say that she is supporting me and all our candidates. Her wish is for APC to win the election. Senator Bukola Saraki was quick to respond to the issues and not surprisingly dismissed his contender as a seasonal politician. Speaking through his spokesman, Yusuph Olaniyonu, Saraki said: Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe is not a candidate in the senatorial election. Rather, he is the candidate of a faction in the APC, the Bolarinwa faction, which the court, in a subsisting and unchallenged judgment, rejected and rather recognised the Balogun-Fulani faction. Oloriegbe belongs to a group of people known in Kwara State as seasonal or visiting politicians. The people do not see them. They dont relate with the people. They dont help the people and their community until six months to the election when they move in noxious money, and they start printing posters. They have done this every election period. His present noise, as well as that of Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, Lai Mohammed and the rest, is not different from what they have been doing since 2003. The result will also not be different. Noting how Oloriegbe rode on the platform of the Sarakis to achieve his only political success in the state, he said that his election into the House of Assembly was sponsored by his illustrious father, the late Dr. Olusola Saraki. Continuing, he saidIf he, like others, has the sole agenda to destroy that dynasty without promising the people any developmental agenda, then, he has failed. He never promised the people anything good or developmental in nature. They only target Saraki. That bring him down syndrome, empty envy, petty jealous are unislamic and contradictory to the true values of an Ilorin man. Noting that Oloriegbe chose to hold the press conference to distract him because of the heat he had turned on the APC and its presidential candidate, President Muhammadu Buhari during the campaigns, the Senate President saidAfter the effects of the violence unleashed on the Ilorin people by their thugs was roundly condemned and the people refused to have deterred, they created a groundswell of noise, which will create panic and help their rigging plan in the elections. After all, it is known that you cannot rig where you are not popular. Affirming that Kwara Central will not vote for seasonal politicians, he concluded: They are not with the people. When they lose this election, they will return to Abuja, Lagos and come back in 2023. Kwara people have coined a counter-slogan against them. They call it O Tun Ya Let Us Do It Again.
|
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/is-kwara-slipping-from-saraki/
|
Is it OK for us to celebrate Burns Night?
|
Like chip shops selling deep fried Mars bars to tourists at the Edinburgh Fringe, for Scottish people, Burns Night can be a bit of a Tartan cringe. For a start, even us Scots can struggle with Robert Burnss heavy language. Walter Scott once said his poems would break the teeth of most modern Scotchmen. The annual celebration of the poet tonight can seem downright bizarre to the uninitiated: there are toasts, someone recites the Burns poem Tam o Shanter (about drunkenness and sexy witches), then we stab a haggis like a ritual sacrifice. Finally, the Immortal Memory, a long speech lionising the great mans legacy. Then we get drunk or fou and unco happy, as Burns put it. Its halfway...
|
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/books/authors/ok-us-celebrate-burns-night/
|
Is the Premiership really stunting player development in England?
|
The training camp for England Under-20 at Bisham Abbey earlier this month fell between round 12 of the Premiership and the penultimate weekend of Champions Cup and Challenge Cup group games. It represented a significant logistical challenge as a steady stream of players dropped out. RFU staff needed to think on their feet in the lead-up, constantly rejigging the list of attendees. But that mild irritation arose for an encouraging reason. Directors of rugby up and down the country were ringing up to insist that they needed these talented youngsters for first-team duty. We appear to be under far more pressure in terms of the numbers being asked to play in the Premiership, explains RFU international...
|
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2019/01/25/premiership-really-stunting-player-development-england/
|
Which FTSE 100 firms will last another 35 years?
|
We hear it quoted on the news bulletins, see it flash up on our phones and use its ups and downs to measure the state of the British economy, the confidence of business and the wealth of investors. The FTSE 100 as a benchmark is so familiar it is easy to imagine it has been around forever. In fact, it was only created in 1984, and this month it turns 35. According to a fascinating piece of research by AJ Bell, only 30 of the 100 companies that made up the index are still around, at least in the same form as when Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister. By implication, by the time the 2050s roll around, almost all the companies now in the index will have disappeared. But anyone who backs the businesses...
|
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/01/25/ftse-100-firms-will-last-another-35-years/
|
Is Orkney the best place to live in the UK?
|
The archipelago which lies 10 miles (16km) off Scotland's north coast, is famed for its spectacular landscapes and archaeological treasures but it is home to just 22,000 people, spread over 20 inhabitable islands. The Halifax Bank of Scotland Quality of Life survey ranked it above all other areas of the UK, with Richmondshire in North Yorkshire in second place, followed by Rutland in the East Midlands, Hambleton in North Yorkshire and Eden in Cumbria in fifth place. Orkney got the top spot based on its high employment levels, low crime rate, strong exam results, smaller primary class sizes and good health and happiness scores. But is it really possible to say that these factors outweigh the difficulties of living on an island, with the problems that brings. By Huw Williams, BBC Scotland reporter in Orkney Image copyright Colin Keldie Image caption Hoy is one of the 70 islands that make up the archipeligo This survey, like many others before it, takes into account factors like residents' health and life expectancy, employment and crime rates. And, like many other similar surveys, it gives top place to Orkney. Organisations which promote the islands will seize on that fact. And many local people will undoubtedly be proud that Orkney regularly scores well in such league tables. But there may also be some scepticism - based largely on what reports like this don't ask about. They never seem to include things like the cost of living, reliability of transport links, robustness of digital connectivity and levels of fuel poverty. Even Orkney's biggest fans would have to concede the results might look rather different if those factors were included. All the top five are relatively sparsely populated, with Orkney averaging just 22 people per kilometre. Image copyright Amanda Ruddick Image caption Orkney is one of the best places in the UK to see the aurora borealis Image copyright Peter Starling Image caption Reflections of Scapa Pier, near Kirkwall, Orkney's main town. Other factors that were judged to be in Orkney's favour were the affordability of housing (an average house price of 173,349) and the high employment rate, with almost nine in ten (88%) 16-64 year-olds in work. The weekly average earnings in Orkney (671) were well below some other parts of Scotland and the UK but are slightly above the average. Image copyright Catherine Mackinnon Image caption Skara Brae is a Unesco world heritage site, which is older than Stonehenge and the Great Pyramid Image copyright Dr Sarah Christie Image caption The Italian Chapel was built by prisoners of war during World War Two People in Orkney also enjoy one of the lowest crime rates in Scotland, with 5.9 crimes per 10,000 population, compared to a national average of 44.1. Maybe this is why figures from the Office of National Statistics indicate adults living in Orkney are among the most happy, satisfied and content in the UK, with low anxiety rates.
|
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-47000276
|
Will Weezer Ever Stop Being Disappointing?
|
Teenage Weezer fandom is its own weird religion: You can walk away, but on some level the faiths rigid elements lie dormant in you. Broadly speaking, this is a band that has gotten continually worse over the last three decadesever since the catchy, blistering, sometimes ugly songs that made 1994s Blue Album and 1996s Pinkerton such touchstones for wounded dorks everywhere. Along the way, there have been so many potential breaking points for fans, its easy to lose count. Theres the initial listen of Beverly Hills, with its thirstiness masquerading as irony, or the first time you hear the rap-rock of Im Your Daddy, The Girl Got Hot, and Cant Stop Partying in sequence on Raditude, three incredibly dumb crimes committed back to back. They add up, gradually whittling down whats left of your devotion. Yet without fail, every time Weezer releases something new and its bad, a small part of me still feels disappointed. I become embarrassed to be associated with them in the eyes of my friends and loved ones, to have idolized a band that once seemed like a model for escaping teenage nerdom but instead just never grew up. The answer, I realized once again this week, is no. No matter how much I compartmentalize my expectations of emotional substance, originality, and general taste on latter-day Weezer records, there is still a part of me left shaking my head when they pull some childish shit. After spending most of last year milking a cover of Totos Africa, on early Thursday morning they surprise released nine more covers of beloved old hits, called it the Teal Album, and took part in Miami Vice cosplay on its cover. To Weezer, this probably just seems like more fun, crowd-pleasing nonsense: Lest we forget that Blue was buoyed by Spike Jonzes Happy Days homage of a video, a goofy proto-meme that blew up on MTV and came preloaded on the Windows 95 install CD-ROM. But where their nostalgic cultural references seemed ahead of the curve in Buddy Holly, or the Muppets-starring Keep Fishin video from 2002, or even the prescient document of early YouTube culture that is 2008s Pork and Beans clip, Weezer have been chasing the viral high for a good decade straight, with confusing and cringeworthy results. (Their version of Africa peaked at No. 51 on the Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on the alternative chart, and to date has racked up nearly 24 million streams on Spotify.) Borne of a dogged but innocent request from a 14-year-old fan on Twitter last spring, Weezer turned the most meme-able song of the decade into a rolling promotional campaign with help from two other key players: the members of Toto, who passed that sweet, sweet nostalgia back and forth across the web by covering Hash Pipe, and Weird Al Yankovic, who the band tapped for live performances and the music video. More than Toto, the young fan with a pipe dream, or the Noisey editor who thinks hes to blame, Im going to say this is kind of Weird Als fault. Weezer are now a parody of their former selves; getting Weird Al involved made that quite literally true and helped propel the whole mess at the very moment when it should have been dying down. The internet really did enjoy seeing him play an unhinged Rivers Cuomo in the official Africa clip, a Buddy Holly homage mixed with an Undone (Sweater Song) video recreation. Since premiering in late September, the clip has received roughly four to six times as many streams as other latter-day Weezer music videos in similar time frames (its currently just below eight million YouTube views). If I were on Weezers marketing team, I too might think its a good idea to replicate the success of Africa by making a (mostly) 80s cover album. This is both predictable viral fodder as well as suitably intergenerational for a band that tries to be a nostalgia act while still mercilessly pushing new music. And in reality, the Teal Album is so musically inconsequential, it almost seems pointless to get mad at it. But still. They turn No Scrubs into a lifeless husk of its sexy, empowered self, and their cheesy metal power chords elbow into Billie Jean. There are some karaoke versions of synth-pop favorites that are fun, but oftentimes the non-Rivers members of the band sound like they would rather being doing anything besides giving vaguely Weezer-y updates to fucking Happy Together and Stand By Me. And Africa remains, well, Africa: Weezers rendering was always an average cover with slightly harder-rocking instrumentation, like a sign of the horns bumper sticker slapped on an old Dodge Minivan. The real reason this album gets to me is because Weezers ongoing strategy of prioritizing the shtick is still working. Teal essentially went viral this week, giving a promo boost to the bands upcoming 13th LP of originals, the Black Album, whose singles have been pretty rough so far. On one hand, its annoyingly impressive that a nerd-rock band decades past its prime can stay visible enough to inspire a sketch on Saturday Night Live about whether or not theyre still good (and then capitalize on it by selling T-shirts). But its become a tried and true fact amid the bleak landscape of mainstream rock: When Weezer find a jokey gimmick that works, their desperation for a hit leads them to become the punchline themselves.
|
https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/will-weezer-ever-stop-being-disappointing/
|
Can Nasdaq (NDAQ) Keep Its Earnings Streak Alive in Q4?
|
Nasdaq, Inc. NDAQ is slated to report fourth-quarter 2018 results on Jan 30, before market open. The company boasts a stellar record of positive earnings surprises. It outpaced estimates for eight straight quarters with the average beat being 3.35%. Lets see how things are shaping up for this announcement. Nasdaq is expected to benefit from growth of its index and analytics businesses, exchange data products across U.S. and Nordic equities and options and fixed income businesses. Strategic buyouts continue to enhance the companys capabilities, thereby aiding its performance. Improved trading volume should continue to drive better performance. In the fourth quarter of 2018, U.S. equity options volume increased 10.8% year over year to 482 million contracts, while European options and futures registered 22.6 million contracts, up 14.1% year over year. Though revenues per contract for U.S. equity options increased 15.4% year over year to 15 cents, the same for European options and futures deceased 12.5% to 49 cents. Rise in listings is expected to boost listing revenues in the fourth quarter. There are 3,685 listed companies on Nasdaq compared with 3,560 in the year-ago period. Total listings grew 3.7% from the year-earlier quarter to 4,059. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for listing services revenues is pegged at $73 million, up 2.8% year over year. Non-transaction revenues are expected to rise on higher listing plus Market Technology and Information Services revenues. Market Technology and Information Services businesses offer the biggest growth opportunities per the companys developmental strategies. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Marketing Information Service revenues is pegged at $182 million, up 16.7% year over year. It estimates 2018 non-GAAP operating expenses in the range of $1.310-$1.335 billion due to appointments and promotions, seasonal compensation and higher fourth-quarter marketing spend, which will affect margins. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $1.24, indicating 18.1% increase on a year-over-year basis. Nasdaq, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Nasdaq, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Nasdaq, Inc. Quote What Our Quantitative Model Says Our proven model conclusively shows that Nasdaq is likely to beat estimates this reporting cycle. This is because the stock has the right combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a favorable Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Earnings ESP: Nasdaq has an Earnings ESP of +0.99. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Nasdaq carries a Zacks Rank #3, which increases the predictive power of ESP. Thus, this combination makes us confident of a positive earnings surprise. We caution against Sell-rated stocks (#4 or 5) going into an earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. Stocks to Consider Here are stocks from the finance sector with the perfect combination of elements to surpass estimates in their upcoming releases. Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. AJG is set to report fourth-quarter earnings on Jan 31. The stock has an Earnings ESP of +3.92% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here . Axis Capital Holdings Ltd. AXS is set to report fourth-quarter earnings on Jan 30. The stock has an Earnings ESP of +1.49% and a Zacks Rank of 3. Boston Properties, Inc. BXP has an Earnings ESP of +0.60% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The company will announce fourth-quarter earnings on Jan 29. The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early. See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>
|
https://news.yahoo.com/nasdaq-ndaq-keep-earnings-streak-225310479.html
|
Why Do Entrepreneurs Need to Make Health & Wellness a Priority?
|
I dont mean that guy you know that drops stacks of cash at the casino and rides around in a sports car I mean really successful people, like Billionaire successful. What sets these people apart is not how much they spend or how much partying they do, in fact, when you look at it more closely, its more interesting that they have the money but dont really have the urge to indulge all the time. These people have risen way beyond the temptations of fleeting excitements, and have chosen instead to establish a healthy foundation, and thats what gives them the strength and creative power to build massive companies. People are always chasing the secret to success, but there are no tricks; to be the most effective that you can be at any time you have to invest in your own health and well-being. Self-care health trends Both body and mind work better when we eat healthy food, get enough rest, and stress less. Being present and ground is not something people do once in a while, it should be a way of life. And as an entrepreneur, self-care should be what enables you to be successful; which is why you make time for yourself and stay conscious of your everyday choices. First of all, it should come as no surprise that health and wellness are closely linked to success and productivity. Things like exercise and meditation are known to enhance cognitive function and instill discipline, both of which will change what you value in life and how you do things. A higher level of productivity A study that was published in the Huffington Post in 2012 showed how eating habits influence productivity, and how a lack of exercise leads to low productivity. Apparently, being conscious of what you put into your body can actually lead to higher performance at work, and failing to exercise regularly was linked to a 50 percent drop in productivity. In another study published in the Daily Mail website, close to 80 percent of workers found that interpersonal performance and mental health was improved on days they exercised. On some level, we all know the importance of health and taking care of ourselves, but the majority dont make health a priority; which is why it helps to learn about the actual effects it has on your ability to be more productive. Check out what these successful people do every day before going to work: Arianna Huffington starts her day with a yoga session, which she refers to as her joy trigger. Oprah Winfrey doesnt go a day without grounding herself through meditation, and she does this at least twice a day for 20 minutes Anna Wintour, Editor-in-Chief at Vogue, wakes up at precisely 4:45 a.m. every day, and she begins her days with an hour-long tennis match Whats important to note here is that these are super-successful people who are always busy, but they make time to take care of body and mind every day. They understand how powerful they can be, but to in order to unleash their full potential, they know the mind and body must be prepared first. It starts with you making good choices even when its not convenient. If that means coming to work earlier than most people, or following a fitness regimen when it would be much easier to do what everybody else is doing; whatever you choose to do, make sure its good for you, and stick with it. If you do this every day by keeping a positive attitude and show people that you are still approachable, then youll have found what makes a person a role model to friends and colleagues. Happiness persists Insist on happiness. A positive mental state allows you to be more creative, thoughtful, and it makes people experience those same things as they engage with you. In a world where simple ideas can turn into big businesses, you really do not want to interfere with your enthusiasm by piling on the pressure and being miserable. Angle yourself for long-term success, and that requires a healthy mental attitude. More confidence Nothing builds confidence like seeing your own choices lead to success. It validates you and builds your inner strength, making you look more self-assured. Confidence is something you can develop slowly over time, as you overcome each challenge and experience success in its many forms, both personal and professional. Its a special feeling when the world sees a person whos confident because theyre winning. Remember, if youre failing it could be that youre messing up somewhere, so pay attention to whats going in all areas of your life. Save money One benefit of self-care is that it causes you to be more disciplined and responsible in practically every area of your personal life and work. Your spending habits start to reflect a person who is practical, level-headed, and in pursuit of a larger goal. People tend to be amazing when theyre not only motivated by money. A person whos running a business already understands the basics of financial management, but by making health and wellness a priority, it will bring on new habits that are healthier and more aligned with where youre going. Undoubtedly the ability to live longer A medical paper authored by a Harvard professor suggests that a middle-aged person who spends at least 150 minutes every week doing moderate exercise (such as brisk walking) extends their lifespan by up to 7 minutes, for every minute they spend exercising. Ultimately, we all want to be alive to enjoy the things weve built, and in business, that means you want to see your company grow, and your ideas realized. But you have to be healthy and strong for any of that to happen, but it wont help if your personal habits dont reflect a healthy mindset. For the purpose of survival, it makes sense to take good care of yourself, because if you dont, nobody else will. Be the best version of yourself This means challenging yourself to make better choices, to improve on what youve built so far, and to always want to do more. A little introspection will show you what areas of your life are lagging and what you need to do to improve. Keep in mind that growth is a lifelong process, so theres plenty of space to grow, and were hardly ever without flaws. Challenge yourself to be better today than you were yesterday, and cultivate this mindset as you go about building your brand, for it will take you very far in life. It helps to have role models, just make sure you pick someone with the highest set of values that you hold dear. Dr. Sean Daneshmand has been nominated as a Top Doctor in San Diego as published in San Diego Magazine continuously since 2008-2018. He has also completed extensive training in Aesthetic procedures including Vaser Liposelection and has been the Medical Director of Ageless and beautiful Medical Spa since May 2005. Health and wellness stock photo by Polarpx/Shutterstock
|
https://www.smallbizdaily.com/why-do-entrepreneurs-need-to-make-health-wellness-a-priority/
|
Has Johnson had his cake and eaten it?
|
Its business as usual. Yes, the business is in administration, almost 1,000 jobs have gone, 2,000 more are at risk, 71 of the companys 192 cafs have been closed and the shareholders have been wiped out. Or so says Stewart Francis. The latest boss of Patisserie Valerie, of course. And you have to wonder what goes into its exciting range of celebration cakes because here he is again: It sounds bizarre but its genuinely a positive development for the remaining business. I would rather have 2,000 fully employed staff than 3,000 with no future. Yes, you know what he means. However, try telling the redundo
|
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/has-johnson-had-his-cake-and-eaten-it-s2swwdfdd
|
Did Trump Cave?
|
Certainly looks like it. Im on the move today so Im not fully up to date on the details, but I am wondering whether word was passed along that air travel was on the brink of collapsing from a coordinated sick-out by air traffic controllers (and lets face itgovernment unions have wanted to get even for Reagans mass firing of striking controllers in 1981), or Mitch McConnell told him that Senate GOP support was collapsing and he risked a bigger humiliation. Much will depend on the outcome three weeks from now. In the meantime, Ian Bremmers Puppet Machine suggests the one possible compromise that might be worth supporting:
|
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/01/did-trump-cave.php
|
Was sind Barrier Creams?
|
Fr die optimale Versorgung der Gesichtshaut bringen Kosmetikhersteller immer wieder neue Produkte auf den Markt. Derzeit im Trend liegen "Barrier Creams". Eine Visagistin erklrt, was an ihnen so besonders ist. Berlin (dpa/tmn) - In den prall gefllten Regalen fr Kosmetika finden sich regelmig neue Produkte - oder neue Begriffe fr bekannte Produkte. "Wie es der Name vermuten lsst, sind Barrier Creams fr die Hautbarriere und deren Wiederherstellung zustndig", erlutert Visagistin Elena Helfenbein, Expertin fr den VKE-Kosmetikverband in Berlin. "Angereichert mit wichtigen Ceramiden, dem Baustoff der natrlichen Hautbarriere, verstrken sie die Haut und bauen ihre Schutzschicht wieder auf." Die enthaltenen Ceramide sind hautidentisch. Das bedeutet, dass sie auch natrlich in der Haut vorkommen und daher vom Immunsystem erkannt und nicht bekmpft werden. Sie knnen problemlos aufgenommen und verarbeitet werden, ergnzt Helfenbein. "Man kann sich die Haut dabei als eine Art Mauerwerk mit einzelnen Ziegelsteinen vorstellen. Die Barrier Cream ist der Mrtel, der alles zusammenhlt und einzelne Hautzellen abdichtet", erklrt die Expertin die Wirkweise der Produkte. "So haben unliebsame Keime und Bakterien keine Chance einzudringen. Auch in die andere Richtung hilft die Creme dabei, den Feuchtigkeitsverlust der Haut mglichst gering zu halten." "Barrier Creams tun jeder Haut gut", sagt Helfenbein. "Ganz besonders eignen sie sich bei irritierter, juckender und schuppiger Haut - denn dies knnen Anzeichen fr eine Barriere-Schdigung sein, die mit der Creme behoben werden kann." Aber auch strapazierte Haut profitiert davon, wenn die Zellen wieder gut abgedichtet und geschtzt sind.
|
https://www.volksstimme.de/lifestyle_mode/was-sind-barrier-creams/1548423127000
|
What Do a Solar Eclipse and the Iranian Revolution Have in Common?
|
While on the surface Rabeah Ghaffaris To Keep the Sun Alive is about a family amid the Iranian revolution, the novel opens in Paris in 2012. Its the day of a solar eclipse and Shazdehpoor, a lonely Iranian man, remembers his life in his home country. The story then alternates between Shazdehpoors life in modern day Paris and his family back in Iran in 1978-79. Retired Judge Akbar and his wife Bibi own a fruit orchard and their extended family joins them for rich countryside lunches where they discuss whats happening in their country. Akbars brother Habib is a mullah who professes the need for religious cleansing. His nephew, Shazdenpoor, has two sonsJamsheed is an opium addict and Madjid is in love with Nasreen, Bibis grandniece. As the political turmoil grows, so does the personal, and in this intersection the two inform one another. The future has been written and the forthcoming eventsfull of violence and tragedywill stir the family. Ghaffari does a beautiful job of weaving the building tensions of the country into the idyllic orchard family gatherings, so the looming revolution surrounds the characters until its upon them: Its coming to a head. You can feel it in the streets. In the dormitories. You should see the students huddled around in earnestness. And with such a diverse cast of characters, there is a spectrum of opinions about whats happening, from passionate urgency to, in the case of Jamsheed, a kind of indifference: He found their passions quaint and utterly futile. He smiled as they spoke about injustice, poverty, political repression, and forced progress. He nodded as they spoke about illiteracy, lost lands, rampant corruption, and a government that dragged its bewildered children into the Western century, a country that stood with a dead empire on its back. The juxtaposition of Jamsheed, who smokes opium as a way out of the world, and his brother Madjid, who remains grounded in the countrys state of affairs, helps illustrate the revolution and the way it is being perceived. Madjid remains indignant over whats happening in the country. His literature teacher is taken away for teaching Chekovs Cherry Orchard and he has a conversation with Akbar about people in power always being afraid of losing it. Madjid agrees, People can be so frustrating. The choices they make. The things they dont do. As if their privilege breeds inertia. Despite the lazy nature of the afternoon family lunches, no inertia is felt in this novel. In small moments and conversations, layers of tension build until the revolution is upon them. Secrets are revealed, a marriage unravels, and violence escalates. Everything comes to a head on the day of a solar eclipse in 1979, bringing Shazdehpoors story full circle. Comparisons to other novels can be helpful or annoyingthe latter when not fully thought through. So its with great sensitivity that I say that To Keep the Sun Alive brought heavily to mind Rebecca Makkais The Great Believers. Its true that on the surface these novels have little in common, but both are epic stories that alternate with one character in modern day Paris and that characters family decades earlier in the midst of personal and political upheaval. The presence of one character in the modern day anchors the story and gives hope that at least one character will make it out of the turmoil alive while also creating an urgency to the earlier events. Both novels deal with a difficult subject (the AIDS crisis/ Iranian revolution) yet are compulsively readable tales of the transcending power of art and stories. Because in the end thats what To Keep the Sun Alive ultimately is about. More than the Iranian revolution, its a meditation on the nature of storiesthe way they shape our lives and the power they have to not only enrich, but sustain us. FICTION To Keep the Sun Alive By Rabeah Ghaffari Catapult Published January 15, 2019 Rabeah Ghaffari is a writer and film editor whose fiction was included in Reflections on Islamic Art and whose documentary, The Troupe, featured Tony Kushner. Her most recent feature-length screenplay, The Inheritors, was commissioned by producer and costume designer Patricia Field. To Keep the Sun Alive is her first novel.
|
https://chireviewofbooks.com/2019/01/24/what-do-a-solar-eclipse-and-the-iranian-revolution-have-in-common/
|
Has Apple created a BlackBerry robot?
|
BANGCRASHCREAK *coughcough* We're free! 7 days in Mobile, TechRadar's alternative and mostly fictitious look at the week's events, has freed itself from its prison under the disused BenQ Siemens HQ and has returned to find the world is a wholly different place. We won't tell you how we came to be entombed in a coffin made entirely of Windows Mobile handsets - but let's just say a certain unicorn was pretty unhappy with certain people 'censoring his words on the beautiful BlackBerry Storm'. When we last spoke, the Palm Pre was still a device that caused us to quiver with excitement, Nokia was still chucking out a new phone every day and Vodafone was happily chatting about DRM-free music. So - we've had a quick look over the last week and we were shocked... no, flabbergasted by what we saw. OK, we weren't that amazed, but it was enough for us to work out that perhaps some of the stories could be better served by extreme embellishment. Oh nO2! O2 though the worst was over when it finally apologised to the UK for accidentally leaking mobile phone numbers to any website that requested then while a user was browsing the net on their handset. But it appears that the company has also leaked Jeff McNultyParson's unfinished novel, where he describes his experiences as a fast food delivery man in a high class area of Hertfordshire. Called 'Where's the beef?' the novel was meant to be an exploratory and defaming look at the way food couriers are treated by those with so much money they sometimes wake up laughing. But when Jeff began receiving angry emails from horse fanciers the world over, Jeff has decided to scrap the project and will instead be suing O2 for 'the billions of pounds he would have made had the book been kept secret'. "I mean, it's so obvious," Jeff told TechRadar exclusively. "One minute I'm browsing an erotic horse-jumping website on my Palm Pre, and the next thing I know, my novel is all over the internet. It can't be a coincidence." O2 has responded curtly to the news, saying simply "We have no idea that such a book exists. Although we did all go home on Thursday and leave the doors unlocked with wild geese running around. Sorry about that." Apple-powered RIM We all know that Apple has more money than has ever existed, so it's no surprise to find out that the firm has actually installed a robot it created at the head of RIM. Thorsten Heins was described as a 'little known company insider' before being promoted to lead the new firm, but TechRadar has been sent blueprints proving he's actually a cyborg created from the composite parts of ex-CEOs Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. Uncovered: This robot has been heading up Nokia's design studio for 12 years thanks to Samsung Several sources believe that the action is being taken ensure that RIM never manages to release its next-gen phones and instead keeps releasing the same phone with a different name for the next three years, insisting that "This one, NO, REALLY, this one is going to be a winner for us." To the past-mobile! You're probably bored of all the touchscreen smartphones on the market at the moment - but imagine if we still had rotary dials instead - playing Angry Birds would be a nightmare. Well, here's the past looking at the future (which we call today or yesterday, depending on when you read this) on Tomorrow's World in 1979... including one of the world's first wrong numbers on a mobile phone.
|
https://www.techradar.com/au/news/phone-and-communications/mobile-phones/has-apple-created-a-blackberry-robot-1058250
|
Why are Latino businesses so often denied funding?
|
Many fledgling Latino businesses are strapped for cash, a report released Friday by researchers at Stanford Universitys Graduate School of Business found, and credit scores could be to blame. There are an estimated 5 million Latino-owned businesses in the U.S., according to the Stanford Latino Entrepreneurship Initiative (SLEI). Though the total number of businesses in the U.S. declined from 2007 to 2012, the number of Latino-owned businesses grew by 46%, the report found. Although they apply for funding at comparable rates to white business owners, Latino-owned businesses are far less likely to secure it, the report found. Only 28% of Latino business owners receive the full funding amount they apply for, compared to 49% of white business owners, according to the Stanford researchers. In other words, Latino business owners are denied more often than white business owners, the report said. The downside of personal credit scores One potential solution, the SLEI report said, could be more education about different means of applying for funding. Providing a business credit score rather than a personal credit score makes business owners more likely to access capital, but Latino business owners are more likely to use their personal credit score, the report found. A business credit score, like a personal credit score, indicates the credit risk of a business when applying for a mortgage or other personal loan. Business owners who understand and use their business credit score are 41% more likely to be approved for a loan, but the majority of all small business owners (72%) surveyed for the Stanford report did not know their business credit score and 60% did not know how to find it. Our study found that only one-third of Latino-owned employer and scaled firms use a business score to access capital, the study said. This means that many firms with proven track records continue to rely on the owners personal credit scores when seeking funding for the business. The Stanford report defined a scaled business as one that had $1 million in gross revenue in a year. Latino communities see improvements As the Latino small business world continues to grow, so does the quality of life for all Latino people in the U.S., according to the American Human Development Index, a yearly report from Brooklyn, N.Y.-based nonprofit Social Science Research Councils Measure of America project. The index is a composite rating based on health, education and income and was introduced in 2008 as an alternative to GDP (gross domestic product, or the value of goods and services produced by a country) as a measure of societys progress. It found the Latino community has seen its quality of life improve more than any other group in the U.S. in the past decade, with index scores increasing 22% over the past 10 years compared to a just 6.4% increase overall in the U.S. White men experienced the smallest improvement in well-being since 2008, aside from Native American men, who were the only group to experience a decline in their well-being. Get a daily roundup of the top reads in personal finance delivered to your inbox. Subscribe to MarketWatch's free Personal Finance Daily newsletter. Sign up here.
|
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/latino-businesses-are-often-denied-funding-heres-one-possible-reason-2019-01-25?siteid=rss&rss=1
|
Who's Complicit in the Covington Catholic Debacle?
|
In the most recent online cultural skirmish, a viral video, showing a charged interaction between a nearly all-white contingent of high-school boys in town for an anti-abortion march and participants in the Indigenous Peoples March, ricocheted across social media. It seemingly compressed the malicious nature of this particular presidency: overt white mockery of non-white people. There was outraged condemnation of the students. Then a backlash to the excesses of that rebuke, which included attempted doxxing of minors and threats to the school. And finally a backlash to the backlash. Much of the debate has swirled around the minute details of the event, including who approached whom first, and whether certain actions should be reasonably perceived as threatening or not, as well as the varying degrees of presumed innocence or ill intent of the individuals involved. After all the jockeying, what seems uncontested is that on Jan. 18, a small group of Black Hebrew Israelites, a radical sect known for shouting inflammatory barbs to strangers on the streets of New York City and DC, taunted a large group of students from the all-boys Covington Catholic high school in Kentucky with obscene insults on the steps of Lincoln Memorial. Native American activist Nathan Phillips, drumming and singing, then led a much smaller group in between the two groups, whereupon he came face-to-face with Nick Sandmann, who stood there, either smiling or smirking, as Phillips drummed. Reasons Robby Soave, who asserted that the media wildly mischaracterized the video, went so far as to claim that the group of mostly white, MAGA-hat-wearing male teenagers remained relatively calm and restrained. The Atlantics Adam Serwer characterized this as part of an example of the Donald Trumpera overcorrection. What you will see in watching the longer videos is the students getting increasingly riled up, chanting and, in one case, tearing off clothing. Whether or not that is an understandable teenage reaction to confusing interactions, it was neither calm nor restrained, even relatively so. Soave also leaves out, as Jonathan Capehart details in The Washington Post, that when the Black Hebrew Israelites yell, Yall got one n----r in the crowd, one student responds, No, weve got two. And another later says, We got one at home but he aint here. However you interpret the interaction between Phillips and Sandmann, this is a remarkably disgusting way to speak about students of color. What is undeniable, no matter how many videos you watch, is that some in a large, amped-up group of nearly all-white boys, wearing those red Make America Great Again caps, mocked an older Native American protestor on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, with tomahawk chops, dancing, and laughter. And almost entirely missing is any kind of basic guidance from the Covington Catholic chaperones who brought the students to DC for the anti-abortion March for Life and at best allowed a vast group of rowdy boys to treat the Lincoln Memorial steps like a pep rally, which is obnoxious in its own right. Much of conservative media has devoted itself to digging through Phillips background, including his military record and minor crimes, such as possession of alcohol, from his teenage years. Whatever his past actions or recent statements, this does not absolve the students behavior, and more distressingly their chaperones lack of oversight, at that moment. But neither does it mean that students should have been doxxed or sent death threats. And these unfortunate retributive drives are not, as many conservatives have repeatedly asserted, particular to liberal hate. It was not all that long ago that Christine Blasey Ford was forced to leave her home under a siege of death threats. Even R. Kellys accusers who made the decision to reveal themselves became objects of harassment.
|
https://www.gq.com/story/covington-catholic-complicity?verso=true
|
What Is Trumps Motivation Behind the Recognition of Guaido as Venezuelan President?
|
Sadly we do not always get what we vote for. Donald Trump has decided to acknowledge the self-appointed leader of a particular foreign country in spite of it already having an elected leader, which sounds like the type of meddling that Trump said he was against. But, on the plus side at least this is better than the usual invasion + nation-building scenario we have seen in the past and that Trump promised to stop. The country in question is Venezuela. Mr. Trump officially recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as the nations new interim president instead of the elected Nicolas Maduro. The motivations behind such a move can be both overt and conscious but often it is what is in the subconscious that we ourselves do not even notice that is actually the key motivating factor in our decisions. There is a very emotional/ideological side to Venezuela that may be influencing The Donalds decision. After Israel/Palestine, Venezuela is one of the most emotionally divisive nations in the world for Westerners. People really strongly project their own values, beliefs and personal identity to certain political situations in certain nations. When it comes to Israel, Western Liberals sympathize with the plight of the Palestinians who have been colonized by white people and are being systematically oppressed. For them this view of the situation confirms the victim culture that they hold so dear. On the opposite side, Republicans identify with the Israelis as an oasis of Westerness in a desert of heathens. They see the Israelis like some sort of cowboys taming the Wild Mid-East. This ability to identify with or project ones identity onto the Israeli/Palestinian question is what makes people get into fiery internet arguments over an issue that they know nothing about having never been to Israel, speaking a local language and being only informed by the objective mainstream media. Israel is a nation/narrative that speaks to many but for vastly different reasons. Venezuela is not as big as Israel in terms of provoking online emotions from naive Westerners but it could be a close second. The quasi-Communist visuals, and fight the man attitude of the Chavez|Maduro era are repulsive to dog-eat-dog Republican types whereas the Starbucks swilling Liberal crowd in their Che Guevara T-shirts has tons of sympathy for the poor victims of colonization that are just trying to fight back against oppression. For example, influential and respected conservative media giant Alex Jones calls Venezuela Communist and Socialist and more or less blames the countrys current struggles on their lack of Westernness. Venezuela does not act like us so they are clearly bad and poor because of it. And, of course, on the other side The Young Turks pretty much blame American Imperialism for all the problems in Venezuela claiming that the failures of Venezuelan Socialism do not count because of American interference. We can see the left/right, Liberal/Conservative dichotomy in action when Caracas is in question. But there is one thing the Mainstream Media and Youtubers seem to not understand. Systemically, Venezuela is not very different from the majority of the countries in the world including the West. Despite all this talk of Communism and wearing red berets the only thing that is uniquely Soviet about the nations constitution is a right to work and housing which were featured in the Stalin constitution of 1936. However, in the very same Communist Venezuelan document, when speaking about workers rights we see Article 89.4: Any measure or act on the part of an employer in violation of this Constitution is null and void, and of no effect. Yes the word employer meaning employer in the Capitalist sense. In fact nowhere do we see anything about seizing the means of production or giving rights to the working class as we did with the Stalin constitution. Additionally if you even bother to open Google maps you will see there are Western capitalist businesses all over the nation including good ole McDonalds. You can package a product anyway you want but it doesnt change the core product and most of this Socialism that divides Western thought on Venezuela is merely window dressing. Attention Western pundits, journalists and bloggers! Venezuela is NOT COMMUNIST. That nation has a Liberal constitution founded on individual rights in the Western tradition. What it does have is some workers liberation propaganda and a few government projects smeared on top of this solid Liberal cake. The current Venezuelan constitution was written during the Chavez era itself and yet is still fundamentally Western. In fact all over the EU we see Liberal constitutions with Socialist window dressing. Venezuela is hardly unique in this position. The key reason for this dissonance has to do with the fact that what is appealing to the Venezuelan people is not very appealing to Washington. Latin America has a lot of gripes with the US for brutality and regime changes during the Cold War. Fighting the big evil oppressor and having a country for the people are things that commoners can rally around. This marketing strategy worked fantastic for Chavez giving him the popularity of a demigod. However, this sort of red banner quasi-Marxist marketing does not suit President Trump. It is exactly the type of advertising to make the current US leader despise you. Venezuelas internal advertising could be forgiven if it were not such an uppity nation that actually tries to pursue an independent policy. This stands in direct contradiction to what some see as Trumps Fortress America policy of trying to pull bring American influence and interests back to the Western Hemisphere while at the same time completely and unquestioningly dominating it. So motivation behind the Trump recognition of Guaido really boils down to three points. 1. Trump finds the Chavez-Maduro narrative/marketing repulsive. 2. Venezuela is too uppity and too independent in its politics. 3. Leaders like Maduro are a direct barrier to building Fortress America.
|
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2019/01/25/what-trump-motivation-behind-recognition-guaido-venezuelan-president.html
|
What is the Modified Traditional Plan?
