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Home Living Health & Medicine Lawyer hired by Democratic AG defends Iowa’s GOP governor
Lawyer hired by Democratic AG defends Iowa’s GOP governor
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Iowa’s Democratic attorney general has installed the Republican governor’s lawyer into a high-level job in which he is aggressively defending his former boss’ policy agenda and management decisions in court.
Weeks after joining Attorney General Tom Miller’s staff, attorney Sam Langholz has participated in cases defending Gov. Kim Reynolds’ coronavirus restrictions, her law requiring a 24-hour waiting period for abortions, her denial of overtime pay to some nurses, and her administration’s ouster of a longtime public health spokeswoman.
The hiring incensed some Democrats and trial lawyers. But it generated goodwill for Miller, the nation’s longest-serving attorney general, from a sometimes adversarial GOP-controlled Legislature and Reynolds, who called Langholz “a brilliant legal mind.”
Miller and Reynolds announced Langholz’s appointment as an assistant attorney general for civil and appellate litigation in November. The attorney general’s office confirmed Tuesday that a top Miller aide, Solicitor General Jeff Thompson, designed the $140,000-per-year job and hired Langholz without posting the opening.
Thompson worked closely with Langholz during his 2 1/2-year stint as senior legal counsel to Reynolds and “knew his abilities,” said Miller spokesman Lynn Hicks.
“When we have someone of this talent and there is an opening, we hire him or her,” Hicks said, noting that Langholz was first in his 2008 University of Iowa law school class.
Langholz, a Republican loyalist who founded the Iowa chapter of the Federalist Society, could use the job to bolster his credentials if he again applies to become an Iowa Supreme Court justice after getting passed over last year.
Despite having little prior litigation experience, he’s a supervising attorney in the unit that defends the state against lawsuits and is already representing the Reynolds administration and University of Iowa in high-profile cases.
Langholz has already helped defend Reynolds’ emergency public health restrictions to fight the coronavirus against a lawsuit brought by a bar owner who argued they violated her rights.
In December, he filed a motion that argued the governor used her power and judgment to defend the “lives and livelihoods” of residents, a phrase Reynolds often uses. It portrayed the governor’s response as driven by the latest science and public health guidance.
Langholz also quickly began defending a 24-hour mandatory waiting period for abortions that Reynolds signed into law last year. A landmark 2018 Iowa Supreme Court ruling found that a previous 72-hour waiting period was unconstitutional.
He recently asked a judge to consider the law’s legality anew, saying it’s different than the 2017 statute that justices found violated women’s rights on a 5-2 vote. He noted the new waiting period is two days shorter and argued the “abortion industry” would be affected differently by the requirement today. Planned Parenthood is suing to block the law, noting it would require women to make two trips to health centers and delay abortions.
Langholz is representing the governor and her spokesman Pat Garrett in a lawsuit brought by former Department of Public Health spokeswoman Polly Carver-Kimm, who says she faced retaliation for releasing routine public information during the pandemic.
Carver-Kimm says she was forced to resign after releasing statistics showing Iowa abortions climbed by 25% in 2019 after Reynolds pulled Iowa out of a federal family-planning program.
Langholz is defending Reynolds against a proposed class-action lawsuit filed by registered nurses at state institutions who claim they’ve been wrongly classified as salaried employees and denied overtime pay.
He does not have conflicts of interest in those cases under Iowa’s ethical rules for attorneys because he’s representing the same client he previously advised, Hicks said.
Ethical rules will require that Langholz be disqualified from cases in which he’ll likely be a witness.
That may prevent him from participating in a wrongful termination case filed by former Department of Human Services director Jerry Foxhoven. Foxhoven has claimed that Langholz and the governor’s chief of staff fired him after Foxhoven questioned the legality of a funding arrangement.
Tensions between Miller and Reynolds, who are both up for reelection in 2022, have momentarily cooled.
In 2019, Reynolds considered a bill eliminating Miller’s power to join multistate lawsuits, after Republicans expressed anger over his decision to challenge Trump administration policies on immigration and other topics. Reynolds vetoed the bill under a deal in which Miller agreed to not join lawsuits without her approval. Since then, Reynolds has rejected dozens of Miller’s requests.
Langholz listed Thompson as a reference last year when he applied for his “dream job” on the Iowa Supreme Court. A nominating commission didn’t recommend Langholz as one of three finalists for Reynolds’ consideration, after critics said he didn’t have enough experience. Reynolds selected a different lawyer with longtime Republican ties.
Langholz will get another chance to apply next year, when the court’s sole Democratic-appointed justice, Brent Appel, faces mandatory retirement. If appointed, he could serve three decades.
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Stopping Churn: Renewal Strategies to Retain Your Association’s Members Gather Voices
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Happy Endings?
In the debate on human trafficking in Rhode Island one point of view is conspicuously absent — that of the women concerned. Who are the women who live in the ‘spas’ advertised in the Providence Phoenix? Are they here illegally? Are they underage? Are they forced into prostitution? Tara Hurley spent three years interviewing spa workers, johns, police, politicians and activists. She takes you through the doors, covered with police association stickers, that lead into the spas. She says that her documentary film, ‘Happy Endings?’ is a tough sell because it offers no easy answers, and no one comes off looking good.
Human trafficking has been referred to as modern-day slavery. In the US and worldwide, women, men and children are tricked and coerced into working involuntarily in factories, farms, homes and brothels. This is fact, and a heinous violation of human rights. ‘Rescue and Restore’ is a viable strategy in these cases. But what is the strategy when the ‘victim’ is free to walk out the door?
On one side are the ‘New Abolitionists’ who see themselves as rescuers, on the other ‘Sex Workers’ who don’t acknowledge the damage that prostitution can do to women, children and communities.
“In a roundabout way, they’re being held against their will.” says ‘Greg’, an undercover police officer on the vice squad.
As Providence police Major Steve Campbell testifies, the women in the spas are adult, South Korean. Sometimes they are married to Americans, they are here legally.
They are here to make money.
“No one is forced to work.” says ‘Heather’, a spa owner who let Hurley interview her along with her American husband ‘Chris’.
“They’re here to make money.”, says ‘Jen’, a spa worker, with an angry contempt that even comes through the voice distorter, “What do you think? They want to have sex?”
“In your life, everybody’s for rent.” says Chris. He seems happy with this state of affairs. As the police lean harder on the spa, Chris becomes more powerful, wheeling and dealing, talking to his lawyer, getting the women released.
Heather goes to Boston for immigration hearings, seeking a green card that always seems just about to be granted– and always delayed. Her homesickness becomes more evident as the documentary unwinds. She seems to regret what her life has become. She arrived here single, 43 years old:
“I heard from the people I work with you could make a lot of money just by giving massages. I had just failed at operating my own business and I didn’t want to be a burden on my siblings. I could be brave because I was uninformed. I wasn’t planning on getting married, so I thought that would be the best solution for me… Many underwent working as a prostitute before becoming owners.”
The film takes a turn down lurid, neon-lit streets in Korea where the spa industry grew after Korea suffered a financial crash in the ’90’s. Lack of money creates desperation. And money becomes addictive. The women live in the spas, and can earn $18,000-$20,000 a month. And then lose it at Foxwoods. Compulsive gambling is common, and then they are back working off their gambling debts.
Jen, who appears in silhouette with her voice altered for anonymity, explains why she does it:
“There’s no fun, no babying. I want to make money so I can pay my bills. My kids…I’m single and I have two sons. There’s no life for me, and I don’t want a life for me. What’s good for my family. If I have to die, I am going to die for my family.”
There is a deep alienation. The alienation of the women from their own feelings. The language and culture difference that allows both prostitute and john to project their fantasies on each other. If Jen is harsh with herself, she has more contempt for the customers. They in turn can act out a racist fantasy of the submissive Asian woman. In any case, it’s all about money.
Is prostitution a victimless crime? Danielle tells how she lost $80,000 in a failed attempt to open a spa in a working class neighborhood. That was on a corner in Fox Point adjacent to an elementary school, a children’s library and the Fox Point Boys and Girls Club. Danielle seems not to want to understand why the Neighborhood Association did not want johns cruising their streets.
At one point Heather, who is truly hurt and frightened by a police raid on her business, says that it’s racial discrimination. But these women who live in their half-world don’t know how much hurt they are dishing out. Rhode Islanders don’t want our state to be a destination for sex tourists. As Rep. Joanne Giannini says in the film, “What a thing for Rhode Island to be known for!”
What to do? Hurley follows the spa raid in 2006 that led the National Council of Jewish Women to organize a community forum that drew more than 300 attendees. About 50 of them formed the Rhode Island Coalition Against Human Trafficking. A year of work and lobbying brought the passage of a law against “Trafficking of Persons and Involuntary Servitude.” Which so far has changed nothing. The reconstituted Coalition is lobbying for the Federal Wilberforce Act, which they hope will be a more effective legal tool. But the dilemma still exists. How do you save people who don’t want to be saved without running over personal freedom? And how do you stop prostitution? Harsh laws have never done anything but drive the trade underground, and make it more dangerous.
As Danielle says of her gambling habit, but it could apply to her life — “You get lucky you win, but you lose more.”
Heather speaks though a Korean interpreter, seeking to explain herself, to reconcile her conscience with who she has become. She pursues her receding goal of enough money and a green card, and in the end loses everything. Meanwhile the spas multiply, women are picked up in raids, the johns walk.
“Happy Endings?” has no answers, but brings up better questions. It’s a film that gives a voice to a group of women who are much talked about, but seldom heard. With heart and objectivity, and with courage, Tara Hurley walked through the doors and let the women speak. We have to listen to them if we want to help. I hope that Tara Hurley will find a place to show her film.
To read Tara’s blog, follow the link here.
To see a trailer from the film, go here.
Posted in Human Trafficking, Rhode Island newsTagged Add new tag, happy endings, tara hurleyBy ninjanurse5 Comments
5 thoughts on “Happy Endings?”
joe bernstein says:
You want an example of sexual human trafficking?In 1977 INS in Chicago busted Emil Leutner,a South Milwaukee police officer for violation 0f 8USC1328,Importation of Aliens for Immoral Purposes-Leutner lured 13/14 year old girls from Mexico to a motel he was connected with on the pretense of domestic employment and held them captive forcing them to have sex with dozens of men a day,mostly Mexican farmworkers in southern Wisconsin.Leutner did the world a favor by dying before trial.This is the kind of thing human trafficking for sex involves.
Adult women legally in the US who are not under physical compulsion can’t be considered “trafficked”.If they are free to come and go and make more than the equivalent of minimum wage,the case is nearly impossible to make.
The gambling thing is weird-when I worked security at Lincoln Park,a lot of massage parlor workers would come in to gamble,and they didn’t gamble small.Hard to call people “slaves”when they can drop a few grand a night at the slots.Most of them weren’t young,either.There were also a lot of strippers who came in.Must be something about the sex trade that induces a likeliehood to gamble.??
I will say this again ,having worked on the Alien Smuggling Unit in Chicago INS for a few years-the real human trafficking is in laborers,and not by any means all Latinos.The non-Mexicans(“OTM’s”)pay a whole lot more money to get smuggled in.
The West Coast was inundated by Indonesian slavery cases for many years.They were not used as sex slaves so much as sort of domestic indentured servants.I never ran into any cases,but the agents from Frisco,LA,etc had experience with this.
On a previous post about Roman Polanski I described an alien smuggler who kept a woman as a slave in his basement.Happily after I arrested him,he died in prison.
This is an incredubly complex issue,Nancy,which it seems you are well aware of.
Nancy Green says:
thanks Joe, your well-informed comments are very welcome. yes, this is complex. that’s one reason i am not active in the coalition anymore. i am discouraged at some of the politics that has worked its way in, especially during the bush admnistration, and i am mistrustful of the Wilberforce Act which i think could have unintended consequences. i’m not a lawyer, and i could be wrong, but historically the Mann Act was abused to target individuals for their politics, and I don’t think we can stop prostitution altogher any more than we can prohibit alcohol or make guns illegal. no law can work if enough people disobey it. Donna Hughes speaks contemtuously of harm reduction, but that is a strategy I support.
Harm reduction-looking for the real abuses in any area rather than “one size fits all” thinking-that is real progressive thinking as opposed to the nanny state”we know what’s best for you”mentality which drives me up a wall.That is an example of lazy intellectual mental masturbation.I have a libertarian streak that innately rebels against behavioral laws that are counterintuitive to what most people have no problem with.
Prostitution,guns,alcohol,marijuana-all can be the focus of truly bad behavior-if someone is “straw purchasing”guns for resale on the street,I am all for locking them up,but I don’t think it’s anyone’s business if I own an AR15 with a 30 round magazine-I have no criminal or mental health history and never had a restraining order,so the most likely thing I will kill is paper targets,because I don’t like game meat.
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13-year-old Tommy Ludlow receives Courage To Shine award
Tommy Ludlow, the young recipient of the this year’s Courage to Shine award is already inspiring others to turn challenge into opportunity. Tommy received the honor, in part, because he is by all available accounts the first bladder exstrophy patient to hike to Mt. Everest Base Camp.
The 12-day journey to an elevation of 17,600 feet, is no small feat and Tommy had to overcome unique challenges. The burden of carrying medical supplies was lightened thanks to sponsorship from CompactCath. Tommy got hypothermia during the trip and he couldn’t use the medication everyone else did for more oxygen. But he and his family never gave up.
The honor was presented to Tommy at the 2018 International Exstrophy Conference on June 21 by Tom Exler, founder and chairman of Courage to Shine. Tommy’s fantastic speech was met with a standing ovation from conference participants.
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Thank you to Tommy and his family for inspiring us all!
Tommy’s journey to Base Camp with bladder exstrophy
Tommy’s birth was much anticipated by his parents Tom & Heather Ludlow and his older sisters Ashlyn & Eliza. During his twenty week ultrasound, the doctors became concerned about his bladder and further testing revealed a diagnosis of bladder exstrophy. After disregarding the doctor’s recommendation to abort Tommy, his parents were thrilled to welcome him into the world on June 1, 2005.
Although living in California, the Ludlows chose to deliver Tommy in Seattle so that he could promptly have surgery with Dr. Mitchell at Seattle Children’s Hospital where his complete closure and bilateral osteotomies were done when Tommy was one day old.
Tommy was a very active toddler and loved all sports but especially jumping on the trampoline. With multiple little surgeries and two more major surgeries at the age of 4 and 7 with Dr. Grady in Seattle, it was challenging for him to stay put during recovery and even more challenging to have his little sister, Avila wait on him.
By the age of 7, Tommy was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and major hydronephrosis resulting in 50% function of his kidneys. This is when he began seeing the nephrologist for kidney disease and regular echocardiograms. It was also around this age that Tommy was diagnosed with severe dyslexia. Although many challenges have presented themselves in Tommy’s young life, he has also seen miracles and blessings. His heart has been normal for a year now and he has exceeded the Dr’s expectations in his physical and mental capacity.
Tommy loves STEAM (Science, Technology, Education, Arts and Mathematics) projects and his favorite subject is math. He homeschools along with his sisters and loves to travel, listen to audiobooks, spend time with friends, tease his sisters and do projects with his dad. Although he loves most sports, with the exception of competitive swimming, his favorite is tennis.
In spring of 2017, Tommy decided that he wanted to hike to Base Camp of Mt. Everest and began preparing. He set his tennis racket aside and joined the swim team to increase his endurance and lung capacity. He also began meeting with a trainer two times each week to gain more body strength and took the many skeptical opinions he heard as challenges to prove them wrong. Despite hitting obstacles along the way, including getting hypothermia and losing all feeling in his body, he was able to reach his goal of base camp in September of 2017.
Tommy’s new tag line for any challenge that comes along is, “that’s no big deal, I’ve hiked Everest!”
About Courage to Shine Awards – Turning Adversity to Triumph
Courage to Shine™ was in 2010 by Founder and Chairman Tom Exler to acknowledge motivational and inspirational individuals and/or groups of patients whom have overcome congenital genitourinary birth defects and/or major urological surgeries in their childhood (but not limited too), and have the courage, strength and determination, to transform that adversity to triumph later in life.
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B.C. releases blush cherries
New blushed cherry varieties are attracting interest around the world.
Geraldine Warner // June 1, 2012
Starletta blush cherries were bred in Summerland, British Columbia.
Photo courtesy of PICO
Cherry growers in British Columbia, Canada, have historically not been interested in blushed cherry varieties because of the fruit’s sensitivity to bruising and the difficulties of growing and packing it. In fact, it’s estimated that only 25 acres of the province’s 4,500 acres of cherries are blush varieties.
But two new blushed cherry varieties developed in British Columbia are about to be released at the request of growers and nurseries in other parts of the world. The varieties were bred at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, at Summerland, and are being licensed by the Okanagan Plant Improvement Company (PICO), which handles the commercialization of Summerland apple and cherry varieties.
Starblush (13N-07-39 cultivar) is from a cross of 2N-63-20 (Bing x Salmo) and Stella made by former breeder Dr. David Lane in 1976. The fruit is very large (over 12 grams) and highly blushed, but the blush is darker than on most yellow cherries and can be slightly mottled. The cherry is very sweet with good flavor. It matures about three days after Lapins. This variety has been requested by a New Zealand nursery and a group of growers in Oregon.
Starletta (SPC 207 cultivar) is from a cross of Stella and 2S-84-10 also made by Lane in 1976. It has large fruit with good tolerance to cracking. The fruit is firm with a bright flush, and has good flavor with some acidity. It matures about ten days after Van. The variety is being released at the request of New Zealand nursery grower Andy McGrath and Jean-Pierre Darnaud with International Plant Selection in France, who have been testing it. Starletta will be available throughout Europe as an open release.
British Columbia has had a cherry breeding program at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research station in Summerland since 1936, but developing blushed varieties was not a goal until recently. Apple and cherry breeder Dr. Cheryl Hampson said breeders used to walk straight by seedlings that turned out to be blushed.
Ken Haddrell, operations manager with PICO, said about 10 percent of the program’s cherry seedlings have turned out to be blushed, which is not what most Canadian growers want, unless they sell their fruit at the farm. However, PICO commercializes varieties around the world, including places where blushed cherries are in demand. And so, in recent years, breeders have begun to pay attention to blush selections.
Summerland’s first blush cherry, an early-maturing cherry called Sue, was named in 1954. More than a half century went by before the program released its second blush cherry, Stardust (13N-07-70 cultivar), in 2008.
Stardust came from the same cross of 2N-63-20 and Stella as Starblush. It is self-fertile and matures about five days after Rainier (around July 18 in Summerland). While exceptionally large and firm, it has been judged less sweet and flavorful than Rainier.
Although the B.C. breeding program has traditionally focused on developing large, late-season cherry varieties, Hampson said she’s been making crosses for early and midseason cultivars, too, because growers are wanting to bring in the harvest crew earlier and keep workers all season. She has some promising early-season selections, including a very large, early, blush cherry, that have the potential to extend the season on the front end for B.C. growers. The breeding program is also looking for varieties with better storability, so fruit can be shipped more successfully by sea, and improved mildew resistance.
Geraldine Warner2021-09-28T09:22:20-07:00June 1st, 2012|Cherries, Geraldine Warner, June 2012 Issue, New Developments, News, Varieties|
About the Author: Geraldine Warner
Geraldine Warner was the editor of Good Fruit Grower from 1992-2015. During her tenure, she planned and prepared editorial content, wrote for the magazine, and managed the editorial team. Read her stories: Story Index
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Film, Video Seminary girls Scene in a seminary
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Seminary girls
Scene in a seminary
"A number of young ladies, in their night robes, are having a frolic, and are interrupted by a teacher. One girl makes herself very conspicuous by crawling under a bed. 50 foot strip"--Edison films catalog.
White, James H. (James Henry), production.
Heise, William, camera.
Thomas A. Edison, Inc.
AFI/Holt (H.L.) Collection (Library of Congress)
United States : Edison Manufacturing Co., 1897.
- Play--Humor
- Girls--Humor
- Students--Humor
- School principals--Humor
Peep shows (Motion pictures)
- 24883 U.S. Copyright Office
- Copyright: Thomas A. Edison; 21Apr1897; 24883.
- Camera, William Heise.
- Duration: 0:27 at 30 fps.
- Filmed ca. mid-March to mid-April 1897, in Edison's Black Maria studio in West Orange, New Jersey.
- Additional holdings for this title may be available. Contact reference librarian.
- Available also through the Library of Congress Web site as digital files.
- Sources used: Copyright catalog, motion pictures, 1894-1912; Musser, C. Edison motion pictures 1890-1900, p. 289; Maguire & Baucus. Fall catalogue 1897, p. 10; Edison films catalog, no. 105, July 1901, p. 69.
- 35 mm viewing print renumbered: FEA 8708 to FYA 2102.
viewing print 1 film reel of 1 (50 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
dupe neg pic 1 film reel of 1 (50 ft.) : si., b&w ; 35 mm.
FYA 2102 (viewing print)
FPB 9400 (dupe neg pic)
Library of Congress Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division Washington, D. C. 20540 USA dcu
http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mbrsmi/edmp.4054
https://lccn.loc.gov/00694303
Inventing Entertainment: The Early Motion Pictures and Sound Recordings of the Edison Companies (431)
Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division (1,504)
Film, Video
Heise, William
Thomas A. Edison, Inc
White, James H. (James Henry)
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The following films are reproduced courtesy of the Theodore Roosevelt Association, P.O. Box 720, Oyster Bay, NY 11771: U.S. Troops Landing at Daiquirí, Cuba; Troops Making Military Road in Front of Santiago; Pack Mules with Ammunition on the Santiago Trail, Cuba.
Suggested credit line: Library of Congress, Motion Picture, Broadcasting, and Recorded Sound Division.
Heise, William, Camera, Inc Thomas A. Edison, and Afi/Holt. Seminary Girls . produceds by White, James H. Uction United States: Edison Manufacturing Co, 1897. Video. https://www.loc.gov/item/00694303/.
Heise, W., Thomas A. Edison, I. & Afi/Holt. (1897) Seminary Girls . White, J. H. U., prod United States: Edison Manufacturing Co. [Video] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/00694303/.
Heise, William, Camera, Inc Thomas A. Edison, and Afi/Holt. Seminary Girls . prod by White, James H. Uction United States: Edison Manufacturing Co, 1897. Video. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/00694303/>.
Pillow fight "A comic subject, clear, bright and characteristic. Shows four girls in their night dresses, engaged in an animated pillow fight. During the action the pillows become torn, and the feathers fly over...
Contributor: Thomas A. Edison, Inc - Heise, William - Afi/Holt (H.L.) Collection (Library of Congress) - White, James H. (James Henry)
Interrupted lovers
Interrupted lover | Comedy scene "The watchful father disturbs a dream of bliss, and the bucolic lover is taught a lesson. He made a great hit"--Edison films catalog, no. 105.
Contributor: Thomas A. Edison, Inc - Heise, William - White, James H. (James Henry)
The lone fisherman Depicts the patient fisherman, sitting on the end of a plank, waiting for a bite. Practical joker comes along and removes stone from other end of plank"--Edison films catalog, no. 105.
A morning bath An African American mother is shown giving her struggling child a bath. She thrusts him, kicking and struggling, into a tub of foaming suds.
Contributor: Thomas A. Edison, Inc - Heise, William - Hendricks (Gordon) Collection (Library of Congress) - White, James H. (James Henry)
Robetta and Doretto, [no. 2]
Chinese laundry "The pursuit of Hop Lee by an irate policeman"--Maguire & Baucus catalogue.
Contributor: Heise, William - Dickson, W. K.-L. (William Kennedy-Laurie) - Thomas A. Edison, Inc - Robetta - Hendricks (Gordon) Collection (Library of Congress) - Doretto, Phil
A police court scene Coupling date: 9/2/1919. Cutout date: 10/31/1929. On label: talking. With (reverse side): Bill's visit to St. Peter / Billy Golden, Billy Heins.
Contributor: Porter, Steve
A visit to Reilly's Coupling date: 6/20/1922. Cutout date: 10/31/1929. On label: comic sketch. With (reverse side): Henry and Hank in vaudeville / Kaufman Bros.
Contributor: Reilly, Charles
Backyard conversation between Mrs. Reilly and Mrs. Finnegan Coupling date: 5/14/1920. Cutout date: 10/31/1929. With (reverse side): Cohen on his honeymoon / Monroe Silver.
Contributor: Porter, Steve - Jones, Ada
The band festival at Plum Center From Edison records catalog: This is one of the cleverest skits of its kind ever produced. It is cleverly written and even more cleverly presented. Miss Jones and Messrs. Harlan and Porter...
Contributor: Harlan, Byron G. - Porter, Steve - Doty, Charles W. - Jones, Ada
Happy tho' married Coupling date: 6/22/1915. Cutout date: 10/31/1929. On label: monologue. With (reverse side): Desperate Desmond / Fred Duprez.
Contributor: Duprez, Fred | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.7206217050552368, "wiki_prob": 0.7206217050552368, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line259058"} |
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Clubbing Report
Artpaper Interviews 17 / 12 / 20
Charlene Galea has been clubbing since 2000, and has travelled over a decade with her camera to document a globalised clubbing culture. We caught up with her to find out more about the pop-up show, Us, taking place just after Christmas.
Artpaper: Why clubbing? What is so important about it?
Charlene Galea: The clubbing experience is not just about going out at the weekend, but is a complex web of connections between people who will join together to share a journey that is both physical and emotional. Clubbers get ready, then meet with a group of friends at home or else in a bar. Once inside, individuals experience the clubbing scene on different levels: some to escape their everyday life, others to socialise, whilst others to dance in their own bubble just for the music. Then there’s the after-party where the crowd get smaller and more intimate. Afterwards, the clubbing experience continues with memories, shared photos and conversations with new friends.
In London, I was exposed to an endless, intense club scene. A lot of my friendships and relationships from this time were formed while clubbing. Until I began my studies at the London College of Fashion, I would club simply as a clubber, but then I started to reflect on the club experience and to carry a small analogue camera to events. I documented friends and strangers – I’ll never forget the excitement of seeing the photos a month later. There was disappointment too, when the images came out as a blur, or badly composed – perhaps someone would have just moved in front of the camera at the last second! I mostly looked out for the emotional expressions of the clubbers – and for quirky outfits, since most my London College of Fashion projects were about identity and unusual happenings. I continued shooting and when I started to travel years later, I always looked out for a clubbing event to document – a bit like the Situationalists and their Happenings.
I ended up focusing on clubbing and fashion in my studies, both from a cultural and anthropological point of view. Communities within themselves are safe spaces of sharing and caring, however we are indeed living in modern times where individualism and capitalism runs the sense of connection and communication between each other. So, the clubbing adventure is much richer than just ‘getting wasted’ for sure!
Artpaper: Why now?
CG: The clubbing ritual can be compared to a modern healing ceremony. The sense of unity and sharing between clubbers brings back nostalgia of the sense of communities that have been lost over the years. But closed clubs have left many with no sense of belonging. We live on an island where space has been privatized, leaving many waiting for summer to go to the beach and for the weekend to go to the clubs, as this is all left for the body to experience.
But now the clubbing event has been cancelled for everyone. I was interested in the fact that people were posting on social media about how much they are missing the weekend and sharing memories from the year before. Ask anyone who loves clubbing how they feel since Covid started and you will get similar answers from most of them.
Through this whole exhibition I would like each person attending to take something back in memory – to keep the clubbing experience as a ritual, not a routine. This time will not last forever, so imagine how it will feel when clubs open again. Do not rush time, let this time arrive by itself, and let the right moment take you back into the experience.
Artpaper: What’s Next?
CG: My next opportunity will be a work as part of Art + Feminism at Spazju Kreattiv, where I will be performing live a story about female orgasms – this is a short story written by myself, combining some drama, dance and humour around the complex topic. After that I will be presenting a longer project called Backlog: How Long is Now – a combination of long walks and reflective journeys during Covid, most of which have been turned into a performance photography series called Locked In and Locked Out sessions.
Us – an exhibition of clubbing photographs by Charlene Galea, curated by Margerita Pulè, will take place from 26 & 27 December 2020 in Cameron St, Gzira. More information on www.unfinishedartspace.org.
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BigBloc Construction Ltd conferred with Top Challengers Award at the 20th Construction World Global Awards 2022
Mr. Mohit Saboo, Director & CFO receiving Award. BigBloc Construction Ltd conferred with Top Challengers Award at the 20th Construction World Global Awards 2022
October 18, 2022: BigBloc Construction Limited, one of India’s leading player in the manufacturing of green and non-toxic building materials including Aerated Autoclave Concrete (AAC) blocks, Bricks and Panels was honoured with ‘Top Challengers Award 2022’ at the 20th Construction World Global Awards (CWGA) 2022.
BigBloc Construction Ltd received the honour for its valuable contribution in the construction and infrastructure industry. Mr. Mohit Saboo, Director & CFO, BigBloc Construction Ltd received the award at the function held on 14 October at ITC Grand Central in Mumbai. Dr Brijesh Dixit, Managing Director, Maharashtra Metro Rail Corporation was the Guest of Honour at the event.
The Top Challengers award is presented to companies who have grown their business despite recent headwinds and able to keep their financial health within defined debt limits and grew their top-line and profitability. CWGA 2022 – hosted by Construction World and FIRST Construction Council recognised India’s top companies and leaders in the construction sector.
Mr. Narayan Saboo, Chairman & Managing Director, Bigbloc Construction Ltd said “It is indeed an honour to be in the list with prestigious companies. It is a testimony of our business model, strategies, strength, and vision of the management. We are now further motivated towards continuing our efforts for quality excellence and commitment.”
Incorporated in 2015, BigBloc Construction Ltd is the largest player in the Western India and only listed company in the AAC Block Space. Green and non-toxic building construction material, AAC blocks are economical, light weight, thermal insulation, sound proof, and fire resistance with superior build quality and saves energy, eco-friendly and economical too compared to the traditional bricks. It is the only company in this segment which generates carbon credits.
Mr. Mohit Saboo, Director & CFO, BigBloc Construction Ltd, said, “Company has a commitment towards producing green building products and solutions and an ultimate aim of helping the Construction and Infrastructure Industry to build green and sustainable habitats has been the vision behind the company. With the vision of Conserve Soil – NXTBLOC which is a green product for the industry was launched by the company.”
About – BigBloc Construction Ltd https://nxtbloc.in/
Incorporate in 2015, BigBloc Construction Limited is engaged in the business of manufacturing of building Aerated Autoclave Concrete (AAC) blocks, Bricks and Panels. AAC is a green and non-toxic construction material, saves energy, and is friendly to your environment. Company markets its products under Brand name ‘NXTBLOC’.
BigBloc is the second largest manufacturer of AAC Blocks in India and largest in Western India. It is the only company in this segment which generates carbon credit. AAC blocks are a high quality building material that offers a unique combination of strength, low weight, thermal insulation, sound absorption, unsurpassed fire resistance and unprecedented build ability.
Company’s manufacturing plants are located in Umargaon and Kapadvanj in Gujarat and cater to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan with combined capacity of 5.75 lakh cubic meter per annum. Company client includes Lodha, Adani Realty, India Bulls Real Estate, Raheja, PSP Projects, Larsen & Toubro, Mahindra Lifespaces, Kanakia Group, Sunteck among others.
Company is setting up two Greenfield projects at Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and Wada, Palghar (Maharasthra) with a combined capacity of 8 lakh cbm per annum. The projects will quality for 60% subsidy from the state government. Post completion of the expansion, company’s total capacity will increase to 13.75 lakh cubic meter which will make it the largest player in India. From this expansion, company shall generate 2.5-3 lakh tons of carbon credit every year.
Company has entered in to a joint venture with SCG International Corporation Co. Ltd (SIAM Group) to setup 3 lakh cubic meters per annum facility near Ahmedabad to manufacture AAC blocks and panels with an investment of around Rs. 60 crore. The project is expected to commence from Q1FY24. SCG is one of the largest cement and building material company in South East Asia and will hold 48% in the joint venture with 52% being held by Bigbloc Construction Limited.
For FY22, Company reported Net Profit of Rs. 16 crore with EBITDA of Rs. 27.7 crore, Total Income of Rs. 175.8 crore. Last 3 years Net Profit CAGR at 138% and Sales CAGR at 21%. Promoter Group holding in the company as on March 22 stands at 72%. Listed on BSE and NSE, company’s market capitalisation stands at over Rs. 750 crore.
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Hidden objects
Puzzle games > Hidden objects
The subcategory Hidden objects contains a total of 7 online games and is part of the main category Puzzle games. On GameWolf you can play all games in this collection for free, unlimited and directly in your browser. Will you be able to achieve a new high score? We wish you lots of success and fun with the online games in the category Hidden objects on this online games site containing the best HTML5 games!
Find The Candy
Find the Candy is a challenging HTML5 game in which you have to seek the hidden stars. To finish the game you have to find the candy. You have to focus and put a lot of effort into finding the candy because it can be everywhere! Are you up for this challenge?
Find The Candy Kids
Find the Candy Kids is a challenging HTML5 game where you have to seek the hidden stars. To finish the game you have to find the candy. You need to focus and put a lot of effort into finding the candy because it can be everywhere!
Find The Candy Winter
Find the Candy Winter is a challenging HTML5 game in which you have to seek for the hidden stars. To finish the game you have to find the candy. You have to focus and put a lot of effort into finding the candy because it can be everywhere! Are you up for this challenge?
Little Shop of Treasures
Search for requested items and sell them to your customers!
Little Shop of Treasures 2
Welcome back to Huntington in Little Shop of Treasures 2, a new adventure of hidden object fun.
Little Shop: City Lights
Help all your customers find what they're looking for. Sell objects by clicking them one by one.
Pearl's Peril
Pearl's father has suddenly passed away and she has inhereted Artemis Island. Help Pearl to find all of the objects at Artemis Island and discover their meaning. Relive the romance and adventure of the thirties with beautiful hidden-treasure scenes and engaging stories. | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.5133802890777588, "wiki_prob": 0.4866197109222412, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1214845"} |
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Power Of Women, Power Of SALT
Posted by Imran on June 11, 2022 at 6:00pm
*Tuesday, May 10, 2022*
*Sangli Division*
*Salt process*
Salt activity of women waste pickes was held at Sangli today. This time the women participated enthusiastically. At the beginning, all the women came with the mentality of "just want to listen to this program, someone, sir, madam is going to come and give some information, now you have to go and listen and come because madam has told you". But, we are wrestlers trained by Madam Bhosle of GFC. Along with Ritu's guidance. !!
The first thing we did when we left was take a nice song and dance to nourish the atmosphere. But not all women participated. Once again they communicated to allay their fears towards us and all the women joined in the dance.
After that, we did an introductory program by asking everyone a welcome question. And slowly the program continued. As the program progressed, all the women became very comfortable and after mixing with us, we asked them to share a story about an event in their lives and grouped everyone.
Then, everyone shared their story in front of everyone. Some women cried while telling their stories. The story of each woman was very inspiring, she was laughing even after having her kidney removed, who was paralyzed three times and was in a coma, but she was still living a strong life. He had gone and forgotten his wife and daughter, whose husband used to beat him with alcohol, whose husband started an affair with another woman, whose daughter ran away and got married, who was taking care of his three children, who was adopted .. etc. .. Every woman had such mind numbing stories. We learned a lot from this part, but the secret of our lives was revealed to everyone for the first time today. And after expressing this, all the women felt very light. One woman responded, "Today I felt very heavy, I forgot all the tensions in my life, I enjoyed my heart's content" This is the acknowledgment of our work.
Now he told all the women what he had done for a living. He also gave all the information to the women on how to use this process in their work, what is the benefit of it, how to take advantage of it. For this, Jayashree, Shah Rukh, Kaushalya Madam, and I (Imran) acted as guides and Satappa Saran acted as the observer, while Abhijit Jadhav and Sonali Kamble acted as the coordinators.
*Imran Shaikh*
*Facilitator*
*Gender Equality Project*
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Home > Entomology > General Entomology >
A Checklist of Irish Aquatic Insects
by Ashe, P.; O'Connor, J.P.; Murray, D.A.
Catalogue No : 2302
Published : 1998
Cover : Paperback
Series : Irish Biogeographical Soc: Occasional Publications
Published In : Dublin
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Occ. Publ. Ir. Biogeog. Soc. No. 3
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O'Connor, J.P.
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O'Connor, J.P.; Nash, R.; Fitton, M.G.
A Catalogue of Irish Braconidae (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonoidea)
O'Connor, J.P.; Nash, R.; Achterberg, C. van
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A Catalogue of the Irish Platygastroidea and Proctotrupoidea (Hymenoptera)
O'Connor, J.P.; Nash, R.; Notton, D.G.; Ferguson, N.D.M.
A Catalogue of the Irish Chalcidoidea (Hymenoptera)
O'Connor, J.P.; Nash, R.; Boucek, Z.
A Comprehensive Guide to Insects of Britain & Ireland
Brock, P.D.
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Britain's Insects: A field guide to the insects of Great Britain and Ireland
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A photographic guide to Insects of southern Europe and the Mediterranean
Silent Earth: Averting the Insect Apocalypse
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Milman, O. | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.8872097134590149, "wiki_prob": 0.8872097134590149, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line227376"} |
Canadian Particle Astrophysics Research Centre Awarded CFREF Funding
September 06, 2016 — Astrophysics News
In a release today, Queen’s University announced it has received an investment of $63.7 million from the Government of Canada’s Canada First Research Excellence Fund to support the creation of Canadian Particle Astrophysics Research Centre (CPARC).
The funding will support 41 new positions for researchers, engineers, designers and technicians while supporting numerous graduate and postgraduate students. “Through this initiative we will develop new particle astrophysics detectors capable of probing the highest priority questions in physics today while integrating students, fostering greater international collaboration, engaging industry and cementing Canada’s place as the global leader in the field,” says Tony Noble, Interim Director of CPARC.
Based at Queen’s, this new research centre will include members located at seven Canadian universities and partner with 5 Canadian research institutions including SNOLAB. “SNOLAB is delighted to partner with Queen’s University and the Canadian particle astrophysics community on this amazing initiative. The CFREF-funded Canadian Particle Astrophysics Research Centre will enable the Canadian research community to strengthen both domestic and international connections, develop new research projects at the leading-edge of contemporary physics, and fully utilize the substantial investment already made by Canada in this field. What great news for Queen’s and our research community,” says Nigel Smith, Director of SNOLAB.
About the Canadian Particle Astrophysics Research Centre
To expand on the scientific culture at Queen’s University and partner institutions by building a powerful team working on all aspects of particle astrophysics.
To extract maximum scientific output from the current suite of SNOLAB experiments, by strengthening the scientific resources at Canadian universities and engaging the broader community in the undertaking.
To create a research team with the ability to lead global-scale, next generation experiments and attract international collaboration; and
To create opportunities to embed students at all stages of their careers in this scientific culture, developing skills and creating training opportunities through linkages to colleges, industries and international programs.
Partner Universities:
Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR)
The Institute of Particle Physics (IPP)
The Perimeter Institute
SNOLAB
For more information on the Canada First Research Excellence Fund, please visit the CFREF website. | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.9404330253601074, "wiki_prob": 0.9404330253601074, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1797173"} |
HomeNews US Vessel to Break Gaza Siege
US Vessel to Break Gaza Siege
A pro-Palestinian American group has reportedly initiated a humanitarian campaign to sail an aid vessel to the Israeli-blockaded Gaza Strip.
The "US Boat to Gaza" has begun attracting funds for the purchase of the vessel, Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post wrote on Monday.
The vessel, which could carry 40 to 60 crewmembers, is expected to depart in autumn with the ultimate aim of challenging the four-year-long Israeli siege on the Gaza Strip.
The Israeli-imposed restrictions have deprived the 1.5-million Palestinian residents of the impoverished coastal sliver of food, fuel and other necessities.
"…together we will contribute to the great effort to end the blockade of Gaza and the illegal occupation of Palestine", the organizers have said on their website.
The boat is reportedly to be named as "The Audacity of Hope," synonymous with President Barack Obama’s popular book.
A friend of the president and the director of the Middle East Institute at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Professor Rashid Khalidi, is reportedly advocating the effort.
"If the name is a problem for the administration, it can simply insist publicly that Israel lift the siege: end of problem, end of embarrassment," Khalidi said.
"That of course would require it to respond to the systematic mendacity of those in Congress and elsewhere who support the siege, and indeed whatever else the Israeli government does."
Preparations for the relief effort are underway amid continued international condemnation of the Israeli commandos’ May 31 attack on the Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla aid mission. The assault in international waters killed nine Turkish activists.
The bid is also supported by Cindy and Craig Corrie, the parents of the famous US peace activist, Rachel Corrie, who was crushed to death by an Israeli army bulldozer in 2003 as she was trying to prevent it from razing a Palestinian home.
Israeli forces seized an aid vessel with the same name last month while it was on a mission to break the blockade.
"Given the national-religious hierarchy which determines what the (Israel Defense Forces) IDF can do to whom, the fact that the ship is American will make it harder to deal with it as the Mavi Marmara was dealt with," Khalidi stressed, referring to the Turkish flotilla on which the May bloodshed took place.
(Press TV)
‘Friends of Israel Initiative’ Launched
Beirut Arrests German Spying for Israel
Adolph A. Puig says:
It is a shame that the Israeli siege on Gaza still continues. An international group should confront Israel and enforce that all the necessary basic items be allowed to go to Gaza freely. Israel is using its military might to continue their atrocities on the Palestinian territory. Palestinians MUST be protected as well! | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.7044651508331299, "wiki_prob": 0.7044651508331299, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1334843"} |
HomeMarket AnalysisAptos APT Reaches New ATH Amid Rising DeFi Activities
Aptos APT Reaches New ATH Amid Rising DeFi Activities
January 22, 2023 Market Analysis 0
Layer 1 blockchain network Aptos’ native token APT reached a new all-time high of $14.18 during the early trading hours of Jan. 22 after surging by over 200% since the beginning of 2023.
According to CoinMarketCap, APT has been one of the best-performing digital assets in the current market rally, outperforming more seasoned rivals like Ethereum, Bitcoin, and others. For context, APT rose by 79% in the last seven days, while BTC and ETH only increased by 10% and 6%, respectively.
Source: CoinMarketCap
Users Transactions Spike on Aptos Blockchain
After launching to much criticism, users’ transactions on Aptos have increased by more than 100% in the last 30 days. According to available data, the blockchain processed 83,675 transactions as of Dec. 23, but that number jumped to 173,627 by Jan. 21.
The data also shows that new account creation on the network has been steady. As of Dec. 23, 10,248 new accounts were created. The number increased to 11,500 as of Jan. 3 but dropped to 8,024 by Jan. 21. However, the number of daily active addresses jumped to 35,742 from 23,065 over the reporting period.
Meanwhile, over 80% of the APT token supply is currently staked. Per Aptos Labs’ explorer, the token has a total supply of 1.01 billion, and 839.6 million of these tokens have been staked.
Aptos DeFi TVL Jumps 31%
The total value of assets locked in the Aptos ecosystem has surged by 31% to $55.62 million from $40.82 million recorded on Dec. 1, according to DeFillama data.
Source: Defillama
During this period, DeFi activities picked up on Aptos as several projects announced support for the network. On Jan. 6, the leading BNB Chain-based decentralized exchange (DEX) PancakeSwap deployed to the blockchain. Since then, the DEX has dominated Aptos’ TVL, accounting for 59% of the network’s total TVL.
Meanwhile, other DeFi protocols on the network, like AUX Exchange, Tortuga, Ditto, ABEL Finance, etc., have all recorded an uptick in their TVL during the same period.
More recently, crypto exchange Binance on Jan. 20 opened new liquidity pools for Aptos in its Liquid Swap offering. The move led to an uptick in the trading volume of its APT/BTC and APT/USDT trading pairs.
It should be added that NFT activities on Aptos have also increased. Topaz data shows that the sales volume of the top 3 NFT collections on the network spiked by over 60% in the last 24 hours. The collections included Aptomingos, Aptos Monkey, and Bruh Bears.
First Moves Of 2023 For Bitcoin, Ripple, and Orbeon Protocol
Experts Share Views on U.S. Inflation | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.8696449398994446, "wiki_prob": 0.8696449398994446, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line14726"} |
VSO Team
Cullen Guglielmo
Sr. Staff Engineer
Mr. Guglielmo is a Sr. Staff Engineer at VSO located in the Montgomery office. He joined the firm in 2019 and provides petroleum engineering consulting services to clients. Cullen has performed evaluations across all of the major shale basins in the United States, with a focus in the Delaware Basin where he has extensive experience with development planning and reservoir engineering along with drilling, completions, production, and midstream operations.
Representative Experience /Projects:
Built multiple drill-out and financial models to assist in the evaluation of the undeveloped value in a potential acquisition of a large, operated southern Eagle Ford position.
Evaluated a mineral acquisition strategy of purchasing minerals alongside a large public operator in the Delaware Basin on behalf of a credit firm.
Analyzed multiple large non-operated packages in the Delaware Basin across Lea and Eddy Counties, NM on behalf of credit and individual investment firms.
Evaluated the single well economics, remaining inventory, and future volumes associated with midstream acreage dedications across five counties in the Delaware Basin on behalf of midstream companies.
Performed a detailed analysis of P&A liabilities, operating expenses, and drilling scenarios of an offshore Gulf of Mexico operator on behalf of a restructuring advisor.
Evaluated a private equity co-investment opportunity associated with the purchase of a operated asset in the Eagle Ford across Karnes County, TX.
Participated in the preparation of a multi-basin reserve report by evaluating the associated Midland Basin assets on behalf of a mineral investment firm.
Performed a basin-wide study for a mineral/non-operated investment firm in the SCOOP/STACK.
Summary of Experience and Affiliations:
Prior to joining VSO, Cullen was employed at Kaiser-Francis Oil Company and served as a Delaware Basin asset engineer in Kaiser-Francis’s Gulf Cost Group. Cullen received a B.S. Degree in Petroleum Engineering (Magna Cum Laude) from Texas A&M university in 2016 and a M.S. Degree in Finance from Southern Methodist University in 2017.
Stan Valdez, P.E.
Louis Skrobarczyk III, P.E.
Grant Olsen, P.E.
Townes Pressler, P.E.
Rob Quigley
Justin Funk
Chief Geoscientist
Omer Yasin
Preston Young
Preston Freisner
Adam Taberner
Tara Rundell | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.6999519467353821, "wiki_prob": 0.3000480532646179, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line295669"} |
The Business Download: Clean Energy
Clean Vehicles
Grid & Storage
Verification and fact-checking
Canoo LV is an Innovative Look at EV Design
Connor Long
9:00 AM EST on Mar 11, 2022
The era for new and exciting automotive design is here. The mass electrification of the automotive industry comes along with it a brand new opportunity to reinvent what it means to be a car. Startups like Tesla, Lucid, and Rivian have made small but meaningful changes to the ethos of car design, helping pave the way for the traditional automotive giants like GM and Ford. Yet, with the exception of the Tesla Cybertruck, which many in the industry considered a transformative design, there’s still plenty of opportunities and room to grow for startups to shake things up.
Enter Arkansas-based Canoo, an EV startup that’s taking advantage of this new space for creative freedom with their line of electric trucks.
The startup, originally known as Evelozcity, was founded by Ulrich Kranz and Stefan Krause, two former employees of EV startup Faraday Future, yet switched to their current brand name which they felt was more evocative of the sustainable and relaxed feel of the cars they’re bringing to market.
Photo Courtesy Canoo
Their initial product, the Canoo LV (which stands for Lifestyle Vehicle) set for initial production later this year, is a clear departure in design from an industry increasingly caught in homogeneity. Where most SUVs and lifestyle vehicles stick to the slight variations on the fairly standardized sloping roofline, the Canoo LV’s pill-shaped design was a much-needed departure from the norm. The plus-sign headlight and brake light design, combined with the gently curved, arch-roofline give the car an almost perfect symmetry from both the side and front profiles. The glossy black exterior (currently the only color the car is available in) in combination with the panoramic window arrangement makes the car almost improbably sleek. You can’t ask much from it in terms of aerodynamics, but the bus-like Canoo LV still finds a way to be streamlined and futuristic.
The interior is no less innovative. Aiming for spaciousness above all else, the interior discarded the previous three-row seating arrangement, instead opting for two front seats (driver and passenger) and a perimeter back seating arrangement “designed to feel more like furniture than traditional car seats.” The result is a more open seven-seat car that affords much more legroom than traditional seating arrangements. The theme of spaciousness continues through the use of the panoramic windows. The 22 windows (seriously, count them) provide an unencumbered 360-degree view of the surroundings for the passengers. The driver’s seat continues to integrate the panoramic windows through its implementation of a street view window situated below the car’s rectangular steering wheel. The infotainment center is also wonderfully contrarian, opting out of the standard touchscreens found in most vehicles and instead choosing seamless mobile connectivity via a Canoo app. Users control everything from music, to heating and air conditioning from their phones, which can be mounted on a dock in the center of the dashboard.
The Canoo LV driving specs are well balanced. The single motor produces 300 horsepower and owns a 0-60mph time of 6.3 seconds. It also offers a range of 250 miles on a single charge. While this doesn’t touch the mileage of the rangier EVs in that market segment, it still delivers plenty of range for a vehicle of its size. In addition, the car charges to 80% in just 28 minutes using a fast-charging station. The company is also promising that the car will be the very first drive-by-wire steering system on the market, replacing previous mechanical steering systems with a completely electric one instead.
The drivetrain design is also quite noteworthy. It uses a skateboard design that lays the batteries in a flat rectangle with the wheels at each corner. This particular configuration allows the car to feel like an SUV while having the external footprint of a compact car. Due to the adaptability of this type of drivetrain design, Canoo is licensing the design to Korean automakers, Kia and Hyundai, as well as using a modified version of it for their upcoming pickup truck and delivery vehicle.
Skateboard Drivetrain // Photo Courtesy Canoo
As far as safety is concerned, Canoo will ensure that its Lifestyle Vehicle will be equipped with 12 airbags, and an advanced driver monitoring system to ensure the safety of both the driver and their passengers.
The Canoo LV will start at $34,500 for a “Delivery” option that comes without the backseat, and it is expected that the seven-seat Premium option will be around 50,000. Cars are still available to preorder and the first 3,000-6,000 vehicles will arrive sometime this year. Canoo also mentioned a subscription option where buyers are able to drive the car on a month-to-month basis, as an alternative to a buy or lease option.
The Canoo LV is a vehicle designed to break the mold in terms of car design and succeeds wonderfully. What’s more, the car achieves this level of excellence without the use of extreme engine capabilities or record-breaking speed. At its core, the Canoo LV is an innovative, if contrarian design that will show automakers the realm of creative possibilities for a new and exciting era in the automotive industry.
EV Review
US ‘Battery Belt’ Widens With $3.5 Billion Redwood Materials Plant
Induction Allows You To Heat Food, Not Your Home Or Planet
Greg Herrigel
As Grid Disruptions Rise, Solar Firm Aims To Keep The Power On
Uber Goes Clean: Company Moves To Go Fully Electric By 2030
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Evra takes cheeky dig at Roy Keane after David De Gea’s incredible performance in Man Utd draw against Crystal Palace
PATRICE EVRA has jumped to the defence of David De Gea with a jibe aimed at Roy Keane after the goalkeeper’s superb performance at Selhurst Park.
De Gea put on a spectacular display against Crystal Palace on Wednesday night during Manchester United’s 1-1 draw with the London club, making multiple game changing saves.
ReutersIt took a terrific Michael Olise free kick to beat David De Gea during the 1-1 draw[/caption]
Roy Keane has become infamous for his strong and controversial opinions on Manchester United and other clubs
The Spanish keeper has come under fire from Roy Keane over recent seasons after he has made mistakes in previous games.
Keane ranted about his displeasure with De Gea after he conceded against Spurs in 2020.
He said: “I’m shocked by that goal. I’ve watched a lot of football and to give away that goal I’m fuming.
“I’m staggered at Maguire and I’m sick to death of this goalkeeper.
“I would be fighting him at half-time, I would be swinging punches at that guy. I am flabbergasted.
“Maguire and De Gea, I wouldn’t even let them on the bus after the match. Get a taxi back to Manchester.”
He went on to say: “That’s not even going in the top corner. This is middle of the goal.
“That is not a great save, that’s his job, middle of the goal, good height for him. He should be catching that. That’s not even that high its middle of the goal.”
BETTING SPECIAL – BEST FOOTBALL BETTING SITES IN THE UK
The former Man United midfielder has since picked up a reputation for criticising De Gea.
After the 32-year-old keeper’s masterclass on Wednesday night Patrice Evra has hit back at Keane on social media in defence of United’s number one.
He wrote: “Sweet dreams Roy Keane… gracias hermano David De Gea. No 3 points tonight guys but I’m really proud of you Manchester United.”
The Red Devil’s ended their nine match winning streak after Michael Olise slammed a stunning long range free kick into the top corner in added time.
Insult was added to injury for Erik ten Hag and his team too as star man Casemiro was suspended for their trip to league leaders Arsenal on Sunday for collating too many bookings.
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'If we could just be a little more like him': Bob McGrath remembered for TeleMiracle legacy
Bob McGrath, the actor, musician and children's author known for his portrayal of one of the first regular characters on "Sesame Street" died at the age of 90 on Sunday.
However, in Saskatchewan, people know him as the longtime host and entertainer on TeleMiracle.
"No one had a way with people the way that Bob McGrath had," Beverley Mahood, who spent decades alongside McGrath, said of his legacy.
More than anything, Mahood remembers McGrath as a genuine and kind person who could make anyone feel comfortable.
McGrath only missed one TeleMiracle between 1977 and 2015 when he retired from the annual telethon.
Mahood first got involved with the fundraiser in 1987, when the man who helped Mahood learn her alphabet would suddenly become a friend and mentor.
"I learned everything I know. They say to do that, you know, learn from the best. I definitely learned from the best of how to have human compassion and how to have human kindness," she said.
"You felt like you knew him because he treated you that way."
Over the years, people in Saskatchewan came to know McGrath more for his TeleMiracle appearances than his appearances on Sesame Street. The lure of helping people and neighbors in need brought McGrath back every year.
"He's like an uncle that you've known all your life. He's such a kind, gentle and, and generous guy," Brad Johner said.
Johner, a fellow musician and Telemiracle regular, first met McGrath when he was a teenager performing on stage. Years later, Johner would go on to be close friends with McGrath after more than 20 shows together.
Johner said singing "Wild Mountain Time" with McGrath for the very first time was the highlight of his career.
McGrath received a Saskatchewan Distinguished Service Award in 2013. The day after he retired in 2015, Saskatoon mayor Don Atchison declared March 8 as Bob McGrath Day.
Always humble and trying to refuse the attention, McGrath would have rather put the spotlight on the people of Saskatchewan.
"Sometimes when you meet an idol of yours, they're not who you thought they were. Well, Bob was exactly who you who you thought he was," Johner said.
Johner said it was amusing to watch all the celebrities and rock stars appearing on TeleMiracle over the years. It didn't matter who they were or how big their fame was. Everyone instantly reverted to a toddler when they met McGrath.
"They were googly eyed over Bob McGrath," Johner said. "Bob is singing, 'my face, my face' and they're clapping along like a five-year-old kid. I mean, that's a special moment," Johner said.
Johner was pleased to find out McGrath died with his family by his side after coming to learn how much they meant to McGrath.
A man who grew up in Illinois, who spent most of his career in New York City with no other connection to Saskatchewan has left a hole in the province.
While it feels like something is now missing without McGrath, Johner said his demeanor, attitude and legacy is something we can all benefit from.
"If we could just be a little bit more like him, the world would be a way better place.”
Sask. curling rink shut down for season | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.9745396375656128, "wiki_prob": 0.9745396375656128, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1172421"} |
India and the Cold War / ed. Manu Bhagavan
On page one of India and the Cold War, the collection’s editor, Professor Manu Bhagavan, claims that thoughts about the Cold War changed after the publication of Odd Arne Westad’s The Global Cold War (2005). Fifteen years after its initial printing, Westad’s opus still looms large for Cold War scholars.
Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and the San Francisco Bay Area / Peter Cole
In Dockworker Power: Race and Activism in Durban and San Francisco Bay Area, historian Peter Cole compares the union histories of two port cities, the militant struggles of dockworkers against racial discrimination, their response to technology (in the form of containerisation),
Progressivism and US Foreign Policy Between the World Wars / eds. Molly Cochran, Cornelia Navari
In Progressivism and US Foreign Policy Between the World Wars, Molly Cochran and Cornelia Navari present a valuable collection of essays that address the lasting impact of the Progressive Movement upon the foreign relations of the United States during the inter-war period and beyond.
Jacobitism and Anti-Jacobitism in the British Atlantic World, 1688-1727 / David Parrish
Many years ago, J. H. Overton drew a fine line between Non-Jurors on the one hand and Jacobites on the other. The former, according to Overton, were ‘in no active sense of the term Jacobites’ because they were ‘content to live peacefully and quietly without a thought of disturbing the present government’.
Kissinger: 1923-1968: The Idealist / Niall Ferguson
‘This is a biography of an intellectual, but it is more than just an intellectual biography because, in the evolution of Kissinger’s thought, the interplay of study and experience was singularly close. For that reason, I have come to see this volume as what is known in Germany as a bildungsroman – the story of an education that was both philosophical and sentimental.
Out of Oakland: Black Panther Party Internationalism During the Cold War / Sean L. Malloy
Writing at the dawn of the new millennium, historian Peniel Joseph lamented the scholarly neglect of Black Power. While studies of the Black liberation movement’s ‘heroic period’ from 1955-1965 abounded, research on Black Power ‘languished’ due to lack of interest, limited archival sources, and a prevailing declension narrative that cast Black Power as civil rights’ ‘evil twin’.
Irish Nationalists in America: The Politics of Exile, 1798-1998 / David Brundage
David Brundage’s Irish Nationalists in America employs no sleight of hand in its title. It is a short, well-crafted new survey of Irish nationalists in the United States from the late 18th century to the close of the 20th that is more than the sum of its parts.
Women's Antiwar Diplomacy During the Vietnam War / Jessica M. Frazier
Jessica M. Frazier’s Women’s Antiwar Diplomacy During the Vietnam War Era illuminates a consistently overlooked feature of anti-war activism; the transnational exchanges and relationships forged between US women and their Vietnamese counterparts.
This Vast Southern Empire: Slaveholders at the Helm of American Foreign Policy / Matthew Karp
Matthew Karp’s This Vast Southern Empire: Slaveholders at the Helm of American Foreign Policy seeks to explain the worldview of elite Southern slave-owners in the antebellum era.
From Empire to Humanity: The American Revolution and the Origins of Humanitarianism / Amanda B. Moniz
For many of us, the ongoing carnage in Syria is a self-evident humanitarian crisis. We do not need to be convinced that the children drowning at sea, the women and men, young and old, begging for entry into any country that will accept them are worthy of our help.
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Iran World Cup countdown begins with coach Queiroz at the helm
Iran is rushing to prepare for the World Cup final, but returning coach Carlos Queiroz is confident that upcoming friendlies against Uruguay and Senegal will help prepare his team for November’s tournament in Qatar.
After months of speculation, Queiroz was named last week to replace Croatian Dragan Skocic at the helm, but the former Real Madrid and Portugal manager has just over two months to fine-tune the squad.
Queiroz returns after playing for the national teams of Colombia and Egypt. This year he took Egypt to the brink of qualifying for Qatar.
He will work with a team he knows well from his eight-year stay in Tehran, which led Iran to the 2014 and 2018 World Cups. He left the role following his team’s semi-final elimination from the Asian Cup in the United Arab Emirates in January 2019.
“This is our first step towards preparing for the World Cup,” the 69-year-old said of a training camp in Austria starting next week, where Iran will play Uruguay on September 23 and Senegal four days later.
“We will do our best both on and off the field to prepare for the competition. We have an obligation to improve conditions, make progress and always move forward,” he was quoted as saying by media in Tehran.
Queiroz has named a 27-man squad for the camp as he prepares his team for a challenging World Cup campaign that will see the Iranians open the competition against England on November 21 and then face Wales and the United States.
Sixteen of the 23 players selected to play in the World Cup final in Russia four years ago were included in the squad, including 35-year-old Omid Ebrahimi.
The midfielder, who plays in his club football in Qatar for Al Wakrah, was a standout under Queiroz in 2018 but has only made two appearances for Iran since November 2019.
Other familiar faces include goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand, as well as Leverkusen striker Sardar Azmoun and Porto striker Mehdi Taremi.
“As a professional coach, I know that all the teams in the world are progressing,” said Queiroz. “We will also do our best to face our adversaries in Qatar and be fully prepared for the campaign.”
UK says Ukraine continues offensive in northeast, Russia establishes line of defense
Actress, screenwriter and comedian Annie McKnight creates buzz on Comedy Club US tour – World News Report
World Leaders Condemn Brazilian Violence, US Lawmakers Call for Bolsonaro’s Extradition | Brazil
Supporters of the former President of Brazil attacked the country’s Congress
Security forces seized 32 pistols from smugglers on the border with Jordan
Biden visits southern border as Texas Gov. Abbott denounces president for coming ‘two years late’ | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.9518774747848511, "wiki_prob": 0.9518774747848511, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1496918"} |
Play the C-SPAN video of Elana Sztokman discussing women in Israel with NCJW CEO Nancy Kaufman
C-SPAN: Elana in conversation with NCJW CEO Nancy Kaufman
Watch NCJW CEO Nancy Kaufman in conversation with Elana Sztokman about the topic of women in Israel. The event took place on February 4, 2015 at the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York City, and was aired on C-SPAN.
Elana Sztokman on the WNYC Website - Israeli Women at the Back of the Bus
WNYC - The Brian Lehrer Show: Israeli Women at the Back of the Bus
Elana Maryles Sztokman, former executive director of the Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance (JOFA) and the author of The War on Women in Israel: A Story of Religious Radicalism and the Women Fighting for Freedom (Sourcebooks, 2014), explores Israeli women's struggles with the rules of the growing ultra-Orthodox movement there.
Elana on CBC's The Current
>> Listen here
Elana in The Washington Post
April 19, 2015, by Amanda Bennet
>> "Why is it okay to discriminate against women for religious reasons?"
Elana in The New York Times
Dec 23, 2012, by Jodi Rudoren
>> At a sacred site, a fight over women and prayer"
Elana in Newsweek
11/12/13 By Abigail Jon
>>Divorce in the Jewish community can be brutal, degrading and endless
Elana in Al-Jazeera
April 17, 2015, by Raina Lipsitz
>> Fear of Flying with females
Elana in Jezebel
May 28, 2015 by Ellie Shechet
>>Israel women will continue to fight against modesty signs
Elana in USA Today
February 28, 2015, by Michele Chabin
>> Israel's ultra-Orthodox haredi women form political party
Arutz Sheva: Talia Kohen interviews Elana Sztokman about women in the upcoming elections in Israel
Talia Kohen interviews Elana Sztokman about women in Israeli politics in advance of the upcoming elections in Israel, Part 1 and Part 2 below. And please share your comments and feedback.
Elana Sztokman on the Arutz Sheva Website
Elana Sztokman talks about why there isn't more representation of women in the Israeli Knesset.
>> Could There Ever be a Female Prime Minister of Israel Again?
Elana Sztokman on The Jewish Channel: Up Close
Up Close looks at different ideas of feminine roles in morality, religion and politics. Steven I Weiss of the Jewish Channel interviews Elana Sztokman on women’s equality in Israel.
>> Elana Sztokman on The Jewish Channel (TJC) Website
Elana Sztokman on WorldView
"The issue is that when 50% of the population is excluded from decision-making power, that means 50% of the perspectives are missing," says author and Israeli-American feminist Elana Maryles Sztokman. "I want to think about what security really means... I want to sit around the table with Palestinian women and say 'What do we all want?'... 'What other possibilities are there besides the bombastic response?'" Listen to the full conversation:
>> Jeome McDonell interviews Elana Sztokman on WorldView
TLV1: LET’S GET LIT: Elana Sztokman and the war on women
Jewish Orthodox feminist, activist, and author Elana Maryles Sztokman talks about her latest book, The War on Women in Israel: A Story of Religious Radicalism and the Women Fighting for Freedom.
>> Elana Sztokman on the TLV1 Website - Elana Sztokman and the war on women
Voice of Israel Radio: Elana Sztokman on the Mottle Wolfe Show - Mile High Snub
Elana Sztokman, former head of JOFA (Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance) was flying back to Israel after a tour promoting her new book, “The War on Women in Israel: A Story of Religious Radicalism and the Women Fighting for Freedom”, when an Ultra Orthodox man refused to be seated next to her because she was a woman. Mottle is joined in the studio by Voice of Israel show host Eve Harrow to discuss this incident and the larger implications of religious freedom in public spaces.
>> Elana Sztokman on the Times of Israel Website - El Al faces uproar over ultra-Orthodox refusal to sit near women | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.8258572816848755, "wiki_prob": 0.8258572816848755, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line384071"} |
House Featuring NanaWall WD66 Wins AIA Honor Award
By NanaWall Systems, August 1, 2017
Forest House, a project of much acclaim, recently won a 2017 design award from the San Francisco chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The novel design, developed by Envelope A+D, features three NanaWall WD66 systems.
The WD66 is our all wood framed folding glass wall. The WD66’s superior insulation and weather protection make this system the perfect accompaniment for Forest House. It performs as well as a conventional, non-operable wall, but the reality of its operability only serves to further enhance the overall design of Forest House.
As a series of small, one-room cabins, Forest House is made to feel infinitely more spacious by having the additional flexibility afforded to it by a NanaWall system. Upon operation, the WD66 can glide off into a corner, expanding the room to which it is attached by opening it entirely to the outside.
Even closed, the systems glass panels let in an abundance of light, rewarding the observer a view so panoramic that it begs one to question whether they are indoors or out.
Photography © Richard Barnes
Although it is often mistakenly assumed that our systems can only be installed in broader openings, Forest House perfectly disproves this assertion; its smallest NanaWall system has only 3 panels which makes it a perfect accompaniment to a Not so Wide® space.
NanaWall is proud to have partnered another successful project. Congratulations Envelope A+D! | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5184295177459717, "wiki_prob": 0.5184295177459717, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line977642"} |
Home What to do ? fauna and flora Baobab
The baobab, a Malagasy tree
Real emblem of Malagasy flora, the baobab is a majestic and sacred tree that counts eight species. Six of them only grow in Madagascar. The baobab alley contains the most specimens in the world, so you will realize their impressive size and admire some trunks naturally intertwined (baobab in love).
Some info
The baobab, as called the bottle tree
“Sanctuary of nature” and “ecological jewel”, are the adjectives that qualify the natural wealth of Madagascar. The baobab, also called “reniala” (“mother of the forest”) in Malagasy, is a 100% secular Malagasy tree.
There are eight species on earth and six of them are endemic to the island. The baobab constitutes an important reserve of water which allows it to tolerate extreme climatic conditions.
Because of its trunk filled with water, the baobab is also called “bottle tree”.
The baobab trunk measures, for some species, up to 9 meters diameter and 30 meters high. It is said that the peculiar shape of the baobab is due to the fact that it would have been planted upside down, the roots toward the sky.
Unique place
The baobab alley
At 19 kms from Morondava, admire the unique forest of baobab trees in the world.
This set of a dozen trees presents a landscape of a rare elegance.
Most of these baobabs are more than 800 years old, a legacy of the dense forests that have flourished on the island a long time ago.
You will admire there the most beautiful specimens in a wonderful scenery.
Where can you see baobabs ?
The ideal place to admire the baobab trees is in Morondava : the alley of baobab. But it can also be seen in Majunga and Tulear, as well as in the parks of Anakarafantsika, Vohibisa, et Kirindy Mitea. | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.7019177675247192, "wiki_prob": 0.29808223247528076, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1663260"} |
Novak Djokovic vs Stan Wawrinka: US Open Preview and Prediction
The best match of the tournament, for now, is here as 2018 US Open Champion, Novak Djokovic locks horns with 2016 US Open Champion, Stan Wawrinka, in the fourth round of the US Open tomorrow. Both the players are up against each other for the 25th time in their career.
Djokovic will have painful memories of their last meeting at US Open 2016 when he blew away a set lead to lose to Wawrinka in four sets. That was the moment Stan had completely outfoxed him with his ruthless rallying and brilliant backhands. Novak was outplayed on that day. Stan has not won a slam after that triumph but is still a force to reckon with on the tour.
Coming to Djokovic's season, this has been one of the best years of his professional career as he continued his golden run by winning more two more slams - Australian Open and Wimbledon. He came back from the dumps by winning two slams in a row last year- Wimbledon and US Open. Consistency has been his biggest strength this year and he is unstoppable when he gets going.
He began the year with a surprise three-set loss to Roberto Bautista Agut in the semifinals of the Qatar Open. Djokovic won his favourite grand slam, the Australian Open, for a record seventh time defeating some of the best players on the tour- Tsonga, Shapovalov, Medvedev, Nishikori, Pouille, and Nadal. The Serb was too good for Nadal in a rematch of their 2014 final and thrashed him 6-3 6-2 6-3 making it a no contest.
There was a dip in form post that as he lost early in Indian Wells and Miami to Kohlschreiber and Agut. He compensated for those shock losses with a semi-final finish in the men's doubles of the Indian Wells partnering Fabio Fognini as the pair took down experienced doubles teams before losing to Kubot/ Melo in three sets.
Djokovic delivered decent performances on the red dirt reaching the quarterfinals of the Monte Carlo Masters where he lost to in-form Medvedev in three sets. He took advantage of Nadal's loss to Tsitsipas in the semifinals of the Madrid Open as he defeated Thiem in the semis and Tsitsipas in the finals to bag the title. Nadal got the better him of him in the Rome Open finals. Djokovic fought very hard in the French Open semifinals but went down to Thiem in a classic five-setter.
He directly entered Wimbledon. He did not feel any pressure of the tag "defending champion" as he stunned Roger Federer in the longest final ever played at Wimbledon (four hours and 57 minutes).
Djokovic showed off his iron-like defense skills saving two championship points when Federer was leading 8-7 (40-15) to win the fifth set 13-12 and win his 16th Grand Slam. Every Federer fan would remember that loss for a lifetime. He also narrowed down the slam gap with only Federer and Nadal marginally ahead at 20 and 18 respectively.
Djokovic made a good move to skip Rogers Cup as he wanted to defend his Cincinnati Open title that he won defeating Federer last year. But, Medvedev proved to be too good again making a strong comeback after losing the first set. Djokovic showing a thumbs-up gesture to Medvedev signalled his respect for his opponent's high-level game that day.
Coming to the US Open, Djokovic has been fighting two battles- against the opponent and his sore shoulder. He required a medical-time out against Londero in the second round and was wondering if he could even complete his match. But Djokovic hung on and won the match in straight sets. He showed no signs of any discomfort in the next match outlasting home hope - Denis Kudla in straight sets.
On the other hand, Stan Wawrinka has not had a great season. Stan has struggled with a knee injury, wobbly form and surprise upsets in 2019. He began the season with a quarterfinal finish in the Qatar Open where he lost to Agut in two sets. Stan lost a great duel with the big-serving Raonic in four gruelling tie-breaks.
His best performance in the season came when he finished as the runner-up in the ATP 500 Rotterdam Open defeating top seeds such as Raonic, Shapovalov, and Nishikori. Monfils had the last laugh as he won against him in three sets in the finals.