|
By By Thomas Lambrecht There are four comprehensive plans being considered by the special General Conference in February in an attempt to resolve the deep theological conflict within our church. Three of the plans (Traditional Plan, Connectional Conference Plan, and One Church Plan) were offered as part of the report of the Commission on a Way Forward. The fourth plan is the Simple Plan, offered by the Queer Clergy Caucus. The Renewal and Reform Coalition is supporting the Modified Traditional Plan (MTP). The MTP is basically the Traditional Plan with the addition of two petitions submitted by Maxie Dunnam. In an effort to dispel any lingering confusion, here is what the MTP (TP+) entails. The Traditional Plan is the only plan that maintains the current teachings and requirements of the church defining marriage as between one man and one woman, declaring all persons as created in Gods image, of sacred worth and welcome in the churchs ministries, forbidding clergy from performing same-sex weddings, and forbidding annual conferences from ordaining self-avowed practicing homosexuals. Under this plan, this would remain the position of the whole church (not just parts of it). The Traditional Plan understands that the crisis we face is not one of different opinions, but of different practices. Twelve annual conferences in the U.S. have declared in one way or another that they will not be bound by the requirements of the church regarding same-sex marriage and ordination. These activist annual conferences are responsible for the current split within the denomination. The most effective way to restore unity is to require uniform standards of ordination and church practice regarding same-sex weddings. Restoring unity will therefore require greater accountability measures in order to ensure that the requirements of the Discipline are kept. Solely because of the disregard for our denominations standards for marriage and sexuality, the Traditional Plan must include these enhancements: The definition of a self-avowed practicing homosexual (thus not eligible for ordination) is expanded to include those living in a same-sex marriage or union or those who publicly state they are practicing homosexuals (Petition #1). Measures are enacted to ensure that members of the Board of Ordained Ministry are committed to abiding by the requirements for ordination in the Discipline, and that those who are not qualified will not be recommended for ordination, commissioned, ordained, or consecrated (Petitions #5-9, 12). Annual conferences are required to vote on whether or not they will uphold and enforce the Discipline. If not, they would no longer be entitled to use the name United Methodist or the cross and flame insignia, and they would not be able to give or receive funds through the general church. Such annual conferences would be encouraged (not required) to withdraw from the denomination and form a new, self-governing (progressive) Methodist church (Petition #10). Bishops would be required to certify whether or not they would uphold and enforce the Discipline. If not, they would be encouraged (not required) to withdraw from the denomination and help form a new, self-governing (progressive) Methodist church (Petition #10). Bishops committing acts of disobedience would be subject to charges and possible trial. Clergy convicted in a church trial of performing a same-sex wedding would be subject to a minimum penalty of one year suspension without pay for the first offense and removal of credentials for a second offense (Petition #11). Bishops could no longer dismiss a complaint for any reason (or no reason). They could only dismiss a complaint if it had no basis in law or in fact (Petition #13). Bishops who improperly dismiss a complaint would be subject to charges. The process of resolving a complaint through a just resolution would need to include the person who filed the complaint at every step. The person charged would have to recommit to upholding the Discipline, particularly those provisions under which they were charged (Petition #14-15). The church could appeal a trial court verdict if there were egregious errors of church law or administration (Petition #16). The Traditional Plan is the only plan that provides a gracious exit for those unwilling to live within the boundaries established by the Book of Discipline. This gracious exit is not required, but is available for annual conferences, groups of congregations, individual congregations, bishops, and clergy. They would be able to form or join a new, self-governing (progressive) Methodist church that is separate from the UM Church. Annual conferences could withdraw from the denomination by majority vote. They would continue to be responsible for their pension liabilities and could sponsor a new pension plan with Wespath. They could also become a concordat church and contract for services from United Methodist boards and agencies, participate in mission partnerships, and support joint mission projects (Petition #10, 17). Individual congregations or groups of 50 or more congregations could withdraw from the denomination upon a 2/3 majority vote and with the approval of their annual conference (also by a 2/3 majority vote). The only payment they would need to make is to cover the congregations share of their annual conferences unfunded pension liabilities. These local churches could also participate in pension programs, mission, and ministry through the new, self-governing Methodist church that they would join (Petition #10, 17). Bishops and clergy could transfer to the new, self-governing Methodist church upon approval by the receiving denomination (Petition #10). Any new self-governing Methodist church formed by those exiting the denomination could become a concordat church that maintains a connection through voluntary partnerships and eligibility to participate in some United Methodist programs (Petition #17). There are two kinds of modifications that the MTP brings to the Traditional Plan. The first kind of modifications takes into account Judicial Council Decision 1366, which ruled a number of provisions of the Traditional Plan unconstitutional. Only six of the original 17 petitions can be adopted as printed. Three petitions (#2-4) cannot be adopted at all, and the rest need amendments in order to bring them into compliance with the Judicial Council decision. The amendments will actually improve the plan, as well as satisfying the letter of the law under the Constitution. The amendments are relatively straightforward and will be made public soon in order to give delegates a chance to consider them. The second kind of modifications that the MTP brings to the Traditional Plan are a few additions that strengthen and perfect the Traditional Plan as originally proposed. The original version stayed very close to the sketch provided by the Commission on a Way Forward. Since that sketch, proponents of the Traditional Plan have identified ways to strengthen the accountability and graciousness of the plan and submitted those modifications in two petitions by Maxie Dunnam. The first petition creates a new global committee to handle complaints against bishops. This global process replaces the original accountability process that was declared unconstitutional (Petitions #2-4 of the Traditional Plan). This global committee, made up of one clergy or lay member from every annual conference in the world, would administer complaints against bishops. Since the complaint process would not involve bishops holding other bishops accountable, it would get around the built-in conflict of interest in the current accountability process. Since bishops are colleagues and members together of the Council of Bishops and the College of Bishops (where accountability lies), it is difficult for them to hold each other accountable. The track record of the episcopal accountability process is very poor, with no bishop facing a church trial in 50 years. Many legitimate complaints have been dismissed or otherwise finessed over the years to protect bishops from accountability. This new process is needed in order to restore accountability for bishops. The second petition actually substitutes for Petition #10 in the Traditional Plan. It is identical to that petition except for the following additions: Allegations that an annual conference is not upholding or enforcing the Discipline would be submitted to the global committee established by the first petition. The committee would investigate the complaints against the annual conference and could recommend necessary remedial actions or recommend that the conference be placed on the sanctioned list. Such recommendation would need to be approved by General Conference and could result in the conference losing its ability to use the United Methodist name and cross and flame insignia, as well as being unable to give or receive money through the general church. This provides an accountability mechanism for annual conferences. Bishops who refused to uphold and enforce the Discipline would no longer receive from the general church expense money for housing, office, or travel, thus enhancing accountability. Any annual conference withdrawing from the denomination would receive a one-time grant of $200,000 to help defray the costs of disaffiliation (mostly legal and administrative costs). This is part of the effort to provide as much grace as possible to the gracious exit. The two Dunnam petitions need amendments to bring them into compliance with Judicial Council Decision 1366. A technical correction to this petition makes explicit that the plan takes effect upon the adjournment of General Conference, rather than waiting until January 1, 2020. The MTP makes very few changes to the Traditional Plan, but they are important ones. It proposes adoption of 13 of the 17 original petitions, amended to comply with Judicial Council rulings. And it adds two petitions submitted by Maxie Dunnam, also amended to comply with Judicial Council rulings. The Renewal and Reform Coalition believes that the Modified Traditional Plan provides the best path to unity for The United Methodist Church. It maintains unity of practice and standards in our global denomination, rather than allowing each part of the church to create its own practices and standards. It maintains unity with Scripture, 2,000 years of Christian teaching, and the tradition of the church. It allows the creation of a unity based on willing participation and willing compliance with the covenant created by General Conference, while giving those unwilling to participate a gracious way out of the covenant to create their own denomination with standards they are willing to uphold. Based on surveys and conversation, the Modified Traditional Plan is the way to keep most evangelicals and traditionalists in The United Methodist Church. Up to 90 percent of evangelical leaders have told us they would find it necessary to leave the denomination if the One Church passes. But very few evangelicals are planning to leave if the MTP is enacted. Most will wait to see if the accountability measures restore unity and compliance. The MTP is the best way to keep our connection with global United Methodists, who overwhelmingly have a traditional view toward marriage and human sexuality. Many of them have told us that passage of the One Church Plan would lead them to leave the denomination, as well. The Renewal and Reform Coalition hopes that General Conference will prayerfully consider the provisions and principles of the Modified Traditional Plan and find in them a viable way toward a united and fruitful future for United Methodism. Thomas Lambrecht is a United Methodist clergyperson and the vice president of Good News. He is a member of the Commission on a Way Forward.
|
https://goodnewsmag.org/2019/01/what-is-the-modified-traditional-plan/
|
Who Has Broadcasted the Most Super Bowl Games in History?
|
Only 11 people have had the chance to do play-by-play on television for the Super Bowl. CBS has the rights to broadcast Super Bowl LIII this season and Jim Nantz will be making his fifth appearance doing play-by-play for his career. Nantz made his first Super Bowl broadcast for CBS in 2007 when the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears. Nantz is a long ways away from the top of the list, however. Longtime broadcasting legend Pat Summerall holds the record for most Super Bowl television play-by-play broadcasts at 11. His first Super Bowl broadcast came at Super Bowl X in 1976, with his last game taking place in 2002 at Super Bowl XXXVI. Current NBC lead football announcer Al Michaels is right behind Summerall for the record. Michaels worked his 10th Super Bowl last season as part of Super Bowl LII in Minneapolis. He would be on track to tie Summerall's record in 2021 and break the record in 2024 when NBC has the rights to the game. Everyone's favorite broadcaster Joe Buck has worked five Super Bowl's in his career. Buck would be lined up to work his sixth Super Bowl in 2020. Super Bowl I featured three play-by-play broadcasters. Ray Scott and Jack Whitaker split the play-by-play job for CBS, while Curt Gowdy did the game on NBC. Here's a look at the number of times each play-by-play broadcaster has worked a Super Bowl on television. Names in italics are still active today. Pat Summerall - 11 (CBS/FOX) Al Michaels - 10 (ABC/NBC) Dick Enberg - 8 (NBC) Curt Gowdy - 7 (NBC) Joe Buck - 5 (FOX) Jim Nantz - 5 (CBS) *includes upcoming Super Bowl LIII in 2019* Ray Scott - 4 (CBS) Greg Gumble - 2 (CBS) Frank Gifford - 1 (ABC) Jack Buck - 1 (CBS). *Note, Jack Buck broadcasted 17 Super Bowl's on radio* Jack Whitaker - 1 (CBS) A full list of Super Bowl broadcasters including color commentators, sideline reporters, and radio broadcasters can be found here .
|
http://ksoo.com/who-has-broadcasted-the-most-super-bowl-games-in-history/
|
Why is it so hard to get a car interior that isnt black?
|
Re black interior trim. Im in the market for a Ford Mustang but I refuse to place an order while black is mandatory. Ford dealers dont seem to care. The irony is the 1964 Mustang introduced the joy of optioning the car however you wanted it. Frederick Auld, email Any interior colour as long as its black is definitely the go with Fords Mustang. I agree, its not good enough. Just look at sports cars of old with their beautiful cream, red or tan leather seats. You could go to great expense and have your Mustang aftermarket trimmed to a colour of your liking, or simply shop elsewhere. Cheaper than a V8 Mustang GT, nearly as quick and you get a greater selection of cabin colours. Colour blind A black interior is dark, hot and claustrophobic. Getting the beige interior for my Mercedes Benz SLK was just as important as the Cubanite silver exterior. Im also perplexed by the popularity of black paint for car bodies, especially in Australias hot summers. Peter Hoycard, email Agreed. Too many buyers choose conservative colours for resale purposes. Its your car; get the colours you want. Three pedal hero Im looking for a manual SUV or sporty hatchback. Ive been looking around but nobody seems to sell manual cars anymore. A Duong, email I feel your pain. Its a travesty that so many new cars, including ostensibly sporty jobs, have no manual gearbox option. If youre seeking fun, a hatch will always outdo an SUV. My pick is the Hyundai i30N, available only with a manual gearbox. Ive seen some advertised for under $40K drive- away. The Ford Fiesta ST ($27,490) or Suzuki Swift Sport ($25,490) are bargain funsters, while the VW Golf GTI Original is currently $38,990 on the road. All will bring you joy. Joshua Connor, email A few people have been seeking similar advice, having been tempted to buy an MG by the sharp drive-away prices. The MG3 can be had for $15,990 on the road with auto gearbox and seven-year warranty. Incredible on paper. Ask for an extended test drive, sample the build quality for yourself and compare the rivals, such as the Suzuki Swift or Mazda2, which really dont cost much more. British expedition In our retirement my wife and I have decided wed love to travel around Australia. Id prefer a Land Rover but Im told the only vehicle to have is a Toyota LandCruiser. We plan a nine-month trip and would like to keep the vehicle as an everyday car afterwards. Bob Conkey, email Totally depends on what sort of touring you want to do, Bob. If you want to go deeper off-road, Id agree the LandCruiser is the pick. Should something go wrong there are more Toyota dealers in the wilds than Land Rover. If your heart is set on the British option, get a Land Rover Discovery. Entry-level SD4 S for $72,250 will suffice, can tackle serious off-road tracks and be a joyful daily driver on your return. Everything Ive read about the Toyota Corollas continuously variable transmission suggests it has the potential to fail or there are risks with it. Peter Mitchell, email Toyota recalled Corollas with the new Direct Shift CVT late last year, so yes, there are concerns. That shouldnt dissuade you. Toyotas just announced a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty for its new cars, rising to seven years for engine and gearbox if serviced at a Toyota dealer. That gives solid peace of mind, plus Toyotas is one of the more satisfying CVTs to drive. Im looking at three versions of the 2016 Volkswagen Golf: GTI, GTI Performance and GTI 40 Years. Mark B, email Go the GTI 40 Years for proper driving thrills. More power, a limited-slip differential and exclusivity make it the one to own. If itll be a traffic-snarled city slicker, pick the auto. If you plan more enjoyable drives, as you should, it can only be a manual. Itll be a collectors item one day in that specification.
|
https://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/motoring/car-advice/why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-a-car-interior-that-isnt-black/news-story/678c7c5c748350add44eb0833d8c965b
|
What Is The Green New Deal Anyway?
|
Mark Talarico, Brooklyn, NY The concept of a Green New Deal (GND), first called for in a 2007 New York Times op-ed by Thomas Friedman, has been in the news lately thanks to a protest outside of Nancy Pelosis office in mid-November a week after the 2018 mid-term elections when Democrats took back the House. The goal of the GND is to put America at the forefront of green technologies to meet or exceed our Paris climate treaty commitments while boosting the economy and reducing economic inequality. Think of it as like President Franklin Delano Roosevelts original New Deal that helped get Americans back on their feet economically after the Great Depression through the creation of millions of federally-funded jobs that not only employed people but boosted U.S. economic productivity. The GND aims to give Americans a leg up in profiting off the transition to greener energy sources while simultaneously reducing the divide between the haves and have-nots. At that November protest, hundreds of activists affiliated with the so-called Sunrise Movement showed up to call on Pelosi to back omnibus economic stimulus legislation that would put millions of Americans to work on facilitating the transition to an economy powered by 100 percent renewable, emissions-free energy. Later that day incoming Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez showed her support by proposing the creation of a new House Select Committee on a Green New Deal tasked with detailing a national, industrial, economic mobilization plan capable of making the U.S. economy carbon neutral while promoting economic and environmental justice and equality. There are so many different progressive issues that are important, and climate change and addressing renewable energy always gets to the bottom of the barrel, Ocasio-Cortez told The Intercept. That can gets kicked from session to session and so what this just needs to do is create a momentum and an energy to make sure that that it becomes a priority for leadership. At least 45 House members have expressed support for the GND, while eight likely Democratic presidential candidates (including Jay Inslee, Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren) are also behind it. And with the majority of Americans favoring taking strong action against climate change even if it means higher taxes, implementing some of kind of GND seems like a no-brainer. But environmentalists might not want to hold their breath. For starters, Ocasio-Cortezs proposal for the creation of a new House Select Committee on a Green New Deal wont be ready for a full House vote until 2020. Also, just because 40 members of Congress are supportive now doesnt say anything about where the other 395 Congresspersons stand, let alone the 100 members of the still-Republican-controlled Senate. Meanwhile, conservative critics point out that a Green New Deal could actually hurt the economy more than help it given how reliant we are on abundant and cheap fossil fuels. Even some liberals worry that the GND is trying to bite off more than we can chew. Only time will tell if something like the GND will become the law of the landand many greens are keeping their fingers crossed. CONTACTS: Thomas Friedmans A Warning from the Garden, https://goo.gl/zQ324A; Sunrise Movement, www.sunrisemovement.org; Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, ocasio-cortez.house.gov. EarthTalk is produced by Roddy Scheer & Doug Moss for the 501(c)3 nonprofit EarthTalk. To donate, visit www.earthtalk.org. Send questions to: [email protected].
|
https://emagazine.com/green-new-deal/
|
What Dangers Can Happen With Students While Studying Abroad?
|
Pic. from inchemistry.acs.org Evaluating various options to study in foreign countries extra effort has to be applied to make sure all the pros and cons are properly weighted. Quite often the importance of studying abroad is obvious. On one hand, for those interested in getting the first-class business degree local colleges often cant offer the right blend of classes. Or domestic colleges could focus more on local specifics while the comprehensive business program requires a global approach with invited professors from all over the world. On the other hand, young people who plan to make a brilliant career might simply want to get a degree of some world-famous university like Princeton or Harvard which will guarantee their future success. The challenge though is that the number of people who can get enrolled in these schools is relatively small and the competition is really tough. It will be safe to assume that getting to a world top school is like winning a lottery or a singing contest like America got talent. While the advantages and future benefits of studying abroad are usually understood well, the part often overlooked though is study dangers that students should keep in mind when applying to a college or university abroad. In terms of expectations setting students have to be prepared that the rules of the university they are about to apply as well as the studying process might vary significantly from the one at the home country. For example, lets take a closer look at British universities and the UK system of higher education. Compared with other countries they often offer students more flexibility with their schedule and classes they can choose from. Some universities may have their own traditions and other requirements for newcomers who are often unaware and unprepared for that. Fortunately, program providers always offer on-site orientation where students are explained all the basics they need to know in order to get along. Such tips and tricks help them quickly adapt to new conditions and avoid common mistakes. Students might also need to make sure they have enough funds to cover not only the tuition costs but the living expenses as well. Having moved to another country, they may suddenly realize that the cost of living is very high or at least way higher than they had expected. Quite often after careful consideration, students decide to study in less expensive places like Australia instead of UK where the price level is 15-20% cheaper than in the UK. That might be a smart move indeed as the quality of education in Australia, the culture and many other things are similar or very close to the UK ones, and all these things way more affordable. The best way to avoid huge tuition expenses is to apply for various educational programs which offer student grants and generous financial aid options. This is undoubtedly the most popular way to get a high-quality education abroad at minimal costs. Students might also schedule their education program in a way that would allow them working part-time on or off-campus. Next thing that students should remember that the education process itself may be a lot more difficult than at their home university. A lot of newcomers find it difficult to get accustomed to another style of education or quickly overcome language barrier which may cause some difficulties in comprehending the information at classes or assignment writing. For example, a student from Nigeria was admitted to an Australian university. The student had sent a message to his friend saying Buddy, I can use a hand. It seems the homework is a bit overwhelming here. Please do my assignment for me Australia. Im struggling to make sure I attend all the classes and submit my papers on time. It turned out that study in Australia is quite a tough thing. The friend was busy and could not help him with the assignment. Instead, he shared a list of internet resources which might help in cases like this. Having said that, it is usually just a matter of time before a student gets used to the accent and the rhythm of life. Indeed, dozens of thousands of students come to study abroad every year. They all come back with a bag of positive emotions. The trick here is to understand that many people somehow address these challenges every year and enjoy the success and nice careers after that. Last but not the least security matters. Although it is unlikely that students face any dangerous situations in most developed countries, it is still worth to take every precaution. It might be a good idea to make physical and digital copies of the government issued ID and the driver license. In case it gets lost or stolen, it will be easier to restore it as quickly as possible. The same thing applies to debit/credit cards. Another important advice is to find out embassy location and share the university contacts with relatives in case of an emergency. Finally, it makes sense to read the terms and conditions of the life and accidents insurance that are available from the university. From the expenses standpoint, it is sometimes cheaper to purchase the insurance policy from an independent provider or an insurance broker. Make sure you shop around and compare prices as sometimes it might be 15-20% difference. Special attention has to be paid to coverage amounts, available hospitals and clinics, and any other requirements, so it is clear how to act in case anything unforeseen happens.
|
http://www.informationng.com/2019/01/what-dangers-can-happen-with-students-while-studying-abroad.html
|
Which Indy-area high school basketball coaching staff was the best as players?
|
After practice on Thursday afternoon, first-year Ben Davis coach Don Carlisle shared a story with the team about his senior season. It was around this time, in 1997, when Ben Davis defeated Carmel by 19 points in a game at Hinkle Fieldhouse. It was a turning point, Carlisle related to the team as they prepared to play Carmel on Friday night, part of a nine-game winning streak that ended in the regional at Hinkle against Cathedral. Drawing on his playing experience in high school, college and professionally, is a coaching technique Carlisle uses often. You can trust his process because you know he has been through it and knows the plan, Ben Davis senior Jeff Clayton said. Carlisle won two state championships as a sophomore and junior at Ben Davis before going on to a standout college career at IUPUI and 12-year professional career. Standing nearby after practice on Thursday was Carlisles former high school teammate, Courtney James, a 1995 Indiana All-Star who played two years in college at Minnesota and 10 years professionally. As basketball coaching staffs go, the 6-6 Carlisle and 6-8 James form an impressive frontcourt. Carlisle turned 40 earlier this month and James is 42. I have to take Ibuprofen and ice my knees, James said. But I still try to get out there and get up and down. Buy Photo Ben Davis coaches, left to right, Jordan Bragg (Marion), Don Carlisle (Ben Davis) and Courtney James (Ben Davis) as players. In this hypothetical scenario, we based the question on coaches in the prime of their playing career and not currently. But either way, the Ben Davis staff was mentioned multiple times. Right now? James asked. I think we would hold our own. Im pretty confident our staff would hold our own with any other coaching staff. But in our prime, I dont see too many in the state who could match up with us. We would have been tough. The Ben Davis team is more than Carlisle and James. Junior varsity coach Jordan Bragg was a 6-3 shooter on Marions 2007 Class 4A semistate team. Assistant coach Terry Futch was all-Marion County as a senior at Ben Davis in 1986 and played at Indiana State. K.J. Weaver, a 2013 Mooresville graduate, played junior college ball at the College of DuPage (Ill.). Assistant Corey Taylor played at Champaign Centennial (Ill.) in high school before serving two years as student manager at Eastern Illinois. Futch is old school, Carlisle said. Hes 50 but he still in shape and plays and runs hard. Hes a defensive stopper. Me and Courtney can score. Id play the four and he would play the five. Taylor still trains and plays every day. Jordan Bragg doesnt miss. Weaver can shoot it. If anybody wants to strap it on and play, I think it would be tough to get us out. Buy Photo Top row, left to right: D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Mike Bennett, Kristof Kendrick. Bottom row, left to right: Errick Peck, Courtney James and Zach Hahn. (Photo: IndyStar, Journal & Courier photos) There are some other coaching staffs worth considering as potential worthy challengers. Here are a some of the best submissions: Southport First-year coach Eric Brand played at Bloomington South before going on to a standout career at Bethel College. The 6-8 Brand scored a school-record 2,696 points and was a two-time NAIA All-American, leading Bethel to three national titles. Brand went on to play professionally in Austria, where was a two-time all-star, and in Australia, where he was league MVP in 2005. Like Ben Davis, there is depth on Southports staff. The 6-7 Kyle Taber, a 2004 Evansville Central graduate, averaged 4.1 points and 5.0 rebounds as a senior at Indiana in 2008-09. Mike Gehlert, at 6-4, averaged 12 points as a senior at Archbishop McNicholas in Cincinnati in 1972. Tony Adragna (Southport) and Isaiah Cousins (East Chicago Central) were both key contributors as varsity guards. The 6-5 Jordan Dever was a two-time conference player of the year at East Central and averaged 11 points a game at Marian University in 2005-06. Kaleb Oldham, a 2012 Owen Valley graduate, shot 45 percent from the 3-point line as a senior. Fishers Buy Photo Fishers assistant coaches Blake Snodgrass (North Harrison, left) and Dakota Slaughter (right, Fishers) in their playing days. (Photo: IndyStar, Courier Journal photos) Coach Matt Moore was a four-year starter at Columbia City and two-time all-conference selection before going on to start four seasons at Grace College, where he is fourth on the schools all-time assist list. Moore, coupled with Q (Qadr) Owens, gives the Tigers a strong backcourt. Owens, who played on Lawrence Norths 2006 Class 4A state title team, was a two-time NAIA All-American at St. Francis and won a national title in 2010. He scored 1,862 career points in college. Fishers staff also includes Blake Snodgrass, a four-year starter at North Harrison who scored 1,501 career points (25.3 points as a senior in 2003-04), Drew Fountain, a two-year starter at Gary Mann, and Dakota Slaughter, an all-conference football and basketball player at Fishers who played in 15 games as a senior at Alabama. Lawrence Central Coach Al Gooden helped lead Ball State to its first NCAA tournament berth as a senior in 1981 and was a two-time all-conference selection. The 6-5 Gooden, who played in high school at Fort Wayne Wayne, was inducted into Ball States athletic hall of fame in 1991. Goodens staff includes several other former college players, including DAndre Davis (Central Missouri State), Tra Granger (Danville Area Community College in Illinois), A.J. Gooden (Fort Wayne Bible College), Brian Maloney (Wabash) and Kurt Freytag (Purdue football). I guess I will have to carry the team, Gooden said. Cardinal Ritter Buy Photo Cardinal Ritter coaches, left to right, Errick Peck (Cathedral), Mike Bennett (Brebeuf Jesuit) and Devin Thomas (Pike) as area prep players. (Photo: IndyStar photos) Assistant coach Mike Bennett was an Indiana All-Star as a senior at Brebeuf Jesuit and led the Braves to the Class 3A state championship before going on to play at Ball State. Joining the 6-5 Bennett are head coach Ron Moore, who played at Ritter from 2001-03 and played Division III at Ohio Wesleyan for two seasons. Devin Thomas, at 6-4, was a key reserve on Pikes 2003 Class 4A state title team and went on to play at Division II St. Josephs. Justin Reed won a sectional as a senior at Ritter in 2009 before going to play at Anderson University and 6-6 Errick Peck was an Indiana All-Star at Cathedral before playing at Cornell and Purdue. Brett Hamrick played varsity basketball in North Carolina. Cardinal Ritters coaching staff looks like a clear favorite in this tournament, in my humble opinion, Moore said. Beech Grove Coach Mike Renfro believes he and former Beech Grove coach Matt English, who died in December from brain cancer, could have given Ben Davis a run for its money. English was a star player at Greenfield-Central before going on to star at Bethel University (Tenn.), where he scored a school-record 2,530 points before graduating in 1996. The 6-4 Renfro averaged 27.4 points as a senior in 1994-95 and remains the schools all-time scoring leader with 1,860 points. Renfro went on to play for Jay Wright at Hofstra, averaging 5.5 points per game in two seasons and played professionally in the United States Basketball League. Other assistants Jason Hess, Tyler Gentry, Tommy Pich and Ronnie Dietz all averaged in double figures at Beech Grove. Another assistant, Dan Nietz, was a standout at Emmanuel Christian in Toledo and Baptist Bible College in Pennsylvania. Center Grove Buy Photo Center Grove head coach Zach Hahn (right, New Castle) and Gunner Erwin (Salem) enjoyed solid playing careers. (Photo: IndyStar, Courier Journal photos) Coach Zach Hahn has excellent credentials of his own as an Indiana All-Star at New Castle in 2007 and a key player on Butlers back-to-back national championship runner-up teams in 2010 and 11. Assistant coach Gunner Erwin, a 6-5 forward, was an all-conference player at Franklin College in 2013 after playing in high school at Salem. Brian Keeton was a starter on Franklin Centrals regional team as a senior in 1996. Gary Robinson (Center Grove) and Troy Burkhart (Indian Creek) are other assistants. Howe Buy Photo Howe coaches, left to right, Dominique Ferguson (Lawrence North), Kristof Kendrick (Lafayette Central Catholic) and Brandon Smith (Cathedral). (Photo: IndyStar, Journal & Courier photos) The Hornets have a young staff led by head coach Kristof Kendrick, who scored 1,481 points at two-time state champion Lafayette Central Catholic and went on to play at Western Michigan. Kendricks staff includes Brandon Smith, a 2011 graduate of Cathedral who averaged 21 points a senior and went on to play at Division II Lynn University (Fla.). Dominique Ferguson, a one-time top-50 prospect, played at Lawrence North before going to prep school and Florida International. David Hill played at Cathedral and Marian University and Terrencio Davis played at Lawrence North. Brownsburg Buy Photo Brownsburg assistants Jeff Hanni (left, Franklin Central) and Riley Rapp (Guerin Catholic) as players. (Photo: IndyStar photos) Coach Steve Lynch played at Manchester College and assistants Jeff Hanni (University of Indianapolis), Rich Thomas (Illinois State) and Marcus Evans (Division II Mississippi College) also played college ball. Riley Rapp was a state champion at Guerin Catholic, John Grimes in addition to having the court named after him at Marian University for his 36-year coaching career played at Terre Haute Gerstmeyer and Tom Maples played at Huntington North. North Central Buy Photo North Central assistants, left to right, Bill Gillis (North Central), D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera (North Central) and Brett Buscher (Chesterton, Purdue). (Photo: IndyStar, Journal & Courier photos) DVauntes Smith-Rivera is working as an assistant under first-year coach Brian Hahn, which is a good place to start. Smith-Rivera was standout as a sophomore on North Centrals 2010 Class 4A state title team and might have been IndyStar Mr. Basketball as a senior in 2012 had he not transferred to Oak Hill Academy. Smith-Rivera went on to play four years at Georgetown, scoring 1,919 career points. Brett Buscher, a 2000 Chesterton graduate, is also on Hahns staff. The 6-8 Buscher averaged 5.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in four seasons at Purdue. Bill Gillis, a North Central graduate who averaged 8.9 points at Ball State in the early 1990s, is another former Division I player on Hahns staff. That is 10. Here are other entries and comments: >> First-year Eminence coach Todd Hanni said his staff is ready to play any coaching staff in the state right now. The 6-4 Hanni is a 2006 Danville graduate and played at UNLV. His staff also includes 6-6 Nate Newton, a 2014 Northview graduate, 6-5 Bryce Ator, who played basketball at Danville and football at Wittenberg College. Matt Stewart was a guard at Danville, graduating in 2005, and Mason Smith played at Eminence. >> Herrons staff has three former Ben Davis players in Larry Baker (2002 graduate, went to Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Indiana Tech), Jeroboam Wilson (2012 graduate) and Greg Person (2011 graduate). >> Hamilton Heights staff includes the all-time leading scorer at DePauw University in Brett Crist, who played at Alexandria in high school. Eric King (Anderson University) and J.R. Moffatt (Cincinnati Christian) also played in college. Buy Photo Decatur Central coach John Ashworth played at Franklin Central and IUPUI. (Photo: Rob Goebel/IndyStar) >> Decatur Central coach John Ashworth was a standout player at Franklin Central who went on to start 77 games at IUPUI, averaging 4.4 points as a senior in 2010-11. Ashworth said he would add former Franklin Central teammate JaJuan Johnson as a volunteer assistant, but would prefer this to be a current tournament. In our prime changes things, he said. If it was now I would feel a lot more confident because I think I could win individual matchups against guys like Mark James (Perry Meridian) and Jack Keefer (Lawrence North). Im only 30 so it would be the only time my age worked to my advantage in coaching. >> Washington coach Kenny Roseman, a 1991 graduate, played point guard at Cathedral before going to Marian University. Assistant Randy Fields played at Howe (1985 graduate) and Missouri Valley College and Sylvester Williams is a 1995 Arlington graduate who played overseas while in the military. Buy Photo Greenwood Christian coach Jonny Marlin was a standout for Center Grove. (Photo: Alan Petersime/for IndyStar) >> Greenwood Christian Jonny Marlin was a standout player at Center Grove, graduating in 2011, before going on to IPFW, Indiana and starring at Indiana Wesleyan. His assistant, Ben Carlson, won two national titles at Indiana Wesleyan. >> Plainfields plan would be to get the ball to Gavin Groninger, a 1999 graduate and Indiana All-Star who scored 1,768 career points (still a school record) and won a Class 3A state title. Groninger went on to play at Michigan, where he averaged 4.9 points over four seasons. Not sure if the rest of us are good passers but if so we would try to pass the ball to Gavin Groninger, Plainfield coach Andy Weaver said. Weaver was an all-conference player at Clinton Prairie, graduating in 1984. Assistant Jason Young was an all-conference player at Rushville in 1990-91 and Matt Steward, a 2008 Plainfield graduate, helped the Quakers to a Mid-State Conference title. >> Franklin Central has four former Flashes, including coach John Rockey, who was a four-year starter at Wabash College. Assistant Kyle Brewer was a three-year starter at Hanover College and Joe Talhelm played against Indiana players in practice as a manager. Tommy Rockey is also a Franklin Central grad. >> Pike assistant Shawn Teague was an Indiana All-Star at Anderson in 1980 before playing at Missouri and Boston University. Coach Bill Zych (LaPorte/Manchester), assistant Braxton Mills (Pike/UIndy) and assistant Lou Hogan (Pike/Lake Land College, Ill.) also played in college. Von Williams and Anthony Law played at Gary Roosevelt. >> Morristown has two of the schools all-time leading scorers on its staff in assistants Dylan Langkabel (2,072 points) and Kevin Crim (1,067 points from 1992-95). Langkabel scored 1,395 career points at Northwood University and Crim scored 1,497 points at Cardinal Stritch. >> Heritage Christian assistant John Sherman Williams was an Indiana All-Star in 1981-82 at Washington, where he averaged 27.6 points. He starred at Indiana State, scoring 2,374 points to rank second in school history and played several years professionally overseas and in the CBA. I am the most blessed coach in the state to have him on staff and as a close friend, Heritage Christian coach Corey Jackson said. >> Metropolitan has several former college players on its staff. Coach Lee Jackson (Northwest/Central Lakes College/UIndy) has 6-9 Devon Archie as an assistant. Archie played at Ben Davis, then Vincennes College and Iowa from 2010-12. Damani Anderson (Pike/Glenn Oaks, Mich.), Frank Henderson (Pike/Ball State) and Tyler Alexander (Northwest/Manchester) also played college ball. Buy Photo Tri-West coach Adam Bontreger (back) won a state title as a player at Westview. (Photo: Mike Fender/IndyStar) >> Tri-West coach Adam Bontreger played at Westview (2000 graduate) before going on to Bethel and Huntington. Assistants Mike Miller (Franklin Central), Josh Hodge (Brownsburg), Daniel Hoover (Tri-West) and Brad Chinn (Evansville Harrison) all played high school ball. Gordon Hayward Sr. He didnt play high school basketball but he raised an NBA All-Star, Bontreger said. >> Shortridge coach Jeff Strange even supplied nicknames for his entry, including Charles The Slasher Slash (Northwest) and Bill We Want Mike Woodson (Broad Ripple). Strange, at 6-5, was a standout player at Scecina as a senior in 1990-91. Mark Bailey, a 6-10 center and St. Louis native, played in college at Bradley. >> Brebeuf coach Todd Howard played at Louisville Ballard and was a reserve at the University of Louisville. Assistant Allen Glunt played at Sheridan and Franklin College and assistant Jon Avery, an Ohio native, was a standout at IUPUI before playing professionally overseas. Another assistant, Ken Johnson, was a standout NAIA College of Idaho. >> Traders Point coach Kraig Cox played at Eastern New Mexico and assistants Scott Nichols (Ball State), Dave Yaraschefski (Rose-Hulman) and Noah Thomas (IUPUI) all played in college. >> Lebanon coach Albert Hendrix started on two regional title teams at Frankfort in the late 1970s. His son, assistant Trey Hendrix, graduated in 2012 in Lebanon at the schools fourth all-time scorer. Another assistant Dave Ferrell, was a star at Lebanon in the late 1980s and a member of the DePauw Athletic Hall of Fame. Aaron Vaughn (Western Boone) and Cameron Bennington (Twin Lakes) were also standout high school players. >> Chatard assistants Mike Bennett (Rose-Hulman), Dan Cage (Vanderbilt) and Matt Boling (Taylor) all played in college. Of course, a playing career does not matter much unless it translates to coaching. Theres nothing saying you cant be a good coach if you havent played, Carlisle said. But I think kids understand that you understand what it feels like to be a player. Being in those situations, I think it helps to be able to relate to what they are going through. And sometimes they can still get out and prove it. Coach James definitely likes to work with us, Clayton said. His knees are a little bad, but he can still get out there. Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649.
|
https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/high-school/2019/01/25/who-got-game-indiana-high-school-basketball-coaches-players/2682200002/
|
Is North Korea Moving Toward a Cashless Society?
|
It is not new to see many countries beefing up efforts to move toward a cashless society. Look at China as an example far from limiting itself to fancy shopping malls or big chain stores the use of mobile phones as a payment method is nearly ubiquitous there. Restaurants, bookstores, coffee shops, and even traditional street markets or street vendors accept mobile payment there. Similar examples can be found in many places around the world these days, but it might be surprising to hear that one of them is North Korea, the most isolated country in the world. According to a Seoul-based online newspaper Daily NK, some North Korean people are apparently using mobile phone credits as currency and a means of commercial transaction. Users of North Korean wireless telecommunications provider Koryolink can enjoy 200 minutes of phone calls per month by paying 2,850 North Korean won every quarter, an unnamed source based in North Koreas South Pyongan province told the publication. Interestingly, according to this source, such credits are exchangeable, and an increasing number of people are using this as a means of payment, or cash equivalent. Here is how it works. To send credits to others, users type in the first three digits of the senders number and the phone number of a receiver. Then users can send credits using SMS messages. Some people use this method to transfer money to remote areas, while in some regions such as North Hamgyong province, people use this to pay for goods at street markets, locally known as Jangmadang. Since sources quoted by Daily NK are based in only a couple of provinces, it is unclear if this method is widely used across North Korea and premature to say it is a rising trend. However, this story does spark interesting comparisons to the ways mobile payments have transformed other countries economies. Take, for example, success of mobile money in Kenya, which is considered one of the frontrunners on the road to being a cashless society. The story began with the 2007 launch of M-Pesa, a virtual banking system that provides transaction services through a SIM card. Once the SIM card has been inserted into a mobile device, users can make payments and transfer money to vendors and others using SMS messages. M-Pesa was originally introduced in Kenya as an alternative way for the unbanked population of the country to have access to financial services, and the result was remarkable. Since people no longer need to carry cash around, occurrences of theft, robbery, and fraud were reduced. The efficiency of financial services has also improved as people do not need to visit banks, queue up, and wait anymore. There are numerous reports showing how M-Pesa improved the standard of living in Kenya. A similar idea for North Korea was discussed and shared at one of the latest seminars held by South Koreas Korea Institute of Finance. At the seminar held in December 2018, vice head of IBK Economic Institute Cho Bong-hyun pointed out the necessity of North Korea using M-Pesa as a model. The number of mobile phone subscribers in North Korea has reached about 6 million. Smartphones were also first launched in 2013, and there are as many as 20 smartphone products made domestically, said Cho. He added, however, that the payment infrastructure is still poor although there is a rising trend of mobile phones. Cho suggested a step-by-step approach to improving such infrastructure. The first step would be to install ATMs at airports, train stations, shops, and buildings in key locations, enabling people to pay bills easily. He estimated about 20,000 ATMs would be needed initially. The second step would be to launch mobile applications that tie to banks and the third stage suggested by Cho is to introduce a similar system to M-Pesa. Cho noted that such steps will lay the grounds for North Korea to build a more comprehensive financial infrastructure. This is why Daily NKs report about a burgeoning, if informal, system of cashless payments is worth paying close attention to.
|
https://thediplomat.com/2019/01/is-north-korea-moving-toward-a-cashless-society/
|
Is Meghan Markle's favourite snack fuelling drought and murder?
|
The Duchess of Sussex has rightly been praised for making the fusty old Royal Family more socially and ethically aware. But that was until an old friend from her Hollywood days was invited round for a bite to eat and posted online a picture of what was widely assumed to be high tea. Pride of place went to avocado on toast -on silver platters, no less. "Still being the avocado toast whisperer, YUM! ", trilled her guest, Daniel Martin. The celebrity make-up artist said it took him back to the days when he and Meghan Markle collaborated on her lifestyle blog, The Tig. "The consummate hostess," he enthused. Advertisement Well, perhaps not so much. The campaigning duchess may be passionate when it comes to racial equality and female empowerment, but for someone who wants to save the planet, she's committed something of a faux pas with avocados. For all their health benefits and tastiness, the fact is that rampant avocado production in the Third World has been linked with water shortages, human rights abuses, illegal deforestation, ecosystem destruction and general environmental devastation. It has proved so lucrative in Mexico that it has been dubbed "green gold" and is even filling the coffers of brutal drug cartels. In her defence, the duchess is hardly the only celebrity who's extolled the wonders of avocados, which are full of vitamins, proteins and healthy fats. The lifeblood of the millennial generation - who can't stop posting pictures of avocado on toast on Instagram - this so-called "super food" has been championed by everyone from nutritionists to Hollywood stars. Meghan's favourite avocado snack - beloved of all millennial's - is fuelling human rights abuses, drought and murder. Photo / AP The duchess revealed in her Grenfell cookbook that a green chilli and avocado dip was a favourite. Pop star Miley Cyrus went further with an avocado tattoo on her arm. Grown in Mexico for 9,000 years, the avocado has come a long way since the 16th century, when Spanish conquistadors disparagingly called it aguacate, after ahuacatl, Aztec for testicle. Between 2000 and 2015, avocado consumption in the U.S. tripled. In the UK, the avocado market is estimated to be worth around 200 million ($386 million) a year. But it has become a victim of its own popularity, prompting restaurants and cafes to remove it from menus over concerns about its environmental and social impact. The Wild Strawberry Cafe in Bucks substituted avocados, its most popular item, with garlic-sauteed mushrooms on toast. Its owner cited the "demand on avocado farmers, pushing up prices to the point where there are even reports of Mexican drug cartels controlling lucrative exports". Tincan Coffee in Bristol has replaced "avo" with pea guacamole after they were judged not to "fit" with it's "core beliefs". The Wildflower Restaurant in South London followed suit, citing the violence in Mexico. Its chef, Joseph Ryan, suggested the world may be entering a "post-avocado era". Haute cuisine has also jumped on board. In Ireland, the Michelin-starred chef JP McMahon has called them the "blood diamonds of Mexico" and compared avocados to battery chickens. Where trendy restaurants and chefs go, the image-conscious supermarkets may not be far behind. The problems that come from the West's trendy fascination with avocados have a lot to do with geography. Some 40 per cent come from Mexico and almost all of that is grown in the rural western state of Michoacan. Beloved of all millennial's. Photo / Getty Images The region's fertile volcanic soil and temperate climate allow avocados to be harvested all year round (in other countries they can only be harvested in summer). The rich soil means the notoriously thirsty avocado trees need only a third as much water as they do elsewhere. Mexico now makes more money exporting avocados than oil. Unfortunately, Michoacan is also home to some of Mexico's most violent cartels. They include La Familia Michoacana, whose leaders once tossed five rivals' heads on to the dance floor of a nightclub; their equally vicious rivals in the Knights Templar, a quasi-religious death cult; and Los Viagras, named for their leader's heavily moussed, erect hair. In Michoacan, the cartels now make more money from avocados than cannabis. Some drug criminals are becoming growers themselves, others simply terrorise the industry. Avocado farmers, who in Michoacan can easily earn more than 115,000 ($221,995) a year, a vast sum in Mexico, live in continual fear of kidnapping and extortion. The Knights Templar started charging a fee for every box of avocados gathered by farmers. They also extorted money from the fertiliser and pesticide retailers. Many farmers have been forced to hand over the title deeds to their farms. If they don't pay protection money, growers and packers risk being raped or killed, their bodies tied to avocado trees with warning notices attached. Some kidnapped farmers have been killed even after their families paid their ransom. A businessman whose family refused to pay up was chained to one of his trees and shot dead. Officials estimated the Knights Templar alone earn as much as 115 million ($221.9 million) a year from avocados. The cartel's 2014 kidnap, rape and murder of an avocado farmer's young daughter prompted the town of Tancitaro to drive out the Knights after a bloody battle. However, the cartels remain a menacing presence. But, the fruit, which is described as Green Gold has been caught up in violent gang warfare with rival groups trying to exploit the healthy snack. Photo / Supplied Mexico's avocado industry is also accused of damaging the health of locals with the chemicals sprayed on the orchards. Experts are concerned that the fumigation of the trees is behind growing breathing and stomach problems, and may be polluting water supplies. Unscrupulous farmers are clearing land for avocado orchards, often illegally by cutting down oak and pine forests. The latter provide a crucial winter nesting ground for the imperilled Monarch butterfly. Indeed, a Mexican government study concluded that soaring avocado production has caused a loss of biodiversity, environmental pollution and soil erosion. It has also damaged the natural water cycle and threatened the survival of animal species only found in the area. Farmers exacerbate deforestation by using trees for avocado crates. We can't be certain where Meghan's avocados came from, but fashionable eaters who think they can safely switch to sourcing them from the Dominican Republic, Chile or Peru should think again. Wherever they come from, the thousands of miles any avocado has to travel to get to Britain means they leave a heavy carbon footprint. This is because they are perishable but cannot be frozen because it alters their texture. They must therefore be transported either by air or in air-conditioned container ships so they ripen at just the right moment. Their relatively heavy weight and bulky packaging to prevent bruising further ratchets up their carbon footprint. Two avocados have a footprint of 846g of CO2, compared to 160g for two bananas. The enormous amounts of water required to grow avocados is even more of an eco-issue in countries without Mexico's volcanic soil. It can take as much as 1,000 litres (220 gallons) to grow a single kilo (about three avocados). The Chilean province of Petorca is suffering an acute water shortage thanks to "green gold". Water has been privatised in Chile (which specialises in the Hass variety so popular in the UK), meaning that those who pay - such as deep-pocketed big avocado growers - can use as much as they want. When activists complained after a 2012 aerial survey revealed 64 pipelines were diverting river water underground to irrigate the orchards, they received death threats. Local rivers have now dried up and supplies have to be trucked in for local people while the avocado farms rely on artificial reservoirs. Although the avocado is essentially a jungle plant, greedy growers are determined to cultivate it in dry, perennially sunny areas such as California, where orchards sap water from a state already prone to wildfires and drought. In Israel, avocado trees are irrigated with treated waste-water, prompting fears that harmful nano-particles are not only permanently damaging the soil but penetrating the fruit. The Chinese are being gripped by avocado mania, too, so demand is expected to keep soaring. Since Meghan's guest was invited to high tea, surely it should have been a case of let him eat cake.
|
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12196699
|
How many more young people have to die before we embrace pill testing?
|
In Australia, tens of thousands of young people will attend one of three music festivals taking place across the country. 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. Advertisement 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. 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: SuppliedSource: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: FacebookSource: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. 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.
|
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12196711
|
Could an extremophile hold the secret to treatment of devastating injuries?
|
Biologists have been aware of the existence of disordered proteins for decades but long dismissed them as inconsequential. IDPs are so poorly understood that there is still no clear consensus on what constitutes one. In fact, for the most part, their functions remain unknown. What scientists do know is that not all disordered proteins are capable of slowing down cellular activity. Mapping out their structure remains a fundamental problem a challenge that leaves scientists wondering which among these proteins are truly disordered and which ones are simply not amenable to current structure-mapping techniques. Designing any protein is a formidable challenge not unlike designing a car. Designing a disordered protein is akin to creating the blueprint for an aircraft. Silver and Chang knew it was time to call on Debora Marks, a mathematician and computational biologist in the Blavatnik Institute at HMS with a keen interest in IDPs and expertise in predictive computer modeling. It would be a daunting task. Yet, combining Silvers expertise in synthetic biology with Marks prowess in machine learning and computation would put this within the realm of the possible. Computer-designed proteins As recently as 10 years ago, synthetic biologists would approach protein development by brute force trial-and-error design followed by testing in a long, seemingly interminable, string of experiments to arrive at the right recipe. Today, advances in computational biology and machine learning are making the process more focused and efficient. A protein is a string of amino acids, the sequence of which determines the proteins shape. The shape, in turn, dictates the proteins function and role: what it can and cannot do. Marks, the projects other principal co-investigator, will spearhead the computational design of synthetic IDPs suitable for use in human cells. What this entails, Marks explains, is discovering which features of amino acid sequences in a protein would allow it to slow a cells biological functions and do so reversibly. The task would require the use of probabilistic computer modelling to build a protein that is both safe and functional in humans. A critical prerequisite for use in humans would be ensuring that the protein can bypass the bodys immune defenses. In other words, the candidate protein should not trigger an antibody response in human tissues and cause an attack by the hosts immune system. To optimize the proteins design features, Marks will collaborate with David Baker at the University of Washington to predict how the protein would interact with tens of thousands of cellular components when introduced inside human cells. The teams ultimate goal is to develop a protein-based therapy that can halt tissue damage in traumatic injuries, heart attacks, strokes and sepsis, among other conditions. Rather than testing infinite possibilities, this predictive design is targeted, Marks said. It is an informed pretesting of a finite, and hopefully, small number of possible amino acid combinations. This is not a black-box approach where we throw in every possible combination and put in a load of features and see what sticks, Marks said. It is a form of unsupervised machine learning that doesnt presume an outcome. The universe of possible protein sequences is infinite, so we want to be directed and targeted. The team will start out by testing the candidate proteins in human cells derived from various tissues muscle, vascular, cardiac, nerve cells, and so forth. Then they will test the protein in human organoids and, finally in animals. It would be possible to precision-target the protein to specific cell, tissues and organ types, Silver said. Weve studied protein targeting for years, and we have a trick weve developed on how to home in a protein on specific targets but not others, Silver said. How the damage-halting protein will be delivered inside cells will be one of the fundamental challenges in this project. If solved, it would provide a solution to a huge hurdle in pharmaceutical development. We are hoping that we can find some new entry points into the cell to deliver the protein, Silver said. If successful, such a template could be adapted to develop other proteins. The vision is to have a test bed where we can deploy lots of different styles of these proteins and find out which are the best, Silver said. The ultimate dream would be to design totally new proteins, never seen before. The work can then become a new platform for designing proteins. Beyond the battlefield In December 2018, the team was awarded a five-year cooperative agreement worth up to $14.8 million from the Defense Advance Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to pursue the idea. The initial application of the protein-based compounds would be to halt bleeding and tissue necrosis in traumatic injuries. The use of a compound that halts cell death would allow for transportation and treatment while averting the disseminated tissue damage, infection and cell death that occurs when treatment of such injuries is delayed. But the long-term, and far more ambitious, goal is to extend the therapeutic benefit of such compounds far beyond the battlefield, Silver said. Two conditions that stand to benefit from such an approach are heart attacks and strokes. In the case of heart attacks, for example, even when patients are treated relatively quickly, the myocardial infarction has already killed cells in the oxygen-starved heart muscle. The longer the delay, the more extensive the damage and the greater the radius of tissue death. The time is muscle adage refers to the notion that even small delays in treatment can cause irreversible muscle loss, which in turn leads to long-term cardiac damage, the eventual loss of heart muscle function, heart failure and, in extreme cases, death. The same is true for brain insults, such as strokes or traumatic injuries, where damage to a tiny area of the brain can ripple out to affect surrounding nerve cells. If people in the throes of a heart attack or a stroke could be treated with protein-derived agents that effectively pause ongoing damage until patients are transported to the hospital, their outcomes could be dramatically improved. Such treatment would be particularly useful for injuries occurring in geographically isolated areas where emergency or specialized trauma care is not available. A biopausing compound could also allow for refrigeration-free preservation of protein-based drugs, enabling easier and cheaper transportation, the team said. Another possible use would be more effective cryopreservation of eggs for in-vitro fertilization. Current oocyte-preservation techniques involve classic deep freezing (cryopreservation) and a newer approach called vitrification, a process that puts tissues in a chemically induced crystallized state. Vitrification requires the use of several chemicals, including ethylene glycol, the active ingredient in antifreeze. While vitrification increases egg viability, data on long-term outcomes for offspring are still lacking. A biological that is engineered to avoid toxicity based on a design leveraging millions of years of evolution to confer cellular protection is not only likely to be safer but also to potentially offer improved egg viability over existing technology, Chang said. Similar potential exists for the preservation of organs for transplantation and could complement emerging techniques for whole-body preservation, he added. Cryptobiotic compounds could also enhance research efforts by allowing scientists to perform targeted silencing of specific proteins or cell types during experiments. For example, if a researcher seeks to determine whether protein A is sensitive to an experimental drug, she could use an IDP-based compound to de-activate the protein in question and then gauge how the cell responds to a given drug in the absence of the silenced protein. Although it sounds like the stuff of science fiction, the concept makes elegant evolutionary sense. After all, the teams efforts are predicated on adapting preexisting biological recipes tried and tested over tens of millions of years of evolution. What we do as synthetic biologists is we look at nature, Silver said. Then we ask what we can draw from it and use as a platform to solve a problem. If somebody told you, lets take a multicellular organism, an animal or a human, and change its metabolism so that it can withstand huge amounts of stress heat, cold, dehydration and then bring it back to life, youd say thats just science fiction, wouldnt you? Marks said. But the fact is that real life has already done this.
|
https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2019/01/could-an-extremophile-hold-the-secret-to-treatment-of-devastating-injuries/?utm_medium=Feed&utm_source=Syndication
|
Whats up with all the construction at Peters Landing in Sunset Beach?
|
If youve been by Peters Landing, off Pacific Coast Highway in Sunset Beach, you may have wondered about all the construction and when its going to be completed. The major remodel should be completed in the second quarter of this year and were already signing some new tenants, said Kevin Hayes of Pendulum Property Partners. We recently signed leases with Sola Salon Studios and Golden Road Brewing. Sola has more than 400 locations nationwide and Golden Road has locations in Anaheim and Los Angeles. Were excited coming to a new waterfront location and bringing our innovative beers and cuisine to the Peters Landing area, said Meg Gill, co-founder of the brewing company, which will be in the location formerly held by West Marine and an antique store. It will have both indoor and outdoor seating at the completely renovated 8,800-square-foot space. Other Peters Landing tenants are excited about the new, vibrant redevelopment. Senior Pastor Joe Pedick of Calvary Chapel of The Harbour, a longtime tenant in the center, said hes looking forward to meeting his new neighbors. Sunset Beach is evolving, becoming a go-to place for locals and tourists. The location alongside the beautiful marina is breathtaking, Pedick said. Learn more on whats going on at Peters landing, visit http://www.peterslandinghb.com.
|
https://www.sunnews.org/whats-up-with-all-the-construction-at-peters-landing-in-sunset-beach/
|
Will the Centres landmark amendment really empower autonomous tribal councils in the North East?
|
On Wednesday, as the North East was roiled by protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, the Union cabinet approved another constitutional amendment. The official press note announcing the landmark amendment affirmed that it was a game changer which would significantly increase the financial resources and administrative powers of the autonomous councils in the Sixth Schedule areas of the region. The Sixth Schedule provides for autonomous decentralised self-governance in certain tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura. Under this arrangement, autonomous councils are administered by their own elected representatives. The councils are to be headed by a chief executive member, aided by executive members, roughly similar to cabinet ministers. Autonomous but not self-sufficient But autonomy does not imply financial self-sufficiency. Autonomous councils are dependent on their respective state governments for funds in addition to the occasional special package from the Centre. This has often created friction, with councils alleging that state governments do not release enough funds and in time, in the process undermining their autonomy. A government-commissioned expert committee set up to study governance in the Sixth Schedule areas found merit in such concerns in 2006. The committee reported that these councils are almost totally dependent on the devolution of funds from higher level governments, which denies them the flexibility required to emerge as a vibrant institution for local development. Election after election, political parties promise direct funding from the Centre to these autonomous councils to assuage these fears and woo tribal voters. The latest announcement, barely months ahead of the general elections, seeks to address the same grievance. According to the home ministrys press statement, the Finance Commission will now recommend the devolution of financial resources to the district councils, village and municipal councils in the Sixth Schedule areas. It is understood that while this proposed amendment will not quite pave way for the councils to directly be funded by the Centre, the Finance Commission, a central body, will now have a say in the states allocation of funds to the councils. I welcome it of course, but it will not change things drastically either, said Rasik Mohan Chakma, chief executive member of the Chakma Autonomous Council in Mizoram. The only difference is that now the Finance Commission can now recommend state governments to allocate a certain amount of funds. Earlier it had no say at all. Chakma, who is part of the Mizo National Front, an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, said the councils would continue to be dependent on the state government for salary expenditures and administrative costs. The Finance Commission can only recommend funds under specific projects for developmental works, he said. Visitors to the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council. Credit: Arunabh Saikia Not enough, say leaders Chakma also expressed disappointment that the Sixth Schedule was not amended to grant councils authority over more subjects currently controlled by the state government. It would have been very beneficial if para 3A and 3B subjects were given to us, he said. Paragraph 3A and 3B are special provisions under the Sixth Schedule for the Karbi, Dima Hasao and Bodo councils in Assam. These clauses lend the Assam councils added powers by granting them jurisdiction over agriculture, education, irrigation and other matters subjects that are under the state governments control in the other autonomous councils. To be honest, what they have done now will not help the councils in Mizoram, Chakma added. Radhacharan Debbarma, the chief executive member of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council, echoed similar concerns. What we were demanding for is more subjects under our control, but that has not been addressed at all, said the Left leader. But it is not just opposition leaders who are unimpressed. In 2018, the BJP stormed to power in Tripura riding on a growing wave of resentment among the states tribal population against the Communist Party of India (Marxist) government. It had joined hands with the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura, which was at the forefront of a demand of a separate tribal state. While the BJP side-stepped the statehood demand, it had promised that it if voted to power it would convert the tribal district council to a state council with a provision for direct funding from the Centre. But, the recent Union cabinet announcement has not amused its alliance partners. This is not what we had demanded and we are not happy at all, said Mangal Debbarma, a spokesperson of the Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura. While the new proposed amendments will confer no new powers vis--vis additional subjects to the councils in Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya, the Dima Hasao and Karbi councils which already have a wider area of jurisdiction will have control over 20 more subjects such as forest and health and family welfare. Yet, leaders in these councils are not particularly enthusiastic either. It is either direct funding or not, said Hamjanan Langthasa, a Congress leader who used to head the BJPs Dima Hasao unit from 2012-15. Ultimately, funds will be routed through the state only. Our council will not benefit anything from it. Earlier this week, the BJP swept the Dima Hasao council elections, winning 19 of the 27 seats. Empowerment of grassroots democracy But there are many who have hailed the governments decision. Bernard Marak, a former Garo rebel, said he was grateful to the Centre for amending the Sixth Schedule. Marak was part of the Achik National Volunteer Council, a banned Garo militant group fighting for a separate state of for the Garo community in Meghalaya. In 2014, the group signed a memorandum of settlement with the Centre and the state government. One of the clauses of the settlement was direct funding to the Garo autonomous council. The recent amendments, which also provide for elected village and municipal councils, will fulfil the commitments made in the pacts with Achik National Volunteer Council and the other militant groups in the state, the home ministry has said. Marak said while direct funding was still elusive, the amendments were indeed in sync with the Achik National Volunteer Councils main demand: empowerment of grassroots democracy. The new amendments would also provide for elected village and municipal councils. Guwahati-based social scientist Walter Fernandes said the amendments give greater autonomy to the autonomous councils which in itself is a welcome move.
|
https://scroll.in/article/910844/will-the-centres-landmark-amendment-really-empower-autonomous-tribal-councils-in-the-north-east
|
Could the White Sox benefit from the Dodgers signing A.J. Pollock?
|
Could the White Sox benefit from the Dodgers signing A.J. originally appeared on nbcsportschicago.com The Los Angeles Dodgers have another outfielder. Things have gone quite nicely for the Dodgers in recent seasons, perhaps in part because their roster is full of - not just full of, bursting with - guys who can play multiple positions, both infield and outfield, and they can easily mitigate the inevitable injuries and fatigue of a baseball season. Scroll to continue with content Ad And now they've got another one. They've reportedly signed A.J. Pollock to a multi-year contract, and while he can't play both center field and second base like half the position players on the Dodgers' roster, his arrival in L.A. creates some interesting potential ripple effects involving the White Sox. The one that immediately comes to mind is Joc Pederson. Over the weekend, the White Sox and Dodgers were reported to be discussing a potential trade that would send Pederson to the South Side. Now that another outfielder has joined that roster and crowded the outfielder further, perhaps there's a need to get rid of one, potentially Pederson, and that could be the White Sox gain. Any trade involving Pederson would have to be for the right price, as he's not a slam-dunk fit with the White Sox long-term plans, a free agent after the 2020 season. But he'd be an upgrade in the outfield and in the lineup and would be a nice placeholder while the White Sox wait for the likes of Luis Robert and Micker Adolfo to reach the major leagues. That price might be even more attractive now that the Dodgers have made that move and further crowded their outfield. Or maybe the Dodgers could just hold on to Pederson and continue to rotate everyone. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported there's no trade imminent. We'll see. Story continues #Dodgers figured they would be elite vs. RHPs, mediocre vs. LHPs; hence, motivation for Pollock. Plan is for him to be primary CFer, with Bellinger moving between CF, corner OF, 1B. LAD will have depth to rest regulars. Per sources, team not close to trading Pederson at moment. Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 24, 2019 And then there's the previous maneuvering the Dodgers did this offseason, trading Yasiel Puig and Matt Kemp in a big trade with the Cincinnati Reds. At the time, it was speculated that might've been to better position the Dodgers for a run at Bryce Harper, the biggest fish swimming in this winter's free-agent pond. Well, Pollock is who the Dodgers ended up using that flexibility to acquire, causing for a speculative decrease in the likelihood they go after Harper, a player it's at times easy to forget the White Sox are still pursuing. While the market for Harper has been reportedly small all winter long - it currently appears to be solely the White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies and Washington Nationals - the potential elimination of the Dodgers might aid the White Sox chances in their pursuit of bringing one of the best players in baseball to the South Side. The Dodgers had a glut of outfielders. They eased it a bit. And now they have a glut again. Time will tell, but the possibility exists. Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the White Sox easily on your device.
|
https://sports.yahoo.com/could-white-sox-benefit-dodgers-182546236.html?src=rss
|
Are Scruffs New Photo Policies A Dark Precursor To FOSTA/SESTA Legalized Censorship of LGBT Content?
|
In a statement this week Scruff CEO Eric Silverberg responded to criticisms that had been leveled at him from virtually every corner of the gay bloggersphere because of new restrictions on profile pics on the hook up app. Out Magazine summed it up best: The update is specific to profile photos (excluding private albums and photos exchanged in messages) and applies to all styles of apparel in which the crotch or groin area is highlighted or outlined. Pictures that violate these guidelines will be automatically converted into private album images and users will be prompted to select another profile photo. The initial alert was sent out Wednesday as Scruff had been contacted by app store distributors earlier this month with a warning, Scruff CEO Eric Silverberg tells Out in an email interview. Previously, certain photos in underwear and jockstraps were allowed. Sex columnist Alexander Cheves told Towleroad, I predicted when Tumblr banned all adult content that hookup apps for queer men would go soon. They wouldnt go immediately first, theyll change their image guidelines so that no lawmaker can accuse them of fostering sex trafficking. READ OUR INTERVIEW WITH ALEXANDER CHEVES HERE When asked why Cheves said, Because prosecutors like Kamala Harris and countless other left-leaning and self-described feminist celebrities refuse to see sex as something healthy and normal. If people are finding sex on the internet, or on an app, it must be wrong, they reason, and someone must be getting exploited or trafficked never mind the countless people who exploit themselves for their own profit, and the people like me who like getting exploited and objectified, and all the people who consensually and happily meet and play online. Cheves thinks that, lawmakers think all this is dangerous. And queer people, whose promiscuous sex lives still terrify them and always will, are automatic targets. Scruffs new guidelines literally say no men kissing on a gay app. I believe the intention for FOSTA/SESTA was to curb sex trafficking, but the lawmakers who passed it have no idea what sex trafficking is or how it happens and they refuse to listen to those who do. They refuse to listen to victims and the people (sex workers and service providers) who are put it harms way. Who cares if a bunch of fags lose their dating app? For those who dont know, FOSTA-SESTA were bills President Trump signed into law that were intended to make it easier to cut down on illegal sex trafficking online. Both bills the House bill known as FOSTA, the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, and the Senate bill, SESTA, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act have been hailed by advocates as a victory for sex trafficking victims. However the broad language of the bill was criticized for being inherently problematic. Among other things the bill is most famously well known as the law that ended Craigslists hugely popular personals section. Cheves was quick to add, I know this was not Scruffs choice. They would have gotten pulled from the App Store, and they exist solely as an app. Porn bans are coming. Its time to protest, he concluded. LA based psychiatrist Tim McCall told Towleroad FOSTA/SESTA needs to be repealed. It was a badly written law to begin with, impractical to implement, and has the general effect of stifling freedom of speech and of association, particularly impacting sexual minorities, but its just generally a bad law. And its not just the left. It was crafted as a perfect storm of fundamentalists on left and rightlike when the state mental hospitals were all shut down the 1970s and early 80s because the left felt that people with severe mental illnesses should be cared for in nicer, community-based organizations (that never materialized) and the right just wanted to stop paying for mental health services. FOSTA/SESTA was created by right-wing activists who want to shut down sex in general and LGBT sex in particular, combining with left-wing activists who see most sex as inherently exploitative; both cloaked the whole thing in save the children false colors and sold it to Congress. Britton Pentakill founder of the gay social network WooHim dot com said, Having only gained approval for our WooHim app on iOS store last tonight, I can tell you that we went thru constant review rejections and had to moderate hundreds of thousands of photos to make sure underwear was not publicly visible. Android wasnt as brutal. and media shouts just to approved friends are still permitted. This isnt lookin so good guys Is the message Amp Somers, host of Watts the Safeword, wrote on Twitter said Out: hashtagged SESTA and FOSTA, legislation that legislators say was intended to crack down on internet sex traffickers but that has spurred a darkening sex panic across the internet causing censorship and erasure of spaces once thought to be sex-positive, queer sex havens. Craigslist. Backpage. Tumblr. This isnt lookin so good guys #sesta #fosta pic.twitter.com/w8UjOUEjqX Amp (@Pup_Amp) January 24, 2019 Ultimately Silverberg told users, Today most software is distributed via app stores, and consequently app content policies are a direct extension of app store content policies. Simply put, all gay and queer apps must enforce app store content policies or risk being removed from the app stores altogether, and this happened to SCRUFF earlier this year. Had this removal been permanent, it would have been devastating to our company and our community. He continued, Moving forward, to comply with app store guidelines, the primary profile photo may not show jockstraps, underwear, or bikini-style swimwear. We have also clarified our policy by removing references to hugging and kissing it is specifically sexually suggestive embraces that may not align with app store guidelines.
|
http://www.towleroad.com/2019/01/are-scruffs/
|
What Is a Living Funeral?
|
You can if you plan a living funeral. A trend that's growing in popularity, a living funeral is just what the name sounds like. It's a funeral-type gathering, but with one small difference from a traditional funeral. It's held while the person being honored is still alive. That small difference, of course, makes a huge impact on the tone of the gathering. A living funeral tends to be upbeat and celebratory rather than sad and mournful. After all, the guest of honor is still alive at a living funeral. But that doesn't mean there's no deep emotion in a living funeral. This sort of gathering is typically planned toward the end of a person's life. It could be that the right time for a living funeral is shortly after a person's diagnosis with a terminal illness, or as a hospice stay approaches. Or a living funeral could be scheduled to coincide with a milestone birthday. Often a 90th or 100th birthday party and a living funeral will be rolled into one big gathering. A lot of the same things that happen at a traditional funeral, only the guest of honor is able to appreciate them. A living funeral might incorporate some or all of these elements: Speeches You can bet that at least a few and maybe many of the attendees will want to say a few words about the guest of honor. This can be set up similarly to a traditional funeral. Sometimes a select number of people are asked in advance to speak and sometimes the floor is opened to anyone who wants to stand up and speak. It may be helpful to have one person emcee this portion of the gathering. This is typically someone who gives the opening speech and then introduces or calls up any other speakers. The guest of honor's spiritual leader might be a good choice for the emcee. If a less religious gathering is preferred, any family member or friend who feels comfortable with public speaking could be a great fit. Readings Sometimes something that's already written says everything we want to say about a loved one, whether it's a verse from scripture, a poem, or a passage from a book. Just as there would be readings at a traditional funeral, you can include them in a living funeral. People who chose not to write their own speech just might love to present a special reading. Music One of the most universal features of funeral services is music, and it's all but essential to a living funeral, too. This can take a lot of forms. You might have a playlist of the guest of honor's favorite songs, a band hired to perform, a musician friend or family member singing or playing a special song, quiet background music, or even a singalong. You can incorporate more than one of these forms, too. Maybe quiet background music plays for much of the gathering and a singalong of a favorite tune follows the speeches. Food and drink A traditional funeral tends to be followed by a meal, and more modern celebrations of life often center around food and drink in a party-style atmosphere. You can do either one at a living funeral. The way you present food may depend on the way you've decided to structure the gathering. If you want a casual atmosphere, you might put snacks and drinks out like you would at any party. If you're planning something with a more formal schedule of events, a sit-down meal might follow a period of speeches. Conversation It's likely that most or all of the attendees will want to take some time to chat with the guest of honor. It's a good idea to allow some unstructured time for this, as well as providing a comfortable place for chatting. The guest of honor should have a special chair from which to receive guests, ideally something that lets them manage a couple hours of sitting. If logistics permit, this might be their favorite armchair from home. Guest book Just like at a traditional funeral, you can have a guest book stationed near the entrance so attendees can sign in. You might also make this a more interactive experience, offering additional paper and colorful pens for attendees to write out favorite memories and stories about the guest of honor. These can be read at the party or during a quiet time later. Charitable donations Obituaries often call for donations to the deceased's favorite charity in their memory. You could offer envelopes at the entrance to the party where attendees can place cash or checks for the chosen charity. Its also helpful to offer a link to the charity's website in the invitation so anyone who prefers to donate online can do so. There are so many places that might work well. The guest of honor's home, or the home of a close friend or family member, might be the perfect spot for a casual and comfortable gathering. This is an especially good idea if the guest of honor is physically unable to get out much. If home isn't suitable for a large party, a church meeting hall or restaurant's banquet room could work. If you're not interested in keeping it traditional, look for unconventional gathering places that suit the guest of honor's personality, like a local museum, athletic stadium, or concert hall. Personal touches If there's an element that wasn't mentioned here and you're wondering if you can incorporate it in a living funeral, the answer is probably yes. This kind of gathering can be endlessly personalized to perfectly suit the guest of honor. The sky is the limit to give them a party that shows how much people care.
|
http://www.legacy.com/news/advice-and-support/article/living-funeral
|
Is a Lesbian Couple Preparing to Transition Their Son Into a Daughter?
|
On 16 January 2019, the blog RedState published an article headlined Lesbian Couple Identifying as Straight Couple Prepares to Transition 5-Yr-Old Son Into a Daughter that read (in part): Meet Greg and Jody, a married couple in Britain. Husband Greg is a woman, as is wife Jody. 27-year-old Greg identifies as male. She also identifies as step-dad to 21-year-old Jodys son, Jayden. The couple says their 5-year-old enjoys dresses and hates everything about being a boy. Therefore, theyve put Jayden on track to transition into a girl in just a few years. The Rogers family garnered media attention for becoming what has been characterized as the UKs first intergenerational transgender family after their five-year-old child Jayden declared her wish to identify as female. The Rogers asserted that as a result of that circumstance, they have become the target of harassment, with someone going so far as to report them to authorities. But the Rogers state it was Jayden, not them, who initiated her own process of transition. Nothing is technically inaccurate about the quoted portion of RedStates story, but it is worded in a way that can be read as insensitive to the plights of transgender persons. As noted, the married couple consists of a transgender man and a woman, so stating they are a lesbian couple negates one partners identity as a transgender man. According to guidance from the National Center for Transgender Equality, members of the media should refer to transgender people according to their gender identities: A transgender man is the term for a transgender person who currently identifies as a man, while the term transgender woman refers to a transgender person who currently identifies as a woman. Although RedStates headline may have lead readers to believe the couple in question were dictating a gender to their small child and perhaps getting ready to take more drastic steps in the transitioning process, according to the Scottish Daily Record, the publication RedState cited, the extent of their actions has been limited to purchasing girls clothing for Jayden upon the childs request, and to providing her with emotional support: The family lived a normal life until Jayden, who was born with partial hearing, recovered from surgery. Jody said: She started talking for the first time really. Weeks later, she came out and told us she hates being a boy and that shes actually a girl. She wanted to wear girls clothes so we decided to go with the flow and bought them for her. But some people have a problem. Theyre saying we forced this on her, which is just ridiculous. Jayden is on a waiting list for counselling at a Young Peoples Gender Service in Glasgow which she will have for the next few years as she is too young for hormone treatment. Although the family in question resides in Scotland, the transgender community is frequently the target of election-time flame wars in the United States over which bathrooms they should be permitted to use, and the Trump administration has also instituted a series of actions aimed at whittling down transgender protections under the law. In a series of tweets posted on 26 January 2017, President Trump instituted a ban on transgender persons serving in the military: After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017 .Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. Military. Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming.. Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017 .victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail. Thank you Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2017 The ban was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on 22 January 2019, in a decision that allowed the restriction to remain place while legal challenges to it worked their way through the court system. In a reversal of course from his predecessor, Barack Obama, the Trump administration has also sought to narrowly define sex as either male or female, unchangeable, and determined by the genitals that a person is born with.
|
https://www.snopes.com/news/2019/01/25/lesbian-couple-transition-son/
|
Is Jeff Bridges teasing a new 'Big Lebowski' film?
|
Sign up for one of our email newsletters. The Internet is certainly wild with speculation. February 3 is Super Bowl Sunday, and it would make perfect sense for Bridges to be slyly referencing a Super Bowl commercial. In a cryptic tweet that includes the 15-second video, Bridges wrote Cant be living in the past, man. Stay tuned. In the video, Bridges, dressed in jellies and the now-famous sweater and backed by the same Bob Dylan tune, The Man in Me, that opened the first film strolls past some broken dinnerware before adjusting his sunglasses and moving away from the camera. The copyright credit at the end of the video, which teases the Feb. 3 date, is for Universal City Studios, but that could just be from a company paying Universal to lease the rights to the Big Lebowski character. Bridges is also a spokesman for the No Kid Hungry organization, so the video could simply be an elaborate way to gain attention for the nonprofit, whose goal is to address child hunger in the U.S. The clip racked up more than 2.7 million views since Bridges tweeted it around noon on Thursday. Bridges has said in the past hes open to revisiting the character, who was the hero (of sorts) in an insane comedic mystery that included nihilists, a trophy wife, a pornographer, a severed pinky toe and John Goodmans hilarious turn as unstable Vietnam veteran Walter Sobchak. Well have to wait until Super Bowl Sunday to find out. Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick at 724-850-2862, [email protected] or via Twitter @MurrysvilleStar.
|
https://triblive.com/aande/movies/14539965-74/is-jeff-bridges-teasing-a-new-big-lebowski-film?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+alltribstories+%28TribLIVE+News%29
|
What is special about Republic Day 2019?
|
Cookie Policy zeenews.india.com understands that your privacy is important to you and we are committed for being transparent about the technologies we use. This cookie policy explains how and why cookies and other similar technologies may be stored on and accessed from your device when you use or visit zeenews.india.com websites that posts a link to this Policy (collectively, the sites). This cookie policy should be read together with our Privacy Policy. By continuing to browse or use our sites, you agree that we can store and access cookies and other tracking technologies as described in this policy. A cookie is a small text file that can be stored on and accessed from your device when you visit one of our sites, to the extent you agree. The other tracking technologies work similarly to cookies and place small data files on your devices or monitor your website activity to enable us to collect information about how you use our sites. This allows our sites to recognize your device from those of other users on our sites. The information provided below about cookies also applies to these other tracking technologies. Zeenews.com use cookies and other technologies to store information in your web browser or on your mobile phone, tablet, computer, or other devices (collectively "devices") that allow us to store and receive certain pieces of information whenever you use or interact with our zeenews.india.com applications and sites. Such cookies and other technologies helps us to identify you and your interests, to remember your preferences and to track use of zeenews.india.com We also use cookies and other tracking technologies to control access to certain content on our sites, protect the sites, and to process any requests that you make to us. We also use cookies to administer our sites and for research purposes, zeenews.india.com also has contracted with third-party service providers to track and analyse statistical usage and volume information from our site users. These third-party service providers use persistent Cookies to help us improve user experience, manage our site content, and analyse how users navigate and utilize the sites. First and Third-party Cookies First party cookies These are those cookies that belong to us and which we place on your device or are those set by a website that is being visited by the user at the time (e.g., cookies placed by zeenews.india.com) Third-party cookies Some features used on this website may involve a cookie being sent to your computer by a third party. For example, if you view or listen to any embedded audio or video content you may be sent cookies from the site where the embedded content is hosted. Likewise, if you share any content on this website through social networks (for example by clicking a Facebook like button or a Tweet button) you may be sent cookies from these websites. We do not control the setting of these cookies so please check the websites of these third parties for more information about their cookies and how to manage them. We use the following types of cookies: Persistent Cookies We use persistent cookies to improve your experience of using the sites. This includes recording your acceptance of our cookie policy to remove the cookie message which first appears when you visit our site. Session Cookies Session cookies are temporary and deleted from your machine when your web browser closes. We use session cookies to help us track internet usage as described above. You may refuse to accept browser Cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your browser. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of the sites. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will check if cookies can be captured when you direct your browser to our sites. The data collected by the sites and/or through Cookies that may be placed on your computer will not be kept for longer than is necessary to fulfil the purposes mentioned above. In any event, such information will be kept in our database until we get explicit consent from you to remove all the stored cookies. We categorize cookies as follows: Essential Cookies These cookie are essential to our site in order to enable you to move around it and to use its features. Without these essential cookies we may not be able to provide certain services or features and our site will not perform as smoothly for you as we would like. These cookies, for example, let us recognize that you have created an account and have logged in/out to access site content. They also include Cookies that enable us to remember your previous actions within the same browsing session and secure our sites. Analytical/Performance Cookies These cookies are used by us or by our third-party service providers to analyse how the sites are used and how they are performing. For example, these cookies track what content are most frequently visited, your viewing history and from what locations our visitors come from. If you subscribe to a newsletter or otherwise register with the Sites, these cookies may be correlated to you. Functionality Cookies These cookies let us operate the sites in accordance with the choices you make. These cookies permit us to "remember you in-between visits. For instance, we will recognize your user name and remember how you customized the sites and services, for example by adjusting text size, fonts, languages and other parts of web pages that are alterable, and provide you with the same customizations during future visits. Advertising Cookies These cookies collect information about your activities on our sites as well as other sites to provide you targeted advertising. We may also allow our third-party service providers to use cookies on the sites for the same purposes identified above, including collecting information about your online activities over time and across different websites. The third-party service providers that generate these cookies, such as, social media platforms, have their own privacy policies, and may use their cookies to target advertisement to you on other websites, based on your visit to our sites. If you do not want cookies to be dropped on your device, you can adjust the setting of your Internet browser to reject the setting of all or some cookies and to alert you when a cookie is placed on your device. For further information about how to do so, please refer to your browser help / tool or edit section for cookie settings w.r.t your browser that may be Google Chrome, Safari, Mozilla Firefox etc. Please note that if your browser setting is already setup to block all cookies (including strictly necessary Cookies) you may not be able to access or use all or parts or functionalities of our sites. If you want to remove previously-stored cookies, you can manually delete the cookies at any time from your browser settings. However, this will not prevent the sites from placing further cookies on your device unless and until you adjust your Internet browser setting as described above. For more information on the development of user-profiles and the use of targeting/advertising Cookies, please see www.youronlinechoices.eu if you are located in Europe or www.aboutads.info/choices if in the United States. Contact us If you have any other questions about our Cookie Policy, please contact us at: If you require any information or clarification regarding the use of your personal information or this privacy policy or grievances with respect to use of your personal information, please email us at [email protected].