Another quarterfinal finish in Acapulco Open followed when he lost to the eventual champion- Kyrgios in a thrilling encounter. The two major hard-court tournaments- Indian Wells and Miami turned out to be a disaster for him as he lost early to Federer and Krajinovic respectively.
Wawrinka's performances in the clay-court season were average with his best show being quarterfinal finishes in the Madrid Open and French Open losing to Nadal and Federer respectively. He did not impress on grass too as he lost in the pre-quarterfinals of the Queens Championships to Mahut- a seasoned doubles player. The big-serving American- Reilly Opelka took him out in five sets in the second round of Wimbledon.
He tried to make amends in the North American hard-court tournaments- Rogers Cup and Cincinnati Open but lost to Khachanov and Rublev making his efforts futile. Wawrinka has slowly and steadily displayed his best tennis in the US Open so far defeating qualifier Sinner, veteran Chardy and lucky loser Paolo Lorenzi. He did suffer a mid-match crisis losing a set in the matches against Sinner and Chardy but won in four sets.
A statistical analysis of Novak Djokovic and Stan Wawrinka ahead of their match
Player Name Novak Djokovic Stan Wawrinka
Aces 17 58
Double Faults 19 11
Sets Played 9 11
Sets Lost 0 2
Breakpoint Conversion 17/38 11/32
Tiebreaks Won 1 3
Tiebreaks Lost 0 1
Djokovic leads the head to head record comfortably 19-5 but has a narrow edge over Stan in the slam record with four wins and three losses. Wawrinka has always stepped up on the big occasion denying Djokovic a career slam in the French Open finals - 2015 and once again overcoming him in the US Open finals - 2016.
The pressure will be on Novak Djokovic considering the heartbreaking defeats he has suffered against Stan previously, the pressure of being the World Number 1 and the defending champion.
Stan the Man will be looking to dictate terms from set one as Djokovic does not leave any loophole in his game for the opponent to exploit. Wawrinka must also keep in mind of Djokovic's tendency to start slow and gradually improve as the match goes on.
Djokovic will not find it easy either as Stan has been his nemesis before and stands as a big hurdle between Djokovic and the title.
‘There's something with him that when I get into my best game, I know that it's going to have some big rally. I'm going to play good tennis.’ said Wawrinka about Djokovic ahead of the match.
Djokovic has a slight edge due to form and experience but expect Stan to put up a great fight. Tennis fans will be guaranteed of a scintillating show.
Novak Djokovic to win in five sets
Tags: Grand Slam Novak Djokovic Stan Wawrinka Tennis US Open
Can Tammy Abraham break Chelsea’s number nine curse?
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The GC Marathons: Part I — Galactic Globular Clusters
In the late 18th century Charles Messier produced his now famous catalogues of around 100 objects, where the exact counts vary according to which source is consulted. In recent decades it has become a fashionable challenge for amateurs to observe visually as many Messier objects as possible, with the term Messier Marathon generally being applied to a single night’s observing session. Successfully completing the Messier challenge is indeed a worthy aim (and one fairly difficult to achieve) for astronomers equipped only with today’s equivalent of good-quality late-18th century technology in the hands of amateurs: say an undriven 70mm refractor or 100mm reflector, no camera, and a copy of Norton’s Star Atlas.
Around two and a half centuries later, amateur astronomers equipped with good-quality early-21st century technology can do rather more. In this article another Marathon is proposed. It has some similarities with the original challenge, not least that some targets are easy naked-eye objects (as is the Pleiades, M45) and others are at the limits of detectability (such as the Owl Nebula, M97, with the telescopes used by Messier). There are, however, some differences. For a start, there are now far too many galaxies, nebulae and star clusters known for any one person seriously to consider observing them all individually within a single lifetime, let alone in a single night. Messier was also limited by having to observe from France and so could not see anything in the far southern sky; modern observers may embark on international flights and can make use of robotic telescopes located both north and south of the equator. Accordingly a Marathon is proposed which is simultaneously more and less restricted than the original. It is more restricted in that only a certain class of objects are to be observed. It is less restricted in that objects throughout the sky are included in the challenge, that imaging (as opposed to purely visual) observations are permitted, and that no particular time limit is set on how long the task may take to accomplish.
The Full GC Marathon is here defined as to observe, the more difficult ones almost certainly by imaging, all globular clusters which are known to be members of our Milky Way galaxy. As of 2020 there are 158 such objects and a list is given below.
Not everyone may wish to travel far enough north or south in order that they may observe globular clusters which never normally rise above their horizon; their challenge is to complete the Restricted GC Marathon, where the nature of the restriction should now be obvious. This challenge will not be discussed any further.
Some observers may wish to set their sights higher and not restrict themselves to galactic globular clusters. The Extended GC Marathon is to observe as many globular clusters as possible, certainly including those associated with other members of the Local Group of galaxies. Amateurs have already imaged globular clusters as far away as the Virgo group of galaxies and the ultimate limit is yet to be determined. The Extended GC Marathon could well include thousands of objects, one of which (M54) appears in Messier’s catalogue. A fuller treatment of the Extended GC Marathon is given in Part II of this article, where a partial list of accessible globular clusters is also given.
The Full GC Marathon.
Some galactic globular clusters are naked eye objects, very easily so in the cases of ω Centauri and 47 Tucanae and, with greater difficulty, M13 and M15 though the latter demands very dark and transparent skies. A few may be impossible with facilities currently available to most amateurs. A significant part of the challenge is to determine the limitations of ones equipment and ability.
Unlike most stars and emission nebulae, the globular clusters are not largely confined to the disk of the Milky Way. Rather, they are approximately spherically distributed about the centre of the galaxy. As the earth is located roughly 30% of the distance from the galactic centre to the rim of the disk, perspective considerations suggest that a greater concentration of globular clusters should appear towards the direction of the galactic centre. As the centre lies well south of the celestial equator a greater number of globular clusters can be expected to be more easily visible in the southern hemisphere.
In the complete list, a selection from which is given below, the globular clusters are listed in decreasing order of Declination. This is for purely practical reasons: it is much easier and certainly less expensive for any given observer to wait until something rises above the local horizon than it is to travel a long distance to where it can rise. Immediately below, however, is a small selection of globular clusters which is ordered by a rather arbitrary evaluation of how interesting they may be to amateur astronomers.
ω Centauri
The brightest globular cluster in the sky is ω Centauri. With a J2000 declination of −47°29′ it only barely rises from the southernmost parts of Europe and the continental USA and never gets very high as seen from the Canaries or Hawaii. It is a very easy naked-eye object at an apparent magnitude of 3.9 and has doubtless been seen since at least Palaeolithic times. It was catalogued by Ptolemy in 150CE. Almost 2000 years of precession has now made it much further south in the sky for us than it was for him, so he didn’t have quite the same degree of difficulty as modern European observers. Halley appears to have been the first European to recognize that it was other than a star and in 1826 Dunlop noted that it is an almost spherical cluster of stars. It is about 4850 parsec distant and about 50pc in diameter, consequently it subtends over half a degree in the sky. ω Centauri is quite possibly the brightest, largest and most massive GC known in the Milky Way. It contains several million stars with a total mass of around 4 million times that of the Sun. The cluster is so unusual that debate is still on-going as to whether it is a standard globular cluster at all, the alternative being that it is the remaining core of a dwarf elliptical galaxy which has been stripped of its halo by too many close passes near or through our galaxy. The distribution of the stars is very noticeably ellipsoidal and stars with relatively high “metal” content (astrophysicists call any element heavier than helium a metal) are somewhat more common in ω Centauri than in the majority of globular clusters.
ω Centauri is also known as NGC 5139 and Caldwell 80. The J2000 position is 13h26m47.2s, −47°28′47″. It appears on Map 10 of Norton’s Star Atlas and chart 403 of Uranometria 2000.
Messier 13
The most impressive GC in the northern hemisphere was catalogued by Messier, though it was known to astronomers long before it acquired the name M13. Another of the naked eye objects, though markedly more difficult than ω Cen, it is the easiest member of the GC Marathon for most observers living in the northern hemisphere. Positioned in Hercules, at a declination of +36° 28′ it is circumpolar in much of Europe and North America though most easily seen in their spring and summer. Its visual magnitude is 5.8 and is about 23 arcminutes across, so an easy object in binoculars where it looks like a fuzzy star or the coma of a comet. Relatively small telescopes will reveal the brighter stars and it is a glorious sight in a large aperture reflector, as it is in images taken by amateurs and professional astronomers alike. The star density in the central region is so dense that collisions occur very occasionally and form new stars named “blue stragglers”; they are of great astrophysical interest. Another member of the challenge, M92, also lies in the constellation of Hercules about 9° from M13; it may be visible to the naked (but unusually sensitive) eye under optimal conditions.
M13 is also known as NGC 6205 and is located at 16h41m41.4s, +36°27′36″. It is shown on Map 11 of Norton’s Star Atlas and chart 114 of Uranometria 2000.
NGC 6397 & M4
NGC 6397, aka Caldwell 86, is in the constellation of Ara and so too far south to be seen by the great majority of astronomers in the northern hemisphere. It is unclear whether it or M4 (aka NGC 6121), located near Antares in Scorpio, is the closest to the solar system; both are around 2300 parsecs away. The former is magnitude 5.7 and the latter 5.6. M4 may be a naked-eye object, though rather difficult because it is 0.4 degrees across and so is of low surface brightness.
NGC 6397 appears on Map 12 and 16 of Norton’s Star Atlas and chart 455 of Uranometria 2000; it is located at 17h40m42.0s, –53°40′26″.
M4 may be found on Map 12 of Norton’s Star Atlas and chart 336 of Uranometria 2000; its J2000 coordinates are 16h23m35.4s, –26°31′33″.
NGC 288 is a fine example of a relatively loosely concentrated globular cluster and is visible in binoculars. It has a well-resolved 3 arc-min core and outlying members extend for at least a further 5 arc-min. It is of magnitude 8.1 and lies about 8.8 kpc from us. It is mentioned here because it is located close to the Sculptor Group in the sky, one of the two nearest groups of galaxies to the Local Group, but it is much closer than them. Globular clusters within the Sculptor Group form part of the Extended GC Challenge. Coincidentally a 15th-magnitude barred spiral galaxy, PGC 3068, appears to be inside NGC 288 and can be seen near the right edge of the image shown here. It is a background object and is at a much greater distance than either the globular cluster or the Sculptor Group.
NGC 288 is also known as Melotte 3 and HVI.20. It is on Map 4 of Norton’s Star Atlas (labelled as 206 in early editions) and chart 307 of Uranometria 2000; it is located at 00h52m46.4s, –26°34′59″.
NGC 2419 & NGC 7006
This pair of GCs form perhaps the most distant confirmed members of the Milky Way family. For a long time NGC 2419 in Lynx was named “the intergalactic wanderer” because it was thought not to be gravitationally bound to any particular member of the Local Group. Despite being 82.6 kiloparsecs from us and 91.5kpc from the galactic centre, it still shines at 10.4 magnitude which indicates that it is one of the most intrinsically bright GCs in the galaxy. From an observer located in the Andromeda galaxy it would be the easiest of all our globular clusters to be seen because it lies well away from the obscuring disk of our galaxy. NGC 7006, on the other hand, is positioned on the other side of the galactic centre from NGC2419 and is to be found in the constellation of Delphinus. Somewhat fainter, at mag. 10.6, it is significantly closer than NGC 2419 at “only” 41.2 kpc.
NGC 2419 is also known as Caldwell 25. Its location is 07h38m08.5s, +38°52′57″ and is shown on Map 7 of J2000 epoch editions of Norton’s Star Atlas (being omitted from earlier editions) and charts 68, 69, 100 and 101 of Uranometria 2000.
NGC 7006 is also named Caldwell 42 and H I.52. Its location is 21h01m29.4s, +16°11′14″ and is shown on Map 13 of Norton’s (identified as 521 in early editions) and charts 164, 165 and 209 of Uranometria 2000.
FSR-1578
Despite being very large and very bright, FSR-1578 was only identified as a globular cluster as recently as 2007. It is intrinsically similar to ω Centauri, and may perhaps outclass it. Consequently, it would have been known since antiquity but for the fact that it is actually located within the core of the galaxy. The obscuration by gas and dust and, especially, the confusion caused by the dense star clouds left it unrecognized until so recently. Like ω Centauri, FSR-1578 is suspected to be the nucleus of a dwarf galaxy which has long since merged with the Milky Way. This globular cluster does not appear in any of the standard atlases. It described in the paper A SEQUOIA IN THE GARDEN: FSR 1758 – DWARF GALAXY OR GIANT GLOBULAR CLUSTER? where the position is given as 17h31m12.6s, -39°48′30″. This paper includes two images of the cluster.
Balbinot 1 and AM4
Balbinot 1 is one of the faintest and sparsest galactic globular clusters known; it is located at 22h10m43.2s,14°56′59″ in Pegasus. It has around 100 known members (thousands of times fewer than the largest), the brightest of which barely reach 18th magnitude with fainter members being around mag. 25. It has been imaged by amateurs but with some difficulty. See my image for an example and a link to the original paper reporting its discovery. Despite its difficulty, this cluster appears on chart 40 of the interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas.
AM4 is one of the most difficult objects in the Full GC Marathon, though significantly easier than a few globulars which are visible only in the infra-red due to their very great extinction by interstellar material. It is about 3 arc minutes in diameter and the brightest of its roughly fifty stars are only 20th magnitude. It was discovered by Arp and Madore in 1987 entirely by accident when they made an error in positioning the microscope they were using to examine a photographic plate. As of 2020 it is not entirely clear whether it is truly a Milky Way GC or whether it is associated with the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy and so should be moved into the Extended GC Marathon. In any event, it is approximately 33kpc distant and located in Hydra at 13h56m21.7s, -27°10′03″. The discovery paper is available at A DISTANT STAR CLUSTER IN HYDRA, AM-4 which also includes a finder chart. A recent analysis may be found at The globular cluster AM 4: yet another young globular associated with the Sgr Dwarf Spheroidal galaxy?
List of Galactic Globular Clusters.
The complete list of galactic globular clusters contains 158 entries and is inconveniently large to be included in its entirety in this document. It may be found as an HTML table and as an Open Document Format spreadsheet file, each of which will be updated if and when further information becomes available.
The entries for the clusters described above are given here. In the Chart column an entry such as “N7 U68&69&100&101 M107&108 i24” indicates that the corresponding globular cluster (NGC 2419 here) is plotted on map 7 of Norton’s Star Atlas, on charts 68, 69, 100 and 101 of Uranometria 2000, on charts 107 and 108 of the Millennium Star Atlas and on chart 24 of the interstellarum Deep Sky Atlas.
GC_ID
Right Ascension
Declination
Diameter, arc-min
GC004 NGC 2419 07h38m08.5s +38°52′57″ Lyn 10.40 4.6 N7 U68&69&100&101 M107&108 i24 H 1.218, most distant galactic GC known at 82.6kpc
GC005 M13 16h41m41.4s +36°27′36″ Her 5.78 20.0 N11 U114 M1159 i19&31 NGC 6205, large, bright, well resolved
GC018 NGC 7006 21h01m29.4s +16°11′14″ Del 10.56 6.3 N13 U164&U165&U209 M1215 i41 H 1.52, very distant, 41.2 kpc
GC020 Balbinot 1 22h10m43.2s +14°56′59″ Peg 16.31 7.9 i40 Extremely faint, very sparse
GC086 M4 16h23m35.4s -26°31′33″ Sco 5.63 36.0 N12 U336 M1397 i79 NGC 6121, perhaps closest GC (cf NGC 6397)
GC089 NGC 288 00h52m46.4s -26°34′59″ Scl 8.09 13.0 N4 U307 M364 i87 H VI.20, bright & easily resolved. SBc galaxy on western edge
GC093 AM 4 13h56m21.7s -27°10′03″ Hya 15.89 3.0 M865 i80&81 Extremely faint, very sparse
GC129 FSR 1758 17h31m12.6s -39°48′30″ Sco <7 90.0 Very large, very bright, very crowded field
GC137 ω Centauri 13h26m47.2s -47°28′47″ Cen 3.90 55.0 N10 U403 M953 i92&93 NGC 5139, large & bright (NE), elliptical profile
GC146 NGC 6397 17h40m42.0s -53° 40′ 26″ Ara 5.73 31.0 N12&16 U455 M1495 i91&101&102 Perhaps closest GC to the Sun (cf M4)
Acknowledgements.
I wish to thank:
Nik Szymanek for permission to reproduce his image of ω Centauri
Graham Winstanley for permission to reproduce his image of Messier 13
The compilers of the Wikipedia list of globular clusters entry.
The VizieR catalogue access tool, CDS, Strasbourg, France (DOI: 10.26093/cds/vizier)
Callum Potter for his support and editorial judgement.
Copyright © 2020 by Paul C Leyland. This document may be reproduced under the terms of the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.
List of Galactic Globular Clusters
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The New DC Comics Members Of Stormwatch & More Wildstorm Spoilers
In previous Wildstorm gossip, Bleeding Cool told you how Angel Breaker – also known as The Demon's Shadow – created by Joshua Williamson and Howard Porter. might get involved. Her first appearance was in Batman #122, as a member of Talia Al Ghul's League Of Assassins. But it turns out she has a hidden history – and not just the one with Black Canary. She has links to the Wildstorm side of DC Comics as well, revealed to have strong ties to WildCATS character Zealot, created by Brandon Choi and Jim Lee, and studied with her, learning the way of the Coda. But also Angel Breaker's sword, which returns energies directed towards it, was stolen from Zealot – it was originally hers. Zealot obviously wants her sword back. Initially…
While Angel Breaker wants training from the best and brightest of the DC Universe… and from Wildstorm as well. And in tomorrow's Wildstorm 30th Anniversary Special the proof is in the pudding…
We also talked about how Stormwatch, created by current DC Comics publisher Jim Lee of Wildstorm, would be finding new purpose at DC, time for a revival and reintegration into the DC Universe. Originally run by a United Nations body, overseen by a satellite called Skywatch and its director, the Weatherman, Henry Bendix. The series ran for a few years before Warren Ellis and Tom Raney took over the series, with artist Bryan Hitch joining. This introduced a new Stormwatch team, with predecessors killed off in an WildCATS/Aliens crossover. The team reformed as The Authority, free from any kind of control, and went out to change superhero comic books, and subsequent comic book films from Marvel and DC, forever.
And that in the wake of the recent supposed death of the Justice League, that Director Bones of the DEO, and former Stormwatch member Winter – Nikolas Kamarov, an ex-Russian Spetznaz officer and an energy absorber, are going to set up a new Stormwatch on their abandoned satellite station. And planning a proactive superhero force to do what the Justice League won't do, go where the Justice League won't go. But what will the Justice League say when they come back? Well, they have Wildstorm plans to deal with Superman…
And who will be joining Winter? I was told to expect the following… here is the proof of some of them.
Shado from the Green Arrow books.
Victoria N'Gengi, or Flint, former member of Stormwatch and invulnerable.
Ravager, or Rose Wilson, the daughter of Deathstroke
Core – Pavlo Stupka, a new Ukrainian character, shown on Bleeding Cool yesterday.
Peacekeeper 01 – Sean Mahoney, the corrupt policeman-turned-hero of Arkham on A-Day in Batman and now a cyborg on the loose.
And the return of Stormwatch character, The Eminence Of Blades, or Harry Tanner. No me neither, he won't last long.
No Midnight & Apollo, they will be far too busy in Dark Crisis On Infinite Earths #7 to have time to worry with Stormwatch.
And, as seen in previews, City Boy has a shared power set, albeit it from a different source, to Jack Hawksmoor…
And his story will continue in Lazarus Planet: Legends Reborn. As for what we wrote about the new Wildstorm Deathblow? Let's save that for later, shall we?
WILDSTORM 30TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL #1 (ONE SHOT) CVR C BRYAN HITCH VAR
(W) Various (A) Various (CA) Bryan Hitch
Written by Matthew Rosenberg, Brandon Choi, J. Scott Campbell, Brett Booth, Ed Brisson and others Art by Jim Lee, J. Scott Campbell, Bryan Hitch, Brett Booth, and others In 1992 Jim Lee changed the course of comics history with the founding of WildStorm Productions, which would revolutionize the business and launch the careers of so many top creators. To this day, 30 years later, the impact of the imprint, its characters, and its creators is still felt! In honor of this legacy comes a 100-page giant that pays homage to the past…and looks toward the future! Part of this mammoth special will be reprinting–for the first time in periodical form!–short stories from the acclaimed WildStorm: A Celebration of 25 Years hardcover, including stories by Jim Lee, J. Scott Campbell, Brett Booth, Dustin Nguyen, and more…plus new stories featuring WildStorm characters in the DC core line, charting their future in the DC Universe…
Retail: $7.99 In-Store Date: 11/29/2022
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Singer Jubin Nautiyal recovering after fall from stairs
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], December 2 (ANI): After suffering multiple injuries, Bollywood's popular playback singer Jubin Nautiyal is said to be recovering.
According to the 'Tum Hi Aana' singer's team, Jubin underwent an operation on his right arm. He is discharged from the hospital and is doing fine now.
Earlier on Friday, the 33-year-old fell down the stairs and was injured.
He broke his elbow, cracked his ribs and hurt his head after the unfortunate incident, as per the 'Manike' singer's team.
Jubin's fans took to Twitter to send their wishes to the 'Lut Gaye' singer.
"Get well soon brother," a user wrote.
"Praying for MY KING'S speedy recovery from all the wounds, toxicities and negativities," another user wrote.
The "Dil Pe Zakhm" singer appeared on stage at a Dubai concert last week.
His latest songs include "Bana Sharabi" from Vicky Kaushal-starrer "Govinda Naam Mera" and "Saath Hum Rahein" from Ajay Devgn-starrer "Drishyam 2".
He also recently collaborated with Sri Lankan singer Yohani of "Manike mage Hithe" fame on his original single "Tu Saamne Aaye". (ANI) | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.8091593384742737, "wiki_prob": 0.8091593384742737, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line547170"} |
fanatix | Boxing | Eddie Hearn criticises Floyd Mayweather, fears for Amir Khan against Luis Collazo
Eddie Hearn criticises Floyd Mayweather, fears for Amir Khan against Luis Collazo
Sumeet Paul
Hearn says fans want to see ‘Money’ take on Pacquiao, not Maidana.
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn has criticised Floyd Mayweather ahead of his fight with Marcos Maidana on Saturday, while he also thinks Amir Khan could struggle.
Hearn was speaking in his Daily Mail column, and believes that the fight fans in America are disinterested in this weekend’s bout and Mayweather is to blame.
The 37-year-old will take on Marcos Maidana in a welterweight unification fight, but Hearn believes that the fight that everyone really wants to see is the undefeated champion take on Manny Pacquiao.
Although Mayweather is expected to make a guaranteed minimum purse of $32m, money shouldn’t always be the motivation according to Hearn, who insists that fight week has been flat this time round.
“When the big fights don’t happen the public lose faith. That is happening with Floyd Mayweather,” he wrote.
“He is the king of the ring and the king of making money. But fight week seems particularly flat and I’m hearing from my people in America that there is not the buzz or even much interest in his fight with Marcos Maidana.
“He should be fighting Manny Pacquiao. That fight is credible again after he beat Timothy Bradley and it is ridiculous that they are not facing each other.”
While Hearn predicted a comfortable win for the American superstar, he believes that Khan could be in trouble when he takes on Collazo.
The Bolton-born fighter has been out of action for some time after a fight with Mayweather failed to materialise last year, and Hearn thinks that this could be a very tricky return to the ring given the longevity of his inactivity.
“Amir Khan is also fighting against Luis Collazo this weekend and I think there could be trouble. It’s likely that he has been promised internally that this will be a springboard to Mayweather, but I worry about Khan here. I always worry about him at elite level and this fight especially.
“Collazo is not the greatest in this division, but he is long in the tooth, a southpaw, dangerous and active. Khan is not active – he has not fought in a year and has fought only twice since summer 2012. I can’t see how you go into a fight like this after such an absence. It’s a massive risk.”
It remains to be seen whether or not Hearn’s predictions come true, but there will undoubtedly be a significant number of fight fans who share his belief that the likes of Mayweather and Pacquiao owe it to them to make their fight happen before they call time on their careers.
More Stories: Floyd Mayweather Jr
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The All Blacks resting policy may actually work
Bruce 6 hours ago
Hamish I think in Rugby the international game is king and will always be the case. However I think in NZ we don't have the balance right. As you say the total focus has been on the All Blacks and not enough attention has been put on Super Rugby and how to enhance that. They have seen it as a high performance tool to service the AB's and have not valued it as a competition in it's own right. However I think the current board have a different view and moving in the right direction. Having created an independent board to look solely after the competition is definitely a step in the right direction. I see the growing of the Super comp as the number one priority for NZ and Aus.
Gallagher PremiershipUlster
'The pain was almost like a ripping across my abdomen. I'd no idea what was going on'
By Liam Heagney
Ross Adair scoring for Ballynahinch RFC
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/the-pain-was-almost-like-a-ripping-across-my-abdomen-id-no-idea-what-was-going-on/
Pull up a chair and be inspired. Ross Adair’s attempt to fight his way back into the professional ranks is a winter’s tale to warm the heart at a time of year when so much talk is of bulging Six Nations win bonuses and other money-spinning incentives at the elite end of rugby.
Adair’s name doesn’t roll off many tongues despite representing Ireland in both rugby and cricket at underage level. A single PRO12 appearance a month before his 21st birthday was his lot at Ulster in 2015 before he took a well trodden Irish route abroad in search of fame and fortune – the stepping stone that is the English Championship.
Life in the second tier shadows can often be the springboard to a glamorous breakthrough higher up the food chain. Think Gareth Steenson, another ex-Ulster who found refuge at the Chiefs long before they were promoted and winning Premiership trophies.
Or Robin Copeland, whose far from flash existence at Plymouth and Rotherham opened the Cardiff door that then unlocked Munster and an Ireland cap within a few months of his 2014 return home.
Championship didn’t work out as successfully for Adair. There were 40-plus appearances along with a British & Irish Cup runners-up medal, but the desired upward mobility didn’t transpire.
Instead, degenerative hips brought a premature end to his two-and-a-half year stint at Jersey, the Channel Island club where Harry Williams and Gary Graham proved themselves before securing the Premiership transfers that led to their respective England and Scotland recognition.
Adair is still bravely fighting his corner, however. Rather than call it quits and hobble away when neither Jersey nor his insurer would provide medical bill assistance, Adair took out a personal loan of £15,000 at the start of 2018 to fund the pair of hip operations that now have him back on his feet.
He is playing pain-free All-Ireland League rugby at outside centre with Brian McLaughlin’s Ballynahinch, rubbing shoulders with Ulster squad members Peter Nelson, Johnny McPhillips, Kyle McCall and Tom O’Toole, and dreaming of a return to the professional ranks somewhere in Ireland or abroad next season.
It would be quite the heroic comeback if his ambition is fulfilled. Degenerative hips is an ordeal only supposed to affect people twice the 24-year-old’s age, but Adair has been to hell and back – mentally, physically and financially – to keep his career prospects alive.
HT in the 'A' interpro – The Ravens are leading Connacht 19-7 thank to tries from Jack Owens (2) and Ross Adair (pic) pic.twitter.com/N5k2hl8iG1
— Ulster Rugby (@UlsterRugby) October 2, 2014
He had positively rolled with the initial punches. He scored a try at Rodney Parade during his short-lived Ulster cameo off the bench, but he knew the province had nothing for him so he willingly embraced island life in the Championship.
‘I wasn’t going to be offered an academy or development contract, so going away was the right thing. Going to the Championship was the way to chase it. I wanted to be a professional, wanted to do anything to get there.’
His face fitted for quite a while but then came his 2017 torment, something he is still in the throes of only rebounding from a month into 2019. ‘Towards the end of my second season at Jersey I started getting pain in my pelvic area,’ he explained, taking up a story that should make every fan grimace about the harsh realities of a rugby existence far away from the bright Six Nations lights.
‘I wanted another club to come and sign me because of the confidence I had in myself. I thought I was good enough to go on, but nothing came in so I went back to Jersey and got stuck into pre-season.
He's back! Ross Adair may have left Jersey Reds at the end of last season, but he's returned to the island: https://t.co/CyGuWWkDSv pic.twitter.com/pQIXF15d60
— BBC Jersey Sport (@BBCJerseySport) July 7, 2017
‘I was aware for years I’d tight hips but just thought it was from playing rugby all the time. You don’t actually know what is going on inside, but I got to a stage where I couldn’t even run anymore. I couldn’t stride forward, so that is why I knew something was definitely wrong.
‘It was a bit rough. I went well in pre-season, but from September to December there was just months of not being able to do anything and worrying about what was going to happen. It was bleak. Dark times.
‘The pain was almost like a ripping across my abdomen. I’d no idea what was going on. We thought it was a hernia at the start but it wasn’t that. There was hours on an MRI machine. I got my spine checked, got everything checked and everything was fine apart from my hips.
‘We were all set for my operation on December 1 and then it all started going wrong with my insurance. My insurer realised it was degenerative so they backed out of paying and then Jersey wouldn’t help pay either and they released me just before Christmas.
‘When I had re-signed they said they would help get me fixed, get me better and get me fresh, so I was pretty disappointed Jersey turned around and said: “We unfortunately can’t help you”. But that’s just Championship rugby.
‘The RPA looked into it to see if they could do anything but there was nothing so I decided to pay for all the surgery and physio myself. I was in pain every day, sat on a sofa and couldn’t do much everyday stuff, so it was more a life decision.
‘It was a lot of money and the eight weeks between the two operations were extremely miserable as well as the weeks on crutches afterwards. The surgeon said it was an absolute war zone, but it needed to be done.
‘Whether or not I was going to play rugby after the operations was dependant on how I reacted to the rehab. There was also abdomen and adductor rehab. I’m not going to lie, it was tough and there was a lot of emotion. But I’m through it now.
‘Not being in pain every day is a relief and I now want to prove people wrong. I wouldn’t say it [the comeback] has been a complete success. I haven’t got a professional contract yet. We’ll see what the next few months bring.’
Adair’s younger brother Mark helped immensely during rehab. He’d been on Warwickshire’s books in English county cricket, but his need to have a screw inserted in his spine in October 2017 left the brothers nursing each other along to better health at home in Holywood just outside Belfast.
Holywood all out for 225… losing only by 14 runs. Congratulations to @WoodvaleCC1887! MOTM goes to Ross Adair (10 overs, 0 wkts, 18 runs). pic.twitter.com/lxxQbjJwCw
— Laure James (@LaureJames) May 20, 2017
Ross scored a summer ton for fun in a local cricket match and there is now new year optimism for the siblings. Mark’s currently touring with Cricket Ireland A in Sri Lanka while Ross is scoring tries for promotion-chasing Ballynahinch after taking first steps with their seconds team in November.
‘It was a big relief. There was no point worrying about getting injured. I just went out, pretended nothing was wrong and I have moved on in the last nine weeks. I’m alright, touchwood, and don’t see why I can’t do it professionally. I feel I definitely can do a job.
Adair scoring for Ballynahinch RFC
‘I’ve a lot of ambition and my agent is sniffing around. Hopefully some club takes a chance because I believe I have what it takes and have a desire to get through. Getting back to professional level is what is keeping me going.
‘It would be interesting – not just for rugby but for all sports – to see if a guy can go back playing professionally after getting both hips done. It’s a bit of motivation and if I walk on to a pitch professionally next season it would take back all the hard times I have had over the last 15 months.
‘The lesson I have learned is to get everything checked before signing a contract. The insurance I had wasn’t good enough, so I’d be checking the small print next time.’
A spokesperson for Jersey Reds told RugbyPass in a statement: “”We take pride in the way we have always looked after the welfare of our players and believe the club has earned an excellent reputation in this area. We have never released a player as a result of a rugby-related injury.
“We were pleased to learn that Ross Adair had been able to return to playing and wish him all the best with his ongoing recovery and for the future.”
TRENDING How 'a dumb play or two' could have hurt Jonny Hill with England How 'a dumb play or two' could have hurt Jonny Hill with England | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.7809986472129822, "wiki_prob": 0.7809986472129822, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line266044"} |
Volodymyr Zelensky turns 45: how the stars greeted the president
News CallieL Breaking News Wednesday 25th January 2023 08:48 AM
Today, January 25, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi is celebrating an anniversary. The Commander-in-Chief turns 45 years old.
The President receives a wide variety of greetings from relatives, friends, and officials. Happy anniversary to Volodymyr Zelenskyi, following the First Ladycongratulated the stars of Ukrainian show business, who until 2019 were his colleagues behind the scenes.
So, celebrities published photos of the President of Ukraine in their photo blogs and addressed him with warm and pleasant wishes. So, we offer to see how Volodymyr Oleksandrovych was congratulated on his birthday by the stars of Ukrainian show business.
Olya Polyakova
“I have many personal photos with Volodymyr, but none with Volodymyr Oleksandrovich, because today they are different people. The one with whom I have a lot of funny photos is talented, sparkling, humorous, light and happy! Today’s Volodymyr is a person, on whose shoulders fell the responsibility for the entire country, for the people, for the struggle – this is a very difficult burden, and it is unlikely that he wanted it! But when it was necessary – he took it upon himself without hesitation, boldly and responsibly! And became the leader of the bravest country in the world! A lot depends on him and his decisions today, but the whole country is united and helping – he is with us, and we are with him! Dear Volodymyr Oleksandrovich, be sure to be healthy, strong and God give you the strength and will to do what you will do you and us happy and easy again! Together to victory!” – greeted the singer.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy / Photo: Office of the President of Ukraine
Sofia Rotaru
The executive did not miss an important date for the president, so she congratulated the commander-in-chief together with others.
“Happy birthday, Mr. President,” Rotaru wrote in her photo blog, publishing a photo of Zelensky.
Photo: instagram.com/sofiarotaru.official
Lesya Nikityuk
The presenter thanked Volodymyr Zelenskyi in her greetings and noted that she has immense respect for him.
“Happy birthday, Mr. President. Unlimited respect and gratitude! You are cool,” Nikityuk addressed Zelensky.
Sergey Babkin
“Happy birthday, dear Mr. President! Health to you and your wonderful family! We are proud of you with all our hearts! Real! Decent! Strong! You are a man with a capital letter! Please take care of yourself, because you take care of all of us! With faith in you, with faith in our joint victory,” the singer addressed the president.
Iryna Bilyk
The artist congratulated the commander-in-chief on the holiday and said that he should be protected by higher forces.
“Happy birthday, Mr. President! May the Lord protect you!” – wrote the performer.
Hector Jimenez-Bravo
The famous chef wished the president to take care of himself, because now he is a great symbol of the fight against Russian aggression.
“Health, Mr. President. Most importantly, take care of yourself, because you are our great symbol, thanks to which we are still fighting. Happy birthday!” – wrote the cook.
Yury Gorbunov
“Happy birthday, Mr. President! Today there is no stronger, braver and stronger president in the world! We believe that the next birthday will be in a peaceful Ukraine! A country that defeated a fierce enemy! Health and strength to you!” – turned to Zelensky Gorbunov.
Natalka Denysenko
The actress wished the president good health and a speedy victory of Ukraine over the invaders.
“Today is the birthday of the best president in the world. I wish you a happy summer! Good health! Victory!” – the actress addressed the president.
Photo: instagram.com/natalka_denisenko
The article is in Ukrainian
Tags: Volodymyr Zelensky turns stars greeted president
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A year later, Times-Picayune circulation down 30%
Discussion in 'Journalism topics only' started by dixiehack, Aug 29, 2006.
dixiehack Well-Known Member
http://www.adweek.com/aw/national/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003053771
DALLAS A year after hurricane Katrina came ashore, New Orleans retains about half of its pre-flood population and the media market has slipped significantly, according to research compiled by Zehnder Communications.
Drawing on data from ratings agencies and its own research, the New Orleans ad agency cited Arbitron reports that the city has fallen from the 46th largest radio DMA to 58th as of last spring. Television ratings from Nielsen (owned by Adweek parent VNU) are not expected until February, according to the report.
The Times-Picayune, the major daily in the city, has lost about 30 percent of its circulation, the report said. In nearby Biloxi-Gulfport, Miss., the radio DMA ranking has fallen from 139th to 143rd, according to Arbitron.
dixiehack, Aug 29, 2006
hungryhungryhippo Member
Not bad considering the population has dropped about 40 percent.
hungryhungryhippo, Aug 29, 2006
Ace Well-Known Member
hungryhungryhippo said:
Really. When I saw the thread title, I thought, "Hey, good for them."
Ace, Aug 29, 2006
The population drop was more like 50%, as least as far as reports go.
That's just in NOLA proper. Throw in East Bernard and Lower Plaquemines, and the ones in Jefferson still remodeling after the floods, and it may be even greater in the metro.
Props to the T-P. (And good job adding the Sudoku. )
Football_Bat, Aug 29, 2006
I can only imagine how circulation numbers would go if the BIG ONE, an earthquake, hits Los Angeles or San Francisco. On second thought, I don't want to think about that right now.
Claws for Concern, Aug 29, 2006
spaceman Active Member
Claws, if The Big One hits LA, newspaper circulation will be the least of anyone's worries.
spaceman, Aug 29, 2006
spaceman said:
You mean, even like the title of this thread? Katrina's wrath should be more important than circulation numbers at the T-P too.
playthrough Moderator Staff Member
I'll join the chorus and say that's a remarkably good stat. The population loss is one thing, but consider how many people who are struggling and have probably cut expenses everywhere possible, yet could not or would not part with their paper. Speaks volumes about what the T-P is doing.
If any of their staffers lurk here...my congrats.
playthrough, Aug 30, 2006
But the Advocate still covers LSU better.
WAZZAP?
Columbo Active Member
Pic's lucky.
Hardly any newspaper subscribers among the NOLA displaced.
Columbo, Aug 30, 2006
occasionally Member
F_B: It's St. Bernard, not East Bernard. And, according to recent research, the metro population is down only 14-16%. Jefferson, St. Tammany and Tangipahoa (the latter of which is not in the T-P's area) have all gone up post-K.
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Sunshine Coast carjacker led police on chase before shot and run over wakes in hospital to no leg
Carjacker who allegedly led police on a wild chase before he was shot and run over by a caravan wakes up in hospital to 26 charges and his leg amputated
Alleged carjacker led police on a chase for 200km where he stabbed a woman
Dylan Matthew Hammond allegedly stole a car from Hervey Bay in Queensland
He later allegedly carjacked a Ford Falcon and stabbed a pregnant woman, 27
Police shot the man after he got out of his car and was then hit by a caravan
By Lauren Ferri For Daily Mail Australia
Published: 07:51 BST, 31 July 2019 | Updated: 07:52 BST, 31 July 2019
Dylan Matthew Hammond (pictured) allegedly led police on a dramatic car chase spanning 200km
A man who allegedly led police on a wild chase has had his leg amputated and is facing 26 charges.
Dylan Matthew Hammond allegedly led police on a dramatic car chase on June 10 that spanned 200km and ended on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast when he got shot.
The 23-year-old allegedly robbed the Harvey Bay Hotel and stole man’s ute while armed with a knife about 6.30am before driving 50km south to Maryborough.
Hammond then allegedly discarded the ute just after 7.30am before breaking into a home on Three Mile Road West.
According to Sunshine Coast Daily, he allegedly carjacked a 37-year-old pregnant woman’s car after stabbing her hand and firing a gun.
Police will also allege he went into another home on River Road and demanded a male resident give him the keys to his car.
A man who robbed a hotel then made an escape with a series of violent carjackings before he was shot and run over has woken up in hospital to 26 charges and his leg amputated
Hammond then allegedly stole a white Ford Falcon sedan and travelled at high speeds along the Bruce Highway before crashing through roadworks.
Officers intercepted Hammong on the Bruce Highway at 10am where he was shot in the thigh during a confrontation with police.
Following the struggle with police, Hammond was then run over by a passing caravan.
He was rushed to Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a critical condition and had to undergo emergency surgery.
The leg that was shot had to be amputated and he was placed in an induced coma for two weeks, where he remains in a stable condition.
On Wednesday morning, he faced a bedside hearing at the hospital where he was charged with 26 offences.
They include armed robbery, assault occasioning bodily harm, serious assault of police while armed, wounding, drink driving and unlawful possession of a weapon.
Hammond is in custody and is due to appear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court via video link on August 30.
Hammond then allegedly stole a white Ford Falcon sedan and travelled at high speeds along the Bruce Highway before crashing through roadworks | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.7860544323921204, "wiki_prob": 0.7860544323921204, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line80222"} |
The Nature of The Game
It seems we lose the game
Before we even start to play
Who made these rules?
(From Lauren Hill’s Everything is Everything)
As a child, I loved to get my hands on playdoh. My sister and I spent what seemed like hours crafting creature from the colorful stuff. While she focused on animals and food items, I preferred people, or some likeness thereof, considering our ages. In no time I’d have rows of humanoid creatures, standing sitting and configured in all sorts of ways. It was totally up to me where they were placed, what I had them doing, and what their specific roles were in my game. It was my game because I made them. From the clump of clay, I crafted each one in the image I desired. I gave them names, classifications, and specific roles. They were mine. As time wore on an I began to tire of the game, I took the game to another level and would have them fight and destroy each other. Sometimes the colors mixed due to my smashing them together. Head’s would be off, an eyeball here, an arm or two over there until I was done. At which point I pressed them back into a ball of nothing and jammed the mass back into their containers. There they would remain until I felt like playing again.
Recently, I had the honor of visiting the National Memorial for Peace and Justice and The Legacy Museum in Montgomery, Alabama. I used that word honor very carefully in this case. It was respectfully presented, beautifully laid out, provocatively inspiring and horrific on so many levels. The most horrific part is that it’s still in play. ALABAMA GODDAMN! The south may be where the stain is most visible but the entire quilt is dirty as hell. In the discussions I had while there and since, the most common question was “How could people do…to other humans?” Precisely for he same reason I treated the clay as I did as a child. I owned it. It was for my use. I made the little creatures and destroyed them at will. So, The african, The indigenous people were systematically broken, socially and in some cases genetically engineered for the exploitive purposes of those who enslaved them. The modern African-American, negro, nigger, is an american original; created right on this continent for the purpose of perpetual servitude to those who perceive themselves to be white. When the created objects get out of line, they are pressed back into place or obliterated all together. That’s the nature of the game, one those who are conceived as black/brown were never meant to win. When do things begin to change, really change rather than modify? When those who are conceived as black realize it’s not their game to win and they activate the part of them that could not be wiped out. It’s in there buried beneath generations of social conditioning and system rewiring. They must override, sweep, and rewrite the programming based on the original schematic; systematically root out the virus of white indigence and reconnect to the real Divine source. The bastardized one you were hijacked with will only lead you back to the same position, generation after generation in perpetual oppression and the victim of sanctioned terrorism… to be continued.
Author afroblastikPosted on October 15, 2018
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Sho nuff!
“Until Haiti Spoke, the church was silent, and the pulpit was dumb. Slave traders lived and slave traders died…
-Frederick Douglass
If you didn’t know…
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Evanston Township High School students hold die-in to draw attention to Evanston gun violence
Christopher Vazquez, Digital Managing Editor
Gallery|10 Photos
Christopher Vazquez/Daily Senior Staffer
A student writes out a message in chalk. The demonstration also consisted of a short rally and eight minutes of silence during which students lied on the ground.
Evanston Township High School students held a die-in Wednesday in an effort to draw attention to Evanston gun violence and memorialize ETHS graduates who have been fatally shot.
Event organizers handed out chalk and pieces of paper with names of Evanston gun violence victims to students entering the school, asking them to write out whatever name they chose on the cement in front of the school’s Dodge Avenue entrance. The names included Dajae Coleman, Yakez Semark, Kaylyn Pryor, Darryl Shannon Pickett and Star Paramore. Organizers then held a short rally before school started followed by eight minutes of silence during which students laid on the ground.
Liana Wallace, an ETHS senior and gunsense activist who helped organize the event, said she wanted to create a greater acknowledgement of gun violence in Evanston and especially how it has affected communities of color.
“We thought a die-in would be a good way to remember the lives lost in Evanson,” Wallace said. “The lives lost here matter and (they are) mostly black and brown folks that have died due to gun violence. And it’s not talked about and that needs to change.”
The protest came in response to a shooting at STEM School Highlands Ranch in Highlands Ranch, Colorado earlier this month. Organizers said they also felt the need to hold the event following a soft lockdown at ETHS two weeks ago, which took place as an Evanston Police Department officer heard shots fired near the intersection of Payne Street and Dewey Avenue. The officer entered a car chase with a silver Jeep whose occupants were involved in the incident.
Phoebe Liccardo, an ETHS senior and former student representative to the D202 school board, said she was taken aback by some other students’ reactions to the lockdown.
“We heard students in our classes complaining about having to stay for 15 minutes and not really recognizing the threat that gun violence is posing to students at ETHS,” Liccardo said. “We realized that asking students to sit for a soft lockdown was not something we wanted future generations to have to go through. We have a right to feel safe in our schools and right now, that’s not something that’s happening because of gun violence in our community.”
Organizers said the die-in was the first on-campus gunsense demonstration since a student walkout last March. That event came in response to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida last February and was one of many student walkouts across the country.
After the event, organizers encouraged students to continuously push for legislation to address gun violence and signed up students for the Northshore Association of Student Activists, an organization that brings together activists from various high schools in the area.
Mollie Hartenstein, an ETHS senior who also helped organize the event, said she hopes students will carry a deeper understanding of Evanston gun violence following the die-in.
“I hope people realize how proximate gun violence is for them and realize that they live in this community, and it’s up to them to remember these people and to care about these people and to make change here,” she said, “and that we have the duty and the ability to do something about it.”
Twitter: @bychrisvazquez
– Evanston Organizes: ETHS young step up in pursuit of social justice
– ETHS students participate in National Walkout Day
Dajae Coleman
Darryl Shannon Pickett
ETHS
Evanston Gun Violence
Evanston Township High School
Kaylyn Pryor
Liana Wallace
Mollie Hartenstein
Phoebe Liccardo
Star Paramore
Yakez Semark
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Jack has written an article for The Good Men Project about how “COVID-19 Will Change Job Recruiting; Here’s How Companies Need To Adapt”. Read the article here…
His second article is about “Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Starts With the Job Ad”, Click here to read the article…
The Good Men Project was founded by Tom Matlack in 2009. Tom set out to collect stories about the defining moments in men’s lives. The Good Men Project is a diverse community of 21st century thought leaders who are actively participating in a conversation about the way men’s roles are changing in modern life—and the way those changes affect everyone. We explore the world of men and manhood in a way that no media company ever has, tackling the issues and questions that are most relevant to men’s lives.
Business.com
Jack collaborated on an article on Business.com to discuss “How to Support Furloughed Employees (and Bring Them Back to Work Properly)”. Click here to read the article…
Business.com is a comprehensive business resource for growing companies. With a vibrant community of business owners, marketers, and sales experts to help further that knowledge through first-hand advice and engaging discussion. The topics of discussion at Business.com range from, Finance, Human Resources, Marketing, Technology, Careers, and general Business Basics for a wide range of knowledge business can use to get ahead.
AZ Big Media
Jack wrote an article on AZ Media about how “COVID-19 Will Change Job Recruiting; Here’s How Companies Need To Adapt”. Click here to read the article and hear what he has to say…
For over 30 years, AZ Big Media has been bringing readers the state’s most compelling business and lifestyle news through the print editions of Az Business magazine, AZRE, Ranking Arizona, Az Business Leaders, Home and Design , Experience AZ, People & Projects to Know, Play Ball and Arizona Business Angels. You’ll find breaking business and real estate news, lifestyle features, magazine articles from past issue, tools for business and information about our events that will get your business recognized.
Small Biz Daily
Jack was invited as a guest writer for Small Biz Daily, he wrote an article about how “COVID-19 Will Change Job Recruiting; Here’s How Companies Need To Adapt”. Click here to read the article on their site…
SmallBizDaily is powered by two people with a passion for entrepreneurship: Rieva Lesonsky and Maria Valdez Haubrich. We met at Entrepreneur Magazine nearly 25 years ago, when Rieva hired the rest of us as editors. We’ve been a great team ever since, so when Rieva decided it was time for her to stop talking about entrepreneurship and start living it, she naturally turned to us to be her business partners.
Fairfax County Times
Jack wrote an article about how “COVID-19 will change job recruiting; Here’s how companies need to adapt”. Click here to read the article…
Founded in 1965, the Fairfax County Times still delivers content, credibility and county wide circulation. With a weekly circulation of 100,000 newspapers, the Times gets into more homes than any other weekly newspaper in Northern Virginia, covering the most relevant topics — Crime, Sports, DIY, Homes, Family, Health & Food, Pets — the topics Fairfax County readers care most about.
Houston Style Magazine
Jack has collaborated on an article in the Houston Style Magazine about how “COVID-19 Will Change Job Recruiting; Here’s How Companies Need To Adapt”. Click here to read the article…
In 25 years, Houston Style Magazine has grown into Houston’s most popular Urban weekly newspaper along with its companion website, StyleMagazine.com. Our diverse readers are educated, affluent and active trendsetting taste makers. The magazine features CNN breaking news and videos, community news and national news, celebrity interviews, videos, local and national event photos, auto reviews, beauty and health tips.
HR Future Magazine
Jack has collaborated on an article that is soon to be published with HR Future Magazine and it is all about diversity and inclusion and how you can add it into your recruiting process.
For the past 18 years, HR Future magazine has been the trusted source of advice, insights and tips for Executives, HR Professionals and Line Managers both locally and abroad, helping them prepare for the Future of Work.
In every monthly issue of our print and digital magazine, our thought leader contributors around the world provide our subscribers with that one thing they need in order to be considered an expert – knowledge others don’t have.
Business Insider Magazine
Jack will soon be published in Business Insider, he has written an article about how to explain your diversity and inclusion when you describe your job to a potential candidate.
Business Insider is a fast-growing business site with deep financial, media, tech, and other industry verticals. Launched in 2007 by former top-ranked Wall Street analyst Henry Blodget and DoubleClick executives Dwight Merriman and Kevin Ryan, the site is now the largest business news site on the web. It operates 14 national editions and an international edition and several editions are published in different languages.
Supply Chain Brain
Jack has written an article soon to be published on SupplyChainBrain, the “7 Future Trends To Watch Out For In A Post COVID-19 World”.
SupplyChainBrain is the world’s most comprehensive supply chain management information resource. In addition to providing complete coverage of all fundamental supply chain principles, SupplyChainBrain identifies emerging trends, strategies and best practices, forward-thinking ideas, cutting-edge solutions and the latest innovations – and continues to write and report on these as they evolve and mature.
HR Daily Advisor
Jack has collaborated on an article soon to be published on HR Daily Advisor, on the topic of future placements in your company.
Focuses on practical human resource tips, news and advice focusing on policies, training, recruiting and wellness. It is geared towards human resources professionals and covers corporate management, harassment, compensation, policies, procedures, compliance, training and opinions on how to handle certain situations.
Road Dog Trucking Radio
Dan Lok Show
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The Morning Routine
Money For Lunch
KMOX St. Louis
KMA Omaha
Westwood 1 Radio Nationally Syndicated
WDJC Birmingham
KBXX The Box
USA Radio Nationally Syndicated
Radio Nemo
Biz Talk Radio
KNDD The End Radio Seattle
KKWF The Wolf Radio Seattle
KSWD 94.7 Radio
KISW The Rock Radio
KHTP The Mountain Radio
Where Our Articles Have Appeared
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IIMRT – Principles & Practice Of Management What opportunities and threats did McDonald’s face? How did it handle them? What alternatives could it have chosen? Q2. Before McDonald’s entered the Eu
What opportunities and threats did McDonald’s face
Principles & Practice Of Management
Q1. What opportunities and threats did McDonald’s face? How did it handle them? What alternatives could it have chosen?
Q2. Before McDonald’s entered the European market, few people believed that fast food could be successful in Europe. Why do you think McDonald’s has succeeded? What strategies did it follow? How did these differ from its strategies in Asia?
Q3. What is McDonald’s basic philosophy? How does it enforce this philosophy and adapt to different environments?
Q4. Should McDonald’s expand its menu? If you say no, then why not? If you say yes, what kinds of precuts should it add?
Q5. Why is McDonald’s successful in many countries around the world?
Q6. Can a division manager develop verifiable goals, or objectives, when the president has not assigned them to him or her? How? What king of information or help do you believe is important for the division manager to have from headquarters?
Q7. Was the division manager setting goals in the best way? What would you have done?
Q8. Evaluate the formulation of the merger between Daimler and Chrysler. Discuss the strategic fit and the different product lines.
Q9. Assess the international perspectives of Eaton and Schrempp.
Q10. What are the difficulties in merging the organizational cultures of the two companies?
Q11. What is the probability of success of failure of the merger? What other mergers do you foresee in the car industry?
Q12. The re-engineering efforts focused on the business process system. Do you think other processes, such as the human system, or other managerial policies need to be considered in a process redesign?
Q13. What do you think was the reaction of the brand managers, who may have worked under the old system for many years, when the category management structure was installed?
Q14. As a consultant, would you have recommended a top-down or bottom-up approach, or both, to process redesign and organizational change? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?
Q15. Is the Hewlett – Packard way of managing creating a climate in which employees are motivated to contribute to the aims of the organization? What is unique about the HP Way?
Q16. Would the HP managerial style work in any organization? Why, or why not? What are the conditions for such a style to work?
Q17. In the NUMMI joint venture, what did Toyota gain? What were the benefits for General Motors?
Q18. As a consultant, what strategies would you recommend for European carmakers to improve their competitive position in the global car industry?
Principle & Practice Of Management
| Tags: IIMRT
← IIMRT – International Business Which of the theories of international trade can help Indian services providers gain competitive edge over their competitors?
ICMIND – Business Administration Identify and analyse the environmental factors in this case. Q2. Who were all responsible for this tragic end?Q3. It is right on the part of the the gov → | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5121700167655945, "wiki_prob": 0.5121700167655945, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line945210"} |
LEADING OFF: Trout’s strikeout slump, deGrom’s rehab start
By The Associated Press Posted on July 2, 2022
Houston Astros’ Alex Bregman (2) talks with Los Angeles Angels’ Mike Trout before a baseball game Saturday, July 2, 2022, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
A look at what’s happening around the majors on Sunday:
TROUT DROUGHT
Angels star Mike Trout has struck out in seven straight at-bats during a tough series in Houston.
Trout was 0 for 4 on Saturday after going 0 for 3 on Friday night against the Astros, fanning every time.
“Just losing my posture up there,” he said. “It makes my swing long. Just grinding through some stuff with the lower half. It’ll be all right.”
The three-time AL MVP is having another stellar season, with a .378 on-base average and .632 slugging percentage.
The AL West-leading Astros will try for a sweep when lefty Framber Valdez (8-3, 2.65 ERA) faces Angels left-hander José Suárez (1-2, 4.36).
JAKE’S TURN
Mets ace Jacob deGrom is set, at last, to pitch in a competitive game.
Sidelined by injuries since last July, the two-time Cy Young Award winner is scheduled to make a minor league rehab start for Class A St. Lucie against the Jupiter Hammerheads. He’s expected to throw about 25 pitches and two innings.
It will be the first game action since spring training for deGrom, slowed all year because of a stress reaction in his right scapula that caused inflammation.
The announcement Saturday by NL East-leading New York came nearly a year since deGrom’s last major league outing on July 7, 2021. He missed the second half of last season with right forearm tightness and a sprained elbow, then returned in spring training this year and made two Grapefruit League starts.
As he builds up arm strength and stamina, the 34-year-old deGrom will need several minor league rehab outings before he’s ready to rejoin New York’s rotation. So the likelihood is deGrom still won’t be back in the big leagues until at least late July, after the All-Star break.
Fellow ace Max Scherzer (5-1, 2.54 ERA) is scheduled to return from a strained left oblique muscle Tuesday night at Cincinnati. Scherzer, a three-time Cy Young Award winner, got hurt May 18 against St. Louis and recently made two rehab starts for Double-A Binghamton.
NOT RED HOT
The Reds have lost 10 straight home games after falling to Atlanta 4-1 at Great American Ball Park. They dropped a season-high 25 games under .500 at 26-51.
This is Cincinnati’s worst home skid since it lost the first 11 games at Riverfront Stadium in 1986. The Reds ended that drought by beating Atlanta 2-0 as player-manager Pete Rose got two hits.
The Reds have lost four in a row overall.
“There’s plenty of frustration, staff, players, myself,” manager David Bell said. “I know our players are doing everything in their power to try to turn this around. I’m looking long and hard at what I need to do to turn this around.”
Luis Castillo (3-4, 3.32 ERA) starts for the Reds against Charlie Morton (4-3, 4.73 ERA) in the series wrapup.
MIGGY’S MILESTONES
Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera is one hit away from matching Hall of Famer Craig Biggio for 25th place on the all-time list with 3,060.
Cabrera alos is two RBIs behind Manny Ramirez’s 1,831 for 18th place.
Cabrera can keep moving up the lists when Detroit plays the Royals at Comerica Park. | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.7094153761863708, "wiki_prob": 0.7094153761863708, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1024621"} |
Politics of Veritalia
This article contains information pertaining to a fictional micronation, micronationalist or other fictional element of micronational society or culture.
The Politics of Veritalia take place within the framework of a semi-simulated Democratic Republic with an elected Head of State, elected Head of Government and elected bicameral legislature. The simulated and real aspects of Veritalian government are delicately blended together to ensure that whatever happens in reality is reflected in the simulation, preventing exploitation of the simulated aspect of government. This marks a drastic shift in leadership attitudes noted in Veritalia's predecessor states - although none of them made the step to claiming territorial autonomy, all operated realistic legislative and governmental systems.
1 Simulation vs Reality
1.1 Political parties
2 Legislature
2.1 Zusammenbau der Leute
2.2 Zusammenbau des Reiches
Simulation vs Reality
The simulated aspect of Veritalian government is directly based on the reality. During an election period, each active citizen is given one federal electoral college vote - these votes are used to determine the outcome of results during General Elections. If, for example, one political party gets 6 of 10 electoral votes it gets 60.00% of the seats in the Legislature. This, in turn, determines who becomes President and Chancellor. Within the legislature citizens may chose to take any one of the seats their party has won. When the legislatue votes on matters, a formula is used to determine how simulated seats vote. This formula accounts for rebellions by individual legislature members in parties, allowing a minority party to possibly secure a majority vote over an unpopular policy.
There are currently four political parties who have representation in national legislature, controlling 90.00% of available seats (the other 10.00% are independents). The table below details the breakdown of these political parties.
College Votes
Assembly Members and %
Senate Members and %
Einzelne Nationspartei 4 of 10 184 (40.00%) 100 (40.00%)
Demokratische Republikanische Partei 3 of 10 138 (30.00%) 75 (30.00%)
Demokratische Arbeitspartei 1 of 10 46 (10.00%) 25 (10.00%)
Soziale Freiheitspartei 1 of 10 46 (10.00%) 25 (10.00%)
Independent 1 of 10 45 (approx. 10.00%) 25 (10.00%)
The Legislature of Veritalia is the highest and only law making authority in Veritalia. Veritalian legislature is bicameral with two houses, the collective legislative entity being known as the Gesetzgebende Bundesautorität, known in English as the Federal Legislative Authority. The lower house of the Authority is the largest and most powerful, with 459 registered seats in the simulation. The upper house is less powerful and has only 250 seats. The primary function of the upper house is to verify legislature of the lower house, as is the case in the United Kingdom, although it has certain special constitutional legislative duties.
Zusammenbau der Leute
Lower House
Speaker Kai Roosevelt
Majority Leader Peter Gaffney
Minority Leader Maria Carlisle
Last Election Veritalian Provisional Election
The Zusammenbau der Leute, ZDL or People's Assembly is the lower house. Almost all proposed legislature is submitted through the ZDL for debate and subsequent ratification. It is the largest of the two legislative houses and has much more de facto power than the upper house. The number of seats must always be odd in an attempt to ensure that every item receives a majority vote of some sort, although the power of abstinence effectively makes this measure pointless in many cases. Every Assembly Member has the right to propose, debate, draft and vote on any item of legislature. Unlike in Erusia, Bzan and Licentia the Zusammenbau der Leute has a speaker elected at the end of every election, typically belonging to the largest party in the Assembly. The current speaker is Kai Roosevelt, a member of the Einzelne Nationspartei.
Once a bill in the ZDL is passed it must be submitted to the upper house for ratification. This stage may be bypassed if the Chancellor, President and Speaker all countersign the bill and grant it Imperial Assent. Otherwise, it remains possible for a bill to be rejected after being passed by the Assembly, though this is rare.
Zusammenbau des Reiches
Upper House
Speaker Carwyn Jenkins
Majority Leader Colum McKenna
Minority Leader Hannah Thacher
The Zusammenbau der Reiches, ZDR or Imperial Assembly is the upper house of the Authority. It has considerably less power than the Zusammenbau der Leute, instead serving primarily to check and verify the bills proposed by the lower house. The ZDR does have the power to propose and vote on independent items of legislature but these are heavily restricted by the national constitution. During a General Election, the Imperial Asssembly verifies the nomination for the Head of State and Head of Government. The ZDR is also the only legislative house permitted to pass a vote of no confidence in the standing government. The Chancellor is the Speaker of the Zusammenbau des Reiches, unlike the lower house which has an independent office for the Speaker. Currently, Chancellor Jenkins is the Speaker. This is unusual in that Jenkins is leader of the Demokratische Arbeitspartei, a splinter faction of the Einzelne Nationspartei that has only 10.00% of the seats in both houses.
Unfinished.
Retrieved from "https://micronations.wiki/index.php?title=Politics_of_Veritalia&oldid=23257"
Veritalia | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5999245047569275, "wiki_prob": 0.5999245047569275, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line722215"} |
Events - Page 12
Automating Accessibility Tests: Web is for Everyone
Automating accessibility testing is not only about making it easier for those with disabilities to access your site and app, but also optimizing your overall automated testing efforts, in order…
Quest for A Flawless Digital User Experience: Trends, Threats, Challenges, and Test Automation Tools that Help Leading Engineers Deliver the Goods
Learn about the key shifts and challenges that will affect your day-to-day work processes, and experience first-hand the test automation tools that will help you triumph. Digital makes the world…
Events — October 25, 2017
Why Complexity Will Eat the World: Experts Discuss the Evolution of Software Development
Learn about the top trends and key shifts in software development that will directly affect your company, your business, and your day-to-day work – from 2 top industry executives and…
Events — October 8, 2017
Mobile Test Automation 101: Everything You Need to Know about Appium
In today’s Agile world, time to market is becoming increasingly shorter. There is a constant desire to release new features to keep ahead of competition. Because of this we have…
Events — September 21, 2017
The Ultimate Test: Ace Your Next Job Interview
Listen to Sr. Automation Engineer Angie Jones as she goes over technical job interview questions for test automation positions and answers them, step-by-step.
State of Selenium and Test Automation: 4 Leading Experts Share Their Vision of Things to Come
Interested in learning what are the key skills expected from software testing professionals in modern development? Want to hear first-hand where is Selenium going for the future of test automation?…
Events — May 25, 2017
Step-by-Step Guide to Flawless UI Delivery – with Cloud-based Visual Testing
Watch Automation Expert Greg Sypolt, Sr. Engineer at Gannett | USA Today, as he takes a deep dive into implementing automated visual testing.
Events — May 8, 2017
Putting Quality First: Evolution of Dev/Test and DevOps in the Era of Continuous Delivery
Watch Joe Colantonio interview test automation executive Adam Auerbach, as he takes a deep dive into the ecosystem of continuous delivery and digital transformation, including: challenges, skills, tools, and best…
The Missing Link in Test Automation: Intro to Automated Visual Testing
Listen to Adam Carmi, CTO and Co-founder at Applitools, as he takes a deep dive into the ecosystem of visual testing, including: Challenges with test automation Tools and test frameworks…
Events — March 30, 2017
Key Test Automation Skills and Best Practices: Recap of Top Sessions from Automation Guild Conf 2017
Listen to Automation expert Joe Colantonio, as he takes a look back at the top takeaways from Automation Guild Conf 2017, including key skills, best practices and must-have tools. Watch…
Announcing Automation Guild Conference 2017 – January 9-13, 2017
Registration for the Automation Guild Conference 2017 is now open! You won’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind, online event. 5-day Online Conference Dedicated 100% to Test Automation. 25+ World-Leading Test…
Events — December 20, 2016
The Future of Test Automation: Leading Experts Share their Vision for 2017
Listen to four of the world’s top test automation experts as they share their take on the hottest software testing trends coming your way in 2017 in The Future of… | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5551271438598633, "wiki_prob": 0.5551271438598633, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1620703"} |
A POET FROM KRAMATORSK
How many legs?
How many griefs?
I’ve thought over.
If I didn’t go.
How many angers?
How many tears?
I think over.
How many nights?
How many tea breaks?
I’ll think over.
How many kisses?
How many hugs?
Before or after.
Time would heal my sorrow.
*Because I read the article about Natalia and her two children, wounded after Kramatorsk railway attack, that is “Hospital shares story of mother and daughter who lost legs”, on 13 May 2022, on the BBC news as follows:
“A hospital in Lviv has shared the story of an 11-year-old girl and her mother, who it says both lost legs in a missile strike at Kramatorsk railway station in April.
While waiting for their train, the two went on to the platform to get some tea, while Yana’s twin brother Yaroslav watched their luggage, according to a Facebook post by the St Nicholas Children’s Hospital of the First Medical Association of Lviv.
Natalia still can’t forgive herself for the trip to get tea, the post says.
In a video interview with the organisation United for Ukraine, Natalia says she does not remember the sound of the explosion, but recalls opening her eyes to see everything covered in blood and people lying everywhere.
She told the organisation she tried to get up but couldn’t, and then looked at Yana and realised her trainers weren’t there.
Natalia had lost one of her legs; Yana had lost both.
The hospital says it has been caring for them for a few weeks, and they will eventually go to the US for further treatment.
It says Yaroslav has been helping look after them, calling nurses when they’re needed and going to the nearby shop.
The attack killed 50 people. Russia and Ukraine have both blamed each other for the strike. A BBC investigation found clear evidence that a cluster bomb was used.”
So, I wrote this poem.
Kurama (Japan). «A poet from Kramatorsk» — poem about the russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 – Мала Сторінка (storinka.org)
A POET FROM MYROLIUBIVKA
POETS HAUNTED
A POET ON THE DAY OF DIGNITY AND FREEDOM
A POET IN TRANSCARPATHIA
A POET WITH CAISSA | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.9326416850090027, "wiki_prob": 0.9326416850090027, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line438025"} |
Playa Los Almendros, Baní, Dominican Republic
New York skyline, July 2016.
Baní, Dominican Republic, 2014
Dr. Adamson for a series I photographed for the Ontario Medical Association.
Sunset near the Acuario Nacional in Havana
I have started shooting more and more video for my news clients. I have added a video section to my website. www.ottawaphotography.com/Video
From July 8 to July 19, 2009, I photographed the Ottawa Bluesfest for The Canadian Press. Over a period of nearly 2 weeks I sent 110 photos on The Canadian Press and Associated Press wire to newspapers, websites, and magazines around the world. Some of these photos can be seen in the Entertainment section of my website. Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley and Tommy Thayer of the band KISS seen here performing at Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest on Wednesday, July 15, 2009. The Ottawa Bluesfest is ranked as one of the most successful music events in North America. Patrick Doyle/Ottawa BluesFest/The Canadian Press Images.
A photo of the Toronto skyline shot from the island airport.
The Challenger Jet. On April 16, 2008 I went on 36 hour trip to the North Pole with the Minister of Natural Resources Canada. This is the Challenger jet we used to get to our first stop in the Arctic, Iqaluit.
Looking at the map of the Arctic just after starting the trip.
Boarding the Falcon 10 in Iqaluit. Iqaluit seemed very far south compared to where we were going.
The Falcon 10 jet was the most uncomfortable part of the trip.
The pilot of the Falcon 10. The extension cord is for the planes heater.
Kids playing with a cool 4-wheeler in Hall Beach, Nunavut.
Inuit child in Hall Beach, Nunavut.
Main street in Hall Beach, Nunavut.
An Inuit family in Hall Beach, Nunavut. Everyone seemed to have a really nice dog.
An Inuit child in Hall Beach, Nunavut.
The only polar bear I saw was at the airport in Resolute Bay.
Camp near the North Pole on Ellesmere Island.
The mountains at the top of Ellesmere Island near the North Pole.
Camp near the North Pole on Ellesmere Island. The Twin Otter we used to get there is in the background.
These are the scientists who live at the camp near the North Pole. There are only about 20 scientists and helicopter pilots living there. They are mapping the polar continental shelf.
The Twin Otter we used to get to the camp near the North Pole.
A refueling station in Resolute Bay, Nunavut.
A video of a scientist talking about the ice in the Arctic right before we left on our trip.
A video of the map being viewed on the plane on the way up to the North Pole.
A video of our group boarding the plane in Iqaluit to go even further north.
A video of our group packed into the Falcon 10 plane. With the big parkas there wasn't much room.
A video of the Inuit village, Hall Beach, Nunavut.
A video shot from a helicopter of giant ice formations. They are much bigger than they appear. If we had more time up there the pilot said he would land one of the helicopters on top of them to give it some scale. They were only 20 people at the camp but 5 helicopters.
A video taken from a helicopter of the mountains at the top of Ellesmere Island. Near the North Pole.
This shows our stops along the way as we change planes and refuel.
Fishermen.
Another unusual car.
Cuban wedding photographer.
Boats in front of El Castillo del Morro.
From the roof top of the Camera Obscura.
Along el muro. | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.5254025459289551, "wiki_prob": 0.4745974540710449, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line910229"} |
Daily ESG Briefing: Plastics resolution at Amazon AGM gets 35% support
The latest developments in sustainable finance
Dominic Webb
A resolution at Amazon’s AGM calling on the company to cut its use of single plastics has received 35% shareholder support. The resolution, filed by As You Sow and Green Century Funds and supported by ISS, asked for disclosures on how much packaging “escaped” into the environment and strategies to reduce plastic uses, as well as for Amazon to evaluate opportunities to reduce its use. After engagement from As You Sow on similar resolutions, Keurig Dr Pepper, Mondelex, PepsiCo, Target and Walmart have all agreed to implement plastic reduction targets.
Exxon has confirmed that Alexander Karsner has been elected alongside fellow Engine No. 1 nominees Gregory Goff and Kaisa Hietala to its board. According to preliminary results filed with the SEC, Karsner received 1.1m votes, while Engine No. 1’s fourth nominee, former head of Vestas Anders Runevad, received just 272,000.
Meanwhile, the Church Commissioners for England said it is “cautiously optimistic following the apparent appointment to Exxon’s board of three directors proposed by Engine No1” but if the company fails to demonstrate sufficient progress on its transition strategy the faith investor “would expect to divest from Exxon”.
EU member states have agreed on the legislative text for new ‘country-by-country’ tax reporting rules which will apply to EU companies with revenues above €750m. However, the draft rules – which will still need to be formally adopted – have been criticised by the European Network on Debt and Development for allowing companies to withhold information deemed "commercially sensitive" and for not recognising a number of offshore tax havens.
The EU has announced a partnership with Bill Gates’ Breakthrough Energy, aiming to funnel $1bn into clean tech and sustainable energy projects. The partnership will initially focus on EU-based projects in four areas: green hydrogen, sustainable aviation fuels, direct air carbon capture and long-duration energy storage, and aims to scale technologies currently too expensive to compete.
The Bank for International Settlements, NGFS, IAS and Sustainable Insurance Forum have launched a “centralised climate training platform” for central banks and supervisors. The Central Banks and Supervisors Climate Training Alliance aims to build capacity on climate risk and improve knowledge sharing. The announcement was made at the ‘Green Swan’ conference on central banking and climate stability in the face of climate change, which also saw the announcement by Al Gore of a new investment business dedicated to climate led investment, and that an updated set of climate scenarios will be released by the NGFS on Monday.
BBVA has become the first Spanish bank to join the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials. The partnership aims to develop and implement a consistent approach to assessing and disclosing financed GHG emissions, and counts as its members over 120 banks and investors with financial assets in excess of $39tn.
The £24bn Strathclyde Pension Fund has said it has put fossil fuel companies “on notice” and is prepared to divest if they do not take their responsibilities on climate and emissions seriously.
The TCFD has launched a public consultation on its proposed guidance on climate metrics, targets and transition plans, as well as its portfolio alignment technical supplement. It will be holding two webinars on the consultation on the 9th and 10th of June.
The London Stock Exchange has been put under monitoring by Standard Ethics. LSEG retains its EEE- rating – the second highest available, but Standard Ethics said its analysts had noted the steps taken by financial sector participants to align with “international sustainability indications”, including on carbon neutrality and AI, and that under its methodology, LSEG “has had the opportunity to be more effective in its international alignment in these areas”.
2° Investing Initiative has launched a new advisory group to advise on a new governance approach for the Paris Agreement Capital Transition Assessment scenario analysis and alignment methodology. The main task of the group, which includes Jennifer de Nijs from the Luxembourg Ministry of Finance, Nicolette Bartlett from CDP and Jared Westheim from Goldman Sachs, will be to propose a long-term governance framework for the methodology.
Søren Skou, CEO of AP Moller Maersk, has called for a carbon tax on ship fuel of at least $450 a tonne, which would work out to a carbon price of $150 a tonne. In a post on Linkedin, Skou said that the levy would bridge the gap between current carbon intensive ship fuels and their greener, but more expensive, counterparts. | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.8622431755065918, "wiki_prob": 0.8622431755065918, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line571932"} |
Home / Politic / Milwaukee County, WI, Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz holds big fundraising lead in state Supreme Court race
Milwaukee County, WI, Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz holds big fundraising lead in state Supreme Court race
Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Janet Protasiewicz raised more money over the last six months of 2022 than her three rivals combined in the pivotal race that will determine majority control of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.
Protasiewicz along with Dane County Circuit Judge Everett Mitchell are running as liberal candidates in the race. Waukesha County Circuit Judge Jennifer Dorow and former Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Dan Kelly are the conservative candidates.
The top two vote-getters in the Feb. 21 primary will advance to the April 4 election. The winner replaces conservative Justice Patience Roggensack, who is retiring.
Races for the Wisconsin Supreme Court are officially nonpartisan, but candidates for years have aligned with either conservatives or liberals as the contests have become expensive partisan battles. The conservative-controlled court for more than a decade has issued consequential rulings in favor of Republicans, with major cases looming that could determine the future of abortion laws, redistricting and rules of elections.
The candidates and outside interests that have promised to spend millions on the race have been relatively quiet up to this point, more than a month before the primary. But those on both sides have made clear they see the race as crucial in the battleground state, with whoever winning determining ideological control of the court heading into the 2024 presidential race and at least a year after.
Protasiewicz raised just over $756,000, while Mitchell raised nearly $116,000 over the last half of 2022. Mitchell and Protasiewicz were the only two candidates who were raising money during the entire six-month reporting period.
Dorow, one of the conservative candidates, raised nearly $307,000 in just one month after getting into the race in December. Kelly, her conservative rival, raised just over $312,000 between when he got in the race in September and the end of the year.
All of the candidates filed their latest spending reports on Tuesday.
Protasiewicz had nearly $735,000 cash on hand as of Jan. 1. Mitchell had about $72,000 cash on hand. On the conservative side, Dorow had more than $283,000 cash on hand while Kelly had nearly $277,000.
There were several notable contributors.
Democratic Wisconsin Elections Commission member Mark Thomsen gave $5,000 to Protasiewicz and Democratic state Sen. Kelda Roys gave $1,000. Donors who gave the maximum allowed contribution of $20,000 to Protasiewicz included attorney and former Supreme Court candidate Tim Burns and philanthropists Lynde Uihlein, David Lubar, Marianne Lubar and Madeleine Lubar.
Kelly received $20,000 donations from billionaire GOP megadonors Dick and Liz Uihlein.
Fair Courts America, a group funded by Uihlein, plans to spend millions of dollars to back Kelly, the group’s spokesman, Dan Curry, said in November.
Other notable donors to Kelly included Republican Wisconsin Elections Commission Chair Don Millis, who gave $5,000, and former Wisconsin Republican Party Chairman Rick Graber who gave $2,500. | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.9642513990402222, "wiki_prob": 0.9642513990402222, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1138978"} |
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Pdf Manual | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.7720714211463928, "wiki_prob": 0.7720714211463928, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1791729"} |
Category: Arts & Entertainment
Arts & Entertainment, Events
Japan Society Webinar to Focus on Japanese Animation in a Global Era
Japanese Animation in a Global Era Tuesday, January 31from 7:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. ET Online via Japan Society’s YouTube Channel Admission: Free In an era of ubiquitous streaming services, anime has found its way into nearly every corner of the globe. At this Japan Society webinar, Mike Toole, editor at large at Anime News Network, and Thomas Lamarre, author of The Anime Ecology: A … Continue reading Japan Society Webinar to Focus on Japanese Animation in a Global Era
Susan McCormac January 30, 2023 January 30, 2023
Arts & Entertainment, Features
Akiko Tokuoka and the Japanese Aesthetics of Voguing
Akiko Tokuoka was inspired by a non-Japanese person who was inspired by Japan. Although the New York-based dancer was born and raised in Kyoto—a popular tourist destination and Japan’s cultural hub—she had no formal training in Japan’s traditional arts, such as tea ceremony, calligraphy, and Nihon buyo, traditional Japanese dance. “I was not familiar with it at all,” she says. She admits that her home … Continue reading Akiko Tokuoka and the Japanese Aesthetics of Voguing
Susan McCormac January 28, 2023
Ultimate Beauty, Curated by Motoichi Adachi and Kyoko Sato at Tenri Cultural Institute
Ultimate Beauty Wednesday, January 25 through Wednesday, February 1 from noon until 6:00 p.m. (from noon until 3:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 28 and Wednesday, February 1) Closed on Friday, January 27 Opening Reception: Wednesday, January 25 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Tenri Cultural Institute – 43A W. 13th Street (between 5th and 6th Avenues) Admission: Free Motoichi Adachi, an Emmy Award-winning writer in … Continue reading Ultimate Beauty, Curated by Motoichi Adachi and Kyoko Sato at Tenri Cultural Institute
Motomichi Nakamura’s Monsters Return to NowHere Gallery
Motomichi Nakamura: Shadows and Light Thursday, January 19 through Sunday, February 12 Opening Reception – Thursday, January 19 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. NowHere – 40 Wooster Street (between Grand and Broome Streets) Admission: Free SoHo gallery NowHere announces the opening of Shadows and Light by Japanese artist Motomichi Nakamura. Both white and black have dual natures. The incalculable depth of darkness can evoke … Continue reading Motomichi Nakamura’s Monsters Return to NowHere Gallery
Arts & Entertainment, Features, Food & Drink
JapanCulture . . . Paris?
JapanCulture•NYC Business Editor At Large, Yvonne Burton of Burton Consulting International, is working globally, virtually. She spent Christmas in Paris and sent me these lovely photos of Japanese stores and restaurants. Since I’m always giving my readers and social media followers examples of All Things Japanese in New York City, I thought it would be great to share Yvonne’s photos here to emphasize the global … Continue reading JapanCulture . . . Paris? | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.9217625260353088, "wiki_prob": 0.9217625260353088, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1663327"} |
Delta Hotels by Marriott Jumeirah Beach Dubai
Rove Trade Centre
Hyatt Place Dubai Wasl District
Rose Plaza Hotel Al Barsha
Delmon Hotel - do not use
MEBAA
Aerospace, Airport Technology
Fairs & Exhibitions Limited
MEBAA 2024 will be hosted at the DWC, Dubai Airshow Site, from December 10th to December 12th, 2024. At the venue, Covid-19 safety procedures, such as the social distance and obligatory face mask rules, will be applied. Upon arrival in Dubai, participants must show 3G entry papers like immunisation passports, recovery certificates, or negative test results that are no more than 48 hours old.
Introduction to the Event
The city of Dubai will be the meeting place for many experts and manufacturers from the aviation industry. The reason for this is the trade fair MEBAA which stands for Middle East Business Aviation exhibition. There, some of the latest trends, services, and top-of-the-line technologies will be presented. In addition, this event will give you the chance to meet many CEOs, managers, and engineers. So, don’t delay booking a hotel for your stay in Dubai. Some facts from MEBAA:
There were over 7,500 professionals from the aviation and aerospace industry;
385 companies from 45 countries exhibited;
338 media attended;
If you are looking for a business-to-business travel agency that has excellent offers and can take care of your accommodation needs, you shouldn’t look any further. With the experience of our reservations agents and the great deals we have, you can be 100% sure that Trade Fair Trips Ltd is your reliable partner. Keep in mind that we can also assist you with rent-a-car reservation, airport transfer, and many other services related to your business travel. Book your accommodation with our company, and make the most of our best discount rates, excellent offers, and true professionalism!
How to get to MEBAA
Not advisable when travelling from Dubai International Airport
Not advisable when travelling from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station
45 minutes when travelling from Dubai International Airport
55 minutes when travelling from Al Ghubaiba Bus Station
Passenger Terminal EXPO
Netherlands, Amsterdam 14 Mar 2023 - 16 Mar 2023
Germany, Friedrichshafen 19 Apr 2023 - 22 Apr 2023
air cargo Europe
Germany, Munich 9 May 2023 - 12 May 2023 from 202.00 EUR
Airport Show
UAE, Dubai 9 May 2023 - 11 May 2023
EBACE
Switzerland, Genève 23 May 2023 - 25 May 2023 from 193.00 EUR
Aircraft Interiors Expo
Germany, Hamburg 6 Jun 2023 - 8 Jun 2023 from 157.00 EUR | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.9945124387741089, "wiki_prob": 0.9945124387741089, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1118824"} |
Home » Programs » Fellowship » DRIMF
DRIMF Program
Paradigm Initiative’s DRIMF is a 4-month program running twice a year and designed to immerse outstanding early career journalists of not more than 8 years’ experience in the digital ecosystem. Selected media professionals work with Paradigm Initiative on various projects and contribute to improving public understanding of digital rights and inclusion issues in Africa. Through academic and practical learnings, Paradigm Initiative Digital Rights and Digital Inclusion Media Fellowship embeds media professionals within the digital ecosystem.
DRIMF exposes media professionals to an underreported field of work at national and regional level, increasing reporting on digital rights and inclusion in Africa. This is achieved through professional and academic components. The fellowship is open to journalists working in Africa.
Media Fellows connect with PIN teams in:
Cameroon (Yaoundé)
Ghana (Accra)
Kenya (Nairobi)
Nigeria (Aba, Abuja, Kano and Lagos)
Zambia (Lusaka)
Zimbabwe (Bulawayo)
Laida K. Chonga
Laida K. Chongo, is a Women’s Rights Advocate from Zambia. She pursued Mass Communications from the University of Zambia and she has various certificates in different fields among them Project Management from Global Change Makers and Understanding the Rights of Women and Girls (YALI).
She has a passion for mentoring young women and making them realise their full potential! Writing is her favourite hobby and the best way in which she expresses herself. It is the more reason she resorts to writing about the different observations, experiences, inequalities, challenges, opportunities and success of women and girls.
Imani Henrick Luvanga
Imani Henrick Luvanga is a graduate of the University of Dar es Salaam, School of Journalism and Mass Communication (UDSM – SJMC) where she pursued BA in Journalism. She has been a TV presenter, presenting a morning talk show, Mlimani Leo Asubuhi at UDSM’s Mlimani TV. She is also a news anchor, reporter and a voice over artist.
Through her career she has been advocating about Human rights and Internet freedom in the programs she has been presenting. She also pioneered in the coalition called #KeepItOn which aimed at emphasizing the availability of internet during election period so that people can access information.
She was the winner of Mwitiko Binafsi as she emerged as a inspirational and persuasive youth.She won a Trophy as the best Female Television presenter on The Bliss awards on 2019. She is the only African winner of Youth Peace Challenge (YPC) organized by Korean Government, as she wrote an essay on How to defend and promote peace as youth in the context of the UN+75 and the UN decade of Action to deliver the SDGs by 2030 taking into account the COVID - 19 pandemic.
She has been engaged with defferent NGO'S in giving back to community events like visiting orphanages center and educating young girls on defferent issues including self awareness and menstrual hygiene.
She is currently working with Zaina Foundation on digital security and inclusion and empowering women in technology she is also a Programs Manager at KingsFm Radio Located in Njombe-Tanzania after doing Her mentorshipprogram on media management at EFm and TV E.
Jean Pierre is a journalist from Rwanda, with a professional background in journalism and communications. He is also a part-time researcher interested in digital rights in Africa.
He is passionate about telling fresh African stories to the global audience; his stories have been published by various Pan-African and international news outlets such as Pan-African Visions, All Africa, Business Live, TechMoran, Rwanda Today, The East African, The East Africa Monitor and BBC News. He has also worked on research projects about Internet Freedom and digital rights in Africa. Jean Pierre's interests include the intersection between digital technologies and Human Rights.
As a journalist, he has consistently covered ICT with a focus on internet access, affordability, digital rights, internet freedom, Tech innovation in Africa and General News.
Jean-Pierre has been a finalist in various media awards that include ‘The African Story Challenge’ in 2015 in Business and Technology category, ‘ZIMEO Excellence in Media Awards’ in Technology Category in 2016. Last but not least, Jean-Pierre is a Bloomberg Media Initiative Africa Alumni and a 2019 African School on Internet Governance Fellow.
Ruth Atim
Ruth is Journalist by profession and works as a Sub Editor for Uganda Refugees Media and Migration Network, an Online News Platform. In 2019, she was shortlisted as a finalist in the Isu Elihle awards, a South African Media award that rewards innovative journalism about children.
Ruth also Co-Founded the Gender Tech Initiative-Uganda, (https://www.genderinitiativeug.org) a community-based Organisation that empowers women with digital safety/security skills and Digital literacy skills. Her work has been able to save many female journalists from online harassment.
In 2019, Ruth was invited by UNESCO during the World Press Freedom Day that was held in Ethiopia and made a presentation on the “Online Harassment of Female Journalists”, this helped her grow professionally and increased her knowledge on the subject. She has also written a couple of articles on the safety of women on the internet.
Ruth is a journalist who is passionate about Gender and Tech.
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Maximum 5.42 Lakh People in Assam will Benefit from Amended Citizenship Act, Says Himanta Biswa Sarma
Guwahati: Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said a maximum of 5.42 lakh people will be benefitted in the state by the amended Citizenship Act in the state.
Sarma, a senior BJP leader, said, rumours were being spread by a certain section of people who claimed that over a crore of people will be benefitted by the Act and more people from Bangladesh will pour into Assam.
He said members of the Congress and Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), a peasant organisation of the state, were found to be involved in the violence that rocked the
state and Guwahati, its epicentre, after the amendment was passed by Parliament. | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.9086074829101562, "wiki_prob": 0.9086074829101562, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1760288"} |
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1725 Bill Murdock Rd, Marietta, GA 30062 | Phone: 770-578-2726
Back to School: All About Food and Nutrition
Did you know the Cobb Schools Food and Nutrition Services team dishes up more than 63,000 lunches and more than 25,500 breakfasts every single school day? Starting on August 1—the first day of school—the 900 school nutrition team members will once again help fuel student success with nearly 400,000 pounds of fresh, local produce.
Check out the breakfast and lunch menus for the first semester here. Menus are subject to substitutions based on availability, but the intent is to serve the posted menu daily at every school. When changes are necessary, the school nutrition team members will attempt to substitute the scheduled menu item with another that is as similar as possible.
What’s the cost?
As students return to learning in August, meals will no longer be provided at no charge to all students. However, school meals are a great value and a huge convenience for busy families.
How to Pay for Meals:
To save time when coming through the serving line, families have multiple options to add funds to a cafeteria account:
• Call 1-866-535-1707 to use a major credit card by telephone
• Go to https://www.mypaymentsplus.com/welcome
• Access the MyPaymentsPlus app.
For more payment options, visit the Food and Nutrition Services webpage.
How to Apply for Free or Reduced-Price Meal Benefits:
• Families eligible for free or reduced-price meals must complete an application to receive them – all other students must pay full price for their meals.
• Food and Nutrition Services strongly encourages all families who believe they may be eligible for meal benefits to apply before the start of the school year.
• Families must pay for school meals until their application is processed and approved.
• The Online Family Meal Application can be found on the Food and Nutrition Services webpage.
• Families that apply and are eligible could receive free breakfast and lunch or at a reduced price (Breakfast for $0.30 and Lunch for $0.40) during the school year, depending on the current federal eligibility guidelines.
• Eligible families can also use their notification letter as proof of eligibility in the meal program for discounts on testing, services, camps, and various application fees.
Does Cobb have a Charge Policy?
The Cobb County school administration has adopted a limited charge policy. Students who arrive at school without money are allowed up to $7.05 in charges at elementary school and $5.20 at middle school. Charges are not permitted for a la carte items, adults, or at high school. The school will provide an alternate meal (such as a peanut butter sandwich and milk or a cheese sandwich and milk) for the students that have reached the charge limit. No alternate meal will be provided at breakfast. If you feel you qualify for free or reduced-price meals, please complete the Online Family Meal Application as soon as possible. The application can be found here.
Do You Have a Student with Allergy and Special Nutrition Needs?
In accordance with USDA regulations, School Food Authorities (SFAs) must ensure children with disabilities have an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). SFAs are to make reasonable modifications to accommodate children with disabilities. This includes providing special meals, at no extra charge, to children with a disability that restricts their diet. Learn more here.
Does the Food and Nutrition Team Help with Classroom Celebrations?
Yes! Host a celebration in your student’s classroom without the hassle. Contact your school’s café manager to discuss how the Food and Nutrition Services team can serve your birthday, classroom parties, or holiday needs. Learn more here.
More Food and Nutrition Facts for Families:
Cobb Schools Food and Nutrition Services has an average health inspection score of 99%.
Cobb County students can find healthy choices in their cafeterias every school day made with name-brand products that you use at home.
School meals meet federal nutrition standards ensuring students can choose from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat or fat-free milk. Meals also meet limits on calories, trans-fat, and sodium. The FNS team works hard to make these nutritious choices delicious and appealing to Cobb students.
School meal programs nationwide continue to experience many of the same supply chain issues that have impacted restaurants and grocery stores throughout the pandemic.
Cobb’s school nutrition team is committed to ensuring students have access to healthy meals each school day.
Given widespread shortages and delayed deliveries, there may be last-minute changes to the regular menus based on availability.
We hope parents and students will be patient as we sort through these supply chain issues.
Although there may not be the same number of menu choices that are typically offered, the Cobb Schools team will be sure that all students are fueled for a successful school day.
For learners not attending on-site in SY22-23, meal kits will no longer be available. The USDA waiver that allowed the District to offer this option ended on June 30, 2022.
Email the Cobb Schools Food and Nutrition team: [email protected]
Cobb Schools Breakfast and Lunch Menus
Online Family Meal Application
1725 Bill Murdock Road Marietta, GA 30062 | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.6252475380897522, "wiki_prob": 0.3747524619102478, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1227173"} |
Worst Film
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3rd Ghanta Awards 2013 winners
3rd Ghanta Awards 2013 winners The Ghanta Award, or The Ghanta for short, is an award presented in recognition of the worst in film in Bollywood. Founded by Prashant Rajkhowa and Karan Anshuman in 2010, the annual Ghanta Awards ceremony in Mumbai takes place about the same time as other major Bollywood awards. The term ghanta, which literally means bell, is used in its more irreverent forms. The awards themselves are a large golden bell that is typically used for idol worship. The Ghanta Awards is a live show shaped…
PC Filmdabang, Ghanta Awards, Ghanta Awards 2013, Ghanta Awards winners, Housefull 2, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Jism 2, Salman Khan, son of sardaar, Sonakshi Sinha, Worst Actor, Worst Actress, Worst Film, Worst Remake, Worst SongLeave a comment | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.7061027884483337, "wiki_prob": 0.7061027884483337, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1390827"} |
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Thabane resigns, pledges support for Majoro
By Lesotho Times Last updated May 27, 2020
Outgoing Prime Minister Thomas Thabane
…thanks wife and family for support
Pascalinah Kabi/Ntsebeng Motsoeli
ALL Basotho Convention (ABC) leader and former prime minister, Thomas Thabane, has pledged his support for incoming Prime Minister Moeketsi Majoro.
Mr Thabane pledged his support in his resignation speech broadcast on national television on Tuesday. He also used the opportunity to thank his wife, ‘Maesaiah, and family for their support during his tenure.
The former premier resigned from office on Tuesday having first announced in January this year that he intended to leave on or before 31 July 2020.
His resignation comes on the back of a Monday Council of State decision to advise King Letsie III to appoint Moeketsi Majoro as the new Prime Minister. Dr Majoro was sworn into office yesterday. (see story on page 2).
“At its sitting on Monday the 18th May 2020, the Council of State, acting in accordance with section 87 (1) and (2) of the constitution of Lesotho, resolved to advise His Majesty to appoint Dr Moeketsi Majoro, MP for Thetsane Constituency to be Prime Minister designate of the government of Lesotho to succeed the incumbent Prime Minister, Dr Motsoahae Thomas Thabane,” the Secretary to the Council of State, Monehela Phosholi, said in a statement on Monday.
The decision to advise the King to appoint Dr Majoro as the new prime minister was reached after Mr Thabane had doggedly refused to resign from office following the recent collapse of his four-party coalition government in parliament. Mr Thabane had insisted on quitting end of July 2020 at the earliest. But his ABC had insisted he must go sooner or risk a no confidence vote.
Announcing his resignation on national television, Mr Thabane pleaded with the entire nation to support Dr Majoro. He also assured the incoming premier of his own support.
“I plead with the entire nation and leadership to give my successor our utmost support. On my part, I wish to assure him my full support at all material times as he strives to achieve the above lofty ideals of fostering development, protecting the vulnerable and being the voice of the voiceless.
“At all times he (Dr Majoro) must know that his success will depend on him building consensus in government and stretching out his hand across the table to find common ground among all the political players and other sectors of society,” Mr Thabane said.
He said he was honoured to have served as the country’s prime minister, “the greatest privilege that one can ever have in this country”. He also sought the forgiveness of Basotho for the mistakes that he made while thanking his wife and family for their support.
“It has been my greatest honour to serve in that capacity (of PM). I, therefore, wish to thank all Basotho from the bottom of my heart for the trust that they bestowed in me.
“Where I have erred, I sincerely seek your indulgence to forgive me as I did not do so intentionally. Allow me also to take this opportunity to thank my wife and my entire family for their unwavering support to me as Prime Minister.
“Through it all, they have been a pillar of strength to me. Their words of love and encouragement, coupled with their deeds of support to me have not gone unnoticed. Without a doubt I know that they share my pain, grief and joy,” Mr Thabane said.
He thanked his ex-coalition partners Alliance of Democrats leader Monyane Moleleki, Basotho National Party leader Thesele Maseribane and Reformed Congress of Lesotho leader Keketso Rantšo for their support over the past three years.
“To my colleagues in parliament and in the political arena, I wish to also thank you for your contribution towards our socioeconomic development agenda. Please do not forget that your call is to make Lesotho a country that truly works for everyone, and not just for those in power,” he said.
Mr Thabane said when he announced his intention to resign in January, he “did so did so with all sincerity because of my full conviction and belief that to everything there is a season, a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up that which is planted”.
“But, because of the deeply entrenched political polarisation in our society, some decided to use my announcement for political gain, while others resigned themselves into further entrenching divisions among Basotho. Today I will be vindicated against such pundits,” Mr Thabane said.
He added: “My fellow countrymen and women, I appear before you today (Tuesday) to announce that the work that you had assigned me may not yet be over, but the time to retire from the great theatre of action and take leave from public life and office, has finally arrived”.
Mr Thabane said in the past three years as prime minister, he was focused on building “stable and resilient government institutions, improve the livelihoods of Basotho, as well as assure every Mosotho of a secure future”.
He attributed the setting up of the National Reforms Authority to spearhead the comprehensive implementation of national reforms recommended by SADC to his government’s “relentless efforts”.
Mr Thabane said his government also improved the country’s social grants for the elderly, people living with disability and other vulnerable groups.
“Despite these laudable milestones, the road to development remains elusive. The gains that we have made are now, inter alia (among other things), threatened by the invisible novel coronavirus that has besieged the whole world and devastated the global economy.
“From postponing the future of our youth as a result of closure of education establishments and learning institutions, to halting of economic and social development with the restrictions placed on budding innovators and entrepreneurs, the impact of COVID-19 has, indeed, threatened our development agenda,” he said.
Mr Thabane said these challenges speak to the reality that the job of the prime minister involves facing endless challenges which his successor, Dr Majoro, will have to contend with.
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Home > Articles > Leading Effectively Articles > 5 Powerful Ways to Take REAL Action on DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion)
5 Powerful Ways to Take REAL Action on DEI (Diversity, Equity & Inclusion)
Considering DEI training? Learn how to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace — and why we actually recommend EDI over DEI, with a focus on equity first, before diversity & inclusion.
People need new ways to think about and talk about diversity. Leaders need new skills to enable equity and inclusion in the workplace. And organizations need scalable ways to ensure that their diversity and inclusion initiatives avoid common mistakes and are solid and sustainable.
At CCL, we use our proprietary REAL™ framework to help companies, communities, and schools understand the dynamics and definition of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) in the workplace, in their particular organization and context — and to identify specific actions they can take to help them drive desired progress around their DEI initiatives.
Steps to Take Toward Meaningful Action on DEI
Introducing Our REAL™ Framework
At CCL, we create leadership solutions using our REAL framework to help shift mindsets, behaviors, and practices toward more equitable and inclusive leadership for individuals, teams, and organizations. Specifically, the REAL framework is a 4-step process:
Reveal relevant opportunities.
Elevate equity.
Activate diversity.
Lead inclusively.
1. Reveal relevant opportunities.
The first step is about discovery — not setting an agenda or duplicating diversity initiatives that seemed effective in other organizations. It involves gaining awareness of the types of diversity within and across groups, and the context in which diversity, equity, and inclusion play out for individuals, teams, and the organization as a whole.
In order to set a direction, create alignment, and generate commitment to DEI initiatives in the workplace or in other types of organizations, top leaders should take the first steps: articulate their individual and collective perspective, identity, values, and culture; consider how experiences of power and privilege may affect their approach and effectiveness — and that of others; and evaluate how dynamics of DEI may affect their marketplace and their business strategy.
By exploring their specific context, senior leaders can engage others in the organization to identify the most relevant opportunities for change, and then select 2-3 strategic actions that will drive the desired results.
2. Elevate equity.
When discussing diversity initiatives in the workplace or in other organizations, many professionals reference the term DEI, which stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. At CCL, we recognize this terminology, but we prefer to shift the order to EDI, placing equity before diversity and inclusion — for a reason.
You may see us use the terms interchangeably; however, our belief is that without equity, efforts to promote diversity and inclusion are laudable, but not sustainable. So, what is equity? Equity is providing all people with fair and contextually appropriate opportunities and resources that are required to attain their full potential.
To make progress on DEI, senior leaders first need to acknowledge societal inequities and recognize that their organization isn’t a level playing field.
People enter the world of work and advance through their careers with unevenness of advantage, opportunity, privilege, and power — so what is “fair opportunity” is not the same for everyone. When organizational leaders express their motivation, as well as acknowledge any barriers, for countering inequity; set clear goals toward greater equity; and then take action, they signal a commitment that becomes the foundation of the organization’s diversity and inclusion efforts.
3. Activate diversity.
Diversity is the collective of differences and similarities that includes individual and organizational characteristics, values, beliefs, experiences, backgrounds, and behaviors.
Activating that diversity is a process that involves recognizing and engaging differences within the employee and customer base. It equips managers and teams to explore the impact of diversity on perspectives, assumptions, and approaches, and identify ways to enhance the contribution of all.
And, it includes defining expectations or metrics and setting clear goals.
4. Lead inclusively.
Inclusion requires active, intentional, and ongoing efforts to promote the full participation and sense of belonging of every employee, customer, and strategic partner. It involves policies and practices, but also the ability to envision and enact new ways of leading.
Across levels and functions, leaders need to learn what is now required, interpreting inclusive leadership for their various groups or for different roles. They also need tools, resources, and support as they improve their ability to identify and mitigate bias, respect differences, build empathetic relationships, foster allyship, manage conflict, and bring out the best in others.
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Learn how organizations focused on DEI can move beyond cosmetic promises to making meaningful progress towards lasting, systemic change. Watch our experts and client voices as they discuss the critical need for organizational accountability when it comes to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
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Considering DEI Training for Your Organization?
5 Powerful Ways to Take REAL Action on Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace
Creating sustainable workplace culture change requires an intentional approach and a shift in focus, from DEI to EDI.
Here are 5 powerful ways some of our clients are taking action to infuse their leadership and culture with the mindset, skillset, and tools needed to build greater equity, and then diversity and inclusion:
1. Change the conversation.
The inability to have meaningful conversations contributes significantly to the unproductive relationships that can sometimes develop across diversity divides. To work with those whose background and perspective is vastly different, or whose role or leadership style is at odds, people at every organizational level need to be able to have effective conversations.
Foster direct conversations about EDI to break down silos and communication barriers. Our Better Conversations Every Day™ program, for example, teaches leaders of all levels and roles in the organization how to listen for understanding and hold coaching conversations.
After all, better culture starts with better conversations, so by improving the quality of your organization’s everyday conversations, you’ll develop a culture of increased openness, respect for differences, and understanding — which will fuel better collaboration, more innovation, and greater effectiveness.
2. Map network connections across boundaries.
Make sure your team understands why they should collaborate across boundaries, and explore how you might span them more effectively.
Network analysis is one powerful tool to help people understand how they are inadvertently creating inequity or preventing the inclusion of diverse people and perspectives. Consider conducting a network analysis, beginning with data collection through a customized survey or other mechanisms such as email traffic, and then use those inputs to map patterns of relationship and interactions that are often hidden.
The results typically reveal over-reliance on a few people or groups, as well as those who are isolated or who have valuable or relevant expertise, perspective, or connections that are being underutilized.
Through an EDI / DEI perspective, leaders can see how unintentional bias is built into their networks and the way that creates limitations for themselves and their teams. Using this information, they can identify additional people or groups they are not accessing, set goals to diversify their network, and take steps to engage others and build connections across organizational silos.
Take Action: Go Beyond DEI Training at Your Organization
Move beyond raising awareness to take meaningful action on DEI and EDI at your organization. Address conscious and unconscious bias, build empathy, create a psychologically safe culture, and leverage the full potential of all your talent by partnering with us to craft a customized learning journey for your organization using our research-based topic modules.
Available leadership topics include Beyond Bias™, Communication Skills, Conflict Management, Emotional Intelligence & Empathy, Influencing Skills, Listening to Understand, Psychological Safety & Trust, and more.
Move Beyond Bias
3. Boost coaching, mentoring, and sponsoring.
Often due to unconscious bias or systems of power in organizations, people who are not “like” their manager or the organization’s dominant leader type don’t have equitable access to the leaders who can steer them toward valuable experiences and support them through the inevitable challenges. As a result, they see their career progress stall.
Organizations can counter this subtle bias by implementing a coaching culture and developing the coaching skills of their employees, and by creating a network of champions to enable the development, contributions, and career growth of all employees:
Managers can ensure all their direct reports are heard, given feedback, provided support, and offered opportunities.
Mentors can provide guidance, feedback, and support, whether around a specific need or for ongoing development.
Sponsors, typically senior leaders, can be effective advocates who actively work to advance the careers of their “sponsorees.”
Talent Management & HR can communicate expectations around the above to help managers, mentors, and sponsors understand the important role they play in making organizational DEI initiatives successful, and provide access to DEI training, resources, and tools.
4. Analyze talent practices.
Talent processes reflect and create norms and can be levers for system-wide change. Review systems and practices related to recruiting, hiring, and promoting talent. Audit compensation data. Examine employee development practices, asking tough questions about access to needed assessment, challenge, and support:
Who has access to on-the-job learning and key assignments?
Who is tapped for training or leadership experiences?
Who is receiving coaching, mentoring, and sponsorship?
What assumptions are being made about individuals’ current capability and future potential?
Are different standards applied to some people or groups?
Organizations should also help managers and teams evaluate the practices and policies that create the structures for how work gets done and shape the employee experience — and look for ways that bias creeps in. Are there ways to move beyond bias at your organization? Consider unspoken norms, scheduling, networking opportunities, and work arrangements — all potential areas for rethinking and improvement.
We can partner with you to shift mindsets, behaviors, and practices towards more equitable, diverse, and inclusive teams and organizations. Learn more about our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion practice and solutions.
5. Go deeper on identity.
The concept of social identity can help people understand similarities and differences and their impact on the workplace. Social identity comprises the parts of a person’s identity that come from belonging to groups, including (but not limited to) age, ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, education, physical ability, and socioeconomic status. It fuels our distinct perspective and unique value, and often defines sources of power and privilege.
Much of inequity is driven by long-established structures, unconscious assumptions, and experiences tied to social identity.
Through communication, EDI / DEI training, and conversation, people can learn to recognize how their own social identity subtly influences the way they interact with others or the biases they unconsciously hold. They can also learn and consider how the dynamics of social identity may be shaping others’ experiences.
By defining diversity through a lens of social identity, all employees have a way to put themselves into a discussion of diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In closing, most organizations are looking for new, more effective ways to attract, retain, engage, and enable a diverse workforce. By identifying a few key actions in their DEI initiatives based on the unique context and needs of their organization, leaders can fast-forward positive, more equitable outcomes and begin to fully see, appreciate, and engage all their talent.
We can partner with you to shift your organization’s focus on DEI and move your DEI training initiatives forward so mindsets, behaviors, and practices are more equitable, diverse, and inclusive. Learn more about our Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion practice and solutions.
Kick-Start Your Diversity & Inclusion Initiatives With a Focus on Equity
Frequently Asked Questions About Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) in the Workplace
Through our programs, research, and decades of experience developing leaders around the world, we hear common questions relating to the definition of DEI, as well as the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion at work. Below are several frequently asked questions, and our answers.
What does DEI mean in the workplace?
In a workplace setting, DEI relates to actions taken in order to shift mindsets, behaviors, and practices toward equitable and inclusive leadership for individuals, teams, and organizations. At CCL, we prefer the term EDI rather than DEI, to emphasize the importance of starting with equity to promote diversity and inclusion, and we use our evidence-based REAL™ framework to help companies, communities, and schools understand the dynamics and interplay of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, and in their particular context. People need new ways to think about and talk about these topics, and leaders need new skills to enable them — which is why we identify specific actions they can take to help drive sustainable change.
What are ways to take action on diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace?
Infusing your organization’s leadership culture with the awareness, mindset, skillset, and tools needed to enhance DEI is vital, and creating systemic workplace culture change requires a systemic approach. To successfully tackle systemic equity, diversity, and inclusion challenges and achieve meaningful progress, organizations must be willing to assess and approach their DEI efforts in multiple phases and at multiple levels. You can learn more about ways to take action to create REAL workplace culture change with a systemic approach to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
Are equity and equality the same thing?
While the terms “equity” and “equality” are often used interchangeably, their meanings are quite different. Equity is defined as fair and contextually appropriate access to the resources and opportunities required for every individual, group, organization, and community to attain their full potential. Equality, on the other hand, involves giving everyone access to the exact same resources or opportunities, regardless of their unique circumstances. To accelerate change and positive impact, organizations must give equity top priority. Without a focus on equity, efforts to promote diversity & inclusion are laudable, but not sustainable.
What is the difference in definition between DEI and EDI?
When discussing diversity initiatives, you may hear professionals reference both the terms DEI and EDI. While both of these terms are acronyms to describe the concepts of diversity, equity, and inclusion, we prefer the term EDI, as it places equity before diversity and inclusion — for a reason. At CCL, our belief is that without equity, efforts to promote diversity and inclusion are not sustainable. To enact equity is to provide all people with fair opportunities to attain their full potential.
CCL uses the “REAL” framework, what is the R about?
Revealing Relevant Opportunities is perhaps the most important, yet underutilized, strategy when approaching DEI initiatives. This is the ability to slow down, take a step back, and examine what there is to be curious about. It takes on a process of discovery to better understand what is needed as it relates to DEI work. DEI is not one-size-fits-all. Every organization has unique sets of challenges based on their context and history. Slowing down to discover what the needs are can help avoid backlash or backfiring of DEI training initiatives. Most organizations do not take the time to do that important step.
More questions? Our experts are here to help. Let’s have a conversation!
Leading Effectively Staff
This article was written by our Leading Effectively staff, who analyze our decades of pioneering, expert research and experiences in the field to share content that will help leaders at every level. Subscribe to our emails to get the latest research-based leadership articles and insights sent straight to your inbox.
Lead With That: What MacKenzie Scott and MrBeast Can Teach Us About Leadership in 2023
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SHARE Car Spotlight>> Rouse Sierra Rs500 Cosworth
Car Spotlight>> Rouse Sierra Rs500 Cosworth
TheSpeedhunters
14th August 2010 21 Comments
Graham Robson once quoted the Ford motor sport director once as saying 'The Sierra won the World Touring Car Championship, so FISA cancelled it. The Sierra then won the European Touring Car Championship, so FISA cancelled that too …' Such was the dominance of the RS500 Cosworths in the 1988 BTCC season that Andy Rouse won nine of the twelve rounds in the Kaliber sponsored Sierra Cosworth with the other three rounds won by Jerry Mahoney, Steve Soper and Gianfranco Brancatelli. All of whom also drove Sierra RS500 Cosworths.
Some argue that the BTCC in the late eighties and early nineties was some of the greatest racing ever seen on a race track. With 550BHP on tap, the RS500 could top 180MPH at Spa-Francorchamps and Paul Ricard and weighed 1100KGs, which was the class weight limit.
0-60MPH was completed in 3.5 seconds.
The interior is as you would imagine it. This car has however been fitted with new seats and a passenger seat so the experience can be shared.
Side-exit exhausts (one on either side) sound magnificent.
Air jacks and single stud wheels for easy tire changes.
That wing …
The Sierra Cosworths were so successful that other manufacturers and teams were put off entering the BTCC. The only competition for the RS500 was the other RS500s.
When the rules changed in 1990 which all but removed the RS500 from competition, Ford stated they had no interest in running cars in the new class. There were some attempts at running NA Sierra Cosworth Sapphires but nothing to the dominance and legacy of the RS500.
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Special Stage: Rally Omologato 2.0
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CAR FEATURE
When Discretion Is King: A Cosworth-Powered Mk2 Escort
8:07 amAugust 14, 2010
Awesome. Would have one of these over a BMW E30 M3
Love the RS-500 Sierra Cosworth - Group A the glory days of touring car racing.
Hate to nitpick, but "single stud" wheels are more commonly refered to as center-lock.
It would have been nice to see the engine bay. These fords are legendary and so hard to come by outside of Europe now. These and the late model Escort Cosworths are just phenomenal
10:01 amAugust 14, 2010
i need those wheels
1:32 pmAugust 14, 2010
i can't imagine the noise that thing makes. looks beasty!
These car were good but when the GTR turned up they just looked avarage .
Brilliant picture, I love touring cars
Wish theres video of how this RS500 sound like..
Good lord. Brilliant cars! That wing deserves so much love
These eventually got banned from the atcc as well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMhj22QLH1Y
The only Ford I would have over this is an RS200.
Not to mention, it was banned form all AUSTRALIAN Touring car competition along with the Nissan GTR. These cars would regular spank the Aussie built cars, so they axed them!
Oh God, more BS about cars causing group A to be banned/being banned from Group A.
Spiralling costs, rampant cheating, lack of manufacturer interest, and lack of spectator revenue killed Group A which was tottering uneasily on its legs by '89; Not Sierras or GT-Rs.
+1 Share
As ugly as they are, If I were rich I would buy one just to park next to my DR30 in the Garage
Even in Japan, before the R32 GTR, Ford Sierras were strong in Group A.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn6JTG9dVvY
Keiichi Tsuchiya drove one too.
@seventhskyline: I think you'll find most of those things you mentioned are indeed down to the dominance of the Sierra's and GTR's.
Manufacturers lost interest because of the massive cost of developing a car to beat the Sierra - no-one wants to spend a small fortune just to make up the numbers.
Spectators lost interest because it was starting to look like the 'ford sierra cup'.
The same thing happens often in Racing (and Rallying), designers push the envelope and the gains gradually get smaller and smaller, whilst the cost of those gains grows and grows.
To drop a second from a laptime might cost 25k, to drop another half a second may cost 50k - after that you pretty much halve the gain and double the expense. That's just how it is.
It's not the cars fault, they merely represent the pinnacle of that strand of development, under those rules. So a new set of rules are drawn up, and the cycle starts over.
This is why every "new" formula has plenty of manufacturers and close racing to begin with - as development continues those who lag behind slowly drop out until only 1 or 2 remain competitive, then it is time for a shake up of the rules and round we go again.
Saying that these cars looked avarage compared to the GT-R is kind of ignorant really. Nissan had to add half a liter of volume, two cylinders and four wheel drive to even get close. It's like saying Lance Armstrong is faster than Usain Bolt. Of course he is, the terms are not even. Remove two spark plugs and the front driveshafts on the GT-R and see how it will hold up.
The truth is that the Andy Rouse buildt RS500's are among the best racecars ever buildt. The engine bay looked shit, but it worked! And the paint scheme on that Kaliber car is pure racing porn!
The car is a legend - a pitty though it stands no chance to the GTR - I love watchin the old group A races, The RS500 was well better than the E30 M3 but was still crushed by the NIssans.
Its an epic racecar. I see the point regarding the extra half liter in displacement and the 2 added cylinders, but hey who told Ford to build a 4 cylinder? The regulations were given and every manufacturer had a different approach totally free up to them what they do.
Great car, great story
Totally awesome car. So many memories of the BTCC in the 80s'
Fredrik - It's not ignorant. The GTR was a better car. Quite simple. It exploited the rules better than the RS500, did it not? You're thinking of the GTR as having an unfair advantage because it had a larger engine capacity and 2 extra driveshafts. What you *should* be thinking of is how the RS500 was inadequate in those area's and that it didn't make full use of the rules it could have. Let's not get started on how the teams were cheating because we all know about the "brake bias" knobs, etc...
There are 2 sides, but from where I sit, the GTR beat the RS500. End of story
OK-the Sierra's won but had to work for it and just didn't sound as fearsome as the RB20DET-R :^)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BylbtOgkw4Q | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.5630842447280884, "wiki_prob": 0.4369157552719116, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1708334"} |
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This speech was given at a rally for marriage equality held in Sydney on October 12. *** Today we are out in force to stand up to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, and to speak out against the Liberals' mad attack on lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people (LGBTI). And yes, it is a full scale attack. Liberal Party governments all over this country are doing everything in their power to destroy 50 years of progress towards equality for LGBTI people.
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About 1500 people rallied in Sydney on March 8 in protest against the alleged police violence at this year’s Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Bryn Hutchinson, a former co-convener of Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH), alleges that five police officers slammed him to the ground, kicked him, shackled him and beat him when he tried to cross Oxford St after the parade had finished. Hutchinson was then taken to Surry Hills police station and charged with “assaulting a police officer”. Hutchinson says he was handcuffed during the alleged attack by the officers.
Generations of protest at Mardi Gras
Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) activists are marching in Mardi Gras on March 2 under the banner “Generations of Protest”, and are inviting interested people to join their float. Mardi Gras is going to be a lot of fun this year, and already has more floats and more people marching than ever. The event stands in the tradition of the gay liberation protest in 1978 that immediately preceded the state-by-state decriminalisation of sodomy throughout the ‘80s and early ‘90s.
CAAH says council needs LGBTI training
Community Action Against Homophobia (CAAH) has responded to the homophobic bullying of queer youth at Parramatta’s Rediscover the River festival on January 17. During the festival, Twenty10, an organisation that provides counseling for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) youth, were asked to remove an “offensive” banner. The banner read: “Support service for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, same-sex attracted and gender diverse young people, their families and community. ‘A place to be me, with the support I need.’”
Hobbits of the world unite (A revolutionary reads Tolkien)
Is there any reason for a revolutionary to watch a fantasy movie like The Hobbit? Activists and radicals, perhaps more than anyone, must live in the real world. Uninterested in escaping from the struggles of life, a radical mind sees real social situations brimming with injustice to be fought and wants to do something about it. Perhaps this is why there are not too many fantasy writers among the literary heroes of the radical left. We tend to favour poignant and sensual descriptions of real world conditions.
Gains in global marriage equality campaigns
When a sufficient number of people adopt a particular idea, it becomes self-sustaining and self-promoting. Social theorists call this “critical mass.
Royal commission scrutiny may cleanse Christian practice
“The time has come for judgment to begin in the house of the Lord,” said the Apostle Peter to the early Christian Church (1 Peter 4:17). Very different issues were being faced then, but not too different. The church was facing intense public scrutiny and Peter said that the suffering would be a cleansing experience. Those who were guilty (murderers, thieves and criminals, v. 15) would be exposed for what they are, and the innocent (v. 16) would be vindicated.
Alex Greenwich keeps Sydney for Clover
“Now there’s two of us,” declared Alex Greenwich, after he won the NSW seat of Sydney in the October 27 by-election. Greenwich received just under 65% of the two-party preferred vote: a 12% swing to Clover Moore's independents. The by-election was held because of the NSW government’s “Get Clover Bill,” which banned MPs from sitting on local council. Sydney mayor Clover Moore then had to resign from her seat in state parliament. In his victory speech, Greenwich stood with Moore and spoke of how the attempt to rob Sydney of its independent voice had backfired on the government.
Palestine Solidarity Conference
8:00am Friday 27 January Melbourne
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Home News Garter snake causes stir aboard United Airlines plane in New Jersey
Garter snake causes stir aboard United Airlines plane in New Jersey
by Staff December 10, 2022
written by Staff December 10, 2022 0 comment
The unexpected appearance of a live snake on a plane caused some turbulence among business-class passengers aboard a United Airlines jet at the end of a flight from Florida to New Jersey.
The reptile stowaway, identified as a harmless garter snake, turned up on United Airlines Flight 2038 from Tampa shortly after landing Monday afternoon at Newark Liberty International Airport, according to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
As the plane taxied from the runway to the gate, passengers in the business-class cabin began shrieking and pulling their feet up off the floor, one passenger told regional cable outlet News 12 New Jersey.
Airport animal-control officers and Port Authority police officers were at the gate when the plane arrived, and removed the snake, which was later released into the wild, Port Authority spokesperson Cheryl Ann Albiez said by email on Tuesday.
There were no injuries, no impact to airport operations, and the plane later departed Newark, she said.
A spokesperson for United, when asked about the incident, said only that crew members who were alerted by passengers “called the appropriate authorities to take care of the situation.”
The snake was identified as a harmless garter snake, similar to the one pictured.
No mention was made by any of the parties involved as to how the snake might have gotten aboard a commercial airline flight.
But the situation no doubt reminded some passengers of the 2006 movie thriller “Snakes on a Plane,” a fictional story about dozens of venomous snakes being released by criminals on a passenger plane in an attempt to kill a murder trial witness.
Monday’s incident was not the first real-life instance of a serpentine creature hitching a ride aboard a commercial jet. A large snake was found slithering through the passenger cabin of an Aeromexico flight to Mexico City in 2016, and a python was spotted by passengers clinging to the airplane wing -on the outside – of a flight from Australia to Papua New Guinea in 2013.
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Orioles To Decline Five-Year Lease Extension At Camden Yards, Seeking Longer-Term Agreement With Maryland Stadium Authority
SSG Landers Close To Signing Kirk McCarty
By Mark Polishuk | November 27, 2022 at 9:44pm CDT
Left-hander Kirk McCarty is close to signing with the KBO League’s SSG Landers, according to a report from Ilgan Sports (hat tip to reporter Sung Min Kim). A deal will become official once McCarty passes a physical.
McCarty made his Major League debut in 2022, posting a 4.54 ERA over 37 2/3 innings for the Guardians. Eleven of McCarty’s 13 appearances came out of the bullpen, and he started getting some Triple-A usage as a multi-inning reliever after spending much of his pro career as a starter. Over his 425 1/3 innings in the minors, McCarty has a 4.30 ERA, 22.9% strikeout rate, and 7.26% walk rate.
These types of numbers were enough to give McCarty his first crack in the big leagues, but ultimately made him a little expendable in the pitching-deep Guardians farm system. McCarty was actually designated for assignment in July and claimed off waivers by the Orioles, but he pitched just one game with Baltimore’s Triple-A affiliate before he was DFA’ed again, and re-claimed by Cleveland. Prior to the 40-man roster deadline earlier this month, the Guards designated McCarty again and released him.
McCarty was a seventh-round pick for Cleveland in the 2017 draft, and he has spent his entire career in the organization apart from that one-week sojourn in the Orioles’ system. The move to the Korea Baseball Organization presents a whole new chapter for the 27-year-old, and perhaps a chance for McCarty to more firmly re-establish himself as a starting pitcher. Due to his lack of strikeouts, McCarty doesn’t really fit most MLB teams’ preferred model for a starter or a reliever, though he does have some quality spin rates on both his fastball and curveball.
Korea Baseball Organization Transactions Kirk McCarty
Red Sox Promote Ramon Vazquez To Bench Coach
Giants Sign Four To Minor League Deals
BirdieMan
Ken McCarthy, man. It’s in the article.
My point is, he’s a nobody, he’s irrelevant. No point in even writing about him. Non-story
TrumboJumbo
Staff Sgt. Landers!!
Birdie, lol, I hear you man. That’s why I wrote his name incorrectly. Because nobody know who he is… I was just fooling around, man.
McCarty. I think I have his bb card…Oh, wait. No, it isn’t him.
I should have realized that, my bad
You do have the choice to read or not to read the articles posted here. So my point is, he’s more of somebody than you are. There’s a point in writing this article about him & not you.
sufferforsnakes
I know who he is. You, not so much.
Ham Fighter
Sounds like you are talking about yourself
gwynnpadreshof2007
@BirdieMan, apparently he was good enough to make the Big Leagues, while you probably got winded typing your idiotic one word response.
Forever a legend in my book for shutting the door against Minnesota in that 15 inning game
Peart of the game
Looks like Font could return to MLB after a dominant two seasons in KBO or is moving to NPB since Shawn Morimando was good as a mid season pick up out of the CPBL.
NickGarren
was hoping the Cubs might have signed him. They need lefties in the pen.
rowbradfo
You could even say they are close to landing McCarty
OIC2021
David McCarty 1B -OF Twins
Red Sox Notes: Barnes, Bleier, Paxton, Bello, Pivetta
Extension Candidate: Dylan Cease | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5771514177322388, "wiki_prob": 0.5771514177322388, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1428890"} |
Maybe I've been reading too much of Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series, but spring is now ingrained as the opening of Campaign Season. It's that time of year when anything is possible. Let the die fly high.
The festival circuit posters are out. I've already committed to going to the RaggaMuffin gig, come Hell or Helen. Tempted by Kiwiburn, now WOMAD's gone all commercial like Big Day Out. Also pondering requesting a spot in the Speakers Tent at Parihaka. No, not yet. The timing is all wrong. Maybe after a spell at Toastmasters. Yeah, that'll do it. We can't all be teachers or lawyers, used to speaking in public. Gotta kill that "don't fuck it up" mantra thing that keeps happening.
Well, it's about time to settle into a theme I suppose. How about a recap of the previous week? It's been good stuff.
Last Monday, attending the NZ Drug Foundation's AGM. They got the boring crap out of the way pronto, and featured a debate between some university teams debating "All Drugs Should Be Legalised." Charles Chauvel was moderating. Nice to see him continue turning up in all the right places. The audience decided that the negative team proved the most convincing, including me. Great fun for seeing what the lie of the land is. Tricky, but not insurmountable. I seriously rate the choice of chocolate cake served afterwards. It gave a whole new perspective to the definition of drug. Damn that anandamide!!
On Wednesday, attended the march to parliament on the Electoral Finance Bill. Got many beeps walking into town on the way there for my double-sided placard. On one side, "People, not PR and Pledge Card" (I ran out of room for the plural). On the other, it said "Greens! WTF u doing?" Both sides were subscripted with "This electoral advertisement was authorised by me."For the record, the sign did not say "fuck."
I had no idea of the huge drama that a chaotic event like an upturned plane on a runway would cause, even when Stephen Franks kept going on about it when I bumped into him on the way to Civic Square. Here he was, telling me the march was turning to custard, and here's me poking and prodding for completely different information. Inappropriate conversation is my forte. Get me on a roll and I can put both feet in my mouth with ease. It's why I'm gun-shy of influential people.
At Civic Square, I strike up awkward conversation with the grouplets of fellow marchers, managing to alienate one Act supporter with anti-Gary Mallet comments (Honestly, bring back Catherine Judd). Oh, the march has started, thank Dagg. Leisurely stroll down Lambton Quay, a street built for marching down (although the University-Terrace-Beehive route is still the best).
Young Labour turn up wearing John Key masks. I recognise a few of them straight off. Good on them for adding to the limited theatrics. Their antics spark a response in the marchers, who drown out the gatecrashers through necessity. Bump into some guy marching along with an effigy of Winston Peters. Arrive at parliament and a TradeMe of speakers ensues. Fair go to DPF for giving it a go on the mike. Good on Jeanette Fitzsimons for fronting up. You have my respect but still not my vote.
Thursday, lunch with Rick Giles at the Backbencher. Rick is an Almost Disappeared Person and the guy with the Winston effigy. Small world, small march. Off to Wellington Airport to catch a Pacific Blue flight to Auckland. Omfg, they've brought US customs to NZ's laissez-faire air travel. The paranoiacs have taken Joe Bennett far too seriously.
Metal detectors and x-ray machines? Thank Dagg I wasn't wearing my usual belt, the one that gets me spreadeagled at parliament every time. Hasn't anyone told the control freaks that security is an illusion? The best one can hope for is to minimise one's reasons to become a target. Security is therefore an oxymoron.
American security traditions, ripened for decades by the McNamara agenda, have finally burst forth on state departments around the globe. Tasers are the non-lethal stock option du jour. Revenue is soaring! Tasers are the de rigeur non-lethal shock option for cops. During the NZ taser trial, the thing was used 19 times. According to the logic used to justify its use, 19 cop lives were saved due to the taser. What's the Death on the Job rate for cops? Surely it's not 19 a year? N-n-n-n-19? No way.
Taxes may not be rising, inflation may be low, but the price of safety just keeps going up. What's the going rate for a late model taser? How about those goddamned metal detectors and x-ray machines back at the airport terminal purgatory? For my return trip to Auckland, $7.14. Now I paid McDonalds Airways a hundred and something bucks for my flights. $7.14 is a big bite of their margin.
If $7.14 is the price of ensuring that Tame Iti hasn't trained some ninja pilots to take over a 747 and fly it into the Beehive, so be it. However, since this stunt happening is so unbelievably improbable, I strongly resent paying a tuppenny fuck for being treated worse than a towelhead. $7.14 would have bought me a red wine to enjoy on my flight, instead of being heavied by the rubber-glove brigade. Future flying will now be subject to a thirty percent increase in security costs. $9.32 and rising. When will someone say no? I'll second them.
I hadn't been to Auckland since selling up the Shoebox in Wellesley St West back in '04. It was well-timed, before the leaky building clusterfuck really took hold of the body corporates and just before the CBD was so utterly saturated with apartments. Landing at Auckland airport was a doddle. I had forgotten how truly horrible the traffic was.
One hiccupped rendezvous later and we're heading out west, to the Pope of Dope's official residence in the Waitakere Ranges. Two wood pigeons parked up in the bush greet us on arrival. The view is astounding. It's all there, Rangitoto, Sky City (albeit as a prick on the horizon). It's the Auckland I never knew. Wait! What's that sound in the distance? Is it... public transport railway?
Friday day is prep day. Lots of mouths to feed this weekend. Head into town for the 4:20 near Albert Park. Maryjane, the Cannabus is there, up and running after only three years from its inception. After a significant smoke, a crowd heads out on the bus into Auckland Friday night gridlock. I get out while the bus is idling near the Viaduct, heading around the waterfront and across to the North Shore on the ferry.
Head on round to RRB's house, a cigarette's length from the jetty. From there, it's off to the Northcote Tavern, a throwback to the glorious bar and bistro days of my childhood. It's Friday night and there's fuck all people there, for shame. Not trendy enough, eh. RRB and the Northcote's chef share a walking bus connection, spinning a yarn in the garden bar. She cooks up a nice scotch fillet and chips too.
Saturday morning, head out to Prince's Wharf to attend the NORML annual conference on board Te Aroha. It's a good meeting, and my paper on what the latest version of the Electoral Finance Bill means for NORML is well received. Now I'm committed to writing to the Electoral Commission to seek guidance on NORML's response to the EFB.
The AGM is wrapped up quickly, as the party-goers are about to board. It's time for cruising the harbour, relaxation, irie tunes, loads of kai, and the "Show Your Grow" competition (a spin-off from the annual Cannabis Cup). The co-host has provided beer and steaks, as well as other festive amenities. I grab a Steinie and crank up the barbie. Not 200 yards away, a police launch wanders past. It'll pass by discreetly another three or five times during the evening, as bass booms and clouds of smoke diffuse in our wake.
After I've backlogged the buffet for the 70 people on board, I head up to the Auckland's heads in the bowls. After years of tolerating Wellington's bush weed, it was a real pleasure to get to see some fine Auckland skunk again. Aucklanders won't touch bush. It's skunk or nothing. About a dozen entries and there's three outstanding ones. One bud, big as your fist, sits there begging to be scratched and sniffed. I feel like Neil Miller at the Beer Festival, or Jules at Toast Martinborough.
New Zealand is a nation for Epicureans. Our Rieslings are up there with Germany. While our Cab/Merlots have a way to go before we top the Ozzies (Penfold's Grange, Mmmmmm. Sorry Mr Brajkovich!), the Pinots are getting there. Three cheers for Tuatara Pale Ale! Dagg bless that Manuka Honey! Woohoo for Kapiti Foods and Puhoi too! And the lamb... The lamb lies down on Ohakune potato mash and mint jus. New Zealanders are the best growers and seeders of cannabis in the world. We outrank Marrakesh, Amsterdam and Nepal in quality. This is no hashish, dudes. This is the real fluffy thing. Smells sweetish-minty too.
The winner ends up being G. There were many mentions on the night of "hitting the G spot". It's a Northern Lights/White Pearl cross. The dude has been growing hard out for three years and this fine young horticulturalist deserved the win.
The partygoers depart, and the boat straddles the harbour for the night. Sunday is sloth day. Everyone's glad that the conference was done and dusted on Saturday, because it's the Mother of All Stone-overs on Sunday. The clouds burn off early in the day, and the harbour is ablaze in sun.
Farewells in the afternoon. Head off on foot from Prince's Wharf to debrief myself at my bro's apartment in Parnell. The heat coming off the bitumen makes it a stinking hot walk. There's cold beers in the fridge, although Randy is in Tauranga dealing with Family Matters. Refresh, reboot, and up to The Bog, before ferreting back for a kip.
Monday, it's back to reality. Back to Wellington. Normal blogging will resume whenever the fuck.
Labels: cruel and unusual, Electoral Act, NORML, safety nazis, the opposite of bored, there are no guerillas in our midst
For the fun of it
The New York Times pays tribute to the release of the first season of Sesame Street on DVD:
Just don’t bring the children. According to an earnest warning on Volumes 1 and 2, “Sesame Street: Old School” is adults-only: “These early ‘Sesame Street’ episodes are intended for grown-ups, and may not suit the needs of today’s preschool child.”
Say what? At a recent all-ages home screening, a hush fell over the room. “What did they do to us?” asked one Gen-X mother of two, finally. The show rolled, and the sweet trauma came flooding back. What they did to us was hard-core. Man, was that scene rough. The masonry on the dingy brownstone at 123 Sesame Street, where the closeted Ernie and Bert shared a dismal basement apartment, was deteriorating. Cookie Monster was on a fast track to diabetes. Oscar’s depression was untreated. Prozacky Elmo didn’t exist.
Indeed. Back then only Big Bird could see Mr Snuffleupagus. It was a reassurance to kids that direct observation trumps peer pressure every time. It certainly helped me deal with tinnitus. Contrast that with today's pre-chewed pabulum. Jeez, give me another hit of the 70's realism, risk-taking and acceptance:
Labels: pussies and wusses
Quantum effects in Electoral Finance Bill
I have worked out what has happened to the Electoral Finance Bill. It's been put through some form of particle accelerator. Nothing has been created or destroyed, it's just reappeared elsewhere in a different form. Take, for example, the deleted clause exempting government departments from the effects of the EFB (Section 119AA). The souped-up EFB has much the same effect appear elsewhere, in the definition of who can or can't be a third party. Section 4 (2) (e):
14 Persons eligible to be third party
(2) The following are ineligible to be a third party:
(e) each of the following persons or bodies:
(i) the chief executive (however described) of a
department of State or Crown entity: 20
(ii) a department of State:
(iii) a Crown entity:
(iv) a State enterprise (within the meaning of section
2 of the State-Owned Enterprises Act 1986) or a
Crown-owned company: 25
(v) any other instrument of the Crown
If government departments by definition cannot be third parties, then they are exempted. N'est-ce pas?
Labels: Electoral Act
Apres aujourd'hui, la deluge
Oh dear. Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. I've looked all through my metaphor bag, but I can't find anything remotely apt to compare with the J&E report on the Electoral Finance Bill. A sprig of parsley added to a dog's breakfast? No. Less sensible and illogic than any religious text ever written? Nope. I give up.
Best thing to do is ignore it. Sure, I'm going to the march on Wednesday, but there's no way in hell I'm going to take heed of whatever responsibilities the Electoral Finance Bill foists on me. Am I going to stick posters around town without putting my home address on them? You betcha. Am I going to register as a third party with the Electoral Commission? Make me. Am I going to push the new and untested legal fictions contained in this Bill just for the hell of it? I'll see you in court.
I won't be alone. There's a whole heap of farmers going to be there too. Flush from the Fonterra money fountain, a resurgent rural sector will be keen to express their views come the election. And they don't give a good god-damned buggery fuck what the Electoral Finance Bill says. Over in the corner will be the grass-roots activists whom the Labour administration has done so well at alienating in recent weeks.
Or maybe not. The Electoral Commission has been charged with overseeing the whole thing; parties, candidates and "third parties". And they have, ummm, 42 days to get their infrastructure in place.
Fry Hard
The correct answer is 248, not 42
According to a free-wheeling surfer dude, the Theory of Everything may lie in an elegant mandala discovered back in 1887:
Garrett Lisi hopes to successfully beat string theory to unifying gravity with electromagnetism, and the strong and weak nuclear forces. In between surfing and mountain climbing, he will set about calculating the masses of 30-odd particles which the E8 pattern (pictured above) says should exist. Can't wait for the Large Hadron Collider to go online, eh.
UPDATE: Here's a YouTube of it working:
Labels: beaker and honeydew, Beauty
Let's Hear It for Tuhoe
Ali Ikram shows the right stuff in a Week of It, karaoke style. It's burst-a-bladder brilliant.
Labels: there are no guerillas in our midst
Tasers are a cop's best friend
While the shocking snuff video of Canadian Mounites tasering a Polish immigrant to death is doing the rounds, Leeds police are in the gun over tasering a man in a coma back in 2005:
"Mr Gaubert said he was on his way to meet friends when he suffered a hypoglycaemic fit on the bus which left him slumped on his seat clutching his rucksack. Armed police were called to the bus depot in Headingley and when he failed to respond to their challenges he was shot with the Taser. He said as this was happening, another officer was pointing a real gun at his head. He was restrained and eventually came round in the police van."
Labels: cruel and unusual
How rhetorical is this?
Helen Clark has promised that government departments are not going to cheerlead for them next election. Why then was not only Madeleine Setchell's job with Ministry of the Environment canned, but her replacement was a Labour flunky?
Are all passive-aggressive personalities now terrorists? That would explain the attempt at introducing Anti-Social Behaviour Orders then. Oh, come on... you can't take those transcripts as a serious threat to public safety? Good on the DomPost printing them and all. But seriously, my old man had more guns than the entire Freedom Fighter army, including a semi-automatic .22 fitted with a nightsight. The bunnies never stood a chance.
If I had to pick a winner between wingnut Tame Iti and a squad of stormtrooper Xs, my money's on the Allblackwaters:
Wait! This just in! Police have arrested four Maori men attempting to harness the sun with a flax net. Maybe Tame Iti will prove to be an artist after all.
Now the crayon has dried on the Health Select Committee's report recommending a ban on BZP, how long before the big bangs are banned? And is there anything that the government HASN'T given to the Law Commission to work on? Will Helen Clark inserting the Sim card into the Law Commission deck make any difference to the Misuse of Drugs Act re-write, or will Geoff Palmer put his reputation first? And will Crown Law ever grow a backbone?
Tomorrow is the anticipated date for the J&E committee to report back on the Electoral Finance Bill. DPF reckons that that will provide a six day window to read the latest Rigging Yarn. I have half a mind to wag work and go to this:
Stop the Labour/NZ First/Greens Electoral Finance "Gagging Bill"
Protest March: Auckland this Saturday 17 November from the Auckland Town
Hall at 10.30am (assemble from 10am)
Protest: Wellington next Wednesday, 21 November, for a march on Parliament.
This is to invite you to stand up and be counted.
ACT member John Boscawen is organising marches in Auckland and Wellington
to protest the Labour led Government's attack on democracy.
The Electoral Finance Bill is designed to curb political activity.
Labour and NZ First with help from the Greens and United Future are about to
ram through a law to gag free speech.
This despite vociferous objection from the Human Rights Commission, the Law
Society, Grey Power and concerned citizens from every sector of New Zealand
society.
The plan is to give Labour freedom to say what it likes in election year and
gag everyone else.
Once the Gagging Bill goes through - possibly as soon as next week - it will
be against the law for me to send an email such as this.
That's why the Human Rights Commission talks about a "chilling" impact on
That's why this is a Gagging Bill by any other name and must be stopped.
Join the marches
If you want to help contact [email protected]
Labels: Electoral Act, there are no guerillas in our midst
Wellington's annual Guy Fawkes display was one of the reasons I came back to live here. It goes off, every year without fail. I saw this year's from my street and the scale was all wrong. The noises were off and the lack of awe amongst most of the neighbours was almost palpable. To really get the feel for it, you have to be down the harbour amongst the throngs of Frank Kitts or Waitangi Parks, before wandering off home in the fug of gunpowder that drifts down towards Newtown.
Ah, the sights! The smells! Takes me back to my first terrorist camp:
Five years old and playing with fire. The Soccer Mums would be furious. If you can't take a pram along to displays of large things that explode, well, they should all be banned, right? And this, on the second anniversary of Rod Donald's death. Rod was a strong believer in the right to have fun with gunpowder, yet the Greens say silent.
It's a very interesting yarn between Kathy Ryan and Police Commissioner Howard Broad, discussing "going to the supermarket." It sort of confirms the grapevine stuff, and raises more questions than it answers. What is clear from Howard Broad's circumlocutions is that the threshold of the Terrorist Suppression Act is too high.
It ain't easy being a cop.
As John Ip confirms in the rejoinder, Howard Broad's comments are very disconcerting comment. Howard Broad wanted to prosecute under a law that doesn't exist. The Terrorist Suppression Act has justifiably high thresholds. It was designed in the usual way of platitudinous mumbo-jumbo UN treaty nonsense, hurriedly and for show only. It's not a working model. To ensure that a threat to life, limb or utilities had to be absolutely imminent, two checks were put in place. Both the Attorney General and Solicitor General had to agree to the charges being laid. Michael Cullen abdicated his responsibilites and left the matter entirely in the hands of the Solicitor General, David Collins QC.
Lacking the name of the supermarket, how to get to the supermarket, and what they were going to buy. That's the threshold the cops couldn't reach, even after simultaneous dawn raids, checkpoints, and numerous breaches of innocent people's dignity, reputation and right not to have automatic weapons pointed at them by balaclavaed amoured cops. All those hundreds of pages of inadmissable evidence or illegal wiretapping, depending on how you look at it.
This "early intervention" guff is the stuff that confirms my wildest fears. This is Margaret-Shields-seeing-skulls-in-rum-advertisements crazy. The Police Commissioner would like to see the threshold lowered so he can pre-emptorarily, unilaterally surveil anybody playing silly buggers in the bush and spouting nonsense about taking over the world. Are they going to tap Helen Clark's mutterings on her next Norwegian Wood holiday?
Between the Idea
And the Reality
Falls the Shadow
There Is No Terror in New Zealand
This just in from Scoop... There will be no charges laid using the Terrorism Suppression Act 2002. Maybe this letter from a bunch of kiwis had something to do with it.
Latest Headlines from the "War on Violence"
While we wait for real details to emerge on the Tuhoe Terrorists, we are left with sheer speculation, rumour, gossip and innuendo to base our conclusions at present. On the whole, it's best to leave that cat in the box a bit longer. What the hell, way it looks so far... A few people did some very stupid things. The cops, pushed too soon once the hunters bumped into something, over-reacted.
There's every chance I'm completely wrong. Perhaps the cops will lay out some heinous plan with a veritable cornucopia of inflammatory, incriminatory evidence. Time will tell. What is clear from Peter Wiliams QC getting involved with the Ruatoki locals, is that the cops had better come up with a phenomenally good reason to do what they did up there. The police wouldn't dream of pulling that shit in Remuera. Would they hunt for a panther by roadblocking, photographing and searching the Parnell People? The ends had better justify the means.
Not that this is a big problem for Helen Clark at present. Failing to secure state funding for political campaigns through the EFB beta version hasn't prevented her from achieving the same thing through the Appropriation (Continuation of Interim Meaning of Funding for Parliamentary Purposes) Bill.
Nor is blaming Treasury as the reason for not having personal tax cuts until election year '08 beyond the pale. Cullen remaining as Finance Minister means that Labour intend to hit big. Cullen is already underselling the tax cuts. Under-promise, over-deliver. Expect to see the first $xxxx income made tax-free and rammed through just before the election. Doing so would cost only slightly more than the interest-free student loan thumbsucker, while bringing NZ into line with Oz's tax regime.
I felt a bit of sympathy for the poor buggers protesting outside the Labour Party conference. Sure, the wild-eyed frenzies were a bit full-on, but good on them trying some amateur dramatics for the cameras. I have organised peaceful political protests before, but the media just aren't interested. Peaceful gatherings where nothing happens just isn't good telly. Guantanamo wannabes and army fatigue guy was at least an attempt to tangify the protest in the televisual aesthetic. Whacking someone with a megaphone on camera is also good telly.