|
https://zeenews.india.com/video/news/what-is-special-about-republic-day-2019-2174222.html
|
Where Are These Sexy Baywatch Stars Now?
|
Baywatch is back, baby! The sexy, sandy drama is currently streaming on Prime Video and in HD! The update for streaming also includes 350 original songs to score those unforgettable beachy montages we all love so much. Because the show was once awarded a Guinness World Record for having the largest global TV audience nearly a billion viewers in 140 countries, no biggie but its been a minute since weve seen some of those sexy swimmers. Here, we let you know how their careers, and hot bods, are doing 30 years after the show first premiered. From Pamela Anderson and David Hasslehoff to Carmen Electra and David Chokachi, these are the updates on the people you wouldve happily accepted a little mouth-to-mouth resuscitation from. The show is iconic for a lot of reasons, even if that slow motion running remains at the top of the list, and with its availability on Prime Video now, it could even capture a whole new generation with its charms. Grab a flotation device and lather on that SPF, its about to get hot. Where to stream Baywatch
|
https://decider.com/2019/01/25/sexy-baywatch-stars-then-and-now/
|
What does Australia Day really mean?
|
You've probably noticed there's a conversation happening around Australia Day: what it has meant to us in the past and what it should (or should not) represent for the future. We invited some locals to add their personal thoughts and the words they've used are powerful ones: from anguish to celebration, opportunity and unity. It's a conversation which will only grow louder in coming years. Let's hold it with the deepest respect for each other and most of all, for our First Nations peoples. Indigenous artist Jandamarra Cadd at Maroochydore Botanic Gardens. John McCutcheon JANDAMARRA CADD Jandamarra is a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Warung descendent. An inspirational speaker and ambassador, his contemporary portrait paintings bridge the divide between Aboriginal and mainstream Australia. Australia Day for myself and my family is a day of mourning, as on this date of the 26th of January in 1888 it marked the raising of the Union Jack in Sydney Cove and the official declaration of British sovereignty on the land that would become known as Australia. But sovereignty was and has never been ceded by the First Peoples of this land. So for Aboriginal people and others this day represents so much deep pain and anguish. This act, along with the advent of colonisation that followed, brought with it so much trauma and destruction for our people (with the displacement off their traditional lands, massacres, taking the children away, to mention a few) which still has such traumatic rippling implications and effects today. I don't think so. This only highlights an inability to truly move forward together. Supporting a path of true unity while facilitating the healing process to coexist and walk together as one people and one mob. Ultimately, for me, I would like to see this day as one that reflects a coming together and celebration for all people on the Sunshine Coast and around the nation. But for this to happen I do believe the date of the 26th of January as the official Australia Day nationwide celebration needs to be changed to another date. And then supporting this with rightfully informing the nation about the reason as to why this is so valuable in the journey for the healing process and creating better pathways to walk together. It would be great to see more of a recognition of the First Peoples, the LGBT community, immigrants and how they contribute to the inherent richness of Australia and its eclectic contemporary culture. So I hold the vision of a celebration on a different date in the future that is inclusive of this on the Sunshine Coast and nationwide. Patrick Onek. Morgan McSmith PATRICK ONEK Patrick arrived in Australia in 2004 after spending 10 years in a refugee camp in Kenya. He recently completed a Masters in Management at the University of the Sunshine Coast. To me, Australia Day means a celebration with friends and family of this beautiful country but also a remembrance of the past events that took place here. There are many different cultures with different traditions living here and I believe we should adopt some of these traditions. Examples like foods, dances and celebration styles since Australia is multicultural. Australia for me represented a second chance at life. A new beginning and hope for a better future and lifestyle. As a refugee, this was such an opportunity that I took very seriously and made something out of it. However, in terms of Australia Day, I do wonder what will happen in the future in regards to indigenous Australians as I know the history of this land isn't one of a happy beginning. There are many scars that were caused due to the events that took place. Perhaps maybe Australia Day can also be an official remembrance day as well as a celebration day. Cr Jenny McKay Contributed JENNY MCKAY Councillor McKay is Division 5 representative for Sunshine Coast Council with an interest in youth, the environment and community development. Australia Day means a celebration of the wonderful country in which we live. Seeing neighbourhood communities celebrating together and sharing traditional games and, of course, the good old barbecue. I think more and more people are getting into the spirit and appreciating what a great country we have and are taking the time to share it with friends and family. Jennifer Swaine at the Sunshine Coast Business Awards Barry John Alsop JENNIFER SWAINE Chairman of the Sunshine Coast Business Awards, Jennifer is a leader in the business community here on the Sunshine Coast. For me Australia Day is a day that makes me proud. I am proud to be Australian and proud Australia, as we know it today, is an infusion of many different cultures and races. It's a day when we can all celebrate one of the most wonderful things about being Australian - that we stand together as one and are a much richer country because of every one of us. The bicentenary celebration in Sydney in 1988. At the time I was working for a company based in Milsons Point in Sydney and we had a great spot for all the fireworks and celebrations. I even remember I wore my Ken Done Opera House tank top in honour of that momentous day. I think we should all be able to celebrate and enjoy Australia Day in a way that means something to us. Whether it be a barbecue in the backyard, a picnic on the beach or cricket in a park - it doesn't really matter as long as you take the time to reflect on how lucky we are to live in such an amazing country with all its abundant beauty and opportunities for those who seek them.
|
https://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/what-does-australia-day-really-mean/3630230/
|
Who Is Talibans New Chief Negotiator?
|
Ayesha Tanzeem VOA News January 25, 2019 ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN As peace talks between the United States and Afghan Taliban enter a crucial stage, the Taliban leadership has announced a new chief negotiator, a man named Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar. According to a statement issued Thursday night by Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, the action is intended to strengthen and properly handle the ongoing dialogue. The change has signaled to many that the negotiations have progressed beyond any contact between the two sides in the past. Here is a look at why. Baradar, also known as Mullah Baradar Akhund, is one of the founding members of the Taliban movement. He was present in its first meeting headed by Taliban chief Mullah Omar in the autumn of 1994, in a village in Maiwand district of Kandahar province. Known primarily as a military man and an astute commander, Baradar was sent to what was considered the most difficult places. As the Taliban solidified and expanded its hold on Afghanistan in the mid- to late 1990s, Baradar held many important posts in the government, fighting on various fronts. He became the governor of Herat at a time when fighting was fierce. As a trusted companion of Mullah Omar, Baradar was third in line in the Taliban hierarchy. The second in line, Mullah Obaidullah Akhund, later died in a prison in Pakistan. He was always there. He was in every important meeting, said journalist Rahimullah Yousufzai, who has covered the region for decades. When the Taliban government fell in 2001, Baradar was the deputy minister of defense. He was immediately listed as one of the top Taliban commanders on a U.N. Security Council sanctions list. Out of power and on the run, he continued to serve in important roles in the organization. After Obaidullah Akhund was taken into custody, Baradar took over as head of the Taliban Supreme Council, also known as Quetta Shura. Mullah Akhtar Monsour, the man who became the head of the Taliban after Mullah Omar died, was previously a deputy to Baradar, according to the U.N. records. If he [Baradar] was not in custody, I think he would have been the leader after Mullah Omar died, Yousufzai said, adding that in many ways, he is considered as important as the current chief Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada. Akhundzada has also appointed him his deputy for political affairs. Baradar was taken into custody in 2010 from Karachi in a joint raid by Pakistani and American security operatives. At the time of his arrest, he was the effective No. 2 in the movement and the de facto operational chief of the insurgency, wrote Kate Klark in her piece for the Afghanistan Analysts Network, a Kabul-based research organization. His wife is Mullah Omars sister. He controlled the money. He was launching some of the deadliest attacks against our security forces, an Afghan official who did not want to be named told the BBC at the time of Baradars arrest. According to United Nations Security Council documents, Baradar was born in 1968 in Yatimak village, Dehrawood district, Uruzgan province, Afghanistan. He was part of the Popalzai branch of the Durrani tribe, the same as former Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The appointment of Baradar as the chief negotiator will likely bring additional credibility to the negotiation process and assuage any concerns of the Taliban cadre fighting on the ground, according to people who watch the region closely. Someone who is from Kandahar or southern Afghanistan usually gets importance among the Taliban. Secondly, they have more credibility. If you want to get the political process more acceptance among the cadre on the ground, its helpful, said Tahir Khan, a journalist who has sources among the Taliban. Baradar was released from a prison in Pakistan last October at the insistence of Zalmay Khalilzad, the special representative for Afghanistan reconciliation who is leading the negotiations from the American side. When they started talking to Taliban, the Taliban raised this issue whenever there was any contact with the Americans, Yousufzai said. On one hand, the Americans wanted to facilitate the Taliban to move the process forward. On the other hand, they also wanted the Talibans Qatar office to be empowered to make decisions. They wanted to negotiate with the most important people among the Taliban, according to Yousufzai. Baradars release fulfilled that dual purpose. Related
|
http://www.aopnews.com/taliban/who-is-talibans-new-chief-negotiator/
|
Did Steve Wynn buy the Bacon?
|
Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) After art insiders insisted Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich was not the mystery buyer who snapped up a Francis Bacon triptych painting for a record-smashing $142.4 million last week, rumors have been rife that it may have gone to casino magnate and avid art collector Steve Wynn. Numerous sources in New York and on the international art circuit are whispering that it was Wynn who snapped up the work at Christies postwar and contemporary art sale, when Acquavella Galleries bought it on behalf of a high-flying client. After all, Wynn has some cash to spare: Page Six exclusively revealed in March that embattled billionaire hedge fund manager Steven Cohen bought Picassos Le Rve from Wynn for $155 million. But a spokeswoman for Wynn told Page Six, I can confirm that Mr. Wynn did not purchase the Bacon. Acquavellas gallery has been incredibly tight-lipped about the acquisition of Three Studies of Lucian Freud. Rival dealer Larry Gagosian has said he went as high as $101 million in the six-way bidding war.
|
https://pagesix.com/2013/11/17/steve-wynn-art-rumors-refuted/
|
Is neon green the Fyre Festival of fashion trends?
|
Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window) Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) On a sweltering summer night last year, Kim Kardashian headed to dinner in Miami Beach wearing a blindingly bright bikini top and matching wrap skirt. Across the country on that very same day, Blake Lively stepped out to promote A Simple Favor in NYC clad in a like-minded (if much more covered-up) look: a fluorescent Versace pantsuit and matching sweater. The message, so clear it almost felt calculated, was this: Shield your eyes, because neon green is officially a thing. Over the months that followed, more and more celebrities hopped aboard the bright lime bandwagon. Bella Hadid zipped herself into a Louis Vuitton vest that practically glowed in the dark, Ashley Graham shimmied into a skintight fluorescent turtleneck and Chanel Iman dressed up the trend in a neon-green cape dress and matching stilettos. Emma Stone even translated the fashion fad into a bold beauty look, showing up at the New York Film Festival sporting a slick of slime-tastic eye shadow. But no stars have embraced the look quite like the Kardashian-Jenners. Practically every member of the family seems to be on board, from Khlo and Kourtney Kardashian who posed in coordinated neon activewear on Instagram in November to Kylie Jenner, who picked up matching fluorescent green swimwear for herself, daughter Stormi and BFF Jordyn Woods to wear on vacation together earlier this month. Its no coincidence that the trend resonates especially strongly with stars who have huge social media followings. Ever since Instagram scrapped its chronological feed in 2016, more users are competing for attention on the platform than ever before. Its a visual-disruption tactic not unlike the one used to promote 2017s disastrous Fyre Festival, when hundreds of Instagram influencers were tasked with simultaneously sharing the same image to their feeds to drum up buzz about the Bahamas-based event: a simple bright orange square. My whole idea was, like, stop the internet, the festivals former head of marketing Oren Aks explained in Hulus new documentary Fyre Fraud. Whatever [other accounts are] posting is not neon orange. Thats a stopper and now Ive got your attention. Incidentally, many of the stars tapped to promote the doomed event Hailey Baldwin, Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner are the very same ones now sporting lime green on their feeds. And once again, theyre stopping social media traffic to promote something thats, well, polarizing. Instead of going all-over fluoro like the supermodel set, add just a pop of the eye-catching color via a beanie, bikini or T-shirt, and keep the rest of your look low-key. Still, you might want to pack some sunglasses.
|
https://pagesix.com/2019/01/25/is-neon-green-the-fyre-festival-of-fashion-trends/
|
Is E.L.F.s Camo Concealer a $5 Dupe for Tarte Shape Tape?
|
The beauty mixologists on Reddit are always doling out wisdom, whether it's helping develop skin-care routines or simply sharing a photo of a well-contoured grandma. The latest pearl, courtesy of R/MakeupAddiction, is an affordable dupe for the popular Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer. The Shape Tape hype may be well-founded, but it also means that the concealer is often sold out. (In fact, according to the brand, one bottle sells every 26 seconds.) That's where Redditors swooped in with a recommendation for E.L.F. 16HR Camo Concealer. According to the original poster, the E.L.F. version is "the Shape Tape dupe." The commenter gave a thorough beauty breakdown of just how magical this dupe is. "After I went to the gym about five hours later, it creased only in the extremely fine lines on my lower lid," they wrote. "It did not crease where my bags are. There is light creasing in my smile lines but that happens with any foundation or concealer I use." As for coverage, it's reportedly "full coverage comparable to Tarte" with a "creamy and a little heavy [texture] that can sheer out to medium coverage." They even recommend using the concealer as a foundation. The product name's apparent reference to how many hours it provides coverage which is simply too long of a day anyway. The concealer has 18 shades, compared with Shape Tape's 30, but it's also only $5, compared with Shape Tape's $27 price tag. If, like me, you buy most of your E.L.F. products on impulse out of the bins near the check-out counter at Old Navy, there's pretty much no reason not to pick up a tube of the 16HR Camo Concealer. More on Reddit-approved beauty: Now, watch Tinashe try 9 things she's never done before:
|
https://www.allure.com/story/elf-cosmetics-camo-concealer-shape-tape-dupe
|
Is Justin Faulk the Toronto Maple Leafs' most realistic target at the trade deadline?
|
Justin Faulk is the realistic Toronto Maple Leafs trade deadline target no one is talking about. While Alex Pietrangelo, Dougie Hamilton and Colton Parayko would all represent major additions and all are sexier names, Faulk is the most likely player to be traded and he could be acquired for a fraction of the cost. Hes an all-situations defender, under contract through next season, and would clearly be an upgrade on Torontos current options. On the right side of the Leafs blue line, Igor Ozhiganovs ice time remains limited as we approach the 50-game mark, and Id surprised if the Leafs are comfortable matching a 38-year-old Ron Hainsey (whose minutes are down two minutes per game this season) out against the top lines of the Bruins and Lightning come playoff time. Carolina could allocate Faulks $6 million in salary ($4.85M cap hit) towards a forward or a goaltender and its seemingly only a matter of time until they move a defenseman. Justin Faulk Is A Realistic Target At The Deadline The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the market for a right-shooting defenseman. As it just so happens, the Carolina Hurricanes are in the market to trade a right-shooting defenseman, with Faulk, Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Trevor van Riemsdyk all matching that description. It seems like only a matter of time before one of them is on the move. While they may listen to offers, the Hurricanes paid a hefty price to acquire Hamilton just last offseason. It would be shocking if they moved him this quickly, and it would be unusual to trade Pesce while hes in the first year of his six-year deal. While Faulk may not be at the top of Torontos wish list, hes the most likely player to be traded, and its not like the Leafs can afford to be too picky at this point. Faulk is scheduled to hit free agency after next season. I dont expect Carolina to let him walk in free agency for nothing and I dont expect them to spend the money to extend him. He carries a $6 million salary both this year and next, and the Hurricanes ought to spend this money on a high-end forward or a goaltender. They could get a nice haul for Faulk at this years deadline, as teams will be willing to pay more to get two playoff runs out of him rather than one. Why Faulk Is A Fit In Toronto The Hurricanes care about salary, not cap hit. The Leafs care about cap hit, not salary. As a result, hes a $4.83 million dollar player to the Leafs, but a $6 million dollar player to the Hurricanes. Faulk also carries a 15-team no-trade clause; since most contenders are set in terms of right-shooting defensemen, the Hurricanes probably dont have a better trading partner here. This looks like a match. The Leafs are likely to play the Boston Bruins in the first round of the playoffs, and as a result, they will have their hands full against a dominant top line. Ron Hainsey will be 38 by then and has arguably lost another step this season; he shouldnt be matching up against Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron, and David Pastrnak in a playoff series (theyve been there, done that, and the results are clear). Toronto simply does not have a high-end defensive pairing at the moment, and its clear that acquiring a top-four right-shooting defenseman needs to be the teams top priority. Boston doesnt carry a ton of forward depth, and if you can at least hold your own against their dominant top line, you have a good chance of winning the series. Justin Faulk By The Numbers Morgan Rielly has been glued to Ron Hainsey for a year-and-a-half now, and if anyone can relate to this, its Justin Faulk. Hainsey was Faulks primary partner during his time in Carolina and they were able to hold their own during these minutes: Justin Faulks 5v5 Shot Attempt Differential, 2014-2017 (via Natural Stat Trick) Situation TOI CF% Faulk With Hainsey 1742 53.24 Faulk Without Hainsey 1763 53.63 Hainsey Without Faulk 1753 49.7 Its easy to spot who was driving play on this pairing. Im sure the Leafs would prefer to have this player next to Morgan Rielly. Furthermore, during Faulks final year with Hainsey, he finished second among NHL defensemen in goals despite missing seven games. However, after three consecutive seasons of scoring 15+ goals, his shooting percentage has dropped significantly in recent years: Justin Faulks Shooting Percentage Slump Year Sh% Goals per 82 games First Six Seasons 6.80% 13.5 Last Two Seasons 3.20% 7.4 His goal-scoring reputation causes many people to view him as a power play specialist, but hes a regular penalty-killer on a team with plenty of options and he logs a ton of ice-time at five-on-five. If the Leafs acquired him, they could continue to play Rielly and Jake Gardiner with the man-advantage and use Justin Faulk to matchup against teams top lines after the power play expires. Faulks bomb from the point does offer a potentially valuable dynamic-changing option to a struggling Leafs power play, though. MAGNUS Isolated 5v5 Impact (via hockeyviz.com) Player Offensive (Positive is good) Defensive (Negative is good) Net Isolated Impact (Positive is good) Justin Faulk 2.7% -2% 4.7% Ron Hainsey 0.4% 2.7% -2.3% Nikita Zaitsev -0.9% 8.1% -9% Faulk isnt a true number-one defenseman like Alex Pietrangelo, but hes more likely to be traded at a fraction of the price. Hes clearly a major upgrade over Torontos current options and he could play big minutes both at five-on-five and on the penalty kill. Carolinas four right-shooting defensemen are scheduled to earn $18.5 million next year, which is quite ridiculous for a team with such a low payroll. Final Notes Another key point is that the Leafs should be able to acquire Faulk without giving up Timothy Liljegren or Rasmus Sandin. If youre a fan of both of these prospects, Faulk is a nice option to help bridge the gap until they are ready for the top-four. If youre not completely sold on these prospects, you may prefer to make a huge offer for Pietrangelo, as youre going to have to give at least one of them away in order to land a player of his calibre. I have written before about Red Wings defenseman Nick Jensen, who seems to be a trendy target right now. Hes playing big minutes for Detroit right now, both at five-on-five and on the penalty kill, so it might take a second-round pick and a prospect to acquire him. The Red Wings are weak on the back-end, so they may want to extend him. Trading for Jensen does not prevent you from trading for someone like Faulk, and I am interested to see what it would take to lock him up for a few years. Similar to Faulk, Mark Pysyk is a player whose salary will exceed his cap hit next season, and Elliotte Friedman wrote that Florida appears to be willing to move him. Hes a $3.5 million player to Florida, but a $2.73 million player for a cap team like Toronto. The Leafs could offer Connor Brown, futures, or a cheaper defender like Igor Ozhiganov in return. However, I expect Dubas to target a better puck mover. The Hurricanes, who employ Eric Tulsky as their VP of Hockey Management and Strategy, may prefer to add two second-round picks rather than a late first. I wonder if the Leafs would prefer to go this route; Kyle Dubas could simply trade down in the draft again to re-gain another pick.
|
https://mapleleafshotstove.com/2019/01/25/toronto-maple-leafs-justin-faulk/
|
Where are Providence's teachers?
|
Their high rate of absenteeism can affect student achievement. PROVIDENCE The Providence schools have among the highest chronic teacher absenteeism rates in the state, with nine schools posting rates that exceed 20 percent a year and two schools ranked number one and two in Rhode Island. Rhode Island is measuring chronic absenteeism in every school as part of its new federal accountability plan, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. In fact, Rhode Island is the only state in the country to use teacher absenteeism as one measure of school and district performance. Chronic absenteeism is defined as missing at least 10 percent of the school year, or 18 days. It includes sick days and personal days but excludes long-term excused leaves and job-related absences. Supt. Christopher N. Maher agrees that Providence, like many other Rhode Island school districts, has "an unacceptable level of teacher absenteeism in many of its schools," and he said the district is taking "proactive steps to create a culture of greater accountability and support." The problem is not limited to Providence, however. Rhode Island had the third-highest teacher absenteeism rate 41 percent in the country in 2015-2016, according to the Civil Rights Data Collection. As a district, Providence ranked ninth-highest in chronic absenteeism in the state. Central Falls has the highest rate of teacher absenteeism in Rhode Island, with 75 percent of teachers reported as chronically absent. But this isn't strictly an urban problem. Five suburban or rural districts New Shoreham (which is so small it skews the data), South Kingstown, Cranston, North Providence and Foster-Glocester are among the top 10, with chronic absenteeism rates ranging from 67 percent to 52 percent. When Providence broke down the days on which most teachers were absent, the majority missed school on Mondays and Fridays a total of 250 absences per day on Mondays and slightly more on Fridays. This is particularly concerning because Providence, like many districts, has a shortage of substitute teachers. When there aren't enough substitutes, students are sent to other classrooms, placing a burden on those teachers. Studies have shown that when instruction is disrupted, it affects student achievement. Chronic absenteeism can also have a negative impact on a school's atmosphere or climate. Elizabeth Goldberg, a parent with a first-grader at Vartan Gregorian Elementary School, one of the city's highest-performing schools, said her son's teacher consistently misses school on Mondays and Fridays. "It's a problem," she said Friday. "What's happening is my son's class is divided up, with half of the class going to another first-grade classroom. That teacher now has 34 or 35 kids instead of 26. There is no way teaching is as effective with 34 kids." Goldberg said the district should provide parents with regular updates on teacher absences, so they can bring their concerns to the principal. Elizabeth Silva Balboa, a former PTO president, pulled her two sons out of Gregorian last year in part because her sons' teachers were frequently absent. "It became a joke in our family. Is his teacher's car there or not," she said. "Last year, my son's fifth-grade teacher was out constantly, almost once a week." She said she didn't realize there was a problem until her son told her he did his "split packet" at school. When she asked him to explain, he said when a teacher was absent, students were sent in small groups to other classrooms, where they did school work from a packet. Providence Teachers Union President Maribeth Calabro called the data "alarming," and said she will definitely dig into the numbers to identify the issues at each school. "I'm not happy with this at all," she said. She said teachers must provide a doctor's note after they miss four consecutive days. They are permitted to take 15 days a year, but they can accrue up to 150 days over the years. Calabro offered the following explanations for why teachers call out sick: Some of the city's school buildings have mold, leaks and other issues that are health concerns. Teachers in some buildings don't feel supported by their principals. With the shift toward keeping students in school rather than suspending them, teachers are experiencing more stress in the classroom. "I want my teachers in school," Calabro said. "I don't know what the answers are. There is not one panacea to fix this problem." For years, she said, the human-resources office didn't crack down on the high-fliers. big offenders. The new human-resources director is much more focused, Calabro said. Teachers with recurrent unexcused absences face progressive consequences, ranging from a reprimand to suspension, even termination. But a district spokeswoman said most cases do not lead to termination. Starting this fall, Maher said, the district began identifying individuals with the highest absenteeism. "Administrators held difficult but supportive conversations so those employees could work with management to identify barriers to their attendance," Maher said. "Those employees who continue to have high rates of absenteeism not related to an ongoing medical issue will face progressive discipline." He said the district will also intervene in schools with chronic absenteeism, publicly share attendance data, and conduct a quarterly "deep dive" into the data to identify schools with the greatest issues. [email protected] (401)277-7823
|
https://www.providencejournal.com/news/20190125/where-are-providences-teachers
|
Why Don't We Create A Public Works Initiative To Create Unbiased Data For AI?
|
Biased data creates biased AI. Our AI systems today are biased not because of algorithmic limitations, but because the data used to train those algorithms encode the myriad biases of our human and natural worlds. The cost would be substantial but the resulting benefit to the future of our increasingly AI-driven world would be extraordinary. Underlying every conversation about AI bias is a discussion of data bias. As awe-inspiring as deep learning algorithms may be, they learn only what they are given, meaning the more biased their training data, the more biased their results. Absent any concept of moral values, algorithms mirror what they see, rather than rising above it. Of course, it is critical to recognize that there is no such thing as unbiased data. All data has bias. The key is to create minimally biased data that reduces bias as much as possible along the dimensions most corrosive to the functioning of society. There are no technological limitations to inclusiveness. A camera can capture an affluent Valley elite just as easily as it can capture a subsistence farmer in a remote rural village on the other side of the world. A voice recognition training dataset can just as easily contain samples of speakers from a language of 1,000 speakers as it can a language of 10 million speakers. Companies argue their smart devices can only support so many languages because those are the only languages for which training data exists in sufficient quantities. They argue that machine translation can only support the hundred or so languages for which there is sufficient parallel text. They argue that computer vision algorithms can only support a small number of cultures and geographies for which there are sufficient photographic references. Creating new datasets from scratch would have the added benefit of being able to carefully curate their composition to ensure equal diversity across as many dimensions as possible. The answer, as I noted earlier this week, comes down to economics. Creating new datasets costs a lot of money. Companies invest in ensuring sufficient diversity and inclusiveness of their data to cover their most economically viable customers. Extending beyond monied and monetizable users to the rest of the world doesnt make economic sense for most companies. That is the question that underlies why we have biased AI today. Todays AI is largely created in a capitalist environment subject to the whims of economic need. AI is built to maximize revenue, not make the world a better place. A powerful driving force behind data bias is that technology companies today view data as something they should get for free. Social media companies hoover up our data and view it as their own economic property to exclusively monetize. This ready availability of data means that companies view data like air: something critical to life but that we would never dream of paying for. In turn, this means our AI systems today are largely built upon free data, rather than good data. Faced with a choice between a heavily biased, but free dataset and the cost of creating a brand new curated dataset that minimizes bias, nearly every company will choose the free dataset and try to bolt on a few filters to do what they can to make the bias levels slightly more tolerable. Put another way, the reason we have biased AI today is because we have biased data. The reason we have biased data is because companies choose poor quality but free data over high quality data they have to pay for. Looking to history, the United States Government through its Farm Security Administration funded the creation of one of the single richest photographic archives of American life from 1935 to 1944. With a specific mandate to capture the side of America that was historically left out of the photographic record, the FSAs photographers fanned out across the nation to introduce America to Americans. Of particular interest to the conversation about data bias was FSAs mandate to focus on the underrepresented. Rather than the glamorous society life and urban scenes that dominated traditional photographic subjects, FSAs photographers were tasked with covering the America that most of the public had never seen. Supported by the US Government these photographers were able to focus on capturing the soul of the nation, rather than focusing on economically viable shots that could be sold for the highest dollar. While the FSA program did not operate entirely without constraints on the subjects and messages conveyed by their imagery, they nonetheless offer us a glimpse into the other America that never could have existed without the government recognizing the importance of telling these stories and paying to create this incredible archive. Imagine a project that paid local photographers to fan out across the world capturing daily life in every corner of the planet, mass translated works from underrepresented languages and constructed vast voice archives of their native speakers. That created autonomous driving datasets representing roadways from all corners of the world, rather than the idealized world of American highways. That created datasets encoding cultural practices, legal systems, architecture, art and every other facet of the human and natural world. The creation of these datasets would be jointly funded by the government and major companies, with the resulting datasets available free to the world. Most importantly, in an immense departure from many current AI training datasets, these datasets would be constructed ethically. Rather than mass harvesting social media posts, scraping personal photo galleries, paying random strangers on Amazon Mechanical Turk to contribute personal data, using legal terms of service to forcibly exploit private customer information or any of the other myriad ethically and legally dubious practices used to create todays data archives, these collections would place ethics first. Local laws and cultural practices would be adhered to. Contributors would be fully aware of how their data will be used and could even be granted the right to approve or deny certain applications. For example, they could deny the right to use their face to train facial recognition models sold to law enforcement but allow them for home door lock systems. Every contributor could see the complete list of applications that have made use of their data in some way, allowing them to understand their contribution to AI. Free data would remove the economic disincentive to address data bias. On the other hand, there would still be economic drivers fighting against bias minimization. Companies looking to create the smallest possible and fastest executing models might still balk at bloating their models with support for demographics, cultures and situations that are not economically important to their business model. Extending their models beyond their narrow target customer demographic could make those models less accurate for their customers depending on the technical specifics of their deep learning algorithm. On the other hand, the widespread availability of minimally biased data would increase public and lawmaker scrutiny of companies that chose to continue to build biased models. For companies that genuinely wished to address bias, they would finally have the data to do so. Putting this all together, we have AI bias because companies as a whole dont want to spend the money to create new datasets that minimize bias. They would rather use highly biased free datasets than pay to create curated datasets that explicitly minimize key bias. This reminds us again that the driver behind AI bias is economics. By replacing free biased data with free minimally biased data, we could have a huge impact on AI bias and place additional non-economic pressures on those companies that continue to emphasize bias in their systems. In the end, if biased AI comes from biased data, we have to ask ourselves why we dont spend the money to reduce that bias. Perhaps by jumpstarting the AI space with a public works project for minimally biased data we could fundamentally change the economics of AI bias.
|
https://www.forbes.com/sites/kalevleetaru/2019/01/25/why-dont-we-create-a-public-works-initiative-to-create-unbiased-data-for-ai/
|
Why Did the Trumps Ignore Each Other On Their Anniversary?
|
Tuesday, January 22, marked President Trump and first lady Melania Trump's 14-year wedding anniversary, but if you took a look at their social media posts, you wouldn't know it. Both parties were radio silent about the occasion on their channels, though the president did take some time out of his busy day to offer congratulations to baseball player Mariano Rivera, who was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. The Express notes that there could have been a multitude of reasons for staying quiet. Since the entire country is in the midsts of a government shutdown, the first couple could have thought that any sort of congratulations would be in poor taste. Tuesday marked the 30th day of the shutdown, so maybe the two were just steering clear of any sort of possible backlash. Whatever the reason, it's a surprising move, given Trump's love affair with Twitter. Image zoom SAUL LOEB/Getty Images RELATED: A New Book Says Donald and Melania Trump's Marriage Isn't All Bad "For someone as heavily involved in social media as Donald Trump is," the Express wrote, "it might come as a surprise to some that the President didnt even mention the special occasion in his tweet." Melania's social channels were silent on the day, too. Her last post was on Sunday, when she shared a photo from Trump's inauguration to celebrate the two-year mark of his presidency. "It has been an unforgettable two years in the White House," she wrote. "I am honoured to serve this great nation!" RELATED: Why Melania Trump's Weekend Plans Are Invoking the Internet's Ire It's not completely out of the question for presidents and first ladies to use their social media to commemorate marital milestones. Michelle and Barack Obama would do it, the Clintons did it on their 40th, and even George Bush sent out a fun tweet to celebrate 40 years with Laura.
|
https://www.instyle.com/news/donald-melania-trump-wedding-anniversary-no-celebration
|
Can Oprah Winfrey Help Stacey Abrams Win Georgia?
|
Oprah Winfrey made history when she endorsed President Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign. Arguably, it was her endorsement that helped him get the media attention he needed to beat Hillary Clinton in the primaries. Now, Oprah is lending her voice and star power to Stacey Abrams. See Also: Bring It Home! Best Damn Reactions To Andrew Gillum Destroying Ron DeSantis In Florida Debate Winfrey is heading to Georgia to campaign for Stacey Abrams. With the election six days away, this might be the push Abrams needs to defeat Brian Kemp, who is also Georgias Secretary of State and has been accused of voter suppression. Abrams wrote on Twitter, BIG NEWS: @ Oprah is on # TeamAbramsand shes coming to Georgia on Thursday, 11/1, to help us Get Out The Vote! We will host two town halls in Marietta & Decatur TOMORROW. BIG NEWS: @Oprah is on #TeamAbramsand she's coming to Georgia on Thursday, 11/1, to help us Get Out The Vote! We will host two town halls in Marietta & Decatur TOMORROW. Tickets are free but will go fast. Don't miss out! https://t.co/0FR0PHEI8L #GAGov #gapol Stacey Abrams (@staceyabrams) October 31, 2018 We will see how impactful Oprahs voice will be. She doesnt have the daily talk show she had when Obama ran and she is more known for acting nowadays. However, her speech at the 2018 Golden Globes went viral and created buzz that she was running for president. If Abrams wins, she will be the first Black woman to be governor in the nation. She recently said, Growing up we didnt have much. But my familys challenges showed me whats possible. Im running for governor because I believe we can continue the progress weve made by building each other up not by tearing each other down. Abrams currently leads by one point in the polls. We are rooting for you, Stacey! was originally published on newsone.com
|
https://foxync.com/3627102/can-oprah-winfrey-help-stacey-abrams-win-georgia/
|
Is Richard Bruton ready to chat with RT about presenters salaries?
|
Newish Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment Richard Bruton is said to have spent recent months reading himself into his wide portfolio. He certainly had his notes ready when a Dil session on his brief took a hard swerve from illegal dumping to the question of whether the best-paid RT presenters are paid too much. Bruton quoted RTs most recent figures, for the 10 highest-paid presenters in 2016, which he said showed a reduction of 32 per cent compared to fees earned in 2008. Indeed, they do. But that reduction, effectively a market correction on boom-time cheques, was actually banked more than five years ago. The year 2016 saw the top 10 receive a combined pay bill that had swollen 74,000 on 2015. Most of the increase related to a 50,000 pay rise for Ray DArcy, the second highest-paid presenter, who had done a full year rather than half a year of the RT television chat-fest that isnt The Late Late Show. He earns 450,000 a year for this Saturday night programme plus an afternoon radio show that bridges the gap between Liveline and Drivetime. RTs commercial revenues have endured a somewhat steeper fall than presenters salaries RT, as Bruton noted, argues that the top tier earn their salaries through their ability to generate advertising revenue, critical in these cash-starved times for media companies. Its a problematic defence for a public service broadcaster. But if the principle is accepted, then it suddenly becomes relevant to point out that RTs commercial revenues have endured a somewhat steeper fall than presenters salaries, being 38 per cent lower at the last count than their 2007 peak. Divorcing the magic skills of a presenter from the talent and hard work of their team also shouldnt be as easy as all that: RTs star league has greater support behind the scenes than their peers doing equivalent on-air jobs for commercial broadcasters. And, as methods of sapping morale go, there is nothing more failsafe than wide pay gaps between those at the top and those at the bottom. As Sinn Fin communications spokesman Brian Stanley said, the combined pay bill for just 10 presenters at RT has once again crossed the 3 million mark. Bruton told Stanley that he would raise the matter with director-general Dee Forbes at their next meeting a shame, then, that he didnt sound massively enthusiastic about doing so.
|
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/is-richard-bruton-ready-to-chat-with-rt%C3%A9-about-presenters-salaries-1.3770978?localLinksEnabled=false
|
Is Victor Li the next Superman and can he outdo his father Li Ka-shing as he leads CK Asset into a new era?