I'm looking forward to the fireworks display in the harbour in just over an hour. Regardless of how crap the day of November the 5th is in Wellington, it always clears up in time for the big bangs. Tonight's goona be a corker. It's not just the main display that grabs me every time, but also the entire city's backyards full of light and sound. Pity the tyrant is threatening to ban the whole gig if we don't behave. Pressure valves are there for a reason. Pity there's no way to tell which way the wind is blowing when you're in the House of Representatives.
Labels: Bring back the double-happy
KiwiRail gets flak over cost of permits after worker's death in Marton | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.5728079676628113, "wiki_prob": 0.4271920323371887, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1501654"} |
Was Olmert pandering to the ‘We want a strong leader against terrorism’ vote by capturing Ze’evi’s killers? Of course he was. Has he proven that he will be a strong leader against terrorism? Obviously he hasn’t.
If Olmert was a strong leader against terrorism then the Rotenberg Power Facility in Ashkelon would not be issuing directives to their employees to avoid congregating in groups to evade being killed in large numbers by the frequent Kassam missile attacks that have hit the sensitive site since the disengagement (already causing an explosion in a building).
Nor would Kibbutz Nir Am be planning a lottery to determine which 11 of their 80 families deserve to be protected from terrorism, as they are not being given enough Kassam shelters to protect everyone from the frequent rain of missiles in their area (as opposed to stopping the missiles at the source), as it is too expensive!
Disengagement was and is a failure, and the continued inaction against the sources of terrorism just keeps deteriorating Israel’s deterrence even further as we can see up North.
And yet Olmert wants more disengagements and ineffective but highly visible operations that don’t make anyone safer.
The polls say that Kadima jumped up after the Jericho action. If nothing else, it means that Israelis want their leaders to fight terrorism, but unfortunately, Israelis are also very quick to ignore escalations of terrorism once the escalation becomes routine. So Kassam missiles, knifings (still not as many as secular Israelis do to each other in the bars), and other miscellaneous attacks (like suicide bombers) don’t really rock the boat after a while. And if the leaders don’t really fight it, well that’s OK, because it’s apathy that rules in Israel (hopefully Kadima voters will be so apathetic they'll stay home on election day).
I keep saying this, and I’ll keep on saying this…
The truth is, and everyone knows it, the only way to stop the Kassam missiles is to send in ground troops, and once that is done, then everyone knows that disengagement was a failure and a mistake from the start.
So why is apparently everyone for more disengagements you ask? Why is Kadima riding high?
Because everyone knows that Israel won’t fight terrorism for real because it means that nearly all its policies have been wrong; because the Left have managed to infiltrate and inculcate an attitude of defeatism, resignation, and despair into this country. As Olmert has said (properly influenced by his far left wife and children), he’s tired of fighting, he’s tired of winning. All Israelis know that the option of properly devastating the terrorist infrastructure is out of the question with all our potential leaders, so instead they run towards the (far distant) second option, which is useless, but at least provides them with a warm fuzzy feeling like they’re doing something (despite the actual facts on the ground).
And in response to my favorite is the typical Leftist comment, how many Israelis have been killed and injured since the disengagement as opposed to before?
I could simply answer with 'how many people suddenly find themselves running for bomb shelters every night which they never had to do before the disengagement?' And 'how often did the Electric Company have to tell their employees to not congregate to avoid being killed in large numbers?' but that would be cynical of me.
(It's the same way that Israel doesn't react to suicide bombers unless a lot of people actually got killed).
But unfortunately, the answer will only be given after (G/d forbid) the disengagement missiles hit the Rotenberg’s various fuel facilities head on and wipes out an x mile radius (I'm sure they're adding on thicker layers of concrete even as you read this).
Hopefully it will never come to that, but that is what the Palestinians are trying to do, and that is what Olmert won’t block with ground troops, after all that would mean that there is a military solution to terrorism and disengagement was a failure and a mistake. | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.624867856502533, "wiki_prob": 0.37513214349746704, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line832659"} |
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC GROUPS
VICTOR CARRANZA
Home ᐳ News ᐳ Brief ᐳ Barrio 18 Members Arrested in Series of Attacks on Guatemala Police
Alleged Barrio 18 members captured for attacks on police
Barrio 18 Members Arrested in Series of Attacks on Guatemala Police
BARRIO 18 / 21 MAR 2017 BY DAVID GAGNE EN
Over a dozen alleged members of the Barrio 18 gang were arrested for their participation in a series of attacks against police stations in Guatemala City, which authorities say was in response to security forces putting down a bloody riot in a juvenile detention center.
The arrests capped a chaotic 48 hours in Guatemala City, which began on the afternoon of March 19 when inmates at the juvenile dentention center Etapa 2 took seven guards hostage.
Two of the guards were killed over the next 24 hours, during which the inmates started a fire and climbed to the roof of the facility, reported Prensa Libre. Security forces were able to rescue the remaining hostages on March 20, but two later died at a hospital and two others have sustained life-threatening injuries.
The inmates were reportedly demanding that 200 youths be transferred from a separate juvenile detention center to Etapa 2, in addition to calling for better living conditions. The 200 adolescents appear to belong to the Barrio 18, according to Prensa Libre.
Just hours after the riot ended, a wave of attacks began against police stations in Guatemala City that left three National Civil Police (Policía Nacional Civil - PNC) officers dead and at least eight injured, reported Reuters. Nine attacks were registered in all, including one in the western department of Quetzaltenango.
Authorities arrested thirteen suspected Barrio 18 members who they say were responsible for the attacks, according to Prensa Libre. They also seized five rifles, a grenade launcher and three cars, among other items.
PNC Director Nery Ramos said the attacks were in response to the authorities liberating the hostages from Etapa 2.
The string of attacks against police stations displays a level of gang aggression toward security forces rarely seen in Guatemala. While the gangs are believed to be a principal driver of the country's high homicide rates, coordinated campaigns against the police are more often seen in neighboring El Salvador. The attacks are a chilling reminder of the lethality of Guatemala's gangs, and their ability to manufacture chaos seemingly at a moment's notice.
SEE ALSO: InDepth Coverage of Prisons
Meanwhile, the riot that sparked the attacks reveals how powerful the gangs have become inside the country's juvenile detention centers. The Barrio 18 and its archrival, the MS13, have long used the adult prisons as bases of operations and as recruiting grounds. The recent events indicate the juvenile facilities have now succumbed to the gangs as well. This is likely due to the authorities' failure to enact broader prison reform in addition to the gangs' practice of enlisting children to partake in criminal activities.
BARRIO 18 GUATEMALA NORTHERN TRIANGLE PRISONS
BARRIO 18
NORTHERN TRIANGLE
Costa Rica Cocaine Theft Ring Relies on Crooked Agents
COCAINE / 13 APR 2021
The dismantling of a Costa Rican drug gang that worked with agents in an elite investigative unit to steal cocaine…
Stress Test for Guatemalan Justice
ELITES AND CRIME / 1 DEC 2021
As day broke in Guatemala City on August 31, 2016, a judge named Carlos Ruano anxiously awaited a meeting with one of Guatemala’s most powerful…
El Salvador's Gangs Send Message in Blood
BARRIO 18 / 16 DEC 2021
Though El Salvador stands on track for another record low in homicides this year, the country was recently shaken by… | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.9137253761291504, "wiki_prob": 0.9137253761291504, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1650326"} |
Cool Finds
Refugees Are Teaching Germans How to Cook Their Traditional Foods
Cooking classes are bridging the gaps between Germans and Middle Eastern refugees
Some of Uber den Tellerrand's volunteers teaching a cooking class. Laura Fiorio, courtesy of Uber den Tellerrand
More than almost anything else, food has the power to bring people of different cultures together. As tensions in Europe toward refugees from war-torn countries like Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan continue to rise, food is becoming a tool to help try to ease some of these issues. Now, one organization is working to bridge the culture gap between Germans and refugees by teaching Berliners how to cook traditional Middle Eastern dishes.
Über den Tellerrand (“Looking Beyond the Plate”) is a Berlin-based organization that works with refugees to engage with their new neighbors by arranging cooking classes that serve up some familiar dishes. How it works is that once a month, a group of Berliners will gather at a community kitchen and dining space as a refugee chef instructs them on making a series of dishes from his or her homeland, Prathap Nair reports for Munchies.
“An international and intercultural group of students and refugees designed, created, and built this community kitchen,” Lisa Thaens, one of Über den Tellerrand’s founders, tells Nair. “We see it as the home of our diverse community, where everyone has the chance to contribute with ideas.”
A typical night at an Über den Tellerrand class might have students learning how to make traditional meals from regions in Afghanistan that share culinary traditions with Iran, for example. Other nights might feature dishes once made at home in Syria, Jörn Kabisch writes for the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung. Even though the participants may not always share the same language, the organization believes that the act of cooking and learning about different cultures can unite people even during a contentious time.
“Food brings people together. It’s a lot of communicating, because with every different culture that you meet people, you always end up cooking together, eating together, and that’s the first thing that you share with someone after you meet,” one participant named Noor says in a video for Über den Tellerrand.
More often than not, the refugees and asylum-seekers leading the classes aren’t professional, trained chefs. Usually they are home cooks seeking a sense of community in a foreign country, looking to share their culture and family traditions, or just trying to make new friends. One volunteer teacher from Afghanistan named Reza was originally a shoemaker, but has come to rely on cooking as a way to keep his homeland in mind, Nair writes.
“The rice always needs to be chewy—three hours of soaking and ten minutes of cooking will do the job. Men like chewing rice in Afghanistan,” Reza says.
Über den Tellerrand’s work has yielded cooking classes, pop-up restaurants, and even a cookbook of refugee’s recipes, with another due out later this year. Food might seem like a small thing, but when a person has spent years on the run with no way to return home, a traditional meal can be an important way to both share and renew their connection to their culture.
Danny Lewis | | READ MORE
Danny Lewis is a multimedia journalist working in print, radio, and illustration. He focuses on stories with a health/science bent and has reported some of his favorite pieces from the prow of a canoe. Danny is based in Brooklyn, NY.
Cool Finds Cultural Preservation Food Food History Politics | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5903993844985962, "wiki_prob": 0.5903993844985962, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line761911"} |
The lighting design concept was developed as part of a pre-qualified architectural competition proposal for a new office building. The lighting was envisioned to be integrated delicately as part of the architecture, invisible during the daylight hours. The dynamic visual narrative takes departure from keywords such as starry sky, the Northern star and aurora as the polar lights; and reflected in the building’s name Polaris. The lighting spectacle is to be carefully programmed, balancing between the darkness and brightness, with minimal light pollution; aligned with dusk, dawn and active usage of waterfront. All in all, to create a light experience for the passers-by as part of the urban realm and as a new landmark seen form the waterfront.
The lighting design concept was developed in collaboration with Atelier Lorentzen Langkilde.
Atelier Lorentzen Langkilde
Urban lighting, exterior, facade | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.5190423727035522, "wiki_prob": 0.48095762729644775, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1325625"} |
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Home » Uncategorized » Forklift’s Green Gift Fair an Eco-Outlet for Artists Who See the Beauty of Reuse
Forklift’s Green Gift Fair an Eco-Outlet for Artists Who See the Beauty of Reuse
Charmaine Jones transformed a drab chair purchased at Community Forklift into a garden spot. This and pieces dressed up by artists at from Art Enables are part of the Forklift’s Green Gift Fair beginning Nov. 1.
By Elizabeth McGowan
Where others saw a dull and dormant chair, Charmaine Jones imagined a four-legged garden. That verdant vision prompted the 28-year-old artist to cover every square inch of its exposed wood with a botanical bounty of roses, tulips, sunflowers and vines.
“It just kind of popped into my head,” Jones says about her garden chair idea while seated at her studio space at Art Enables in Northeast Washington, D.C. “Painting with all of those colors makes me happy.”
Charmaine Jones painted “Night Blossoms” on a cabinet door salvaged by Art Enables at Community Forklift. (PHOTO CREDIT: Art Enables)
The resurrected chair will be returning “home” as one of hundreds of handmade items that local crafters and artists will be selling from Nov. 1 through Dec. 29 at Community Forklift’s fifth annual Green Gift Fair. Art Enables, a studio and gallery for emerging artists with developmental disabilities, is one of 35 organizations and individuals selected to participate in the event at the Forklift’s Edmonston warehouse.
In addition to green-themed paintings, the fair will feature an assortment of eco-friendly and affordable clothing, metalwork, woodcrafts, toys, baby gear, beauty care products, candles, greeting cards, housewares and stained glass mosaics. Prices start as low as $1.
Staffers at Art Enables often comb the Forklift’s aisles for finds that encourage their cadre of 33 artists to experiment with new media. Chairs, cabinet doors, scrap wood, ceramic tiles and glass light shades are among the Forklift finds that allow the artists to transform the forlorn to the fanciful—and make some money selling their repurposed results.
“For art folks, there are only so many times you can paint on canvas or draw on a piece of paper,” says Beth Baldwin, arts coordinator at Art Enables, who discovered the Forklift years ago as a props specialist for the Shakespeare Theatre Company. “Like any artist, you can fall into a rut, so working with something different is a good way to open up creativity.”
Mary Liniger, executive director at Art Enables, is used to fielding calls from Baldwin and other staffers seeking permission to “buy something really cool they just found at the Forklift.” She always gives them the green light, she says, because everything is so reasonably priced and nothing they carry back to the art studio at 2204 Rhode Island Ave. NE ever seems to go to waste.
“What I like about Community Forklift is that it’s so random,” Baldwin says. “It can be a challenge to find what I need but it keeps me constantly problem solving.”
Aley Hasson, gallery and outreach assistant for Art Enables, is thrilled that the Forklift selected her organization to participate in this year’s Green Gift Fair. It’s the first year Art Enables submitted an application.
“We’re always looking for new venues,” Hasson says about raising her nonprofit’s profile. “It’s about getting our name out there so more people know what our artists are doing in here.”
The Art Enables booth at the Green Gift Fair will showcase art from several artists who use reclaimed materials. For instance, it also will feature flower-themed paintings that Jones has completed on cabinet doors salvaged from the Forklift. Jones, one of the youngest artists at Art Enables, will be joined by the nonprofit’s eldest artist, Maurice “Mo” Higgs. The cheerful and prolific 77-year-old wears down dozens of colored pencils daily while drawing renditions of his “hairy eyeball motif” on paper, wood scraps or about any other available surface.
Maurice “Mo” Higgs draws so much at Art Enables that his storage drawer is often overflowing.
This year’s call for original artwork incorporating the themes of recycling, sustainable living and environmental awareness attracted more responses than in the previous four years, so it will be the largest Green Gift Fair yet. Forklift staffers selected the top 35 applications from a field of 48.
What are some of these artists doing? For starters, they’re turning beeswax into candles, transforming leftover metal parts into lamps, creating clothing from thrift-store finds, making painting-like landscapes and cityscapes from fabric scraps, handcrafting soaps and repurposing worn out belts and other leather goods into wearable art.
“Part of our mission is to lift up communities through reuse, so this seems like a natural partnership,” says Bea Trickett, the Forklift’s outreach and education coordinator. “This is the time of the year when the construction business slows down, while the arts always pick up at the holidays. For Community Forklift, hosting the Green Gift Fair is a perfect way to help connect our fans to local artists.”
Aley Hasson, left, the gallery and outreach assistant at Art Enables, talks with her executive director, Mary Liniger, at the nonprofit’s studio and gallery in Northeast Washington, D.C. Artists from the organization will be participating in Community Forklift’s Green Gift Fair for the first time this year.
Trickett emphasizes that the Green Gift Fair isn’t just an opportunity to ooh and ahh at the talents of participating artists. Forklift customers also will have the opportunity to participate in workshops on select weekend afternoons to try their hand at learning a new artistic skill.
For example, Isabel Smith, Madeline Santiago and Elva Rosario of Marizab’s Treasures will teach participants how to craft jewelry from wire, washers, nails and other reclaimed materials; Jamie Langhoff of Seeing in Fabric will lead a workshop on turning old clothing into wall art suitable for framing; Jill Dickens from Evolve Skin LLC will share a simple recipe for a detoxifying salt scrub; and Don Nalezyty of Wright Woods will show how to use axes and knives to shape a spoon from a green log.
Maurice “Mo” Higgs’s creates his signature “hairy eyeball motif” on salvaged cabinet doors and pretty much any other surface available.
The elf-like Higgs, one of the Art Enables artists, is quick to note that any money he earns at the Green Gift Fair will go toward one of his regular trips to Florida. Liniger says she has no doubt Higgs’s vacation coffer will grow because he seems to develop an avid following wherever he shows his art.
“Every day, I get to see somebody make something amazing,” says Liniger, who has headed up the 12-year-old nonprofit since February 2012. “And that’s what leads to the biggest danger. You’re watching incredible pieces of art being created and you’re here with your credit card and checkbook.”
Though she’s talking about what unfolds at Art Enables on a daily basis, her words could just as easily apply to the appeal of all of the wares at the Green Gift Fair.
“The longer I spend here, the more fun I have,” Liniger says. “I just can’t wait to see what these artists create next.” | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5937488675117493, "wiki_prob": 0.5937488675117493, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line825564"} |
Items where Division is "Faculty of Science and Health > Life Sciences, School of" and Year is 2012
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Backhouse, Amy and Sait, Steven M and Cameron, Tom C (2012) Multiple mating in the traumatically inseminating Warehouse pirate bug, <i>Xylocoris flavipes</i> : effects on fecundity and longevity. Biology Letters, 8 (5). pp. 706-709. DOI https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2012.0091
Barton, Jo and Griffin, Murray and Pretty, Jules (2012) Exercise-, nature- and socially interactive-based initiatives improve mood and self-esteem in the clinical population. Perspectives in Public Health, 132 (2). pp. 89-96. DOI https://doi.org/10.1177/1757913910393862
Bell, TG and Malin, G and Lee, GA and Stefels, J and Archer, S and Steinke, M and Matrai, P (2012) Global oceanic DMS data inter-comparability. Biogeochemistry, 110 (1-3). pp. 147-161. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-011-9662-3
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Bernini, Andrea and Spiga, Ottavia and Venditti, Vincenzo and Prischi, Filippo and Botta, Mauro and Croce, Gianluca and Tong, Angela Pui-Ling and Wong, Wing-Tak and Niccolai, Neri (2012) The use of a ditopic Gd(III) paramagnetic probe for investigating α-bungarotoxin surface accessibility. Journal of Inorganic Biochemistry, 112. pp. 25-31. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jinorgbio.2012.03.004
Brown, Daniel K and Barton, Jo L and Pretty, Jules and Gladwell, Valerie F (2012) Walks4work: Rationale and study design to investigate walking at lunchtime in the workplace setting. BMC Public Health, 12 (1). 550-. DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-550
Bunting, Stuart W (2012) Principles of Sustainable Aquaculture: Promoting Social, Economic and Environmental Resilience. Earthscan Food and Agriculture Series . Routledge. ISBN 9781849710770
Büneker, Chirlei Klein and Yu, Rui and Deedigan, Laura and Mohr, Andrea and Zwacka, Ralf Michael (2012) IFN-γ combined with targeting of XIAP leads to increased apoptosis-sensitisation of TRAIL resistant pancreatic carcinoma cells. Cancer Letters, 316 (2). pp. 168-177. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canlet.2011.10.035
Cardas, M and Khan, NA and Alsam, S (2012) Staphylococcus aureus exhibit similarities in their interactions with Acanthamoeba and ThP1 macrophage-like cells. Experimental Parasitology, 132 (4). pp. 513-518. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/j.exppara.2012.08.014
Caruana, AMN and Steinke, M and Turner, SM and Malin, Gill (2012) Concentrations of dimethylsulphoniopropionate and activities of dimethylsulphide-producing enzymes in batch cultures of nine dinoflagellate species. Biogeochemistry, 110 (1-3). pp. 87-107. DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-012-9705-4
Cemlyn, Benjamin Rhodri and Labukhin, Dmitry and Henning, Ian D and Adams, Michael J (2012) Dynamic Transitions in a Photonic Integrated Circuit. IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, 48 (2). pp. 261-268. DOI https://doi.org/10.1109/jqe.2011.2169652
Chu, D and Zabet, NR and von der Haar, T (2012) A novel and versatile computational tool to model translation. Bioinformatics, 28 (2). pp. 292-293. DOI https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btr650
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Cooper, Chris (2012) Drug cheating at the Olympics: who, what, and why? The Lancet, 380 (9836). pp. 21-22. DOI https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(12)61114-3
Cooper, Chris (2012) Run, Swim, Throw, Cheat The Science Behind Drugs in Sport. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199581467
Coulon, Frédéric and Chronopoulou, Panagiota-Myrsini and Fahy, Anne and Païssé, Sandrine and Goñi-Urriza, Marisol and Peperzak, Louis and Acuña Alvarez, Laura and McKew, Boyd A and Brussaard, Corina PD and Underwood, Graham JC and Timmis, Kenneth N and Duran, Robert and McGenity, Terry J (2012) Central Role of Dynamic Tidal Biofilms Dominated by Aerobic Hydrocarbonoclastic Bacteria and Diatoms in the Biodegradation of Hydrocarbons in Coastal Mudflats. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 78 (10). pp. 3638-3648. DOI https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.00072-12
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Dart, DA and Brooke, GN and Sita-Lumsden, A and Waxman, J and Bevan, CL (2012) Reducing prohibitin increases histone acetylation, and promotes androgen independence in prostate tumours by increasing androgen receptor activation by adrenal androgens. Oncogene, 31 (43). pp. 4588-4598. DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/onc.2011.591
Davies, MN and Volta, M and Pidsley, R and Lunnon, K and Dixit, A and Lovestone, S and Coarfa, C and Harris, RA and Milosavljevic, A and Troakes, C and Al-Sarraj, S and Dobson, R and Schalkwyk, LC and Mill, J (2012) Functional annotation of the human brain methylome identifies tissue-specific epigenetic variation across brain and blood. Genome Biology, 13 (6). R43-R43. DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/gb-2012-13-6-r43
Doutch, James and Hough, Michael A and Hasnain, S Samar and Strange, Richard W (2012) Challenges of sulfur SAD phasing as a routine method in macromolecular crystallography. Journal of Synchrotron Radiation, 19 (1). pp. 19-29. DOI https://doi.org/10.1107/s0909049511049004
Dwarakanath, Srivatsa and Chaplin, Amanda K and Hough, Michael A and Rigali, Sébastien and Vijgenboom, Erik and Worrall, Jonathan AR (2012) Response to Copper Stress in Streptomyces lividans Extends beyond Genes under Direct Control of a Copper-sensitive Operon Repressor Protein (CsoR). Journal of Biological Chemistry, 287 (21). pp. 17833-17847. DOI https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.m112.352740
Exton, DA and Smith, DJ (2012) Coral reef fisheries and the role of communities in their management. In: Fishery Management. UNSPECIFIED, 1 - 21. ISBN 978-1-61209-682-7
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Zhang, Guofan and Fang, Xiaodong and Guo, Ximing and Li, Li and Luo, Ruibang and Xu, Fei and Yang, Pengcheng and Zhang, Linlin and Wang, Xiaotong and Qi, Haigang and Xiong, Zhiqiang and Que, Huayong and Xie, Yinlong and Holland, Peter WH and Paps, Jordi and Zhu, Yabing and Wu, Fucun and Chen, Yuanxin and Wang, Jiafeng and Peng, Chunfang and Meng, Jie and Yang, Lan and Liu, Jun and Wen, Bo and Zhang, Na and Huang, Zhiyong and Zhu, Qihui and Feng, Yue and Mount, Andrew and Hedgecock, Dennis and Xu, Zhe and Liu, Yunjie and Domazet-Lošo, Tomislav and Du, Yishuai and Sun, Xiaoqing and Zhang, Shoudu and Liu, Binghang and Cheng, Peizhou and Jiang, Xuanting and Li, Juan and Fan, Dingding and Wang, Wei and Fu, Wenjing and Wang, Tong and Wang, Bo and Zhang, Jibiao and Peng, Zhiyu and Li, Yingxiang and Li, Na and Wang, Jinpeng and Chen, Maoshan and He, Yan and Tan, Fengji and Song, Xiaorui and Zheng, Qiumei and Huang, Ronglian and Yang, Hailong and Du, Xuedi and Chen, Li and Yang, Mei and Gaffney, Patrick M and Wang, Shan and Luo, Longhai and She, Zhicai and Ming, Yao and Huang, Wen and Zhang, Shu and Huang, Baoyu and Zhang, Yong and Qu, Tao and Ni, Peixiang and Miao, Guoying and Wang, Junyi and Wang, Qiang and Steinberg, Christian EW and Wang, Haiyan and Li, Ning and Qian, Lumin and Zhang, Guojie and Li, Yingrui and Yang, Huanming and Liu, Xiao and Wang, Jian and Yin, Ye and Wang, Jun (2012) The oyster genome reveals stress adaptation and complexity of shell formation. Nature, 490 (7418). pp. 49-54. DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11413 | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.7432398200035095, "wiki_prob": 0.7432398200035095, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line412139"} |
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APS Earns Top Awards for Software and Support in Latest G2 Reports
Automatic Payroll Systems, Inc. (APS), a best-in-class workforce management technology provider, has earned the #1 ranking for technology and support based on customer feedback in G2’s Winter 2023 reports.
These awards demonstrate our commitment to creating intuitive products that help our customers streamline their processes and meet their goals.
Shreveport, LA (Newsworthy.ai) Wednesday Dec 28, 2022 @ 7:00 AM Central —
APS earned a total of 45 awards and outranked hundreds of software vendors across several report categories, including Best Relationship, Best Support, Best Usability, and Best Results. APS has continually ranked high in G2’s reports for software and support since 2014.
APS was also named Most Implementable and Users Most Likely to Recommend for its technology and services. These awards and rankings demonstrate APS’ commitment to providing easy-to-use technology and a personalized client experience. Their customer-centric philosophy results in industry-leading retention and satisfaction ratings, as evidenced in G2’s reports.
G2 Software and Support Ratings
Relationship Score: 90% compared to the 80% industry average
Quality of Support Score: 95% compared to the 88% industry average
User Adoption Score: 91% compared to the 81% industry average
Usability Score: 91% compared to the 86% industry average
Results Score: 82% compared to the 78% industry average
Likelihood to Recommend Score: 91% compared to the 86% industry average
G2 Award Scoring Methodology
To earn a mid-market award, APS had to receive at least ten reviews from a business with at least 50-1000 employees. Reviews mentioning customer satisfaction were then analyzed against G2 scoring indexes to determine category-specific rankings. APS has over 649 reviews, earning mid-market awards across the Implementation, Relationship, Usability, and Results categories.
These awards demonstrate a commitment to creating intuitive products that help customers streamline their processes and meet their goals. Clients benefit from user-friendly technology and personalized support for a greater return on their investment.
G2 understands that clients need efficient software that automates processes and reliable support to achieve their long-term goals. That’s why G2 is dedicated to creating customer-centric software and organization. G2's mission is to make payroll and HR easier, and the G2 awards earned this quarter prove that we are achieving this goal.
APS has a mission: to make payroll and HR easier. APS designs its unified solution to simplify workforce management tasks for mid-market organizations. APS provides clients and partners with personalized service and support to accomplish their goals. Streamline payroll processing, automate HR workflows, and elevate the employee lifecycle with a single-system platform.
Mid-sized businesses choose APS as their workforce partner because of our focus on the customer experience. As a result, we continually maintain 98% customer retention and satisfaction rates. For more information on APS and how we can help make payroll and HR easier for your mid-market business, visit https://www.apspayroll.com.
About G2
G2 is the world’s leading business review platform. Known as the tech marketplace, G2 leverages more than 280,000 user reviews to drive better purchasing decisions. Business professionals, buyers, investors, and analysts use the site to compare and select the best software and services based on peer reviews and synthesized social data. Every month, nearly one million people visit G2’s site to gain unique insights. G2 aims to bring authenticity and transparency to the business marketplace. For more information, go to G2.com.
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Home»Commentary»New: Holosun SCS-MOS Reflex Sight
New: Holosun SCS-MOS Reflex Sight
Guns In The News / June 24, 2022 / 57
Holosun’s latest optic eliminates the need to change batteries. The new SCS-MOS optic (Solar Charging Sight) is a pistol-mounted reflex sight that includes a solar panel to charge an internal rechargeable battery.
With a housing CNC machined from titanium alloy, the SCS-MOS is lightweight at 1.3 ounces. For power, it uses a combination of solar and an internal rechargeable battery power supply system. (The internal battery is not removable.) When ambient light is insufficient for operation, it draws power from the battery. If there is enough ambient light to power the SCS-MOS, the solar cell will automatically charge the internal battery.
Built into the 1.93 x 1.03 x 0.91-inch housing of the SCS-MOS is a 0.77 x 0.58-inch optic window. Weight is 1.3 ounces. The window has been coated with filters and anti-reflective properties to reduce glare, limit streaking and improve clarity.
The SCS-MOS boasts Super Green (540 nm) LED technology to power the Multi-Reticle System, which gives users the option of a two-MOA dot only, 32-MOA circle only or a 32-MOA circle with a two-MOA dot. For best zeroing, a +/-30-MOA travel adjustment with one-MOA click adjustment can be set using windage and elevation knobs on the top and side of the optic housing. In addition, a photosensitive sensor detects ambient lighting levels and automatically adjusts the brightness of the reticle.
The SCS-MOS was designed to fit seamlessly in the Glock MOS platform with serrations on the optic’s body that fit flush with factory Glock slide serrations. It also includes a low-profile deck, so standard Glock iron sights can still be used with the SCS-MOS attached.
Holosun’s auto-mode system adjusts reticle brightness instantly and includes an override function. In addition, the SCS-MOS has a Glock MOS footprint.
A battery life indicator provides remaining battery life when powered on, and the internal battery can last for up to 20,000 hours.
MSRP for the new Holosun SCS-MOS reflex sight is $435.28. Learn more at holosun.com.
Article by SSUSA STAFF
What We Plan For
New Jersey: Chaos Reigns Supreme In Trenton
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About UIP
In cinemas MAR 10 2022
Award-winning director Joe Wright envelops moviegoers in a symphony of emotions with music, romance, and beauty in Cyrano, re-imagining the timeless tale of a heartbreaking love triangle. A man ahead of his time, Cyrano de Bergerac (played by Peter Dinklage) dazzles whether with ferocious wordplay at a verbal joust or with brilliant swordplay in a duel. But, convinced that his appearance renders him unworthy of the love of a devoted friend, the luminous Roxanne (Haley Bennett), Cyrano has yet to declare his feelings for her — and Roxanne has fallen in love, at first sight, with Christian (Kelvin Harrison, Jr.).
Cast Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Ben Mendelsohn
Producers Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Guy Heeley
Based on The stage musical adapted and directed by Erica Schmidt from Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand, with music by Aaron & Bryce Dessner and lyrics by Matt Berninger & Carin Besser
Screenplay Erica Schmidt
Director Joe Wright
Movie Passes
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Using SWIS On the Bus
SWIS facilitator, Bob Koenig, shares his experience getting his district's transportation department up and running with the SWIS application.
Editor's Note: Educators wrote to us asking how they could use PBISApps to collect and use information about behavior happening on their school buses. Is there an effective way to use SWIS to enter and review bus citations for decision making? We wanted to know the same thing. So, we reached out to veteran SWIS facilitator, Bob Koenig, to find out how he worked with the transportation department in his district to make SWIS an embedded part of their team’s decision-making process. Here is his story.
In 2013, the Vail School District Transportation department approached me about using the SWIS program to get a handle on the discipline issues they were facing. The PBIS program at Cienega High School had just won a statewide award and our Principal had mentioned SWIS at a district-wide meeting.
The new transportation director was a retired fire department chief. He wanted access to data to analyze their system over time. There were challenges to overcome, primarily related to servicing students across multiple schools. Some buses carry students from multiple K-12 schools; a single incident might involve students from two or more schools. For each incident, there could be different administrators and counselors involved in follow-up to discipline issues. With so many people involved, the department had difficulty tracking outcomes.
At our first meeting I discovered, in addition to the standard SWIS information, they wanted to track the students’ schools of origin, the students’ open enrollment status, and the number of days of bus suspension. Working with the team, we found all of this was easily tracked by creating custom fields.
As for the referral process, the referral starts with the transportation department. When it was important, they found using email as a way to communicate back and forth between administrators and counselor as the easiest way to pass along information to the school. When I met with our transportation department soon after implementing SWIS, the behavior specialist shared a high degree of satisfaction with the program.
The team regularly reviews the data to address behaviors and come up with ways to improve interactions on the bus. SWIS provides detailed information about the department’s history with a student and they can access that information in a single click. They know which parents, counselors, and administrators have been contacted, when, and by whom all in one place. Consequences, whether a bus suspension or something at the individual school, were easily reported.
If you have wondered, or have been asked to set up a district’s transportation department with SWIS, here is my advice: Follow the same path you would to set up a school with the application. Meet with the stakeholders, assess their needs, train those stakeholders, and follow up with them to see what adjustments might need to be made to make the application work best for them.
About Bob Koenig
Bob has been the Site Technology Coordinator for Cienega High School in Vail, AZ since the school opened in 2001. In addition to managing laptops, network and Google apps domains, he also teaches a math class. Bob was the proverbial “data guy” on the PBIS team; he managed referral data in Excel spreadsheets and manually generated reports for a few years. The school started using SWIS to track behavior, and as Bob says, “It changed my life.” In 2011, Vail School District sent Bob to Oregon to become a certified SWIS facilitator. He has been working with several schools ever since.
Ep. 24: The Benefits of Play
Ep. 23: How to De-escalate Student Behavior
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Osteoporosis: new pieces to a big puzzle
The protein menin identified as key player in the formation of bones and the development of jaw cancer
Ulm University 08/26/2019 Ulm University
Scientists at Ulm University utilised menin and CXCL10 to decode important factors in the development of osteoporosis. These findings offer a starting point for the development of new therapies for this prevalent disease. At the same time, the researchers discovered a trigger of a rare tumour of the lower jaw.
Around ten percent of the population in Germany suffer from osteoporosis. The diseases manifests in seven percent of women over 55 years and almost 20 percent in women older than 80 years. It is increasingly found in men also. The bones of those affected progressively lose their density, which makes them prone to fractures. This leaves particularly many old people in need of care.
The scientists at the Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology (CME) at Ulm University have made significant progress in their investigations of the widespread disease osteoporosis. 'We discovered a new factor in the regulation of bone density,' says the Director of the Institute, Professor Jan Tuckermann. Centrepiece of this research was the so-called tumour suppressor menin. The absence of this gene in osteocytes - the cells that are responsible for bone remodelling - caused a high reproduction of bone dissolving cells (osteoclasts) in the bones of mice.
At the same time, the researcher from Ulm identified the molecule CXCL10, which is sent out by the osteocytes. 'When this molecule is released, there are more osteoclasts,' explains Tuckermann. 'While there are a number of other factors, we added two new known factors to this puzzle game,' says the molecular biologist, who became Director of the CME in 2012.
New approaches to treating osteoporosis could be a long-term goal. 'Common therapies inhibit bone resorption,' Tuckermann elaborates. This is a good thing initially, because it prevents further loss of bone mass. It does, however, compromise the quality of the bone. This is because osteoclasts are involved in bone remodelling as well, a process that occurs constantly to adapt the skeleton to changing demands. Now that one of the communication pathways between osteocytes and osteoclasts has been identified, the researchers can attempt to inhibit the interaction of these cells. 'One approach could be to reduce the molecule CXCL10 with antibodies,' says Tuckermann. At least now there is a starting point for such considerations.
Another side-effect of the seven-year-long research: In some cases, the loss of menin in the osteoclasts of mice led to the formation of a tumour in the lower jaw. Experts of the Bone Tumour Reference Centre in Basel, a cooperation partner of the CME, pointed out the similarity with the ossification syndrome found in humans. This little researched tumour disease leads to heavy cell growth in the lower jaw. At present, this very rare, benign tumour can only be treated with invasive and disfiguring surgeries. Until now, little was known about the triggering factors of this tumour disease. In a mouse model, the researchers in Ulm have now discovered that menin controls the cell growth inhibitor p21 - and thus suppresses the growth of tumours. When menin is absent, p21 reduces its activity and certain cells start to grow increasingly.
In a next step, the CME and the colleagues from the German-Austrian-Swiss Task Force for Tumours of the Jaw and Face (DÖSAK) will analyse human specimen of the ossification syndrome in order to test the findings from the research on mice. 'We are hoping to find therapeutic approaches that can prevent the development of these tumours,' says Tuckermann. Animal experiments cannot always be avoided in this type of work. The researchers do make sure to keep the numbers of animals at a minimum while still being able to draw valid conclusions for the explanation of human disease patterns. The project received funding from the German Research Foundation through the focus programme Immunobone 1468, the Trauma SFB 1149 and the Trilaterale Consortium Tu 220/12-1.
Text: Jens Eber
Literature reference:
Liu P, Lee S, Knoll J, Rauch A, Ostermay S, Luther J, Malkusch N, Lerner UH, Zaiss MM, Neven M, Wittig R, Rauner M, David JP, Bertolino P, Zhang CX, Tuckermann JP: Loss of menin in osteoblast lineage affects osteocyte-osteoclast crosstalk causing osteoporosis; Cell Death & Differentiation. 2017 Apr; 24(4):672-682. https://doi.org/10.1038/cdd.2016.165
Lee S, Liu P, Teinturier R, Jakob J, Tschaffon M, Tasdogan A, Wittig R, Hoeller S, Baumhoer D, Frappart L, Vettorazzi S, Bertolino P, Zhang C, Tuckermann J: Deletion of Menin in craniofacial osteogenic cells in mice elicits development of mandibular ossifying fibroma; Oncogene. 2017 Oct 9., doi:10.1038/onc.2017.364
Bone tissue is the result of a complex remodelling process (osteogenesis). This requires the perfect coordination of bone formation and resorption. In consequence, cells that break down bone (osteoclasts) are equally important as bone-forming cells (osteoblasts).
Osteocytes, on the other hand, are the bone cells found in the mineralised matrix of bone tissue. They arise from the differentiation of osteoblasts during bone formation.
This micro computer tomography image compares cross sections of bones. Normal wild-type mice have a sufficient number of bone trabeculae (left). In mice where Men 1 is deficient in the osteocytes, the number of bone trabeculae is significantly reduced, leading to osteoporosis (image: Institute of Molecular Endocrinology)
These micro computer tomography images show the bottom side of mouse skulls. The lower jaw of the wild-type mouse is developed normally (left). The mice without Men 1 in the osteoclasts, on the other hand, developed tumours on both sides of their lower jaws (right). (Image: Institute of Molecular Endocrinology)
Prof. Jan Tuckermann, Director of the Institute of Comparative Molecular Endocrinology (photo: Elvira Eberhardt / Ulm University)
The first authors of both studies Dr. Peng Liu und Dr. Soo Lee (photo: Elvira Eberhardt)
Higher education management from Swabia to the Black Sea
1st Danube Conference for Higher Education in Ulm
published at: 26. October 2017
Quantum mechanics in ultracold chemical processes
Physicists achieve unprecedented insights at quantum level
published at: 17. November 2017
Ulm University
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Now Is Awesome: Joe Keatinge & Khary Randolph On The Resurrection Of ‘Tech Jacket’ [Interview]
Patrick A. Reed
Patrick A. Reed Published: July 3, 2014
This week Image Comics released the first issue of Tech Jacket by Joe Keatinge and Khary Randolph. And while this may be the first time many of today's readers have heard of the title, it's actually been lurking around the edges of the Image line for over a decade. Created in 2002 by pre-Walking-Dead Robert Kirkman and artist E.J. Su, the eponymous Tech Jacket is a wearable cache of the most powerful weapons in the universe, bestowed irreversibly unto teenager Zack Thompson when he encountered a dying alien. Naturally, Zack used his newfound abilities to become a galactic warrior of great worth and protecting Earth from universal threats with more enthusiasm and wide-eyed wonder than other Earthborn space cops you might have heard of.
The original series ran for only six issues but the story was later continued as a back-up in the pages of Kirkman and Ryan Ottley's Invincible. Then, earlier this year, Keatinge and Randolph produced a trio of digital issues that revitalized the concepts and characters and paved the way for this new ongoing series.
With issue #1 on sale now from Image and Kirkman's Skybound imprint, ComicsAlliance spoke to the creative team about what drew them to these characters and concepts, and what plans they have in store for the series.
ComicsAlliance: How would you describe this series to your friends?
Joe Keatinge: I love big sci-fi — whether it’s big in scale like Arthur C. Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama or big on action like, well, everyone’s heard of Star Wars, right? — but my favorite part isn’t so much the big part, the massive concepts on a scale unlike any other, but the small reactions to it. The human bits. Tech Jacket gave me the opportunity to do something exactly along these lines — to create an increasingly massive scale blockbuster with the focus on a guy who would never star in, say, the latest Transformers. Zack’s no Captain Kirk. He’s barely a Star-Lord, from what the Guardians of the Galaxy trailers have shown thus far. He lives with his parents, for crying out loud. His Dad is the one operating his satellite.
But the thing that attracted me so much to Zack as a character I’d dig writing is how despite the fact he’s not really qualified to do what he’s doing — he’s not Hal Jordan by any means — he shows up every single day and does the job and pushes himself well beyond what he’s capable of, getting better and better even though he’s quite actually killing himself in the process.
CA: Who populates the world of Tech Jacket?
JK: So, there’s Zack. Community college drop out with the most powerful weapon in the universe. There’s his dad, Ed, who’s kind of a doofus, but means really well and is always there for Zack, no matter what. His mom, Lynn, who’s the one with her sh*t most together in the family and the one who keeps them altogether. Then there’s Zack’s girlfriend, similarly named Lin (I dunno what’s going on there psychologically, but that’s what it is), Princess of the Geldarian race who built the Tech Jacket Zack now yields. They’re the connective tissue throughout the first arc. Everything which happens surrounds them, even if it’s not direct. There’s also a bunch of new characters, but I’ll save their intros for the comic book.
CA: How much freedom were you given with the base concept? Are you strictly tied to the continuing continuity of the earlier books?
JK: A lot of freedom. Skybound’s amazing to work with. In terms of work-for-hire projects, they’ve pretty much the best deal in the business, definitely the clearest communication with absolutely zero bullsh*t. That said, Tech Jacket’s obviously near and dear to Robert, so he had some specific pointers for Khary and I, but after that he was, as editor Sean Mackiewicz said about approving the outline for the second arc, “letting [our] freak flag fly.”
CA: How about the designs for this new incarnation? You seem to have revamped the basic Tech Jacket armor a bit.
Khary Randolph: Well, the great thing about Tech Jacket is that EJ already did all the hard work! [laughs] It's a great design and he gave me a lot to work with. I wouldn't say my version of the character is a redesign, rather more of a refinement. I come from an animation background so I'm always looking for ways to streamline and simplify the character so that it's easier and quicker to draw. The one major thing I did was give him big clunky space boots, to try to emphasize the fact that this guy is all metal, so he should have a bit of weight to him. Plus, they kinda look like old school hi top sneakers, so that's my little nod to hip-hop culture. But in general, if you look back to the original series, his outfit is continuously changing and refining. It's not the same outfit from EJ's 1st issue to his last, so I just view it as ever morphing and changing, just like Zack. They grow together and will continue to evolve in the future.
CA: And are Kirkman and Skybound closely monitoring you as you go, throwing in ideas and overseeing everything – or do they just kick you out of the nest, and sit back to watch you fly on your own?
KR: Speaking from an art standpoint, they're pretty hands off. They're busy guys and apparently they're crazy enough to have some kind of faith in me to not %&^ things up. The main note I get is "YOU'RE BEHIND, MORE PAGES.”
CA: How did you guys end up getting hired as the team for this title?
KR: I got a call from Robert out of the blue. We've been friends for a long time but we hadn't communicated in a good while, so when he called I was taken by the surprise. He pitched the idea to me and I was immediately on board, since I was already a Tech Jacket fan. Once he mentioned that Joe was attached, it was a lock. I already knew Joe's work from Glory and I was really into it, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity.
JK: That’s funny you mention that — while I was technically “in” before you what solidified it for me was you coming on board. I’ve been a fan of Khary for a really long time — he’s one of those guys who seems to be able to draw anything from the gigantic science fiction blockbuster action stuff to the small character moments. Dude’s amazing.
CA: Khary - Father-son relationships, futuristic machinery, and spectacular outer-space battles… There's such a range of elements built into this series, have you had any particular favorite moments? And is there anything you're just itching for Joe to throw in, so you can have a chance to draw it?
KR: My favorite parts, and I think they show, are designing new characters and action sequences. I'm very much into capturing a specific vibe for this book, which I've described in the past as something along the lines of an '80s Saturday morning with the budget of Akira. That's the kind of stuff I love and that's the scale we're aiming for. There are some great moments in the next few issues that I'm pretty proud of, but I don't want to spoil them just yet.
That said, I appreciate the quiet moments too. I like interplay between characters and being able to show off a wide range of emotion when I can. It's not always all about dudes punching dudes in the face.
CA: And Joe, have your ideas for the series changed or adjusted as you've begun to see Khary's work coming in?
JK: As Khary mentioned earlier, we had a little bit in the can before he came on board, but once I knew he’d be the guy I was working with its certainly changed the way I approach the series. In the trade of our first mini-series he described it really well as a “Saturday morning cartoon with the budget of Akira” and I feel that’s extremely apt. I’d go further and say it’s the way you remember them being. I remember Silverhawks being one of the greatest space operas of our time, Thundercats on the level of Lord of the Rings. I’ve purposely not gone back to check those out again to retain that idea you have as a kid and apply it to my work, especially Tech Jacket.
CA: Are there plans for a physical edition of the three digital issues that relaunched this title earlier this year?
KR: The trade that packages up those three digital issues comes out the same time as Issue #1. Synergy!
JK: Like I said earlier, man, Skybound’s the sh*t. They know what they’re doing!
CA: Have you had to make adjustments in your storytelling styles between the three initial digital issues and this new incarnation? Has the process changed at all, now that you're working in a more traditional 22 pages/month print format?
KR: The funniest part about all this is that I drew the first three issues of the regular series, stopped to draw the digital mini, and then hopped back on the regular series again. You can kind of see this too, as I look a little more comfortable in drawing the characters in the mini than I do on the first issue. But yeah, I didn't approach pages any different as far as physical versus digital formats.
click for full size
CA: Do you guys a long-term gameplan for this series, or are you simply getting it rolling and hanging on to see where it takes you?
JK: We’ve got a very solid outline for the first two arcs, but with the nature of comics, I like allowing the freedom for things to go in different directions.
KR: I’ve never had a long term gameplan for much of anything in my life... [laughs] I'm having fun with this thing and I'm willing to see where it goes. What's important for me is having a consistent body of work that tells a fun and entertaining story. Anything else is entirely out of my hands.
JK: Well, you’re doing that “fun and entertaining” part very well, man. I appreciate it.
CA: Joe, are you approaching this book as a "big ideas" sci-fi story like your revamp of Glory, or is this giving you a chance to flex your muse in some different directions?
JK: I guess it’s technically a “big ideas sci-fi” story, but it’s not like Glory. This is a gigantic space opera featuring all sorts of aliens and gigantic space ships, giant lasers. That kind of thing. Glory was more taking a different approach to warrior myth, especially as conveyed in superhero comics, to the point it’s so far removed from superhero comics I’m not even sure it qualifies as a superhero comic book anymore. So, sure, they’re both sci-fi, but very different elements. Tech Jacket’s Chris Foss, Glory’s Arthur Rackham.
CA: So what's your approach to crafting this story? Are you working from the big concepts on down, or starting with the characters and building up from there?
JK: Yeah, there’s obviously a lot of big sci-fi influences, as we’ve gotten into before, but the biggest thing is really filtering all these relationships through a gigantic space battle. It’s less about the alien Tech Jacket beats the crap out of, but more so why he’s doing it, how his parents react to seeing their only child be sent to the hospital time and time again when battling stuff larger than they can comprehend...
CA: Khary, you seem to have refined your style a bit for this book, making everything slightly more stylized and exaggerated, giving off a vibe that's '80s TV anime by-way-of '90s comics: like Joe Madureira and Mike Wieringo riffing on Robotech.
KR: Yeah, totally. I unapologetically wear my influences on my sleeve. I was raised by '80s cartoons and '90s comic books. So a dash of Transformers and Robotech, a pinch of Joe Madureira and Masamune Shirow, and throw in the more modern sci-fi motifs of video games like Mass Effect, and that's pretty much what you see.
CA: The original Tech Jacket series tied closely into a shared Image-verse. Will this new series do the same, or are you just planning to play in your own space-sandbox for the time being?
KR: We have a story to tell that I think will define Tech Jacket as a star in his own right. I don't want him to come across as a second stringer or Invincible's little buddy. But that said, I did love how interconnected the early Image comics were, so team ups are always fun. I'm game.
JK: Yeah, we’re really looking to define Tech Jacket as Tech Jacket wholly, without the need of anything else, but in the future... Who knows?
CA: And lastly… Can you drop any hints about what we have to look forward to in coming months?
KR: The scale will keep escalating. On a massive level. I've seen the plans for later issues and I honestly have no idea how I'm going to draw any of this stuff. And that's part of the fun.
JK: Exactly. Sh*t’s going to get real.
Tech Jacket #1 is on sale now in finer comics shops and digitally from Image Comics and ComiXology.
Filed Under: Joe Keatinge, Khary Randolph, Skybound, tech jacket
Categories: Image, Interviews, News
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Marvel Unveils New Character ‘Mosaic’, With Ongoing By Geoffrey Thorne And Khary Randolph | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.7544856071472168, "wiki_prob": 0.7544856071472168, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1560174"} |
2021 Toyota Sienna Review: Driver-Focused ‘Gearhead Van’ or Hybrid People Hauler?
By Jake Thiewes / September 10, 2021 September 10, 2021 / Street Cars
Minivans were just hitting their stride when I was a little kid. We had some family friends who were still living out their station wagon fantasies, and others that had bought in to the first wave of minivan fandom (vandom?) with Caravans, Voyagers, Windstars, and Astros. I thought those vans were excessively cool and begged my mom to trade in her ’87 Sentra for a Dodge Caravan with a sliding door. I’m an only child, we didn’t need a van, and never bought one. This summer, though, I got to live my minivan fantasy for about a week with the 2021 Toyota Sienna Platinum.
This 2021 Sienna was supposed to be a 2021 Toyota Tacoma, according to my car-review schedule. The Monday-morning car swap came around and I got a text from our local, wonderful fleet manager. “I apologize for the last minute switch. Truck needs to go to service.”
I had requested a 2021 Sienna a while ago, though, and this one was free on her schedule, so she sent it over instead. I’d requested the van because, in skimming Toyota’s press release for the all-new model, I found this paragraph.
“Gearheads buy vans, too. They’ll be intrigued by the gas engine’s 41-percent thermal efficiency, one of the highest of any internal combustion automobile engines on the market (excepting other Toyota hybrid models). The gas engine employs Variable Valve Timing-intelligent system by Electric motor (VVT-iE) on the intake camshaft, and VVT-i on the exhaust camshaft. A variable cooling system (electric water pump and electric thermostat) and a fully variable oil pump further improve engine efficiency.”
I am a gearhead. Color me intrigued. And that’s how a fully-loaded 2021 Toyota Sienna Platinum showed up at my door, to be reviewed for a driving enthusiasts’ website.
This is a 2021 Toyota Sienna, the fourth-generation of Toyota’s minivan that is all-new this year. Every 2021 Sienna is a hybrid, offering 41 percent thermal efficiency for those who care and up to 36 miles per gallon for those who don’t. The hybrid setup is typical Toyota, with a 2.5 liter naturally-aspirated four cylinder paired to an electric motor (or motors) that send power through a sort of continuously variable transmission.
Toyota continues to offer all-wheel drive on the Sienna, though with every 2021 being a hybrid, it’s an eAWD setup that uses an electric motor to power the rear axle as needed. There’s no transfer case or differential or driveshaft involved. It’s a smart setup for the sake of packaging.
Total power output is rated at 245 horsepower. The gas engine produces 176 lb-ft of torque, the main electric motor produces 199 lb-ft, and the rear electric motor another 89 lb-ft. Toyota curiously doesn’t list a total torque output and you generally can’t just add up all the torque figures in a situation like this. Motor Trend got their Sienna Platinum to hustle to 60 miles per hour in 7.9 seconds.
With optional all-wheel drive, the Sienna is rated at 35 miles per gallon in the city, 36 on the highway, and 35 combined. Not bad for a 4,700 pound hauler with seating for seven.
MSRP of my loaded 2021 Toyota Sienna Platinum AWD came to $52,450.
Serving Versatility
I had selfishly scheduled this Tacoma for the last week of my boyfriend’s condo ownership. We needed to move his couch from his condo to my apartment, and a pickup would have been perfect (in theory) for the task. I had sold my Ram 1500 a few weeks prior and a couch wasn’t going to fit in my Cayenne. I could have, of course, rented a pickup from UHaul or Home Depot or whoever, but figured we’d give the minivan a shot.
And so, we trundled over to the condo to see how much of a couch could be swallowed by the 2021 Toyota Sienna.
The Sienna’s third row flipped down into the floor with relative ease, though the seats wobbled on their hinges a bit. No matter, they disappeared. We were then faced with the second-row captains’ chairs, standard on the Sienna Platinum. Toyota has engineered a “long slide” second row, which offers tremendous leg room for road trips. Those second row seats, though, don’t fold up or otherwise disappear. You can’t remove them, either, due to the side airbags in each seat.
This is as far forward as the second row can scoot.
We scooted the second row seats as far forward as they could go and slid the couch in to the van. It’s a short couch, measuring 76″ long. It didn’t quite fit, but it was in there enough to go across town at low speed. Had the second row seats folded more or been removable, we could have closed the rear hatch entirely.
After the couch was unloaded, I put all the seats back in place and met up with friends for dinner. We could have all fit in the Sienna, and the third row is large enough for adults of moderate height. Six-footers will fit in a pinch and be comfortable enough. There was still solid space behind the third row for plenty of bags, thanks to the big “well” for third-row seat storage. Six tall, comfortable adults and their things for a road trip? The Sienna could have done it. That’s something a Highlander can’t quite claim.
The couch alllllmost fit.
Driving the 2021 Toyota Sienna
Going back to that nonsense about gearheads and thermal efficiency for a minute – don’t be fooled into thinking the Sienna is sporty or fun. It’s a big van and the focus is elsewhere. Acceleration is adequate, but the powertrain feels overwhelmed when you bury the throttle, even with just a driver and no passengers. Turn the drive mode dial to Sport to unlock “boost” from the hybrid system (more battery assistance, I suppose) to add performance. It feels snappier on initial throttle application, but you’ll still quickly find the drivetrain tapping out as revs climb.
Shifting the eCVT manually sounds fruitless, given its wide spread of ratios. Ultimately, “manual shifting” changes how much regenerative braking you get, to dump power back into the hybrid battery. It’s a neat touch that has practical benefit.
The Sienna works well as a hybrid, though, offering electric-only driving around town at (very) slow speeds and great real-world fuel economy otherwise. An “EV mode” button will let you attempt to drive on batteries alone, though it only worked for me on very flat, slow roads. Transitions between electric-only and gas-assisted driving were seamless.
Steering and handling were both entirely fine. Again, this is not a “sports van” by any stretch. The Sienna XSE comes on a “sport-tuned” suspension with “sport-tuned” electronic power steering, which may feel more engaging, or just heavier and firmer. The Platinum I drove was focused more on comfort than anything, and it hit those marks pretty well.
With comfort as the focus, I was impressed enough with all three rows of the 2021 Toyota Sienna. Seating was above average, and front-row seats are both heated and ventilated. As the driver, I had access to a metric ton of storage, between door pockets, a cavernous center console, and other cubbies everywhere within reach.
The two-tone brown and cream interior looked nice and should wear well, although the dark brown dashboard was incredibly shiny and reflective, cheapening the overall vibe of my $53,000 luxovan. Toyota’s infotainment, gauge cluster screen, and alert noises continue to feel a touch outdated, though Apple CarPlay solves a bulk of those complaints. Camera resolution was disappointing for the price point, and I’m still not sure why backup sensors and other warnings have to sound like an angry microwave oven.
Utility is the name of the game for minivans, even with modern minivans trying to offer more “first class” accommodations for second row passengers in particular. The market is small, competition is fierce, and Toyota does stand out in that the 2021 Sienna is the only offering with all-wheel drive and a hybrid drivetrain.
At the loaded, fifty-thousand sort of price point, I felt the 2021 Toyota Sienna Platinum was a contender for those who prioritize fuel economy or all-wheel drive. Other makes and models offer more features and creature-comforts for similar or even less money (Kia Carnival, I’m looking at you).
I do wish the Sienna’s second row could become more compact for hauling bulky items, but that would compromise either safety or seat comfort in that important, luxurious middle set of seats. Gearheads will not be intrigued, despite Toyota’s press release, and the Sienna isn’t much fun to drive. For most buyers, however, the 2021 Sienna will be an excellent contender that excels where it matters most. | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5120462775230408, "wiki_prob": 0.5120462775230408, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1258790"} |
When You Drink Cognac Every Day, This Is What Happens To Your Body
Afp Contributor/Getty Images
By Hope Ngo/March 12, 2020 3:30 pm EST
While there are those of us who might confuse brandy with cognac and vice versa, that confusion is completely understandable. "Cognac is to brandy what Champagne is to sparkling wine... [it is] made in a specific region of France following specific rules to guarantee its quality," Alexandre Gabriel of Pierre Ferrand Cognac says (via Eater).
Like Champagne, cognac is named for a specific region located in western France where brandy is made with a specific type of grape, using certain copper stills and aged in French Limousin oak barrels. There are four types of cognac: V.S. (Very Special, or at least two years old); V.S.O.P. (Very Special Old Pale, or at least four years old); X.O. (Extra Old, or "Napoleon," or at least 10 years old) and Hors d' Age, which indicates a premium brandy that is older than 10 years.
Cognac has antioxidants
Nicolas Tucat/Getty Images
Where there are known benefits and drawbacks to the consumption of alcohol, science supports the moderate consumption (this means one drink per day for women, which would be 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1 1/2 ounces of spirits or hard liquor) of alcoholic beverages like cognac, because research shows drinking of this type appears to be good for the heart and circulatory system. There is also probable cause to show that it can also protect a drinker against type 2 diabetes and gallstones too (via Harvard).
LiveStrong says cognac has the added benefit of having antioxidants like ellagic acid, which can act as an inflammatory, and helps in the battle against diseases arising from metabolic problems from insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis. Another antioxidant present in cognac is gallic acid, which makes the drink a fiery health sidekick with anticancer, antifungal, antibacterial, antiviral, and anticholesterol properties. One fun fact about cognac worth remembering: its antioxidant properties only get better with age.
Just remember, as with all alcohol, moderation is key. | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.6087110042572021, "wiki_prob": 0.39128899574279785, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line784455"} |
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Can A Japanese N64 Play American Games?
Nintendo and some other console manufacturers were quite strict with the region locks on their games. This was also a thing on Sony’s PS1 and PS2. While your console can run code from any region (since they all get the same hardware), manufacturers use clever security tricks to prevent this.
Can a Japanese N64 play American games? No, not unless you do a hardware mod that replaces the cartridge slot in your Japanese N64 with one from an American N64. The cartridge slot is the only difference between the consoles from these two regions, and by installing an American slot you can play American N64 games.
However, this mod only applies to NTSC regions. So NTSC- U/C (American) and NTSC-J (Japan). To make PAL (EU) games work on your Japanese or American N64, you’ll need to buy adapters and upscalers like the RetroTINK 2x (along with new video output cables).
1 Can A Japanese N64 Play American Games?
2 Are Japanese Nintendo 64s Region Locked?
3 Is The Nintendo 64 Region Free?
4 Removing The Region Lock From a Nintendo 64
5 Understanding NTSC vs PAL
6 Difference Between US And Japanese N64 Game Cartridges
If you take a standard Japanese N64 and try inserting an American game cartridge, it won’t even go in. However, you can fix this in two different ways. First, you can simply swap out the backplate on the cartridge.
Take an American N64 cartridge and remove the back plate with a 3.8mm security screwdriver bit. Then, screw in a Japanese N64 cartridge back plate. However, you’ll have to do this for every game you want to play.
Fiddling around with cartridges that are 20 years old is quite risky and you might strip one of those old screw heads. Instead, it’s much better to modify the slot. Underneath the spring-loaded flaps of a Nintendo 64’s cartridge slot, there is a grey dust cover that prevents dust from getting on the internals.
The Japanese and American N64 cartridges have different locking tabs. And the only real difference between a Japanese and American N64 console is the locking tab receptor on the dust cover. Some people just cut out these tabs, while others remove the dust cover in its entirety.
Both of these are pretty terrible from an aesthetic perspective, plus I’m not a fan of butchering classic consoles like that. So, here’s something you can do instead- buy an aftermarket region unlocked dust cover. These are pretty easy to find on sites like Amazon.
EMC’s Shop makes a pretty good universal cartridge slot, plus you can select a custom color for your order. To install one of these universal slots, you’ll have to open up your Nintendo 64.
If you don’t want to open your N64, Hyperkin sells an adapter that fits on top of your Nintendo 64 cartridge slot. Then, you just insert whatever cartridge you want to play into this adapter. However, it should be noted that due to things like tolerances, the adapter won’t always guarantee a secure connection.
For those of you who own a 3D printer, you can do a fun little project by printing your own universal N64 cartridge slot. To start you off, here are the files you need to download. Check out this video guide for more detailed information on how to take apart your Nintendo 64 and install the 3D-printed slot.
Are Japanese Nintendo 64s Region Locked?
Japanese Nintendo 64 consoles come with a different locking tab on the cartridge slot. This prevents you from inserting American game cartridges into the slot. However, these are still NTSC games that use a similar encoding standard to the US NTSC.
Is The Nintendo 64 Region Free?
The Nintendo 64 is from an era when game developers used to place region locks on their releases. This was done for several reasons. A lot of these old game developers and publishers were simply too small and underfunded to market, localize, and publish a game in multiple territories at the same time.
Therefore, they would implement region locks to prevent importers from getting their hands on the game before the official release date. It is also a means of controlling brand image and perception. Unless the developer did an official localization of a game, Nintendo wouldn’t release it in a foreign region.
Because then, the experience would be awkward for someone who just bought the game without knowing that it’s a region-specific release. People asking questions about why there are copies of Japanese games that they can’t understand or play in America will reflect poorly on Nintendo as a company. Of course, this is not an issue for the dedicated modding/ import community because they do their own localization.
However, if Nintendo were to make American games freely available in Japan and vice-versa, the average gamer would just get confused. Nowadays, this isn’t as big of an issue thanks to advancements in localization. Plus, modern TVs use digital input rather than composite or S-video.
In the old days, analog input was dominant and we had regions that used different standards. While Japan and America used NTSC, the EU region used PAL. Region locks were necessary to prevent someone from buying a game cartridge that was incompatible with their television set.
Removing The Region Lock From a Nintendo 64
While you can swap out the cartridge slot to play American games on Japanese N64s and vice versa, there is no easy way to completely remove the region lock. If you want to play PAL games on your NTSC console, you’ll have to jump through several hoops.
First off, the issue arises entirely from different analog signal encoding standards. So if you were to convert your N64 to output digital signals via HDMI, it would fix the issues and allow you to play N64 games on a modern TV. Thankfully, there is a mod for that.
The bad news is that you need to have proper soldering knowledge and some idea of how electronics work to do this mod. Currently, the two biggest mods are UltraHDMI (from RetroRGB) and N64Digital (from PixelFX). You will have to buy the kits, which contain add-in boards that go on top of your N64’s motherboard.
If you just want to play PAL and NTSC backup ROMs, you can try a multi-cartridge such as the Everdrive-64 x7. It has built-in support for both PAL and NTSC ROMs. First, you need to get your hands on some ROMs, which you can either download from the internet or rip from your own cartridges.
There are specialized tools for ripping ROMs from N64 cartridges and dumping the data into a file on your computer. Once you have the ROMs, simply load them into an SD card which then goes into the Everdrive-64 cartridge. You can also hook up a RetroTINK upscaler to make your N64 play nice with modern televisions.
Understanding NTSC vs PAL
Unless you mod your N64 to output digital signals, it will not play nice when switching between NTSC and PAL. The PAL format uses a resolution of 720 x 576 (interlaced), at a framerate of 25. NTSC uses a resolution of 720 x 480, with a framerate of 30.
As a result, PAL games running on NTSC consoles will have some weird glitches. They might run slower than usual, and you might see weird lines on your TV. You can use an Evercart-64 to load up all your PAL and NTSC ROMs into one cartridge.
Difference Between US And Japanese N64 Game Cartridges
Since both are designed for NTSC regions, the only real difference is in their locking tabs. The Japanese cartridge has a wider tab compared to the American one, which means it will get blocked by the slot of an American N64. Similarly, you can’t insert American N64 cartridges into a Japanese N64 console.
I hope this article helps you figure out a way to play US N64 games on your Japanese N64. Maybe you only recently got into retro gaming with the N64, and the only console you found online was a Japanese version on eBay. Not to worry, a universal cartridge slot mod can fix all your issues.
If you’ve got PAL games and an NTSC console (or vice-versa), the situation is slightly more complicated. Check out the Evercart-64, it’s a cartridge mod that lets you load all your NTSC + PAL ROMs into one SD card.
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Sony made its entry into the video game console market with the PlayStation, a proper next-gen alternative to the old SNES and Genesis. At the time, no other console could even come close to... | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5357803106307983, "wiki_prob": 0.5357803106307983, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1827227"} |
‘Walking Dead’ Teases Rick’s ‘Breaking Point’ in Season 7B Featurette
Kevin Fitzpatrick Published: February 3, 2017
We’ve still more than a week before The Walking Dead starts uniting communities against Negan, and we’re about ready to light this candle. Ahead of our February 12 “Rock in the Road” return, check out an extended new featurette for the back half of Season 7, as cast and crew tease a Rick and Negan conflict ready to hit the breaking point.
IGN debuted an extended new featurette for Season 7B, featuring plenty of new footage as Rick hits the road in search of allies, and Negan returns to the Sanctuary with a fresh shave. Ezekiel doesn’t seem entirely convinced to join the fight just yet, but as Gale Ann Hurd points out, Rick and his group certainly have the will to succeed, if not the means.
Here’s AMC’s always-helpful synopsis for our February 12 return, “Rock in the Road”:
Rick is introduced to a new community.
And an extended synopsis of the next eight-episode stretch:
The first half of Season 7 saw Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the group broken by Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), forced to fall under his will and brutally convinced to live under his rules. The second half of the season will focus on preparing for war and gathering the supplies and numbers to take Negan down once and for all.
Rick’s group will find out yet again that the world isn’t what they thought it was. It’s much bigger than anything they’ve seen so far. While they have a singular purpose - to defeat Negan - it won’t come easy. More importantly, victory will require more than Alexandria. They need the numbers of the Kingdom and the Hilltop, but, similar to how Rick felt, Ezekiel (Khary Payton) and Gregory (Xander Berkeley) do not want bloodshed. To convince them otherwise will take more than speeches. The lengths Rick and the group will have to go to in order to find weapons, food and new fighters is nothing short of remarkable.
We’ll meet new survivors in incredible places. We’ll see Rick and the group tested in ways we’ve never seen before. We’ll see treachery from people we trust. Rick is confident as he will see his group and many others band together with the common goal of taking down Negan. But no amount of planning will prepare the group for all-out war with Negan and his army.
Check out prior sneak peeks of The Walking Dead Season 7B below, and stay tuned for more.
‘Walking Dead’ Boss Teases Faster Comic Adaptation, Season 12 Goal
Source: ‘Walking Dead’ Teases Rick’s ‘Breaking Point’ in Season 7B Featurette
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NAI Hiffman represents Millennia Professional Services in renewal/expansion
DOWNERS GROVE, IL (September 6, 2017) – NAI Hiffman is proud to announce that Millennia Professional Services of Illinois, Ltd has signed a renewal and expansion at 2600 Warrenville Road in Downers Grove, Illinois.
NAI Hiffman Vice President, Aubrey Van Reken, represented Millennia Professional Services of Illinois, Ltd, a consulting and construction firm serving private and public sector clients across Illinois, in its 7,463-square-foot lease. The expansion will allow Millenia Professional Services to expand its lab area to accommodate additional testing services.
“Aubrey helped us secure the initial lease for our current space; when it came time to renew, we asked Aubrey to help us look for alternatives as we were outgrowing our space,” said the President & Owner of Millennia Professional Services. “The additional space she secured was contiguous to our existing space, included favorable terms and saved us significant moving costs. We are excited to stay here, grow and further our business in this market.”
Located in Downers Grove, 2600 Warrenville Road features 44,466 square-foot, single-story office complex located along I-88 and I-355 near Ogden Avenue. | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.7251449823379517, "wiki_prob": 0.27485501766204834, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1863130"} |
Cyber Ireland Outgoing Chair Address
January 5, 2023 December 8, 2022 by Fiona Kearney
Cyber Ireland has grown impressively during my tenure as Chair over the past three years. There are now 150 members nationwide, with 80 Irish companies, almost 50 MNCs, as well as Knowledge providers, government agencies and an ever-growing number of start-ups.
We have financial security, strong revenue streams and a clear line of sight into other exciting funding opportunities that will support our many initiatives that are tied to our workstreams.
Our industry is facing challenges, and security teams are overwhelmed. Hiring qualified staff is difficult and retaining them even more so. For this reason, Talent & Skills are extremely critical and a major focus for Cyber Ireland. It is a priority workstream and I want to highlight key achievements in this area;
Cyber Ireland has advised on several new cyber security courses, including 15 new courses subsidised by the government in 2022.
Cyber Ireland is partnered with Cyber Skills, a national government-funded project set up to address the cyber security skills shortages in industry. Three courses were piloted in 2021, and eight new course pathways were introduced this year for specific cyber security job roles.
We updated our Course Map, with 25 new programmes added.
We launched the Cyber Ireland Cyber Security Skills Initiatives Brochure at the national conference, providing an overview of the key training & upskilling initiatives for industry.
On the Research & Development front;
We have created an R&D Workshop series – focusing on relevant supports & projects from EU funding to Innovation and Digitalisation.
There is a new funding portal on our website with information on upcoming calls.
We also launched our R&D Provider Brochure at the national conference, which maps the cyber security R&D expertise in research centres & groups for industry to engage with nationwide.
Through our Grow & Export: workstream
We participated in International Business Supports in collaboration with Enterprise Ireland
We were part of the first Irish exhibit at InfoSec London in July
We hosted a US Inward Buyer Visit of CISOs from the West Coast to Cork & Dublin
Participated in a Market Study Visit to the Netherlands and connected with the Dutch Security Cluster
We are also focused on Building a cyber security start-up ecosystem
Creating a Soft Landing support for Cyber Ireland members to other clusters through our partnership with Global EPIC
In June – we hosted the Cyber Investor Days series with Enterprise Ireland & ECSO, with 12 start-ups pitching to investors and partners from across Europe.
We also hosted a Student Cybersecurity Start-up Weekend with MTU.
We launched the State of the Cyber Security Sector in Ireland 2022 Report last May, which focused on ways for us to achieve our cyber security potential.
The report states that in 2021, annual cyber security related revenue in Ireland reached approximately €2.1bn. It also estimates Ireland’s cyber security sector generated approximately €1.1bn in GVA in 2021 employing 7,500 professionals across 490 firms. GVA per employee within the cyber security sector is strong in Ireland (€150k) signalling a productive workforce. This compares favourably to the UK estimate of c. €120k.
This analysis shows that the cyber security sector is growing in Ireland by a similar magnitude to international growth, at a rate of 10%+ per annum. This suggests that based on the current baseline estimates, Ireland’s cyber security ecosystem could support up to €2.5bn in annual GVA with the employment of over 17,000 cyber security professionals in the sector by 2030.
The report called out the cyber security skills shortages and skills gaps as the number one challenge facing the cyber security sector in Ireland. This shortage impacts all digital intensive sectors of the economy, as well as the public sector, which needs cyber security expertise.
To resolve this growing problem we must develop a pipeline of homegrown cyber security talent. We have to develop cyber security skills in young people, raise awareness of cyber careers among students and provide opportunities in the sector for people from diverse backgrounds. Adding 10,000 cyber professionals is critical to driving our ecosystem forward.
The report also highlighted Government as a Driver: The Irish government can be a coordinator, incubator and business catalyst to drive the development of Ireland’s cyber security cluster. It is important to demonstrate at government and political levels that Ireland is a secure place to do business, has a strong, resilient digital government and economy, and understands and takes cyber security seriously. This messaging is of critical importance in establishing both national, and international, political credibility.
It also calls for the Development of a Cyber Security R&D Ecosystem to realise our potential to be a location for world-class talent, innovation and solutions. Cyber security must be made a national research priority with the necessary investment from both the public and private sectors.
The final key recommendation was for the Scaling of the Domestic Cyber Security Industry. Ireland requires a strong domestic cyber security sector with companies of scale that can deliver high-value services to
a) provide cyber resilience for the country and
b) compete internationally, in the EU Single Market.
To do so, we must scale the size and operations of indigenous companies so that they can compete with the offerings and services of MNCs. There is a need to develop the capacity, both technologically and organisationally, of the domestic sector to be able to deliver high-value services.
The findings of the report very much line up with our core focus areas and workstreams. It further reinforces our strategies to unite all aspects of the cyber security industry in Ireland.
It was an honour to serve as the inaugural Chair over the past three years, and I want to thank you for all your support. I want to acknowledge the amazing contribution of the board and in particular our outgoing members, Carmel Summers, David Coffey, Shane Walsh & Martin Corkery. They have given their time freely and played a significant role in the success of Cyber Ireland. Thank you all for your service.
Pat Larkin has taken over as our new Chair, and I wish him every success. Pat has been a very active member of our board since its inception, and I am so pleased he has accepted this role. He is a natural leader and the board is very much looking forward to working with him as we grow the Cyber Ireland ecosystem.
I am reminded of a quote I heard some time ago “There is no heavier burden than unfulfilled potential”. We believe there is a great opportunity, full of possibilities that can drive the cyber security industry in Ireland to new heights.
Challenges within Cyber Security from a Leadership Perspective
Cyber Skills Category – MTU Faculty of Engineering & Science Awards
Cyber Ireland Welcomes new White Paper on Enterprise and Support for Clustering
First MTU Cybersecurity Student Hackathon | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.6943746209144592, "wiki_prob": 0.6943746209144592, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line228163"} |
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St. Dominic’s N.S. Safety Statement
The Board of Management brings to the attention of its staff the following arrangements for safeguarding the safety, health and welfare of those employed and working in the school.
This policy requires the co-operation of all employees. It shall be reviewed annually or more frequently if necessary, in the light of experience, changes in legal requirements and operational changes. A safety audit shall be carried out annually by the Board of Management Safety Officers and a report made to staff. All records of accidents and ill-health will be monitored in order to ensure that any safety measures required can be put in place to minimise the recurrence of such accidents and ill-health.
The Board of Management of St. Dominic’s National School wishes to ensure that as far as is reasonably practical:
The design, provision and maintenance of all places in the school shall be safe and without risk to health.
There shall be safe access to and from places of work.
Work systems shall be planned, organised, performed and maintained so as to be safe and without risk to health.
Staff shall be instructed in so far as is reasonably possible so as to ensure the health and safety at work of its employees.
Plans for emergencies shall be complied with and revised as necessary.
This statement will be continually revised by the Board of Management as necessity arises, and shall be re-examined by the Board on at least an annual basis.
Employees shall be consulted on matters of health and safety.
Provisions shall be made for the election by the employees of a safety representative.
The Board of Management of St. Dominic’s N.S. recognises that its statutory obligations under legislation extend to employees, students, to any person legitimately conducting school business, and to the public.
The Board of Management of St. Dominic’s undertakes to ensure that the provisions of the safety, Health and welfare at Work Act 1989 are adhered to:
Duties of Employees
It is the duty of every employee while at work:
to take reasonable care for his/her own safety, health and welfare, and that of any person who may be affected by his/her acts or omissions while at work.
to co-operate with his/her employer and any other person to such extent as will enable his/her employer or the other person to comply with any of the relevant statutory provisions.
to use in such manner so as to provide the protection intended, any suitable appliance, convenience, equipment or thing provided (whether for his/her lone use or for use by him/her in common with others) for securing his/her safety, health or welfare at work.
to report to the Board of Management without unreasonable delay, any defects in equipment, place or work, or system of work, which might endanger safety, health or welfare of which he/she becomes aware.
No person will intentionally or recklessly interfere with or misuse any appliance, convenience or other means or thing provided in pursuance or any of the relevant statutory provisions or otherwise, for securing safety, health or welfare or persons arising out of work activities.
Employees using available facilities and equipment provided should ensure that work practices are performed in the safest manner possible (see section 9 of Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 1989).
Consultation and Information
It is the policy of the Board of Management of St. Dominic’s N.S. to consult with staff in preparation and completion of the safety statement, to give a copy of the safety statement to all present and future staff, and to convey any additional information or instructions regarding health, safety and welfare at work to all staff as it becomes available. Health, safety and welfare at work will be considered in any future staff training and development plans.
Hazards shall be divided into two categories. Those which can be rectified will be dealt with as a matter of urgency. Those that cannot will be clearly indicated and appropriate procedures listed beside them. All hazards shall be eliminated in so far as resources and circumstances allow.
It is the policy of the Board of Management of St. Dominic’s that:
The Board of Management will ensure that an adequate supply of fire extinguishers, suitable for the type of fires likely to occur in each area, is available, identified and regularly serviced by authorised and qualified persons. Each fire extinguisher shall have instructions for its use.
The principal will ensure that fire drills shall take place at least once a term.
Fire alarms shall be clearly marked. (Responsibility of Board of Management Safety Officer)
Signs shall be clearly visible to ensure that visitors are aware of exit doors and routes.(Staff Safety Officer)
All doors, corridors, and entries shall be kept clear of obstruction and shall be able to be opened at all times from within the building. Each teacher who has an exit in her classroom must ensure it is kept clear. The main door – Principal will see they are free of obstruction.
A plan of the school shows assembly points outside the school.
Assembly areas are designated outside each building, and the locations specified.
Exit signs shall be clearly marked.
All electrical equipment shall be left unplugged when unattended for lengthy periods and when the building is empty. Teachers are responsible for their own classroom. The Principal is responsible for the office. Staff room is every teacher’s responsibility. Cleaner to check when cleaning.
Principal shall be responsible for fire drills and evacuation procedures.
All recommendations made by a Fire Officer in addition to these provisions shall be implemented.
The following hazards (in so much as can be identified) are considered by the Board of Management to be a source of potential danger and are brought to the attention of all concerned.
Wet corridors
Trailing leads
Fuse Board
Boiler house
Excess Gravel on school yard
Protruding units and fittings
External store to be kept locked
Slabs around perimeter of school
Icy surfaces on a cold day
Mats in hall
Windows opening out
To minimise these dangers the following safety/ protective measures must be adhered to (see duties of employee pages 1-2 of this document):
Access to and operation of equipment is restricted to qualified members of the staff, whose job function is that of running, maintaining, cleaning and monitoring particular items in the course of their normal duties. Copies of this Safety Statement will be sent to all contractors prior to contract by the Principal/Board of Management. Any other contractors entering the school must be shown a copy of the schools Safety Statement and shall adhere to its provisions.
In addition all such plant and machinery is to be used in strict accordance with the manufactures instructions and recommendations.
Where applicable Board of Management will ensure that members of the staff will have been instructed in the correct use of equipment.
All electrical equipment is fitted with adequate safeguards.
Precautionary notices, in respect of safety matters are displayed at relevant points.
Ladders must be used with another person’s assistance.
Avoid use of glass bottles where possible by pupils. Remove broken glass immediately on discovery
Board of Management will check that floors are clean, even, non-slip and splinter-proof.
Ms. Aisling Finn will check that PE equipment is stacked securely and in position so as not to cause a hazard.
Check that all PE and other mats are in good condition.
An annual routine for inspecting furniture, floors, apparatus, equipment and fittings. Board of Management Safety Officer and Staff Safety Representative.
Check that wooden beams, benches etc. Are free from splinters and generally sound.
Check that desks are stable and do not wobble when in use.
Check that there are no uneven/broken/cracked paving slabs. Caretaker under Board of Management.
Will check that roofs, guttering, drain pipes etc. as far as can be seen are sound and well maintained. Board of Management Safety Officer.
Caretaker to check that manholes are safe.
Check that all play areas, especially sand pits, are kept clean and free from glass before use.
Check that outside lighting works and is sufficient. Board of Management.
Check that all builder’s materials, caretakers’ maintenance equipment, external stores etc. are stored securely. Principal and Board of Management Safety Officer.
Check that refuse is removed from building each day and is carefully stored outside. Cleaner.
Constant Hazards
Kitchen equipment, Electrical appliances.
It is the policy of the Board of Management of St. Dominic’s N.S. that appliances, kitchen equipment and electrical appliances are to be used only by competent and authorised persons. Such appliances and equipment will be subject to regular maintenance checks.
Arrangements will be made for all appliances to be checked on a regular basis at least annually by a competent person (i.e.) maintenance person, the supplier or his agent. Before using any appliance the user should check that:
All safety guards which are a normal part of the appliance are in working order
Power supply cables/leads are intact and free of cuts or abrasions.
Unplug leads of appliances when not in use.
Suitable undamaged fused plug tops are used and fitted with the correct fuse.
Follow official guidelines issued by the Health and Safety Authority.
It is the policy of the Board of Management of St. Dominic’s that all chemicals, photocopier toner, detergents etc. be stored in clearly identifiable containers bearing instructions and precautions for their use and shall be kept in a locked area, and protection provided to be used when handling them. (Cleaner/Principal where appropriate).
Drugs and Medication
It is the policy of the Board of Management of St. Dominic’s that all drugs, medications, etc. be kept in a secure cabinet, locked at all times and the key kept in a separate and secure place and used only by trained and authorised personnel.
To ensure the continued welfare of the staff and children, toilet and cloakroom areas are provided. A Staffroom separate from the work area is provided, where tea and lunch breaks may be taken. Staff must co-operate in maintaining a high standard of hygiene in this area.
A high standard of hygiene must be achieved at all times. Adequate facilities for waste disposal must be available. An adequate supply of hot and cold water, towels and soap and sanitary disposal facilities must be available.
Members of staff and students are reminded:
A person who is under medical supervision or on prescribed medication and who has been certified fit for work, should notify the school of any known side effect or temporary physical disabilities which could hinder their work performance and which may be a danger to either themselves or their fellow workers. The school will arrange or assign appropriate tasks for the person to carry out in the Interim.
Staff and students are not allowed to attend the premises or carry out duties whilst under the influence of illicit drugs or alcohol. Any person found breaking this rule will be liable to disciplinary action.
Highly Polished Floors
It is the policy of the Board of Management of St. Dominic’s that every attempt will be made to avoid the creation of slippery surfaces. The washing of floors shall be conducted, as far as is possible, after school hours to eliminate as far as possible, the danger of slipping. Where floors are wet, warning signs regarding wet floors shall be used. Attention is drawn to the possibility of outside floors and surfaces being affected by frost in cold weather, and staff and pupils shall be told to use handrails when entering the school. Salt and/or gravel shall be placed on surfaces affected by frost wherever practical.
It is the policy of the Board of Management of St. Dominic’s that the school shall be a non-smoking area to avoid hazard to staff and pupils of passive smoking.
The Board of Management shall minimise the danger arising from broken glass. Staff/pupils are asked to report broken glass to the Principal so that it may be immediately removed.
It is the policy of the Board of Management of St. Dominic’s that all infectious diseases shall be notified and steps taken to ensure the safety of staff and students against all such diseases. The Board of Management will endeavour to minimise the risk by adherence to sound principals of cleanliness, hygiene and disinfection and have provided disposable gloves for use in all First Aid applications, cleaning tasks, etc. Toilets and washrooms shall be provided at all times with an adequate supply of water, soap, towels and a facility for the safe disposal of waste.
It is the policy of the Board of Management of St. Dominic’s that a member of staff shall be trained to provide First Aid to staff and pupils.
Notices are posted in office detailing:
arrangements for giving first aid,
location of first aid boxes,
procedure of calling ambulances etc.
telephone numbers of local Doctor, Gardaí, Hospital.
All incidents, no matter how trivial and whether to employees or to students or to members of the public must be reported immediately to the person responsible for the hazard identified in the Statement or in the event that the accident/incident occurs in any other place to which that paragraph dealing with hazards does not relate to the Safety Officer. This is necessary to monitor the progress of safety standards and to ensure that the proper medical attention is given where required. An Accident Report File is to be maintained for the recording of all accidents and incidents by the Safety Officer.
Ms. Rose Magrath will see that there will be maintained in the school a properly equipped First Aid Box available to staff at all times containing:
sticking plasters
Anti-histamine for Stings, etc.
Disinfectant (e.g.) Savlon and Savlon wipes
Eye lotion (e.g.) Optrex
Antiseptic cream
Cotton Bandage
Cream for First Aid treatment of Burns
Antiseptic Wipes
First Aid Chart
Disposable gloves must be used at all times in administering First Aid
Access to School
In as much as is compatible with the practical layout of the school premises, anyone entering the school premises shall be required to identify themselves to the Principal before gaining admittance to the school. Any contractor must make direct contact with the Principal before initiating any work on the premises and shall be shown a copy of the safety statement applying to the school and shall agree to its provisions.
While work is in progress, any noise shall be avoided wherever possible during school hours and shall at all times be reduced to the minimum necessary. The contractor and his workmen shall not create any hazard, permanent or temporary, without informing the principal or his nominated agent and shall mark such hazard with warning signs or other suitable protection.
Collecting Children
All parent/guardians/carers in the interest of safety must obey all signs upon entering the school grounds.
Parents/guardians are advised to drive slowly on entering school grounds when collecting children, to park in the spaces provided and not to park on or near the pedestrian crossing.
Those parking outside the school grounds are advised to accompany children to and from the school premises.
Revision of this Safety Statement
This statement shall be regularly revised by the Board of Management of St. Dominic’s National School in accordance with experience and the requirements of the Health and Safety Act and the Health and Safety Authority.
Revised policy ratified by the Board of Management: 23 October 2012
Members of the Board of Management:
Chairperson: Mary Kenny
Fr. Tom Barden
Catherine Patterson
Mary Nolan
Tommy Flanagan
Fintan Farrelly
Safety Officer:
Staff Nominee: Fiona Hughes
Prepared by representatives of the Board of Management, in consultation with parents and teachers in accordance with the Safety Health and Welfare at Work Act 1993-1995-2005
This policy will be reviewed annually. Last reviewed in October 2015
St. Dominic's N.S. Roll Number: 15154L [email protected] 043-3322456
Copyright © 2021 St.Dominic's N.S. All Rights Reserved | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.6250513792037964, "wiki_prob": 0.3749486207962036, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line38569"} |
ShoBox Results: Tapia, Rakhmanov, Gavril, and Hunter Emerge Victorious
Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall in Las Vegas, Nevada was the host site for tonight’s ShoBox card as Showtime televised four bouts on their broadcast.
Photo Credit: Stephani Trapp/Showtime
The opening bout of the night was between Sanjarbek Rakhmanov (4-0) and Alfonso Olvera (7-2) in the welterweight division.
Rakhmanov was able to tag Olvera with his left hook several times in the first round and was close to landing the hard shot to send him to the mat. Olvera was able to stay light on his feet, but Rakhmanov was able to bang some hard shots to the body and head.
Olvera had a good second round as his activity picked up, but his punches lacked any punch to really hurt his opponent. Rakhmanov took control of the third round but landing harder shots, but still took a decent number of punches from the soft hitting Olvera.
Olvera caught Rakhmanov by surprise in the fourth round and forced him to tie up at one point, but he was unable to send Rakhmanov to the mat. Rakhmanov’s punches were wide in the fifth round, but when he did land his punches were landing with more power.
Neither boxer looked to be in clear control by the final round, but Rakhmanov likely won it based on his aggression and hard punches.
The final scores were 58-56 for Rakhmanov, 58-56 for Olvera, and 57-57, making it a split draw.
The next bout of the night was between Ronald Gavril (15-1) and Juan Novoa (26-6-1) in the super middleweight division.
Gabril, a Romanoan, had Novoa hurt in the first round with a jab right cross combination. Novoa was hurt and leaning against the ropes, but he was able to stay standing and survive the round. Gavril continued to control the action in the second and third rounds, and was easily blocking the punches of Novoa while landing clean counter shots of his own.
Gavril scored a knockdown in the fourth round with a good shot to the body that forced Novoa to take a knee. He was able to get back to his feet but was almost immediately cracked with a right hand that forced the referee to stop the fight.
Ronald Gavril wins by TKO at 2:08 of the sixth round.
The co-main event of the night was between U.S. Olympian Michael Hunter (11-0) and Isiah Thomas (15-0) in the cruiserweight division.
Hunter had the edge in amateur experience and that was evident throughout the night.
Thomas did not look to be in good shape and he was hurt in the first round from a strong right hand. Thomas avoided exchanging with Hunter after the right hand, and was not able to offer much of an offense.
Hunter controlled the action in the second and third round and simply outboxed Thomas. Thomas wasn’t able to land any significant shots in the fourth and fifth rounds, but Hunter was doing more than his opponent but never really threatened with a knockdown.
This bout was really devoid of any significant action, and each round parroted the round before. Hunter used his superior boxing ability to win nearly every round and was never in danger, but was also never really close to stopping the fight.
The final scores were 100-90, 100-90, and 99-91 for Michael Hunter.
The main event of the night was between Andrew Tabiti (12-0) and Keith Tapia (17-0) in the cruiserweight division.
Tabiti received a lot of praise from Floyd Mayweather Sr. last year and he has a high knockout ratio.
However, there was a lot of holding in the first two rounds and Tapia looked sloppy at times when he threw his hands. Tabiti looked like the more polished fighter and was able to land the cleaner punches. Tapia’s left hand was his best punch in the first two rounds.
Unfortunately the action did not improve much in the third or fourth rounds, but Tabiti had the better jab and he was able to score with combination when he let his hands go.
A clash of heads occurred in the opening minute of the fifth round that forced a brief stoppage to the bout. Tabiti’s best punch of the round was a clean counter right uppercut to Tapia’s chin.
Tapia may have hurt Tabiti in the sixth round from a straight right hand, but he suffered a cut under his right eye after a head butt. Their feet got entangled at the end of the round and Tapia slipped to the mat.
The seventh round featured some of the best action of the night as both guys were able to land good straight right hands, but Tabiti had the sharper and better jab.
There was a brief stoppage in the eighth round to fix the tape around the gloves of Tapia. Tabiti connected with several right hands on Tapia and he was beginning to establish firm control of the fight. Tabiti scored a knockdown in the final ten seconds of the round with a quick over the top right hand.
Tapia caught Tabiti by surprise in the opening minute of the ninth round with a lead left hook, but Tabiti out boxed and outmaneuvered Tapia for the remainder of the round.
Tapia needed a knockout in the final round to win the fight, but that stoppage did not come.
The final scores were 99-90, 97-92, and 97-92 for Andrew Tabiti. | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.6175674796104431, "wiki_prob": 0.6175674796104431, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1031031"} |
APEX LegendsFortnite
Apex Owns Fortnite: Is Apex Legends Taking Over Fortnite?
By Anish Prasad
02/11/2022 | Apex Legends continues to break its player count record on Steam. It has once again risen to the top of Twitch’s most popular games. | Credits: Reddit
The video games Apex Legends and Fortnite are both popular. Even though each game is distinct enough, they are both parts of the ever-evolving Battle Royale genre. Based on this connection, they are often compared. Due to the recent evolution of games and the release of Apex, it is gaining a lot of popularity. As a result of this, Fortnite’s popularity is decreasing and hence Apex owns Fortnite.
Reducing the Popularity of Fortnite:
When Fortnite was first introduced in 2017, it was quite a huge hit. In its first year, it drew over 125 million players, with digital revenue reaching an all-time high of $2.4 billion in 2018. According to SuperData, the game had the highest annual income of any game in history. Additionally, it significantly outpaced Dungeon Fighter, League of Legends, and Pokémon GO. When this game was newly released, it surpassed the charts.
It has become a cultural phenomenon by early 2019, with rappers, celebrities, and casual players all praising it. All the gamers who were interested in Battle Royale games led to a huge and growing fan base for Fortnite. Then Apex Legends arrived to offer gamers an intriguing alternative. Its fast-paced squad play, the evolution of elements, and engaging character basis were praised by critics.
Apex got more popular than Fortnite, and it started to get more attention and attraction from gamers. It can be concluded that Apex owns Fortnite now because of the tough competition there is.
Why and How did Apex Get More Popular?
Apex Legends continues to break its player count record on Steam. It has once again risen to the top of Twitch’s most popular games. Apex is attracting more microcontent developers. It now owns Fortnite and its popularity is increasing. Hundreds of thousands of people follow Apex-focused content artists on social media. Apex appears to be catering to its core amount of players, that are increasing every day, while also drawing newcomers into the fold.
After Apex Legends surpassed 25 million downloads in its first week, obituaries for Fortnite started to appear. Many critics expected that it would soon overtake Fortnite as the world’s most popular battle Royale game when the player count surpassed 50 million in less than a month. All the observation above distinctly shows that Apex nearly owns Fortnite.
Apex vs Fortnite
That did not, however, turn out to be the case. Epic Games, the creators of Fortnite, were adamant about putting a stop to this threat to their kingdom. Moreover, they swiftly announced a $100 million investment in a series of professional Fortnite events that will run throughout 2019, culminating in the $30 million Fortnite World Cup. Apex appears to have peaked just a few months after its release. In a month, it attracted 50 million gamers, and it took another six months to add another 20 million.
If EA came near to delivering on its earlier promise of usurping Fortnite, it could have provided information on its player numbers in its recent financial statement. Apex Legends is still a popular battle Royale game, and its success last year was undeniable. When an LTM or event occurs, it experiences a surge in player numbers. In every metric, though, Fortnite is more popular than Apex Legends. Hence, it proves that Apex owns Fortnite.
Also Read: How to Resolve the Apex Legends Error Code 103 in PS4?
Anish Prasad
I am an ex-eSports athlete who never left eSports by heart. I cover eSports and live in the world of eSports and Games. That's all for now. We can connect on:
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Diode laser in the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity: A reliable approach
Rekha Bilichodmath, R Vinaya Kumar, Shivaprasad Bilichodmath, Ume Sameera
Department of Periodontology, Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Dr. R Vinaya Kumar
Department of Periodontology, Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital, #14, Ramoholli Cross, Kumbalgodu, Mysore Road, Bengaluru - 560 074, Karnataka
DOI: 10.4103/jdl.jdl_13_18
Aim: The purpose of this prospective clinical study was to compare the clinical efficacy of diode laser and topical 0.4% stannous fluoride (SnF2) gel in the management of dentinal hypersensitivity (DH). Materials and Methods: A total of 8 patients contributing 200 teeth with DH were enrolled in the study. The sensitive teeth were randomly allocated into 4 groups of 50 each: Group I teeth were treated with 0.4% SnF2 only; Group II with 0.4% SnF2 and diode laser irradiation in continuous, noncontact mode; Group III with diode laser only in continuous, noncontact mode; and Group IV with SnF2 and diode laser in continuous, contact mode. Pain/sensitivity was recorded using the visual analog scale before treatment, 10 min after treatment and 7, 15, and 30 days posttherapy.Results: All the groups showed significant reduction in DH. However, the use of both 0.4% SnF2 and diode laser in contact and noncontact mode showed statistically significant reduction in sensitivity (P < 0.001) when compared to SnF2 gel and diode laser alone. Conclusion: The adjunctive use of diode laser with SnF2 appears to be a promising treatment alternative in alleviating sensitivity.
Keywords: Dentinal hypersensitivity, diode laser, stannous fluoride gel, visual analog scale
Bilichodmath R, Kumar R V, Bilichodmath S, Sameera U. Diode laser in the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity: A reliable approach. J Dent Lasers 2018;12:56-62
Bilichodmath R, Kumar R V, Bilichodmath S, Sameera U. Diode laser in the treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity: A reliable approach. J Dent Lasers [serial online] 2018 [cited 2023 Feb 2];12:56-62. Available from: http://www.jdentlasers.org/text.asp?2018/12/2/56/248000
Dentinal hypersensitivity (DH) is one of the most common problems encountered in dental practice, which causes pain and discomfort to individuals.[1] It is characterized by short, sharp pain arising from exposed dentin in response to stimuli; typically, thermal, evaporative, tactile, osmotic, or chemical and which cannot be attributed to any other dental defect or pathology.[2] Hypersensitive dentin is a sensitive or painful response of exposed dentin to an irritant. It is one of the most painful, common, and least satisfactorily treated chronic problems of teeth. It is a symptom complex rather than a disease and a persisting problem that affects about 4%–57% of the population. This condition is most prevalent in a large portion of individuals aged 20–40 years with higher prevalence in females than males and ranging between 60% and 98% in patients with periodontal disease.[3],[4]
DH is the most widespread oral problem with the cervical area of teeth being the most common site of involvement. Studies have reported that premolars[1] and mandibular incisors were most commonly affected and facial surfaces of teeth were the most hypersensitive areas.[5] The common factors responsible for dentin hypersensitivity are abrasion, abfraction, erosion, parafunctional habits or occlusal disequilibrium, and cavity preparations that expose the dentin.[6] It is often a major problem for patients suffering with periodontitis who often have exposed root surfaces and gingival recession. One practical issue related to DH is its evaluation since pain being a highly subjective sensation. Through literature, it is known that there is no single therapy that can reduce pain to satisfactory levels. Desensitizing agents and lasers have been widely used for the treatment of DH. An ideal desensitizing agent should not irritate the pulp, should be relatively painless on application, easy to use, rapid in action, effective for a longer duration, and not discolor the tooth.[7] At present, no tried and tested regimens prove superior to others and there is no “gold standard” by which one can assess treatment results. Thus, combination of different protocols has been tried and tested to achieve the best therapeutic benefit.[8]
Conventional therapies for DH are based on the topical use of desensitizing agents either at home or professionally.[9] The most commonly used agents are protein precipitants such as formaldehyde and silver nitrate; tubule occluding agents such as sodium fluoride, stannous fluoride (SnF2), calcium hydroxide, and potassium nitrate; tubule sealants such as resins and adhesives; and lasers. One of the most commonly used tubules occluding agent is SnF2. Its mechanism is based on the mechanical occlusion that is achieved by precipitation of insoluble calcium fluoride crystals within the tubules without any adhesion.[10] Advances in the field of laser technology over the last few decades and its wide applications in dentistry have given an additional therapeutic option for the treatment of DH. Different types of low output (Diode, He-Ne) and middle output (Nd:YAG, CO2) lasers have been used for hypersensitivity reduction.[11],[12],[13] Low-level lasers have also shown anti-inflammatory effects.[14] Diode lasers are the most widely used lasers in the treatment of DH. Different wavelengths have been used in various studies and have shown the best results in several clinical trials even in severe cases of DH.[15],[16],[17]
A combination of laser irradiation with application of specific desensitizing agents for the management of DH could be an additional therapeutic option with a specific goal of achieving a cumulative beneficial effect from both the treatments. Various clinical trials have been conducted with a combination of different types of lasers with chemical agents such as SnF2 and sodium fluoride with beneficial results and effectiveness more than the treatment with laser alone.[18],[19]
The aim of this prospective clinical study was to evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy of diode laser alone and in combination with topical 0.4% SnF2 gel in the management of DH.
This single-center, prospective clinical study was carried out in the Department of Periodontics, Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital, Bangalore. The patients recruited for this study were selected from the outpatient department. Eight systemically healthy patients, previously untreated for DH, (5 males and 3 females) aged between 35 and 60 years (mean age: 48 years) with a chief complaint of DH, contributing 200 teeth were enrolled for the study. Written informed consent was obtained from patients who were willing to participate voluntarily. This randomized controlled trial with split-mouth design was carried out from April 2016 to September 2016 with a follow-up period of 1 month.
Patients in good systemic health with clinically elicitable dentin hypersensitivity who were reliable in their response to test measurements and who were not treated earlier for DH were included in the study.
Patients with any systemic conditions, those who were on any analgesics/anti-inflammatory drugs at the time of the study and those who had used any desensitizing paste or mouthwash during the last 6 months, were excluded from the study. Cracked teeth, large carious lesions, or restored teeth were also excluded from the study.
The 200 sites from 8 patients enrolled were randomly divided into four groups of 50 sites each. Before treatment, all the patients received phase I periodontal therapy in the form of scaling and root planing followed by oral hygiene instructions. The degree of sensitivity to evaporative stimulus before and after treatment was determined qualitatively with an air stimulus. To check the cold air stimulus, the selected tooth was isolated, dried, and a jet of cold air was applied from a distance of 1 cm for 1 s and response to air stimuli was recorded according to the visual analog scale (VAS) [Figure 1]. Air stimulus recordings were assessed before treatment, 15 min after treatment, 1 week, 2 weeks, and at 30 days after treatment.
Figure 1: Cold air blast test
Treatment procedures
Group 1: 0.4% stannous fluoride gel only
Selected teeth were isolated with cotton rolls and 0.4% SnF2 gel (Gel-Kam, Colgate- Palmolive India Ltd.) was applied with a cotton tip applicator onto the affected area and left in place for 1 min. The teeth were evaluated 15 min after the treatment and VAS score recorded.
Group 2: 0.4% stannous fluoride+ diode laser (noncontact mode)
Selected teeth were isolated with cotton rolls and 0.4% SnF2 gel (Gel-Kam) was applied and left in place for 1 min [Figure 2]. Diode laser (Zolar Technology and Mfg., Canada) having a wavelength of 810 nm was irradiated in noncontact, continuous mode with a power of 0.7 W for 1 min on the selected sites [Figure 3]. Each site received three applications of 1 min each and VAS score recorded.
Figure 2: Irradiation with diode laser
Figure 3: Diode laser therapy to treat dentinal hypersensitivity
Group 3: Laser only
After isolating the sites with cotton rolls, diode laser was irradiated in noncontact, continuous mode with a power of 0.7 W for 1 min was applied. Each site received three applications of 1 min each and VAS score recorded.
Group 4: 0.4% stannous fluoride+ diode laser (contact mode)
After isolating the sites with cotton rolls, 0.4% SnF2 gel (Gel-Kam) was applied and left in place for 1 min. Diode laser was irradiated in contact, continuous mode with a power of 0.7 W for 1 min was applied. Each site received three applications of 1 min each and VAS score recorded.
Recall visits
Patients were recalled after 1 and 2 weeks and 1 month. At each visit, the above-mentioned procedure was repeated and VAS score was recorded. Oral hygiene instructions were reinforced at each visit. However, no oral prophylaxis was performed at any of the recall visits until the end of evaluation phase. Subjective signs such as allergic reaction, burning sensation, ulceration, and taste alterations along with objective signs such as redness of mucosa and staining of teeth were checked with none being reported.
The statistical analysis was carried out using one-way analysis of variance test. Data were entered in Microsoft Excel and analyzed using statistical package for social science (SPSS) version 10.5 software (IBM, California, USA) Tukey test was used for pair-wise comparison between the group/visit. The results were averaged (mean ± standard deviation) for continuous data. P < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant.
Among all the 4 groups evaluated, statistically significant difference in the baseline VAS scores was noted between Group 1 and Group 3, Group 2 and Group 3, and Group 3 and Group 4. Moreover, all the groups showed a significant difference at all the time intervals when the relevant test agent was applied (P < 0.001) [Table 1] and [Graph 1].
Table 1: Comparison of mean difference of hypersensitivity between the visit by treatment group actual value
Among all the 4 groups evaluated, Group 2 and Group 4 showed the greatest reduction in VAS scores when compared to baseline at the 1-month recall (Group 2 = 8.10 and Group 4 = 7.54). Group 3 showed a greater reduction in the mean VAS score (6.38) when compared to Group 1 (4.16) at 1-month recall [Table 2] and [Graph 2].
Table 2: Comparison of mean hypersensitivity between the treatment groups by visit actual value
Similarly, when the percentage change from baseline to 1 month was assessed in all the groups, Group 2 showed the greatest reduction (90.61%) followed by Group 4 (83.89%), Group 3 (78.57%), and finally, Group 1 (47.96%) [Table 3] and [Graph 3].
Table 3: Comparison of mean hypersensitivity between the treatment groups by visit-percentage change from baseline
DH is experienced as a sharp pain caused by several different stimuli and generally reported by the patient as a chief complaint. This painful response varies significantly from one person to the other. It generally involves the facial surfaces of teeth near the cervical region and is very common in premolars, canines, and mandibular incisors and a slightly higher incidence in females than males between the age group of 20 and 40 years, which could be due to overall health-care and oral hygiene awareness.[20],[21] Brannstrom's hydrodynamic theory is the most widely accepted theory as to how the fluid movement within the dentinal tubules causes pain.[22] A variety of diagnostic techniques will exclude the condition from other conditions causing sensitive teeth. Cost effective and efficacious treatment for most of the patients is a dentifrice containing a desensitizing active ingredient such as SnF2 or potassium nitrate.
SnF2 gel (Gel-Kam) has proven to be effective in the dental caries prevention, plaque formation reduction, and breath malodor suppression[23] Standard error of mean studies have shown that SnF2 itself can occlude dentinal tubules and is effective in the management of DH.[24] Miller et al. reported that a tin-rich surface deposit forms in vitro and in situ with 2-week use of anhydrous 0.4% SnF2 gel, providing near-complete surface coverage and occlusion of the tubules. When the tubules are blocked, stimulation of pain receptors does not occur, thereby preventing the pain response.[24]
Thrash et al. supported the theory that the time required for a decrease in sensitivity is between 2 and 4 weeks from initiation of treatment. They compared 0.4% SnF2 gel to an aqueous 0.717% fluoride solution and a placebo at 2-, 4-, 8-, and 16-week intervals following a twice-daily application. The results indicated participants who applied 0.4% SnF2 reported significantly less sensitivity during the 4–8 week period. The effect continued throughout the 16-week assessment period.[25]
Matsumoto et al. and Yamaguchi et al. have reported decrease in hypersensitivity by 85% and 60%, respectively, in teeth treated with laser.[14],[15] Gerschman et al., in a double-blind study, found significant reduction of sensitivity to thermal and tactile stimuli by 67% and 65%, respectively.[16] Umberto et al. reported a very high capability to improve immediately the DH-related pain, both alone and even better in combination with sodium fluoride gel.[26] Ranjan et al. obtained better results with combined intervention of laser and SnF2 gel therapy in the management of DH. The laser-induced superficial melting permitting longer tubular occlusion by SnF2 gel emphasizes the reduction of DH-related pain.[27] Kumar and Mehta reported that the combination of Nd:YAG laser and 5% sodium fluoride varnish seems to show an impressive efficacy when compared to each treatment alone.[17]
The added advantages of combining dental laser with SnF2 has been reported by Moritz et al. suggesting that combined laser treatment and fluoridation result in permanent integration of fluoride in the dentin surface.[28] Brugnera et al. showed the immediate analgesic effect using a diode laser.[29] The diode laser appears to be the most widely used in day-to-day practice by dental professionals.
In this conducted research, it was observed that teeth which presented exacerbated sharp pain during the cold air blast showed a decrease in painful sensation immediately after 15 min of the first application of the diode laser. Results of our study are similar to findings by Miller et al. in 1969, who reported less hypersensitivity posttreatment in SnF2 group as compared to placebo gel and have shown that addition of fluoride with laser had significant reduction of DH.[30] Inter-visit comparison shows greatest change in VAS scores from baseline to 15 min after laser application in all the groups. Further, reduction in VAS score was statistically significant (P < 0.001) in all the groups at all the time intervals. This result might be due to the synergistic effect of fluoride when used along with the diode laser application.
The diode laser has to be preferred for DH treatment owing to its safety and beneficial clinical results. Within the scope of this study, we conclude that the combined use of SnF2 and diode laser appears to be a promising treatment alternative in alleviating sensitivity when compared to the traditional treatment modalities.
Addy M. Tooth wear and sensitivity: Clinical advances in restorative dentistry. In: Addy M, Embery G, Edgar WM, Orchardson R, editors. Dentine Hypersensitivity: Definition, Prevalence Distribution and Aetiology. London: Martin Dunitz; 2000. p. 239-48.
Addy M. Dentine hypersensitivity: New perspectives on an old problem. Int Dent J 2002;52:367-75.
Rees JS, Addy M. A cross-sectional study of dentine hypersensitivity. J Clin Periodontol 2002;29:997-1003.
Chabanski MB, Gillam DG, Bulman JS, Newman HN. The prevalence, distribution and severity of cervical dentine sensitivity in a population of patients referred to a specialist periodontology department. J Clin Periodontol 1996;23;98992.
Chu CH, Pang KL, Yip HK. Dietary behavior and dental erosion symptoms of Hong Kong people. J Dent Res 2008;87;41.
Roberson T, Heymann H, Swift E. Art and science of operative dentistry. 8th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier, Missouri. The United States of America 2006. p. 268-92.
Ladalardo TC, Pinheiro A, Campos RA, Júnior AB, Zanin F, Albernaz PL, et al. Laser therapy in the treatment of dentine hypersensitivity. Braz Dent J 2004;15:144-50.
Dababneh RH, Khouri AT, Addy M. Dentine hypersensitivity – An enigma? A review of terminology, mechanisms, aetiology and management. Br Dent J 1999;187:606-11.
Hsu PJ, Chen JH, Chuang FH, Roan RT. The combined occluding effects of fluoride-containing dentin desensitizer and Nd-Yag laser irradiation on human dentinal tubules: An in vitro study. Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2006;22:24-9.
Renton-Harper P, Midda M. NdYAG laser treatment of dentinal hypersensitivity. Br Dent J 1992;172:13-6.
Zhang C, Matsumoto K, Kimura Y, Harashima T, Takeda FH, Zhou H, et al. Effects of CO2 laser in treatment of cervical dentinal hypersensitivity. J Endod 1998;24:595-7.
Kimura Y, Wilder-Smith P, Yonaga K, Matsumoto K. Treatment of dentine hypersensitivity by lasers: A review. J Clin Periodontol 2000;27:715-21.
Zanirato R, Curti F, Prezzotto G, De Carvalho E, Pelizon J, Bagnato VS. Clinical effects of low-intensity lasers vs. Light-emitting diode therapy on dentin hypersensitivity. J Oral Laser Appl 2007;7:129-36.
Matsumoto K, Tomonari H, Wakabayashi H. Study on the treatment of hypersensitive dentin by laser. J Conserv Dent 1985;28:1366-71.
Yamaguchi M, Ito M, Miwata T, Horiba N, Matsumoto T, Nakamura H, et al. Clinical study on the treatment of hypersensitive dentin by gaAlAs laser diode using the double blind test. Aichi Gakuin Daigaku Shigakkai Shi 1990;28:703-7.
Gerschman JA, Ruben J, Gebart-Eaglemont J. Low level laser therapy for dentinal tooth hypersensitivity. Aust Dent J 1994;39:353-7.
Kumar NG, Mehta DS. Short-term assessment of the Nd: YAG laser with and without sodium fluoride varnish in the treatment of dentin hypersensitivity – A clinical and scanning electron microscopy study. J Periodontol 2005;76:1140-7.
Goharkhay K, Wernisch J, Schoop U, Moritz A. Laser treatment of hypersensitive dentin: Comparative ESEM investigations. J Oral Laser Appl 2007;7:21123.
Graf H, Galasse R. Morbidity, prevalence and intraoral distribution of hypersensitive teeth. J Dent Res 1977;56:162.
Kerns DG, Scheidt MJ, Pashley DH, Horner JA, Strong SL, Van Dyke TE, et al. Dentinal tubule occlusion and root hypersensitivity. J Periodontol 1991;62:421-8.
Braennstroem M, Astroem A. A study on the mechanism of pain elicited from the dentin. J Dent Res 1964;43:619-25.
Joshi I, Dodwad V, Tevatia S, Singla R. Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of diode laser as an adjunct to stannous fluoride in the management of dentinal hypersensitivity: A clinical study. Res Rev J Dent Sci 2016;4:84-9.
Kern DA, McQuade MJ, Scheidt MJ, Hanson B, Van Dyke TE. Effectiveness of sodium fluoride on tooth hypersensitivity with and without iontophoresis. J Periodontol 1989;60:386-9.
Miller S, Truong T, Heu R, Stranick M, Bouchard D, Gaffar A, et al. Recent advances in stannous fluoride technology: Antibacterial efficacy and mechanism of action towards hypersensitivity. Int Dent J 1994;44:83-98.
Thrash WJ, Jones DL, Dodds WJ. Effect of a fluoride solution on dentinal hypersensitivity. Am J Dent 1992;5:299-302.
Umberto R, Claudia R, Gaspare P, Gianluca T, Alessandro del V. Treatment of dentine hypersensitivity by diode laser: A clinical study. Int J Dent 2012;2012:858950.
Ranjan R, Yadwad KJ, Patil SR, Mahantesha S, Rahman AA, Bhatia VB. Efficacy of 980 nm diode laser as an adjunct to Snf 2 in the management of dentinal hypersensitivity: A controlled, prospective clinical study. J Dent Lasers 2013;7:66-71.
Moritz A, Schoop U, Goharkhay K, Aoid M, Reichenbach P, Lothaller MA, et al. Long-term effects of CO2 laser irradiation on treatment of hypersensitive dental necks: Results of an in vivo study. J Clin Laser Med Surg 1998;16:211-5.
Brugnera A Jr., Zanin F, Pinheiro A, Pécora J, Ladalardo TC, Campos D, et al. LLLT in Treating Dentinary Hypersensibility: A Histologic Study and Clinical Application. Second International Conference on Near-Field Optical Analysis: Photodynamic Therapy and Photobiology Effects Houston, Texas, USA, 2001. Proceedings of the Second International Conference on NOA; 2002. p. 23-31.
Miller JT, Shannon IL, Kilgore WG, Bookman JE. Use of a water-free stannous fluoride-containing gel in the control of dental hypersensitivity. J Periodontol 1969;40:490-1.
Bilichodmath R
Kumar R V
Bilichodmath S
Sameera U
Dentinal hypersensitivity
stannous fluoride gel
visual analog scale | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.6976514458656311, "wiki_prob": 0.6976514458656311, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line323914"} |
Home BYD News
BYD Song Max Pure Electric To Launch This Year
Jan 21, 2019 at 7:00am ET
By: Gasgoo
Will join the PHEV version.
The BYD Song MAX is an MPV model developed by Chinese automaker BYD that went on sales in the third quarter of 2017 and its PHEV version has already been launched last year. According to China's local media, the BEV version of the BYD Song MAX is expected to hit the market this year.
Geely Teases New GE11 EV: Will Be Sold Globally
China Electric Car Sales Soar To Almost 160,000 In December
As the photos taken by local media shows, the BEV version displays a striking resemblance to the gasoline-burning version, yet some nuances could be noticed at the front face. Featuring BYD's latest iconic “Dragon Face” design, the new model has a grille looking like a mouth agape, which is decorated with multi-banner chrome trims extending to the outline of headlights. It is noticeable that the grille features more segments separated by chrome trims than the existing gasoline-powered version, also carries slimmer fog lights.
As to the side profile, the upward-sloping lines are in tune with the floating roof. At the rear end, above a chrome trim that pierces into taillights on both sides is a logo of Chinese character “宋” (Song).
The BYD Song MAX BEV version measures 4,680mm long, 1,810mm wide and 1,680mm tall with a wheelbase spanning 2,785mm, the same as the gasoline version.
Such facilities as the panoramic roof, luggage rack, radar, privacy window and side curtain air bag will be offered to customers as optional choice.
Powering the vehicle will be an electric motor that does 120kW. The lettering of “MAX EV500” suggests that its maximum range may be 500km.
Source: Gasgoo
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Fiction Visionary & Metaphysical
Blue-Skinned Gods
by (author) S.J. Sindu
Visionary & Metaphysical, General, Coming of Age
From the award-winning author of Marriage of a Thousand Lies comes a brilliantly written, globe-spanning novel about identity, faith, family, and sexuality.
In Tamil Nadu, India, a boy is born with blue skin. His father sets up an ashram, and the family makes a living off of the pilgrims who seek the child’s blessings and miracles, believing young Kalki to be the tenth human incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu. In Kalki’s tenth year, he is confronted with three trials that will test his power and prove his divine status and, his father tells him, spread his fame worldwide. While he seems to pass them, Kalki begins to question his divinity.
Over the next decade, his family unravels, and every relationship he relied on—father, mother, aunt, uncle, cousin—starts falling apart. Traveling from India to the underground rock scene of New York City, Blue-Skinned Gods explores ethnic, gender, and sexual identities, and spans continents and faiths, in an expansive and heartfelt look at the need for belief in our globally interconnected world.
S.J. Sindu's profile page
SJ Sindu is the author of the novel Marriage of a Thousand Lies, which won the Publishing Triangle Edmund White Debut Fiction Award, was a finalist for the Lambda Literary Award, and was an ALA Stonewall Honor Book; as well as the hybrid chapbooks I Once Met You But You Were Dead and Dominant Genes. Sindu holds an MA in English from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a PhD in English and Creative Writing from Florida State University. Sindu is an Assistant Professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University.
Excerpt: Blue-Skinned Gods (by (author) S.J. Sindu)
The driver slammed the brakes, whipping my head forward and back. A chorus of honks crescendoed in the muggy New Delhi night.
A few cars ahead, in the middle of an intersection, an auto rickshaw lay on its side, its three wheels still spinning, the metal poles of its sides cracked in half. Tire tracks swirled into a small blue car with its front end smashed. Glass littered the road, glittering pinpricks of light.
People surged around us. My father, Ayya, opened the door of the taxi, and we pushed our way into the crowd.
Ayya weaved to the front. I walked in his wake.
An older woman was sprawled on the ground next to the auto, thrown out as it tipped over. The auto driver was on his back near her. His eyes stared right up at the sky. Red slashes glistened over their bodies.
People shouted in Hindi to call the police, call the ambulance. The woman was still breathing. Two men tried to lift her.
“Stop,” Ayya said. He raised his voice and yelled, “Stop! You could make her injuries worse if you move her.” He pushed his way into the clearing. I followed out of instinct, as if we had a string tied between us. “I’m a doctor,” he said. “Let me look.”
The men put her limbs back down. Ayya crouched over the woman. He opened her eyes and checked her pulse.
“She’s losing a lot of blood,” he said. “She needs help, or she won’t last.”
“Look,” someone said. “Kalki Sami can heal her.” A man pointed in my direction. I wondered if he’d been at my prayer meeting earlier, or if I’d healed him before.
A hundred eyes turned toward me.
“Yes, Kalki Sami,” another man said. “You can heal her.”
I walked toward the injured woman and knelt near Ayya. Up close, the overpowering smell of iron and urine. So much blood. Cavernous slashes in their bodies.
I put my shaking hands over the woman’s head, where a pool of blood grew on the asphalt. I chanted over and over, my lips quivering with the words. Om Sri Ram Om Sri Ram Om Sri Ram. Some of the crowd prayed with me. I closed my eyes against the lights. I chanted and chanted. Om Sri Ram. Om Sri Ram.
Twelve years earlier, a girl named Roopa arrived at our ashram in Tamil Nadu, India, dying from a sickness only I could cure. This, my father told me, would be my first miracle.
It was the eve of my birthday, an important transition. I was the tenth human incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu, and I was turning ten years old.
Like every Friday, the villagers filtered in with rice and lentils, fresh milk from their cows, spinach, moringa, and bitter gourd from their gardens. They put these gifts in front of me as I sat on the only pillow in the room and took their seats on the bedsheets we’d laid over the cement floor. My father, Ayya, sat to my left, and my cousin Lakshman to my right. We faced the open green door that led to the veranda.
The village kids played outside. As a birthday treat, Ayya had promised to let us play with them after the prayer session, if Lakshman and I were well-behaved and lucky. My mother had wanted to have an eggless cake made to celebrate with the villagers, but Ayya thought it too Western and decadent.
One of the village kids had brought a cricket bat for the first time, and he showed it to the others, beaming as they touched it, demonstrating how to hit the ball. I’d asked my parents for a cricket bat for my birthday. I imagined holding it, showing it off to the boys when they came for next week’s prayer meeting.
Ayya nudged me with his elbow and I snapped back to attention, ashamed I’d let myself be distracted. Now was not the time for cricket fantasies. Now was the time to focus and prove myself in whatever test would be demanded of me that night.
Lakshman jiggled his legs up and down, watching the kids too. He was my first cousin, a year younger but almost as big and much braver. He had the round face and big eyes that painters always gave Hindu gods. All I had was blue skin.
The Sri Kalki Purana, the Hindu text that prophesied my birth and life, said it was on my tenth birthday that my trials as a living god would begin. I would be tested three times, and I would have to prove myself worthy of my birth. Ayya had reminded me of the scripture that morning, though I read the Sri Kalki Purana regularly, and had been anxiously counting down the days to this birthday for over a year.
“I saw a vision,” Ayya had said after our morning meditation.
I’d seen a vision, too, early with the sunrise. I’d woken up dreaming of goat blood. In the dream, I’d wrapped my hands around the neck of a month-old kid and held tight as it thrashed, then stilled. I’d pushed my hands through its skin and felt its insides. I’d smeared the gummy blood on my face, my chest, my feet, until my skin prickled and grew fur and my nails knit together into hooves. Until I was the goat.
But I was afraid to tell Ayya about this dream—afraid my vision meant doom.
“I had a vision of your first test,” Ayya had said, leaning against a plaster column in our courtyard. “Someone will come to you tonight. A stranger who will need healing.”
I’d healed plenty of the villagers already. Arthritis, back pain, bad luck. I could handle one more healing.
“This stranger will be dying,” he said.
I watched the angles of his face for clues as to how I should act. I’d only ever healed minor aches and pains. I’d never brought someone back from the edges of death.
“Do not doubt yourself,” Ayya said. Disappointment tinged his voice.
I’d let my guard down, shown my doubt on my face. I schooled my expression into something hard and impassive.
“Yes, Ayya,” I said.
“You want to travel the world and bring it the healing it needs? The journey starts tonight, with your first trial.”
In those days, I wanted more than anything to make Ayya proud I believed only my own doubts and fears stood between me and my destiny as Vishnu’s tenth and final avatar. I believed that if I had enough faith, I could do anything. But doubt crept up on me whenever I laid down to sleep, wrapped its invisible hands around my throat, burrowed into my skin, and refused to let go its hold on my brain.
Now, in the room facing the veranda, as the villagers got ready for our prayer meeting, Ayya reached stealthily toward Lakshman’s jiggling, full-motion thigh, and pinched him. Lakshman jumped. The leg-agitating stopped.
Ayya stood and closed the doors of the large room. He lit two five-wicked oil lamps with a small one that fit in the palm of his hand. Lakshman rang the hand bell during the pooja. Om bhuur bhuvah svah, we chanted, tat savitur varennyam, bhargo devasya dhiimahi, dhiyo yo nah prachodayaat—a prayer from the Rig Veda, the oldest Hindu text in existence, calling on the sun god. I gathered up my god energy for the healing session that would take place after the prayers and meditation. If my first trial would begin tonight, I would need as much god energy as I could manage to build. In my mind’s eye, I saw this energy like fluffy cotton, accumulating at the corners of how I pictured the inside of my body—an empty room the size of the one I slept in. I walked around the room, squatting and scooping up big armfuls of the cotton, soft and itchy on my skin.
Beyond the veranda, the village kids bowled and batted and ran around, their cries barely audible.
I tried to focus on the chanting.
The kid with the bat had been the hero of this game, and he ran around the others with his bat held high, pumping it up and down.
Lakshman was watching, too, and he sighed, rubbing the spot where Ayya had pinched him.
A man and woman from the village sang bhajans as the setting sun danced through the open windows. Two boys growing shadows above their lips played the wooden harmonium and tablas. When it was his turn, Lakshman sang his favorite Krishna bhajan, his voice achingly soft, arching high across the ceiling. Enna thavam seithanee, Yashodha, engum nirai parabhrammam Amma endrazhailkka, he sang. What great penance did you perform, Yashodha, to be blessed with a God for a son?
Finally, the bhajan ended and the healing session began. All the villagers stood, lining up. I put the kids and their game out of my head, and focused instead on the room here, now. The villagers would sit in front of me, tell me their problems—sometimes physical, sometimes emotional, sometimes financial—and I would heal them. I spun the armfuls of cotton in my mind into fine, strong god light, blue inside my skin, and focused it outward. I chanted Om Sri Ram over and over in my head. This was my prayer to Rama, one of my previous incarnations.
An older hunched woman came forward, holding her lower back. She touched my feet. I blessed her.
“How did you hurt your back?” I asked. Ayya had taught me this. Diagnose early, before they can tell you.
“Too much work for an old woman.”
“Your sons should take care of you better.”
“My sons don’t care.”
I prayed and hovered my hands over her. I willed my light to spin into the muscles of her back. Om Sri Ram.
She stood up straighter, hands at her lower back. Her face relaxed as I pushed my energy into her.
“Thank you,” she said.
I kept an eye on Ayya for his nod, to show me I was doing the right thing. He nodded.
Next, a young boy who was developing too slowly. A regular. Every time I prayed over him, he came back the next week stronger and taller. Om Sri Ram.
A man whose textile-selling business wasn’t doing well. He touched my feet and I told him he would sell more podavais and veshtis next week. Om Sri Ram. A young woman nearing thirty and still not married. Her parents had set her up with an arranged marriage; the groom was scheduled to visit their house on Monday. I blessed her with luck. Om Sri Ram.
One family, a young father with his wife and small child, came from many miles away. The child’s legs and arms were whittled and thin. Her father carried her in his arms like she weighed nothing, though she was nearly my height, and he placed her on the floor in front of me. I shifted on my cushion to get a better look. This was it. This was my test. I was sure of it.
Roopa’s face was sunken in, like she hadn’t eaten in weeks. Frail skin stretched over bone. She looked almost like a corpse, but her eyes were pretty and large and she watched me as she lay on the bare cement floor, her chest moving up and down fast, like a songbird’s. She was almost beautiful, if I only looked at her eyes.
The god energy filled my skin, filled the inside of me shaped like a room, and I looked around and saw the others filled with their own energies, their own people energies, but Roopa’s skin was empty. It was like her soul couldn’t find any room inside her fragile body anymore. I didn’t know if a person could leave a body and still be a person. And the body they left behind—was that body a person?
But her eyes—I could still see her personness in her eyes.
“Please,” her father said. “Our daughter needs healing. We can’t afford to pay.” He glanced at Ayya, at the ground, and finally toward me. He held pain in his face, and embarrassment. Ayya had told me that a lot of men find it hard to ask for help. The father dropped his gaze to the floor.
“How did she get like this?” I asked. I always knew to ask the question, though I still didn’t know what to do with the answer. Ayya knew, and he would tell me what to do.
“She took ill one day. She’s not eating.” The man looked at his wife, who covered her mouth with her hands. “We have four sons. We can’t afford to bring her to the private hospital. The doctors at the clinics don’t know what to do.”
Ayya nodded at me, a signal to begin my healing prayer. I sat myself next to the girl, the cold of the cement floor shocking my legs through my veshti. When I looked only at her pretty eyes, the rest of her receded.
I took some kumkumam powder and rubbed a red line of it on her forehead. People normally got kumkumam, turmeric, and sandalwood powders from their local market, but we also made them at the ashram. On any given day, my aunt and uncle, Vasanthy Chithy and Kantha Chithappa—Lakshman’s parents—would sit grinding sticks of sandalwood or dried turmeric roots on stone in order to make the powders we sold. Villagers bought them for the shrines in their houses, because what we made was purer, made with care, and made in the home of a god.
I put my hands over Roopa’s face and closed my eyes. Om Sri Ram. I tried to summon up the god energy inside me. Sinewy and blue and gold. Om Sri Ram. Blue and gold and bright. I touched her forehead with my thumb. She was dying, and I was the only one who could help. This was my first test.
A Winter 2023 Indie Next Reading Group Selection
A 2022 Great Group Reads Selection
Shortlisted for the 2022 Lammy Award in Bisexual Fiction
An Autostraddle Best Queer Book of the Year
An ABA Indie Next Pick for November 2021
An AudioFile Earphones Award Winner
Praise for Blue-Skinned Gods
“Kalki’s life as a blue-skinned child deity at first seems rather romantic. Raised to believe he is the '10th incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu,' he heals the sick at his family’s ashram in Tamil Nadu, India . . . It is impossible not to be hypnotized by the tenderness of these opening scenes. But relatively early in the novel Kalki, narrating in adulthood as a university lecturer in Toronto, breaks the illusion of his own divinity — and any illusion that his childhood had been blessed . . . In attending to the fine aftershocks of this loss and many others to come, Sindu masterfully renders how our environments bake into our skin.”
“Sindu’s applied cultural knowledge and careful character-building makes each surprise believable without being predictable. Every oddity has an explanation, and societal issues left unaddressed in childhood come back around for an older, wiser Kalki to consider . . . On a linear timeline, Blue-Skinned Gods doesn’t end at the end; the end is tucked somewhere near the beginning. Conflicts abound in the novel, but Sindu reveals which one held the most weight in the final sentence. Although the ending is climactic and jarring, it provides both resolve and clarity.”
“SJ Sindu has imagined a fascinating premise for her novel exploring identity, family, community and the tensions that arise among them . . . Here Sindu is at her inventive best, with wild juxtapositions of people and situations, from a post-punk band that takes in Kalki, to hipsters of various gender identities who try to seduce him, to new-age worshipers who refuse to believe he is not a healer, to gangsters who want to bring him back to the ashram. These witty episodes allow Kalki to try to define himself as well as to understand the world around him.”
—The Star Tribune
“SJ Sindu has written another brilliant novel in Blue-Skinned Gods. This time, she tells the story of a boy with blue skin who is trying to be the god everyone tells him he is . . . Here is a novel about the bonds between brothers, a deceptive tyrant and son, a mother who doesn’t know how to save herself or her child, a boy and how he yearns for his young loves, and so much more. The richness of this story will take hold of you and never let go.”
“Sj Sindu has given us a true gift in Kalki Sami and his journey. A coming-of-age story wielding philosophical, historical, and emotional moments full of passion, vividly described, Blue-Skinned Gods is one of the most original and beautiful novels I’ve read in a long time.”
—Brandon Hobson, author of Where the Dead Sit Talking and The Removed
“Blue-Skinned Gods is a marvel of a novel. S.J. Sindu has created a cast of characters so compelling it was difficult to set the book down. I was enraptured by the careful twining of these lives: a manipulative father, a mother who loves her son to the point of agony, the joy and despair of tender first love, the pressure of knowing your destiny and the devastation of losing everything at once. It is a true joy to encounter a book so beautifully written. The prose is lush and stunning, the narrative wildly gripping. Sindu is a phenomenal writer and Blue-Skinned Gods is a treasure.”
—Kristen Arnett, New York Times bestselling author of Mostly Dead Things
“This marvelous novel offers up the most extraordinary circumstance in which to live a life. It delivers everything I didn’t know I desperately wanted: snake bites, ink baths, god-energy, gurus, post-punk music, viral videos, redemption, and an unforgettable character asking all the big questions. What am I and what am I capable of? In the asking comes revelations on the nature of love, power in friendship, weight of dogma, and the visceral seeping together of diverse cultures. These pages left me with the best case of culture shock, and in awe over Sindu’s storytelling talent.”
—Devin Murphy, national bestselling author of The Boat Runner and Tiny Americans
“Blue-Skinned Gods is a memorable and vivid coming-of-age story that feels timely in its pursuit of exploring the meaning of truth and how we know what to believe about ourselves and others. Kalki’s journey from an isolated ashram in India to the kaleidoscope of New York City's clubs and streets is captivating. This is a wonderful book about family, friendship, and miracles.”
—Elise Hooper, author of Fast Girls, Learning to See, and The Other Alcott
“With Blue-Skinned Gods, SJ Sindu has written an epic in every sense of the word: the amazing life and times of Kalki Sami, the boy born with blue skin and the power to heal, reads like an instant classic. Sindu has proven herself, yet again, to be a master storyteller—Blue-Skinned Gods is thrilling, remarkable, and totally irresistible. You won’t be able to put it down.”
—Nick White, author of How to Survive a Summer and Sweet & Low
“Blue-Skinned Gods is a gorgeously atmospheric journey of faith and doubt—and ultimately, of finding one's sense of self after a lifetime of performing for others. With exquisite prose, SJ Sindu, one of our finest storytellers, explores the entanglements of Eastern spirituality and globalism, family and trauma, gender and sexuality, in a compulsively readable and emotionally charged tale.”
—Patrick Cottrell, Whiting Award winner and author of Sorry to Disrupt the Peace
“Blue-Skinned Gods is beautifully rendered, a profound story about faith - in others, and in oneself - and manipulation. Here, a boy may or may not be the reincarnation of a God, and his quest to understand himself, and his responsibility to those around him, is utterly compelling. It is a story about miracles, both of the world we inhabit and the ordinary, flawed, spectacular people we inhabit it with, as we find that the greatest miracles might come from the friendships that help us become who we really are.”
—Tessa Fontaine, author of The Electric Woman
“A rich, beautifully told and moving examination of the allure of superstition and legend, the pains of growing up and the pitfalls of lying to others and lying to yourself.”
“A young boy, born with blue skin and believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu, begins a soul-searching, decade-long journey to determine whether or not he believes in his own cosmic birthright. Fans of Sindu’s Stonewall and Lambda-nominated 2017 novel, Marriage of a Thousand Lies, will find much to love here, as will newcomers to her work.”
“A dramatic, intriguing story expertly told by a gifted narrator. Listeners will be finding excuses to go on walks or errands just to hear what happens next. Fans of international literature will fall in love with this unique coming-of-age novel.”
—AudioFile
“You thought growing up was hard? Try it with blue skin, a domineering dad, and the heavy weight of divinity. When we meet Sindu’s Kalki Sami he’s in Tamil Nadu, just turning ten, and struggling to make good on the godhood his father’s asserted; when we part a decade later, after much loss and great sadness, he’s in NYC exploring the many and varied ways to be simply human. Beautifully told and perfectly paced, Blue-Skinned Gods is a wholly compelling story of becoming who we are, and—critically—admitting who we aren’t.”
—LitHub
“With a vast cast of intriguing characters as well as two powerful climaxes at the end of the book—thematic and emotional—Blue-Skinned Gods demonstrates Sindu’s narrative power.”
—The Margins, Asian American Writers' Workshop
“As Kalki is forced to reckon with the lies that form the foundation of his life, SJ Sindu’s second novel, Blue-Skinned Gods, pursues questions of sexuality, social hierarchy, family secrets, toxic masculinity and religious abuse . . . an exciting journey that lovingly explores the nature of chosen families.”
“A uniquely brilliant tale.”
“A wild book about a boy who is worshipped as a living god for his entire life, and who, at a certain point, begins to doubt his own divinity. It’s such a tangled and complex book, full of binaries broken and relationships woven and everything I love and value in queer work (including how the queerness of the book blooms slowly, slowly).”
—Xtra Magazine
“Brilliantly written across continents and generations, this unconventional coming-of-age story is an ambitious exploration of faith, fame and family like nothing you have ever read before.”
—Tatler
“A thought-provoking book about faith and belief, the lengths that we go to, and the reasons we use to justify our actions that control someone who does not know any better.”
—The Nerd Daily
“A beautifully written story that begs to be discussed with others.”
“A thoughtful and fascinating story about identity.”
—Book Riot's All the Books
“An explosive, provoking examination of what we are forced to or choose to believe to be true.”
“Sindu’s novel is the exploration of doubt by a deity, and also an examination of what we owe to the families who raise us . . . Blue-Skinned Gods is a great read for those who look for great character development, enjoy familial conflict, and won’t mind wrestling with some of humanity’s grittier issues.”
—American Library Association’s Rainbow Round Table
“Enthralling and heart wrenching, Blue-Skinned Gods takes hold of you and doesn’t let go.”
“I was completely mesmerized by this novel from the very beginning.”
—SheReads
“Sindu’s marvelous coming-of-age story features a young healer in Tamil Nadu, believed to be an incarnation of the Hindu god Vishnu . . . The imagery is vivid and the slow-burn narrative by the end becomes incandescent. Sindu’s stunning effort more than delivers on her initial promise.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“Sindu’s excavations of Kalki’s internal struggles are detailed, nuanced, and rich . . . Remarkably moving in its explorations of faith, doubt, and what it might mean to be a charlatan.”
“A thoughtful exploration of contemporary religion and the relations between modern culture and tradition.”
—Foreword Reviews
Praise for Marriage of a Thousand Lies
“A gorgeous, heartbreaking novel . . . An incredibly compelling tale.”
—New York Times bestselling author Roxane Gay
“A remarkable novel rich with interlocking issues both timeless and timely. SJ Sindu’s debut is more than impressive; it’s important.”
—Robert Olen Butler, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain
“I love Lucky, the unforgettable narrator of Marriage of a Thousand Lies . . . I’m especially captivated by the novel’s honesty and tenderness—. . . SJ Sindu is an intuitive writer with great insights into the complications of love and friendship.”
—Timothy Schaffert, author of The Swan Gondola
“SJ Sindu has written an important novel about Sri Lankan immigrant culture. Here, the intersections of migration, sexuality and culture are explored in loving and heartbreaking detail. A book that reveals the secrets of a community caught between East and West.”
—Nayomi Munaweera, author of Island of a Thousand Mirrors
“Entertaining.”
—The Toronto Star
“Enthralling . . . Sindu is a skilled writer, and this is a remarkable first novel.”
—Los Angeles Review of Books
“Sindu’s heart-wrenching debut novel . . . incorporates love, loss, family, rebirth and growth to tell a captivating story you won’t be able to put down.” | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5688315629959106, "wiki_prob": 0.5688315629959106, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1784105"} |
Volume 1 Chapter 64: His Choice (I)
All eleven pillars were glowing vibrantly, covering this once darkened Hall of Heroic Spirits in a luminous light. These lights did not shine very intensely, but this glow completely astonished the middle aged man clothed in black. He could not believe his eyes.
The eleven pillars that symbolized the strongest of the Forgotten Continent were lit….all of them were lit! This meant that the man in front of him also obtained the acknowledgement of being worthy of all the heroes in this hall!
This abrupt situation made the middle age man unable to believe everything that was happening before his very own eyes.
“This….this is impossible…..even one with great talent, will only get the confirmation of one pillar, two at the very most, but all of these pillars are acknowledging him….Is his talent really at such a frightening level!” mumbled the black cloaked middle age man.
When he saw the first pillar glow, he was surprised, when he saw the second pillar light, he was shocked, and upon seeing the third, fourth, fifth…. and all the rest of the pillars all gleam brightly, there was only one thought left in his mind….He had to within a dream. An impractical dream, a dream that was so left far from reality that it could only be ludicrous. But his subconscious voice was telling him….that he was not dreaming.
The glow from the eleven pillars did not stop, in fact their light began to intensify, then they start glistening by fading and brightening in various patterns. The first pillar that gleamed quickly led the second pillar to glimmer as well, and soon all the pillars started glinting and the patterns of their glow accelerated….almost as if they were trying to capture Ling Chen’s attention, and led him to chose themselves.
This was a scene that were never seen nor heard of before. The black cloaked middle aged man could not believe that he was not dreaming, because he had been guarded Hall of Heroic Spirits for decades, yet he could not find any words that could describe the situation before him.
But this situation was one that the Class Trainers predicted, because Ling Chen hold the skill of ‘Soul Sacrifice’. It meant that he spirit held enormous strength, this strength was one that all classes would greatly desire…..these pillars all yearned for such a person to succeed their class, because he would be able to utilize their abilities to the pinnacle….Just like how they throw away their pride to fight for him to chose their class. If the black cloaked middle aged man knew about how Ling Chen already activated ‘Soul Sacrifice” beforehand, then he would not been this shocked.
“You….what is your name!” He asked with quivering as he stood behind Ling Chen and tried to calm himself down. In the past, he treated all that came into the Hall of Heroic Spirits coldly, no matter who it may be. He had never asked anyone their name or history before, this was the first time he instinctively asked the name of a challenger to the Hall of Heroic Spirits.
“Ling Tian” answered Ling Chen.
“Ling Tian…..” repeated the middle aged man who began to memorize this name as he took a deep breath, pointing towards the front stating: “As you have seen, all of the pillars had lit….. meaning that your talent was acknowledged by all. But they have not only acknowledged you, they also seem to desire to be chosen by you….This is the first time that this has ever since the Hall of Heroic Spirits was built. What you hold can be said to be the greatest talent that the Forgotten Continent has ever seen, there is no one that can be rival you.”
The analysis given by the middle aged man was the highest evaluation that could be given, and it was the greatest appraisal that he had given, even he voice was clearly shaken by it.
“Now, you can go forward….and determined the pillar that best suits you, or you can chose a strength that you like best….but remember you can only chose one, and you can only have one chance to succeed that one strength.” said the black cloaked middle aged man. But deep in his mind he still could not believe that such a situation was authentic, all this time it had alway been the pillars who chose the heroes, and to be selected by any one of these pillars was the ultimate honor and great glory…..but now there is a person who had the power to freely decide which strength he desired. If this reality was not unfolding itself before his very eyes, no matter who told him about it, he would not have believed it.
Ling Chen nodded his head as he proceed closer towards the right, towards the glowing light red pillar.
“But be cautious, do not chose to the one in the middle….you have to remember this!” echoed the voice of the stern middle aged man behind Ling Chen.
Ling Chen’s footsteps began to slow….even he doesn’t want me to touch the pillar in the middle, the warrior class trainer also told me this, what exactly is the middle pillar hiding?
But without asking much, Ling Chen walked up towards the first pillar and stood before it as he read the information concerning this strength within the red glow.
[Red Lotus Warrior]: This comes from the greatest warrior of the long lost Forbidden City, the ‘Red Lotus Sword God’. When one inherits this strength, their class will be changed to the “Red Lotus Warrior—Red Lotus Hero—Red Lotus King—? ? ? ?”. One will wield a sword with both their hands as their weapon, and their sword dance will ignite the red lotus fire. One will hold an attack power that is much greater than the average warriors, and one will also have fire abilities that a the average warrior will never obtain, one’s strength will overwhelm all, and one is able to dance a sea of red lotus fire that is just as frightening as hell.