|
After 35 years in the shadow of his illustrious father Li Ka-shing, Hong Kongs richest man and fondly called Superman for his extraordinary entrepreneurial achievement, Victor Li Tzar-kuoi, is finally coming into his own. Victor, who took over as chairman of CK Asset Holdings and CK Hutchison from his father last May, is turning the focus of Hong Kongs second largest developer by market capitalisation back to the citys property market after the elder Li indicated in 2016 that the group would spread its net globally because of the challenges it faced in identifying investments with reasonable returns in the local property market. The group will also pursue other global investments to extend our reach to new business areas, Li said during the interim results announcement in 2016. To reflect its global expansion in non-property interests, in August 2017 the group even changed its name to CK Asset Holdings from Cheung Kong Property Holdings. It has since invested HK$64 billion (US$8.1 billion) in aircraft leasing, infrastructure and utility assets in Europe, Australia, Canada and the UK, while steadily selling down assets in the city. One of the companys most notable transactions was the sale of its 70 per cent stake in The Center, the tallest building in the companys portfolio for a record HK$40.2 billion to the mainland group C.H.M.T Peaceful Development Asia Property. Now, with Victor Li calling the shots, CK has announced a major property project nearly every other month in Hong Kong. In the past six months alone, it announced four property projects, either through acquisition, redevelopment or increased building density, that would require a total capital commitment of more than HK$66 billion over the next six to seven years. On January 9, CK Asset proposed building what could be Hong Kongs biggest private housing project in the last 10 years. It will redevelop its Harbour Plaza Resort City hotel in Tin Shui Wai, New Territories, into a housing project comprising 5,000 flats. The proposed HK$10.5 billion redevelopment project is its second after the companys HK$6.5 billion redevelopment of Hutchison House, in Central, announced last July. On top of these two major redevelopment projects, it also won the MTR Corp tender last August for phase three of a residential plot next to Wong Chuk Hang Station that could require an investment of HK$38 billion. Two months later in October, CK Asset applied to the Town Planning Board to increase the number of units from 1,800 to 2,200 at its proposed residential development in Kwu Tung in the northern New Territories. That project could cost about HK$11.2 billion. It is worth noting that all the proposed investments are estimates from industry consultants. The three housing projects will provide around 8,400 units in the next six to seven years. The change [in strategy] was not made in a fortnight, it must have been in the works for [at least] six months or so, said Raymond Cheng, head of Hong Kong and China research at CGS-CIMB Securities. Father and son must have made a critical comparative analysis of the rate of returns in each of the local and international sectors that the group has established a presence, and identified specific areas where its money will earn the most. Historically, the return on investment on infrastructure and utilities is between five to eight per cent, while it averages between 15 to 20 per cent in Hong Kongs property development market, said Cheng. Developing property in Hong Kong is profitable but bears higher risk. For Victor, he will go where he can make more profit, he said. Lung Siu-fung, an analyst at China Merchants Securities, said CK Assets plans to redevelop Harbour Plaza Resort City hotel and Hutchison House would not only increase its asset valuation but also lift its output of flats without the need to engage in a bidding war with rivals in government tenders and in the private market. Adding to the urgency was CKs slumping property sales in Hong Kong, which dropped by 72.3 per cent to HK$13.97 billion from the sale of 433 flats in 2018 compared to a record high of HK$50.6 billion in 2017, according to Dataelement, a data provider which monitors sales of new flats. CK Asset, which topped the property sales chart in 2017, dropped to fifth place in 2018, Dataelement figures showed. Sun Hung Kai Properties, which generated HK$41.97 billion in sales in 2018, replaced CK Asset as the top seller last year. CGS-CIMB Securities Cheng partly attributed CK Assets comeback to Hong Kong because of its frustration in acquiring assets overseas. Its investment abroad faces rising political risks, making it difficult to move forward, he said. One of the major setbacks came in November when CK Groups A$13 billion (US$9.3 billion) bid for gas pipeline operator APA Group was rejected by the Australian government on national security grounds. CK Asset had joined CK Infrastructure Holdings, and Power Assets Holdings to pursue its largest overseas acquisition. Victor Li, in his first speech as chairman of CK Asset and CK Hutchisons annual dinner gala on January 15, voiced his frustrations on why his companies could not freely pursue overseas investments. The rise of protectionism, the unceasing trade disputes, the Brexit uncertainties, the various national election outcomes, and the reappearance of rate hikes all such issues have caused ripples in the global environment and to some extent our groups businesses, he said. He also pointed out that the companys deliberate strategy of increasing stable recurrent income had borne fruit, and the group enjoyed a very strong cash flow. Speaking at the same event, Li Ka-shing, now senior adviser to the group, did not answer directly whether CK Asset would be more aggressive in Hong Kongs property market. The city has its own advantages. But there are some businesses we cannot pursue in the city, such as oil and energy, said Li Ka-shing. Cheng noted that while CK Asset was busy expanding overseas, its Hong Kong residential land bank had dwindled and was now the smallest among the top seven developers. CKs residential land bank is only enough to sustain development for 2.9 years, compared to [the industry] average of 4.1 years, he said. CK Asset, the second largest Hong Kong developer by market capitalisation, owns just six million square feet of land bank in the city, according to its 2017 annual report. Sun Hung Kai Properties and Henderson Land by comparison hold 21.4 million sq ft and 14 million sq ft respectively. Taking into account the plot next to Wong Chuk Hang MTR station, which could yield a total gross floor area of 1.5 million sq ft, its land bank increases to 7.5 million sq ft. On the mainland, it has 107 million sq ft, and some 4 million sq ft overseas. These recent announcements will ensure that the developer has an adequate development pipeline moving forward, especially with respect to residential sales, said Denis Ma, head of research at JLL. With housing prices starting to slide, the risk of developers finding themselves in a situation where their future development is priced below surrounding comparable projects is increasing, said Ma who has forecast home prices to fall by 15 per cent this year. Under this scenario, it is probably more prudent to redevelop older buildings already under their ownership, he said. The prices of lived-in homes in Hong Kong have fallen by 7.2 per cent since August 2018, but are still 2.2 per cent higher than in January 2018, according to the citys Rating and Valuation Department. Ma believes undertaking redevelopment or refurbishment opportunities in a soft market allows developers to be better positioned to capitalise on the eventual market recovery down the road. Even Hannah Jeong, head of valuation and advisory services at Colliers International, felt that redevelopment is a far cheaper option compared to obtaining new land sales from government tenders. As land prices have increased significantly in the past two years, she said developers margins will be higher from redevelopment. Thomas Lam, executive director at Knight Frank estimated the total investment cost of Harbour Plaza Resort City hotel would be HK$8,000 to HK$9,000 per sq ft inclusive of construction cost, government land premium and interest expenses. He estimated that the whole redevelopment project will cost about HK$10.5 billion, adding that the sale of 5,000 flats could bring in sales of close to HK$20 billion assuming an average selling of HK$4 million, or HK$13,000 per sq ft, when it goes on pre-sale five to six years from now. In addition, the proposed housing project in Tin Shui Wai will have 980 car parking spaces. Lam said the sale of these car parking lots will contribute an estimated HK$900 million to CK Asset, assuming the group sells some of these parking spaces for around HK$1 million each. The HK$29 billion sales projection from the redevelopment of Harbour Plaza hotel was six to seven times higher than just the sale of the hotel itself for about HK$4 billion to HK$5 billion. In the current market condition, it is hard to get a buyer for the hotel. And CK was unlikely to offload its asset at below market rate said Lam.
|
https://www.scmp.com/business/companies/article/2183570/victor-li-next-superman-and-can-he-outdo-his-father-li-ka-shing
|
Does Sen. Bennet have a shot for White House following 2020 buzz?
|
Please enable Javascript to watch this video DENVER -- It was as fired up as most politicos have seen Colorado Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet in a while. When the senator from Texas shut down the government in 2013, my state was flooded! It was under water! People were killed! Peoples houses were destroyed. Their small businesses were ruined forever. And because of the senator from Texas, this government was shut down. For politics, Bennet shouted from the Senate floor Thursday. The video quickly went viral. In less than 8 hours this @SenatorBennet video has more views than any other C-SPAN video from the Senate floor. Watch complete speech here: https://t.co/AwA2TQl2ad https://t.co/9aTLkvVwb6 CSPAN (@cspan) January 25, 2019 "I don't know. I am thinking about it," Bennet told Chuck Todd on MSNBC when asked about a possible run Thursday. "This guy is obviously shaping up for a presidential run," FOX31 Democratic analyst Andy Boian said. Bennet, like most Democrats, may have reservations about a run because of the anticipated crowded field. But Boian noted Bennet has family connections. Bennet's brother James is editor of the editorial page at the New York Times. His late father was a diplomat and former president of Wesleyan University. However, there is one big obstacle Bennet needs to overcome. "He's got one giant impediment to running, and that's John Hickenlooper. He has gone to Iowa [and] New Hampshire several times and indicated he has a strong interest in running," Boian said. Boian pointed to that fact Hickenlooper and Bennet are close; Bennet served as Hickenlooper's chief of staff when he was mayor. But when Hickenlooper was asked by FOX31 political reporter Joe St. George if he was "offended" by a Bennet run, Hickenlooper replied, "No." "Michael Bennet is one of the smartest political people that I know," Hickenlooper said in November.
|
https://kdvr.com/2019/01/25/does-sen-bennet-have-a-shot-for-white-house-following-2020-buzz/
|
How Soon Will the Federal Government Get Back in Order?
|
It's unclear at this time. The White House tweeted that it will be "in the coming days.'' Some 800,000 workers were furloughed or required to work without pay. They will receive back pay. While the Trump administration is promising to pay federal workers as soon as possible, a senior official says agencies are in charge of their own payroll issues and workers should check with their departments for details about when the back pay will arrive. Guidance provided for workers during a previous shutdown in 2013 said that any hours worked prior to the lapse in federal funds would be provided in the next regularly scheduled pay day. Pay for hours worked after the lapse in federal funds would not occur until funding "is provided.'' The Office of Management and Budget instructed agencies Friday night to ensure they had adequate staff on hand to support payroll processes and to answer employees' benefit questions as they return to work. The Smithsonian tweeted that all of its museums and the National Zoo will reopen Tuesday, Jan. 29 at their regularly scheduled times. Many remained open during the shutdown, but at reduced staffing levels. Theresa Pierno, president and CEO for the National Parks Conservation Association, said some parks suffered ``terrible damage'' during the shutdown. One of the first jobs for park workers will be to assess that damage. "The damage done to our parks will be felt for weeks, months or even years,'' she said. P. Daniel Smith, Deputy Director of the National Park Service, said "the National Park Service is preparing to resume regular operations nationwide though the schedule for individual parks may vary depending on staff size and complexity of operations. "Many parks which have been accessible throughout the lapse in appropriations remain accessible with basic services,'' he said. "Visitors should contact individual parks or visit park websites for their opening schedules and the latest information on accessibility and visitor services. Some parks which have been closed throughout the lapse in appropriations may not reopen immediately, but we will work to open all parks as quickly as possible.'' The shutdown had become a source of growing alarm for travelers and airlines. The absence rate among airport screeners peaked at 10 percent last weekend, meaning longer lines. On Friday, the absence of six air traffic control workers contributed to massive delays along the East Coast. LaGuardia Airport in New York and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey were particularly affected, and delays rippled outward from there -- about 3,000 late flights by midafternoon. The end of the shutdown should relieve those problems. That said, the Transportation Security Administration has emphasized that the large majority of passengers haven't suffered from the shutdown. The TSA said that only 3.7 percent of travelers screened Wednesday -- or about 65,000 people -- waited 15 minutes or longer. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she will discuss a date with President Donald Trump once the government is open. She did not provide any further details Friday, except to say, "I'll look forward to doing that and welcoming the president to the House of Representatives for the State of the Union.''
|
https://www.voanews.com/a/how-soon-will-the-federal-government-get-back-in-order-/4759872.html
|
Who Is Roger Stone?
|
Roger Stone, the Republican political operative indicted Friday by the grand jury investigating Russian election interference, is a longtime friend and confidante of President Donald Trump who helped pave the way for the real estate moguls unforeseen ascent to the White House. A self-described dirty trickster with a taste for loud suits and colorful language, Stone, 66, has known Trump since the late 1970s when Stone, a young veteran of Richard Nixons 1972 re-election team, was campaigning for another Republican candidate, Ronald Reagan, and courting supporters for his campaign in New York. As Stone recalled in a 2016 interview with PBS Frontline program, Trump, a brash real estate developer and a registered Republican at the time, offered to help the campaign even though he emphasized that he was a businessman, that he wasnt that political. For those who say hes not a conservative, hes not a Republican, he was there in the Reagan revolution, Stone said. In Trump orbit Stone has remained in Trumps orbit ever since, by turns serving as a lobbyist, business consultant, and political confidante. In the 1980s, Trump hired Stone, then a Washington lobbyist, to represent him in the nations capital to deal with a number of small but important issues involving the businessmans Atlantic City casinos and other properties. For his part, Stone, viewing Trump as a larger-than-life figure whos got it all charisma, wealth, standing pressed Trump to run for president. In 1988, as Reagans second term was winding down, Stone arranged for Trump to travel to New Hampshire, site of the nations first presidential primary, to address a crowd of 2,000 well-wishers. Trump liked the publicity and the notoriety but was not serious about running, Stone recalled in the interview. Trump made a more serious albeit ultimately unsuccessful run for the White House in 2000, but it wasnt until Trump declared his candidacy for president in 2015 that Stone began to see his decadeslong push to put Trump in the White House within reach. Stone joined his friends long-shot campaign early on in 2015 but left shortly thereafter for reasons that remain in dispute. The campaign said at the time that Stone had been fired, but Stone maintained that hed left on his own. Whatever the case, the parting of ways did not stop Stone from serving as loud cheerleader of Trumps presidential bid. He set up a super PAC, the Committee to Restore Americas Greatness, paying for a billboard in New Yorks Times Square depicting Trump as Superman. As the campaign shifted into high gear, Stone drew wide scrutiny after WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy activist group, released thousands of emails hacked from the Democratic National Committee and the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. Prosecutors say Russian military intelligence agents hacked the emails and then funneled them to WikiLeaks as part of Moscows effort to disrupt the election. After the first WikiLeaks email dump in July 2016, Stone insinuated in social media comments that the website was planning to release Clinton campaign chairman John Podestas emails. In an August tweet, Stone wrote, Trust me, it will soon [be] Podestas time in the barrel. #CrookedHillary. In October, WikiLeaks released thousands of emails hacked from Podestas Gmail account. Merely bluffing Peter Flaherty, chairman and chief executive officer of the conservative National Legal and Policy Center and a friend of Stone, said Stone was merely bluffing and double dealing as all political consultants do. If you want to make that a crime, the jails around Washington, D.C., would be pretty full, Flaherty said. Flaherty said Stones role in Trumps election has been exaggerated. Roger and Donald Trump have had an on-again, off-again relationship over the years, he said. Trump respected his opinion on many things but I dont think he was his closest adviser or somehow quarterbacked the presidential race. Its just not the case. Stone has long denied advance knowledge of the email release. In September 2017, he appeared before the House Intelligence Committee, testifying that he had no direct contact with WikiLeaks during the campaign, did not direct anyone to contact WikiLeaks, and that he did not discuss his conversations with an intermediary to WikiLeaks with the Trump campaign. But prosecutors say those statements were all false. Stone, they say, was in close contact with the Trump campaign as he was trying to find out when WikiLeaks was planning to publish its next batch of damaging emails and documents about the Clinton campaign. After WikiLeaks released its first batch of the Podesta emails on Oct. 7, an associate of a senior Trump campaign official sent a text message to Stone that read well done, according to the indictment. Stone was arrested by FBI agents at his home in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, early Friday after a grand jury in Washington handed down an indictment, charging him with five counts of making false statements, one count of obstruction of a legal proceeding, and one count of witness tampering. According to the indictment, not only did Stone lie to Congress about his interactions with WikiLeaks and the Trump campaign, but he also tried to prevent an associate, Randy Credico, from providing testimony to Congress that would contradict Stones version of events.
|
https://www.voanews.com/a/who-is-roger-stone/4759864.html
|
Will Triple Crown winners American Pharoah and Justify be the next super sires?
|
When the initial offspring of American Pharoah begin their racing careers as 2-year-olds later this year, the entire industry will be watching. To say that expectations are high is an understatement. The 2015 Triple Crown winner retired from racing as the first horse to accomplish this elusive feat since Affirmed swept the series in 1978. His first year at stud, American Pharoahs introductory fee was set at a reported $200,000. In 2017, 10 little American Pharoahs sired by the famed Thoroughbred were purchased at auction for as much as $1 million, with the least expensive going for $230,000. In 2018, 70 of his yearlings were also well received at auction, with seven selling for at least $1 million. Clearly the purchasers believed that American Pharoahs offspring possessed all of the desirable traits of the Triple Crown winner, but the true test comes when they take to the racetrack. 1 of 4 Expand Courtesy of Coady Photography/Churchill Downs 2 of 4 Expand Courtesy of Godolphin 3 of 4 Expand Courtesy of Coady Photography/Churchill Downs 4 of 4 Expand Courtesy of Ashford Stud Prev Next Depending on his progenys performance, American Pharoahs stud fee and demand as a sire could fluctuate wildly. Or it might not. Not unlike handicapping a horse race, a stallion can have all of the ingredients for successincluding a prominent pedigree, athletic build, winning record and a date book filled with quality matesand still not perform as expected. Winning a prestigious race like the Kentucky Derby or even capturing the Triple Crown also doesnt guarantee success at stud. High-profile stallions are syndicated into multiple shares that provide each owner with a set number of breedingsknown as seasonsper year. The partners have the option of breeding their own mares or selling one or more of their seasons to approved outsiders. Breeding time begins in mid-February (typically around Valentines Day) and extends into June, but breeders generally are not obligated to pay the fee until their foals are born the following spring. Since stud fees rise and fall in direct proportion to their offsprings performance, setting that first-year fee can be crucial to a horses immediate and subsequent popularity. Those who manage a stallions breeding career seek both quality and quantity in terms of mates, especially for the first crop. An array of racers at the track also increases the probability that a high-profile runner will call attention to his or her sire. All high-profile stallions start their breeding careers on relatively even terms, with expert caretakers in the barns and pedigree specialists in the office recruiting the finest matches. Predicting a stallions effectiveness is an educated guess based in part on the history of genetic patterns, with strong doses of luck and intuition. After American Pharoah won the Triple Crown in 2015, breaking a 37-year drought, Justify matched the accomplishment by winning the Triple Crown in 2018. He begins his breeding career this year at Ashford Stud in Versailles, which is also home to American Pharoah. A breeding to Justify in 2019 is $150,000, according to his advertised fee, a price that can change through negotiation and supply and demand. American Pharoahs current stud fee is listed as private. As a point of reference, proven sires War Front and Tapit are among the worlds most sought-after stallions. They sport fees of $250,000 and $225,000, respectively. Comparing American Pharoah and Justify (whose first foals will be born in 2020) to past Triple Crown heroes or even to historical Derby winners is largely irrelevant because of the vast changes in the Thoroughbred industrymost notably the expansion of opportunity and how many more mares sires cover these days. When Affirmed, 1973 Triple-Crown winner Secretariat and 1977 winner Seattle Slew left the track, they generally were bred to no more than 50 mares each per year. From his first year at stud in 2016, American Pharoahs mates produced 163 foals in America. Among the past 20 Kentucky Derby winners, 2007 victor Street Sense is among the priciest at $50,000, thanks to his descendants winning ways. At the opposite extreme is the curious story of 2002 winner War Emblem. Exported to Japan with high expectations, he showed virtually no interest in courtship and sired only a few foals. He returned to Kentucky in 2016 for retirement at Old Friends Equine in Georgetown after being gelded to comply with complicated import regulations. Smarty Jones, who won the 2004 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes and lost the Triple Crown by a length in the Belmont Stakes, began his stud career in Kentucky in 2005 with a $100,000 breeding fee. He is now in his birth state of Pennsylvania at $3,500. In between, his seasonal residence varied between the two states and included several months of breeding in Uruguay. Stud fees can also vary based on different marketing strategies. The 2014 Kentucky Derby and Preakness Stakes winner California Chrome, whose first youngsters were born in 2018, began his stud career with a $40,000 fee. Unlike Justify, who retired as a 3-year-old after going undefeated in six starts, California Chrome left the track as a 6-year-old with 27 starts and 16 wins and earnings of nearly $15 million. But while Justify is a son of a renowned sire with other blue bloods in his pedigree, California Chromes lineage is more blue collar than blue blood. Therefore, the promotional strategy for optimizing his stallion potential included an attractive stud fee. The first predictors of the stallion as a progenitor are the foals born nearly a year after conception. When they are 10 months old in autumn, many will go to high-end auctions where buyers determine their worth as potential racehorses. Shoppers have other opportunities over the following year when the youngsters head to yearling auctions. By this time next year, there will be a much clearer picture of American Pharoahs value, and his pricing will fluctuate in direct proportion to how his sons and daughters compete at the track. He could be the next Tapit or he could be among those with more budget friendly stud fees. Only time will tell.
|
https://smileypete.com/business/betting-on-bloodlines/
|
Does San Franciscos flag convey what our city is?
|
Were suckers for flags and statues. Think of how fraught the movement to tear down Confederate war monuments has been across the South (it may yet launch Mitch Landrieus presidential campaign), or what it will mean if Mississippians succeed in redesigning their state flag, the last state flag in the nation to include the stars and bars of the Confederate Battle Flag. The way a city represents itself graphically is important, both because of the values it communicates and because of its ability to rally disparate people under one banner. In todays rapidly transforming urban world, where existing communities often feel embattled and the constant influx of newcomers havent yet assimilated into their new homes, cities graphic representation is even more meaningful. This story played out in 2016 in Tulsa, Okla. A group of residents led by Joey Wignarajah and Jacob Johnson decided that the existing flag of Tulsa was, in a word, lousy. Design a new S.F. flag San Franciscos flag, with a phoenix to symbolize rising from the ashes of fires that swept the city in the 1850s, captured a 19th century vision of the city. Share your ideas with Chronicle readers. Email your drawing as a jpeg file to [email protected]. Read More Much like city flags across the country and like San Franciscos it consisted of the city seal dropped onto a white background, a design that is illegible because seals are not meant to be viewed from a distance and the text they contain is tiny. This group of agitators wanted a new flag that represented the citys recent renaissance. (The best takedown of the old approach to flag design is from Roman Mars, the host of the fantastic design podcast 99% Invisible. Go watch his TED talk; you never knew vexillology could be so entertaining.) With advice from then-Tulsa City Councilman Blake Ewing, Wignarajah, Johnson and their compatriots proposed a process to the full council, seeking their blessing in advance of whatever result it might lead to. First they would solicit flag designs from the community, then they would convene a panel of experts to winnow down the options, and finally theyd put the final three choices to a community-wide vote by text message, with the winner being accepted as the citys new flag. The council unanimously supported the process. But by the time the results of the vote were made public, it was already election season, that magical time of year when elected officials are loathe to alienate even a single voter. When you combine council temerity with the fact that everyone on the street thinks theyre an expert graphic designer, and that a changing flag implied possibly more fundamental community changes to come, its no surprise that a vocal minority began to loudly speak out. This was their chance to opine on something more accessible than the councils substantive and complex policy agenda items, so they took their chance. Even though a clear majority of respondents preferred one flag over the other two, the council members got spooked and took the easy path: The new flag design was rejected. The story could have ended there in a stalemate very similar to San Franciscos land-use politics, with a small, vociferous group wrangling for the reins and stalling a project with citywide benefits. But the selected flag design proved so compelling, the process so inclusive, and the prospect of a new era for the city proved so appealing that the grassroots movement rolled right through the councils red light. They didnt need formal approval. Within weeks of the councils rejection, the flag flew above breweries, appeared on T-shirts, was painted on murals, and slowly but surely became accepted by the mainstream Tulsans. It was slowly embraced by the minor league baseball and soccer teams. In the end, the councils unwillingness to endorse the flag was ironically exactly the seal of approval it needed (although council eventually approved it belatedly). Its a flag of the people, encapsulating an impressive upswing in Tulsas fortunes, such as the citys recently opened and nationally renowned Gathering Place Park on the Arkansas River. It is the largest public park ever built with private funds, with multiple playgrounds and 160 play structures. I take a few lessons from this: First, flag design has the power to reflect and shape an urban renaissance, urging residents to rethink what their city is and should be all about. Second, the mere-exposure effect, a psychological phenomenon that makes people prefer that which is most familiar, is often compounded by bureaucracies, such as city councils, who proved unable to condone radical redesigns. Theres a reason change comes from the people. Lev Kushner is a partner in the Department of Here, a San Francisco consultancy that helps government, planners and developers give definition, meaning and momentum to the urban places people care about. To comment, submit your letter to the editor at SFChronicle.com/letters.
|
https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/article/Does-San-Francisco-s-flag-convey-what-our-city-13563203.php
|
What will historians think when they look at us?
|
In 1973, when Britain joined the then EEC, it was promised to be the beginning of an exciting future. Memories of the imperial project were still fresh, but the world had changed around us. The argument was that the empire was dead but this would be the new alliance to replace it. It's certainly a period for tearing up all the rule books - there's no precedent for much of what is going on in parliament. Image: Most referendums offer a chance to go forward but 2016 offered a chance to go back Earlier this month, Theresa May suffered the greatest loss in parliament since Ramsay Macdonald lost by 166 votes in 1924. And yet, against all precedent and convention, she has not resigned. The speaker has acted independently of advice. And there seems at present to be no clear parliamentary majority for any option - whether no deal, May's deal, a second referendum or revoking Article 50 - or even something else. No one knows where we go from here, but something has to change. Most referendums offer a chance to change, to go forward, whether they are the Irish abortion referendum, Scottish independence, or even the referendum on proportional representation. The referendum in 2016 was unique in holding out the option of going back to the past, or at least a version of it. But much of the vision of the past offered was caught up in historical myth-making about Britain in the 19th and 20th century, about the greatness of the empire and the generosity of the Blitz - as well as underplaying the country's reliance on immigrant workers from the 18th century onwards. Brexit Crisis: A Divided Country The UK is not the only country in which the anti-vote has been cast in the context of an undercurrent of disillusionment and a vision that the past was better. The elections of Donald Trump in America and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil can be seen as examples of the anti-vote. When the system isn't working, anything different can seem like a solution. And the gilet jaune movement in France has grown from popular disquiet about a tax system seen as unfair to a movement with real power and influence. That the campaign harnessed many reasons for discontent - from poverty and lack of opportunity to a feeling of distance from decision making, the pain and anger of being left behind as other parts of the country gained in prosperity, the decline of industry, fear of immigrants and a dislike of the pace of modern life. It was a protest vote against all of these things. And it relied on many versions of what the past was - the empire as great, rather than a failing, oppressive project; the Blitz as a time of camaraderie. The lessons we will learn from this period: that politicians in Westminster should never underestimate the power of dreams of the past.
|
https://news.sky.com/story/what-will-historians-think-when-they-look-at-us-11617957
|
Is Fabian Edoki Nigerias new Long Jump star?
|
By Yemi Olus Sometime last year, one of my write-ups on this platform centred on Nigerias dwindling performance in the mens Long Jump and the need to regain our dominance in the event, having produced greats like Yusuf Alli, Ajayi Agbebaku and Paul Emordi in the past. I also lamented about how it had become increasingly difficult to produce Nigerian male jumpers who could attain distances of 8.00m and beyond. Edo North monarchs back Alimikhena for re-election While Nigeria has won the womens Long Jump title at the last five editions of the African Championships (Blessing Okagbare won the 2010 and 2012 editions, while Ese Brume did same in 2014, 2016 and 2018), the last time a Nigerian man made the podium in the Long Jump at the African Championships was when Stanley Gbagbeke picked a Bronze medal at Nairobi 2010. The last Nigerian man to win Gold in the Long Jump at the African Championships was Obinna Eregbu, in 1993 making it almost three decades since a Nigerian male jumper won the African Championships. This is a sad development, considering that Nigerian male jumpers dominated the African Championships in the 80s and 90s, winning seven consecutive titles in the Long Jump from 1984 to 1993. Paul Emordi won the 1984 and 1985 editions, passing the baton to Yusuf Alli who won Gold in 1988 and 1989. Ayodele Aladefa took over in 1990 and then added another title in 1992, while Eregbu claimed Gold in 1993. However, the South Africans have since taken over the mens Long Jump! Khotso Mokoena became the first South African man to win the Long Jump at the African Championships, having soared to Gold in Nairobi 2010. Senegals Ndiss Kaba Badji won the title in 2012, then the South Africans reclaimed the title in 2014 and even ensured a clean sweep of medals in the event, taking Gold (Zarck Visser), Silver (Khotso Mokoena) and Bronze (Ruswahl Samaai) respectively. Samaai went on to win the event in 2016 and 2018 respectively, winning in Asaba with a Championship Record of 8.45m. Last weekend, the performance of US-based Nigerian jumper Fabian Edoki, sparked a ray of hope within me. The Jumper is currently a Junior at the Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU), and while competing in the indoor circuit the Vanderbilt Invitational held in Nashville to be precise, he set a new Personal Best (Indoor) of 8.01m. Last year, Edoki set a PB of 8.10m (Outdoor) whilst competing at the Wes Kittley Invitational in Texas. The mark Edoki set in 2018 made him the first Nigerian male athlete to jump above 8m in almost a decade, considering that Samson Idiata, who was the last Nigerian man to jump 8.00m a feat he achieved in 2013, didnt even go above 8.00m. He recorded a jump of exactly 8.00m! Although some may consider it a bit premature, I believe that Edoki surpassing the 8.00m mark calls for some kind of celebration when we consider that the mens Long Jump at the 2017 Nigerian Championships was won with a meagre 7.54m. The 2016 edition of the championship was won with 7.54m, that of 2015 with 7.89m, while the 2014 edition was won with 7.91m yes, thats how badly the mens Long Jump has fared in recent years. Its no wonder that Yusuf Allis National Record of 8.27m set 30 years ago still stands. Incidentally, Allis mark was a Championship Record and African Record at the time. Edoki has shown a lot of promise since winning GOLD in the Triple Jump at the 2013 African Youth Championships held in Warri. His transition from the Triple Jump to the Long Jump is an interesting one, seeing that he started with the former, but is now showing more promise in the latter. He set a mark of 7.21m in 2014, and improved to 7.91m in 2016. While competing for South Plains College during his first year in the US, Edoki won Gold in the Long Jump and Silver in the Triple Jump at the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA). He currently has a PB of 16.02m in the Triple Jump. His new Indoor PB in the Long Jump currently ranks him as No.3 in the world, although it must be said that its still very early in the season, so it is expected that his mark will soon be surpassed. However, Im optimistic that he will post impressive performances when the season commences in earnest. The competition in the mens Long Jump is already heating up, and although Edoki hasnt gone professional yet and still has a long way to go, he will have a lot to contend with after graduating from university. The No.1 mark in the mens Long Jump last year was 8.68m, set by Cuban sensation Juan Miguel Echeverria who is still only 20-years old, and turns 21 in August. Edoki certainly has his work cut out for him, but his emergence may just be the beginning of a resurgence in the mens Long Jump event in Nigeria.
|
https://www.vanguardngr.com/2019/01/is-fabian-edoki-nigerias-new-long-jump-star/
|
Why market volatility is beneficial for investors?
|
Rahul Jain In the previous quarter, from October 2018 to December 2018, markets were particularly volatile. Such conditions shocked several traders and there was a phase of severe contemplation. The volatility in the market does make losses, but also generates heavy market returns. Let us understand how market volatility can be beneficial and how investors can take advantage of this situation. Maintain a perspective in case you start to re-contemplate your decisions Stay calm against the over-reaction of the market. Avoid making any changes in your current stock holdings, until the volatility passes. Remember the more you rush, the deeper you fall. Refrain yourself from timing the market, it will save you from making any losses. Opportunity to buy Instead of panicking due to the volatile structure of the market, put it to a good use. Market volatility is an opportunity to buy stocks. Making purchases at a lower price will benefit you in the near future. Compose yourself, evaluate the correct picks and make wise choices. Know the value of what you own If you are a naive investor, you are bound to fall prey for buying and selling stocks at the wrong time. If you dont know the value of what you own, you will end up letting the market and the flashy news to make decisions for you. Study and analyze each of your investments and know its real value - whether it is worth holding on to or not. This will help you to make decisions by yourself rather than getting influenced by the herd mentality. Get a portfolio checkup Volatility triggers the alarm to get a portfolio checkup. Make sure to re-evaluate your asset allocation based on your long-term goals. Reduce the number of any investment which is leaking and resulting into making losses. If you are deciding on selling a particular stock, dont rush into it right away; give it a thought for few days, there is always a chance that the markets might bounce back. Dont make hurried decisions. Stay calm and let the rough phase of the markets pass by. Take up the volatility as an opportunity and not as a threat. (The author is EVP at Edelweiss Wealth Management) Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment expert on moneycontrol.com are his own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions.
|
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/markets/why-market-volatility-is-beneficial-for-investors-3439251.html
|
Can a real estate developer jump start Vietnams car industry?
|
Over the past three decades, Vietnam has looked to boost its levels of industrialisation by developing an indigenous automotive industry. Yet so far it is home to only a handful of assembly facilities and has few supporting industries to show for its efforts. In 2002, the government set a target of increasing the localisation ratio which refers to the proportion of parts used in final assembly that are not imported for passenger cars to between 20 and 25 per cent within the next three years. By 2010, that figure should have been between 40 and 45 per cent. Yet in 2016, the average ratio for all vehicle types was just 10 per cent. Without localised production, the countrys automotive industry cannot provide the momentum for industrialisation that the government wants. Hopes for an indigenous automotive industry were rekindled recently, however, when the Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup announced plans for a locally produced car through its subsidiary VinFast. Within a year, VinFast had built a 350 hectare manufacturing complex in the northern city of Hai Phong and developed two prototypes a saloon and an SUV that debuted at the 2018 Paris Motor Show to much fanfare. The company now plans to have its first model on the market this year. Vingroup, chaired by Pham Nhat Vuong the countrys first self-made billionaire currently makes most of its revenue from real estate development. The group has also expanded into retail, health care, education and agriculture. By 2017, it had become Vietnams largest private conglomerate, with US$4 billion in revenue and US$254 million in net profit. It entered the automotive industry in 2017 and smartphone industry a year later. It also established a subsidiary to invest in technologies such as artificial intelligence and big data, with a view to transforming itself into a tech company by 2028. The group has set itself the ambitious goal of becoming a leading Southeast Asian carmaker by 2025, with the capacity to produce 500,000 vehicles a year from parts that are at least 60 per cent locally made. To achieve this, it has worked with international suppliers to set up eight factories producing parts and components in Vietnam. The company also acquired General Motors Vietnam to produce cars under licence and started developing electric scooters, which have been on the market since November. Despite its impressive debut, VinFast faces significant challenges the most serious of which is competition from international giants. Commercial success will therefore depend on whether it can produce quality cars at reasonable prices. To do so, it will need to take advantage of economies of scale, but the small domestic market is a major impediment. In 2017, the combined sales of the Vietnam Automobile Manufacturers Association totalled just 272,750 units. Expanding this market requires cars that are more affordable to the average Vietnamese consumer, so VinFast and other domestic carmakers need to lobby the government to lower taxes and fees. Underdeveloped road infrastructure is another challenge that Vietnamese carmakers face. Frequent traffic jams and a lack of parking spaces have long discouraged the countrys city dwellers from owning cars. At the same time, those who are in the market for a new vehicle are more likely to buy imported models than domestically made ones. VinFast needs to build brand recognition and invest heavily in its research and development capabilities, but the countrys lack of relevant technological and human resources will make this a challenge. Yet a number of factors are also working in the companys favour. First, there is great potential for growth in Vietnams automotive market. Currently, there are only 16 cars in Vietnam for every 1,000 residents significantly less than in Malaysia (341), Thailand (196), or even Indonesia (55). As a demographically young country of 94 million people with a rapidly expanding middle class, Vietnam could prove fruitful for VinFast and other carmakers if they can cater to the varied demands of local customers. Second, as a new player, the company can adopt advanced technologies and a forward-looking business strategy without having to deal with legacy issues. Its decisions to develop e-scooters and electric cars are cases in point. Third, the groups solid business ecosystem and customer base of about 5 million bring with them unique advantages in terms of marketing its automotive products in the domestic market. Fourth, Vingroup enjoys strong political support from the Vietnamese government. Its success in the real estate business owes much to its political connections, which will bring its VinFast subsidiary further advantages as the company aligns its commercial goals with the governments industrial policy objectives. In the past year, the companys manufacturing complex has been visited by the Vietnamese prime minister, chair of the national assembly, and communist party chief Nguyen Phu Trong. The government also provided VinFast with various preferential policy incentives, including a 50 per cent reduction on corporate income tax for its first 15 years of operation. Such incentives are expected to help it navigate any financial difficulties in its first few years of operation. Finally, nationalist sentiment could also work in VinFasts favour. Right from the beginning, it has mobilised such sentiments to connect with potential customers and win the governments support. As an example, VinFast deliberately held the groundbreaking ceremony for its new complex on September 2, 2017 Vietnams national day. Its name also appeals to patriotic pride, standing for Vietnam phong cch (style), an ton (safety), sng to (innovation), tin phong (pioneer), according to the company. Taken together, the challenges facing VinFast may seem to outweigh the positives. But it can be argued that the groups emergence remains a positive development for Vietnams automotive industry and the countrys ambitions to industrialise as a whole. If VinFast is successful, it will provide a boost to Vietnams GDP and reinvent its automotive industry. The groups transformation from a real estate developer into a hi-tech manufacturer will also symbolise Vietnams evolution from a resource- and labour-based economy into an innovation-led, industrialised one. At the same time, if Vingroup can play a key role in developing the automotive industry, it will reinforce Vietnams market-based economic reforms and put private actors at centre stage of the economy. However, if the group fails both it and the country will suffer. Given Vingroups deep roots in Vietnams economy, the large amount of debt it has accumulated and the more than 50,000 employees on its payroll, if it gets into trouble, the government will have to provide costly support. More importantly, Vietnams ambitions to develop an indigenous automotive industry and boost industrialisation will have taken a hit.
|
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/2183718/can-real-estate-developer-jump-start-vietnams-car-industry
|
Have 7 million Americans become uninsured since 2016?
|
"7 million more Americans are uninsured now than when President Trump was elected." Concern over health insurance helped Democrats take back the House of Representatives in the 2018 elections. And the issue remains a potent one for the party. In a Jan. 23 tweet, Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., sent out a image that said, "7 million more Americans are uninsured now than when President Trump was elected." The percentage of Americans without health insurance is at its highest since 2014, and 7 million more Americans are uninsured now than when President Trump was elected. We should be working to expand access to affordable #healthcare, not cut it off. pic.twitter.com/aRWCINCjm5 Sen. Maria Cantwell (@SenatorCantwell) January 23, 2019 Cantwells tweet included the source -- Gallups National Health and Well-Being Index. However, her tweet didnt mention that two widely respected federal studies show much less erosion in insurance coverage since Trump was elected in 2016. Lets take a look at the numbers. In its National Health and Well-Being Index, the survey firm Gallup publishes quarterly data on how many Americans lack health insurance. To arrive at its numbers, the firm surveys approximately 10,000 U.S. adults aged 18 and older each month. Heres a chart Gallup put together showing the historical trend for the uninsured rate in recent years: In its release of its findings for the fourth quarter of 2018, Gallup wrote, "Today's level is the highest in more than four years, and well above the low point of 10.9 percent reached in 2016. The 2.8-percentage-point increase since that low represents a net increase of about seven million adults without health insurance." That parallels what Cantwell tweeted. However, Gallups data shows the most extreme rise in the uninsured rate; other data shows relatively little change. The Census Bureaus "Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2017" showed an increase of the uninsured of 492,000 people between 2017 and 2016. Thats a rise, but its about one-fourteenth as large as the one Cantwell cited. Heres the historical trend line for the Census Bureaus study: The National Health Interview Survey, undertaken by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, actually found a decline of 300,000 uninsured Americans between 2016 and the first quarter of 2018, if you measure by "uninsured at the time of interview," which is the closest comparison to Gallups data. If you instead use "uninsured for at least part of the past year" -- a different statistic the CDCs survey collected -- there was essentially no change in the ranks of the uninsured over that period. Here are the long-term historical figures for the CDC study: Its worth noting that the various studies have some differences in methodology. "Every survey that measures health insurance coverage and the uninsured comes out with somewhat different answers," said Linda Blumberg, a health-policy specialist at the Urban Institute. "They all have different questions, different ordering of questions within the survey, different sample sizes, and different sampling frames." For instance, the CDC survey doesnt include adults over 65, whereas Gallup does. Perhaps the most important advantage for the Gallup data is that it includes the most current data of the three -- a factor that Bryan Watt, a spokesman for Cantwell, cited in an interview with PolitiFact Watt also pointed to another non-governmental survey, undertaken by the Commonwealth Fund, that shows an increase in the uninsured rate since 2016, a finding thats consistent with what Gallup found. The Commonwealth Fund survey reported that the uninsured rate for non-elderly adults was 12.7 percent in February-April 2016, 14.0 percent in March-June 2017, and 15.5 percent in February-March 2018. Still, Blumberg said there are reasons to rely on the governmental studies, particularly the one published by the CDC. "Gallup is more recent, but they also show larger changes than the NHIS in recent years," she said. The CDC study "has a higher response rate, and it has been transparent as to whether any questions or data collection methodology has changed. Given the differences in the way these surveys are measuring changes in the number of uninsured, its probably best to acknowledge that and be careful not to draw conclusions too quickly," Blumberg said. Gail Wilensky, who headed Medicare and Medicaid under President George H.W. Bush, agreed. "We will know more when the Census Bureau or the CDC put out updated estimates," she said. "In the meantime, politicians should hold their fire." Our ruling Cantwell tweeted, "7 million more Americans are uninsured now than when President Trump was elected." The tweet cites one study of health insurance coverage, the one undertaken by Gallup. However, she ignores two closely watched government studies that showed much smaller changes in uninsured Americans, and in one instance, actually found a modest reduction in the number of people without insurance. We rate the statement Half True.
|
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2019/jan/25/maria-cantwell/have-7-million-americans-become-uninsured-2016/
|
Will I make a profit on the Greencore buyback?