As Ling Chen stood in front of the first pillar, it’s red light gleamed brightly, craving him to chose itself and inherit its abilities onto him. Ling Chen stood in front of it for three whole minutes, before walking towards the second pillar.
The second pillar, glistened with a silvery white light.
[The Sky Court Archer]: This comes from the best archer of the Forgotten Continent, the hermit of the Sky Court, after one inherited this, their class will be changed into “Sky Court Archer—Holy Sky Court Archer—Sublime Sky Court Archer—? ? ? ?”. One will use the bow and arrow as weapons, every arrow that comes from the Sky Court Archer holds formidable power, no matter the distance or the strength will exceed normal archers greatly,and just one arrow will pierce the skies, and thousand arrows will drown the sea.
After a few minutes of silence, Ling Chen began to move towards the third pillar.
[Ice Poison Assassin]: This comes from the fearsome ‘Ice Demon Ghost” of the Forgotten Continent, after inheriting this one’s class will be be changed into “Ice Poison Assassin—Dark Ice Killer—Black Ice Poison Shadow—? ? ? ?”. One can use the short sword as their weapon, or they can chose to not use any weapons. One can use ice to attack anyone and limit their movements, as well as use poison to kill without warning. This skill is as frightening as the greatest poisonous snakes of the grasslands.
The Fourth Pillar:
[Sword Spirit of the Dream Shadow]: This comes from the long lost “Absolute Sword of the Dream Shadow”, after inheriting one’s class will be changed into “ Sword Spirit of the Dream Shadow— Sword Soul of the Dream Shadow—-Sword Saint of the Dream Shadow—? ? ? ?”. One will hold dual swords as their weapon, one can chose to have a single sword in one hand or use dual swords in both hands. If one holds the same swords in both hands, then the might of the swords will be brought to the apex and when the swords dance together, they will be peerless.
“Ah?” The class description of the fourth pillar caught Ling Chen’s interest. This class allows you to wield two swords at the same time, counting his gemini orb, this was the second time he has seen the possibility for one to use dual weapons. Even if this the strength of this class cannot be compared to the gemini orb….the gemini orb does not only allow one to use two weapons, but it also stacks the strengths of both weapons and that attribute allows it to far surpass the strength of this class….however that only proves that the gemini orb possesses an extraordinary capability, because this class is already much stronger than the normal classes, but if it could stack two weapons then it’s power would be much greater.
The fifth pillar….
[The Elf Priest]: This comes from the “Elf Queen” of the Elf Clan that resides in the Elf Forest, after inheriting one’s class will be changed into “Elf Priest—Elf Chaplain—Elf Saint—? ? ? ?”. One body will be circled in beautiful light of the Elves and one will hold strong healing and assisting abilities. One will also have the power to to control nature to attack their enemies, and those that inherit this will class will be welcome by the Elf Clan if they ever chose to enter the Elf Forest.
After the fifth pillar, there stood the biggest pillar in the middle, but Ling Chen did not stop, he passed this middle pillar and went straight to the sixth pillar, then the seventh pillar, the eighth pillar, the ninth pillar, and the tenth pillar.
Every pillar held powerful class with great powers, each with their special attributes. There was no denying the fact that these classes all came the strongest heroes and these classes exceed normal hidden classes. Although normal hidden class were indeed stronger than the mundane classes, they do not surpass the mundanes one by a lot, there are even one that are weaker the mundane classes. However these classes surpassed the mundane one by whole another tier, no matter which one of these classes that one picked, one will still be able to become stronger than the mundane.
If all this information was leaked, then who knows who sort of mayhem will be caused by the all the players.
“Have you decided which one to pick?” asked the black cloaked middle aged man, seeing that Ling Chen has finished looking at all the pillars.
Ling Chen shook his head, walked up to the middle pillar: “There is still the last one left!”
“You don’t need to see that pillar, because you should not pick that one,” answered the middle aged man. But as he spoke, Ling Chen has already went up to the middle pillar, and was reading the information. Even though the pillar glowed, there was not infomation coming out of the pillar.
“Why can’t I pick this one?” asked Ling Chen: “If it is glowing that means that it wants me to inherit its powers right.”
“Yes, it has acknowledged your talent….however that only means you have talent.” answered the middle aged man with a stern face: “But in order to inherit this class, you need not only talent, but also you need it to acknowledge your strength. Even you really want to inherit this power then you will have to go through a test of strength….Even you hold frightening talent, that is merely just talent. You have only been in this world for a few days, so matter how much talent you have, your strenght is no where enough to pass the test. The test made by the one who originally held this power is much harder than anything you can imagine. It is impossible to pass the pass with the power you hold right now….you do not even hold a single thread or hair of chance!”
“Is the test really that frightening?” asked Ling Chen as he wrinkled his brows.
“I do not know, and there is no one that really knows.” replied the middle aged man shaking his head, “A thousand years have passed since the Hall of Heroic Spirits was created, there has been fifteen people who have received the acknowledgement of one or two of the pillars, but there is only nine that have inherited the powers and left this hall. Do you know why?”
“…..because six have challenged the test of the middle pillar?”said Ling Chen.
“Correct, these six were all acknowledged by the middle pillar, there was even even two great geniuses that received the acknowledgement of two pillars. But because they chased after the strength of the middle pillar, they all attempted the test…..the six of them all far exceed you. But….”
“They all failed?”
“No….they all died. Six living people were sent into this hell-like test, but the only thing that was sent out, was their dead bodies.”
Ling Chen: “…..” | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.5207315683364868, "wiki_prob": 0.4792684316635132, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1858012"} |
The Italian’s Pregnant Cinderella
She’d paid her debt to him…
Now they’re bound by her Italian secret!
Julienne has unfinished business with her billionaire boss, Cristiano Cassara. He saved her when she was young and penniless, and she’s never forgotten his honor, charisma or lethal good looks. Securing him the deal of a lifetime, Julienne can’t resist when the celebrations explode into the passion she’s always dreamed of…
Cristiano can’t get the unexpectedly innocent Julienne out of his head. He’s sure another night will cure him…until her bombshell destroys his fiercely controlled life! Because his onetime Cinderella is carrying the next Cassara heir…
Boss/Secretary, Fantasies Made Real, Guardian/Ward, Heroine On the Run, High Society, Italian Hero, Lovers Reunited!, Marriage of Convenience, Meddling Relatives?, One Night with Consequences, Pregnant Heroine, Scandal!, Ugly Duckling
Boss/Secretary
Fantasies Made Real
Guardian/Ward
Italian Hero
Pregnant Heroine
Scandal!
Monaco again.
It was fitting, really.
Julienne Boucher had been working toward this moment with single-minded passion and bone-deep determination for the past ten years, and it made a certain sense that when she crossed the finish line at long last, she would do it here. At the Grand Hotel in Monte Carlo where she had first come ten years ago.
To sell herself.
Julienne’s perilously high heels clicked against the sumptuous marble floors of the Grand Hotel as she walked, passing the flower arrangements that had looked like colorful, exotic jungles to her unsophisticated eyes back then. The lobby had been just as smugly opulent, but the difference was that back then, she’d been terrified that everyone was looking at her. That they knew what she’d come to do. That they could see her shame and panic, and more, her determination to go ahead and do it anyway.
Because she had to.
She’d wondered if the horrible men in the village she’d come from—and had escaped earlier that same day—had been right all along. That Boucher women were made for one thing only, the whores. And if that was true, could everyone see that truth all over her? Or was it more of a bad smell…in this place that was lightly scented with ease and wealth and refinement?
Now she knew that if anyone bothered to look at her, what they would see was the elegant, self-possessed woman she’d fought so hard to become. Day by day. Year by year. A woman who was not only sophisticated, but looked as if she belonged in hotels like this one that were more properly works of art.
Because she did. She’d made sure she did.
Julienne could almost see the ghost of her former self walking beside her, reflecting all those nerves and that bone-deep desolation back from the gilt-edged, shiny surfaces, the fragrant orchids, the giddy chandeliers.
This time around, she was healthy. Well fed and well clothed instead of balancing on the precarious edge of total destruction, homeless and penniless. Most important, she was no longer a desperate teenager. No longer a scared sixteen-year-old, bleakly determined to do what she had to do to save her younger sister. Even if that meant losing herself.
Thinking of Fleurette cut through the haunting memories of ten years back and Julienne paused, there outside the famously luxurious lounge bar that catered to the world’s wealthiest. Something she had guessed at then, but knew for a fact now.
Fleurette did not believe in ghosts. She had grown these last ten years, too, and was no longer a fragile waif, sickly and scared. These days Julienne’s younger sister was a force to be reckoned with in every regard. From her brash sleeves of brightly colored tattoos to her defiant piercings and multicolored hair forever cut short, Fleurette made it clear with her every word and deed that she would never be desperate again. For anything.
You’ve finally done it, Fleurette had said with her usual brisk impatience when Julienne had called her earlier. “That last deal has to be worth billions alone. I think we can both agree that you’ve adequately repaid the man’s kindness. In spades.”
Julienne had made an assenting noise, but she wasn’t as certain as her sister. About anything, if she was honest—but particularly about this.
Because Cristiano Cassara had saved them. And not in a metaphoric sense. He had literally saved their lives that evening ten years ago when he could as easily have hastened their decline or simply ignored their predicament altogether. He had kept the two of them from a dark spiral into almost certain death on the streets—if not that night, then not long after it, because that was how that particular trajectory went. Julienne knew that all too well. But she hadn’t had to test herself against a downward slope into hell that ate girls just like her alive every day. Because Cristiano had whisked both Julienne and Fleurette away into a brand-new life, asked for nothing in return and had left them to it with no interference.
Which meant that repaying him for what he’d done had consumed Julienne’s life ever since.
She had followed him here, to the place it was rumored he came to relax once a year—though Julienne could not imagine the stern, austere head of the Cassara Corporation allowing his spine to curve the faintest inch, much less relaxing in any meaningful way. Julienne had worked for the man for almost ten full years and had never seen the faintest stirrings of a smile on his forbidding face.
Not even a hint.
Julienne blew out a long breath and checked her appearance for the hundredth time in one of the shiny mirrors that graced nearly every wall and surface, the better to reflect back to the rich and famous their most favorite view of all—themselves.
Another thing it had taken years to learn. No one in a place like this had time to look at others. Not when they were so busy gazing at themselves.
The truth was, she already knew full well that she was groomed to perfection.
That had been part of the payment she had offered her benefactor from almost the first, though he had never asked for such a thing. Nor noticed that she’d provided it.
But then, she was the one who had been there that night ten years ago, right here in this hotel. She was the one who’d taken her sister and run from the vicious little hill town where they’d been born, abandoned and repeatedly betrayed by what little family they’d had, supposed friends, and vindictive neighbors. All of whom had known what kind of women they were going to become since birth, and had always, always treated them accordingly.
Julienne had used her last handful of euros to buy the bus tickets to get the two of them out of the dead-end place, choked on the fumes of feuds ages old. She’d brazenly stolen a dress from a rack outside a boutique in the Centre Commercial de Fontvieille.
And then, she’d snuck into a bathroom, and done herself up the best she could. The pretty dress. The cheap heels. The lipstick she’d saved from their long-dead mother, though it was crumbling and sad after so long. Enough eye makeup to disguise her shame.
And hopefully her fear, too, which she’d been afraid might have a scent all its own. Acrid. Sharp. Obvious.
She’d snuck into the Grand Hotel, leaving Fleurette hidden as best she could in an alley. Terrified that she’d be grabbed and tossed out at any moment, she’d found her way to the very bar she was approaching now. Back then she’d been astonished by the place, particularly the deep, shining wood that ached with pedigrees and fat purses. Better still, it had been filled with her quarry.
Rich men.
Who everyone knew were more than happy to purchase anything.
Including sixteen-year-old girls desperate for some cash.
Julienne had learned that lesson back in the village, where she had declined the butcher’s offer to toss her a few coins if she “made him happy.” It wasn’t his bad teeth or that he smelled like blood, though neither had helped. It was that she’d already known what became of girls like her who listened to the promises of older men in that town. Or any men in that town. She was the result of her own mother’s bad decisions years back, and she knew where they ended. Strung out and eventually dead, leaving behind two daughters to the same fate.
If it was her fate, Julienne had decided, she would face it. But not in that place of echoes, built vertically into a cold hillside and filled with all the people who had watched her mother spiral into horror without lifting a finger to help. She would take Fleurette and go south to glittering Monaco, where at least their own inevitable spiral would gleam a good deal brighter all the way down.
Tonight Julienne bore no resemblance to that gaunt, terrified child. Her hair was a fall of fine caramel, polished to a shine, and she wore it twisted back into a deceptively effortless chignon. She was not wearing a stolen dress—the balance for which she’d left, years later, at that same boutique with a note of apology. Julienne had built herself into a sophisticated professional in these intervening years. She preferred sleek pencil skirts and the feeling of real silk against her skin, no less than what was expected for a woman with a big job at a multinational company. She favored statement heels and understated pearls at her ears, complete with a slim gold watch on her wrist.
Cristiano Cassara had done that, too. He’d given her the means not only to become the best version of herself possible, but to repay her debts. And to change her world.
Now it was time to change it again.
Julienne paused a few steps into the lush, dimly lit bar. She looked around, seeing what could have been the same old men, rich and jaded, lounging at the same tables. Then she looked toward the expanse of the bar itself, and it was as if he’d planned it.
As if he remembered, too.
Because Cristiano Cassara sat where she remembered him, there at a bar so glossy and luxurious that sixteen-year-old Julienne had gaped at it as if all those bottles lined up so prettily were precious jewels.
This time, her heart beat hard against her ribs again, but it wasn’t fear.
It was a heady mix of victory and regret, and a strong dose of anticipation, for good measure.
She headed toward him, ready to do this at last.
Cristiano Cassara had been beautiful enough ten years ago, for all he had seemed remote. Carved from the same stone as the statues that graced the wide hall that had led her here. He’d been a relatively young man then, yet already wealthier than Julienne could have possibly imagined. The heir apparent to the Cassara chocolate fortune, he had worn his wealth and consequence in the cut of the exquisite suit he’d worn and in the very breadth of his shoulders. Not to mention the way he regarded the world around him, as if it, too, belonged to him.
Not that Julienne had known any of that, then. She’d looked at him and known that he was wealthy, that was all.
Tonight, he was all of that and more, a study in sheer masculine power.
She took a moment to really gaze at him, because this was not a Cassara Corporation boardroom where she’d always had too much to prove to waste her time making eyes at a man who she was fairly certain saw only numbers, profits and losses in return. In all the meetings she’d ever attended with him, Cristiano was steely, edging toward grim. He made no attempt to disguise his ruthlessness, and dispensed praise so sparingly that Julienne rather thought an actual murmur of vague approval might send her into a swoon.
Something that had never been put to the test.
Cristiano had been wealthy ten years ago. Today he was one of the richest men alive. She knew that if she looked around, she would likely find his security detail fanned out around the bar, unobtrusively keeping tabs on the man whose annual net worth was a number so vast that most people were unable to fully grasp it. There were too many zeroes. She would no doubt also see the hungry eyes of the women who trailed after him wherever he went, singed through but never quite burned to ash by all his steel and banked flame. She might even see the sneers of men who imagined him their rival, when it was obvious he was without peer.
As far as Julienne was concerned, he was perfect.
Sixteen-year-old Julienne had made a beeline for him because he was closest. And because, after her first, terrified look around this bar for a likely first client, he had been the only one in the place without gray hair. A fat belly. Or both.
She had told herself then that if she must do the thing, far better to do it with a man like him, who songs could have been written about. And likely had been.
She’d walked up to him, desperation making her bold enough to put a hand on his arm. And she had waited for him to look away from the drink that sat before him on the bar, seemingly untouched.
When he’d raised his gaze to hers, it had burned.
He was too intense, they said. Too harsh. Needlessly grim and cold for a man who made sweets.
But Julienne thought he had a poet’s mouth, for all that it was forever in that same flat line. His dark hair was thick and had yet to surrender to the ravages of age. It wasn’t only that he kept himself in such magnificent shape, though that helped add to his mystique. It was that he seemed far larger and more threatening than he was. A vast giant lurking in the form of a man. As if the shadow he cast could engulf anyone unwary enough to venture close.
But by the time Julienne had realized that ten years ago, it had been too late.
Her hand had been on his arm.
Her heart had nearly exploded from her chest.
“Would you like to buy me a drink?” Julienne had asked the man with the eyes that burned, her voice squeaking with panic.
That was what a girl said, she’d been told by brittle, hard edged Annette, who had never been much of a mother. Every time Annette went off to what she called her parties, she came back with less of herself. As if someone had reached inside her, scraped out everything in there and left her to walk around an empty hollow.
She had died when Julienne was fourteen and everyone had called it a blessing.
Julienne had intended to survive, no matter how hollow she was inside. And unlike Annette, Julienne did not plan to forget her obligations to Fleurette, who had only been ten, then. She would take care of her sister if it killed her. And she would not consign Fleurette to the same fate.
At least one of them should survive without that scraped-out emptiness. Just one.
“How old are you?” he had replied, in richly compelling French blurred slightly with an Italian accent. Julienne hadn’t expected the question. Who knew men were discerning—about anything? Her experience so far had not allowed for the possibility. She drew in a breath, prepared to claim she was a more palatable eighteen, despite the fact sixteen was perfectly legal. But his dark eyes flashed as if he knew what she meant to do. “Don’t lie to me.”
“Old enough,” she replied, trying to sound husky. Throaty. Wasn’t that how women sounded in situations like this? “Past the age of consent, if that is what you mean.”
He had looked at her, through her. In her whole life, before and since, Julienne had never felt so seen. In that moment she was certain that Cristiano Cassara could see everything. Everything. What had happened, what she’d had planned. The one-way spiral of the life before her and the squalid bleakness she’d left behind. Fleurette out there in an alley, the emptiness in Julienne’s wallet and belly alike, and what she was prepared to do to change both.
All the things she was prepared to do, starting here. With him.
More than that, she was certain he could also see the dreams and hopes she had long since jettisoned in her committed attempts to keep her sister and her warm and reasonably fed—if never safe or happy.
“I rather think not,” he had said, a quiet thunder stroke of a comment.
And then Cristiano Cassara had changed her life.
With a lift of one hand.
The déjà vu was intense tonight. Cristiano again sat at the bar, another untouched drink before him. He fiddled with it, turning it this way and that, but he did not lift it to his lips. She now knew the rumors about him—every rumor, in fact. That he never drank, that his father had loved his liquor too well but his wife and child too little, and that these were the rituals Cristiano performed when he was alone. The untouched drink. The sober vigil.
He still had that poet’s mouth, with its hint of sensuality she had never seen him succumb to, not once. Not even in the odd, stolen paparazzi shot of him when he couldn’t have known he was being watched. His face was a terrible kind of beautiful, harsh and brutal, with cheekbones that made a woman dream of saints and martyrs. And those dark, flashing eyes that still burned when he looked at a person directly.
She remembered what his arm had felt like beneath her hand as if her palm was a scar. All that hard, hot power.
And Julienne was not a child any longer. She was not a scared teenager, prepared to sell herself to the highest bidder—or any bidder at all—because she was devoid of options and out of choices.
Still, there was a particular agony to this moment, so long in coming.
She slid her bejeweled evening purse onto the glossy bar, and angled her body toward his.
And knew, without his having glanced her way or indicated he was anything but alone, that he had been aware of her all along. Perhaps even before she’d stepped inside the dark, deliberately close space.
But she was too good at making him into a myth, as Fleurette often complained. Tonight she planned to focus on the man.
Cristiano had succeeded his grandfather to become the CEO and president of the company not long after she’d met him ten years ago. More than that, and more importantly, he was Julienne’s boss. She had started at the company headquarters in Milan ten years ago, as a part-time job she fit in around the private studies Cristiano had arranged for her and Fleurette. First she’d been an intern. And then, once she’d finished her schooling at eighteen, she’d taken the lowest position offered and had worked her way steadily up.
That she was, in effect, Cristiano’s ward had never signified. It was never discussed, and Julienne often wondered if anyone else even knew how generous he was, or how she had personally benefitted from it. But then, it wasn’t as if she’d ever lived with him. He had put them up in one of his houses in Milan, complete with staff to tend to them, and in essence, they’d raised themselves.
We were too old already, Fleurette liked to say.
These days, Julienne lived across the sea in New York City. She’d fought hard to get to her position as the vice president of North American operations for Cassara Corporation, reporting directly to Cristiano himself. And she’d fought even harder to close the kind of deals that would not only pay Cristiano back for his generosity all those years ago, but give back more than he’d given.
It had taken years.
He looked at her now, that dark gaze of his cool and assessing.
But no less harsh.
She would have felt let down if it had been, she understood.
“Thank you for coming,” she said, as politely as if she was looking at him across a table in one of the Cassara Corporation’s many offices.
“You were insistent, Ms. Boucher,” he said, and there was that undercurrent of disapproval in his voice that let her know that he was astonished that she’d dared. And that she’d persisted, despite his secretary’s best efforts.
Julienne smiled, still polite and calm. “You met me here once before.”
And she knew as she said it that she was breaking all their rules. The unspoken boundaries all three of them had maintained for a decade. She and Fleurette never mentioned him or how they’d made it from a sad, half-abandoned French hill town to a lavishly appointed, semidetached townhouse in the center of Milan. He never indicated he knew either one of them. Sometimes Julienne had worried that he’d forgotten what he’d done for them—that it had meant so little to him when it had altered the whole of hers and Fleurette’s lives.
But no, she could see he hadn’t forgotten. More, she could see his astonishment, there in his eyes like a thread of gold in the brown depths. His dark brows rose, and he looked almost…arrested.
“I did.” His study of her made her want to shake. She didn’t, somehow. Not outwardly. “A meeting neither one of us has referenced in a decade. To what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected trip down memory lane, Ms. Boucher?”
His voice was crisp. A distinct and deliberate slap, though as stern and controlled as everything else he did.
He meant her to wilt and she wanted to, but then, she had built herself in his image. She was made of sterner stuff because he was, and because she’d always assumed he expected it. She kept her cool smile on her face.
“In that decade, I have kept track of what you must have spent to rescue Fleurette and me. Then care for us.” She named a staggering number and saw that light in his eyes change again, to something far more sharp and assessing that she could feel like a fist in her belly. And lower, like heat. “With the latest deal we closed and the amount I have in a separate fund with your name on it, I believe I have repaid that sum. With interest.”
His eyes were dark brown, like the bittersweet chocolate his family made. And yet that could hardly begin to describe their ferocity, or the intense way they narrowed on her now.
“I do not recall asking for repayment. Or even acknowledgment.”
“Nonetheless.” She took a deep breath. “My resignation letter waits for you in Milan.”
He blinked. “I beg your pardon. You are resigning?”
“I am. I have.”
She reached out and did what she’d done ten years ago. She put her hand on his arm, but this time, she meant it.
Oh, how she meant it.
“Cristiano,” she said quietly. Invitingly, she hoped. “Would you like to buy me that drink?”
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Category Archives: Travis Snider
2011 Season Forecast: Toronto Blue Jays
2010: 85 – 77 (4th in AL East)
Consistently good, not always as competitive in the toughest division to win in baseball.
Runs Scored: 755 (6th in AL, but 4th in the AL East)
Runs Allowed: 728 (9th in AL)
With this combination of run scored and allowed, you’d expect 84 wins, so Toronto was pretty much on the money.
2010 Recap:
Most everyone had them fourth – so no surprises here. Well, not at a team level anyway… A LOT of surprises at the player level – but we’ll cover that down below.
After trading wins and losses for a month, the Blue Jays got hot in May and raced toward the top of the division. Unfortunately, the Jays were equally cold in June and fell back to fourth. June was their only losing month – from July 7th on, the Jays were 14 over .500, so if they hadn’t gone cold for the 30 days from June 6 to July 6, it’s very likely that the Jays could have sneaked into the playoffs.
What made Toronto competitive on heals of losing the best pitcher in their team’s history, Roy Halliday, was a BUNCH of home runs. Jose Bautista hit 54, Vernon Wells slammed 31 dingers, John Buck had 20, Edwin Encarnacion hit 21, even Alex Gonzalez had 17 in just 85 games. Aaron Hill didn’t hit much, but clocked 26 homers. Adam Lind tallied 23, Lyle Overbay slashed 20, and even the half season of Travis Snider was good for 14. Toronto hit 257 homers but only allowed 150, a gap that covered for other weaknesses.
During the season, the Jays made a few minor deals, but the one that made a splash was the trade in July that sent shortstop Alex Gonzalez and two minor leaguers to Atlanta for Yunel Escobar and Jo-Jo Reyes.
As mentioned, Roy Halliday was gone, and the Blue Jays were forced to rely on a bunch of young arms – many of whom were returning from prior shoulder and elbow injuries. Ricky Romero improved on an impressive 2009 rookie season and made 32 starts, logged 210 innings and win 14 games, pitching like an ace for much of the season. Shaun Marcum returned to go 13 – 8 and missed by a start of hitting 200 innings. Brett Cecil, the #1 pick in 2007, raced through the minors and showed moxie – leading the team with 15 wins. Brandon Morrow, who never seemed to live up to the hype in Seattle, fanned 178 batters in just 146.1 innings, kept hitters off stride, and won 10 decisions. The fifth starter role was given to Marc Rzepczynski and Dana Eveland, but at the end was given to former Phillie prospect Kyle Drabek, who looks to make the rotation in 2011.
Looking ahead, Shaun Marcum is gone, having been moved to Milwaukee for Brett Lawrie, a top second base prospect. That leaves Romero, Cecil, Morrow, and either Rzepczynski, Drabek, Reyes, or Jesse Litsch – another former Jays starter coming back from hip surgery. Drabek comes with the most hype – the top prospect in the Toronto chain, having gone 14 – 9 for New Hampshire in the Eastern League. Reyes can pitch some, but more likely will start the year in the bullpen and pick up a start from time to time, which leaves Litsch and Rzepczynski battling for the fifth slot. I think Drabek can be every bit as good as Marcum was in 2010, and if Litsch or Rzepczynski can make 25 healthy starts, this will be a slight improvement – if only because you won’t have the nine less than stellar starts of Dana Eveland in the mix (or, for that matter, Litsch’s nine less than impressive starts).
Gone is Kevin Gregg, who saved 37 games last year. Gregg is NOT a dominant closer – but rather a tolerable one, He was ably supported by Shawn Camp, Scott Downs, Jason Frasor, Casey Janssen, and David Purcey.
For 2011, the closer looks to be former Ranger closer Frank Francisco, who can be much better than Gregg but historically is just marginally better. Other closers are in camp, including Octavio Dotel and Jon Rauch, as well as Frasor, Janssen, Camp, and Purcey. This is a very deep staff and should continue to keep Toronto in games.
Last year’s duo of John Buck and Jose Molina were impressive defensively – above average in six different categories, and league average in terms of basic mobility. Buck also hit well – an all-star level performance.
Looking ahead, Toronto will be depending on rookie J.P. Arencibia. After struggling through a rough 2009 season in Las Vegas, Arencibia pounded PCL pitchers to the tune of 32 – 85 – .301 in 104 games. That translates to about 20 – 65 – .250, which is not too far from a typical John Buck season. Molina remains as a capable defensive backup.
The changes continue from the infield that started the 2010 season. Basher Jose Bautista showed to be more consistent at third than Edwin Encarnacion, who will move to first or DH in 2011. Yunel Escobar can find his groove and hopefully contribute like the hitter he was in 2009, and second baseman Aaron Hill will rebound from his .205 2010 season and hopefully retain his power. Adam Lind moves to first base, replacing Lyle Overbay. I’m nervous about this unit. The left side will be marginally better than 2010 defensively, but the right side will not be. Lind has yet to produce as many runs as Overbay, and the 85 games Alex Gonzalez played were productive and hard to immediately replace.
John McDonald is still around to back everyone up – as is Encarncion.
Left field will be manned by former Angel Juan Rivera, who replaces Fred Lewis – a fourth outfielder at best. While an improvement, Rivera is starting to get old and in ten seasons has never played 140 games in a season. Vernon Wells is gone, replaced by Rajai Davis. Davis is faster than Wells, but about 25 runs behind him as a hitter. In right is Travis Snider, who replaces Bautista’s role. Snider is due to step forward as a hitter, but hasn’t been a strong fielder.
AAA Las Vegas wasn’t loaded with prospects other than Arencibia, who will start on opening day, and Brett Wallace, who was traded to Houston for Anthony Gose – a low level centerfielder with speed to burn, but a problem with contact and little power. (I’ll be honest, I don’t see the reasoning there unless one thinks Wallace didn’t have a future in Toronto, but I think he’s better than Encarnacion.)
AA New Hampshire had Drabek, but also Zach Stewart, who is a year older but not quite as good. David Cooper is a first baseman who has stats that look like Lyle Overbay – but at AA. He might be a year away, but he’s not quite there yet. Eric Thames has more power and a touch of speed. He could replace Juan Rivera and you might not lose a step. Darin Mastroianni is a leadoff type hitter, great speed and good on base percentages. At 25, he’s getting old for a prospect, but he could help somebody for a months if needed. The guy who is really interesting is Cuban import Adeiny Hechavarria, who looks like Davy Concepcion did when he was 21 years old – great glove, could grow into a hitter (but not yet). Tristan Magnuson was successful as a reliever in AA, with great control, but Danny Farquhar has better stuff – 79Ks in 76 innings, just 50 hits allowed. He’s a touch wild.
Alan Farina didn’t look like a prospect after a season of struggle at A+ Dunedin, but he DOMINATED A+ in 2010 and moved up to New Hampshire and kept right on going (74Ks in 55.2 innings). If he does this in Las Vegas, he may make the roster in September, 2011. Joel Carreno is a starter with moxie who will start in AA this year after a successful run in 2010 with Dunedin. Catcher Travis D’Arnaud will get to build on a reasonably successful 2010 season, but it would help if he shows a little more power.
There are things to like. The outfield defense should be stronger. The team will be spending less money at a couple of positions, which helped pay for a Jose Bautista contract. The pitching staff is rather deep, especially in the bullpen. The only slip defensively is at first base – which means the team will likely stay around 715 runs allowed, if not a few less than that.
The things that make you nervous? I think the offense has to fall back. I can see Bautista having a good season, but will it be as good as last year? Probably not. You have a drop in offense at first and center and possibly at catcher against potential improvements in left and second. But there are too many “downs” to make up for the possible “ups” – and I see this as being sixty to eighty runs less than 2010. As such, I see Toronto falling below .500 to about 77 – 85, which could very well be last in the AL East. This isn’t a BAD team, just a team in the wrong division and falling back because a couple of guys were over their heads last year. On the other hand, there are signs that this team is trying to build a new foundation of young players that can get them over the 90 win plateau and finally get back to the playoffs.
Posted in Aaron Hill, Adam Lind, Adeiny Hechevarria, Alan Farina, Alex Gonzalez, Anthony Gose, Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil, Brett Lawrie, Brett Wallace, Brian Tallett, Casey Janssen, Dana Eveland, Danny Farquhar, Darin Mastroianni, David Cooper, David Purcey, Edwin Encarnacion, Eric Thames, Frank Francisco, Fred Lewis, J.P. Arencibia, Jason Frasor, Jesse Litsch, Jo-Jo Reyes, Joel Carreno, John Buck, John McDonald, Jon Rauch, Jose Bautista, Jose Molina, Juan Rivera, Kevin Gregg, Kyle Drabek, Lyle Overbay, Marc Rzepczynski, Octavio Dotel, Rajai Davis, Ricky Romero, Roy Halliday, Scott Downs, Season Forecast, Shaun Marcum, Shawn Camp, Toronto Blue Jays, Travis D'Arnaud, Travis Snider, Trystan Magnuson, Vernon Wells, Yunel Escobar, Zach Stewart | Leave a reply
2010 Top AL First Basemen
Posted on February 7, 2011 by Paul Proia
Mark Teixeira – NYY (97.7 Runs Created, 31.7 Runs Saved = 129.4 Total Runs Productivity)
His batting average never recovered from a miserable .136 April but he continued to show power (69 extra base hits) and kept reaching base. Additionally, he had one of those years where his defensive stats were outstanding – nobody fluctuates more than Teixeira for some reason, but he’s been in a lot of different stadiums over the last few years. I’m not sure that I’d take him over Cabrera or even Butler for 2011, but he’s been the new Rafael Palmeiro in terms of hitting consistency. Will pass 300 homers this year assuming he staus healthy (never less than 30 since 2003) and probably 1000 RBIs, too (seven straight over 100 RBI). Turns 31 just after Opening Day, so he’s got at least five or six good years left, wouldn’t you think?
Miguel Cabrera – DET (147.0 Runs Created, – 19.9 Runs Saved = 127.1 Total Runs Productivity)
The most feared hitter in the AL right now – power, batting average, decent enough eye. He’s starting to look thicker like Manny Ramirez, who is the the person Cabrera reminds me of the most. Per game, Youkilis is more productive, but Cabrera doesn’t miss games. The Marlins should have kept him and just given him shares of ownership or something.
Paul Konerko – CHI (119.0 Runs Created, -10.2 Runs Saved = 108.8 Total Runs Productivity)
A fantastic season for the White Sox first baseman. Konerko hit a ton, doesn’t necessarily help with the glove, and has been rather productive for a number of years now. It was his sixth 30 homer season, fifth of at least 100 RBI, and third time clearing .300 in batting average. Turns 35 in March, so don’t be surprised if there’s a drop off this year. Adam Dunn will give Konerko a break between DH duties and add even more thunder to the middle of the lineup.
Billy Butler – KC (109.3 Runs Created, -1.3 Runs Saved = 108.0 Total Runs Productivity)
Konerko edged Butler by a shade less than a run, but I’d rather have Butler. He’s worked hard to become a tolerable defensive player, he doesn’t have the top end power of Cabrera but he’s a threat to get 200 hits a year, and he’s capable of hitting 25 homers (or more) at some point – based on his hitting 45 doubles last year and 51 in 2009. If you are in a keeper fantasy league, go get him.
Kevin Youkilis – BOS (82.8 Runs Created, 17.8 Runs Saved = 100.6 Total Runs Productivity)
An injury ended his season after just 102 games, but few people actually produce a full productive run per game and Youkilis nearly did just that. When Mike Lowell was forced to play there more regularly, he looked okay defensively (as you might expect), but he didn’t generate any offense, which contributed to the Red Sox falling off as the season progressed. Is Kevin Youkilis a potential Hall of Famer? Let the discussion begin. Adrian Gonzalez, imported from San Diego, will take over the role, moving Youkilis over to third base.
Michael Cuddyer – MIN (88.9 Runs Created, 1.2 Runs Saved = 90.1 Total Runs Productivity)
Justin Morneau was hitting like Ted Williams when a concussion ended his season after just 81 games. Cuddyer took over down the stretch and was very good. He played the position well enough (he actually saved 4.5 runs as a first baseman but gave a few runs away in the outfield) and hits for power among his other virtues. Morneau says he’ll be ready for spring training, and the Twins hope he’s at 100% when the season starts. If not, Cuddyer is a fine alternative.
Ty Wigginton – BAL (72.2 Runs Created, 15.0 Runs Saved = 87.2 Total Runs Productivity)
Wigginton, who can play all over the infield and outfield, got the lion’s share of innings and was surprisingly effective as a first baseman, if not quite a solid offensive contributor. His 22 homers and 76 RBIs look okay, but the .248/.415/.316 percentage line as a bit weak for the position. In the SI baseball preview, Joe Sheehan suggested that Garrett Atkins was a lousy short-term solution for a team that should be focusing on youth. Atkins hit .214 with 1 homer in 140 at bats – nailing that prediction.
Daric Barton – OAK (92.7 Runs Created, -17.3 Runs Saved = 75.4 Total Runs Productivity)
Oakland says they are happy with Barton, who is a poor man’s Mark Grace. Barely enough power but gets on base a lot, hits a few doubles. However, he doesn’t seem to have Grace’s defensive skills. To his credit, he’s gotten better every year, he’s just 25, and he has room to grow. If he can find his comfort zone defensively and add a little more offense, he’d get to 100 runs of productivity for sure, which would make him a more valuable commodity.
Carlos Pena – TB (72.6 Runs Created, 0.5 Runs Saved = 73.1 Total Runs Productivity)
The Cubs payed $10 million for a guy who got 95 hits in 571 plate appearances. Still has power, still has a great eye, but strikes out a ton and is no longer a defensive force as he ages. If he hits .240 as a Cub, I’ll take it – but I’ll also be surprised.
Justin Morneau – MIN (81.9 Runs Created, -12.0 Runs Saved = 69.9 Total Runs Productivity)
A concussion suffered when getting kneed in the head while sliding into second base ended his season. A ferocious hitter, but a brick with the glove. See Michael Cuddyer, above.
Lyle Overbay – TOR (74.4 Runs Created, -6.5 Runs Saved = 67.9 Total Runs Productivity)
Showed a little power to make up for his fading batting average, still draws a few walks. His strikeout rate makes you nervous and he no longer flashes the leather as well as he used to. He’s outside the top ten at his position, and that means he’s won a job in Pittsburgh. At least he’s durable, right? Looking over the Blue Jays roster, does this mean Adam Lind or Travis Snider or Jose Bautista or someone is moving over? Watch the Jays in Spring Training and see what happens.
Justin Smoak – TEX/SEA (40.6 Runs Created, 17.5 Runs Saved = 58.1 Total Runs Productivity)
Should get the Seattle job in 2011, unless Mariners management goes through another round of goofiness. Didn’t hit very well and needs to show improvement, but he did flash leather in two cities. Still a kid – worth giving 500 at bats to see what happens. See Casey Kotchman, below.
Mike Napoli – LAA (73.1 Runs Created, -19.2 Runs Saved = 53.3 Total Runs Productivity)
See Kendry Morales, below. Played first because he was probably the best option when Morales went down but really isn’t a first baseman. May get time there in Texas for 2011, but I’d rather see him catch five days and DH twice a week.
Kendry Morales – LAA (35.1 Runs Created, 11.2 Runs Saved = 46.3 Total Runs Productivity)
Mike Napoli played 140 more innings because Morales went down to a freak leg injury celebrating a home run. Morales was pacing for about 135 runs of total productivity, which would have placed him ahead of Cabrera, when he was sidelined. Hits for power and average, great range – a fantastic player. His injury, as much as anything, cost the Angels the AL West. It forced an out of position player to first and put a bad hitter in the lineup – costing the team about 80 runs over the course of the season.
Casey Kotchman – SEA (43.4 Runs Created, -5.9 Runs Saved = 37.5 Total Runs Productivity)
I’m not sure what Seattle was thinking here – Kotchman hasn’t been consistent as a Mark Grace type, falling off to hitting just .217 last year. He gets raves for his glove, but hasn’t been consistent there, either. They should have just committed to Russell Branyan, given him a decent check, and let him come to the park confident in having a job. If Seattle is serious about contending, they need to find 70 more runs at this position in 2011. Justin Smoak was imported from Texas for Branyan and has power and a decent eye, seems to be a much better fielder. A full season of Smoak, especially if he can improve from .218 to .260 and hit 25 homers, would be worth at least 45 more runs. If Kotchman gets a full season of at bats anymore, I’ll be stunned.
Mitch Moreland – TEX (24.5 Runs Created, -3.3 Runs Saved = 21.2 Total Runs Productivity)
Chris Davis had the job but couldn’t hit .200. Justin Smoak got a chance, wasn’t horrible, but was sent to Seattle for Russell Branyan. Jorge Cantu was imported from Florida and didn’t really earn much playing time. Mitch Moreland took over down the stretch and was pretty good – hit for power, got on base, did the job at first – though he needs to get comfortable there and a full season later he might not be too bad. He’s low down the list now, but expect him to move up a few notches in 2011.
Matt LaPorta – CLE (42.9 Runs Created, -25.0 Runs Saved = 17.9 Total Runs Productivity)
Russell Branyan came over from Seattle and was far more productive in his 47 games at first (32.8 total runs) than LaPorta, who played 93 games at first and another seven in left field and butchered it both offensively and defensively. Of course, Branyan doesn’t have a job and LaPorta is listed at the top of the depth chart heading into Spring Training. Pity my friends who are Cleveland fans.
Posted in Adam Dunn, Adam Lind, Adrian Gonzalez, Billy Butler, Carlos Pena, Casey Kotchman, Chris Davis, Daric Barton, Garrett Atkins, Jorge Cantu, Jose Bautista, Justin Morneau, Justin Smoak, Kendry Morales, Kevin Youkilis, Lyle Overbay, Mark Teixeira, Matt LaPorta, Michael Aubrey, Michael Cuddyer, Miguel Cabrera, Mike Napoli, Mitch Moreland, Paul Konerko, Russell Branyan, Travis Snider, Ty Wiggington | Leave a reply
Runs Scored: 798 (6th AL)
Runs Allowed: 771 (12th AL)
Having outscored their opponents by 27 runs, the Jays should have won about 84 games. This isn’t the first time that Toronto has won fewer games than one might expect based on their runs scored and allowed data. In 2008, they were ten games over .500 with essentially the same ratio of runs as the World Series bound Tampa Rays. In 2007, the Jays scored one fewer run than they allowed in road games, but lost 47 of 81 games. And that 2005 club finished under .500 despite outscoring their opponents by 70 runs. That’s four of five years that Roy Halliday thinks that he should have been on a contending team – only to fall by the wayside.
Who should be held responsible for this?
Most teams had the Jays landing in fourth place in the prediction category, but most of us figured it would have been more like 85 wins.
The Jays got off to a GREAT start. It wasn’t long before Toronto, led by Halliday, Scott Richmond, and Ricky Romero, were running off and looking like they would be a force in the AL Beast. After sweeping the Chicago White Sox on May 18, Toronto hit a SLUMP – all CAPS because they lost nine straight, six to Boston and Baltimore. Rumors that Halliday was to be traded starting dominating the news – when it wasn’t some member of the rotation going down to injury – and I think the Jays got horribly distracted.
I know this – the team’s OBP every month was about .333 except July, when they must have started swinging at everything. The OBP in July was .298. So, even though the pitching staff was still getting the job done (a 3.81 ERA, best of the year), they couldn’t win, and it was July that put them out.
At this point, the Jays lost a lot – killing off the season as July started and finally bottoming out after reaching fifteen below .500 in early September. Halliday never got traded and, in fact, once the team figured out they had better just enjoy being a team the rest of the way, the team had a winning September when it didn’t matter.
Roy Halliday was marvelous – 17 – 10 with a 2.50 ERA and saving his club 47 runs more than average pitching would have provided. Ricky Romero finished with 13 wins and was about 8.5 runs better than average in 178 innings. Scott Richmond lost 11 of his last 15 decisions, costing his team 14.5 runs, and then hit the DL where he’ll likely miss most of 2010. Brian Tallett got 160 innings and his control got the best of him. Brett Cecil got 17 starts, had a winning record, but seemed very hittable (5.30 ERA, 17 homers and 116 hits in 93.1 innings).
On the other hand, Marc Rzepczynski proved a potential rotation player with 11 decent enough starts – and hopefully can build on that for 2010.
In the bullpen, a closer could not keep a job. B.J. Ryan wasn’t worthy – 6.53 ERA – and was shipped out. Scott Downs hung in there for a while with 9 saves and decent numbers (good control); Jason Frasor was even better and eventually earned the closer role for good.
No worries – for 2010, the pitching staff will look different with Halliday having been shipped to Philadelphia for a boatload of prospects.
First, Shaun Marcum returns from an injury forced exile to take over the front of the rotation. I like Marcum – he’s a fine pitcher, but he’s no Halliday. Romero returns, as does Rzepczynski and Tallett, with former Mariner Brandon Morrow joining the rotation to take the ball in the first inning every fifth turn.
Marcum has always been an above average pitcher – but not 40 runs above average. And Morrow has never been dependable as a starter. Even Tallett is a converted reliever – which means his arm hasn’t been abused, but he needs to find consistency this year.
The bullpen starts with Frasor, but adds Kevin Gregg from the Cubs. Scott Downs returns and will help. Jesse Carlson and Jeremy Accardo round out the top five. Gregg is inconsistent, too – but he’ll be a nice eighth inning option. There is more depth here than in, say Baltimore. I like Baltimore’s rotation better, though.
Looking forward, I see this unit performing about 50 runs worse than the 2009 rotation – mostly because Halliday won’t be there. That puts a lot of pressure on the bullpen, and the sixth and seventh guys. And THOSE aren’t the guys you want pitching important innings.
Rod Barajas provided solid catching, but couldn’t get his batting average over .230. Still – he had 19 homers and 71 RBI. Essentially, the Blue Jays replaced him with the same guy – former Royal John Buck. Buck can get the same numbers at the plate but probably not behind it; Buck isn’t as good as Barajas against the run.
Lyle Overbay didn’t seem as mobile with the glove, and with a falloff at the plate, he was a bit of a problem. Overbay ISN’T a bad first baseman. Usually he makes up for his lack of power with fantastic fielding. If he’s not going to be a gold glove winner, then his bat – still above average – looks pedestrian when compared to others. His backup, Kevin Millar, didn’t help at the plate or in the field.
Aaron Hill came back from concussion issues to give head injuries to the baseball, hitting 36 homers and another 37 doubles. Hill was nearly an MVP candidate.
Marco Scutaro was an amazing leadoff hitter, getting on base at a .383 clip and scoring 100 runs. Backup infielder John McDonald still fields well, but his hitting is pedestrian.
The Jays started with Scott Rolen, who hit .320 (who saw THAT?), but was traded to Cincinnati for Edwin Encarnacion – who didn’t. Rolen was traded because he was expensive, but at least he was producing.
For 2010, the infield still has Overbay and Hill, but the other side of the infield features Alex Gonzalez, who has little range and a fading bat. He WON’T generate 100 runs of offense, and he’ll be worse in the field than the below average Scutaro. Rolen, until the injuries, was know for being dependable – something Encarnacion is not – and he won’t ever hit like Rolen, either. I can’t see Hill repeating, Overbay may slide some more, and the other two will KILL the Blue Jays offense. Look for a 80 run decline offensively and a 20 run decline defensively.
Yes – Alex Rios was disappointing when considering his pay and his production. However, Rios is an above average fielder and hitter. He’s gone. Jose Bautista, who was nearly as productive and cheaper, will get the nod in right field. It’s no better than a wash going forward.
Vernon Wells remains in centerfield. He’s old, has had below average range for half a decade now, and will have hamstring problems until he’s 100. He’s no longer capable of 20 homers and doesn’t get on base much. He also has a contract nobody else wants.
In left, Adam Lind will be a DH (whew!) but Travis Snider needs to step forward. There’s a lot to like – he has power, but needs to make better contact. At least he’ll get to more fly balls than Lind. Randy Ruiz, a slugger, will also get some more at bats after hitting ten homers in 115 at bats last year. Like Lind, Ruiz is immobile in the field, too.
I don’t think Bautista is a long-term answer and if Wells go down (and he will), they’ll need to get Phillies prospect Michael Taylor to the big leagues.
First, you have the prospects that the Jays got in the Halliday trade. one, catcher Travis D’Arnaud, will make the club in a couple of years. Pitcher Kyle Drabek will be allowed to find his feet in AAA before moving up to the bigs later this year. And Michael Taylor isn’t listed on the 25 man roster, so he’ll get some time to prove his worth before getting the call.
Looking at AAA Las Vegas, you have to remember that to be a prospect, you have to hit about .330 – like Travis Snider. J.P. Arencibia would be a better power prospect if he hit .336, but he hit .236 instead. Other than Snider, who should be ready, nobody else is a prospect for the lineup. For the same reason, pitching prospects never look so good – so you want good control and an ERA under 4.00 and there just aren’t that many who fit that bill. Dirk Hayhurst might be close – but he starts 2010 on the 60-day DL after surgery on his right shoulder. Maybe he can come back in 2011.
At AA New Hampshire, Reidier Gonzalez showed control but not enough strikeouts in his 93 innings. Fabio Castro, a tiny lefty who has seven years with four franchises, looked okay but doesn’t have a strikeout pitch that he can depend on as he moves up and faces AAA hitting.
The best hitter at AA was Brian Dopirak, who hasn’t yet made it to the bigs but is starting to look like he might hit about .270 with some power if he gets there. Dopirak hit .308 with 19 homers in New Hampshire, then .330 with 8 homers in Las Vegas. With Overbay around, he won’t get a chance without someone getting hurt.
A+ Dunedin featured Darin Mastroianni, a speedy centerfielder who can steal bases (70 in Dunedin and New Hampshire last year) and finally started to look like a hitter last year. He needs to keep drawing more walks to look like a Brett Butler type, but he made progress on that last year, too – 76 in 131 games. Pitcher Bobby Bell had 112 Ks and just 22 walks in 96.1 innings, but the real ace might be reliever Tim Collins, a teenager last year, who had 99 Ks and 29 walks in just 64.2 innings. That’s CLOSER material, and I’d name him as the most exciting prospect on the farm.
The Lansing Lugnuts featured a few young arms with promise. Of them, I like Henderson Alvarez, who walked just 19 in 124.1 innings and led his team in Innings, ERA and wins.
Let the rebuilding begin. We’re talking about a team that is going to lose 100 runs of offense, probably, and another 80 runs defensively. Toronto will likely lose 95 games and possibly 100, costing Cito Gaston his sanity if not his job. The system says 65.5 wins, but I’m rounding down in this division.
Posted in Aaron Hill, Adam Lind, Alex Gonzalez, Alex Rios, B.J. Ryan, Bobby Bell, Brandon Morrow, Brett Cecil, Brian Dopirak, Brian Tallett, Darin Mastroianni, Dirk Hayhurst, Edwin Encarnacion, Fabio Castro, Henderson Alvarez, J.P. Arencibia, Jason Frasor, Jeremy Accardo, Jesse Carlson, John Buck, John McDonald, Jose Bautista, Kevin Gregg, Kevin Millar, Kyle Drabek, Lyle Overbay, Marc Rzepczynski, Marco Scutaro, Michael Taylor, Randy Ruiz, Reidier Gonzalez, Ricky Romero, Rod Barajas, Roy Halliday, Scott Downs, Scott Richmond, Scott Rolen, Season Forecast, Shaun Marcum, Tim Collins, Toronto Blue Jays, Travis D'Arnaud, Travis Snider, Vernon Wells | Leave a reply
Interleague Baseball is Fun!
Posted on May 23, 2009 by Paul Proia
Lots of fun stuff going on in baseball right now – wish I had more time to chase it all down for you…
Michael Cuddyer hit for the cycle – the fourth of 2009 and second for the Twins.
Jake Peavy stayed home, and trashed the Cubs last night. For the Cubs, Carlos Zambrano came off the DL and was decent – looks like he’ll be fine. However, Zambrano was replaced on the DL by Rich Harden (big surprise) with a back injury. Zambrano drilled David Eckstein with a pitch in the first inning, though, when Eck squared up to bunt. The pitch nailed Eckstein high on the chest. He stayed through the inning, but left when he said he was light-headed on the bases.
Daisuke Matsuzaka returned to the Red Sox last night and was okay – threw a lot of first pitch strikes, but was pulled after 80 pitches in his first start. He was topped by Johan Santana, who was fired up after a little tussle with Kevin Youkilis. Youk yelled loudly when plunked in the fifth inning and made it a little dicey – but it only made Santana focus more. By the way, J.J. Putz has a stiff neck, so Bobby Parnell pitched the 8th. Did you know Parnell could hit 100 on the gun? Me neither. Suddenly, I’m a fan. Meanwhile, outfielder Ryan Church left the game with a sore hammy.
Texas won in extra innings, but not without a price. Michael Young has a strained foot and may not play today.
How about Ricky Nolasco? After another bad outing last night (he ruined my ERA), he was shipped to AAA New Orleans. Ouch. The Marlins, who were clocked 15 – 2 by the Rays, called on Ross Gload to pitch an inning. Apparently Cody Ross was unavailable. Continuing to try and find anyone who can pitch, the Marlins designated David Davidson for assignment, then called up Sean West and Christopher Leroux from AA Jacksonville. West, who has stuff but may not be ready, gets the start today for the Fish. He was a 1st round draft pick in 2005 – looks to be wild and a flyball guy. Baseball America calls him the #4 prospect on the team, but I can’t tell. Leroux doesn’t look like a prospect yet. The kid hails from Wintrop University and hasn’t been bad, but he’s maybe 80% the pitcher West is, and West doesn’t look ready.
Seven more homers in Yankee stadium last night – A.J. Burnett gets the loss to the Phillies. Chien Ming Wang allowed two runs in three innings of relief, his first game since returning from the DL, and dropped his ERA to 25.00.
David Price may get the call by the Rays. The Ripped Hydes have been holding him all year and may finally get to use him!!! Scott Kazmir, who hasn’t looked the same, was placed on the 15 day DL with a quadriceps strain. It may last longer than that, though, as his mechanics are fouled up. Also, Troy Percival’s shoulder problems put the veteran reliever on the DL – though the stories coming out of Tampa suggest that Percival may actually hang up the mitt for good. Percival helped two teams get to the World Series, and has been a VERY good reliever since coming up in 1995.
Add J.J. Hardy to the Day-To-Day list… Back spasms.
The Transaction List for 5/22 in MLB was ENORMOUS. Here are the highlights:
Welcome back! Magglio Ordonez (personal), Juan Uribe (bereavement), Nomar Garciaparra (calf – DL). Billy Buckner got the call from Arizona and got a win for the Snakes. Johnny Gomes gets a trip back with Cincy with Joey Votto’s illness.
On the Mend: Kelvin Escobar (arm) gets a rehab stint in Rancho Cucamonga, along side Vlad Guerrero. Hiroki Kuroda was assigned to Inland Empire for his stint.
Hurry Back! Travis Snider (Toronto), whose bat stopped working. Wilkin Ramirez (covering for Maggs), Ramon Ramirez (Reds) – replaced by prospect Carlos Fisher. Eugenio Velez (SF) who wasn’t hitting as well, and the Giants like Kevin Frandsen better. Hunter Jones (BOS), who was replaced by Dice-K. He can pitch, will be back with somebody. Maybe, when the Sox decide to replace David Ortiz, they’ll package Jones and Brad Penny in a trade for someone…
Is it over? Adam Eaton was (finally) released by the Orioles.
Afterthoughts… Jerry Koosman may land in jail following a conviction for income tax evasion over a three year period. Sad story, really. Sounds like he became a radical conservative!!!
Posted in A. J. Burnett, Adam Eaton, Arizona Diamondbacks, Billy Buckner, Bobby Parnell, Boston Red Sox, Brad Penny, Carlos Fisher, Carlos Zambrano, Chicago Cubs, Chien-Ming Wang, Chris Leroux, Cincinnati Reds, Cody Ross, Daisuke Matsuzaka, David Davidson, David Eckstein, David Ortiz, David Price, Detroit Tigers, Eugenio Velez, Florida Marlins, Hiroki Kuroda, Hunter Jones, J.J. Hardy, J.J. Putz, Jake Peavy, Joey Votto, Johan Santana, Jonny Gomes, Juan Uribe, Kelvim Escobar, Kevin Frandsen, Kevin Youkilis, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, Magglio Ordonez, Michael Cuddyer, Michael Young, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Nomar Garciaparra, Oakland A's, Ramon Ramirez, Ricky Nolasco, Ross Gload, Ryan Church, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Scott Kazmir, Sean West, Tampa Bay Rays, Texas Rangers, Toronto Blue Jays, Travis Snider, Troy Percival, Vladimir Guerrero, Wilkin Ramirez | Leave a reply
Peavy Stays a Padre – Sox Crushed Twice in Loss to Twins, Too.
Was it that big a story? I guess so – but three of the top twenty baseball headlines featured Jake Peavy… Peavy, as you all know, rejected a trade that would have sent the Padre ace to the White Sox for four propsects, and a huge reduction in salary expenses, citing a desire to stay home and in the National League.
So, the White Sox went out and lost to the Twins 20 – 1. Jose Morales, who caught the game, was sent back to AAA when it was over so the Twins could bring back Delmon Young.
Games to watch? Randy Johnson faces the Mariners in search of win #299. ESPN’s Steve Phillips say watch the long ball in the Phillies – Yankees series this weekend. Buster Olney says that the new Yankee Stadium is on pace for more than 300 (!) homers this year. (Olney’s blog is pretty complete, by the way. He relies on a big staff, I guess. I’m a staff of one.)
Joba Chamberlain’s knee checked out after being hit by a liner last night. The Yankee starter left the game in the first inning… He may miss a start, but I don’t think he will.
Tony Gwynn, JR. scored the winning run for the Padres against the Giants last night. C’mon – that’s cool. Gwynn arrived in San Diego yesterday after being traded by the Brewers (actually, the Nashville Sounds) for outfielder Jody Gerut.
MLB.com is reporting that Alfonso Soriano may move to second base in the future, according to Cubs manager Lou Piniella. They need a shortstop with range and for Derrek Lee and Geovany Soto to start hitting, and this is what he comes up with?
Edinson Volquez hits the DL with a strained back, and Homer Bailey – a prospect for most of this decade – returns to the Reds. If it’s gonna happen for Homer, it’s got to happen now or he’ll be done as a prospect soon. And it’s not like he was smoking AAA, either. As for Volquez, it’s muscular and not structural, according to Dusty Baker.
Texas starter Vincente Padilla, expected to be an ace this year, hasn’t been healthy – he goes to the DL with a strained shoulder. Coming back from the DL is closer Frank Francisco.
Day-to-day? Jose Reyes (still) with what has been diagnosed as tendonitis in his calf. Chipper Jones has a foot injury (Bunions?). He’s hurt a lot these days. Bobby Abreu sprained a toe and will likely miss the weekend.
On the mend? John Smoltz threw three scoreless last night. Brandon Webb is healing, progressing slowly. Rick Ankiel might be close, but not close enough for a call up.
The Marlins are keeping the transaction fax machine busy. Alfredo Amezega is on the DL with a bruised knee. So, they brought up onetime starter Alejandro De Aza – for a couple of days. He’s back in AAA now. David Davidson was called up, and Andy Gonzalez sent back down. Then, they activated Cristian Martinez from AAA. Martinez gave up a game-winning homer in the eighth inning last night and was immediately dispatched back to AAA.
Atlanta’s Jo-Jo Reyes went on the DL with a strained hamstring, so Tommy Hanson was bypassed for his roommate – Kris Medlen. Medlen was awesome in the minors and may be a long term prospect, but he was swatted around by Colorado yesterday. Medlin throws low 90s with a mean change up and a breaking ball that’s okay. The Braves also placed Omar Infante on the DL with a broken left hand.
Toronto’s Travis Snider will get time to get out of his funk in AAA, as will Brewer Hernan Iribarren. Welcome back to the majors, R.J. Swindle (still rooting for him). Another prospect deemed not ready? Bryan Augenstein. He’ll be back.
Frank Catalanotto signed a minor league deal with the Huntsville Stars. He can still play.
Posted in Alejandro De Aza, Alfonso Soriano, Alfredo Amezega, Andy Gonzalez, Arizona Diamondbacks, Atlanta Braves, Bobby Abreu, Boston Red Sox, Brandon Webb, Bryan Augenstein, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chipper Jones, Cincinnati Reds, Cristian Martinez, David Davidson, Delmon Young, Derrek Lee, Edinson Volquez, Florida Marlins, Frank Catalanotto, Frank Francisco, Geovany Soto, Hernan Iribarren, Homer Bailey, Jo-Jo Reyes, Joba Chamberlain, Jody Gerut, John Smoltz, Jose Morales, Kris Medlin, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, R. J. Swindle, Randy Johnson, Rick Ankiel, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Tommy Hanson, Tony Gwynn Jr., Toronto Blue Jays, Travis Snider, Vincente Padilla | Leave a reply
2008: 86-76 (3rd AL East, 11 games back)
If the Tampa Bay Rays were the team of destiny, then the Blue Jays represent the team of destiny lost. My pick to win the wild card, the Blue Jays played just as well as Tampa, but didn’t play as well as they should have – and probably could have. Allowing just 610 runs, the Blue Jays had the best pitching/defense combination in the American League. Their offense was below average – only three teams scored fewer runs – but because they outscored their opponents by 104 runs, you would have expected this team to win 93 or 94 games. They didn’t. They missed that mark by 7 or 8 games, enough to have projected them into the race on the last weekend of the season had they just done what was expected.
Every good team has a bad month. Toronto had two – one in April, the other in June. That made it seem like the Jays were out of it all season. Losers of eight of nine as the month closed, the Jays fell to the bottom of the division and had a long climb to get back in the race.
Then, after a decent May – actually, let’s call it what it was – an awesome May, where Toronto climbed all the way back to 31 – 26, the Blue Jays hit a HUGE losing stretch. Seven in a row and 15 losses in 19 games put the season out of its misery. And, yet, the Jays played three and a half solid months from there to get back to ten games over .500. They were just too far back with three really good teams ahead of them to make any headway.
Looking at team splits, the only thing that stands out is that they couldn’t hit left handed pitching. Righthanded hitters fared just as well against righties as southpaws, and left handed hitters couldn’t hit lefties at all – a .299 OBA and a .313 slugging percentage. That’s a good year for Mario Mendoza, perhaps, but not enough to win any ballgames.
When you think about the big hitters of the AL East, do you think about anybody in Toronto? Frank Thomas was supposed to help, but 60 ugly at bats and that idea went out the window (and finally to Oakland). Vernon Wells hit well, but missed a third of the season with injuries. Alex Rios fought through nagging injuries and his own early season slump (tied to his signing a big contract and pressing?), but was rather ordinary in 600+ plate appearances. So, with the three best hitters looking rather pedestrian, the Jays were rarely going to blow away opponents.
Behind the plate, Rod Barajas was a below average contributor, producing 4.3 runs for every 27 outs. He has a little power (11 homers in 349 at bats), but hitting .249 with just 17 walks, he’s not helping the team keep rallies alive. This is his third straight year with comparable numbers (for three different teams), so the likelihood that he’s going to improve any is null. Greg Zaun backed him up and was no better – walked more, but hits for less power, and his batting average didn’t clear .240.
Lyle Overbay doesn’t hit nearly as well as his AL East brethren. His batting average fell to .271, with average power and some walks as he played through a hand injury. He’s an above average hitter – but not for a first baseman. He needs to get back to .300 with 20 homers, otherwise his bat in this lineup is a liability. Aaron Hill missed four months with post-concussion symptoms following a collision with David Eckstein. The two months he played weren’t his best months. Replacement Joe Inglett actually played pretty well – some speed, plate discipline, and the speed helps in hitting doubles and triples, making it look like he has some power (he doesn’t, really). The Jays tried David Eckstein at short, but he’s really not a good enough hitter (or fielder anymore), then tried John McDonald, who struggled at the plate and apparently it affected his fielding, and even tried Marco Scutaro there, who played well. Between the three, you had no better than league average hitting, though. At third, you had the regularly injured Scott Rolen, who batted like 80% of Scott Rolen – okay, but not a great hitter anymore. Scutaro played enough around the horn to get 517 just average at bats.
Consider this – all three teams that finished ahead of the Blue Jays last year are better at EVERY infield position. That’s a huge hole to fill when trying to win this division.
Moving to the outfield, Alex Rios was disappointing, maybe, but not a problem. He cleared 40 doubles, hit 8 triples, stole 32 bases, and was a decent outfielder. You wish he’d walk more, but he still put 100 runs on the scoreboard. Vernon Wells was a productive hitter, but missed a third of the season with hamstring problems (which, by the way, already recurred in spring training). The problem with losing Wells is that there were no backup outfielders who could help. The best left fielder (hitting-wise) was probably Adam Lind, and he’s tolerable. Brad Wilkerson was miserable, and former Jays outfielder Shannon Stewart was equally unproductive in 52 games. Having two less productive bats in the lineup (when Wells was out) didn’t help.
The DHs were awful, from Thomas, through Stairs (who was a league average hitter – which is weak for the spot), and Kevin Mench.
The team did hit better after John Gibbons was fired and Cito Gaston was made manager – but for the Jays to compete in 2009, they’ll need to get healthy seasons from Aaron Hill, Vernon Wells, and Scott Rolen – and at this point, only one of three is really likely.
Normally, the Jays have a number of quality fielders helping the staff. The defense in 2009 was good – but not as good as it used to be.
Overbay remains one of the best fielding first basemen, period. If you don’t believe it, check out the putout numbers for his pitchers; 144, where no other was over 106. And, he still makes a lot of plays throwing out runners on the paths. Aaron Hill, normally at least a league average second sacker wasn’t in 2009. Joe Inglett was league average, but no better. Eckstein has lost a step (and his job), but John McDonald wasn’t very good last year, and Scott Rolen is less mobile than he used to be. Only Marco Scutaro looked like (and played like) a healthy and valuable defender. And he was good all over the infield.
In the outfield, Alex Rios is pretty good – he actually played very well in center while Wells was gone. Wells has been below average for each of the last three years in center – perhaps he should be in left with Rios in center. Lind, Wilkerson, and a host of others had scattered skill sets but basically helped make outs.
Behind the plate, Barajas and Zaun were as good as any tandem in the American League. They win more than they lost, the team ERA (despite the defense) was great, they were mobile, made few mistakes, and held the running game in check. Barajas caught 22 of the 64 people who tried to steal, one of the best in the AL.
The Tampa Bay Rays pitchers had decent ERAs and Hits/9 ratings in part because the defense behind them was so good that it likely saved everybody about 110 runs in 162 games. The Jays had off-seasons from a few players but remained agile in the field. And, with only 84 errors, the team rarely allowed unearned runs – which makes the pitching look a little stronger than it might be otherwise.
That being said, the Jays pitching is still great. Roy Halliday was a machine, winning 20 games, leading the league in complete games, and saving his team 40 runs more than the average pitcher – over a league leading 246 innings. The best pitcher in the AL, bar none. Behind him was A.J. Burnett, who won 18 games and led the league in strikeouts. Jesse Litsch and Shaun Marcum were given more prominent roles and combined to save the team 30 runs. Only the fifth slot, where Dustin McGowan and David Purcey struggled, was there an off slot in the rotation.
And, the bullpen was equally strong. B. J. Ryan returned from elbow surgery to save 32 games with a 2.95 ERA. Brian Tallett was successful in middle relief, and Jesse Carlson had a fine ERA and seven wins in relief. Carlson has good control and keeps the ball in the park, exactly what you want a seventh inning guy to do. Scott Downs was solid as the set up man, and two others, Shawn Camp and Jason Frasor were better than league average. With four good rotation slots and a complete bullpen, the Jays were able to stop other lineups and stay competitive despite a lack of support from their own hitters.
Cito Gaston lost a couple of key contributors and will be relying on other players to stay healthy in 2009. He needs a new #2 starter, and he could use three hitters to raise their gaimes.
McGowan was supposed to be the next rotation anchor, but hasn’t shown it yet. If he or Purcey can’t make significant strides, I don’t see who is going to replace Burnett. From a predictive standpoint, I don’t think Halliday stays 40 runs above average – maybe 25 after such a busy season. Throw in a drop from the #2 slot, and that’s probably a 30 run decline from last year. The bullpen had two or three guys pitching over their heads a bit – so I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a ten run drop here, too.
Defensively, the team isn’t getting better. Hill may be back but he wasn’t magic. McDonald can’t hit well enough to play short – Scutaro may have to take his position. Rolen isn’t going to get better. Overbay is at his peak already. The outfield would be better if Wells were moved to a corner spot (he might not pull as many hamstrings, too), but I don’t see that Gaston has many options here. They will be relying on 20 year old Travis Snider, who has young legs but a build (5’ 11” and 245) that doesn’t suggest mobility. Oddly, the defense gets better when Wells is not in center. Michael Barrett will likely back up Barajas this year – on the whole the defense is probably a wash over last year but might fall back ten runs.
Offensively, there is room for improvement, but only because Hill could come back and Rios could step up, and Wells might play a full season, and because Kevin Millar or somebody should be a better DH than what has been there. Overbay could be better. Or – they could not. If the pitching and defense slides 40 to 50 runs (and it will), will the offense be 60 runs better? It should be better, but not that much better. Kevin Millar may be the DH – but he’s not that much better than what was here last year. I see the team scoring 25 runs more than last year – but no more than that.
That puts the runs scored/runs allowed at 740/670, which is still good enough to win 89 games. My hunch, though, is that even with Gaston running the ship, I have no idea how it’s going to be that good. The system says 89, but I say 83 or 84. The rest of the division is strong, the Orioles could be stronger, and even though Litsch and Marcum were good last year, they don’t give me the same feeling as 34 starts of A.J. Burnett.
The Toronto AAA club, for years in Syracuse, will be in Las Vegas for 2009. Last year, Syracuse was devoid of prospects. The best players were discarded prospects like Buck Coats (former Cub), and Russ Adams (former Blue Jay starting shortstop), and they aren’t good enough to replace who is already here. If Coats or Adams could play short, they wouldn’t be logging time in the Syracuse outfield. The best AAA pitcher was John Parrish, a 30 year old Baltimore castoff, who went 9 – 1.
Robert Ray and Brad Mills pitched well for AA New Hampshire, but will likely start the year at AAA. Travis Snider made a AAA call and cup of coffee with Toronto after hitting 17 homers in 362 at bats as a 20 year old. He’ll be a major leaguer for a long time – and a DH by 2013. Scott Campbell, from Auckland, New Zealand, looks like a future second baseman and #2 hitter – he hits for a high average, walks some, but he’s not a burner.
Brian Dopirak continues to hit and hit for power, but can’t find his way past high A or AA. He was the leading threat for the Dunedin Blue Jays. He’s 25 now and has to move up quickly to have a career. Kenny Rodriguez didn’t have the best record, but he had the best stuff at Dunedin. The palindrome named Reidier Gonzalez went 12 – 4, but doesn’t strikeout enough guys to make it far in the big leagues. Mark Rzepczynski could win Scrabble tournaments with a name like that – but it’s his stuff that will get him promoted to AA soon. 124 Ks in 121 innings, few hits and homers allowed, and good control helped Mark to a winning record for the Lansing Lugnuts. A slew of 19 year olds got most of the at bats, but struggled to hit .250 on the season.
Posted in A. J. Burnett, Aaron Hill, Adam Lind, Alex Rios, B.J. Ryan, Brad Mills, Brian Dopirak, Brian Tallett, Buck Coats, David Eckstein, David Purcey, Dustin McGowan, Frank Thomas, Greg Zaun, Jason Frasor, Jesse Carlson, Jesse Litsch, Joe Inglett, John McDonald, John Parrish, Kevin Mench, Kevin Millar, Lyle Overbay, Marc Rzepczynski, Marco Scutaro, Matt Stairs, Reidier Gonzalez, Robert Ray, Rod Barajas, Roy Halliday, Russ Adams, Scott Downs, Season Forecast, Shannon Stewart, Shaun Marcum, Toronto Blue Jays, Travis Snider, Vernon Wells | Leave a reply
10 key questions that will decide the NL Central
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China and Hong Kong to expand Stock Connect
The adjustments will implement in about three months.
china and hong kong flag
Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and the China Securities Regulatory Commission jointly announced that they have approved the further expansion of stocks eligible under the mainland-Hong Kong Stock Connect programme.
After the expansion, offshore investors are able to buy constituent stocks of the Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) A-Share Index and the Shenzhen Stock Exchange (SZSE) Composite Index that have a market capitalisation of Rmb5bn ($715.4m) or above and meet certain liquidity criteria.
Overseas investors can also buy SSE and SZSE-listed stocks that have issued both A-shares and H-shares.
Meanwhile, mainland investors will be eligible to purchase stocks of foreign companies whose primary listing is in Hong Kong and that are constituents of the Hang Seng Composite Index and meet relevant market-cap criteria after the expansion.
The scope of the stocks eligible for southbound trading under Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect will also be aligned with those available under Shenzhen-Hong Kong Stock Connect.
“The further expansion of the scope of Stock Connect will give international investors more choice in A-shares and consolidate Hong Kong’s position as a gateway to mainland China,” said Julia Leung, the SFC’s acting chief executive officer.
“In particular, the inclusion of foreign companies primary listed in Hong Kong is of strategic importance to Hong Kong as a leading fundraising platform for international companies.”
The commission believes the move will strengthen mutual access between the mainland and Hong Kong stock markets and provide additional liquidity for both markets.
The Connect scheme is expected to include stocks that account for more than 80% of the equity trading in Hong Kong and the two mainland exchanges in Shanghai and Shenzhen after the adjustment.
The Hong Kong stock exchange (HKEX) also welcomed the move.
“The inclusion of eligible Hong Kong stocks issued by international companies in Stock Connect will significantly enhance the attractiveness of Hong Kong as a world-leading listing venue,” said HKEX chief executive officer Nicolas Aguzin.
“International issuers will not only get the full benefits of a listing in Hong Kong, but will also gain access to an enhanced and significant regional investor base.”
Tagged: CSRC, Stock Connect, SFC
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Cyber Monday sales to touch up to $11.6B in U.S. as shoppers go discount hunting
In this Dec. 12, 2016, photo, a person searches the internet for sales, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)
Uday Sampath Kumar, Reuters
Published Monday, November 28, 2022 1:54PM EST
Spending on Cyber Monday, the biggest U.S. online shopping day, may hit a record $11.6 billion, according to a report, as discounts on everything from pajamas to AirPods drive shoppers to click "add to cart" even under the strain of inflation.
The Adobe Analytics report is predicting Cyber Monday spending of $11.2 billion to $11.6 billion, an increase of up to 8.5% from a year earlier, as inflation-weary consumers have been putting off holiday shopping for weeks in the hopes of deep post-Thanksgiving markdowns.
Adobe Analytics, which measures e-commerce by analyzing transactions at websites, has access to data covering purchases at 85% of the top 100 internet retailers in the United States.
Cyber Monday sales fell 1.4% last year as retailers spread out promotional deals across weeks from as early as October to better manage inventories amid widespread product shortages.
However, big single day shopping events appear to be back in vogue this year, with major retailers including TargetTGT.N, Macy's M.N and Best Buy BBY.N expecting a return to pre-pandemic shopping patterns.
Target's website on Monday advertised discounts of up to 40% on Hot Wheels toys and holiday decor, while Amazon AMZN.O offered up to 70% off on its Echo speakers. Walmart WMT.N and Best Buy websites also showed discounts worth hundreds of dollars on high-end laptops and televisions.
"Shoppers are waiting out the season in anticipation of deeper discounts and are less susceptible to shiny objects," said Carol Spieckerman, president at consultancy Spieckerman Retail.
"With Walmart and Target closing stores on Thanksgiving, Cyber Monday represents a make-or-break benchmark."
Shoppers will find record discounts today for computers, peaking at 27% off listed price, while nearly all other categories, including apparel, toys and furniture, also have double-digit discounts, Adobe said.
U.S. shoppers spent a record $9.12 billion online on Black Friday, according to Adobe Analytics. However, with sporadic rain in some parts of the country, brick-and-mortar stores and malls saw thinner crowds than usual. | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5021817684173584, "wiki_prob": 0.5021817684173584, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1015222"} |
RootMetrics: Verizon's 4G Is Faster Than T-Mobile's 5G
News Analysis Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies 1/28/2020
A new report from IHS Markit's RootMetrics found that Verizon's 4G network, in some cases, provides faster speeds than T-Mobile's new 5G network.
"Verizon's 4G LTE speeds were faster than the lowband 5G median download speeds of T-Mobile in Chicago and Los Angeles and identical to AT&T's lowband 5G median download speed in LA," the firm wrote of its direct tests of operators' wireless network performances.
Verizon wasted no time in crowing about the findings.
"Regardless of any competitor claims, these results back up what our customers already know: Verizon consistently provides the nation's most reliable network experience," Kyle Malady, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Verizon, said in a press release from the company that specifically highlighted RootMetrics' 5G findings as well as the overall results of the study, which pegged Verizon as providing the best overall 4G network. "Our engineers are very proud of these results."
Verizon's preening undoubtedly stems from the constant marketing attacks the company received throughout 2019 from T-Mobile. "Verizon doesn't have the vision OR the resources to match New T-Mobile's potential," T-Mobile CTO Neville Ray wrote in September when introducing the company's "verHIDEzon" advertising campaign. The campaign highlighted the fact that Verizon wasn't offering 5G coverage maps (Verizon introduced coverage maps in November).
The bulk of RootMetrics' new report focused on the performance of 4G LTE networks in the US, and included only a small section on 5G. And the company wrote that "it's important to remember that new technologies always take time to expand and mature, and we should see both faster speeds and greater availability over time."
(Disclosure: Light Reading's parent company, Informa, did purchase the analyst division of IHS Markit, but not the RootMetrics unit.)
A matter of spectrum
Previously, T-Mobile warned reviewers and customers that its new lowband 5G network would only be on average 20% faster than its 4G LTE network. And, Verizon's 5G network provides speeds up to 2Gbit/s and beyond.
These speed discrepancies come about largely because of the spectrum each carrier is using. T-Mobile's nationwide 5G service works in the operator's 600MHz lowband spectrum. Meantime, Verizon's 5G network works in the operator's highband, millimeter-wave (mmWave) spectrum. Due to the nature of physics, FCC-mandated power-output requirements and spectrum allocations, transmissions in lowband spectrum can generally cover wide geographic areas but can't carry much data. Transmissions in highband, mmWave spectrum, on the other hand, can generally carry enormous amounts of data, but can't travel more than a few thousand feet.
What we're left with are two network providing wildly different 5G experiences despite both using the exact same 3GPP-approved transmission technology.
Will Verizon need more spectrum soon?
Although RootMetrics' study recorded impressive performances from Verizon's 4G and 5G networks, a new report from the Wall Street analysts at research firm Lightshed casts clouds over the operator's long-term future.
Lightshed, using data from network-measurement company Opensignal, found that Verizon is rapidly running out of spectrum resources in key markets around the US.
"Based on our analysis, Verizon is down to its last 10 MHz of downlink spectrum in 57% of the population of the top 50 markets," the analysts wrote. "And, at their pace of conversions, we believe that should sustain them for about 12-18 months."
What that means, the Lightshed analysts wrote, is that Verizon's network may soon be stretched to its limits. And, unless Verizon obtains more spectrum or engages in other network-management efforts, it might not be able to support any more customers.
It's worth pointing out that this isn't the first time a Wall Street firm has registered concerns over Verizon's spectrum position. For example, the analysts at New Street Research warned in 2015 that Verizon would rapidly run out of unused spectrum, a situation that would force it to purchase spectrum from the likes of Dish Network. While that didn't happen, Verizon did purchase mmWave spectrum from XO and Straight Path.
Verizon executives have maintained that the operator will be able to keep pace with customer demand. Further, Verizon recently lowered prices for its wireless service, a possible indication that it believes it can support additional customers on its network.
The Lightshed analysts noted that "Verizon's spectrum position has been a nagging concern for investors and it's likely to persist in 2020."
— Mike Dano, Editorial Director, 5G & Mobile Strategies, Light Reading | @mikeddano
One of America's most loved telecoms get-togethers, The BIG 5G Event, will be returning to Austin in 2023 to host 1,500+ telecom, cloud and technology professionals — and we want you to be a part of it!
For three days, you can meet and network with leaders from every part of the North American 5G ecosystem and hear from over 150 speakers on the hottest industry topics. To apply for your complimentary pass to the event, visit this link.
How to Use RF Propagation Modeling for RAN Planning
NETSCOUT, Swisscom, and Ericsson Join Forces to Improve Network Visibility in 5G Networks
Learn How NETSCOUT’s Visibility Offerings Assures Service Performance and Delivery in Multi-cloud 5G Networks
Elevate Your Insight Into 5G Voice Services
Accelerate Your 5G Network Launch with Confidence
Defining your Edge with AT&T MEC and Dell APEX (brief)
Dell Telecom Partner Self-Certification Program (eBook)
Telco Cloud: Deployment and Management Simplified (infographic)
Is Private Wireless LTE/5G Better than Wi-Fi? (blog)
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Sarah Jane Will Be Visited By Old Friend in Series 2
John Reid Adams
doctor who, sarah jane adventures, TV
www.outpostgallifrey.com has just announced that an old friend will be joining an old friend. Nicholas Courtney, known by Doctor Who fans far and wide as former UNIT Officer Brigadier Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart, will be making a guest appearance
Go! Go! Break Steady Developer Interview
go go break steady, Interviews, little boy games, video games, xbox live arcade
I posted a few weeks ago about Go! Go! Break Steady, the new breakdancing rhythm game that’s on its way to the XBox Live Arcade. I was fortunate enough to be able to talk with developer Ivan Tung of Little Boy Games, and he shared some more
Women of the DC Universe Wonder Girl Bust
collectibles-, dc direct, Mechazilla, Reviews, wonder girl
I'm a big fan of DC Direct's Women of the DC Universe bust series that spotlights a lot of the good girls and bad girls of DC in smaller-scale bust formats. The current WoDCU series is bringing the art of Terry Dodson to 3D life, and the newest piece in
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This week sees the release of Hellboy II: The Golden Army in theaters, and Big Red and his B.P.R.D. are the focus of this week’s Fan Art Friday. Take a look at some of the great works these artists are showing off on the web, and be sure to follow the | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.6861335635185242, "wiki_prob": 0.31386643648147583, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1779997"} |
Cellularone Slo
Provide you with various creative ideas!
Track Lighting Fixtures For Kitchens
December 18, 2022 January 10, 2023 Nellie Norton
Track lighting is a way to highlight areas of your kitchen that don’t get enough illumination from the other fixtures. This type of lighting is particularly effective if you have a long, narrow kitchen. It can also save on energy.
You can choose from a wide range of track lighting fixtures. This type of light is incredibly customizable, giving you complete control over the lighting in your kitchen. The key is to ensure that each fixture you choose matches the other fixtures. For instance, your countertop may require a certain amount of wattage, while your cabinets may need a different amount. You can easily customize your kitchen with a track lighting system that matches your needs and budget.
Unlike recessed cans, which require an electrical box, track lighting is easy to install. You can mount the lights on a joist, or on a hollow surface with molly bolts. You can also use anchors to secure the lighting to a ceiling drywall. The lighting can then be turned on or off without rewiring.
One of the biggest advantages to using track lighting in your kitchen is that it allows you to position the lights in the most efficient way. You can place the lighting between the stovetop and the island, or you can leave it off entirely. You can also angle the lighting to point at certain locations or to cast light in all directions. This type of lighting can be used to spotlight Thanksgiving spread, serving trays, or even your spouse’s art.
Whether you want a monorail or cable track system, you can find a design that meets your needs. You can also select a specific finish to complement your decor. For example, a matte black finish can balance an all-white kitchen. The oil-rubbed bronze finish conveys an old-world or Tuscan style. Alternatively, you can choose from a variety of other finishes to create an eclectic, unique look.
Many track lighting systems offer adjustable track heads, meaning that you can adjust each individual light to fit your lighting needs. You can also purchase fixtures that feature cord-and-plug connectors, which make it possible to plug the lights into a standard electrical outlet.
Depending on the track you choose, you can use a single bulb or a series of bulbs. Some of the more popular track lighting fixtures include LEDs and halogen bulbs. LEDs provide more brightness while requiring less energy. However, they are a bit more expensive to purchase. Similarly, halogen track light bulbs are a bit more powerful and give off more heat than other options.
The size of your kitchen and the ceiling height can also affect the track lighting options you can choose. Ideally, you should have a track system that is able to accommodate the height of your cabinetry. The longer the track, the more flexible the lighting can be. You can also install more than one set of track lights in your kitchen.
The overall wattage of the lighting in your kitchen will also determine how many track light heads you need. You can also opt for monorail or cable track systems that allow for more flexibility.
Nellie Norton
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Home » Webinars » Form 5471 Attribution Rules: New Categories of Filers and Rev Proc 2019-40 Safe Harbors
Form 5471 Attribution Rules: New Categories of Filers and Rev Proc 2019-40 Safe Harbors
Note: CLE credit is not offered on this program
Recording of a 110-minute CPE webinar with Q&A
This program is included with the Strafford CPE Pass. Click for more information.
This program is included with the Strafford CPE+ Pass. Click for more information.
Conducted on Tuesday, September 27, 2022
This course will explain the attribution rules for stock ownership for individuals and entities and the filing requirements of Form 5471. Our panel of international tax experts will discuss determining direct and indirect stock ownership that can result in unexpected filing obligations.
Family attribution and constructive ownership determinations are complex. IRC Section 6038 and the related regulations require reporting specific information about foreign corporations and partnerships. Filing Form 5471, Information Return of U.S. Persons With Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations, can satisfy these requirements. Not filing can generate an initial penalty of $10,000 that can rise to a maximum of $50,000 per unfiled form. Individuals without direct stock ownership, or less than 10 percent, could still have a filing obligation through attribution rules.
Revenue Procedure 2019-40 provides some relief by providing three safe harbors. However, this relief is generally limited to U.S. shareholders of foreign-controlled CFCs subject to reporting requirements after repealing Section 958(b)(4).
Listen as our panel of foreign tax reporting veterans defines complex terminology, provides examples of common attribution scenarios, and assists tax practitioners in determining filing requirements and the category of filers for Form 5471. International tax practitioners must understand how direct and indirect stock ownership is determined and reported on Form 5471.
Form 5471 Attribution rules: an overview
Safe harbor rules under Revenue Procedure 2019-40
Defining CFCs, U.S. shareholders, and U.S. persons
IRC Section 958
Direct and indirect stock ownership
Unrelated and related shareholders
Category of filers
Attribution examples
Applicable penalties
New Schedule R
Examining the new Form 5471 categories of filers
Qualifying for the safe harbors under Revenue Procedure 2019-40
Applying the Section 318(a) family attribution rules for Category 4 filers
Determine filing requirements for categories of filers
Decide when related and unrelated parties may have 5471 filing requirements
Filing New Schedule R for distributions from foreign corporations
Anthony V. Diosdi
Diosdi Ching & Liu
Mr. Diosdi is an experienced trial lawyer who regularly defends individuals and corporations in matters involving tax... | Read More
Mr. Diosdi is an experienced trial lawyer who regularly defends individuals and corporations in matters involving tax controversies and government regulatory enforcement. He also has vast experience assisting clients who find themselves with unreported or undeclared bank accounts outside the U.S. Mr. Diosdi is acknowledged as one of the nation’s leading experts in contesting penalties associated with failing to file FBARs. In addition to representing clients in tax controversy matters, he advises clients on U.S. international tax matters, including tax planning with respect to their structures and transactions. In particular, Mr. Diosdi has experience advising on issues relating to tax treaties, pre-immigration planning for foreigners moving to the U.S., expatriation planning, tax planning for foreign companies doing business in the U.S., and subpart F income minimization. More recently, he has focused on helping clients navigate U.S. tax reform, including the regimes for Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income and Foreign-Derived Intangible Income, and the new limitations on foreign tax credits.
Alison N. Dougherty, CPA
Googolplex Tax Services
Ms. Dougherty provides U.S. tax reporting, compliance, consulting, planning, and structuring solutions to U.S. and... | Read More
Ms. Dougherty provides U.S. tax reporting, compliance, consulting, planning, and structuring solutions to U.S. and foreign corporations, partnerships, LLCs, individuals, and trusts. She specializes in U.S. international tax reporting and compliance with the preparation and review of the U.S. federal Forms 5471, 926, 8992, 8993, 5472, 8865, 8858, 8621, 8804, 8805, Schedules K-2 and K-3, 1116, 1118, 1042, 1042-T, 1042-S, 8832, 8833, 2555, 3520, 3520-A, 5713, 1120-F, 1040-NR, 8288, 8288-A, 8288-B, 8233, 8840, 8843, 8854, 8938, and FBAR. Ms. Dougherty has extensive experience working with U.S. businesses and individuals with outbound activities in foreign countries. She has also worked with foreign companies and nonresident individuals with inbound activities in the United States. Ms. Dougherty has significant experience with U.S. nonresident withholding tax, foreign partnership withholding tax, and FIRPTA withholding tax. She has managed U.S. tax compliance and advisory client engagements for U.S. C corporations, S corporations, partnerships, LLCs, U.S. individuals, U.S. trusts, foreign corporations, foreign partnerships, foreign LLCs, nonresident individuals, and foreign trusts.
Ms. Dougherty is a CPA and a tax attorney with more than 15 years of combined experience in public accounting, the practice of law, and corporate industry. She was previously a tax partner in a large regional public accounting firm in the Washington, DC area. Ms. Dougherty has served clients in various industries including technology, U.S. government contracting, commercial services, telecommunications, real estate, investment partnerships, commodities, high net worth individuals, and family offices. She has also served as a technical resource to other CPAs, accountants, tax professionals, public accounting firms, attorneys, and law firms.
CPE credit is not available on downloads.
Strafford is a NASBA CPE sponsor and this 110-minute webinar is accredited for 2.0 CPE credits.
Tax & Accounting Advisory Board
Griffin H. Bridgers, J.D., LL.M.
Hutchins & Associates
Christopher Ciminera, CPA, QKA
Belfint Lyons Shuman
Magdalena M. Czerniawski, CPA, MBA
CBIZ Marks Paneth
Jeremiah W. (Jere) Doyle, IV
BNY Mellon Wealth Management
Tara Endy
BDO USA
Pamela A. Fuller
Zahn Law Group
Robert W. Jamison, CPA
Brian T. Lovett, CPA, JD
Withum
Patrick J. McCormick, J.D., LL.M.
Founder/Managing Partner
McCormick Tax
Christopher D. Petermann
PKF O'Connor Davies
Lawrence K.Y. Pon, CPA/PFS, CFP, EA, USTCP, AEP
Pon & Associates
Stacey L. Roberts, CPA
State and Local Tax Director
TaxOps
Scott Smith
State & Local Tax National Technical Practice Leader
Michel R. Stein
Hochman Salkin Toscher Perez
Brian Yacker, JD, CPA
The conference was technical, informative and presented at a good pace.
Krystal Ching
I purchased the conference a few minutes after it began and the customer service rep was very helpful and got me signed up and logged into the conference very quickly.
Joanna Johnston
Savas Greene & Company
I liked the concentration on specific issues and examples.
Edita Rimalovsky
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News and information for journalists
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Potent antibody curbs Nipah and Hendra virus attack
A monoclonal antibody prevents the virus from fusing with cell membranes to gain entry
Leila Gray, 206.685.0381,[email protected]
Veesler Lab
Henipavirus antibody researchers David Veesler and Ha Dang in front of a Titan Krios electron microscope at the Arnold and Mabel cryoEM Center at UW Medicine.
A new monoclonal antibody has been shown to impede the fusion machinery henipaviruses use to merge with the membrane of cells they are attempting to breach. The antibody halts the attack by blocking membrane fusion and the injection of the viral genome into the host cell.
The researchers said they hope that these types of laboratory discoveries will pave the way toward preventing Nipah virus and Hendra virus infections or provide a solution for post-exposure therapy.
At present, there are no vaccines or licensed treatments for these diseases in people. Some patients have been given experimental therapies under compassionate-use exceptions. Veterinary medicine approaches, and farming and wildlife health measures, have also been instituted to control the spread of the viruses in animals and people.
These difficult-to-manage infections emerged as animal-to-human transmitted diseases in the mid- 1990s. Outbreaks have since occurred in Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Bangladesh, and Kerala and West Bengal, India.
Although no related human diseases have been reported in Africa, henipavirus antibodies have been found there in both people and bats, an indication that the virus is circulating in this continent. This suggests the possibility of henipavirus disease outbreaks arising there in the future
Flying fox bats are among the carriers of Nipah and Hendra viruses. This bat is hanging in a bush in Malaysia. Getty Image. by Neagonefo.
Both Nipah and Hendra can cause severe respiratory illness and brain inflammation. Fatality rates during outbreaks have ranged from 50 percent to 100 percent.
"More than two billion people live in regions threatened by henipavirus outbreaks," the researchers noted in their paper. Their report is published in the Sept. 30 issue of Nature Structural & Molecular Biology.
The anti-fusion monoclonal antibody studies were headed by senior researchers David Veesler of the University of Washington School of Medicine's Department of Biochemistry in Seattle, and Christopher Broder of the Uniformed Services University's Department of Microbiology and Immunology in Bethesda, Maryland.
Ha V. Dang of the UW and Yee-Peng Chan of USU were the lead authors. Also contributing were scientists from the Sealy Center for Vaccine Development at the University of Texas, Galveston.
Among the chief carriers of Nipah virus and Hendra virus are large, fruit-eating bats, called flying foxes. In Australia, horses have come down with Hendra virus after bats contaminated their food or water. Owners, trainers and veterinarians caught the virus while caring for the sick horses.
Nipah virus has been transmitted from bats to pigs in Malaysia and Singapore, and then from the pigs to farmers. People have also been infected with the virus from drinking palm sap that had attracted thirsty bats in Bangladesh and parts of India. Food-borne Nipah virus illnesses now occur seasonally almost every year in Bangladesh.
Nipah virus and Hendra virus are RNA viruses in the family of paramyxoviruses, making them distant cousins of human pathogens such as measles, mumps, respiratory syncytial, and Newcastle viruses.
Many paramyxoviruses have spikey envelopes. The spikes sport a viral-attachment glycoprotein and a fusion glycoprotein. Unlike many other paramyxoviruses, henipaviruses can infect a variety of mammals. These viruses are different and dangerous.
The researchers explained that Nipah and Hendra viruses enter animal or human cells through the concerted action of the attachment and fusion glycoproteins.
After the virus lands on the cell surface, the attachment protein undergoes a shape change that prompts the fusion protein to insert a fusion peptide into the cell membrane.
Afterward, the fusion protein refolds into a more stable conformation that staples together the viral and cellular membranes. A tunnel-like pore is forged for the virus' genetic material to slip into the cell interior to initiate infection.
The body's own humoral immune defenses, mediated by antibody molecules, target vital parts of the merging machinery to keep the virus at bay. In fact, the measles vaccine, the researchers said, creates antibodies that protect against a similar type of viral breach.
Other researchers have discovered antibodies that block attachment of Nipah and Hendra viruses to host cells. One of these antibodies protected animals, even when administered several days after infection.
In this latest study, scientists isolated from mice, and then humanized, a potent monoclonal antibody that neutralizes both Nipah and Hendra viruses. They then studied its mode of action using molecular imaging via cryo-electron microscopy and biochemical and cellular experiments.
Hendra virus
These studies revealed that the antibody recognizes and binds to a specific area of the viral membrane fusion machinery during the pre-fusion stage.
This epitope (an antibody target site on the virus) is present in both the Nipah and the Hendra viruses. This explains why the same antibody protects against both viruses. Binding of the antibody prevented membrane fusion and thereby kept the viral material out of the cell.
The research team is hopeful that future planned experiments that combine different antiviral monoclonal antibodies that attack distinct targets on Nipah and Hendra viruses will demonstrate enhanced therapeutic benefit to infected individuals.
Facilities for the study reported Sept. 30 included the Arnold and Mabel Beckman cyroEM Center and Proteomics Resource at the University of Washington, and the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
The research was supported by grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (HHSN272201700059C, AI054715, AI077995, AI142764), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (GM120553), an Investigators in the Pathogenesis of Infectious Diseases Award from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, a Pew Biomedical Scholars Award, The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research, and the European Molecular Biology Organization.
Nipah & Hendra viruses
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BOSWORTH HERITAGE ATTRACTION WINS AT TOURISM AWARDS
Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, has scooped a top prize at the Leicestershire Promotions tourism and hospitality awards 2021, which celebrate the best of hospitality throughout the county.
The multiple award winning centre, took first place in the ‘best small attraction’ category of the competition, ahead of Leicester’s King Richard III Centre, and Coalville’s Escape Rooms, which were both highly commended.
Picture: Leicestershire County Council
The award judges took part in a ‘mystery shopper’ visit to all the shortlisted attractions before making their decision.
“We had a very positive experience and felt the one thing that stood out at Bosworth was the excellent customer service. The staff were knowledgeable, friendly, accommodating, and eager to help,” they said.
Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, is run by Leicestershire County Council, who called it “a tribute to the hard work of the staff and volunteers” who work there.
“We are very proud of our heritage in Leicestershire and the way we present it local people and visitors from further afield,” said councillor Christine Radford, cabinet member for heritage, leisure and arts, on behalf of the authority.
“This is a very well-deserved win, and a tribute to the hard work of the staff and volunteers at the centre. I am delighted that this wonderful heritage and family attraction has been recognised with this award.”
Set in the heart of the Leicestershire countryside, the historic Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre boasts a variety of activities and exhibitions, designed to educate people on the famous battle of 1485 in which King Richard III was killed.
Martin Peters, chief executive of Leicestershire Promotions, said: “After the decimation of the visitor economy over the last couple of years, never have these awards been more significant.
“The resilience, determination and relentless hard work shown by my colleagues across the industry has been remarkable. I take my hat off to all the finalists and winners.”
Other winners at the awards, include Leicester’s National Space Centre, which was named ‘Large Attraction of the Year’, and NOVOTEL LEICESTER, which took the title of best ‘Large Hotel of the Year.’
To find out more, visit: https://www.stayplayexplore.co.uk/Goleicestershire/Trade/leicestershire-tourism-awards-2021.aspxFacebook LinkedIn Twitter WhatsApp
BOSWORTH MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL PLANNED AFTER TWO YEAR HIATUS CITY ATTRACTION AWARDED FOR SERVICES TO EDUCATION VISIT LEICESTER STORE TO MOVE INTO KING RICHARD III VISITOR CENTRE Curve Wins National Tourism Award
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What is really wrong with Russia Today and Sputnik? (UPDATED)
51997 Views October 31, 2017 135 Comments Saker Analyses and Interviews The Saker
Today I am going to touch upon a subject which frankly saddens me, but which I cannot ignore, if only because so many others have also noticed this and asked me about it: what in the world is really wrong with Russia Today and Sputnik (RT&Sp)?!
We all know that the US government has now embarked upon an effort to persecute these two Russian media outlets in the USA by forcing them to be the only foreign media to register as foreign agents because they are, according to the Trump Administration, not real journalists, but “Russian propaganda outlets”. Likewise, in France, President Macron has refused to accredit RT for the same reasons. So judging by these reactions we could be excused for thinking that RT&Sp have done a great job.
Well, indeed they have and they are.
There is absolutely no denying that RT&Sp have changed the political landscape in the West by providing an alternative point of view. Furthermore, some of their programs have truly been ground breaking and absolutely superb. Peter Lavelle’s “CrossTalk” deserves the highest possible praise and Lavelle himself is truly a hero of the information war. There are clearly those at RT&Sp who “get it” and who want to do the right thing. Just look at this superb advertisement for the show “Watching the Hawks“:
And then there is the superb Margarita Simonyan, the editor-in-chief of both the news network RT and the state-owned international news agency Rossiia Segodnia. Her intelligence, poise and humor seemed to have earned her an especially rabid hatred from the AngloZionists. In the next couple of days I hope to post a translation of one of her recent interviews which will make it possible for English speakers to take a measure of this remarkable woman. Here, I will just share with you her wonderful sense of humor. Check out this video entitled “RT exposed in leaked video: Watch how evil ‘Kremlin propaganda bullhorn’ REALLY works“:
Beautiful, no?
But there is a much darker side to RT&Sp. Many of you, my readers, have written to me to complain about not only plain stupid shows and articles, but also about a lot of material which seems to be written by AngloZionist propagandists. Alas, your observation is quite correct. Just check out this latest post by RT: “To heaven and beyond: Artist depicts bizarre Russian Orthodox space mission” which includes the following depictions of Russian Orthodox clergymen:
For any minimally educated Russia that kind of “art” immediately smacks of the old anti-religious propaganda of the russophobic Bolshevik regime and it’s so-called “Godless 5 year plan”, the brainchild of Emelian Iaroslavskii (real name Minei Israelvich Gubelman) whom the always “politically correct” Wikipedia presents as the “anti-religious polemicist, Yaroslavsky served as editor of the atheist satirical journal Bezbozhnik (The Godless) and led the League of the Militant Godless organization” which, at first glance, is not incorrect. But when you place Gubelman’s activities in their context, the genocidal mass murder of Orthodox Christians and, especially, Orthodox clergy then you realize that what Gubelman did is exactly what Julius Streicher did for the Nazis: they both provided the “propagandistic background” for the mass murder of people. The difference? Streicher was sentenced to death by the Nuremberg Tribunal, viciously tortured, and eventually executed. And Wikipedia does not present him as an “anti-Jewish polemicist”, of course.
The original Bolshevik “Godless” propaganda
You might wonder what RT has to say about the so-called “art” of Vladimir Malakhovskiy (whom the RT article introduces as a “concept artist”). Nothing much, really: “it’s all part of a Russian artist’s futuristic take of a Russian Orthodox space mission, blurring the lines between religious belief and the atheist realism of space exploration” and “The vessel has Orthodox icons sticking out of every surface and apparently even replacing solar batteries. After all, who needs solar power when you have faith?“. Clearly, the (anonymous) scumbag who wrote this article felt the need to add some of his/her own “humor” to the already “hilarious” article.
So, how is it that RT seems to have hired a modern Gubelman to engage in exactly the same propaganda?
From what I know from different personal contacts which I have, RT&Sp are far from being homogeneous organizations. While there are plenty of people who “get it”, there is also a strong pro-AngloZionist element active in these outlets who basically support the political line I call “Atlantic Integrationism”. And that is not really surprising since the Russian media today is also filled with such anti-Russian and, even more so, anti-Orthodox elements.
We need to look back at the circumstances which brought Vladimir Putin to power and remember that he was a compromise candidate between the security services and the Russian oligarchy which favored Dmitrii Medvedev. It took Putin 15 years to finally succeed in pushing out some, but not all, of the “Atlantic Integrationist” elements from a few key ministries, but they are still very much there. The same goes for the Russia media. Sensing that Putin is extremely popular and that they better not openly oppose him, the Atlantic Integrationists have kept a relatively low profile and that, in turn, has allowed them to keep their jobs. Furthermore, we all know what these folks *really* care about, money, and even today they key economic/financial positions in Russia are all held by Atlantic Integrationists.
We should never underestimate the power and influence of these folks and a lot of what appears as Russian zig-zagging on certain issues or as Putin’s “indecision” is, in reality, the output of a constant struggle between the Eurasian Sovereignists and Atlantic Integrationists (for an explanation and discussion of these two terms, please see here and here). The truth is that Russia is still not a truly sovereign country and that the best I can say about Russia is that she is in a *process of liberation* but that the struggle is far from over.
Besides, we should harbor no illusions about the real state of spirituality in Russia. Yes, we see a lot of *external* signs of a strong religious revival, affecting both the Orthodox and Muslim communities, but the *internal* reality is much different. The truth is that as soon as we look a little deeper into what is really taking place and what kind of people are really in key positions we realize that there are still plenty of old/Soviet style clergymen who are total hypocrites and who probably don’t even believe in God. While the rank and file faithful can be very religious and pious, they are often led by “wolves in sheep’s skins” (a recent exchange with a well-informed Muslim friend confirmed to me that this sad state of affairs is true not only in Orthodox circles but also amongst Muslim religious leaders).
Finally, we should not forget that while millions of Russian do declare themselves to be religious, and that while many are truly discovering their own spiritual roots, the vast majority of Russians are either very superficially religious or not religious at all. Only a *tiny* fraction of Russians have a solid religious education.
It is against this background that we see RT posting an article which would have made Comrade Gubelman proud. My sense is that whoever wrote this deeply offensive article ought to be immediately fired and I hope that if Margarita Simonyan finds out, that she will take action (I can’t imagine her condoning that kind of stuff). But I am not holding my breath because if that anonymous hater of Orthodoxy is fired then his/her colleagues will complain of a nationalist or religious witch-hunt which will immediately be used by the AngloZionist propaganda machine to further discredit RT&Sp. And here we are reaching the key factor.
Fundamentally, when you are the object of an informational attack you have two choices: to try to appease the attacker or to frontally counter-attack. RT&Sp have chosen the first option and that, I very strongly believe is a huge strategic mistake.
We all know that the word “Zionist” will immediately be censored by RT&Sp editors. The same goes for any mention of 9/11 truth. Why? Because there appears to be a consensus amongst key RT&Sp editors that when faced with accusations of being a “Russian propaganda outlet” the correct approach is to deny these accusations and try to appear as respectable, mainstream and “proper” as possible.
Clearly, they have no idea of whom they are dealing with.
The AngloZionist propaganda machine will *never* accept RT&Sp as “one of our own”, meaning that they will never accept RT&Sp as a legitimate media and that far from standing up for the rights of RT&Sp to operate just like any other news media, they will give a standing ovation to every form of persecution and smearing against RT&Sp. The folks at RT&Sp who believe that there is a way of appeasing their western colleagues if they “don’t go too far” are completely misguided and are lying to themselves. They should look at Donald Trump who tried this kind of appeasement with the Neocons and now can see where that got him.
Still, and even when I consider the complex context in which this took place, I am repulsed and deeply offended by the fact that some SOB at RT wrote this kind of article and some other SOB cleared it for publication. In a country where that kind of anti-religious propaganda resulted in the mass slaughter of Orthodox clergy and laypeople it is simply unconscionable and inexcusable to publish such garbage, especially with what is clearly a supportive commentary.
So we shall see whether there will be any action taken against those responsible for this, or whether RT will at least apologize. If they do, then this will be a very good sign. But I am afraid that they won’t. Let’s see what happens next (if anything).
UPDATE: RT doubles down! This time what we get is an article and video about what appears to be a priest irritated by something, possibly a screaming baby, during a baptism. See here: https://www.rt.com/news/408423-priest-baptizing-baby-romania/ . The article itself, entitled “Bezerk Baptism” ends with the following comment “The priest then decides to make one final attempt to baptize the screaming baby, roughly dunking the child underwater several times, showing little care for the baby’s well-being. Orthodox baptism requires babies to be dipped in holy water from head to toe. The process is repeated three times“. Yet again, that kind of stuff would make Comrade Gubelman very proud. Makes me wonder what RT will offer us next – maybe “village infected by plague after unhygienic use of single Eucharistic chalice” or “alcoholism linked to use of wine in Orthodox ceremonies”?
anti-religious propaganda
RT&Sp
Macario el Viejo on October 31, 2017 · at 11:05 am EST/EDT
RT and Sputnik are very valuable. I’ve just read the following on RT today. This is the kind of information you would never find in the western media.
Putin: Someone is harvesting Russian bio samples for obscure purposes
https://www.rt.com/news/408274-putin-bio-samples-harvesting/
Putin was presiding over a meeting of Russia’s Human Rights Council Monday, when he was informed of live broadcasts from polling stations during the recent regional elections being inundated with foreign viewers.
Council member Igor Borisov said the statistics showed that nearly a million views came from abroad. He hinted at a sinister motive behind those viewings.
The question is, why so many interested people are watching our elections and, in fact, recording the images of people, and how those images will be used further,” queried Borisov, who is also the chairman of the Russian Public Institute of Electoral Rights.
Putin followed up with comments that will perhaps push them over.
“Images are one thing, but do you know that biological material is being collected all over the country, from different ethnic groups and people living in different geographical regions of the Russian Federation? The question is – why is it being done? It’s being done purposefully and professionally. We are a kind of object of great interest,” Putin told the Council.
In July, the US Air Force Air Education and Training Command issued a tender on FedBizOpps, a US government website, seeking to acquire samples of ribonucleic acid (RNA) and synovial fluid from Russians. All samples “shall be collected from Russia and must be Caucasian,” the tender said.
The listing specified that the samples – 12 of RNA and 27 of synovial fluid – must be provided by Russian donors of Caucasian origin. It also wants information on the donor’s sex, age, ethnicity, weight, height and medical history. Notably, the Air Force said, it would not consider tissue samples from Ukraine.
the real history on October 31, 2017 · at 12:58 pm EST/EDT
I also read this article and found it to be deeply disturbing. In my view, this is something to do with the trans-humanistic agenda (Transmutation of Humankind). I read that during times of Eltsin Russia was fully integrated into what is known as terramodling or geoengineering that is maniacally pushed forward by the western elites. However, it appears that Putin’s Russia has taken a radically different approach. I suggest reading Dr. Raymond Kurzweil, who has been a spokesman for Artificial Intelligence, a scientist who is also known for his Russo phobic comments at google headquarters , and who is passionately promoting this whole merger between humans and machines. Apparently Russians are not easily configurable to become part humans , part AI.
I think RT is sending a message with this article that they know what is going on. Just a thought.
For the rest, I’m totally in agreement with the Saker’s analysis. I already heard some comments that RT is trying too hard to appears Do you mean “appease”? MOD the enemies and becoming spinless spineless ? MOD in the process.
the real history on October 31, 2017 · at 2:16 pm EST/EDT
Thanks for the corrections. My typing skills are absolutely atrocious.
You’re welcome. Thanks for your comments. MOD
Andy on October 31, 2017 · at 2:06 pm EST/EDT
– perhaps gathering biological samples so as to create a virus that will attack the hosts.
Wayne on October 31, 2017 · at 10:26 pm EST/EDT
That was my first thought – developing genetically targeted bio weapons.
Anonymous on November 01, 2017 · at 1:08 pm EST/EDT
Sounds like the data collection phase of a study to develop biological warfare vectors against Russians. A reminder that even highly-intellgent people (e.g. with PhDs in biology) can be moral monsters.
Anonymous on October 31, 2017 · at 11:07 am EST/EDT
RT and Sputnik are already being demonized in the western MSM for their content, which really is not very different from western MSM content. They may as well publish some really different articles, since they will be treated the same if they or if they don’t.
Rhizomatic Schizomass on October 31, 2017 · at 12:09 pm EST/EDT
I got triggered by the “everyone knows 6 million died in gas chambers” drivel and stopped visiting Sputnik.
It’s not universally agreed, along with many other dubious statements quoted verbatim from MSM and enemies.
What good is self mockery if editor can’t catch obvious errors, or acknowledge other viewpoints?
I’ve seen the filth being posted in the RT comments section and stopped going long time ago.
The false veneer of sophistication doesn’t redeem them IMO.
J.L.Seagull on October 31, 2017 · at 7:25 pm EST/EDT
RT and Sputnik’s agenda is to draw in any readers they can who like “alternative” narratives, in order to let them see the Russian take on things.
Hence their irreverent, distasteful takes on modern art and LGBT.
I do read RT and Sputnik regularly, but this post is well-deserved. They are confusing websites that do not have a consistent tone.
Perhaps the lack of a ‘consistent tone’ is deliberate?
Both RT and Sputnik are accused of being propaganda. Would not adopting a ‘consistent tone’ across their reporting give them a look at feel of being tightly controlled propaganda that never deviates from the party line?
It also seems that a ‘scatter-shot’ sort of strategy might appeal to RT and Sputnik. What they are looking to accomplish is to get people to pay attention to them. Wouldn’t it make sense to try a lot of different ways of doing that, hoping to hit on one that gets a person’s attention, and then hope to get them to then look at more of the content beyond the hook that snared them?
Both ideas would lead to hiring different people and letting different people go in different directions both to avoid a uniform and controlled look and to try to find some different hooks with different baits to attract different people……. just an idea?
dykalg on November 02, 2017 · at 10:57 am EST/EDT
psychologicsally astute comment. are you in marketing anonymous?
Steve Naidamast on November 01, 2017 · at 10:22 am EST/EDT
The article does not mention Russia Insider, which presents information in the same vein as RT and Sputnik News.
I have seen articles on both Russia Insider and Sputnik, which I was surprised at such as the claim that the Ukrainian Holomodor did not happen. Sputnik also presents fluff pieces (ie beauty pageants) that make little sense for a serious news outlet. However, the women are usually gorgeous… :-)
Since RT and Sputnik are competing with western corporate media for viewers/eyeballs, its no surprise that they include stuff like ‘fluff’ pieces. After all, the western corporate media of course churns out fluff pieces to attract viewers/eyeballs. Beauty pagents for example are nationally televised on network tv in America. If you try to compete against that with professors and academics making scholarly statements on world affairs, you’d find that few viewers/eyeballs would come your way. Most would be on corporate channels watching the beauty pagents. Specifically, they compete in the UK for viewers/eyeballs, and it seems like I’ve heard that most of the British tabloids offer a ‘page two’ of naked women, a rumor that caught the attention of a yound lad who grew up in the heart of American Christian Fundamentalism where women weren’t allowed to wear pants or skirts that showed an ankle.
Peter Grafström on November 05, 2017 · at 5:35 am EST/EDT
‘Holodomor not happen’
The term is used by the critics of Bolshevism(Who also btw imposed Bolshevism on Russia) to mean that it was a deliberate genocide. In reality it was a collateral consequence of modernization efforts needed to build up the industry without which Russia would have been crushed by the nazis (who were of course built up to strength by the same AA oligarchy which imposed Bolshevism on Russia). And since the AAs refused payment in gold for Russian imports and demanded grain you can guess how much the AAs was upset about starving civilians.
Frank on November 05, 2017 · at 11:01 am EST/EDT
I get non-trolling,non profanity essentially decent comments censored at RT while anti-Russian trolls take over the page and don’t get censored. I wont put them up at social media anymore.
Don Wiscacho on October 31, 2017 · at 12:23 pm EST/EDT
What RT and Sputnik have done in terms of opening up the alternative media landscape is nothing short of incredible. But in becoming an alternative voice, they’ve had to ape the established voices and in doing, risk flying to close to the sun.
The worst thing these networks can do is become Russian mirrors to CNN, Fox, and the wire services. That is, diligently report anything that makes ‘adversaries’ look bad and steadfastly ignore or spin anything that makes ‘allies’ or ‘ us’ look bad. While RT and SP obviously shouldn’t start ‘bashing Russia’ I can’t help but think at times that they paint overly rosy pictures of reality, whether dealing with pro-Zionist elements, pro- NATO, or corruption in Russia.
The key here is that people reflexively (unless brainwashed to a cultish extent, and yes I’m even talking about (some) people in the US) know they’re being lied to. Look at the explosion of alt media in the brainwashed west. No one wants, or trusts, news from a cheerleader. There needs to be a balance of reality and optimism, no one trusts non- stop compliments.
For RT and Sp to continue to be successful they need to be hard- nosed and self- critical, not shying away from reporting on or denouncing Zionist, Nato-ist, or any homegrown BS. Otherwise they’ll just be cheerleaders.
twilight on October 31, 2017 · at 12:30 pm EST/EDT
RT was formed by the BBC World Service (the propaganda arm of MI6) from it’s Russia Desk. Around the same time the BBC gave the world PressTV from the Persia desk, and AlJazeera from the Arab desk. For a significant time ex-BBC personnel worked at all three new fledgling organisations. All three still have the strongest links to London.
Rather like fake NGOs (non-governmental organisations) that are actually formed, funded and run for the benefits of governments only with “plausible deniability”, the BBC offered its unprecedented expertise in the english speaking world to the governments of Russia and Iran (Tony Blair’s people were very close to both), and to the Saudi wahhabi collective.
Today the connections between the BBC and these three news organisations have been severed (in theory)- tho MI6 has many of its agents still working in all three. In fairness, the governments of Russia, Iran and Qatar know about the ongoing ‘british connection’- but think it ‘useful’.
The consequence of the BBC origins of RT is clear to see. A ***very*** pro-zionist agenda. A very pro-West agenda. Use of the West’s propaganda terms in news reports. A tendancy to ***appear*** anti-West by highlighting laughable irrelevant tabloid stories about events in the UK and USA.
Now of course RT takes Putin’s sides on the big issues like Syria, and presents a much more accurate picture of events there as a result. But in truth the ***facts*** on RT can also be found in the BBC and other ‘proper’ zionist controlled aminstream media outlets- just buried in places most visitors never see. The BBC ***trick*** is to be able to claim they did tell people the truth when later challenged- just that the truth was given no prominence on BBC outlets at the time, and was relegated to minor little seen serious political discussion events.
Does RT ever highlight the ***fact*** that Putin keeps voting for the West’s resolutions at the UN (with very rare exceptions), even though the West constantly humiliates Russia at the UN by never backing its resolutions? No! Nor does RT highlight the fact that Russia, to this day, uses the excuse of UN resolutions to refuse to sell its best ***defensive*** weapon systems to Iran or Syria- even though it offers the same to Israel, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.
RT is what is know in intelligence circles as a ‘limited hangout’. RT is not an honest broker or any kind of true answer to the Deep State’s control of mainstream media and 99% of so-called indy media. Tony Blair was Putin’s main protector in Putin’s early days as a rising force in Russia. Germany and France in particular wanted to put Putin down when Russia’s foolish relationship with the EU made this very possible. But Tony Blair used Britain’s veto in the EU to prevent organised West Europe action against Putin- until Putin was finally strong enough to survive such pressure.
As a result Putin thinks he has a special relationship with Britain- and considers it a continuation of the alliance Britain had with Russia during WW2. Thus he allows RT to be as BBC flavoured as we witness, so long as it pushes a pro-Russian foreign policy agenda. In trusting Britain, Putin makes his greatest mistake.
In knocking the beliefs and culture of many ordinary Russians, we see classic Deep State methods at play at RT- the influence of the many embedded MI6 folks who cannot resist using classic anglo-zionist methods of societal control. For heaven’s sake, if you lived in Britain, you’d witness BBC and ITV doing the same thing to the British people one billion times more viciously. The trick is this…
Non-too-bright middle-class university educated peeps look down on everyone they can to make themselves feel ‘big’ (read Brave New World to get the psychology). What they think of as the belief systems of the ‘lower classes’ (or indeed often their parents), they want to loudly mock and disparage whenever they can. These people flood newspaper offices and TV news organisations. They are another of the Deep State’s ‘useful idiot’ bodies.
Hateful, hurtful and spiteful becomes their nature- and this hate, hurt and spite is neatly placed into their ‘journalistic’ output. They are, of course, damaged people- since their life experience has taught them just how limited their intelligence and moral outlook really is. So they define themselves by who they are certain they can look down on.
The BBC in particular has mastered the use of this damaged section of the populace. When, in the 1970s, the British Deep State decided to use racism as a major force of societal manipulation, and MI5 created the National Front, the BBC switched up its output to full-on race baiting. The most popular BBC comedians (like the Goodies and Mony Python) started using the n-word (and others) in their shows, and ‘black’ actors were reduced, literally, to ‘spear chuckers’ in the ‘comedy’ sketches. Don’t believe me- go watch the Goodies episode in South Africa, Monty Python’s zulu segment in ‘Meaning of Life’ or the Fawly Towers episode where Basil hits his head. All of a sudden every ‘liberal’ working at the BBC was telling ‘black’ Britains they had no sense of humour if they found the hateful language unfunny. And the National Front went from strength to strength- until it completed its purpose and got Margaret Thatcher elected, and ended the post war liberal regimes of Heath and Wilson.
By the way, in the 60s BBC had actually been anti-racist- there were many serious well considered ‘black’ actors working in Britain from the 1960s onwards. What the BBC did to the public perception of ‘black’ actors on their screens in the 70s would take an age to undo- and all the vile damage was done by people who described themselves as ‘enlightened liberals’.
So when seeing the bad at Sputnik and RT, those of us that grew up with the BBC in the 60s onwards know the explanation. It is a long perceived fact that newspapers etc tend to employ people who thinks themselves ‘liberal’, while the big boss is almost always ‘conservative’. And likewise it is understood that the liberal workforce is so weakwilled and supine, it always ends up doing exactly what the big boss desires, even though there is this supposed clash of ideologies. But in truth the media ‘liberals’ are not ‘liberals’ but hypocrites, damaged personalities, psychopaths, egotists and/or neo-liberals. Despite the claims of the journos, the big boss doesn’t have to hold a gun to their heads to get them to happily propagandise on behalf of the Deep State.
Having been on the net since the inception of the WWW, it has been my delight to witness the genuine intelligence of so many outspoken ‘ordinary’ people. I had never read a word in a newspaper by any person given a clear platform there that struck me as even quite intelligent. The paid journalist is required to ***appear*** intelligent to the hard-of-thinking- and like the faker who pretends to be a doctor and isn’t discovered for years, this involves throwing around a lot of ‘big’ words. The infamous british celeb thickie, Stephen Fry, a man so stupid he’d win an intergalactic competition for the Milky Way’s most perfect ‘village idiot’, is a perfect example of the ‘posh’ fake-educated con that works too well on far too many.
The Internet was intially hated for precisely this reason- suddenly anyone who wished to use their voice could. Every news organisation howled their outrage at the Internet, and demonised its users as loser nerds. But freedom from the Deep State’s iron grip on information dissemination proved too tasty for Mankind, so despite their best attempts the BBC et al failed, and the Internet won.
But the Deep State Demons are infinitetly smarter than any group of people that do their bidding willingly or unwittingly. And now 99.99% of the Internet is back under their control, and 99.9 percent of internet users only witness the equivalent of the 1970s BBC during their webtime. And thus we are back at RT.
Some here will say “how dare you criticise RT”. Why- cos you fall for the old “preach to the choir” trick. Of course RT says a lot of stuff our side likes. But we seek out that opinion, and if RT didn’t give it we’d go elsewhere. We are the choir. What really matters is what RT says to the non-choir. What do they hear?
This blog entry exists because so many notice RT is ‘weak-wristed’ when it comes to boosting Russian interests, unlike the BBC say with respect to British interests. There is a feebleness at RT and Sputnik that has no simple innocent explanation. And, of course, the current vicious attacks on the integrity of RT etc in the press and government chambers of the West allow RT to justify this feebleness by suggesting RT needs to be very careful in proving itself ‘acceptable’ to the West by the West’s own wholly dishonest standards.
Intelligence circles call this the “anti-tall poppy syndrome” play. In other words tell the ‘difficult’ honest person that it is more important to be a team player than to tell the truth powerfully. Imply ‘tall poppy’ types are really an anti-social force. Tell RT that it is not the time to be a ‘tall poppy’ news outlet.
PS cos I tend to write too much, let me finish with a last observation about RT. RT used to be very Internet blogger friendly, allowing a different class of person to comment on its news programs. This aspect of RT has been under greatest attack. The ‘wrong’ people must not be allowed a voice on air. So RT critics calls these people cranks, nutters, and extremists- and demands RT stops using them. RT is told to up it professional game, and like the BBC, only allow approved people on the air. The management of RT clearly wishes to do this, and end RT’s alternate access policy. But RT is still concerned about its viewership figures, for like any propaganda outlet, it serves no purpose if no-one watches. So RT strives to keep a little of its original flavour, while still moving ever closer to the mainstream model. And since that model is fabian, the mocking of the spiritual beliefs and religious heritage of ordinary Russians will intensify.
RATM on October 31, 2017 · at 1:05 pm EST/EDT
I think the RT article worked wonders.
It raises awareness of Orthodox Christianity
(one might see it as the equivalent of the Kardashian’s sex tape).
Heck, one commenter on the Catalan independence article said,
Spaniards should throw off the Frankish fake-Christian yoke,
and become true (Orthodox) Christians again.
This type of thinking will get more widespread in the future.
But how will the big bad boys from MI6 counter these developments?
The Saker on October 31, 2017 · at 1:14 pm EST/EDT
RT was formed by the BBC World Service (the propaganda arm of MI6) from it’s Russia Desk
Please share your factual evidence for this claim.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/08/world/europe/russias-rt-network-is-it-more-bbc-or-kgb.html
“..we overlook MI5 and we’re near MI6..” says RT London bureau chief Nikolai A Bogachikhin
Of course this is meant to be taken jokingly, but you know..
Anonymous on October 31, 2017 · at 5:04 pm EST/EDT
You can read the actual facts about Stalin’s Russia’s special relationship with Rothschild/Bliar’s Britain here: https://orientalreview.org/2017/10/23/episode-18-how-britain-assisted-the-soviet-unions-fight-against-hitler-i/
Serg on October 31, 2017 · at 12:37 pm EST/EDT
I have no inside info, but I think you misunderstand the intent behind the selective censoring of certain phrases, words or topics. I don’t believe there is anybody with authority to make decisions at RT or Sputnik who really believes in appeasement of the west. I think they are doing this to remove the pre-indoctrinated dog-whistles which trigger Joe Shmoe to label it as propaganda and conspiracy theory.
I imagine you have tried to bring up 9/11 and the like to someone who has fallen for this nonsense on more than one occasion. What was the reaction, more often than not? I had people foaming at the mouth screaming back at me that I’m a conspiracy theorist for saying the official 9/11 narrative is a web of lies. Many people who aren’t educated on any of the “truther” subjects (for lack of a better word) for some reason get really angry when you bring up certain things. My aunt, who was born and lived in the Soviet Union (Russia) for the first 30 years of her life and who now lived in Germany for over 20, got so pissed off at me for saying Putin is a good guy, she wouldn’t talk to me for weeks, it’s ridiculous.
But I digress. I think RT and Sputnik don’t care to deliver the cold hard truth and nothing but the cold hard truth, their mission is to wake people up and they try to do it with a gentle shake rather than a 100 air horns going off at the same time.
Let me use a different analogy. When fishing, you don’t just yank the rod when the fish hooks in, you need to steadily reel it in or you will lose it and it is not too keen on biting again.
Terry on November 01, 2017 · at 5:42 am EST/EDT
That is essentially my take also, Serg. RT and Sputnik are aimed at a mostly American audience who grew up on a diet of US mainstream media propaganda and expect the “news” to look and sound similar to what they are used to. Hence the “beauty contest” bikini models in virtually every edition and the people doing stupid things or cute puppy/kitten videos. The idea is to get the average US teenage or ‘twenties’ audience to stay on the page long enough to read a few of the real news items that he/she won’t find in the MSM. For that reason they are careful not to talk about any of the MSM taboos like Zionism or 9/11 that might turn off US readers and usually portray North Korea in a cartoonish way.
As a result a lot of their stories read like they were copied and pasted from the NY Times or Washington Post, complete with all the MSM pejorative language about Russian, Syrian, and Korean leaders and institutions. For example, if you say “Putin admitted Russia had carried out airstrikes near Damascus” it imputes a completely connotation than the same sentence written as “Putin stated Russia had carried out airstrikes near Damascus”. Substituting “admitted” for “stated” implies that Putin, Assad, Xi, Kim, or whoever, is up to no good and the truth had to be unwillingly wrung out of them while “stated” is just a fact. Irritatingly, both RT and Sputnik often pick up and repeat this pejorative MSM language in their reports.
I didn’t see the particular article Saker refers to, but even as a Marxist and atheist I find it in poor taste, mostly because of the cartoonish faces depicting the priests as drunkards or buffoons. I would guess that RT would probably not publish a similar article showing the Pope in a similar circumstance as that would cut across their mission to get Americans to read their news articles.
Nonetheless, RT and Sputnik remain useful news sources, along with FARSnews, TASS, Russia Insider, The Duran, Novorossia Today and WSWS. I try to get my news and analysis from wherever it is available and make my own judgements about its objectivity. The more sources you have available, the better your judgement is likely to be if you approach them objectively and bear in mind each has its own viewpoint.
Rita Lamar on February 18, 2018 · at 8:56 am EST/EDT
I agree. Actually, I have the impression that Russia is far ahead in the info-war that is taking place. Russian media outlets are winning because they can win; they are winning because they have the full spectrum of information to play with, and they are doing extremely well. This explains the Western attacks against Rt and Sp.
Incidentally, when I read RT or Sp, I occasionally click on some of their silly side-stories/adverts just to see how silly the audience that likes them can be – and sometimes it is really painfully silly… However, if they are reading RT or Sp they still have a chance, although it will may be a slow process.
Mike Scanlan on October 31, 2017 · at 12:39 pm EST/EDT
“Fundamentally, when you are the object of an informational attack you have two choices: to try to appease the attacker or to frontally counter-attack.”
I have been arguing with you that you are teaching us history as a way to counter the “narrative” while we are watching current events being redefined as it happens. We are now seeing how Mass Media, Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Think Tanks, Sports, etc. are desperately trying to control the “narrative”.
In an era where governments have the ability to know everything about any individual on the planet and to use it against them when they see fit, how is it possible for global elites to escape prosecution for massive crimes? The answer is that “they” are the criminals and they control the narrative. (The Clinton Foundation is an obvious example.)
Imagine the power of “flipping the narrative”. I suspect we are seeing that happen for the first time in history because of the Internet. Imagine the power of using their tools against “them” to expose their “crimes.”
One clear example is Snowden. Not too long ago, most people assumed Americans were the leaders of a “free and open Internet”. The narrative flipped in a very short time.
Other core narratives are falling like a “house of cards”.
I still believe you are onto a fundamental truth when you said we are in a struggle for humanity against a global criminal empire and your theory deserves expansion with expensive graphics and animation.
The challenge is to flip the narrative on a global scale.
Very well said, thanks. Actually, I do have the impression that Russia is far ahead in the info-war that is taking place. Russian media outlets are winning because they can win; they are winning because they have the full spectrum of information to play with, and they are doing extremely well. This explains the Western attacks against Rt and Sp.
Nils on October 31, 2017 · at 12:54 pm EST/EDT
I’m not sure if the author doesn’t perhaps miss an important point – RT’s viewership and readership is exponentially growing, and the marginal viewer/reader might be repelled by any clear positioning on, e.g. 9/11.
As somewhat who used to have a certain level of trust in the mainstream media, I can say that maybe I wouldn’t have dug deeper if I had been repelled by including this kind of reporting.
I would assume that there’s actually a non-negligible number of curious-minded people who go on RT precisely because of the demonisation in the mainstream.
I think they are striking a very good balance.
bored muslim on October 31, 2017 · at 1:21 pm EST/EDT
Try being critical of Jews and/or Israel on Sputnik, and see how fast your comment comes down and you are literally banned from making comments.
RT has degenerated into a circus act. Its full of ridiculous articles and smacks of a pulp fiction rag.
Its comment section is inundated with Jews, pro-Jews/Israel and pro anglo-zionists. Its also badly Islamophobic. but none of that ever gets censured.
RT, Spunik, CNN, BBC, Guardian..etc are no more than ‘gate-keepers’ for the semi-awake and /or those curious and feel ‘something’ is amiss. These said folk gravitate to these news sites for some truth, and want answers, and are instead mislead, diverted, outright lied to, and hand-held and led back into the ‘flock’ of ‘sleeping citizens’.
Trump hates CNN, and vice versa we are told, so all the people who dislike Trump will flock to CNN, with the impression they will get answers from CNN. CNN gently puts said people back to their slumber.
Sputnik and RT act in the same way. To gently ‘re-habilitate’ those that are ‘on to something’.
And that ‘something folks, is the global Jewish agenda that is ever so carefully bringing a dark cloud of demonic dictatorship over the world.
Russia, her media, and people, are not immune to this stranglehold, subversion of all things righteous and true.
Prepare for the masks to come off completely before and during the Russian election next year. You will see how all this media works in concert, and how they are all run, owned and/or staffed by Khazarian Jews who want soooo badly to bring Russia, her church and hard working citizens down, under their control.
These said Jews will stop at nothing to fully conquer the world, or they are stopped. For they inherently believe they are the master race, and through this racism, we are but useless breathers who should be eliminated, if they have their way. Remember the Bolshevik/Jewish revolution of 1917? That’s what they have in store for all of us. Or ask Ukranians who led to their famine of 36′ 37’ and you get my drift.
Russia is playing with fire patronizing these said Jews/Khazars. China is not falling for it, and neither is Iran.
Backward on October 31, 2017 · at 3:43 pm EST/EDT
Thank you, you said the correct word: gatekeepers.
Rob on November 01, 2017 · at 9:21 am EST/EDT
Salem aleikum.
Now, that is very nice formulated. In doing so, there arises the problem itself.
It took me some years to poke through the propaganda, and seeing the globalist zionist agenda (that is not necessarily valid for any Jew or citizen of Israel, btw). Your description is -unfortunately- quite right, but it took a lot more than an article to see it for me.
Formulated in that way towards someone who is still to begin the journey will scare him off. I have noticed this often enough towards people that are fed by the MSM.
Any westerner can remember the point is his life that he realized that Santa Claus wasn’t real. Now, try to imagine that you have to guide someone through multiple moments like that, in a short timeframe.
My guess is, that RT and Sputnik are trying to ‘appease’ too much in order to get recognized as ‘independent’ and thus reaching more viewers. Thereby avoiding themes that might be seen as ‘controversial’ for western people that are just on the brink of asking non-MSM questions.
But come on, 9/11 is such a scam that it might be addressed.
Am I the only one that is startled (or not) that the just disclosed documents on JFK clearly show that there were multiple shooters and the official story is just a coverup, and it’s hardly mentioned in the press?
I would encourage RT and Sputnik to divide more to the ‘critical’ than the ‘appease’ side. Are they infiltrated by anglozionist people? Most probably, that is their usual approach. But hey, don’t they have an editorial staff?
(Those pictures of orthodox priests is simply insulting. Try to imagine that imams or buddhists are depicted that way. I expect that in Charlie Hebdo, not on a serious site).
This is a centuries old problem. Let me illustrate that with a citate of Thomas Jefferson:
“I really look with commiseration over the great body of my fellow citizens who, reading newspapers, live and die in the belief that they have known something of what
has been passing in the world of their times”.
Cheers, Rob
mikhas on October 31, 2017 · at 1:26 pm EST/EDT
“Clearly, the (anonymous) scumbag who wrote this article felt the need to add some of his/her own “humor” to the already “hilarious” article.”
Exactly how i felt when i read this “article” this morning and it convinced me even more that the elements of fifth column “westernizes” are not a disappearing phenomenon but an increasing one.
Take Sputnik f.ex. when they were called “Ria Novosti” or Ria it was like reading Washington Post, then after a time Sputnik appeared and it was a joy to read, all the self hating westernizerr appeared to have been fired, only to be re-employed again.
I do hope Simonyan fire the fascist who wrote that “article” and it wouldn’t surprise me if he’s a member of the tribe.
Bobjil on October 31, 2017 · at 1:35 pm EST/EDT
I did not know about RT or Sputnik until 2014. The US takeover Ukraine with neonazis is what woke me up. Our MSM tells us 24/7 that Nazis the worst thing that ever existed. So this use of them in Ukraine shattered everything that MSM stood up for. After that I researched everything, even 911 was not as it seems. It was US/Israel/UK operation. Recently I heard a recording of Al Franken telling how he was warned to not go to the WTC on 911. The person who told him was Ed Koch. Ed Koch? He has bridge named after him in NYC during his lifetime. He was a mayor of NYC. How can one be a Mayor of a city and allow this to happen to your city? How can one live themselves knowing they knew the plan? The common saying about 911 and WW2 is: If you know something, you should speak up. So why the silence by the world about this? RT and Sputnik work in western countries, so they have to be careful about talking about the hidden crimes of the US/Israel/UK. Sometimes the crimes are so big like 911 that we have to speak up or they will do it again and again. The US/Israel/UK will not stop doing horrendous crimes against humanity unless its crimes are exposed to the world.
Matias on October 31, 2017 · at 1:48 pm EST/EDT
It’s well known fact that more than average educated people with higher than medium incomes are easier to brainwash by mainstream media and the others. The most difficult task to brainwash are working class poor. But for these people mainstream media have another tools: create “patriotism”, racial hatred, islamophobia, idea of becoming “middle class” or pushing more “entertainment”.
M.Michel on November 01, 2017 · at 3:26 am EST/EDT
For deep insight about the bolchevik revolution and what power was behind see Antony C. Sutton and his books. The key of all is his book about skull and bones. And this is the key to have a glimpse of what is really going on.
M. Michel on November 01, 2017 · at 2:25 pm EST/EDT
Or also see the link posted from T1: https://www.veteranstoday.com/2017/10/31/trotsky-the-wall-street-thug/
but this excellent (!) article lacks the link to skull&bones.
lindsay on October 31, 2017 · at 1:51 pm EST/EDT
I have a request for information, motivated by a wish to become less ignorant: the Bolshevik attempt to eradicate religion, which prompted the destruction of Orthodox churches and killing of Orthodox clergy and laity, and prompted destruction of synagogues and killing of Jews – did it also extend to other Christian denominations and to Islam? Is there any well-sourced and trustworthy scholarship? Thanks to anyone who has nay knowledge to share.
wurzel on October 31, 2017 · at 3:36 pm EST/EDT
Lindsay, yes it did. This is only based on reports from Baptist (not the modern baptist but the traditional one) congregations that were broken up & persecuted. The church we went to used to try to offer support where it was possible.
As for were those reports true? I have no reason to doubt them considering the sources were not interested in political revolution or overthrowing the establishment and were indeed patriotic. There were also reports of members of the security services that had been involved becoming Christians themselves following the testimony of those they persecuted (& confiscating the bibles that were being smuggled in to the Soviet Union) – some wrote about it in later years and others visited churches in the west to talk about it.
Of course, given the propensity of the human race for deceit and the current psy-ops against Russia etc, it’s hard to know which (if any) modern sources can be trusted.
I suspect there is a fascinating story hidden away in the Soviet archives of persecution of the religious, from Catholics and Jews in the West, to Orthodox (as the most established and politically potentially powerful), to Baptists, as you say, and Muslims and Buddhists in the East.
The common thread is presumably Bolshevik materialism, perhaps considered by the Bolsheviks to be justified by Marx’s analysis of the function of religion in capitalist society(?). (If so, it would be one of the few parts of Bolshevism Marx might barely have recognized as anything to do with his work).
If so, we have attempted genocide against a number of groups identifiable by religious affiliation, with the intention of melding their members into a single Soviet people.
UncleJoseph on November 01, 2017 · at 2:18 pm EST/EDT
Sadly enough, Jehova’s Witnesses were persecuted by bolchevics, nazi regime, sovietic regime and are banned from democratic Russia. Russia’s supreme court banned the religion, confiscated its buildings, forbided the bible used by them. Quid pro quo?
JWs were also banned and persecuted in XX century by: USA, Canada, Germany, England, Spain, Portugal, France and almost everybody from East to West.
UncleJoseph
lindsay on November 02, 2017 · at 8:49 am EST/EDT
Uncle Joseph
Your comment touches, I think, on an interesting question. Where intolerance is the ruling dogma, I suppose persecution is at least not surprising. Where tolerance is,what is going on? The Saker, I believe, has been scathing about the Russian persecution. The American philosopher of law, Brian Leiter, has written an interesting book arguing that religions can demand no more protection from the law, but also have a right to no less, than other civic organisations. Muslims, I suppose, just have to accept that Charlie Hebdo is beneath contempt. Pussy Riot and their vandalism incurs the penalties for civil disorder. What then is it justifies the Saker’s criticism of the publication of the so-called satire that (justifiably) rouses his ire, other than the natural indignation at ignorant and offensive jeering at his way of life? Perhaps that it begins to appear that state-run media are running a concerted campaign against a particular and important section of Russian society, a campaign wholly against the current ethos in Russia and damaging to it. It doesn’t help that the campaign appears to be intended to benefit a faction in government otherwise bereft of popular support, and is thus an abuse of power.
Isn’t this part of the Russian strategy of not censoring Western propaganda, but allowing it to be seen and shown for what it is?
Shyaku on October 31, 2017 · at 2:19 pm EST/EDT
The key is strategic flexibility – roll with the punches. There are times to appear ‘western’ and times to push their own viewpoint.
The world is not simple or static, it is very dynamic. And this is the art of the fabian strategy.
Personally, I have no problem seeing RT doing this. Seems natural and very Russian.
– Regards, Shyaku
Quote: “The AngloZionist propaganda machine will *never* accept RT&Sp as “one of our own””
– Ah but this is not the aim. The aim is, at the times the spotlight is on RT, for the AngloZionist viewership to accept RT & Sp as “not so alien as they are made out to be”.
In a boxing match you have to duck and dive and bob and weave.
Anonymous on October 31, 2017 · at 10:27 pm EST/EDT
precisely so!
In the fullness of time the pressures against Ru forge a coherent steel that will be seen as fully tempered when they speak the bald truths…911 and all.. In the fullness of time and according to needs. Protean. Also fine Marxist understanding hinwise.
Maestro Maestro on October 31, 2017 · at 2:38 pm EST/EDT
Look, it’s worse than that. The whole Russian administration is complicit. Putin could have at least nationalized the Russian central bank and asserted its independence from the City of London and western bankers. To this day, Russia is obligated to buy dollars and US Treasuries only with the proceeds of the Russian oil and gas that Russia still sells for dollars! That’s treason, on the face of it. Why does Russia never oppose American and Israeli attacks on the Syrian army whose ally it’s supposed to be, even when they bomb and kill dozens of Syrian soldiers and destroy military and civilian infrastructure including bridges and dams? We have to admit it at this point: Russia amounts to no more than controlled opposition in the service of the AngloZionist empire. Even the Soviet Union sold valuable Russian natural resources for its sworn enemy’s unlawful (according to Article 1, Section 10 of the US Constitution) and worthless and fraudulent dollars.
ruca on November 01, 2017 · at 12:24 pm EST/EDT
It seems to me that Russia is rolling with the punches per say, because they don’t want to be responsible for triggering WWIII. The same reason why they do not allow Novorossiya to counter punch and retake all their borders yet. Patience is frustrating as hell, for the enemy too.
Uncle Bob 1 on October 31, 2017 · at 3:12 pm EST/EDT
A very good article.I agree with it totally (for whatever that is worth). I think that Russia today is in the situation that the West was 30-40-50 years ago. There was a high degree of “formal” religion. It was almost unthinkable that there wouldn’t be religious content “of some kind” throughout society.But little by little, belief in God has almost been banished from public society. Until in the US the current controversy is not that some people don’t say “Merry Christmas” in businesses.But instead that some people “do” say it.More and more the West is losing any positive connection to religious faith.And only the older people,raised to believe in God still show their faith.And those immigrants from outside the West,where belief in God is still apart of their societies (even if the religion isn’t Christian). Are all that survives of “public” religion in the West. Certainly,my comment here is painted with a broad brush.But still pretty accurate nonetheless.
Russia’s (so far) ability to keep a public “acknowledgement” of religion in society.Even though as Saker says, part of it is not deep.Is one of the main reasons for the Russophobia so rampant among liberals in the West.Any society that doesn’t embrace their “liberal values” of Godlessness and no morals is hated and feared by them.And those of that “ilk” inside Russia want deeply to emulate the West.And to make those “values” also Russia’s.Its a massive problem in our World today.Hopefully Russia will not become “more” like the West. But instead,the West needs to become more like Russia.
Another couple of points in Saker’s article I want to discuss as well. As some of you may remember,I’ve written several comments in the past talking about RT’s caving into Western viewpoints.I got pretty of comments back accusing me of not understanding the facts.And somehow being anti-Russian for pointing out RT’s problems. Now that Saker has said the same thing.I’m curious if people are now going to subject him to the same attacks.Somehow I doubt it.
And another point is the parts of the article where Saker talks about the issues Russia has between the Eurasian Sovereignists and Atlantic Integrationists and how that is a big problem.Again something I’ve said in several coments,and been attacked as anti-Russian for saying it.So will he be attacked over the same argument. Again I doubt it.