|
I am a small Greencore holder dating back to post Irish Sugar privatisation in December 1991. I find the current offer very confusing and much of the advice inconclusive at best. I am trying to calculate my CGT [capital gains tax] liability, if any, but cant find the original documentation. I have been referred to a company in the UK who want to charge me 200 to provide historical share prices. This seems very unfair of Greencore to its loyal small shareholders who have stuck with them through thick and thin. Mr W.G., email Im not sure who referred you to a company that is looking to charge 200 for basic information that Greencores investor relations people the people whose role it is to work with shareholders have to hand. I sure hope it wasnt Greencore. You are one of the hard core of loyal Greencore shareholders who have been there at every point on what has been, on occasion, a very bumpy ride. You invested in what was, back in 1991, a sugar manufacturing company; now it is a convenience food business essentially a giant sandwich-manufacturing company. And, almost 28 years on, it is little surprise that youd be somewhat at sea in figuring out whether the current tender offer is worth your while. To recap for new readers, Greencore, having sold off its US business unexpectedly, has decided to return 509 million (about 580 million) of the 93 million it got in that deal to shareholders. The original plan was to pay a special dividend of 72 pence a share but this was changed after some shareholders objected on the grounds that it would expose them to significant income tax bills. Now, the plan, subject to approval on Tuesday, is to buy back shares worth up to the 509 million at a price of 195p a share. If everyone takes part, this means they will have just over 36 per cent of their Greencore holding bought back by the company. If some decline, others can sell back more shares. If 509 million worth of shares is not offered by investors, the company may still issue a special dividend to all shareholders for the balance albeit much less than 72p a share. Initial public offering Well, back in 1991, the price at which you would have bought the shares in what was the first initial public offering of an Irish semi-State company was 230 Irish pence a share. If you were an employee or a beet grower, you got the shares at a 20 per cent discount 184 Irish pence. Im assuming youre not. Of course, back in 1991 and in subsequent years, you could index purchase prices to allow for inflation when calculating capital gains. This indexation was phased out by Charlie McCreevy in his term as minister for finance in 2003. He did this after halving the rate of CGT to 20 per cent from 40, though it has since crept up again to its current rate of 33 per cent. For shares bought after April 6th, 1991 (the Greencore flotation was actually on April 26th), the indexation multiple in 2003 was 1.406. On that basis, the indexed price for your 230p share purchase was 323.4p. Then, of course, we moved to euro. Allowing for that means the adjusted purchase price for your shares was 410.6 cent. For working out your profit or loss on the initial investment, that is the key figure. So far, so good. But share ownership is rarely as straightforward as that. Companies have rights issues and placings when they are looking to raise money and this dilutes your holding unless you buy up those rights. Shares can also be split, largely if the headline price makes them less attractive to prospective shareholders. In Greencores case, we have had both. and the company has helpfully given me the details of those events. Back in 1996, the company had a share split where it offered shareholders one new share for every one they owned at no cost. Effectively this doubled the absolute number of shares you held but your percentage holding in the business was unchanged. You dont tell me how many shares you bought initially in the business so, for the purposes of illustration, I will say you bought 100. You can adjust the figures to match your own particular circumstances. So, post-split, your 100 original shares are now 200. But instead of each having an adjusted purchase price of 410.6 cent, it is now half of that 205.3 cent. If you never participated in any subsequent rights issue, that is the effective purchase price of your current holding, as Greencore is now UK listed and the tender offer is in sterling, you need to convert that purchase price to sterling. The figure at the time of writing is just over 180p. So, at the 195p tender price, you would be making a profit of 15pence (17 cent) a share. In 2011, the company offered shareholders the right to buy five new shares for every six shares they already owned. The offer price was 46 cent a share, well below the 54 cent at which the shares were trading at the time. If you availed of your rights for the 200 shares in the company that you then held, you would have bought another 166 shares. The 46 cent purchase price for those shares alongside the 205.3 cent price you effectively paid per share for the original 200 shares meant the blended or average purchase price for your entire shareholding now drops to 133 cent per share. In 2016 when Greencore went to buy Peacock Foods in the US, it launched another deeply discounted rights issue. Investors were offered another nine shares for every 13 they held at that time. By this time, the company was listed in the UK and the price of the new shares was 153 pence, almost a third cheaper than the market price. Assuming you bought into that rights issue, you could have acquired a further 253 shares in the company. It would have cost you another 387.09 to buy, or at the prevailing euro rate at that time, 478.07. And at the end of that process, you would now have 619 Greencore shares. The average price per share of the entire holding at that time, in euro terms, would have been just shy of 1.56. Profit So, if you were to sell the entire holding into this buyback assuming you can because others dont choose to, you would be making a profit of about 60 pence sterling a share or just shy of 68 cent a share. However, the company has only committed to taking 36.1 per cent of your shareholding. You can seek to sell more but it depends on demand. You can, of course, sell less, or none at all; that is your choice. You also need to recall the standard rule of stack market transactions first in, first out. So, if you are selling 36 per cent of your holding, it will be those shares you bought first that are sold into the offer first. In your case, assuming you took part in all the rights issues, 36.1 per cent of your holding would be 223 shares. The first 200 would be the original 100 shares, each of which was split in two in 1996. That would yield a profit of about 15 pence sterling per share not a lot for a 28-year investment. The balance of 23 shares would come from that first rights issue. As they cost just 46 cent, the profit on a 195p (about 2.22) tender price would be significant, but it is still only 23 shares at that price. The bottom line is you will make a profit regardless ranging from 17 cent a share on your original holding to 48 cent on the 2016 rights issue and up to 1.77 on the 2011 rights issue shares. If you just sell the 223 shares, you will still hold 396 Greencore shares and the average weighted purchase price of those would be 1.37 a share. Of course, if you didnt take part in the rights issues at all, then you still have 200 shares for your original holding of 100, and you have the right to sell 72 to them into the tender. As you have a CGT exemption in any one year of 1,270, you will not have any tax bill regardless of how many shares you own or sell into the tender offer. Lot of figures there but I hope it helps. Please send your queries to Dominic Coyle, Q&A, The Irish Times, 24-28 Tara Street, Dublin 2, or email [email protected]. This column is a reader service and is not intended to replace professional advice.
|
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/personal-finance/will-i-make-a-profit-on-the-greencore-buyback-1.3768038?localLinksEnabled=false
|
Has Big Business Hijacked Veganism And Sold It Back To Us?
|
I remember the days where a jacket potato and beans was as good as it got, says Collette Gray as she peruses the groaning shelves of Waitroses vegan aisle. In 20 years of being a vegan, she has never encountered anything like this kind of choice at the supermarket from jackfruit and kidney bean chilli sauce, to porcini and spinach ravioli, beet wellington and three different types of vegan pizza. When I was first vegan, you had to source information through word of mouth or through research and leaflets out on demonstrations, she reflects. So Im delighted and really excited by seeing it all. We are in the grip of a vegan revolution: a transformation of veganism from niche lifestyle choice for those who care about animal welfare and the environment, to a mainstream movement represented through more than 80m posts on Instagram; a rainbow stream of juicy burgers and bowls bursting with colour. And business is reaping the benefit of our compulsion to share our food habit online. Veganism has exploded into a social-media fuelled wellness phenomenon and the UK is right at the centre. Adverts for vegan products jump from magazine pages and fill your timeline; everywhere there are new products to try. According to Mintel, an insights company that tracks supermarkets, more new products (by percentage) were labelled vegan in British supermarkets last year than anywhere else in the world. One in six products launched in the UK last year carried a vegan or animal products claim, it says: a figure thats doubled since 2015. The Vegan Society says there were 600,000 vegans in the UK in 2018 four times as many as in 2014. And when even Greggs, famous for its cheap sausage rolls and steak bakes, gets in on the act its vegan sausage roll was reportedly its fastest-selling launch in six years its clear that both retailers and consumers think the future might be (at least partly) meat-free. In Waitrose, Gray appreciates the choice she now has when shopping. This is quite a good shortcut to being a vegan and having a bit of a social life as well because it used to be so much more painstaking, she says. But for all that the ready-to-eat meals Waitrose has concocted sound delicious, Gray rarely buys them. She avoids heavily processed foods, she explains, because her decision to become vegan was, in part, about rejecting that way of eating. And she also finds it too pricey. [Read More: Here Are All The New Supermarket Vegan Ranges for 2019] Price is an interesting point in the growth of vegan retailing. Supermarkets are betting big on veganism and have ploughed huge amounts of cash into developing fancy, new vegan products which often come with price points to match. That can sometimes be tricky to fathom: you might presume that ingredient costs would make plant-based products cheaper than their meat-and-dairy filled equivalents. But the consumer also pays for the costs of product development, packaging and marketing. Cebas via Getty Images And there is a lot of marketing some of it for products that have always been vegan, but are now more explicit about being plant-based foods. Shreddies and Shredded Wheat, for example, added a vegan badge at the end of 2018, while Ryvita has a marketing campaign featuring Davina McCall and a bunch of enticing vegan topping ideas from coconut yoghurt and mango to smashed avocado, tomatoes and chilli flakes. Adding a new label can of course be a good thing, as it helps us to identify what were looking for. But others have reservations about what brands hope to say about their products by using a vegan label. In the vegan section of Marks & Spencers food hall I chat to Karen Hughes, 49, who is somewhat sceptical about the growth of vegan-labelled products. I think its all just to do with money, she says, pointing to products that would previously not have been labelled as vegan. Its food we already knew was vegan you dont have to just label everything. Everything is either fried or processed and theres all of those mock meats that are just full of junk, and I dont know how healthy they are. Not all meat alternatives are unhealthy there are plenty of good choices you can make. But you shouldnt think that vegan meat alternatives are automatically guilt-free products. Some meat-free bacon, sausages and burgers were found last year to contain more salt than seawater by campaigning group Action on Salt. Vegan marketing, however, often gives the impression that were somehow buying into something healthier and more ethical, even when the reality can sometimes be a bit more blurry. [Read More: Abuse From Non-Vegans Is Constant: Why Does Veganism Prompt Such Fury?] Felix Dickinson is a development consultant who has worked with food brands to create vegan menu items. Long-time vegans are already speed readers of food labels, he says, so they tend to know whats vegan and what isnt. But brands are trying to tap into the psyche of the general public, who are dabbling with veganism, flexitarianism and reductionism in the belief that doing so will be healthier for them. Dickinson points to products such as Floras Freedom Dairy Free Spread and the fact that margarine has always been dairy free. Margarine has existed forever, its hilarious they just put it in a new package, he says. Flora did not respond to requests from HuffPost UK for a comment. I respect it [as a business strategy]. And as much as people see this as a trend I dont think itll go anywhere anytime soon. The question of whether people reducing their intake of meat and dairy produce will prove a short-lived trend or is evidence of a significant change in attitudes toward health, environment and animal welfare is as yet unclear. And there is some tension around the idea of veganism as just another lifestyle choice to opt in and out of. [Read More: Bleeding Vegan Burgers And Meat Alternatives - Is This Really What Vegans Want?] Brands used to run focus groups in order to work out how they could flog their wares; now they look increasingly to social media, the great free directory of public opinions. Rachel Emms, director of Verbalisation a consultancy that has analysed the motivations of consumers recently attracted to the idea of veganism found that health was by far our number one priority, with concerns about how our everyday habits impact the environment secondary. In M&S, I chat to Susan Digweed, browsing the vegan meals. Her daughter became a vegan a year ago, has lost weight and reduced her cholesterol inspiring Susan and her partner to go meat-free two days a week too, for the health benefits. Dickinson, who became a vegan when he was 15 and was attracted to the lifestyle via the punk rock scene, is relaxed about the explosion in veganism and peoples motivations for embracing it. I applaud the rise and popularity in it as it brings completely new light to what was seen as odd to so many people. Im very happy with the idea of people adopting a plant-based diet, he says. But some vegans are less accepting of the belated interest of brands and mainstream consumers. They are concerned about what they see as a misappropriation of true veganism which is generally a lot stricter than a plant-based diet and means shunning all animal derived products, including leather, wool, and honey and find it cynical that major brands are now ploughing so much money into creating sometimes highly-processed vegan foods. [Life is] easier because products are listed as vegan so I have somewhere to start, explains Michael James-Robinson, who has adopted a strict vegan approach for 30 years, reflecting on the greater choice available. But, he notes, it can also be more difficult when products labelled as vegan rather than suitable for a vegan diet fall short of being suitable for those who take a stricter approach. UGURHAN VIA GETTY 'Veganism has become a fashionable ideology. People aren't doing it for animal or ethical reasons." The issue is complicated because the food, fashion and wellness industries have picked up the term vegan and run with it arguably changing its meaning in the process. Its one of those things thats now become a fashionable ideology, argues Karen Hughes, shopping in M&S. People arent doing it for the ethical or animal welfare reasons and I think most companies are just trying to cash in. She points to her surroundings: If you look at whats next to this aisle, its meat on both sides. Not a vegan. Its not just food brands tapping into the vegan trend retailers are launching vegan bag and shoes ranges, while consumer goods giant Unilever is moving into the vegan beauty market with a new range of shampoos, conditioners and body butters called Love Beauty And Planet. Even pineapple leather is now actually a thing. In many respects the vegan craze mirrors past trends. Some see the current boom in veganism as just another wellness trend. Except this time, it photographs better on social media which has acted as fuel to the flames. If you look back even five years ago veganism was probably considered a bit of joke, explains Edward Bergen, global food and drink analyst at Mintel. Vegans were considered ethical but marginal now, adopting a plant-based diet is seen as a really exciting lifestyle choice. Thats being led by social media, Bergen believes, both by influencers and by regular people sharing pictures of their own food choices. Consumers listen to celebrities and influencers about what they do, he notes. People take notice and they listen and thats why we have faddy trends. [Read More: Celebrities You Didnt Know Were Actually Vegan] The feeling that we share a connection with influencers and like-minded strangers on social platforms adds to the appeal of trends like veganism. Its a way of being part of a new community or tribe a way for people to define themselves online and be part of something. Dickinson was inspired to kick his meat and dairy habit by leaflets he was handed at gigs that detailed the horrors of abattoirs. Back then decent vegan food wasnt mainstream, and just as he relied on these leaflets for information about veganism, he also relied on word of mouth for new foods to check out. Now, these launches are well-publicised: think the news of Greggs sausage roll travelling swiftly through social networks and becoming so popular it sold out. Information [about new products] spreads like wildfire and if youre part of any vegan community online be it on Instagram or on Facebook, its viral instantly, he says. You can be sure people will be lining up to try these products because people are desperate to be part of the movement. For businesses, this compulsion to freely share the details of our shopping habits online is hugely useful. When a conversation reaches critical mass its now really obvious [to brands], says Rachel Emms, director of Verbalisation. People who adopt a vegan lifestyle almost feel obliged to recruit other people and whether they go fully vegan, or for half a week, theyre constantly telling you about it and encouraging others to do the same. Emms describes it as being close to an online recruitment operation each person convincing more to join through the medium of perfect instagrammed dinners. Some long-standing vegans are worried about the way in which marketers use the label vegan to imply a product or brand has all kinds of appealing qualities beyond being plant-based. There is a suspicion that by stocking vegan lines, brands are seeking a halo effect that somehow makes them seem more ethical when in other parts of their business they might be purchasing unsustainable palm oil, or creating un-recyclable packaging, for example. Thoth_Adan via Getty Images Heavily branded vegan shampoos made by companies that test on animals confuse people" There are concerns around the extent to which beauty brands mass purveyors of single-use plastics and animal-tested products, are genuinely ethical. Bringing out heavily branded and promoted vegan shampoos made by companies that test on animals confuses people into thinking theyre ok, and contradicts vegan ethics, says Amabel Darby, part of a HuffPost UK Facebook group about veganism. I think there should be clear legal guidelines over when a product can be called vegan and that incorporates cruelty-free. And, when it comes to fashion, Samantha Dover, a retail analyst at Mintel says, shoppers tend to believe vegan fabrics are more sustainable when that is not always the case. I think one of the big challenges for brands and retailers going forward is ensuring theyre not only focused on animal welfare but ensuring that on top of that these are the more environmentally friendly options as well, she says. Faux fur alternatives, for example, tend to be made out of plastic so they dont biodegrade in the same way and lots of the vegan leathers take a high level of water to make, which is damaging to the environment. Brands need to be really careful when promoting these products as they may face a bit of backlash in the end. For now though, there is no sign of the veganism boom weakening. Browsing M&Ss Plant Kitchen section, Jan Bowden, 65, is taking advantage of the wider range of options. Shes come in store looking for a vegan burger, having been impressed when she sampled M&Ss vegan sausages, vegan coleslaw and a tikka masala dish. Ive been vegan for a few years now and was veggie before that, she explains. I love that theyre bringing out this stuff for vegans, its great I already tried four of these products last week.
|
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/how-veganism-became-big-business_uk_5c3ca93ae4b01c93e00c015a
|
How much does it cost to live in Colorado?
|
Housing affordability is the number one factor when determining where to live. In 2018, the economy was strong and real estate prices went up. In 2019, many are predicting a downturn in the housing market. The team at HomeArea.com created the Cities in Colorado With The Most Affordable Homes using the most recent Census Bureau data of cities with a population of 60,000. The rankings were determined by calculating the Median Multiple, the recommended metric used by the World Bank to determine housing affordability. It is the ratio of the median house price by the median gross household income. Lower values equate to more affordable housing and anything under 3 is considered affordable. [What you need to know for the coming month: Get our Comprehensive Monthly Calendar when you subscribe to North Forty News and New SCENE Magazine.] The Colorado median multiple is 5.0 which is higher than the national median multiple of 3.6. Here is list of the top 5 cities with the most affordable homes: Pueblo, CO 3.9 Highlands Ranch, CO 4.1 Centennial, CO 4.2 Thornton, CO 4.2 Colorado Springs, CO 4.5 Here are other notable cities:
|
https://northfortynews.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-live-in-colorado/
|
Who really is Marie Kondo and how did she take over our homes?
|
Sometimes, a cultural phenomenon arrives at so apt a moment that it feels inevitable. In the case of Marie Kondo, this certainly seems to apply. As we approach the end of a decade in which buying stuff became as easy as the click of a mouse, we find ourselves overwhelmed by our possessions. Realising that - surprise! - they cant make us happy, we are seeking answers elsewhere. Which is where Kondo comes in. The diminutive Japanese 34-year-old has been leading a revolution, sharing her decluttering philosophy through the medium of her bestselling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which has shifted more than five million copies worldwide since its 2011 publication. More than 65,000...
|
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/really-marie-kondo-did-take-homes/
|
Should mums have more legal protections when they return to work?
|
Get Daily updates directly to your inbox Subscribe Thank you for subscribing See our privacy notice Could not subscribe, try again later Invalid Email Working mothers are to be given greater protection by the Government after research showed that one in nine women returning to work after having a baby are fired or made redundant. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said its research suggested that 54,000 women may lose their jobs due to pregnancy or maternity every year. It said those new mothers were either fired or made redundant when they returned to work after having a child - when current legal protections have ended - or were treated so badly they felt forced out of their job. The Government has now launched a 10-week consultation, proposing that the legal protection against redundancy for pregnant women and new mothers on maternity leave is extended, to continue for up to six months after they return to work. It will also seek views on giving the same protection to parents returning from adoption leave or shared parental leave. Mother-of-two Rebecca Roberts set up marketing and communications company Thread and Fable in 2017, so she could work and look after her children at the same time. The 36-year-old, who lives in the Westlands, said: Protecting womens working rights on the return to work after maternity leave is a positive step towards a more equal working environment for working mothers. For working parents generally, more could be done to foster a better attitude to maternity and paternity rights - akin to what were seeing in economies like Sweden. Flexible working is still grossly misunderstood and supported in the UK and, along with child care costs, often mean many women returning to work, or trying to balance work and family life are put in a difficult situation. Sadly there are many stories of women experiencing negative working environments and discrimination - often being silenced through redundancy schemes, for this very reason. Tamsin Parker is the founder of marketing and PR agency, Legs PR. The mother-of-two, from Blythe Bridge, said: Its a really good idea. I was really lucky as I worked in the public sector when I was pregnant with both of my girls and the maternity and protection I had was second to none. But I do know some mothers who work in the private sector who are worried about having a baby because of what it might mean for their jobs when they go back to work. Charlie Rosier, mother and co-founder of crche integrated workspace Cuckooz Nest, said: Its great to see the Government taking this issue seriously, however, given the quite scandalous nature of this matter, we would call on them to consider extending this term to a full 12-months and providing this protection for fathers as well. It simply isnt good enough that the careers of so many successful, professional women are effectively being discarded for no other reason than choosing to have a baby. We hope that this is the first step in a comprehensive shake-up of the maternity leave landscape in the UK and that more emphasis will be put on big businesses and the Government to work together to combat this negative trend surrounding maternity leave. Weve previously called for free child care for parents of children under five as the benefit of retaining talent during and after maternity leave far outweighs the cost of replacing it. Hopefully, more and more employers will start to wake up to this fact and offer greater support to both parents when returning to the workplace. Announcing the proposals, Prime Minister Theresa May said: People in this country already benefit from some of the most rigorous workplace standards in the world, including parental leave and pay entitlements, but we are determined to do even more as we leave the EU. Its unacceptable that too many parents still encounter difficulties when returning to work. These proposals are set to provide greater protection for new parents in the workplace, and put their minds at ease at this important time. The Government said the proposals go further than current EU requirements on maternity entitlements and parental leave. Let us know - Tweet us @SOTLive or message us on our Facebook page . And if you have pictures to share, tag us on Instagram at StokeonTrentLive.
|
https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/news/stoke-on-trent-news/one-nine-new-mums-lose-2469687
|
Is a Red Hot Chili Peppers and Post Malone collaboration at 2019 Grammys necessary?
|
The 61st Annual Grammy Awards are just around the corner and music fans can't keep calm anymore. But what fans are eagerly waiting for are the night's musical mash-ups between various bands and solo artists. And this year, in what is being billed as an "unforgettable Grammy moment", the Red Hot Chili Peppers are set to perform alongside Post Malone. The night for Post Malone is equally exciting. The rapper has been nominated for four Grammys -- record of the year, album of the year, best pop solo performance, and best rap song performance. Although, not many view this collaboration night as something of interest. In the past, the Grammys have seen collaborations on stage that have no connection with the artist from miles apart. Like Pual McCartney and Linkin Park, Foo Fighters and deadmau5 and Jonas Brothers and Stevie Wonder. Spot the odd factor in all of the above artists. Also, this is not the first time, Post Malone will be performing with a rock and roll band. Last year at the MTV VMA, Aerosmith sang "Dream on" before Post Malone and 21 Savage warmed the crowd with "Rockstar". Anyone with musical sensibilities could find out that the above two songs are so far apart from each other, genre-wise, that at one point of the video it almost felt like an Aerosmith performance. With PM and 21 Savage later joining the legends. Even Red Hot Chili Peppers are not new to such collaborations, previously they have performed with Bruno Mars for a Super Bowl Halftime performance. Apart from them, this year's Grammy's will also see performances from Miley Cyrus, Janelle Monae, Kacey Musgraves, Brandi Carlile and Cardi B. The Grammys will take place on February 10 and will be hosted by Alicia Keys.
|
https://www.ibtimes.co.in/red-hot-chili-peppers-post-malone-collaboration-2019-grammys-necessary-790743
|
Does India have enough funds for its next polio vaccination drive?
|
The Indian government may not have sufficient funds to immunise children under the age of five years with the oral polio vaccine (OPV) in the next round of vaccination. As a result, the Union health ministry has cancelled the mass polio vaccination programme indefinitely, which was earlier slated to be conducted in February, 2018, a report in the Print said. The lower domestic production of OPV coupled with a 100 percent increase in the prices of Inactivated Polio vaccine (IPV) has led to a shortage in the required polio vaccines in the country, due to which the immunisation programme has been cancelled. Except for the three states of Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and KeralInactivatea (which have he required stocks of polio vaccines), the Indian government communicated to all other states on January 18 that the next schedule of immunisaion stands cancelled. The Health ministry has issued a statement denying any shortage in the OPVs and reasoning that it is due to the more stringent testing policy of the OPVs that there is a delay in the vaccination. The ministry said that in order to ensure a safe and quality vaccination of children, the testing of bivalent oral polio vaccine has been made more strict and each batch of the vaccine will be soon sent to all the states from the National Testing laboratory for the next round of immunisation. But the official sources in the health minstry told the Print that the governmen is actually trying to procure sufficient doses of OPV in addition to IPV, which is consuming time. In fact, India has sought financial help from GAVI, which is an international organisation running on public-private partnership that supports vaccination of children across the globe. GAVI, has offered a support of $40 million to help adress the problem of IPV shortage in India for the period 2019-2021, a report GAVI's support for IPV for India mentions. It even talks about the apprehensions of re-emergence of polio virus in India due to the vaccine shortage, which may even pose bigger threat to the goal of polio eradication globally. In addition to polio vaccination, GAVI is upporting the other immunisation programmes run by the Indian health ministry as well. An official of the health ministry has said that the government has sought the help of GAVI on a 50-50 cost sharing basis, considering the cost of each IPV dose has spiralled from Rs 61 to Rs 147 in 2019 and may evem go higher. In case of OPV, the government was relying heavily on the domestic production, but it recently cancelled the manufacturer's license of one of the companies Bio-Med since their vaccines were contaminated with Type-2 polio virus. Now, only two companies, Bharat Bioech and Panacea Biotech which supplies OPV to the health ministry. The officials say that the extensive testing protocols added by the government and limited supply has also contributed to the shortage in vaccines and hence delayed the immunisation programme.
|
https://www.ibtimes.co.in/does-india-have-no-funds-its-next-polio-vaccination-drive-790745
|
Is the UN Being Undermined by a Demagogic Trump Administration?
|
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 25 2019 (IPS) - The United Nations, which embodies the core principles of multilateralism since its creation more than 74 years ago, is being steadily and systematically undermined by a reactionary and demagogic Trump administration recklessly flaunting American imperialism at its worst. The US has already scuttled the 2015 multilateral nuclear agreement with Iran, refused to participate in the global migration compact, pulled out of the 2015 Paris climate change agreement, abandoned the 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement, dismissed the relevance of the World Trade Organization (WTO), revoked the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia, and withdrew from both the Human Rights Council in Geneva and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in Paris. And thats just for startersand perhaps with more to come during the next two years of an unpredictable Trump presidency. Meanwhile, as it continues to ravage international treaties and treaty bodies, the Trump administration has also weakened the Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) of which it was never a member by threatening its judges with sanctions if they ever investigate war crimes committed either by US troops in Afghanistan or Israeli troops in Palestine. The threat against the ICC was vociferously reinforced last September by National Security Adviser John Bolton, a former US ambassador, who once infamously said that you could chop off 10 floors of the 38-storeyed UN building and it wouldnt make a difference (prompting a New York Times columnist to say Bolton would be ideally suited as an urban planner than as an American envoy). Norman Solomon, Executive Director of the Washington-based Institute for Public Accuracy, told IPS the United Nations, as it now stands, is largely at the mercy of its most powerful member states. Seventy years after adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, he pointed out, its principles are often violated by the five permanent members (P-5) of the Security Councilthe US, UK, France, China and Russia and the governments of many other countries. It is hard to see how the UN can move forward effectively to advance the ideals of the Universal Declaration in the real world without challenging the nations that dominate the world body. Selective outrage at the violations committed by countries in rival blocs does little to improve the well-being of the people of the world, said Solomon who is also Co-Founder and Coordinator of the online activist group RootsAction.org, which has 1.4 million active online members. He singled out two fundamental, interrelated problems vast economic inequality of extreme proportions and rampant militarism led by the U.S. government that threaten the survival of humanity. Over us all loom the threats of nuclear war and climate change, with those threats fueled by severe shortfalls of democracy that make possible rule by oligarchy as well as huge profiteering from arms sales and warfare. The UN member states that have cleaner hands than the permanent members of the Security Council often seem intimidated by the most powerful governments as a matter of routine, he noted Yet, our only hope involves the willingness of individuals, organizations and nations to not only speak truth to and about power, but also to build effective coalitions across international borders on behalf of human rights, democracy, environmental protection and peace, declared Solomon, and author of War Made Easy: How Presidents and Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death. Addressing delegates last December, Guterres lamented the rise of unilateralism and the decline of multilateralism. He urged world leaders to renew their commitment to a rules-based order, with the United Nations at its centre. In the face of massive existential threats to people and planet but, equally, at a time of compelling opportunities for shared prosperity there is no way forward but collective, common-sense action for the common good, he stressed. This is how we rebuild trust. Despite chaos and confusion in the world, there are winds of hope, he said, pointing out three positive developments: first, Eritreas peace initiatives with neighbouring States, second, the signing of a peace agreement between rival leaders of South Sudan and third, the summit meetings involving leaders of North Korea, the United States and South Korea. Stephen Zunes, Professor of Politics at the University of San Francisco, told IPS the Trump administrations ultra-nationalism and its rejection of international legal principles and multilateral initiatives is certainly harmful to the United Nations and the international community on a number of levels. One result is that the United States is not being taken as seriously as it used to be. That may actually be a good thing, however. While there have been a number of areas at the United Nations where the United States has wielded a positive influence, he argued, there have been quite a few others areas where Washington has undermined basic principles of international law and efforts at multilateral diplomacy. These, he said, include the 2003 invasion of Iraq, the frequent abuse of its veto power, the rejection of near-unanimous World Court decisions, attacks on various UN agencies which have documented war crimes and other misdeeds by the United States or its allies, support for the Israeli and Moroccan occupations, and more. The United States has gotten away with wielding a disproportionate amount of influence on the United Nations since its inception. With the U.S. reputation at its lowest ebb, however, it may allow some other countries to step up to take greater leadership and thereby help create a more pluralistic world order, declared Zunes. Addressing the UN General Assembly last September, Trump said that his outgoing Ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, had laid out a clear agenda for reform. But despite reported and repeated warnings, no action at all was taken. So, the United States, he said, took the only responsible course: We withdrew from the Human Rights Council, and we will not return until real reform is enacted. For similar reasons, said Trump, the US will provide no support in recognition to the International Criminal Court. As far as America is concerned, the ICC has no jurisdiction, no legitimacy, and no authority. He said the ICC claims near-universal jurisdiction over the citizens of every country, violating all principles of justice, fairness, and due process. We will never surrender Americas sovereignty to an unelected, unaccountable, global bureaucracy. America is governed by Americans. We reject the ideology of globalism, and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism, Trump insisted. He also said the US did not participate in the new Global Compact on Migration because migration should not be governed by an international body unaccountable to our own citizens. Trumps nationalistic rhetoric was preceded by drastic cuts in US funding to at least two UN agencies: the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) aiding Palestinian refugees. At a press conference announcing her decision to step down as US ambassador to the UN, Haley told reporters last October that that during her two-year tenure we cut $1.3 billion in the UNs budget. Weve made it stronger. Weve made it more efficient. At the same time, the US has slashed its contribution to UNFPA , from $69 million in 2016 to zero in 2017, and cut $300 million in funds to UNRWA. The writer can be contacted at [email protected]
|
http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/01/un-undermined-demagogic-trump-administration/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=un-undermined-demagogic-trump-administration
|
Is it too early to get the BBQ started?
|
Cooking with fire is in our genes. That is, according to Victor Arguinzoniz, owner of Asador Etxebarri, a Spanish restaurant in Atxondo, in the Basque Country, Spain. Arguinzoniz cooks everything over fire, even his desserts. Of course, the ice-cream is not grilled over flame but rather the cream is smoked to flavour the resulting dessert. If youre a fan of making ice-cream at home, this is a cool trick to try. Simply smoke the cream lightly in a small camping smoker with some oak chips. You can also use an old biscuit tin. Arguinzoniz built himself different grills in order to cook his products more effectively, from oysters to prawns to chorizo. He even uses different woods with regard to the food stuff that he is cooking. He has inspired many fire-restaurants from London to Sydney. We do a little in Aniar and Tartare with our Japanese grills, using some beautiful Irish oak charcoal. I cant say. Whatever is it, cooking over fire transfixes me. Time slows down and sounds disperse. I and the object of cooking become one and until its cooked thats all there is. Its not only meat. Fish or vegetables are also amazing over an open flame. I dont think its been too cold this year. Winter BBQs are a great thing as long as its not raining. Just make sure youve got some wood or charcoal as this will give your food that beautiful smoky flavour. Try a carrot or a leek or even a turnip. Dont restrict yourself to meat or fish. For Michael Pollan, writing in Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation (2013) cooking, particularly over fire, is what separates us from other animals. It is the foundation of so many things. Everything happened around the fire. Lets continue to stoke the flame.
|
https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/is-it-too-early-to-get-the-bbq-started-1.3761183?localLinksEnabled=false
|
Who gave Thailands ex-PM Yingluck Shinawatra a Cambodian passport?
|
The self-exiled leader, who fled Thailand in August 2017 before being sentenced to prison on what she says are politically motivated charges, used a Cambodian passport to register as the sole director of a Hong Kong company incorporated in August last year as revealed by the South China Morning Post. But Phnom Penh has denied that Yingluck holds a Cambodian passport and observers question whether there has been a royal decree conferring citizenship on her something that is required of all other foreigners. Mu Sochua, vice-president of the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party, said she did not believe Cambodian officials claims they were not aware of Yinglucks Cambodian passport. No citizenship can be issued without a royal decree, and to get a passport from any country, you need to be a citizen of that country, said Sochua, who fled her own country in 2017. Sochua demanded Cambodias strongman Prime Minister Hun Sen investigate. For Yingluck, an ex-minister of Thailand, I dont think an official at the Ministry of Interior or the Foreign Ministry would dare to [issue it] even if she wanted to buy it for a million dollars. Sochua believes Yingluck received the passport because of her ties with Hun Sen. Yinglucks brother, Thaksin Shinawatra, also a former prime minister of Thailand in self-imposed exile, used to be an adviser to the Cambodian government. The Thai junta government has collaborated with the Hun Sen regime in deporting Cambodian political asylum seekers to Cambodia. The question is: will the Thai junta ask Hun Sen to seek the deportation of Yingluck if and when she travels with the Cambodian passport? added Sochua. Sophal Ear, associate professor of diplomacy and world affairs at the Occidental College in Los Angeles, said the decision to grant Yingluck a passport must have come from the highest levels of the Cambodian government. She would never have been issued a passport based on money alone. She is, after all, the former prime minister of Thailand. You cannot have, say the former prime minister of Canada, acquire US citizenship, he said. Ear knows too well the troubles of acquiring a Cambodian passport, having gone through the process himself. He says the process for normal people involves waiting in line for hours and paying a small bribe to officials to shorten the wait. A Cambodian official said this month that the country never issued passports to foreigners, but the Khmer Times reported last year that 1,518 foreigners had been granted Cambodian nationality between 2014 and 2017. No breakdown of the foreigners country of origin was available. But observers suggest many are Chinese, as Cambodia has seen an influx of Chinese investors following the rolling out of President Xi Jinpings Belt and Road Initiative. I imagine countless Chinese investors have [a Cambodian passport]. Like anything else in Cambodia, its a commodity. Its bought and sold, just name the price on the condition of course that your politics do not conflict with the rulers, Ear said. The sudden influx of Chinese has brought about dramatic changes. Locals complain the beach town of Sihanoukville has been transformed into a Chinatown, with stores replaced by casinos and Chinese restaurants. Noan Sereiboth, a member of youth forum Politikoffee in Cambodia, said the influx had been accompanied by gambling, gangsters, money laundering, drugs, and social issues. The price of hotels in [Sihanoukville] is so expensive. Local people do not want to visit, he said. Some people said it is like Macau. A Cambodian passport also allows investors to do something a foreign passport holder cannot own land. American Reid Kirchenbauer, founder of real estate private equity fund Khmer Ventures, said one way to qualify for Cambodian citizenship was to live in the country for seven years and be fluent in Khmer. Otherwise, citizenship could be granted in return for an investment in the country of about US$300,000. A Cambodian passport is one of the worlds least valuable. But it does allow visa-free travel to anywhere in Southeast Asia, including normally difficult places like Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar. Its also one way to directly own land in Cambodia, said Kirchenbaue, from the United States. Kirchenbaue said Phnom Penh was one of the few capital cities in the world where centrally located property cost under US$1,000 per square metre, while rental yields above 8 per cent were common. While that may be appealing to foreigners seeking to invest, the side effects of this are less appealing for locals. From my experience, the locals in Sihanoukville indeed arent happy about the [influx of] Chinese, said Kirchenbaue.
|
https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/geopolitics/article/2183703/who-gave-thailands-ex-pm-yingluck-shinawatra-cambodian
|
Why Karan kills Anushka in Ae Dil..?
|
Web Desk: Karan Johar is a precious asset of Bollywood movies, he has had many blockbusters to his name. His movie Ae Dil Hai Mushkil was as big but it ended up receiving flak for its somewhat problematic storyline. The film starrer Ranbir Kapoor and Anushka Sharma. In a recent Interview with Huffington Post, the filmmaker was asked whether he would like to change any of his film, if given the chance. Responding to which, Johar said he would have changed something about all of them except his last directorial Ae Dil Hai Mushkil. I have a problem with all my films except Ae Dil Hai Mushkil because thats a film I wanted to make even while knowing that the last act may get a polarised response, he commented. Its a film I wanted to make because its personal and was cathartic for me. Ranbir (Kapoor) played me. I wanted to deal with the injury caused by a heartbreak. He added, I have issues with Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham, Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna, Student of the Year, My Name is Khanall of them but about Ae Dil, I wouldnt change a thing. The director said, I felt like Sharmas character Alizeh, who doesnt reciprocate Ayans feelings, didnt love him and so, she had to die. I wrote this character who loved Alizeh so crazily. So she got cancer and she died, the director went on. Well, she got punished, I wrote it, Johar said. See, a film-maker is like God. You write, you create and you destroy. Johar also felt Ranbir as Ayaan was justified in sending Alizeh on a guilt-trip the entire film. To me, he was just a puppy in love and its not like Alizeh didnt love him. She just didnt love him in the way that he wanted her to love him, he explained. About the physical aggression (a scene in the film), I apologize. That is not something I had thought of earlier and I should have.
|
http://www.aaj.tv/2019/01/why-karan-kills-anushka-in-ae-dil/
|
What are the laws around use of drones in the UK?
|
Drones can be bought for less than 20 on the high street. But they can also pose serious hazards to aircraft. A strike by a drone could break an aircrafts windscreen or cause serious damage if sucked into jet engines, propellers or helicopter rotor blades, Government officials have warned. Graphic showing the rise in near misses between drones and aircraft There have not yet been any collisions between drones and aircraft in the UK, although at least seven such incidents have been logged worldwide. One Leeds trader who stocks drones says it is vital that they must be used correctly, safely and legally. Andrew Briggs, of The Model Shop, in Crossgates, Leeds, said sales of drones had dropped dramatically over the last year. He said: A couple of years ago we were selling hundreds of drones. Now they seem to be unpopular after the initial craze and we dont sell many at all. People are buying boats and aeroplanes. Leeds Bradford Airport view from above Drones must always be used correctly and safely according to laws. Dont forget they can produce great pictures and provide valuable footage for the emergency services when dealing with crowds or at an incident, for example. Read More: Jet2's new Boeing has arrived at Leeds Bradford Airport from Seattle Laws around the use of drones are becoming increasingly tight, as the devices gain in popularity and near-misses with aircraft become more frequent. Anyone flying a small drone must always have direct visual contact with it. Breaking this law could lead to a fine of 2,500. Drone On July 30, 2018, it also became against the law to fly a drone above 400ft (120m) or within 1km of an airport or airfield boundary. Anyone caught doing so also faces a 2,500 fine. From November 30, 2019, all owners of drones weighing 250g or more will also have to register with the Civil Aviation Authority and drone pilots will have to take an online safety test. Failure to comply could see people fined 1,000. General aviation rules also apply to drone pilots. Flying drones in a manner which is likely to endanger an aircraft could result in a five year prison sentence, as could causing an aircraft to endanger people or property. And intentionally using a drone to commit an act of violence at an international airport could mean life imprisonment. In January 2019, the Government announced it would be bringing forward a draft Drones Bill which could give the police powers to issue on-the-spot fines for minor drone offences. The Government also plans to widen the restrictions around airports to about 5km. Read More: Dramatic footage shows pilot battle strong crosswinds at Yorkshire airport Of course, laws could be ineffective against those who seek to cause deliberate disruption - or even danger - to flights. So the Home Office has said it is also pushing forward with the testing and evaluation of technology to detect and combat the malicious and illegal use of drones to protect airports and other sensitive national infrastructure. Analysis of UK Airprox Board reports also reveals: Nearly three-quarters of near-misses between drones and aircraft happened in controlled airspace, such as around airports. The highest reported sighting of a drone by a pilot was at 15,500ft, nearly 40 times the legal maximum. It came within 100ft of an Airbus 321 which had left from Doncaster Sheffield Airport on June 3, 2018. While many near-misses happen around the busy airspace of London and the South East, reports have now been logged in every region of the UK. July is the most common month for near-misses and Sunday the most common day, perhaps a reflection of the number of hobbyists flying drones on warm summer weekends. Additional reporting by Alison Bellamy
|
https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/what-are-the-laws-around-use-of-drones-in-the-uk-1-9558769
|
Did VA mislead vets on emergency care?
|
Veterans who flooded the Department of Veterans Affairs with reimbursement claims for private sector emergency care, in the wake of their appeals court victory in the Staab case, have been getting misinformation from VA that likely discourages them from appealing wrongly denied claims or from supplying VA with follow-up documents to complete their claims. Thats the contention of a new lawsuit filed Jan. 1 by attorneys led by the non-profit National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), which is trying to force VA to heed the Staab decision and reimburse tens of thousands of veterans for non-VA emergency care that their own health insurance covered only in part. As reported here in November, an initial lawsuit filed by NVLSP, which still pends, alleges VA wrongdoing on another issue related to Staab claimants. It contends that VA wrote an implementing regulation for Staablast year in a way that still denies thousands of veterans non-VA emergency care reimbursements, and save VA billions of dollars, on precisely the type claim the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims ruled that Congress has wanted VA to pay since 2010. The new lawsuit charges that letters sent the past year to thousands of veterans, denying a Staab-related claim or seeking more information to reach a claim decision, have contained an incorrect statement of law, language that contradicts what the appeals court concluded in Staab. Its beyond my comprehension how they could do such a clearly lawless act, said Barton F. Stichman, NVLSPs executive director and the lead attorney in both lawsuits. The NVLSP has petitioned a three-judge panel on the appeals court to consider arguments and grant relief simultaneously on the two lawsuits because the classes of veterans impacted by the unlawful regulation and the inaccurate VA mailings -- are nearly identical. Government attorneys are challenging that joint class petition and asking the appeals court for more time to prepare their response brief to the first lawsuit, which is due by Feb. 4. Until then the governments arguments are not known. VA for decades has reimbursed for outside emergency care for VA-enrolled veterans only if they have no other health insurance. VA interpreted the law on non-VA emergency care as requiring it to deny claims for outside emergency care if a veteran had alternative health insurance -- through an employer or their spouses employer or even with Medicare to cover part of the cost. Because this left many thousands of veterans every year with large out-of-pocket costs, Congress modified the statute nine years ago.VA, however, wrote implementing regulations in 2012 that continued to direct claim processors to deny reimbursement if veterans had insurance to cover part of their emergency costs. Three years ago, in Staab, the appeals court ruled that VA was ignoring the plain meaning of the 2010 law change which was intended to bring financial relief to veterans stuck with out-of-pocket costs for private sector emergency care. VA pondered an appeal of Staabto the U.S. Supreme Court but given that the appeals court ruled unanimously and that the legislative history was clear, a reversal seemed unlikely. In 2017, then-VA Secretary David Shulkin conceded as much and assured Congress that VA would rewrite regulations to comply with Staabeven though, he noted, it would expose VA to billions of dollars in additional medical costs, both on claims re-filed by veterans and in payment of future claims. VA released a new interim regulation last January and veterans seeking reimbursement for Staab-related claims began to see again they routinely were denied. The NVLSP investigated and determined the regulations, which became final in March, still prohibited reimbursement for the bulk of out-of-pocket emergency medical expenses veterans paid if they had alternative health insurance plans. The 2010 law stated that veterans with other insurance are responsible for copayments and similar payments. The revised regulation, however, took that phrase and expanded it with devasting effect to copayments, deductibles, coinsurance and similar payments. The practical effect is veterans with insurance remain responsible for almost every emergency cost their insurance wont cover. Stichman called the maneuver outrageous, adding, That cant be what Congress intended. The phrase co-payment and similar payments means fixed and modest charges, he said. VA changed that meaning to ensure veterans, and not VA, still got stuck with almost every cost their insurance plan wont cover. The plaintiff in that initial lawsuit is Coast Guard veteran Amanda Jane Wolfe who needed an emergency appendectomy but the nearest VA hospital was a three-hour drive. Because of the way VA wrote its 2018 regulation, Wolfe had to pay got nearly $2600 in medical costs that her own health insurance didnt cover. Her lawsuit seeks to represent thousands of other veterans too who have seen Staab-related claims denied since the revised regulation took effect. The plaintiff in the second lawsuit is disabled Navy veteranPeter Boerschinger, 79, who suffered pneumonia and congestive heart failure last April. The closest VA hospital had closed its emergency room and directed patients to seek outside care. Because Boerschinger had other health insurance, VA refused to pay $1340 in charges that his own insurance also wouldnt cover. The VA letter denying his claim, which was identical to letters sent to thousands of veterans with Staab-related claims over the last year, left Boerschinger confused as to whether it was worthwhile to appeal. The letter misled him by listing among criteria that must be met to qualify for reimbursement that the veteran have no coverage under a health plan contract. Though the Staabruling had directed VA no longer to use alternative insurance as a reason to turn people down, Stichman said, it continues to share that incorrect statement of lawwhenever they send veterans a letter about their claim. This practice creates a disincentive for veterans to obtain third-party health insurance [and] runs directly counter to the Staabcase ruling. The lawsuits, now combined, urges the appeals court to regard both Wolfe and Boerschinger as representing classes of similarly-situated individuals. All those represented by Wolfe have been or will be harmed by an unlawful regulation. All those Boerschinger represents have been or will be harmed by correspondence with the incorrect statement that a criterion for reimbursement of non-VA emergency costs is no coverage under a health plan contract. The lawsuit urges the court to declare the 2018 regulation invalid to the extent it forbids the VA from reimbursing veterans for coinsurance and deductible payments incurred while visiting non-VA hospitals for emergency treatment. Also, is asks the court to invalidate all decisions in the past year denying reimbursement of medical expenses deemed to be part of the veterans deductible or coinsurance, or denying expenses because the veteran was covered under a health contract. The lawsuit further asks that the court to order the VA secretary to re-adjudicate all of these reimbursement claims, this time using a proper interpretation of the 2010 law as the court first required with its Staab decision. To comment, write Military Update, P.O. Box 23111, Centreville, VA, 20120 or email [email protected]. Read or Share this story: https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/opinion/readers/2019/01/25/tom-philpott-did-va-mislead-vets-emergency-care/2681270002/
|
https://www.kitsapsun.com/story/opinion/readers/2019/01/25/tom-philpott-did-va-mislead-vets-emergency-care/2681270002/
|
Should Insurance Cover Deaths Caused By Air Pollution?
|
You bet, it should. It is the secret cause of the death of 7 million people every year, says the World Health Organization. As per the WHO, in 2016 air pollution was responsible for an estimated 4.2 million premature deaths worldwide in both cities and rural areas. They also found that it was responsible for nearly 58 percent of outdoor air pollution-related premature deaths were due to ischemic heart disease and strokes, while 18% of deaths were due to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and acute lower respiratory infections respectively, and 6% of deaths were due to lung cancer. Air pollution has now emerged as a major environmental risk factor for health. "The health effects of air pollution are serious - one-third of deaths from stroke, lung cancer, and heart disease are due to air pollution. This is having an equivalent effect to that of smoking tobacco, and much higher than, say, the effects of eating too much salt" (WHO).. More than 90% of these deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries.And it's just not outdoor air pollution; household (indoor) air pollution also causes 4 million deaths annually.Pollutants with the strongest evidence for public health concern include particulate matter (PM), ozone (O3), nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).Air pollution has been identified as a trigger of acute cardiovascular events (myocardial infarction and stroke). A recent study presented at Heart Rhythm 2018, the Heart Rhythm Society's 39th Annual Scientific Sessions, which evaluated 112,700 women in the ongoing Nurses Health Study showed that. This association was significant on cold days - at low temperatures below 13C.In a report published by the ICMR in The Lancet Planetary Health in December 2017, ICMR clearly stated thatThis report was considered devoid of merit by the Environment ministry.But, prior to the ICMR report, in 2015, the health ministry had released a report saying thatThe environment ministry maintains that since no death certificates have pollution listed as the reason of death, there is no correlation between air quality and deaths due to the same.However, these statistics only serve to emphasize that perhaps the time has come to declare pollution as one of the causes of all sudden deaths, particularly when the pollution levels in the city are high.Source: Eurekalert
|
https://www.medindia.net/news/should-insurance-cover-deaths-caused-by-air-pollution-185400-1.htm
|
Why was Katrina Kaif missing from Salman Khan starrer Bharat teaser?
|
bollywood Interestingly, even though Bharat teaser shows Salman Khan, it does not reveal his lead pair Katrina Kaif at all. Netizens wondered why! Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan The makers of Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif starrer Bharat dropped the first teaser of the film on January 25. The one-minute and twenty-six-second teaser showed Salman Khan in different avatars. But soon, netizens pointed out that leading lady Katrina Kaif was missing from it. If reports are to be believed, it is suggested that the team hopes to keep Kaif's look under wraps until the film inches closer to its release later this year. It is suggested that unveiling her look in the teaser could have revealed the film's plot, to a certain extent. According to reports, the 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' actor will be seen sporting five different looks in the film spanning 60 years, including a crucial part which will showcase the actor in his late 20s, looking much leaner and younger. The film is Salman Khan's third collaboration with director Ali Abbas Zafar after the 2016's Sultan and 2017's Tiger Zinda Hai. Previously Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif were seen together in the films 'Ek Tha Tiger' and 'Tiger Zinda Hai.' Team Bharat is currently shooting the last schedule in Filmcity, Mumbai. The film is an official adaptation of a 2014 South Korean film Ode To My Father. Including stellar performers like Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Disha Patani, Tabu, Sunil Grover, Jackie Shroff, Nora Fatehi, the Ali Abbas Zafar directorial is produced by Atul Agnihotri's Reel Life Production Pvt. Ltd and Bhushan Kumar's T-Series releasing Eid 2019. Also Read: Watch video: Look who's batting! Katrina Kaif aiming for WC Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
|
https://www.mid-day.com/articles/why-was-katrina-kaif-missing-from-salman-khan-starrer-bharat-teaser/20303164
|
How do wildlife survive the harsh realities of winter?
|
Animals like mink have learned to adapt to the cold winters of Ohio. (Photo by Mike Mainhart) Share this Facebook Google+ Linkedin Twitter More Akron, Ohio The ongoing cold and snows should not impact wildlife survival, though any prolonged crusting likely will make survival more challenging for many creatures. For fish, the answer is they almost certainly can take some pretty brutal conditions. Any key to when such difficulties arise for wildlife depends upon the duration and thickness of crusting over snow cover, says biologists with the Ohio Division of Wildlife. Well see what happens, said Geoff Westerfield, wildlife biologist with the agencys District Three (Northeast Ohio) office in Akron. If the crust stays for only a few days there shouldnt be any issues. But, if it lingers longer, then some problems could develop. And a lot depends also on how thick is the crust, Westerfield says. And it also depends upon the wildlife species. Some critters such as quail, pheasants, and other ground-dependent birds can find winter life more difficult than birds that roost and feed in trees, such as most songbirds and ruffed grouse, said Westerfield. Turkeys can be one of those species where a crust could cause problems, too, Westerfield said. Of prime interest to many sportsmen is how white-tailed deer fare in winter, particularly if a heavy crust digs in for the long haul. Here, however, deer are adapted enough to cut through some crust to get to food sources or actually use it as a surface when it is strong enough to hold their weight. If so, the deer can still reach buds and the twigs of bushes, shrubs, and trees, Westerfield says. If the crust is thick enough to support the weight of a person, it is certainly strong enough to support the weight of a deer, he said. Importantly, the depth of the snow underneath the crust is likewise a factor, though that is seldom a serious problem. Even in extreme northeast Ohio, Westerfield says. For generalists like raccoons, possums, and skunks, a crusted snow is no more difficult to cope with than soft snow. Meanwhile, though squirrels may have their ground-stored food stuffs buried under a vault of crusted snow, many squirrels will cache their nuts in tree cavities, Westerfield says. As for feeding songbirds during tough winters, that issue is a two-edged sword: Feeders provide a ready meal for the little birds but make them a more accessible target for predators, Westerfield says. Hawks have to eat, too, and they see the feeders as a potential easy meal ticket, he said. The thing is, if there were no feeders, the birds will still have to struggle to find food sources anyway. At least an unusually mild November and December combined with a record hard mast crop meant that wildlife were in good physical condition going into this spate of weather nastiness, Westerfield says. Its stuff your bellies full now because you dont know whats coming down the road, he said. Fish are almost certainly well adapted to the harsh realities of winter, even during periods of thaws that cause streams to overflow their banks with uprooted trees and rafts of thick ice barreling down the current, said Curt Wagner, Westerfields fisheries biologist counterpart. In streams, fish swim to the margins, go into the deepest holes or get behind a big rock or a bridge piling, Wagner said. Other fish, such as steelhead, that are in a streams lower reaches, might even go back out into a larger river or a lake to escape the velocity and associated current pummeling. And small creek fish species like darters simply rely on their natural adaptation to survive, Wagner said. Asked if fish get bonked and die from uprooted trees and large ice flows, Wagner said it probably happens, but I dont believe its very common. Fish just try to keep their heads down, he said.
|
https://www.outdoornews.com/2019/01/25/how-do-wildlife-survive-the-harsh-realities-of-winter/
|
Can Higuain Break Chelsea's Number '9' Curse?
|
With looming doubts over a potential Champions League finish and evident troubles in front of goal, Roman Abramovich's Chelsea, yet again, have turned to the transfer market. The Blues have secured the services of the 31-year-old Gonzalo Higuain from Juventus. The Argentine striker, who reportedly snubbed Chelsea to join AC Milan in the summer, has now moved to Stamford Bridge from parent club Juventus for the remainder of the season. Chelsea will pay him a weekly wage of 270,000 and have an option to extend the loan till June 2020.The likes of Fernando Torres, at his peak, banging in 65 goals in 102 matches for Liverpool, failed to break the curse. The Spaniard notched up just 20 goals in 110 appearances for the Blues, and who can forget THAT miss against Manchester United in the league. But he wasn't the only one, as a matter of fact, Chelsea's number nines have managed to score just 36 Premier League goals in the last 15 years.However, 'El Pipita' holds the edge having already worked with Sarri at Napoli, where he went on to equal the Serie A record for most goals in a season, netting 36 goals in 35 matches in the 2015/16 campaign. Chelsea will turn to him as they look to solve their problems in front of the goal this season. If we take a closer look at Chelsea's stats this season, the problem seems evident. They rank second for key passes (289) in the Premier League this season, yet their return of 40 goals is the worst in the top six. They've missed 37 clear-cut chances, which is the third highest in the league this season and their 10.8% conversion rate remains the 10th highest in the league. Morata's misfiring performances and the lack of an agile replacement has left Chelsea searching for answers, deploying star-man Eden Hazard in the 'False 9' position. The Belgian started off very well but has started to wear out in the role as the season has progressed. The lack of an attacking focal point has been Chelsea's biggest problem. Olivier Giroud has looked Chelsea's best striker, helping Hazard play off him. But he too has been weak in front of goal, displaying a conversion rate of 11.4% since the 2017/18 season. Clearly, Sarri's Chelsea are in dire need of a strong striker, who can hold up play, distribute forward balls to wingers and most importantly, finish. "He is a very strong striker, especially in my first season at Naples. He did very, very well. For sure, he is one of the best strikers in my career." said Sarri upon the Argentine's arrival. Higuain added, "It's a team I've always liked that has a lot of history, a wonderful stadium and they play in the Premier League, a league I've always wanted to play in. I now hope I can give back that trust Chelsea have shown me out on the pitch. I can't wait to start and I hope to adapt as soon as possible." A striker who holds one of the best resumes in European football, having played at Real Madrid, Napoli, Juventus and AC Milan; Higuain arrives with a wealth of experience at the highest level having consistently shown his attacking quality and winning numerous titles in both Spain and Italy. But looking at his recent goal-scoring record, one may presume that he's past his best. His tally of 22 goals in the last 50 appearances wouldn't impress many Chelsea fans. His conversion rate over the last 18 months has also been poor at 13.9%.However, Higuain has shown that he can thrive in Sarri's system and Chelsea fans will hope the Argentine picks up where he left off with his mentor at Napoli. The cursed number '9' too shouldn't worry Higuain having represented the biggest clubs in football throughout his career. The prospect of him linking up Hazard on the left flank is surely exciting news for Chelsea and their supporters but the 31-year-old knows he's on a tight rope as the Blues have shown their impatience with players and managers in the past. Sarri too will be hoping for Higuain to start firing almost immediately as Chelsea vie with Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester United for two potential Champions League spots this season. *Rental / capacity fee of Rs.130/- as charged by cable / DTH operator may apply. **GST extra.
|
https://www.news18.com/news/sports/can-higuain-break-chelseas-number-9-curse-2013931.html
|
Is Bernie Sanders the Dems great white hope?
|
Bernie Sanders reportedly will enter the presidential race very soon. When he does, I believe he will be the first white, heterosexual male contending for the Democratic nomination. (At any rate, I cant think of another). Beto ORourke might join the race. That would make two. But ORourke, though a phenom, lacks Sanders nationwide following. So even with Beto in the race, Sanders would be the leading white male contender unless Joe Biden jumps in. In a party obsessed with identity politics, it might. Its tempting to assume that Democratic identity politics runs just one way against white males. If youre a female candidate and/or a candidate of color, your race/gender/identity works in your favor. If youre a white male heterosexual your race/gender/sexual preference is not an asset, even if youre the only white male heterosexual in a crowded field. But that, apparently, is not how Sanders views the situation. Sanders says that real progressives should build their movement based on ideology and policy, not diversity for diversitys sake. Sanders went on to criticize his potential Democratic opponents for obsessing over diversity: There are people who are very big into diversity but whose views end up being not particularly sympathetic to working people, whether theyre white or black or Latino. . . Many of my opponents. . .think that all that we need is people who are candidates who are black or white, who are black or Latino or woman or gay, regardless of what they stand for, that the end result is diversity. This is old-line socialist doctrine, according to which the working class is a single entity that evil capitalists seek to divide any way they can. Its also good politics. But if Sanders were a Republican, the disparagement would be considered a dog whistle to white voters who resent the Democrats obsession with identity politics. Thats probably a goodly portion of white male Democrats, though not of white male Democrat activists. If Sanders becomes the choice of most white male Democrats and a chunk of white females fed up with racial politics, hell have an advantage over candidates like Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand, and Cory Booker, who will likely divide the rest of the Democratic vote. Sanders lost to Hillary Clinton in 2016 in part because his appeal didnt extend beyond white voters. But in the crowded 2020 field, it might not need to.
|
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2019/01/is-bernie-sanders-the-dems-great-white-hope.php
|
What was the Queen really trying to tell us about Brexit?
|
The Queen arrives at West Newton Village Hall, where she made her appeal over Brexit Picture: Sonya Duncan Archant 2019 Sandringham Womens Institute has never found itself at the forefront of political debate in all the years since it was first formed by Queen Mary. Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. But as we lurch towards the biggest challenge our country has faced - wars aside - for a century, the Queen gave the ladies who meet in West Newton Village Hall her candid view on how we should move forward as they met to celebrate its centenary. The monarch, who is honorary president of the branch, traditionally gives a talk looking back over the past year. But her words do not normally stray into the realm of politics and are not usually made public. This time, a verbatim transcript was released shortly after she climbed into her Range Rover for the short drive home. Reflecting on a century of change, it is clear that the qualities of the WI endure, she said. The continued emphasis on patience, friendship, a strong community-focus, and considering the needs of others, are as important today as they were when the group was founded all those years ago. Of course, every generation faces fresh challenges and opportunities. 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. To me, these approaches are timeless, and I commend them to everyone. In her Christmas address the Queen touched on the same theme, telling the nation: 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 towards greater understanding. Reading between the lines: Things have been getting pretty toxic of late. Even ones government are falling out with each other. And one cant help noticing the clocks ticking and theres two months to go. So its about time we started listening to each other, ditched a few red lines and came up with a compromise so things dont go pear-shaped on March 29.
|
https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/queen-speaks-on-brexit-at-sandringham-wi-1-5866279
|
Will the red tape really be easier managed in future?
|
People who voted for Brexit did so for a number of reasons. High on their list was a sense that the European Commission is a bureaucratic institution that fails to listen to member state governments. For many the CAP, with its cross compliance, market intervention and greening regulations, is the very embodiment of those concerns. Many who voted remain do not wholly disagree with those views, but decided the alternative was no more impressive. It will take a lot of time for us to know which argument was right. Given the political morass the Brexit has become it is doubtful if either side will get what they voted for in June 2016. We are on course for a far from perfect outcome either way, mainly because after 45 plus years of EU membership the clean break leave supporters promised cannot be delivered for all sorts of practical reasons. It really is akin to the Hotel California, where you can check out but never leave. One of the dangers is that a few years down the road we realise that the red tape we wanted to escape is just as bad, or even worse, than when it was coming from Brussels. There is an inevitability about this, based on cold, harsh logic. Ask people here or elsewhere in the UK about EU regulations and they criticise officials for making rules in agriculture a lot worse than in other member states. Ireland and France are generally cited as examples. Those officials who gold-plated EU regulations are the same people that will implement a new support regime in the UK, so we really could end up worse rather than better off. The other problem is that the support model the government is considering is by definition regulation-heavy. It wants support based around payment for the delivery of public goods. This refers mainly to environmental objectives a form of A level greening for want of a better term. Since delivery has to be measured that has to mean red tape. That is another reason why farmers might end up looking back to the days of EU cross compliance as easier times. As proof, just look at the regulations that surround agri-environment schemes here compared, for example, to similar schemes south of the border or even in England. Officials here have a mindset built around regulation. We are in danger of the only difference after Brexit being that they will have to shoulder the blame for red tape rather than blaming Brussels. If that happens many who voted leave will feel betrayed over the promises made in 2016, while those who voted remain will say told you so. It is easy to write off the European Commission as a bureaucracy that produces little more than red tape and knows little about the real world. There is some truth in that view, but in agriculture our views are coloured by the effectiveness of the farm commissioner. Phil Hogan understands agriculture, as would be expected of an Irish commissioner. His legacy will include legislation to tackle unfair trade practices along the food supply chain. However the Commission deserves credit for its handling of the hangover from the 2015/2016 dairy crisis, in the shape of a peak of over 380,000 tonnes of skimmed milk powder in intervention stores. This is now down to 22,000 tonnes and crucially this was achieved without slashing prices and undermining dairy markets. That is quite an achievement. Market management is not an easy task, but Brussels deserves credit for how it went about managing these stocks. Based on their performance in other areas, not least over the Brexit negotiation where Commission officials have danced rings around them, I am not convinced UK officials, would ever display the same commercial skills. Two years of rejecting low tenders took a lot of nerve. The difference lies in how key officials are appointed in Brussels. Each commissioner builds his own cabinet or team of advisers. They are there to meet specific objectives. In the UK ministers only bring political advisers with them, and they are committed to politics rather than practicalities. As a result decisions are taken by people with no experience of the commercial world, having mostly joined the civil service straight from university. If that system sets policy after Brexit, we might well end up with good cause to look with some envy at how policy is decided and implemented in Brussels.
|
https://www.farminglife.com/farming-news/will-the-red-tape-really-be-easier-managed-in-future-1-8785653
|
Why Roger Stone sports Nixon tattoo?
|
Roger Stone, an American political consultant, author, lobbyist and strategist was arrested on Friday for lying to Congress about his work for Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign. Stone sports a tattoo of his political hero Richard Nixon between his shoulder blades. Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States from 1969 until 1974. Stone quit university to enlist in the reelection effort for Nixon. Earlier, he had volunteered for Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater when he was only 12. Roger Stone also appeared in a 2017 documentary "Get Me Roger Stone," released in 2017. Roger Stones victory sign outside the court instantly became subject of discussion in the US shortly after his arrest. As he came out of the federal courthouse in Flordia, Stone raised his arms wide and flashed two V-shaped hand signs to the crowd of journalists and protesters who had gathered for him. According to Washington Post, these signs had comparisons to Nixons gesture as he departed the White House for the final time as president. On Aug. 9, 1974, after the Watergate scandal had forced him to resign. The Post said Roger Stones has never missed an opportunity to give these v-shaped signs. The reason Im a Nixonite is because of his indestructibility and resilience. He never quit. His whole career was all built around his personal resentment of litism. ... We had a non-litist message. We were the party of the workingman! The Washington Post quoted Roger Stones having once told the New Yorker.
|
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/423807-why-roger-stone-sports-nixon-tattoo
|
Is Meghan Markle returning to 'Suits'?
|
Fans are eagerly awaiting the news of their favourite 'Suits' star Meghan Markle returning to the series final and ninth season. According to several reports the Duchess of Sussex was rumoured to star in the last season of the famed USA network series. In a recent interview with Deadline, Suits creator Aaron Korsh has cleared the air regarding the Duchess's appearance. "As of this minute I don't know which of our old original cast will be back and which won't because we're so early in the season," he said. "I can tell you that those things in the papers, I have no idea what they're talking about." Suits that started airing in 2011 is now airing its eighth season. The show's final season will have 10 episodes. On the show, Meghan played the character of advocate Rachel Zane, before tying the knot with Prince Harry. Meghan's character had married longtime beau Mike (Patrick J. Adams) in the seventh season prior to her exit from the show. The couple had jetted off to Seattle to start over a new life. Korsh said there was no truth to British tabloid reports he's made a massive donation to lure the duchess back. "I have not arranged for millions of dollars to be donated to anything on behalf of anyone so that I can tell you, but as far as the original people coming back including Jessica (Pearson played by Gina Torres, who will be in the spinoff, "Pearson") we're so early in the season that we haven't formulated what we want to do, so we can't reach out to people before we know what we want to do," he said.
|
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/423811-is-meghan-markle-returning-to-suits
|
How soon will the US federal government get back in order?
|
It is unclear at this time. The White House tweeted that it will be "in the coming days". Some 800,000 workers were given leave or required to work without pay. They will receive back pay. While the Trump administration is promising to pay federal workers as soon as possible, a senior official said agencies are in charge of their own payroll issues and workers should check with their departments for details about when the back pay will arrive. Under the Government Employee Fair Treatment Act that President Donald Trump signed into law on January 16, workers are to get their back pay "as soon as possible after the lapse in appropriations ends, regardless of scheduled pay dates". That means they should not have to wait for their next payday to get those back wages. The Office of Management and Budget instructed agencies on Friday night to ensure they had adequate staff on hand to support payroll processes and to answer employees' benefit questions as they return to work. The Smithsonian tweeted that all of its museums and the National Zoo will reopen on Tuesday January 29 at their regularly scheduled times. READ MORE: US shutdown suspended without Trump getting wall money Many remained open during the government shutdown, but at reduced staffing levels. Theresa Pierno, president and chief executive of the National Parks Conservation Association, said some parks suffered "terrible damage" during the shutdown. One of the first jobs for park workers will be to assess that damage. "The damage done to our parks will be felt for weeks, months or even years," she said. P Daniel Smith, deputy director of the National Park Service, said "the National Park Service is preparing to resume regular operations nationwide though the schedule for individual parks may vary depending on staff size and complexity of operations". "Many parks which have been accessible throughout the lapse in appropriations remain accessible with basic services," he said. "Visitors should contact individual parks or visit park websites for their opening schedules and the latest information on accessibility and visitor services. Some parks which have been closed throughout the lapse in appropriations may not reopen immediately, but we will work to open all parks as quickly as possible." The shutdown had become a source of growing alarm for travellers and airlines. The absence rate among airport screeners peaked at 10% last weekend, meaning longer queues. On Friday, the absence of six air traffic control workers contributed to massive delays along the East Coast. LaGuardia Airport in New York and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey were particularly affected, and delays rippled outward from there - about 3,000 late flights by mid-afternoon. The end of the shutdown should relieve those problems. However, the Transportation Security Administration has emphasised that the large majority of passengers have not suffered from the shutdown. The TSA said that only 3.7% of travellers screened on Wednesday - about 65,000 people - waited 15 minutes or longer. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she will discuss a date with Mr Trump once the government is open. She did not give any further details on Friday, except to say "I'll look forward to doing that and welcoming the president to the House of Representatives for the State of the Union".
|
https://www.breakingnews.ie/world/how-soon-will-the-us-federal-government-get-back-in-order-900262.html
|
Is Brad Pitt heartbroken after learning about Neri Oxman's pregnancy?
|
Brad Pitt was recently rumoured to have been in an intimate relationship with Charlize Theron. Before that, he was rumoured to have been dating a professor from MIT Media Lab named Neri Oxman. As per an alleged recent report, Brad Pitt is reportedly heartbroken after learning that Neri Oxman is now happily married and is expecting a child. Brad Pitt was briefly linked with MIT Lab Media professor Neri Oxman. There were several alleged reports that suggested that Pitt was reportedly spending some time with Oxman. In the past, Oxman described Pitt as "the last of the Mohicans in post-Netflix Hollywood." However, Oxman herself denied all the allegations and revealed that she is in a serious relationship with William Ackman. It was earlier reported by Us Weekly that Neri Oxman married a hedge fund manager Ackman and the couple announced the good news in the Vows section of The New York Times on January 20. The couple tied the knots a day earlier in New York City, and their first baby is due in spring. Ackman revealed to the newspaper that Neri always wanted to be a mother and learning that they are pregnant is like a gift to them. As per the latest report by RadarOnline, after learning the truth of Neri Oxman's relationship status, all of Pitt's hopes shattered after a billionaire married her. An alleged source contended that Brad Pitt refuses to give up and had been "calling her." Ever since Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt announced in 2016 that they have decided to end their decade-long affair, fans have been keeping a track of whom they are dating next. As of now, both Angelina and Brad are reportedly single and have not been in any relationship since their official separation. However, both of their names have been constantly linked with other A-list stars. As of now, Brad Pitt's reps have not confirmed the claims that the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood movie star is heartbroken over the news of Neri Oxman expecting a child with her second husband. There's a huge possibility that these claims are nothing but some made-up reports about the private life of the Academy Award-winning actor.
|
https://www.ibtimes.co.in/brad-pitt-heartbroken-after-learning-about-neri-oxmans-pregnancy-790752
|
Why doesnt the Open File dialog show tagged folders?
|
Thanks to Carlos for a simple question: he uses tags a lot to distinguish folders and files for different projects. When using a tag view in the Open File and Save File dialogs, their behaviour is different. When saving a file, tagged folders are shown in the dialog, but in many apps they arent when trying to open a file. My answer is that I think that this is correct behaviour, and stems from the different semantics of the two dialogs. Theyre asking quite different questions. When youre saving a file for the first time, macOS wants two pieces of information: the name of the file into which it will write that document, and its location. It asks for those in two separate parts of the Save File dialog, with the name in a text box at the top, and most of the rest of the dialog devoted to a navigational function. When you select one of the tag options in the sidebar, macOS needs to show you folders with the selected tag, so that you can select one of those in which you might save the document. It also lists existing documents with the same tag, as you might wish to overwrite one of them, base your new documents file name on one, or save it alongside. When you want to open a document, macOS only needs one piece of information: the document that you want to open. It will then work out its path and other information from that. So the Open File dialog is purely navigational. When you select one of the tag options in the sidebar, macOS shows you not locations but documents with the selected tag, for you to choose from. It filters those documents according to the types which that app can open too. Use the Open File dialog from an app which can open folders as documents I take xattred here as an example and tagged folders are included in the list of items which it can open. Because they are still folders, if you really want to you can use them to navigate to their contents, but that is a side-effect of the semantics. One way of seeing this a bit more clearly is to look at the dialog as a dialogue between macOS and the user. In the Save File dialog, it starts something like macOS: tell me the name and location of file user: show me folders and documents I've tagged in purple, to help me choose both but in Open File runs more like macOS: tell me which document you want to open user: show me all suitable documents which I've tagged in purple . Carlos also noticed that some apps do offer tagged folders in their Open File dialogs. There are two explanations for this: Like xattred, the app may be able to open folders as documents, either directly or as a way of generating contents for an in-app document browser. Standard behaviour comes when apps use AppKit, as most Apple apps do. Those that dont may create their own versions of these dialogs, which could behave quite differently. Because of this behaviour, if you use tags to distinguish your different projects, you should not only apply them to the project folders, but to the files within them, so that you can select those tags in the sidebar when using both the Open File and Save File dialogs. Oddly, the Finder doesnt provide a built-in Quick Action to tag all enclosed items within a Folder, which would have been very helpful. Im just now looking to see if I can fill that gap, perhaps.
|
https://eclecticlight.co/2019/01/26/why-doesnt-the-open-file-dialog-show-tagged-folders/
|
Is the world ready for the digital transformation?
|
Davos, Switzerland | AFP | The annual business rendezvous in Davos is a hothouse of insider tech jargon, but this years buzzword of digital transformation could translate into profound and painful changes for companies and workers. Whether through robots, automation or artificial intelligence, the impact of the transformation is heaping pressure on governments, with employees worried about their livelihoods and futures. All these technical and non-technical companies have a very big responsibility, Jean-Philippe Courtois, head of global sales at Microsoft, told AFP in an interview. The spoils of the digital economy must be redistributed to a larger mass of people, he said. This means a responsibility, for example, in education. Tech companies such as Microsoft, Amazon Web Services, Google and IBM are raking in the profits of building that transformation as client firms shed staff in favour of automation and digitising data. In a survey, corporate consultancy McKinsey found that just eight percent of companies believed their current business model would survive if their industry keeps digitising at current rates. Companies underestimate the increasing momentum of digitisation, the behavioural changes and technology driving it, and, perhaps most of all, the scale of the disruption bearing down on them, said the report in McKinsey Quarterly. The examples of digital upheaval in the past few years have proliferated, perhaps especially in Europe, where corporate giants from Ford to Dutch bank ING have slashed payrolls. Financial services were primarily designed to serve people who were employed at a nine-to-five job by a single employer, oftentimes for their entire careers, said Bill Ready, chief operating officer at PayPal. But changes in the way money is earned must be accompanied by changes in the way money is paid and managed, he added, and that requires digital change. Supermarket of the future Microsoft itself has already transitioned after its former cash cow, the Windows operating system, lost market share, turning instead to offering remote services in the computing cloud. At a pop-up cafe on the Davos Promenade, Microsoft employees showed interactive videos, calling them stories, illustrating the small revolutions it says its artificial intelligence can deliver. One featured the supermarket of the future, including digital shelves that can show ads and change prices using a network of sensors. In one scene, a dropped carton of milk is automatically signalled to a clean-up crew. Companies can buy this technology off the shelf, but you also need to build your own digital core (and) as a result of that, you are going to become a digital company, Courtois said. But in the urgent hunt to modernise, companies have to be super clear about where you want to go. Data remains at the core of this technology. It can now be collected and treated in innovative and for some frightening ways, including facial recognition. But where some see a brave new world, others see chaos or disruption, with scenes of violence by taxi drivers against Uber, or city governments clamping down on Airbnb, worried for their hotel industry. Too late zone This fourth industrial revolution, another Davos catchphrase, is moving faster than anyone expected, said World Economic Forum expert Murat Sonmez. Businesses and governments are falling behind in responding to this pace, continuously operating in the too late zone, he said. Governments say they are now ready to take on big tech, especially after the massive Facebook scandal that saw private data harvested for political gain by Cambridge Analytica. In an address to the Davos forum on Wednesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said multilateral bodies such as the World Trade Organisation should gain oversight of cross-border data flows. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan said his country would push for better oversight of data during its chairmanship of the G20 this year. The European Union has led the way to impose greater limits on how companies can use data, with strict privacy rules known as the General Data Protection Regulation. Microsofts Courtois said that he fully backed GDPR and stressed that rules on technology should go even further. There is a crucial human element and we must discuss this with regulators to ensure that together we build a democratic, accessible and fair intelligence built for society, he said.
|
https://www.independent.co.ug/is-the-world-ready-for-the-digital-transformation/
|
Which Mutual Funds have exposure to Essel Group's companies?
|
A news report stating that Essel Group's name may figure in a probe linked to demonetisation-led deposits of Rs 3,000 crore, led to a free fall of the shares of its group of companies on January 25. A media report from The Wire stated that The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) is currently probing a company called Nityank Infrapower (formerly Dreamline Manpower), for deposits of over Rs 3,000 crore made just after demonetisation the currency culling exercise carried out by the Modi government from November to December 2016. An examination of publicly-available documents showed that Nityank Infrapower and a group of shell firms carried out financial transactions that involved a few firms associated with Subhash Chandras Essel Group between 2015 and 2017, the report said. The company, however, told investors in a conference call it has nothing to do with the news reported by the Wire and that it has initiated legal action against The Wire Media Group. As many as 10 mutual fund houses have investments in Zee Entertainment Enterprises and Dish TV, while four mutual funds have exposure to Essel Propack. In Zee Entertainment Enterprises, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund held 1.9 percent of the companys equity capital as of December 2018, while that of Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund held 0.56 percent of Dish TVs equity capital. Mahindra Mutual Fund was the only fund house to have exposure to Zee Media Corporation (0.21 percent) as of September quarter, while Tata Mutual Fund had invested 0.17 percent in Zee Learn as on July to September 2017. Shares of all Essel Group companies were hit after the release of the media report. Zee Entertainment Enterprises shares plunged 33 percent intraday to hit the 44-month low of Rs 288.95. Just a few days ago, the company reported exceptionally good results for the December 2018 quarter, beating estimates with a profit growth of 50.5 percent from a year ago, while EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax depreciation and amortisation) margins were at 34.8 percent. Other Essel Group stocks also took a hit. Caught under selling pressure, Essel Propack went down by 16 percent, Zee Media Corporation fell by 9 percent, and Dish TV by 33 percent. The five listed companies of the group saw their combined market capitalisation erode by nearly Rs 14,000 crore on January 25. The promoter Group held a 41.6 percent stake in Zee as of December 2018, of which 59.37 percent was pledged. Most of the shares were pledged at a price of over Rs 500, so it is possible the party holding the pledged shares sold some shares. Fund managers did comment on stock specific news, but most of the said they will wait and watch the stock before taking any decision. Hours after a fall in shares of Essel Group on January 25, the companys Chairman Subhash Chandra in an open letter apologised to his bankers, NBFCs and mutual funds for not living up to their expectations despite the best of my intentions. He said the IL&FS debacle had diminished the promoters' ability to service their borrowings. Chandra blamed certain negative forces for attacking the share price and sabotaging Zee Entertainments strategic sale process. He stressed that all their operating companies were performing well and the strategic sale process was still on. Download moneycontrol transact app to get personalised investment recommendations.
|
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/which-mutual-funds-have-exposure-to-essel-groups-companies-3439461.html
|
Why Did The Critic Fail to Become a Hit Show?
|
Oh, my shrink was right, God does hate me! Jay Sherman When it premiered Jan. 24, 1994, The Critic had everything going for it. Written by Simpsons showrunners Al Jean and Mike Reiss, with future Superbad writer-director Judd Apatow in the writers room, it had a voice cast that included SNL star Jon Lovitz, Simpsons alum Nancy Cartwright, and voice-acting legends Maurice LeMarche and Tress MacNeille. Hell, the theme music was composed by Hans Zimmer. Cut short after two seasons, everything that made The Critic so unique and wonderful ultimately ended up working against it. The New York humor of Seinfeld was just starting to catch on, but The Critic was such a love letter to Manhattan that jokes about a show called English for Cab Drivers and Mario Cuomo running the NYC Marathon may not have landed outside of the tri-state area. Jay was a snob who mocked the movies that most of the audience liked Jurassic Park, Home Alone hell, if you made The Merchant of Venice starring Keanu Reeves right now, it would be the top movie at the box office for weeks. Jay Sherman himself was also hard for a large audience to latch on to. The Simpsons had a character for the whole family. But it was hard for kids who, at that point, were still the primary consumers of animation or women to find a character to identify with. Jay was full of sarcasm and self-loathing, and a balding, middle-aged failure wasnt exactly a character viewers wanted to identify with. And yet, a handful of us did. We cared about Jay because the world seemed so against him all the time. His boss was insane, his makeup lady was dismissive, his best friend was far more successful, handsome, and taller. As a kid, I laughed along with Jays misfortune. As an adult with a tough job and a Twitter account full of writers with bigger book advances and more success, I feel his misery deep in my gut. The addition of Alice Tompkins in season two was a welcome change of pace, giving female viewers someone to connect with, as well as creating a sweet romantic tension for Jay, who up until this point was the subject of ridicule. These were both people who had been hurt Alices country singer husband, Cyrus, cheated on her so much that he wrote an entire album devoted to his unfaithfulness but both refused to let the world break them. But it wasnt enough, and in May 1995, the show was cancelled. It would be re-run in syndication periodically, and a short-lived and poorly received webseries ran in 2001. And yet, Sherman endures. A few weeks ago I pitched What was your favorite line from The Critic? to my Twitter followers, and the replies were delightful. No two people picked the same line some went for the classics (Full of country goodness and green pea-ness. Thats terrible. I quit. And Its a Duketastrophe.) while others went for the obscure, among them, Take that, Guernica and Im the friggin building engineer. Peter Pancakes over here has damaged the school roof unfixably! The people who loved this show still love this show. Perhaps one of the most clever things about The Critic was that it was clearly grounded in reality. It was never afraid to be a little strange. No one ever really questioned ex-governor Franklin Shermans curious behavior he didnt ask to be named Secretary of Balloon Doggies; after all, the Balloon Doggies demanded it or why the pilot was, in fact, a penguin with a drinking problem. The show set up its jokes so effortlessly that it isnt until Alice acknowledges that its a little strange that not one, but two men in the room keep hot-buttered biscuits in their pants that you realize, along with Jay, Oh, you were talking to him! (Him being Duke Phillips, who started Phillips Broadcasting from a humble chicken and waffles franchise, yet always remembers his roots, right down to the singing hillbilly bears.) Of course, like so much comedy from the 90s, there are some cringey points. Theres a lot of uncomfortable fat-shaming and homophobia/transphobia that just wouldnt and shouldnt be acceptable to modern audiences. But its funny to watch so many of the movie parodies become real, such as Home Alone 5, where 23-year-old Kevin is left, surprise, home alone when Macaulay Culkin, now 38, did almost the exact same thing in December, recreating his iconic scenes for Amazon Alexa. And although we never got Jeremy Hawk as a colorblind detective with a dog partner in Rubiks Cube (although Hollywood agency CAA did acquire the rights to the toy in 2010), we have The Lego Movie (and its billion spin-offs), Battleship, and the forthcoming Ridley Scott-helmed Monopoly to tide us over. I am still holding out hope for The Nightmare Before Hanukkah. I spent a lot of time in New York visiting my grandmother during the years The Critic ran, and it is in so many ways like home movies, a testimony to the Manhattan that is long gone not just the Twin Towers in the opening credits, but the last remnants of jokes about the filth of Times Square, Ed Koch, Cats on Broadway, even a Trump Tower joke. The old Jewish-neighborhood Upper West Side of my youth is vanishing, and the closest anyone has come to capturing Jay Shermans NYC is John Mulaney and Nick Krolls Oh Hello! On Broadway, alternating jokes about Shake Shack with a genuine affection for the olive bar at Fairway on 72nd and Broadway. And last summer, Mike Reiss was in Cooperstown, where I work as the Managing Editor of the Hometown Oneonta/Freemans Journal newspaper, speaking at the Baseball Hall of Fame on the 25th anniversary of Homer at the Bat. After the panel discussion, I nervously approached him and made Mayor Jeff Katz introduce me. As he shook my hand, I told him how much I loved The Critic, how so much of it remains in my lexicon, and how I once ate an entire bowl of broccoli because my mom told me it was the only way she would let me watch it, and his face lit up. I dont hear that too often, he said. Maybe he needs to hear it more.
|
https://consequenceofsound.net/2019/01/the-critic-25th-anniversary/
|
Why Has Montreal Become a Hub for Chinese Filmmakers?
|
In Canadas second largest city, Montreal, a group of talented, passionate Chinese independent filmmakers have dedicated the past ten years to their filmmaking dreams. Theyve grown to become a unique component in the Canadian film scene. The group includes Yung Chang, Lixin Fan, Tao Gu, Xiaodan He, Aonan Yang and several more. Backed by two Montreal studios, Eyesteel Film and GreenGround Productions, the young filmmakers works showcase Chinese-related subjects which have won many Canadian and international awards. In an effort to understand what makes it is about Montreal that has inspired, motivating and encouraging to these Chinese filmmakers, I have followed their development for several years and recently interviewed four of them to learn more about the reasons behind their success. Chinese filmmakers break through It was ten years ago that I first met Yung Chang at a local theatre where his 2008 debut film was showing. At the time he was a tall, bright, always smiling young man in his mid-20s. His documentary film, Up the Yangtze, was in full swing at the Cinema du Parc. a movie theatre well-known in the city for hosting film festivals featuring foreign, and experimental films and works by new filmmakers in addition to mainstream feature films. The film focuses on two Chinese teenagers whose lives have been completely changed by the construction of the famous Three Gorges Dam, China. Changs film went on to win the title of best documentary at the Golden Horse Awards in Taiwan, and best long documentary at the Genie Awards in 2009, now known as the Canadian Screen Awards. That same year another Montreal- based filmmaker, Lixin Fan released his documentary The Last Train Home. This film went on to win a number of awards including the news and documentary Emmy for the best documentary film and outstanding business and economic reporting. Two years later it won a Canadian Genie Award for best documentary in 2011. In the film, Lixin Fan spent several years tracking the life of a migrant worker family in China. As have vast numbers of other typical migrant workers in China, the husband Changhua Zhang and his wife Suqin Chen left their rural hometown to work far away at a garment factory in Guangzhou, one of the manufacturing centres in China. In doing so, they had no choice but to leave their two young children in the care of childrens elderly grandparents. Once a year, during the Chinese New Year, the couple join the 130 million other migrant workers on the long journey home. This constitutes the biggest human migration in the world. The film continues to follow the couple in the weeklong journey as they travel across China to their distant home where they can spend only a few days with their children before having to make the long return journey back to the Guangzhou factory. At home, however, the film shows their teenaged daughter, Qin Zhang, who barely knows her parents. As she grew up, the daughter seldom saw her parents, and feels she barely knows them. Because of this she feels she was abandoned by them and harbours a strong feeling of isolation and resentment towards them. This simmering resentment explodes into a huge family conflict in front of the camera. The Last Train Home takes a close look at the hardships and sacrifices of these millions of Chinese workers, who are the real force behind the Made in China label. (The last Train Home trailer, via eyesteelfilm.com) Changs second effort in 2012 was called China Heavyweight, and was another audience success. In this film Chinese boxing master Moxiang Qi returns to the arena one last time. At the same time the film highlights the dreams and desperation of Qis apprentices, who, without exception, come from very poor backgrounds and hope to change their fates via success in the boxing ring. It won Chang his second Golden Horse Award, and had a theatrical release in over two hundred mainland China cinemas. These three documentaries, which are authentic and realistic, have revealed the lives of people in the background of Chinas modernization. Lixin Fan once told me that mainland Chinese society was in a period of rapid transition and there were tons of worthy stories to be told. Its no coincidence that all three of these films are produced by Montreal independent production company, Eyesteel Film, which supported the two young directors, and was able to propel them onto the much bigger world stage. Eyesteel Film was founded in Montreal twenty years ago by Daniel Cross, a director himself, who has played a prominent role supporting and promoting independent filmmakers for decades. Blossoming of Greenground It was also ten years ago that a new film production house was set up in Montreal. Aonan Yang, from Concordia Universitys film faculty and two classmates holding similar creative views, Andreas Mendritzki and Nguyen-Anh Nguye, founded GreenGround Productions and then later, the post-production company, CineGround Media. The firms struggled for several years until last year when they finally experienced a major breakthrough. At the 2018 Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM), one of the premier Canadian documentary film festivals, GreenGround films swept the podium with three films winning in three categories: The best Canadian film: Taming the Horse, directed by Tao Gu The best short Canada film: In the Wave directed by Jacquelyn Mills The jury award: Prima directed by Laura Bari. Tao Gus Taming the Horse also earned the Montgolfiere Award in France at the 2017 Nantes Three Continents Festival thereby joining film masters Hou Hsiao-hsien and Jia Zhangke, who were previous winners of this prestigious award. Tao Gu describes how difficult it was to complete the film, which took him and the production company five years. Taming the Horse follows a young man, Dong Dong, who, in the wave of the immigration inside China, migrated with his family from the wild prairie in Hailaer, Inner Mongolia to Kunming, a populated city in Southwest China. In the highly materialistic and commercial city, Dong Dong is a misfit, who is too sensitive and rebellious to follow social conventions. He has many dreams but has little chance to achieve any of them. As a result, he loses his way. Another success for GreenGround came in 2018 with the release of A Touch of Spring, the debut film of director Xiaodan He. It garnered critical acclaim from both reviewers and audiences, and she won the award for best new director at the New York Asian-American International Film Festival (AAIFF) that year. It has also been named as one of the best 20 Asian films in America. A Touch of Spring deals with another type of journey in that addition to travel, its a trip towards healing. After her marriage falls apart in a bleak Montreal winter, a young Montreal woman, Li Fang, embarks on a trip back to her hometown of Dazu in Sichuan, China. There she reunites with her estranged family hoping to find peace. Its a detailed, touching, and realistic story. (A Touch of Spring trailer, Greenground Productions) Interviews with some key figures Key figure: Aonan Yang: co-founder of GreenGround Productions Aonan Yang immigrated to Canada from China with his family as a teen-ager and entered high-school. He later went on to Montreals Concordia Universty earning a Bachelors degree in film studies. Still later in partnership with two classmates, they founded GreenGround and subsequently a service company CineGround Media. In the past two years, GreenGround Production has released two feature films and three documentaries, including Taming the Horse and A Touch of Spring. Its amazing that in the film industry, when you feel been knocked down and in the moment of hopelessness, it could be the most promising and rewarding moment as well. Aonan Yang talks about Taming the Horse Key Figure: Yung Chang Yung Chang also graduated from the film studies programme at Concordia University. After the films Up the Yangtze and China Heavyweight, he released Fruit Hunter in 2013. He currently resides in Toronto with his wife and young daughter. Yung was not a Montreal native, but he said he nonetheless gets a feeling of nostalgia for the city, and misses it very much. I would say that there are more opportunities now where we can support voices that are different. They are not typical voices like Canadian filmmakers or Quebec filmmakers. Now we look beyond. Our audiences are interested in hearing stories from beyond our Canadian backyard. And I think our backyard is much richer now because we are from different backgrounds. ~ Yung Chang I think what was so special about being in Montreal making those two films is that there is a feeling of being apart from the mainstream, feeling of being in a small community of filmmakers, and being supported by this small community circle, particularly with my producers at Eyesteel film. I felt like I had the freedom to speak the story I wanted to speak, to tell the story I wanted to tell without being influenced by commercial or outside forces. It was a feeling of purity. ~Yung Chang Key Figure: Xiaodan He Xiaodan He is a graduate of the Beijing Film Academy but has lived in Montreal for 16 years. Her short film Cairo Calling about the life of immigrants was screened in over 50 festivals around the world winning two audience awards. A Touch of Spring, her feature film debut, won her the best new director at the AAIFF. You know how much you love film. Without this unconditional love, you wouldve given up already. Most independent filmmakers dont have much money, including me. And I did different kinds of jobs to support myself in order to continue my dreams. ~ Xiaodan He In the interview, she shares her own experience of being an independent Chinese filmmaker in Montreal, especially her persistence and dreams. Key Figure: Tao Gu Tao Gu came to Canada as an immigrant and graduated from the film department of Concordia University. His work includes the award-winning short film The Way to the Sea (2010) and the long documentary Taming the Horse (2017). The whole process is like digging an often dark tunnel. We have no experience, just a few like-minded friends, doing things out of the passion for movies So you can imagine, how enormous the pressure I had faced. ~ Tao Gu Dream of filmmaking goes on Many people dream of making movies, but very few are able to achieve the goal. First, governments provide a positive macro-environment All the filmmakers I interviewed agree that both provincial and federal governments provide a very supportive environment for independent film makers in Quebec. Major federal funding is provided by Telefilm Canada and the National Film Board (NFB). Filmmakers in Quebec can also apply for grants from the Quebec Culture and Arts Council (CALQ) and the Quebec Cultural Development Association (SODEC). Without these funding agencies, Canadian independent film making would hardly exist. Even the two film studios, Eyesteel and GreenGround, benefit from the help of government funding for business and the arts. Second, like-minded creators & micro-environment During the interviews, I realized that this group of Chinese filmmakers are very close to each other personally and professionally. They share the same dreams and they help and support each other to achieve their goals. Lixin Fan was the photographer of Yung Changs Up the Yangtze and one of the producers of Changs China Heavyweight. Xiaodan He said she was lucky to have Tao Gu as the editor of A Touch of Spring. Tao Gu told me the reason Aonan Yang decided to set up Greenground Productions was in order to produce Taming the Horse and they have continued this collaboration since then. Tao Gu expressed his deep appreciation to his cinematographer and one of the producers Xun Yu, who convinced his father to invest two hundred thousand Chinese Yuan to start the project. (Taming the Horse trailer, Greenground Productions) When talking about Montreal, Chang became emotional saying he is almost nostalgic about the city even though he is not a Montreal native. He misses his starting days with Eyesteel, which made him feel warm and supported in the pure joy of filmmaking. Aonan Yang agrees that it is very important to work with like-minded collaborators, which he called the microenvironment, versus the macro environment which the governments provide. Every filmmaker has suffered setbacks at some points, Yang continues, so we take a break, we get up, and we look around and feel lucky to have all those friends who share the same ideas, and we feel refreshed and energized again. Third, the Strong Art Film Scene in Montreal Hollywoods success is based on the commercial model, big productions, big stars, and big box office returns. However, experimental and avant-garde films are the ones that preserve the innovation and vitality of film as an art form. Montreal is deeply influenced by European art films, especially French ones, and the backdrop of European art cinema definitely has an effect on filmmakers in the city. In fact, Quebec, Canadas mostly French-speaking province, where Montreal is located, is vital to the art film genre of the entire country, and not only for Chinese filmmakers. Internationally renowned film directors such as Denys Arcand, Xavier Dolan and Denis Villeneuve are all from Quebec. Fourth, Canadian multiculturalism There used to be an unwritten rule in Hollywood that no movie goer wanted to watch films with subtitles. Therefore, the non-English film market was very limited. But recently, even HBO had a popular TV series with subtitles (My Brilliant Friend, in Italian). Xiaodan He said in the interview that when Canada Telefilm decided to fund A Touch of Spring, they told her that it was the first time in history that they granted funding to a film that was not in one of Canadas two official languages, English and French. One of the executives explained that the most important reason for agreeing to fund the film was that they all loved the script and that they believed that Chinese culture has become a part of the Canadian cultural mosaic that enriches the countrys multiculturalism. In Yung Changs opinion, there are more opportunities now and more support for different voices from many cultures other than just the usual voices like Canadian or Quebecois filmmakers. Now we look beyond, he says, and immigrant filmmakers bring something very different into Canadian films. Regardless of the current political atmosphere around the world, the acceptance and integration with other cultures and arts is steadily growing. Finally, the dedicated filmmakers It normally takes years to make an independent film, and filmmakers experience countless obstacles in both financing and producing. Tao Gu told me that he almost lost his life while filming Taming the Horse as he had a major surgery during the production. Yes, film has its magical charm, which continuously attracts young filmmakers from one generation to the next. You have to be talented, passionate about films; you have to persist, tolerate all the loneliness and rejections, and keep believing in yourself but even with those qualities you still very much need some luck and then maybe, only maybe, you may have a chance to continue pursuing your dreams on the big screen. Ten years later after his start, Yung Chang became a father, and moved to Toronto with his wife and infant daughter to be closer to his family. He is currently completing two documentaries, one about a journalist and the other about a wrestler. He is very excited about starting to shoot his first feature film Eggplant next year, which will also be produced by Eyesteel Film. He has spent years rewriting the script, which was one of the 12 projects entered into the Sundance Screenwriters lab in January 2015. Yung will only reveal that it is about youth and love and that it is set in both China and Canada. Lixin Fan left Montreal and returned to China after The Last Train Home. In recent years, he has directed I am Here (2014) and Earth An Amazing Day (2017). Tao Gu is also in China and working on his first feature film. Xiaodan He is finishing a documentary My Father and His Melancholy, which is about her father, a prominent scholar of Dongba (or Tomba), an ethnic culture in Southwest China. At the same time, her second script of a feature film has already received grants from various government art funding. GreenGround Production and its post-production company have begun working with some famous filmmakers in Quebec like Denis Cote. Meanwhile, Aonan Yang is preparing for a new feature film. Its a genre film, maybe a thriller, he said mysteriously. As for Eyesteel Film, it continues to produce documentaries focusing on different cultures and social issues. (All photos and film trailers were provided by the filmmakers, except for those credited to others.) read this article in Chinese:
|
http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2019/01/26/montreal-hub-for-chinese-filmmakers/
|
What happened to the Urbo dockless bikes in Ipswich?
|
Urbo tweeted in July last year the bikes would return to Ipswich in September - but have not been heard from since. Picture: GREGG BROWN A scheme that brought pay-to-ride bicycles to Ipswichs waterfront has mysteriously disappeared. Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. Councillor Carole Jones tries one of the new Urbo bikes with Co-founder Tom McGovern. Picture: GREGG BROWN Councillor Carole Jones tries one of the new Urbo bikes with Co-founder Tom McGovern. Picture: GREGG BROWN The Urbo bikes, which cost riders 50p for a 30 minute session, were introduced in Ipswich in March but have not been seen for some months. In June the company posted on social media that it would be taking a short break from providing the dockless bikes - but have not tweeted since. The month before, the firm announced that it would no longer be providing bike services for the London boroughs of Enfield, Waltham Forest and Redbridge. Urbo has been unavailable to comment. A joint council statement said: Suffolk County Council and Ipswich Borough Council have not heard from the company since they suspended the operation and we do not have any update on whether they plan to resume service in the town, despite trying to make contact recently. The operation was a commercial venture by Urbo and incurred no cost to Ipswich Borough Council or Suffolk County Council.
|
https://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/business/silence-from-firm-who-brought-dockless-bike-scheme-to-ipswich-suffolk-1-5867287
|
How to Start Trading Binary Option in Indonesia?
|
Many entrepreneurs often see binary options as complex, exotic trading options. The intriguing complexity of the binary option is further underlined by the bad rap and mixed reviews of Forex Trading. However, it does not need to be so. Binary option is a good way to earn passive income online, provided you understand the way they work. Nonetheless, trading with binary options is increasingly becoming popular. Unfortunately, many people are still new to the term, which is why we`ve rounded this article on how to start trading option in Indonesia. Step 1: Choosing a Reliable Broker The most crucial element for a successful binary trading process is choosing the right platform. A reputable and reliable broker will provide an ideal launching platform for a profitable binary options trading journey. Remember that a good broker, who knows his work will make all the difference. If you`re a trader, there`re some criteria that you should bear in mind when choosing a broker; The broker should be licensed and regulated The broker should provide training The broker should have a comfortable platform The broker should have reliable software The broker should have customer support The broker should allow fast and easy deposit and withdrawal of cash The above list is by no means conclusive, but it should act as a rough guide to choosing the right broker. If you`re in Indonesia, there`re plenty of reliable brokers in the market. I, however, have my personal favorite- Olymp Trade. Olymp Trade is a regulated trading platform which provides easy and straightforward trading options. It`s a reliable platform that has received plenty of positive reviews and feedback. If you`re looking to learn more about this platform, then read on the comprehensive Olymp Trade review from BinOptionen.com, a leading binary options portal. Step 2: Open a Demo Account Agreeably, binary trading offers limitless possibilities of making profits, but at the same time, it carries a huge amount of risks. Therefore, its enough to say that binary options involves high risk as well, and therefore its especially important that beginner trader open a demo account and test indicators, etc in practice mode, so they get a feel for it. And this is why new traders must be willing to take advantage when their brokers offer to test their trading platforms and practice for free with demo accounts. Opening a demo account will allow you to develop and test your trading strategies in a sandbox environment without any risk of getting hurt. Besides avoiding wasting money, a demo account will allow you to hone your trading skills, develop a winning strategy, build up your confidence, and even test new strategies. Step 3: Deposit Money The next step after building your confidence with a demo account is to open a live account and deposit real money. Now, here is where the crux of the matter is: only set aside an amount of money you feel you`re comfortable to play with. The higher the amount, the more profits you can make, but be aware that trading also carries its risk. The rule of thumb when to live play is that you should always remember that your goal as a binary trader is not to make a million dollars with a single trade. Instead, your aim should be to make money over time systematically. While many beginners are carried away to make one big score, you must always exercise some self-control and resist the urge to over-invest. Step 4: Consistency: Learn and Practice As we mentioned earlier, there`s no set-stone way of trading. Binary trading is a skill, like any other, and it requires learning. To perfect and refine your trading skills, you`ll need to practice, and develop a strategy that will allow you to reap in the long run. Fortunately, if you signed up with a broker such as Olymp Trade, you get the added benefit one-on-one coaching on how to use indicators, reading how the market moves and other trading techniques that will allow you become a pro trader within no time. Conclusion The above guide is to help you get started in binary trading. While the guide is tailored to the Indonesian market, it can be applied anywhere else in the world. And as we had earlier mentioned, we continue to insist that your success in binary trading will depend on the broker/platform you choose. If you`re in Indonesia and looking or a reliable, and trustworthy broker that will see your binary trading a success, we recommend Olymp Trade.
|
http://cascadebusnews.com/start-trading-binary-option-indonesia-step-step-guide/
|
How to Design a Website for Better User Experience?
|
The study made in 2015 showed you have only eight seconds to convince the user to stay on the website. Therefore, you should do your best to make the user excited about being on the website you own. It is worth mentioning that the things that you find ineffective on your website are 100% found ineffective by your visitors. Consequently, if you see something does not work on your website, you would better fix it as soon as possible. Here are some of the things to check out. It is very important to demonstrate the potential buyer some things why your product is unique. It must be shown immediately right when the website is downloaded. To be more precise, the website must depict how it can solve the pain points of the customer on the spot. Also, the benefits of your product are to be shown on top of your first website page. First of all, note that the place you put the most important information on the website matters. For instance, the studies have proven that the first place the eyes look at on every website is a left corner. After that, the reader continues to look to the right. So bear it in mind. The studies have also proven that humans brain reads visual images 60,000 quicker than the text only. So add some pictures or photos to the website, it will lead to the engaging user experience. Content is to be unique. No plagiarism allowed. It is a must point on a way of improving the user experience. It goes without saying that CTAs buttons are to be attractive. However, note that they are prohibited and absolutely not welcome to look aggressive. Therefore, if you make them something in the middle, it will be perfect. What is more, the user has to be clear of what they will gain after pushing the CTA button. For instance, he or she may get a PDF book or subscribe to a newsletter. Hence, clarity is one of the turning points of a good website with great UX design. There is nothing more distracting a visitor from a website than a broken link. It is completely unacceptable for a good website with good UX. Therefore, if you want to design a website for greater user experience, please do check out all possible links you have on your website. It might take time, but the results are worth doing it. For example, when the user visits the site and all the links work, he or she is far more likely to come and visit this website again. Simply because they will consider this website to be a trustworthy and reliable one. It really irritates each user when the page on your website is not found. For instance, they would not wait until it downloads, but would rather visit another website. Therefore, if there is such a page on your website, you should go creative about that. You may use this website (https://www.brokenlinkcheck.com/) to check for any broken links and fix it. You might place some creative image there to make you visitor less upset about wasting his or her time. So do customize this page by adding the links of the most visited pages or the home page. Make it interesting and engaging! According to Acamai study, the visitors can only wait for three seconds until your website downloads. If it takes them more time, they abandon the website. They do it because there is plenty of data available online, so there is no need to wait. The images of a very big size. Bulky code. External sources media, which is embedded.
|
http://cascadebusnews.com/design-website-better-user-experience/
|
Why does John Bercow have to be so toe-curlingly annoying?
|
It is easy to see why John Bercow does not want to step down as Speaker. Without the throne-like chair, the black gown and the clerks lined up before him, he would be exposed for what he really is: a man for whom the word twerp could have been invented. One measure of his approach is the number of times he finds a way to take the floor. Hansard records that in a typical February in 1997, Speaker Betty Boothroyd intervened about 120 times, mostly with brief demands for order. In February 2004, her successor Michael Martin intervened only about 60 times....
|
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/01/26/does-john-bercow-have-toe-curlingly-annoying/
|
Is Dior the greatest fashion house of the past century?
|
The Dior exhibition in Paris last year was this isnt too grandiose a word a sensation. It spanned seven decades, beginning with a giddily feminine 1947 riposte to post-war austerity and culminating in Diors latest reinvention of itself under its current creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri, as a purveyor of dreamy but often practical clothes that have somehow managed to align themselves with a feminist message. This sweeping history of the past century viewed through a prism of exquisite fashion was mounted with unprecedented imagination thanks to set designer Nathalie Crinire. Now Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams is transferring to Londons Victoria and Albert Museum the largest...
|
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/fashion/people/dior-greatest-fashion-house-past-century/
|
Was war los bei Marcel Hirscher?
|
Marcel Hirscher hat nach dem ersten Durchgang beim Slalom in Kitzbhel bereits groen Rckstand auf die Spitze. Der Slalom-Dominator liegt als Neunter +00,88 Sekunden hinter berraschungsmann Ramon Zenhusern. Interessant: hnlich erging es Hirscher-Rivale Henrik Kristoffersen. Der Norweger hat sogar +00,92 Sekunden Rckstand aufgerissen. Der franzsische Shootingstar Clement Noel liegt hingegen auf Platz zwei, hat beste Chancen auf den Sieg. Der groe Rckstand tut weh, doch dass Hirscher nach dem ersten Lauf nicht in Fhrung liegt, ist durchaus normal. In den letzten drei Slaloms hatte der SV-Superstar stets Rckstand nach Durchgang 1 und hatte erst in der Entscheidung aufgedreht und sich nach vorne katapultiert. Zwei der drei Slaloms gewann Hirscher. Lediglich beim letzten Slalom in Wengen reichte es trotz voller Attacke im 2. Lauf "nur" zu Rang 3. Hirscher betont stets, dass er einen Lauf braucht um sich sicher zu fhlen. Fr den Tftler ist die Materialabstimmung das A und O. Insofern ist es nicht berraschend, dass Hirscher zurck liegt. Es wre ebenso wenig berraschend wenn der Gesamtweltcupfhrende im 2. Lauf den Turbo zndet und doch noch siegt. Auch die Kurssetzung wird im 2. Durchgang eine andere sein. Fast alle SV-Lufer hatten Probleme mit den bergngen am Ganslernhang. Hirscher tat sich mit der einigermaen kreativen Kurssetzung des Deutschen Andreas Omminger schwer. Im Ziel war Hirscher ziemlich angefressen. Mit wohl etwas Wut im Bauch wird der Skistar den zweiten Durchgang in Angriff nehmen.
|
https://sport.oe24.at/ski-alpin/Was-war-los-bei-Marcel-Hirscher/365411872
|
Can improvements at South Ribble be described as "significant"?
|
The significance of the word significant was debated by councillors in South Ribble, in a disagreement over how much the authority has improved. The significance of the word significant was debated by councillors in South Ribble, in a disagreement over how much the authority has improved. It is almost two years since the council was given advice by other local government leaders, following the fallout from a series of failings which engulfed its licensing department in 2016. That assessment known as a peer challenge set out a series of recommendations to transform the operation and culture of the authority. It resulted in the creation of a cross-party Improvement Reference Group (IRG), designed to oversee the implementation of the suggestions. A meeting of South Ribble Borough Councils cabinet heard that the work of the IRG was coming to a close, because all of the reviews recommendations had been implemented. The Local Government Association (LGA), which undertook the peer challenge and is represented on the IRG, is to be invited back to the Conservative-run borough in October to give its final verdict on the changes. However, Labour opposition leader Paul Foster disputed a description of the improvement to date as significant. He claimed that the IRG had withdrawn the word from its own recent report but that it had been reinserted in a document presented to the cabinet. [The IRG] said there had been significant actions and that improvements had been made because they didnt agree that there had been significant improvement, Cllr Foster said, adding that he would be writing to the LGA over the matter. But council leader Margaret Smith said that was not her recollection of the discussion, while deputy leader Caroline Moon added that the only question had been whether the improvements could be described as embedded and it was concluded that they could not. Nobody has a crystal ball and I think the LGA was rightly saying that while South Ribble has come a very long way, [they would] come back in October to see whether their [recommendations] were embedded in the organisation, Cllr Moon said. As far as Im concerned, this is a positive place to beand its the staff who have delivered this. The councils action plan in response to the peer review claims to have transformed the way it communicates with staff, after a critical employee survey back in 2017. The authority has committed to making its messages timely, clear and consistent, via both electronic and face-to-face briefings. Chief Executive Heather McManus is said to have developed a so-called open door policy, available to staff at all levels. The shadow cabinet is also now briefed on cabinet business, following the LGAs call for political stability. Plans to expand a shared services agreement with neighbouring Chorley Council have been put on hold until after local elections in both districts in 2019.
|
https://www.lep.co.uk/news/can-improvements-at-south-ribble-be-described-as-significant-1-9555271
|
Was kann voller sein als voll?
|
Szene aus der Brit-Serie Downton Abbey: Wrdevoll berreicht eine Bewerberin der Patriarchin das Zeugnis ihres letzten Dienstgebers und wird allein aufgrund dieser Referenz eingestellt. Zeitsprung: Arbeitszeugnisse gelten heute nicht mehr viel. Die heimlichen Codes der Personalisten (Vollste Zufriedenheit entspricht der Note Sehr gut, Volle Zufriedenheit schon nur mehr Gut. Und von nackter Zufriedenheit wollen wir gar nicht reden) sind lngst geknackt. Selbst perfide Klauseln wie . . . war wegen seiner Geselligkeit beliebt (Alkoholiker) haben sich breitenwirksam herumgesprochen und den Personalern manch unangenehme Konfrontation beschert. Schreibt euch eure Zeugnisse doch selbst, war ihre Reaktion. Sie bewirkte zweierlei: Der Code-kundige Bewerber lobte sich ber den grnen Klee, im Personalistenjargon als bertreibungsknstler bezeichnet. Unkundige verkauften sich unter Wert. Ein weiteres Manko ist fr Herwig Kummer, stellvertretender AMTC-Personalleiter, der Cultural Fit, Neudeutsch dafr, wie gut jemand zu einer Firma passt: In der einen Kultur kann ein Mitarbeiter unproduktiv sein, fr die nchste passt er perfekt. Aus einem Zeugnis kann ich das nicht herauslesen. Ein Fest fr Juristen Der Gesetzgeber sagt: Im Zeugnis darf nichts stehen, was dem Mitarbeiter schaden kann. Gleichzeitig ist der Arbeitgeber zur Wahrheit verpflichtet. Dieser Spagat kann bel enden. Aus Deutschland ist ein Przedenzfall bekannt, in dem der neue Arbeitgeber den alten verklagte, weil dieser im Zeugnis keinen Hinweis darauf gab, dass ein Buchhalter schon bei ihm als Langfinger aufgefallen war. Das Risiko besteht auch bei Do-it-yourself-Zeugnissen, die sich der Mitarbeiter selbst ausstellt und der Arbeitgeber unterzeichnet. Wer auf Nummer sicher gehen will, lsst das Zeugnis von neutraler Software schreiben. Auch Kummers Leben erleichtert ein solcher Zeugnisgenerator: Wir reden mit der Fhrungskraft und geben deren Bewertung in den Generator ein. Die Bausteine sind gut formuliert, wir achten nur auf schne bergnge. Lieblos aneinandergeflantschte Passagen anderer Firmen erkenne er sofort. Auch den Juristen geben die Zeugnisse stndig neuen Stoff. Arbeitsrecht-Anwalt Roland Gerlach amsiert das typisch sterreichische Beharren auf Firmenbriefpapier und Originalunterschrift. Selbst um den Rang des Unterschriftgebers wird gefeilscht: Es gibt sogar ein erstinstanzliches Urteil, wonach man keinen schbigen Zettel annehmen muss. Auch dieser sei eine Botschaft der Firma. Schlag nach in Britannien Weil Mitarbeiter immer hufiger vor Gericht gehen, werden die Unternehmen immer vorsichtiger. Oft beschrnken sie sich darauf, nur Ttigkeiten, Anfang und Ende der Beschftigung aufzulisten. Selbst das ist tckisch. Gerlach: Verlsst jemand die Firma am 13. Februar, sieht das wie eine fristlose Kndigung aus. Auch dagegen wehrt man sich. Geoffroy de Lestrange, Associate Director bei Cornerstone OnDemand, rgert es, dass damit Leistungen, Eigenschaften und Weiterentwicklung des Mitarbeiters verloren gehen. Er rt zur englischen Methode, einfach beim alten Arbeitgeber anzurufen. Vorausdenkende Kandidaten geben von sich aus dessen Telefonnummer an. Offen reden ist riskant: Nach heimischer Rechtsprechung sind selbst mndliche Aussagen (Besonders fleiig war er nicht) ein Versto gegen das Benachteiligungsverbot. Es wundert also nicht, dass Personalisten dem einst so geachteten Arbeitszeugnis mit Vorbehalt begegnen. Und lieber in fantasievolle Bewerbertests, elektronische Sprachanalysen und kreative Assessment Center investieren. Da verbrennen sie sich wenigstens nicht die Finger. [P4ZUO] ("Die Presse", Print-Ausgabe, 26.01.2019)
|
https://diepresse.com/home/karriere/karrierenews/5568326/Was-kann-voller-sein-als-voll
|
Will Mackenzie Davis Participate in Happiest Season as Kristen Stewart's Fiancee?
|
Mackenzie Davis Mackenzie Davis arrives for the 69th Emmy Awards at the Microsoft Theatre. (Shutterstock) Kristen Stewart is reportedly set to be engaged to Mackenzie Davis in the same-sex romantic comedy 'Happiest Season'. The 28-year-old actress - who is dating the model Stella Maxwell in real life - has the starring role in the upcoming rom-com, from director Clea DuVall and writing partner Mary Holland, and now it has been reported that the 31-year-old 'Tully' star is set to play Stewart's on-screen lover. According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Davis and Stewart will be playing the film's romantic leads". The movie follows a young woman whose plan to propose to her girlfriend whilst at her family's annual holiday party is thrown into chaos, when she discovers her partner hasn't yet come out to her conservative parents. The project will be produced by Temple Hill's Marty Bowen, Isaac Klausner and Jaclyn Huntling. Hannah Minghella and Shary Shirazi will oversee the project for TriStar. As of the time of writing, the names of the characters are unknown. Kristen herself identifies as bisexual, and as well as previously romancing her 'Twilight' co-star Robert Pattinson, has enjoyed romances with French singer Soko, musician St. Vincent, and is currently dating New Zealand model Stella Maxwell. The actress is set to have a busy year ahead of her too, as she's set to star in the upcoming reboot of 70s TV show 'Charlie's Angels', alongside Naomi Scott and Ella Balinska. In August, Kristen claimed she hadn't met her co-stars yet, but has started doing some boxing to make sure she's in the best shape possible for the action flick. She said: "I have been boxing a bit, which I have never done. I am so addicted to it. As soon as I have to actually start sparring though, I realise what I am doing is intended to fight people. I am like, it really is assaulting and I really hate it. But all I am doing lately is talking to Liz, and can't wait to meet the other girls and I leave on Sunday ... gonna start doing more fight training, getting more aggressive quite soon."
|
https://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/will-mackenzie-davis-participate-happiest-season-kristen-stewarts-fiancee-1243710
|
What Does Kylie Jenner Want for Valentine's Day?
|
Kylie Jenner wants diamonds for Valentine's Day. (@kyliejenner/Instagram) Kylie Jenner wants diamonds for Valentine's Day (14.02.19). The 21-year-old reality star has dropped some serious hints to her boyfriend Travis Scott - with whom she has 11-month-old daughter Stormi - that she wants sparkly jewels as a gift when the romantic holiday rolls around next month, as she said diamonds are much better than pearls. In a video posted to her YouTube channel on Friday (25.01.19) in which she answered Valentine's Day themed quick fire questions, Kylie was asked whether she'd prefer to receive a teddy bear or jewellery, to which she said: "I mean, jewellery, obviously, right?" And then when asked if that jewellery would be made of diamonds or pearls, she said "diamonds" were her preferred precious stone. When it comes to the perfect Valentine's Day date night, the 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star would prefer to go out for dinner than watch a movie, although she "really loves both". Asked to pick one, she said: "I don't know, 'cause I really love both, but maybe since it's Valentine's Day, let's go out for a nice dinner or something." During the one-minute clip, Kylie also reveals she prefers red roses over white roses, milk chocolate over dark chocolate, red wine over ros, and pink over red. Kylie even has a preference over which colour lingerie to wear on Valentine's Day. Asked to pick between red or black lingerie, she said: "I'm going to say red for Valentine's Day, black for any other day." Kylie's Valentine's Day choices come after it was recently reported she and Travis could be set to get engaged soon, as they're "really happy" in their relationship. An insider said: "Travis and Kylie are looking to get married soon, [but Kylie is] taking marriage at a more cautious pace after seeing her sisters' past relationships fail. "Things are in a great place with Travis. They're always together and just really happy."
|
https://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/what-does-kylie-jenner-want-valentines-day-1243708
|
Who are the top 20 football recruits Rutgers has signed out of high school since 2000?
|
20) 2011: Miles Shuler, RB, Long Branch (N.J.) A 5-10, 170-pound holding upwards of 25 offers, Shuler was one of the fastest players throughout the entire country his senior year in high school. He was also a fan favorite -- someone fans really anted to join the program. I can remember the showdowns between he and Timber Creek's Damiere Byrd -- both Jersey guys who could fly and ranked nationally in multiple track and field events. Shuler would become one of the leaders of a wave of top prospects to sign to Rutgers' 2011 class. The U.S. Army All-American would transfer to Northwestern after two years on the banks, where he went on to have limited Big Ten success.
|
https://www.nj.com/expo/sports/g66l-2019/01/0a20840b6c999/who-are-the-top-20-football-recruits-rutgers-has-signed-out-of-high-school-since-2000.html
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.