And lastly where he says:
How many times have I been attacked as anti-Russian and a zionist agent by our own PC police for that same thinking.I hope some people think about their tendency to attack things they don’t like to hear from now on.But I doubt that will happen.
Glossopteris on October 31, 2017 · at 4:26 pm EST/EDT
Hello Saker and Uncle Bob 1.
I am a long time reader of this site and please believe me when I say that I believe it to be one of most valuable and thought provoking sites on the Net. So much so that after many years of merely reading and keeping my silence that I wish to finally comment.
Please let me stress that I not trying to pick a fight or start an argument, but I am slightly worried by the implication that atheism or godlessness is necessarily a negative thing. Russia has changed and evolved and the reduction in Orthodox faith in some circles does not need to be feared. Indeed, I would suggest that not possessing religious belief is an extremely liberating and positive way of living in, seeing and understanding the world and indeed the Cosmos as a whole. I understand and accept that religion has acted as an important and valauble social cohesive in cultures across the globe and I do not in any way wish to denigrate the role that Orthodox belief plays and has played in Eastern European and Eurasian society. Like any social system or human construct, there are perhaps inherent negative and positive aspects (though again the suggestion that something is either positive or negative can be extremely subjective). Rightly or wrongly, I do link a departure from religion with the advancement of modern science and technology, warts and all. Of course, the cruelties imposed on the Orthodox community by the Bolsheviks is unforgivable; one’s beliefs, assuming that they do not harm or encourage harm to others, should not be considered a threat to society. Looking at the horrors of the religious wars during and after the Reformation should be lesson enough.
I would humbly suggest that the overwhelming majority of godless people such as myself, including those with an interest in transhumanism, are not in any way lacking in morals. Moreover, there are those individuals with a passion for ‘hard science’ that whilst lacking recognisable religous belief, may still believe that the Universe is some sort of Omni-intelligence or perhaps was created by one. Personally, I am in the camp of near limitless Universes and a vast ecology of realities…but I digress.
I respectfully suggest that we exercise caution when using broad brush strokes (and that includes myself, in possession of my own bias and prejudice, be they concious or unconcious). There are plenty of predators swimming in the geopolitical waters…and I don’t mean predators in the positive biological sense. Atheism and Orthodoxy do not need to be in opposition when the ultimate goal is the creation and maintenance of a fairer, freer and safe society for all. I submit that one component of Putin’s popularity is that he navigates these waters rationally and respectfully.
Sadly there is evil aplenty; let us not forget that despite our differing views on Life, the Universe and Everthying, a lot of us are in fact on the same side.
Please forgive any spelling mistakes and other errors in this comment.
Gryffyn on October 31, 2017 · at 11:22 pm EST/EDT
Brilliant. One of the best comments I have read anywhere.
Tom in AZ on October 31, 2017 · at 11:26 pm EST/EDT
Thank you for this.
Glossopteris on November 01, 2017 · at 6:02 am EST/EDT
I just logged in this morning at work to check the Saker, as it has become part of my daily routine. First off the bat, please let me apologise for a couple of awful spelling errors in last night’s comment. How embarrassing.
Changing tack, I just wished to add that despite their flaws, I do find RT and Sputnik to be extremely valuable sources of information. In truth, I find it increasingly hard to watch the MSM here in the UK. The geopolitical bias is beyond blatant; it is often raw and unfiltered in its delivery. The attacks against Russia are incessant and to my mind extremely disturbing (Russia is just assumed to be in the wrong, right from the start). RT and Sputnik help balance out the equation; even if they do sometimes pull their punches on some issues.
Just as worrying is the sense that we are experiencing an age of increasing censorship. I am genuinely concerned that our access to RT, Sputnik, the Saker and other sites could be impacted in the coming years. I am not trying to cry wolf here, but the atmosphere on the Net does not seem to be as free and anarchic as it used to be…and I accept that the Net was probably never as free as we imagined it to be from its inception.
I love the (relatively) free exchange of information that we have enjoyed over the last few decades. I sincerely hope that our children can enjoy the same.
I agree with both your comments, Glossopteris. Thanks for posting them.
I was just watching a PBS Frontline two part “documentary” called “Putin’s Revenge”, an unusually vile disinformation attempt to breath life into the fake “Russia hacked the election” story being pushed by the “Deep State” and its MSM mouthpieces. The show, whose main “witnesses” were well known paragons of honesty and truth like CIA chief John Brennan, James Clapper, and Victoria Nuland, consisted entirely of assertions about Putin’s KGB programmed hatred of the home of all goodness and light, American, and was unhindered by any actual evidence for said assertions that Putin personally ordered all the alleged cyber attacks, or that any such attacks occurred at all. Putin was shown only in grainy black and white pictures, almost all of which were obviously clipped from some video of him speaking so they could get various unflattering expressions that looked like snarling or pouting as his mouth formed various words.
I watch such garbage only so I will have some idea of where the everyday people I speak to – friends, neighbours, clients, and such – get their bizarre ideas from and can brace myself for the latest barrage of idiocy as they parrot all the fact-free assertions they have absorbed like mindless sponges.
One of the problems with people like most of the readers of The Saker, RT, Sputnik, WSWS, Farsnews, Russia Insider and such is we are on a very different informational level than the average person who gets their “news” from the MSM and just assumes it is true on the one hand, and comprehensive on the other. Readers of the above websites understand how much is censored out of the MSM “news”, but the average person simply “doesn’t know what they don’t know” and therefore never think about them. Kind of like until we developed a telescope capable of seeing other galaxies, we assumed the Milky Way was the only galaxy and had no inkling of how large the universe was. Still don’t, for that matter, as was made clear a few years ago when the Hubble telescope was focused on a tiny, apparently empty, sector of extremely distant sky for 10 days and when the resultant image was downloaded it turned out that just this tiny sliver of sky contained thousands of galaxies, fading into the remote distance because the most distant ones were red-shifted below the ability of the visual light sensors of the Hubble to detect them. But I digress.
We are like the handful of people who understood the implications of Galileo and Copernicus’ brilliant intuition and work and realized the earth was not the centre of the universe with everything else revolving around it, while the vast brainwashed religious majority took centuries to admit that science had disproved their dogma. Or as John Lennon put it, “The fool on the hill sees the sun going down, see the world spinning ’round.” He could have said the heretic on the hill.
“one’s beliefs, assuming that they do not harm or encourage harm to others, should not be considered a threat to society.”
In the context of religion – how often has that ever occurred.
The Protestant said the Catholic was wrong.
The Catholic said the Shia was wrong
The Shia said the Sunni was wromng
The Sunni Said the Hindu was wrong
The Hindu said the Buddhist was wrong
The Buddhist said the Orthodox Christian was wrong
The Orthodox Christian said the Protestant was wrong
The Saker on November 02, 2017 · at 7:48 am EST/EDT
today you get the “most useless comment” award.
RT has its share of filler type tabloid articles like the cannibals in the Siberian backwoods etc. and this is just one of them. The conspiracy doesn’t extend to anything more than clickbait.
alberto1949 on October 31, 2017 · at 3:22 pm EST/EDT
Very good analysis. RT is strangely subserviente to the zionist lobby and i’ve posted something criticising that lobby: the censorship worked but I agree that they will never be recognised as one of them: what a pity!
Auslander on October 31, 2017 · at 3:28 pm EST/EDT
Regardless of some of the more silly and/or puerile and/or salacious content of RT and Sputnik, both must be doing something right to be pilloried by The West as they have been lately. On the other hand, anything to do with Russia, any contact with ‘Russians’ no matter how innocent or unintended, can lead to vicious attacks from western standers by, be they friends, relatives, fellow workers or casual listeners who overhear your conversations.
This quaint little trait is nothing new. I grew up in The West and I remember even in the late 50’s when I became cognizant of another world besides my own personal wants as a child, I well remember the constant, albeit compared to today muted, drumbeat of anti Russia foolishness. Back then it was the ‘godless communists’ who were the bad guys, everything ‘they’ did had one goal and one goal only, to dominate and conquer The West. At any moment ‘they’ would pour through the Fulda Gap and attack Germany and western europe. Knowing what I know today that foolishness back then is ludicrous to an extreme. But, it worked. In my younger days everyone was afraid of Russia and everyone expected a full blown war with Russia and I have to admit that I for one was fully ready and able to fight the Russian Hordes when, not if but when, they attacked my ancestral homeland.
And then I want there. It doesn’t matter why or when I was first there, now it’s ‘here’, but reality is the biggest mistake my superiors ever made was to send me to that Godless Country full of Communists and Atheists. This was BI, Before Internet, and what I discovered was those ‘godless atheists’ were exactly like me, wanting the same things from life, having the same trials, tribulations, successes and small victories with their work, their families, their children, everything in their life was a virtual mirror of our life in the west even though in some respects Russian Culture is as different from Western Culture as night is to day. As additional information, if you want to understand Russia you start with a study of Byzantium. Mother Russia inherited that culture lock, stock and barrel right down to the penchant for secrecy for the sake of secrecy and the often creaking and unfathomable bureaucracy and yes, corruption. But on the other hand The West is just as corrupt as the worst of Russia, or for that matter anywhere on the face of our rock hurtling through the void of Space.
I think the problems with RT and Sputnik are as Saker says, they don’t quite know how to handle not only their success but also how to handle the ever increasing and ever more vitriolic attacks on them. In a way they do, now, try to mirror some of the West news methods but generally, not always but generally, they do tell it like it is. On the other hand, even our local news in this little village in the last year has changed, sometimes to the point of VCO will look at me in surprise during the evening news and ask if they are on the same planet as we are and are they actually Russian.
Bottom line, if you want an overall picture of what’s going on today, you have infinite sources at your fingertips. Problem is with all the choices which one, or ‘ones’, are telling the truth? I can answer that for you. Not a one tells truth always with the possible exception of Saker. I look at West news, US, UK and Germany, every day just as I look at our national and local news every day plus news from Novorossiya (and even from Novorossiya one has to be pragmatic and filter some of the verbiage emanating from that area). You have to not only look and listen, you have to see and hear and try to separate the wheat from the chaff of the almost overload of informations thrown at you day and night and sometimes you have to understand what is missing from the ‘news’.
RT and Sputnik, like Tass and others, fulfill an important part of the overall news, regardless of their occasional, and of late more than occasional, lapses in judgement. Like Saker, I found the ‘Priest in Space’ not only a bit offensive but in the main part foolish, however I have friends that I know would be overcome with laughter at that article and in a way I was, too.
However, Saker did not mention a little something from RT on 27 October, something, complete with video (which I did not watch) about a young girl who lifts her skirts in the Saint Petersburg Metro as a protest against something or another. Any young, or not so young, woman who will publicly display her unmentionables is an indication of not a cultural problem but a failure of her family to raise her with a modicum of modesty and good sense. And this was news? Methinks not, it was just an excuse to show a young woman with her skirts up around her waist. Big deal. I’ve seen that before.
Auslander
Never The Last One http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZGCY8KK A Deep Look In To Russia, Her Culture And Her Armed Forces
An Incident On Simonka https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01ERKH3IU NATO Is Invited To Leave Sevastopol, One Way Or The Other.
These days, I can not think of any single news channel that I would trust to be ‘non-biased’ and which never promotes propaganda for its own point of view. Not one.
Which, shouldn’t surprise me. As I get older, I just decide that this is human nature. Everyone spins their own BS to back their own point of view.
Thus, I do want to echo that a) a modern person now has an incredible amount of information at their fingertips. And b), if they want to think they might possibly see the truth of a situation, they should read a variety of such information. They should of course discard the proven liars, and try to stick to people who haven’t lied to them. But, seeing from a multiplicity of viewpoints is how one can see 3D even with old 2D eyeballs that our not-intelligent design gave us.
Thus, while I trust no one, and while I completely ban the America media from my home, I feel as if I am better informed than I have even have been.
Which of course is why the internet is under attack, and why soon we will have to develop our own ways of sharing information instead of just relying on a biased-tilted Google search to find interesting stuff. And yet, to me, it just seems as a repeat of the old Soviet government trying to control information by banning fax machines.
T1 on October 31, 2017 · at 6:40 pm EST/EDT
Truth? I dont expect the truth. Truth can be lethal in large doses.
That which I seek is an analysis of info that’s on the web, with qualifications as to what is credible. You can call it a rose but you cant fool my nose.
Crap! I remember days when reading Pravda and listening to Radio Moscow ? on shortwave was informative.
Saker and company provide a map through the mine field of bs. I don’t expect 100 pc but have found none better.
Cosimo on October 31, 2017 · at 3:44 pm EST/EDT
RT seems designed for the broadest possible audience. Because it tries to give broad coverage, I start my day at rt.com because I don’t want to miss any big stories before I go check out the specialized sites. To win the war for hearts and minds, RT’s broad but dumbed-down approach is a smart strategy. It avoids “preaching to the choir” and it’s aimed for the “undecided” crowd.
Sputniknews is dumbed-down, but much less so than RT. Again there’s good reasons for that. It’s an official Russian government site, so one shouldn’t expect information or opinion that deviate too greatly from the current Kremlin positions. Some examples: Sputniknews may acknowledge “conspiracy theories”, but rarely do they give much detail. Full-strength attacks on foreign leaders are extremely rare. Speculative essays (on “what might yet happen”) don’t usually go far beyond what’s commonly known. Attacks on Zionism are also lacking, and that’s not surprising, unfortunately. Also, there are vibrant debates on Russian media which almost never get into the official media.
The good news is that outright lies are basically non-existent on RT and Sputniknews. These official sites could be thought of as propaganda or PR, but as many other people have noted, Russian propaganda is strictly based on telling important truths, not on deceptions. This is “white propaganda”, not “gray” or “black propaganda”.
It is very important for people to keep in mind that official Russians media does have one important area of relative silence. Russians have good reason to resent the Empire, starting with the betrayals of the 1990’s and ever since. However, very little of that bitterness finds its way into official media. To put it simplistically, a public display of bitterness and moral outrage would not really serve Russian purposes. We should stay awake and understand that this relative silence could diminish our own moral outrage if we failed to see the full context. Russia is somewhat held hostage to the Empire and to the blackmail of a threatened First Strike nuclear war, so their statements are sometimes muted. Intelligent people should figure that out for themselves.
Fortunately, there are a great many internet sites which provide what Russia’s official media leaves out.
Zena on October 31, 2017 · at 5:04 pm EST/EDT
This should cheer you up Saker, from Russia Insider.
http://russia-insider.com/en/western-laws-now-clash-mans-moral-nature-head-russian-church-video/ri21426
“For the first time ever, legislation is at complete odds with the moral nature of human beings, says Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Church,”.
Given that the Orthodox faith gets very little publicity it makes you think how odd that on a day when the Saker writes sadly about the atlanticist forces inside RT/Sp this pops up to say that there ae countervailing forces at work even although they are maybe not as loud, violent, brash and attentions seeking as the freak show trying to drown everybody out with it’s demonic racket.
What strikes me about RT and Sputnik is that both air voices that are censored and blacked out within the Land of the Free. One prominent example was when they hosted a 3rd party candidates debate. Evil RT actually gave a voice and airtime to the people who are blacked out and in the not-to-be-mentioned-until-we-need-to-attack-them category. RT actually let people like Gov. Johnson(L) and Dr. Stein(G) speak to the American people. This was cited in one of the early ‘intelligence’ reports as RT ‘interfering’ in the American election.
After all, if the American corporate media has decided to black out and censor candidates they don’t want Americans to hear, then RT must be a bunch of evil, interfering, meddlers to dare to put these people on TV.
I also read Mr. Pepe Escobar and a few others on Sputnik. Again, these are voices that are completely blacked out and censored by the American corporate media channels. Don’t hold your breath waiting for the day when your channel-surfing through the American ‘news’ channels puts Pepe Escobar onto your screen.
So, who’s the propaganda channel? Channels like RT and Sputnik that let people hear voices that are otherwise banned and censored? Or the American channels that ban and censor any voice that doesn’t come from the Pentagon or Wall Street?
Question More!
Please read this article, it is a precious gem. A summary from Trotsky until now.
https://www.veteranstoday.com/2017/10/31/trotsky-the-wall-street-thug/
I cant select a phrase or paragraph to indicate content, there’s too much info in here. This is a concise summary of many books I have read.
Laika von old Monkshusen on October 31, 2017 · at 11:48 pm EST/EDT
You’re absolutely right about Galima Galiullina’s article, T1. It shows the veterans at Veterans Today are foremost truth-tellers (unlike RT/Sputnik). It matches well with The Saker’s article about ‘Atlantic Integrationists’ (= Trotskyites) still in key economic/financial positions in Russia, and still very much part of Russia’s media, ‘educational’ system, and so forth.
T1 on November 01, 2017 · at 5:26 pm EST/EDT
The one error that I found was that it was not an ice pick. Mercador used a mountain climbing tool, it fit his mo.
Thank you for the link to a truly great article. The atrocities committed by these Wall-Street peoples still in power who also founded Hitler, are of a dimension never seen in humanity. It’s time humanity wake up. The future of humanity and human value relies heavily on Putin and the Russian People. Russia will be the next leading culture, and it will be a spiritual, a profound christian one.
Guardianofretro on October 31, 2017 · at 6:43 pm EST/EDT
Dear Saker
Even Putin himself is not denying the official version of 9/11 made up by the croocks in the US. But i am aware that he knows more then he openly admits.
The Same counts imo for some russian outlets. They have to act carefully to not get brandend as complete lunatic media outlets. Its a common problem ppl like Paul Craig Roberts have and David Icke. Read his books and see what really happens. And imagine what would happen if RT would Give Icke real time speech.
Another thing you didnt mention is that RT also supports the anti-gun spirit in the US. While Icke explains in his books that many false flags are made to Rob the US people from their weapons in order to proclam the totalirian police Orwellian State. But…..RT may come to insights at this point too and change it. There is no rose without a Thorn. And RT has them too Saker.
guest on October 31, 2017 · at 7:22 pm EST/EDT
I, too, have been noticing that both RT and Sputnik sometimes reveal a west-centered mindset. The Saker has picked out the distasteful anti-religion aspect, and he is correct. But, the problem is deeper, way deeper, in my opinion.
Some of the headlines in RT mirror the mindset and the belief-system of the western media. For example, if North Korean leadership is declared to be crazy by the western media, RT parrots the party line. If the customs of some Asian countries are treated with derision by the western media, RT follows through with similar material. If Iran is declared to be run by crazed Mullahs by the west, nothing is presented in RT to show the falsity of that propaganda. Some of the reporting on Syria has been “non-partisan” or “neutral” with a vengeance.
Then again, the sensational style of western reporting is sometimes mindlessly copied. If imitation is the highest form of flattery, it shows a great inferiority complex on part of some in Russia.
The media of a country reflects the state of mind of its people – at least of some of its people. What comes out of RT reveals obsession with the “west”, to be “like the west”, to be “a part of west”. This instinctive, sub-conscious-level obsession with the west is, of course, an old Russian problem. I feel sad whenever I see more evidence of it even now – now that the “great west” will happily deliver a total blow, total genocide to Russia and Russians if they can get away with it. Sucking up to the same enemy is foolish, cowardly, and selfish beyond words.
Cosimo on November 06, 2017 · at 4:49 pm EST/EDT
Remember that line from a Hollywood film which became a meme ? “Truth? You can’t handle the truth!” For most people, that’s about right. People need to understand a lot of context before they can understand the more important truths.
One out of many examples is paper money or fiat money, and the eventual end of the petrodollar. Those buzz-words point towards a complicated reality which can’t be understood let alone gain credibility, in a few paragraphs or 10 minutes of talking. Instead, one must read (or at least intensively skim) a few books such as Michael Hudson’s Superimperialism and Ellen Brown’s Web Of Debt, plus reading significant amounts of recent news with a focus on items that relate to the petrodollar. The problem is that most people, including “serious people”, are not motivated to take a crash course (sorry for the pun, hah hah!) on the petrodollar. So what can be done with such people ? Well, news channels run the usual news as it occurs, and run occasional bits of analysis which invite people to dig deeper. That’s all the best of the large-audience news sites can do. Many web sites give the unvarnished truth in detail, but they don’t draw large crowds exactly because it takes some foreknowledge to understand why such information might be valuable, and because the audience has to expend effort to digest the new information. I think that a little reflection will show this is the way of the world on a great many topics.
In short, we can’t expect sites like RT to peel back more than one or two layers of the onion, or to get too far ahead of their several audiences. But packs of people can get pretty far in understanding certain topics, as happens in the Vineyard.
mark on October 31, 2017 · at 7:52 pm EST/EDT
RT is a superb news organisation. I gave up watching BBC and the rest of the MSM when it became available in the UK. The fact that it is being persecuted now is proof of its effectiveness. It has got the rest of the MSM and the Kosher Nostra rattled. If it is closed down, Russia should respond by immediately closing down all western media.
polistra on October 31, 2017 · at 8:25 pm EST/EDT
I don’t think the ‘contradictions’ are a problem. Effective national propaganda always includes a mix of pro and con, showing the good and bad sides of the country. It also includes a lot of what we used to call ‘human interest’, now called ‘clickbait’.
With this mix as a background, listeners and viewers are more inclined to believe and trust the straightforward pro-national commentary when it’s necessary.
Radio Moscow followed this pattern in the ’60s and ’70s; RT and Sputnik still follow it because it works.
Larchmonter445 on October 31, 2017 · at 8:35 pm EST/EDT
Sputniknews is my first choice for NEWS, ten times a day.
RT I go to next.
Then Zero Hedge.
Then Col. Cassad.
Why? These platforms carry the truth, the nuggets of News, fast, first, with no ideological first filter.
After that, everything is colored by some slant or filter which I learned to perceive and factor in. Reading Chinese news takes work, even the counterpointal sites like Caixin or SCMP.
I want facts. Nothing in the West, except at times Daily Mail, carries facts that haven’t been “processed” or skipped or sanded down. I gave up on them all long ago.
All the wire services are possessed, controlled.
So, it is an art-form reading the News. It takes sophistication. It is hard work.
As for Russia, information, ideology, et al., I read 12-20 sites per day to try to get facts.
And some really good analysis from men like Ishchenko.
Putin did this one thing that colors everything inside Russia. Let me explain:
Power and Money are the way of the Globalists, the Russophobes, the Hegemon, and all their manifestations. In Russia he took Power. He left the oligarchs Money.
And with Power he can share the Info-space with Liberals. It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t have to worry. They can’t get to Power. It is beyond their reach. He and the Putin-FSB group drew that line and defended it and won. It has led to a successful Russia ready to take off in full new development.
I believe that Ms. Simonyan is as patriotic as Shoigu. She is sparky, witty, and a masterful manager. A counterpart to Maria Zakharova in the FM. They are powerful objects of Putin Power. No nation has two women of this quality of intellect, energy and patriotism.
A whole new generation is taking office in Russia. They are Putin Power people he selects or approves.
Because Putin controls all power through his allies in FM, MIC, MOD, Information outlets, Russia has stability and is rising.
If things are not always as we would like at RT and Sputniknews, it is because the Liberals are being allowed space to “vent”, even to “disrespect”. But they will never get Power again for a long, long time.
Grieved on November 01, 2017 · at 12:51 am EST/EDT
Ah, Larchmonter, I love this comment. Thank you.
You’re talking about critical thinking. It takes work. We are having to learn it again. It’s a wicked world no matter what your affiliation is. You have to be sharp just to parse your way though the day.
But we’ve been given the clear knowledge that all information contains a degree of contamination, and the intellectual training to weigh each datum in our own scales. it was always this way throughout all structured history, but today we know it. And we have tools to examine and verify.
Why do we complain about this? These things are making us strong.
And Power. Thank you for this observation. You’re so correct. Yes, Power – as someone said, “The one aspect of the human condition that can’t be faked”.
The Russian state discovered in the depths of its demise that it still had power, and it was strong power. It is the state that has saved the Russian people. What a lesson lies there for history to learn. The moral state saved the morality of its people, and kept them safe.
As others have said, and in agreement with your point, an entire generation of Russians are growing up and have grown up on the example of Putin. Millions of people who love him as we all do, and who wish to emulate his example.
And I agree about Simonyan as patriot. Totally agree with your whole view here.
I agree with all the comments here that say to cut RT some slack. Nobody said it was formed to reveal the truth about 9/11, or depths of the rabbit hole that would lose it audience. It’s a quality news outlet for general news, we take the rough with the smooth, and stay sharp enough to know the difference. RT is kicking ass, people starving for other views are loving it, and its competitors in the old mainstream are trying to suppress it. It might be censorship but it’s just as likely to be the old monopoly game from jealous competitors working here.
On balance, RT does far more good for truth than harm. Far more good. In fact I just watched it online. Another great show. Another voice heard that otherwise would not have been, at least in the west.
I’m very grateful for Russian news, and the translators who bring it to me.
At first, I surmised that Trump was in a position similar to Putin when each took office. However, your comment points to a key difference in how each has handled the situation of presiding over a divided government where many voices opposed to you are residing. Mr. Putin showed himself to be outstanding a patiently gathering power to himself while denying it to his opponents. Mr. Trump has showed himself to be a fool in that thus far he has gathered zero power to himself. I’d have thought that by now Trump would have at least several agencies firmly under control to him and loyal to him. Didn’t expect him to get every agency, after all Putin is still working on that after 15 or so years. But I’d have thought that Trump would have managed to get at least a power base of one or two agencies that he could count on. Preferably at least one key one like Justice. But no, Trump has steadily failed to grab any real power to himself and has consistently allowed his opponents to grab and consolidate their own power centers in the US government.
Watching Trump demote himself to the Twitter President while others around him grab power only points out how skillful Putin has been in consolidating his own power in an originally divided government.
Jim on March 01, 2018 · at 1:44 pm EST/EDT
Actually, it is more accurate to compare Trump to Yeltsin, not Putin. Putin is a very serious man with a keen sense of history and his role in saving Russia from the disaster of Yeltsin. Trump, is a real estate agent from New York City. Enough said? As many have observed, Russia is ascending from ashes of shock therapy brought upon them by bolshevik inspired and financed capitalists. The US is finally realizing the folly of disastrous foreign policy pushed by neoconservatives right out of the bolshevik school of chaos. We have let our economy waste away on trivial consumer garbage, left our children few options other than military adventure, and let our culture degrade. Sounds more like Russia in the 1990’s under Yeltsin. Trump was elected in the fantasy of making America great again. If that is to happen power must be removed from Zionist controlled puppets in American political, cultural, and economic spheres. Putin is maybe halfway to achieving this in Russia after 17 years… Trump, with markedly less personal skills, fewer capable managers, and only one-third of the population at most supporting him has hardly made any progress.
JJ on November 02, 2017 · at 11:10 am EST/EDT
been some pretty good articles on fortruss last few months…especially by their dedicated team of Popov etc. Sputnik on facebook sometimes post some seemingly irrelevant “western” junk, but last couple years things have got so much better, so fortunate we even a choice!
JJ on November 02, 2017 · at 2:22 pm EST/EDT
Would you believe it…daily mail ( as you have mentioned it)article today… porn star from Murmansk is to stand for President….oh boy……just after the campaign team from the prevous young lady kinda just walked away………………..the world is truly absurd in places……oh…and someone suspicious claims Scotland is gonna be the new hiding or operating place for russian bots or trolls or something or other…….sighs.
f on October 31, 2017 · at 8:47 pm EST/EDT
I agree in essence and in rigor. But…I dislike somewhat the tone of the article because it seems like the beginning of interminable infighting.
Which weakens us all.
Perhaps these outlets are not trying to be respectable to the mainstream media at all, but merely are trying to retain the ear of the people; uncertain what tone is best to keep them accessible to a different point of view.
They are uncertain what tone to take to retain the ear of those inclined already to listen. Perhaps in their way they merely seek to retain a connection with the right-minded people and are afraid that a more serious, purist tone might alienate them.
In their mind, they are treading on thin ice; for high stakes. And they themselves do not have consciousness of the seriousness of the hour; or are only half conscious.
They are trying to find their voice, and are perhaps too careful; and in doing so they seem to be currying favor with the enemy; but that is not necessarily so.
So how can they be helped?
Just food for thought.
Vor on October 31, 2017 · at 10:06 pm EST/EDT
NATO, during the bombing “campaign” of Serbia in 1999, bombed the national television station, RTS (Radio Televizija Srbija) & murdered scores of civilians. It was a major war crime, within the context of a major illegal war of aggression against a tiny & relatively weak country. Prior to the bombing of RTS, the Milosevic government had been given an ultimatum by NATO to open up RTS to Western media broadcasts, BBC & CNN. Milosevic responded that he would do this if the BBC & CNN opened up their broadcasts to Serbian English language broadcasts. NATO then went & made good on its threat & bombed RTS, justifying this as designating it an arm of Milosevic “state propaganda.” This of course was the first phase of the Atlanticist march East toward Russia, & the attack on Serbia was in real terms an attack on Russia. Now, I can only imagine what kind of restrictions & concessions RT & Sputnik have had to reduce themselves to just to broadcast in the West. I am not defending them, I really do not care for either, to be honest. I watched yesterday’s Cross Talk with disgust as Peter Lavelle & co. (Sloboda, Christiforou) defended Catalan separatism & condemned Spain’s heavy handedness – according to them they should of allowed the referendum peacefully to go ahead the way in Britain the Scottish referendum was conducted. They continued, now Scottish separatism has been shelved for a generation. Pure propaganda. RT-Cross Talk-Lavelle propaganda. Scottish separatism has been so beaten down that as we speak the first minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon is threatening to hold another referendum – with EU – see German, backing. The real reason for Brexit, Germany is supporting the break up of all European nation states that are in one way or another resisting federalism i.e. German expansionism. Not a word of this on RT, but support for Catalan separatism. Disgusting. But this is what the Saker says it is, it is on the one hand appeasing the Atlanticists, on the other hand it is Atlanticist agents within RT, planted there from the beginning, as a concession by Russia just so they could broadcast at all, & that agentur has been activated to destroy RT from inside. My guess is they may well manage.
Talks-to-Cats on October 31, 2017 · at 11:07 pm EST/EDT
Thank you, Saker.
Izaates bar Monobazeus on November 01, 2017 · at 1:26 am EST/EDT
I am 100% in agreement with Larchmonter445. Sputniknews and RT are succeeding. I even visit RussiaInsider in my quest. No stone left upturned. In the year leading up to the Obama chemical weapons crisis I googled ‘newspapers Russia’ and there found the Moscow Times. A dog vomit rag it was too but for some months at the start of my journey it was a part of my info space. I check out RI once a week. Sputniknews 20 times a day. RT 5-10 times per day. Tass 2-3 times per day. ZeroHedge 20 per day. Moonofalabama 1-2. Southfront 2-3. Landdestroyer 1 per month. Fortruss 2-3 per day. Johnhelmer 1 per week. Cluborlov 1 per week. Sott 2 per week.
And plenty of other sites ranging across the panapoly of western sludgepumpers …nyt, debka, breitbart, abc, Spiegel, times, wapo, smh, trib, drudge….whatever….serve it up and let me decide….I am a big boy…my masticators and incisors can chew through anything.
Saker please soften on this and let God sort things out.
I am not of the Orthodox persuasion.
I am not a Russian or Orthodox supremist. I am a human being.
Frankie on November 01, 2017 · at 1:27 am EST/EDT
In core of every great culture there is religion/faith. If not that culture has already degraded to just civilization. And later that civilization will be wiped out.
I recommend everyone follow demographics of nations. There are some groundbreaking studies of vertility rate of certain different groups with strong faith, secular and atheists. Fertility rates were: 4-7, 1.3-1.7 and less than 1. Future is pretty clear: cultural enclaves with strong religion will wipe out atheists, agnostics and seculars. In fact evolution favors strongly religious enclaves and rejects seculars and atheists. There is strong correlation between religion and breeding.
Marcel Leutenegger on November 01, 2017 · at 1:35 pm EST/EDT
You might be correct, but do you think that a high birth rate is a good thing? In my opinion, any group of people with high procreation must expand its territory, which leads to war with near certainty. War is the inevitable result if all other groups around procreate quickly as well.
Looking at societies and reading discussions like that, I cannot help but come up with an idea I recently developed in thinking about Tolkiens’ novels Lord of the Rings. There are these particularly knowledgeable, friendly, wise and well-intentioned people, the Elven. As they are confronted with the ugly choice of fighting mens’ wars or getting crushed later, they uphold peace and decide to leave earth behind and depart forever.
In analogy, if we do not want to fight wars with and against our human fellows, we currently have only one choice: depart from earth without leaving anyone behind.
jeff on November 01, 2017 · at 4:08 am EST/EDT
What’s wrong with RT and Sputnik? Liberals, what else.
Saker writes:
Exactly. They seem to be such amateurs in “the infowar”. You see the same thing at Telesur. People who try to criticize the world from a left perspective are easily dominated by liberals. Fascist types, although usually wrong and often maniacal, are at least landing punches in the political sphere. Calling Hillary Clinton Killary or Hitlerly is crude but it changes perceptions quickly and throws libtards off guard. For this reason, it’s also sort of clever. Try “Obama is a dictator,” or “peace president Obama mass murders blacks in Libya.” These are hard blows.
My observations of RT find extensive problems. Most of the media people, even the non-libtards, seem to be fascinated by the West like a dog for a treat (yet, a dog is not so foolish as to be fascinated by “google” or “twitter”). Saker is right to suggest this is a big problem in Russia (at least, as a democracy. As a Byzantine monarch, the folk will be allowed to be folk, which is what most of us want to be). Look at a site like RBTH, dealing in “Russia culture.” Somehow, they find time to use Hollywood sex abuse cases to denounce Russians. They don’t quite blame Putin for Weinstine. You know they wanted to; for It’s clear they desperately want to cut down Russia in any way they can. You go there to see a Russian recipe and find yourself being told Russians are rapists. The ol’ bait and switch. Pure evil.
Then there’s TASS. Some cheap liberal bimbo announces she’s running for president. Tass presents this as a major story on their eng site. Are they crazy? Do they have bad intentions? Yes and yes. Liberals serving the great liberator!
There’s a lack of fighting skill on the part of those we believe and hope have good intentions–an inability to recognize the circumstances of war. Saker wrote, “if that anonymous hater of Orthodoxy is fired then his/her colleagues will complain of a nationalist or religious witch-hunt.” But this is war. Why simply fire them? Why not, instead, notice a growing hatred of Christ by liberals, quote Trotsky a bit, post a few photos of liberals tearing up churches in the 1920s; and finally admit that the demons of Trotsky may have even compromised RT’s ability to serve the public. Say I’m Mr. RT. Suddenly, I see that the right-and-good public is demanding RT rid itself of these liberal, Trotsky-like, maybe even Stalin-like (what the hell-might as well!) hate groups. RT respects freedom of speech, but there is no room for racism, discrimination, bigotry, and fanatic attacks on people’s freedom to believe (in a civil society). Don’t act on the problem; campaign against it. If you’re in a war, be in it.
I hope these key people will realize appeasing liberals only helps them eliminate you. Challenging them makes them fantasise about killing you (and boy, does it ever!), but appeasing them gives them the opportunity to kill you. Watch your back. Pack your load. Open your eyes. Yet, insist that Darwin is a moron, Nasa is a fraud, Homosexauls tend to be child molesters. Russia and the world are very much at stake.
guest on November 01, 2017 · at 9:07 am EST/EDT
@Jeff
You are so right when you say “My observations of RT find extensive problems. Most of the media people, even the non-libtards, seem to be fascinated by the West like a dog for a treat”
This is exactly what I tried to say in my post on this topic. Russians and their media really need to stop wagging their tails every time “west” comes up.
Ilja on November 01, 2017 · at 4:20 am EST/EDT
Thank God, there is a space for different views on RT. While usually I tend to agree with Saker on almost everything, right now I couldn’t be more opposite.
Space exploration and orthodoxy are two most sacred things for Russians, although they are truly different worlds. Putting them on the “same ship” is a provoking idea, which needs very dark sense of humor. I like the dark humor. And I like paintings and the paintings of Malakhovskiy are great, not only for depicting dark perverted characters with a light touch of an irony, like that it all can be just a bad dream. Or for finding striking similarity between the domes of orthodox churches towers and shape of Soyuz spacecrafts. Such a talented artist deserves to be mentioned in state news network.
I feel like the article must have touched some very personal string in Saker’s soul. We all have sensitive spots, so it’s nothing bad. But regarding the article I don’t believe in any conspiracy behind that. Quite opposite it depicts modern russsian society as it is. This shouldn’t and couldn’t be censored.
A.Dane on November 01, 2017 · at 7:51 am EST/EDT
Glossopteris wrote: I am worried by the implication that atheism or godlessness is portrayed as a negative thing.
My comment: Atheism opens up for a slide from not believing in God to ultimately believing that you your self are Godly. You lose your humbleness and respect. Those are two virtues witch makes us civilized. Just take a look at how Netanyahu and Putin presents them selves, witch one do you regard as the most humble.
Glossopteris wrote: The reduction in Orthodox faith in some circles does not need to be feared.
My comment: A retreat of the Christian faith is a great problem for the world, because the Christian faith is what developed the human race from following the law of the jungle, to be civilized and recognizing the rights of those with less or no power.
When we loose the ambassadors for Christianity, we will be on course back to the law of the jungle.
Glossopteris wrote: The lack of religious belief is extremely liberating way of living, thereby seeing the world and the Cosmos as a whole.
My comment: Atheism is a liberating because you are freed from restraining yourself from being humble and showing respect.
My Lutheran Christian fait have never restrained me in accepting science or seeing our world as part of the universe. Both the Lutheran and Orthodox faith seceded from the medieval religion of Papal Christianity, partly because of its lack of recognizing science, mostly because of its monetary indulgence in to the Christian religion and especially its warmongering stance. Even today the Pope are trying a new scam hocked up on fake science called “Global warming”, with the purpose to make us pay for our allege C02 sins.
Glossopteris wrote: The majority of atheists, including those with an interest in transhumanism, are not in any way lacking in morals.
My Comment: Maybe you are right that some atheists hold moral values, however people with interest in Tran humanism are experimenting with a dangerous unknown witch can be exploited to create slaves. I believe that God made the human beings with an inborn ability to feel and show love, with an inborn ability to feel and show empathy, and an inborn urge to have children and take care of them. I do not feel wise enough to participating in changing the concept of human beings toward being robots created by man. Thus I will leave the human concept as God intended.
Glossopteris wrote: Putin’s popularity is because he navigates these waters rationally and respectfully.
My Comment: Yes he does. He simply upholds Christian values.
Glossopteris wrote:
The cruelties imposed on the Orthodox community by the Bolsheviks are unforgivable
Do not harm or encourage harm to others, should not be considered a threat to society.
The horrors of the religious wars during and after the Reformation should be lesson enough.
Let us not forget that despite our differing views, a lot of us are in fact on the same side.
Atheism and Orthodoxy do not need to be in opposition when the goal is the creation of a fairer, freer and safe society for all.
My Comment: Maybe you are a Christian after all ?
A.Dane
WizOz on November 01, 2017 · at 11:59 am EST/EDT
The whole discussion becomes irrelevant as long as we mentain the meme that “the Orthodox faith seceeded from the medieval religion of the Papal Christianity”, equating Orthodoxy with the heresy of Protestantism. Protestantis indeed seceeded from the heresy of Papism which was the first secession from Orthodoxy, only pushing the heresy further.
Some atheists may retain some “moral values” from their former religious education by inertia. Full atheism is completely devoid of any moral values.
The Saker on November 01, 2017 · at 2:41 pm EST/EDT
The whole discussion becomes irrelevant as long as we maintain the meme that “the Orthodox faith seceded from the medieval religion of the Papal Christianity”
Agreed. I don’t see the point of engaging people who don’t even take the time to get the basic facts before forming an opinion. This is were atheists have a huge ‘advantage’ over us, obscurantist religious bigots: they don’t need facts. Heck, they even don’t need logic either (“The lack of religious belief is extremely liberating way of living, thereby seeing the world and the Cosmos as a whole”). They know that they are the crowning achievement of evolution, Mother Nature’s biggest success, and they look with compassionate pity on us, and all of their own ancestors, stuck in the stifling world of narrow minded religious superstition and ignorance :-)
Glossopteris on November 01, 2017 · at 7:50 pm EST/EDT
Hi Saker & others,
Hmmm I can see your point in my turn of phrase. It was not meant to be insulting or a claim to intellectual or moral superiority. My inexperience in this kind of forum is on display here (and that includes spelling and composition).
I have had the pleasure of discussing belielf a wide variety of individuals and I have been told on more than one occasion that they find their faith to be liberating and life enhancing. I suppose I was just trying to suggest that for people like myself, a lack of religious belief is equally liberating and life enhancing. Moreover I truly believe that as far as the construction of a better society goes, many of us that read and comment here are likely to seek very similar goals.
WizOz asked why I felt the need to comment on an avowedly Orthodox Christian blog; in my own mind I consider this to be more of a geopolitical site and an extremely valuable one. My desire to comment is linked to how much I cherish it, believe it or not. I stand by the general thrust of all of my comments thus far, even if I should learn to take more care with what I write. One never stops learning, don’t you think?
Saker you gave me a late night belly laugh. Goodness only knows that if I was the crowing achievement in evolution then we’d all better give up the ghost immediately. The game would really be up! ;)
Best wishes from this godless one and I look forward to future articles (and please let me tip my hat to Scotts work on industry and tech in Russia, which are fascinating).
I appreciate the time you have invested in addressing my thoughts. I only hope that the Saker and the Moderators do not feel that we are moving the thread from a discussion on RT & Sputnik to a Atheism v. Religion debate. That was not my intention. Perhaps this is a discussion more suited to another forum, such as the Open Café?
I would humbly suggest that morality is not owned by any religion, faith or lack thereof. It is something that we can develop and maintain, both individually and as a society. Moreover, history is littered with groups exerting power and making slaves of others, regardless of the dominant belief system or systems in play. There are more than enough horror stories out there to research if you have the inclination.
My sense is that Putin is one of a depressingly small group of world leaders that follow a more collaborative and less aggressive approach in global geopolitics. Russia seems to be one of the more rational actors at the moment and a fair number of the smaller European powers would like to align with Moscow on many issues, though it is difficult for them to move freely given the economic, military and media power of the larger western nations. I am glad that platforms such as RT and Sputnik provide a window into the other side of the playing field.
Final comments: I can assure you that I am not a Christian nor a follower of any faith and I never have been. For what it’s worth, I’m puzzled by the suggestion that atheists retain moral values only because of their former religious education.
But then I suppose it takes many tiles to make up a mosaic, especially one as large and complex as our global society, so perhaps our differences, such as they are, can be seen in that light?
WizOz on November 01, 2017 · at 6:13 pm EST/EDT
May we ask you why, knowing that the whole orientation of this blog is an avowedly Orthodox Christian one, you felt compelled to throw at it your rather insipid thoughts pretending that it was not your intention to provoke an Atheism vs Religion debate and (not so) subtly castigating the Saker and the moderators (and the contrarian commenters) for their declared position?
At least, Glossopteris is not alone.
I was also thinking of the orientation of this blog like geopolitical, operated by one Orthodox Christian with fantastically deep insight into topic and truly brilliant thoughts. It never cross my mind, that the blog itself is Orthodox Christian, yes i saw the icons on the right side but for me it was little to no difference to let say Catholic, or Buddhist as long as I find the content so impressively and honestly written.
Dear WizOz, from when is the expressing of different thoughts provoking? Does it provoke you? Or it depends on a place and the sacred soil of Saker’s blog discussion is no place for heresy? Well it comes as a surprise to me too. I do not involve into discussions here, mostly for my poor English, but I read them frequently and I didn’t noticed the need for defending arguments with evaluating them to some predefined orientation of the blog. Until now. I always thought about good arguments are defending themselves and do not need guardians in shining armor. Sometimes even destruction of your old beliefs is the best, what can happened to you and discussion is, by my opinion, better way to achieve such destruction then painful experience.
Dear Glossopteris, I doubt, I’d helped you, nevermind I just tried to support your stance, even though I’m not atheist. By my opinion there is a balance in the universe. The more you push one side, the more you must push the other. So you cannot raise higher heaven on Earth without digging deeper hell on the other side. Wars coming from insisting on extremes and peace usually from dialogue of the opposite sides. You voice in this discussion for me was one of the very rare calling for balance and I thank you for that.
WizOz on November 02, 2017 · at 6:33 am EST/EDT
You might not be aware, but the kind of interventions as the one of the Glassopteris, is nothing else than trolling. And it is the same case with you. You stayed silent so far, and all of a sudden you jump on a discussion that was clearly beside the theme of the article., quite obviously for provoking a discussion about Atheism vs Religion. May I ask you also why?
I have had break my silence already, right after I have read the article. I’ve expressed that I (this time) completely disagree with The Saker, that I like the paintings, that they are funny and finally that I see no evil reasons behind publication of such article and I account Saker’s rage over the article to his sensitiveness to some topics. Of course I might be wrong on my evaluation of the reasons behind the article. And so can be The Saker or anyone else, except the author of that article of course. None of us have the crystal ball to find true motivation for publishing pictures of Orthodox priests in space on RT. At least I don’t have any.
Reason why I step up for Glossopteris is that I found Saker’s sensitiveness to certain topics highly contagious and discussion here for me became some sort of Orthodox which hunt, where I saw Glossopteris like rather isolated voice of reason. I didn’t mentioned any of my religious views so far, only noted that I’m not atheist.
If this is trolling, l’m guilty as charged then.
Well, yes, you are wrong on your evaluation of the reasons behind the article. The blog does not cater for this kind of misplaced sensitivities (nor for the Glassopterises ones). ad hominem statement removed … mod
Glossopteris on November 02, 2017 · at 12:14 pm EST/EDT
Hello Ilja,
Thanks for your thoughts and the spirit in which they are made. To reiterate, I very much value this site and the analysis, debate and discussion that it generates. Like with RT and Sputnik, I don’t agree with everything that is said…but it does not mean that I cannot learn from those with whom I disagree with.
Trolling was certainly not my aim and I am sorry if this appeared to be the case. I continue to stand by comments and thoughts in-themselves, even if the delivery could have been more refined and nuanced. Thanks to the Saker for writing this article and provoking this discussion, which I very much enjoyed participating in.
Best wishes to all.
DK on November 01, 2017 · at 8:02 am EST/EDT
Us godless heatens don´t deserve a place in the fight against the anglozionists??? I think we do, so…whatever
WizOz on November 01, 2017 · at 12:09 pm EST/EDT
Taking into consideration that the anglozionists are godless heathens, all the other godless heathens are on the same page, so their “fight” is a phony one (most of them are Anglos, anyway).
truther on November 01, 2017 · at 10:40 am EST/EDT
organized relgion is poison, ty
Absolutely brilliant statement. Very original too! And courageous! Last, but not least, compelling in its power to convince.
Dude, you are a modern Cicero.
We are unworthy! We are unworthy!
Robert on November 01, 2017 · at 12:01 pm EST/EDT
Hello Saker, hello Twilight,
Twilight, I believe what you say on the BBC Foreign Service as an agent of Anglo domination in the world. I also see Saker’s point in asking you, twilight, to prove your point. But, you know Saker, this reminds me of one of our “dagos” called Al Capone, everybody knew he was a gangster, but… nobody could prove it.
Now, how could everybody know what nobody could prove? Well, because on one end two plus two is four… And, on the other I presume a gangster who is “good” at gangsterism knows what to do so it is hard to prove that he actually is a gangster.
See, why I believe twilight all the way?
That said, my two cents (whatever they are worth) on RT in a nutshell: too many Anglos, not enough Russians who speak English.
English is not just the language of the Anglo-sphere (which means native speakers of English). It’s also the lingua-franca for the rest of us who try (courageously/clumsily) to step out of the comfort zone of our respective mother-tongues to understand other cultures.
So anyway, what I want from RT is to perceive opinions (this is mostly about op-ed, clearly) rooted in the Russian “Weltanschauung” (perception of the world for the notoriously monolingual Anglos).
Davai ruski see the English language as a fighting tool to make your case to the world, which is what incidentally the Indian independence movement did with the language of the enemy (guess which one that was?). Now a brutal metaphor to underscore this: train your citizen soldiers, don’t hire foreign “contractors” (as they say today)!
All this, unless, RT is meant to be an instrument to try to counter Russo-phobia in the Anglo-sphere. If that were the case, it would make sense for all those Anglos working for RT. But, then if that is the objective, is it working? Is Russo-phobia abating in the Anglo-sphere and as a consequence in the Anglo-balized colonies?
I certainly don’t think so unfortunately.
So here I sit lonely hearted… trying to find a ruskie and only getting anglos doing the jawing as Russo-phobia gets worse and worse…
Po bratzki lads,
PS Don’t know if twilight is a lad, so if you happen to be a fine lady instead, do forgive me for the sign off. Podzalsta…
Peter Grafström on November 05, 2017 · at 2:34 pm EST/EDT
Nikolai Starikov would be more interesting than any of the current semi-pk personnages, but I agree with several commenters here that RT needs to play it wisely. The above mentioned analogy with fishing illustrates this point.
Starikovs articles are available in english on orientalreview.
Interesting to me that being ‘anti-religious’ is associated by some commenters as being a ‘western value’. Yet, its ‘western’ leaders who constantly push the image of being religious. No politician who wants to run for office would ever be seen not going to church on Sunday. Every western leader promotes himself as ‘Christian’ and not one I can think of is openly fighting against any churches or church-goer’s in their country. Even for all the TV History stuff about Hitler believing in the occult, he still publicly went to chuch on Sunday’s and expressed his platform as being about ‘Christian values’. Its hard to imagine someone who runs for elected office not going to church on Sundays, and if a rumor ever did start to spread against them that they didn’t go to church, they’d respond by very publicly going to church the following Sunday.
The one culture that has been anti-religous was the Soviet revolutionary culture. If you go back to the French Revolution, you can find some anti-clerical acts in there as well. Both of course were revolutionary cultures who were trying to overturn the existing power structures in their countries, and since Religion was used as a source of power and control over the people by Kings and Czars who were openly connected to a specific church, its not at all surprising that an act of revolution against the King/Czar would include revolt against the related church structures.
Both French and Russian revolutions were British special operations to weaken a rival. In both cases Britain made extensive use both of freemasonic networks, and also cultural/ideological phenomena prepared for the purpose: so called enlightenment and Marxism.
It is completely misleading to describe it as if the population by themselves were capable of any of these dramatic passages.
feizal on November 01, 2017 · at 2:38 pm EST/EDT
Thank you for an interesting observation.When the foundations of religious conscience is weak; the anti- religious forces take advantage.
This is further compounded by financial motivation.
You could triple your income if you choose to tow the so called Soros line.
You are made of a good moral ethic .
Its wrong to demand that a site or a person be idealogically pure.
I’ve seen that mistake often on the American left over the years. Criticism of a person or outlet because of one thing they did not like. Sometimes this is called “political correctness”, and if a person said anything or an outlet did anything that an activist didn’t like, they’d then take off and attack them over and over for that one thing.
For instance, I’ve seen that attack aimed at Prof Chomsky. People take one thing that he said or that he wrote and then attack him over and over for not being politically correct in that one instance. Since the American left has always been riddled with informers and under covers agents trying to manipulate the left, I always wondered in this was a deliberate cointelpro-style tactic to attack critical voices. Or, more likely, its just a nasty side of human nature rearing its head. Someone once did something I didn’t like so now I hate them.
Any platform is going to be diverse. Any organization is going to have different points of view within themselves. Its hard enough for one person to be completely consistent over the years, and it follows that its going to be impossible for any organization that speaks with a public voice to always be consistent.
And instead of being strict and condemning over any infraction, I tend to take a more overall view and am willing to accept the bad with the good, as long as there is good, and as long as there enough good to make the bad willing to accept.
Any movement for change is going to need a large number of people to try to defeat the entrenched and powerful few who control the world. Its got to be people power that would overcome that. And to build a movement that big, its going to take a lot of accepting of other people and other views that one might not agree with. Its going to take people who have strong religious faith and people who don’t believe in God at all standing together and working side by side.
And you know what, as I type that I realize that I’ve seen exactly that happen already, so I know its very possible. What it takes is a bit of tolerence and acceptance on both sides. It takes a willingness to say that we might not all agree on everything, but that we agree on who we oppose and what we want to accomplish and we are willing to work together and see that. I’ve seen movements with a strong religious component work together with others with different beliefs and be successful, so I know it can be done. And I know that to build the sort of people power it will take to overthrow what The Saker calls the Anglo-Zionist Empire, that we are going to have to do a lot of this.
Anonius on November 01, 2017 · at 3:04 pm EST/EDT
Hmm, Saker you are to easy on the artist of the space cartoons. They are outright insulting.
The guy on the left to put it mildly is a “fat person”. The guy in the middle is portrayed as “drunken fat person”. The guy on the right is no one else but the hated by certain people Rasputin.
See this film info:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anastasia_(1997_film)
You can draw your own conclusions.
I never watch TV, but Sputnik has helped me in Europe for several years. Not least a couple of days ago when I was able to kill some lies and omissions.
When I quote Sputnik, it gets new readers in my languages. I have only seen one bad article and it was quickly removed.
The attacks on the orthodox Faith I am sure will stop after the Saker says no.
It is in the translation editing department where the moles have infiltrated. In every important article there are obvious misspellings which to a native English speaker reduce the article to ridicule.
RT’s and Sputniks Achilles heals are the need for translators and every important article shows evidence of subversion.
Take note Putin.
Harry_Red on November 01, 2017 · at 4:55 pm EST/EDT
I think you make some good points, but there are much more things RT and Sputnik have published other than Anti-Orthodox Christian articles where you can also see the influence of the AngloZionist appeasement and/or propaganda.
To be honest, when I read your title I was expecting at least a small summary of the points or examples of how these two news websites/channels conduct Western-Zionist propaganda.
Anyways, thanks for stating what you think is the cause of this propaganda and explaining the group of people within these news agencies that is responsible for this propaganda.
дулебг on November 01, 2017 · at 5:12 pm EST/EDT
Sputnik in Serbia, as well as the headquarters of Russian companies (Gazprom) and banks (Sberbank) in Serbia, behave as if they were Russian & Serbian enemies. By no exception they use Latin alphabet, although they know that it is the way of denationalization and de-orthodoxication of people. They connect and make social relations only with anti-Serbian 2-Serbia, they reward them and invite them to the ceremonies. Sputnik-Serbia gives them a lot of space in it’s news and reports, and on the other side – never interviews some moderate patriot, nor even balanced expert.
Anonymous on November 01, 2017 · at 10:31 pm EST/EDT
OT, but given this bio-harvesting by a well known developer of biological weapons, and the advances in genetic sciences, I’d say a bit of ‘RT balancing’ to demonstrate they can also be critical (watch the Max Keiser segment to see how they have to accommodate UK/BBC attack if they are not ‘balanced’), may suggest future Russian demographics will need more than 3 dunks in the holy waters to survive the next (made in the USA) customised ‘plague’ …
“US Air Force Admits To Harvesting Russian Tissue”
“They needed it for a biological study of the musculoskeletal system…”
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-11-01/us-air-force-admits-harvesting-russian-tissue
Griff Jones on November 01, 2017 · at 11:18 pm EST/EDT
the exit server for rt is now located in the us, not in ru. if something does’nt seem right, it probably isn’t. it could have been edited in the us. should be verified
Avarachan on November 01, 2017 · at 11:31 pm EST/EDT
RT and Sputnik don’t seem authentically Russian to me … I prefer TASS, Fort Russ, and, of course, The Vineyard of the Saker.
Also, RT and Sputnik’s coverage of India is shallow. I wouldn’t be surprised if British agents were working within those organizations to damage Russia-India ties.
Anonymous on November 02, 2017 · at 9:53 am EST/EDT
russia truth facebook is also worth checking out, plus new russiafeed.
I agree about the intention to split’em and the AAs have already managed to damage the India-China relation at least temporarily.
Cyril on November 02, 2017 · at 12:20 am EST/EDT
In the Margarita Simonyan video, I love the section where Margarita says “this is where our journalists risk their lives”. She opens a door and we see someone emoting desperately in front of a green screen. Then we see the broadcast showing the same reporter and the green screen replaced by a war zone. Ha ha ha ha.
Was that a dig at CNN and other media? I haven’t watched them for a long time. Do they actually fake the background for a someone reporting fake news?
@RT double down
The case happened in Romania and the priest is under investigation for violence against the baby. The press in Romania reported the case with the underlying suggestion that the Orthodox ritual of Baptism represents in itself violence against the child and lack of concern for the well-being of the baby. What happened really is, of course, different from what the press made of it. I watched the scene on Romanain TV and I can assure you that it was nothing unusual, just a more reluctant baby who put a more forceful resistance.
The troubling part of it is that the police took the initiative to open an investigation after watching the social media and determining that it was child abuse. Even more disquieting is that the priest was suspended and the Archbishopric of Braila apologized to the parents who never complained of anything.
Gregg Schneider on November 02, 2017 · at 11:06 am EST/EDT
Most Russians know that Jesus Christ was a pure communist. The Russian soul is essentially socialist.
But even more know that he was not. Christianity has nothing to do with communism, socialism, capitalism, but with salvation and eternal life.
Gregg Schneider on November 02, 2017 · at 1:11 pm EST/EDT
There is no non-political religion.
Marxisms primary aim was to prevent Britains rivals from developing a willing and industrious entrepreneurial class. Class war was intended to weaken the rivals, not to ameliorate the lives of the common people. Socialism as a reformist version of Marxism was still under the control of the British Fabian society some of whose members were among the wealthiest people in the world. Just because Marx borrowed some ideas from Jesus it doesnt make it a reciprocal relation. Marx was a hired pen for the elite monopoly capitalists and his task was to redirect people from honest reformism.
Oscar The Read Cat on November 02, 2017 · at 2:02 pm EST/EDT
RT and Sputnik were good.
But do we really need 100+ headlines per day like the following for example:
https://www.rt.com/sport/408617-mia-khalifa-tiger-woods/
https://www.rt.com/uk/408610-burglar-stuck-police-chicken/
RT and Sputnik should know and do better!
Ant. on November 02, 2017 · at 2:44 pm EST/EDT
Here I must disagree with the esteemed Saker, much of whom’s opinion’s I share.
RT speaks to westerner’s in their own terms.
Not in a religious Orthodox Church way, which will only turn western opinions away from them.
I have said before, and I will say again: I am agnostic. I have no time for religion, which I think has caused at least as much woe as it has caused goodness.
I care as much for the Russian Orthodox Church, or the Pope, or the Arch-Bishop of Canterbury Islamic teachings, or the Mormon’s, as I do about LGBTEQ.
You don’t need a religion to have a good set of ethics or morality. That’s nonsense, most religious rules are quite apparently self-obvious, to allow a set of humans to co-operate in a society and succeed.
‘Thou shalt not kill’.
‘Thou shalt not commit adultery’.
‘That shat not covet thy neighbour’s oxen’.
Blah-blah. Nothing special or divine about that, didn’t need some turkey to wander up a hill and find a bunch of stone inscriptions to figure that shit out.
It’s the stuff about ‘Thou shalt have no false icons’ or ‘Kill the Infidel’ that I find fully self-serving, and has no place in my ethics. Follow MY religion, it’s the only good one! They all say that. Just another power structure (and that’s what they all are). Various eastern religions don’t seem that exclusive.
My apologies if I offended anyone, and that’s the way of the modern world. Disappointing someone is fast becoming a crime.
End of next rant.
And non political religion is another illusion.
Ann on November 02, 2017 · at 6:16 pm EST/EDT
also the other day – Palestinians, killed in their own country were called ‘militants’ by an RT article – made me wonder if the Zonists have vested interest in RT
Pelantaro on November 02, 2017 · at 8:18 pm EST/EDT
This is just an opinion, of course, but I think that these kind of things is what makes RT&Sp so successful as an info weapon.
In my view, these media outlets are not directed to the typical asian/eurasian nor well informed people but for the common western sheeple.
Those articles are brilliantly exploiting insights of the actual western culture, and they help to put people on their side and defend themselves.
Think about this: western media have already made atemps to create stereotypes and ridiculize russian/slav culture based on the orthodox beliefs and rituals, what would happen to the close-to-atheist-by-force western audience of RT&Sp if they stucked themselves defending the religion and making their product somekind of orthodox-compliant? Of course! They will start to loose them on the hands of the anglozionist media! Sometimes this is just some kind of decaf version of “we can laugh at ourselves, can you? do you have that freedom?”
By the way, if you read the full articles, they always try to put things not so far adding some facts and contextualization at the end.
Its hard when your spirituality is being jostled, but this is war and RT&Sp are formidable big weapons that shake things like it they create some recoil when they shot.
But “laughing at ourselves” smacks of black propaganda. It always dilutes the message, when it does not completely turns it upside down. The sheeple will think, hey these guys are not serious.
Pelantaro on November 03, 2017 · at 6:10 am EST/EDT
Not necesarilly. If you look at the articles, they finally don’t left room to reinforce the stereotype. That is what I’m talking about. Its not like they literally replicate the western media mocks, they place facts and context so it becomes just a “trendy western joke” without appearing sensitive to it.
I see that Sputnik is criticized for its English. I am not an Englishspeaker and I also make mistakes and I defend Sputnik. I have read articles that must have taken many hours or days for research. Some small language mistakes are not important.
How many really good Englishspeakers are there in Russia and where do they work? For the Russian Federation first of all. I remind you that UK had trouble finding excellent Russianspeakers a couple of years ago and wanted to rehire old analysts to understand Moscow.
Jorge Bizarro on November 08, 2017 · at 1:06 pm EST/EDT
May be RT anti-religion pundits are at oods with thinks like this grass-rootcoming back of Russia to Christ Our Lord and Saviour:
Documentary Faces among Icons
https://www.youtube.com/embed/-Y4yG2gqDOY?version=3&autohide=2&showsearch=0&showinfo=1&iv_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent
Isidora on November 08, 2017 · at 4:28 pm EST/EDT
White-washing of the soviet era is in full swing, even on Pravoslavie both the Russian and the English versions. Prophecies of course predicted only a brief 15-20 year re-flowering of Russia. Longer was possible but depended on the spiritual state of the Russians themselves. Sadly, the Bolshevik murder strategy followed by Western/Zio mammonite values is conquering Russia. The cartoons of “Orthodox in space” apparently looking for God, as one of the soviet cosmonauts blasphemed, are sad beyond words. Secular saviors are sought in vain.
Bernard Korzeniewicz on November 17, 2017 · at 8:02 am EST/EDT
as much as I’m a Polish nationalist (in a sence you are the Russian one) I can’t help to agree with you on so many topics.
This article, (https://thesaker.is/message-to-the-saker-community-about-great-october-socialist-revolution/) for example summes exactly my point of view. “Only victims know the truth.” Thank you.
As for RT and Sputnik – as I understand they are the Russian view media outlets. Unfortunatelly for me they sems they are “outlets” of Russian based west supporting “democrats” than the actual Russian government. Especially the RT siding with the MSM fake news stations about today Poland hurt the Russian intersts – just like the CNN hurt American’s in Russia.
And this is not a solitary accident. Frequent siding with deranged European Unioin or Poland-grown Antifa wannabes have no sence unless the point is to empower the current regime. And that regime is very weak and need all support it can get. The obviously false media coverage from the not too liked eastern neighbor are like gift form Heaven for the Law and Justice Party.
For me RT is doing it best to help preserve the current level of distrust and anger in the Polish-Russin relation.
Antoni on November 17, 2017 · at 7:33 pm EST/EDT
There is one thing that Western Weapon of mass propaganda (Western media) and RT+Sputnik have in common, anti-Islam insults and stereo types attacks. Daily at least 2 article of anti-Islam nature is published by RT. RT also in the very rude way attacking refugees in Europe. They pick uo every small and banal case and make a huge issue like ” A famous German said that Merkel brought enemies of Jews to Germany”.
Many neo-fascists in eastern Europe attacked in daily basis “colored people” and many of them get inspiration from such anit-Islam and anti refugee insults from RT. My my muslim friends who really love Russia and Russian people were very disturbed and disappointed by RT and stop to to watch it.
Could be RT and Sput infiltrated by usual suspects. Veterans Today wrote about such possibilities before.
Balderdash on December 07, 2018 · at 8:26 pm EST/EDT
Saker nails it again. It matters naught what course Russian media takes – trying to appear acceptable will ‘earn’ it the same rewards as presenting the Truth. So scrap ‘trying’ and concentrate on the truth. Anything less than the truth – and fact checkable propaganda – will be leapt upon as ‘proof that what passes for ‘sense’ in western circles is correct. Better say nothing that to say something verifiably wrong.
Meanwhile it reads like Russia is due for another ‘revival’ meeting. To clarify what Russia is and where Russia is going.
Anything that sounds like ‘Israelovich’ or ‘Nudelsman’ had better be making positive noises, those kind if Russians, like their American pornster cousins, have done nobody any good. They deserve to make aliyah. | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.7257542014122009, "wiki_prob": 0.2742457985877991, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line571217"} |
IHFDATN 49
Qi Yanshu was not alone. Luo Jiale was behind him, and this assistant’s eyes lit up when he saw Jiang Mian and finally understood why his boss had to come back suddenly.
Some time ago Master Qi suddenly fell ill and wanted to see his youngest son, so he sent a car to pick up Qi Yanshu.
Master Qi’s illness suddenly flared up and made the Qi family very distressed.
The old man has always been in good health and rarely gets sick. Even if he gets sick, he just catches a little cold and gets well soon. This time, he issued a critical illness notice.
The Qi family was wondering whether it was because Qi Yanshu came back and got the master Qi very ill.
After Qi Yanshu met Master Qi, the father and son were locked in the room and didn’t know what they talk about. Qi Yanshu then left the Qi family with Luo Jiale and returned to the Taoist temple.
During this period, Qi Yanshu has been living in the Taoist temple. As his assistant, Luo Jiale vaguely felt that Qi Yanshu treated Jiang Mian a little differently, so he paid extra attention to Jiang Mian.
And since he has been updated on Jiang Mian’s whereabouts, he knew that she was filming at this time.
He learned about Jiang Mian on the Internet every day and then told Qi Yanshu this news.
Every time he reported the news of Jiang Mian seen on the Internet, such as Jiang Mian on the hot search and so on, the boss would listen attentively.
And this would sometimes make Luo Jiale inevitably speculate, was it possible that the boss likes Jiang Mian?
The first time his boss saw Jiang Mian, he already wants to hold the little girl’s face, most likely because he fell in love with her at first sight.
But that’s a ridiculous reason.
The boss couldn’t see, so it was impossible to fall in love at first sight.
And although the boss pays attention to Jiang Mian, he sometimes doesn’t look like a man who’s in love, anyway, it was too complicated, and he couldn’t understand it.
After all, if he really like her, even if he couldn’t see her, he could send a message or make a phone call.
Obviously, he has Jiang Mian’s contact information, but he has never seen his boss contact Jiang Mian.
His boss’s heart was like a needle in the bottom of a woman’s heart making it hard for Luo Jiale to understand.
Before dawn this morning, Qi Yanshu suddenly told him to go home. His “home” was naturally the community he lived with Jiang Mian.
Luo Jiale was very surprised but immediately arranged to go home.
When he got out of the elevator and saw Jiang Mian, he understood.
The boss must have learned that Jiang Mian came home, so he came back suddenly.
He was very puzzled. When he got the news that Jiang Mian was going home, the boss rushed home nonstop.
Since he wanted to see Jiang Mian so much, he could visit her at the filming site as her friend. Why does he need to wait for Jiang Mian to come home and see her?
Later, after thinking hard over the matter Luo Jiale came up with a reason. It was likely that since the boss couldn’t see it was inconvenient to visit the filming site, especially because there were many people.
When he found that after his boss got out of the elevator and didn’t say anything after seeing Jiang Mian, Luo Jiale sighed anxiously and greeted her warmly instead.
“Good morning, Miss Jiang.”
Jiang Mian: “???”
She and Luo Jiale were not familiar with each other. It surprised her to see him enthusiastically greeting her.
However, when people say hello with a smile, she couldn’t regard it as if she doesn’t see it.
“Is Miss Jiang going out?” Luo Jiale asked.
Seeing Jiang Mian nod, Luo Jiale got a little anxious. The boss hurried back but they could only meet each other in the corridor?
“When did you come back?”
Qi Yanshu said faintly, interrupting what Luo Jiale wanted to say. Seeing that the boss finally spoke, Luo Jiale retreated silently and cheered the boss secretly.
“I came back last night.” Jiang Mian looked at Qi Yanshu’s right hand.
“Uncle Qi, is the hand completely healed?”
Qi Yanshu tapped his lower jaw, he then raised his wrist and moved it very nimbly.
“It’s already fine, don’t worry.”
“That’s good.” After saying a greeting and confirming that Qi Yanshu’s hand was already healed, Jiang Mian was still rushing to deliver the wound medicine to her police detective father so she politely said goodbye and prepared to leave.
Qi Yanshu suddenly opened his mouth, and his voice was a little hesitant.
“I have something to do with elder martial brother Wuzhen. I need an interview, but I can’t contact him. Can you help me contact him?”
“Of course.” It was difficult for a person of Qi Yanshu’s nature to make a request to others, and the fact that he could make a request to himself meant that the matter of getting an interview with her Taoist Father was important.
Contacting her Taoist father was just a matter of convenience, so Jiang Mian has no reason not to agree.
She just doesn’t know whether her Taoist father found the murderer or not. She took out her phone and called her Taoist father. Coincidentally, her Taoist father called before she dialed his number.
“Mian Mian, I found the murderer.” Taoist Father’s happy voice came.
Not only did he find the killer, but he also caught him in the process.
At the other end of the phone, a group of policemen led by Li Zeliang was all confused.
The killer was found in a residential building, which was located in an area that happens to be the area point delineated by Lian Feng.
When Zuo Xingping followed Li Zeliang out of the police last night, the latter had arranged for the police force to conduct patrols in the area pointed out by Lian Feng. At the same time, he also looked forward to what ability Zuo Xingping had to quickly find the murderer, waiting for him to analyze and speak.
And when he arrived at the police station, Zuo Xingping said that they would prepare a quiet and empty house for him, and no one could disturb him.
Li Zeliang also thought he would have some high stakes and the result???
Although deep inside he became more and more suspicious, Li Zeliang still asked people to prepare what Zuo Xingping wanted. After waiting for almost half an hour, Zuo Xingping came out of the room and said the exact location.
Li Zeliang immediately sent someone to feel out and found that the murderer was most likely indeed there, so he prepared to arrest the murderer overnight.
“No, you can’t go and arrest at this time.” Zuo Xingping shook his head, and he said seriously, “After 5:00 a.m., then carry out the arrest.”
“Why?” Li Zeliang wondered.
“It’s two o’clock in the morning. What’s the difference between two o’clock and five o’clock?”
The difference was much bigger.
Because the killer was not a human, but a fox demon in human skin.
Zuo Xingping found the location of the murderer and confirmed it through the message sent back by the little paper man.
Nowadays, it’s hard to meet demons. Zuo Xingping didn’t expect his baby daughter to pick up this work for him, and it turned out that murderer was actually a demon.
The demon was much fiercer than the spirit monster.
And this time before 5 a.m., the other party absorbs the essence of the sun and moon and would be stronger than during the day.
The police were likely to upset the fox demon if they make an arrest at this time.
But whether Zuo Xingping told Li Zeliang that the murderer of this serial murder was a human or a demon, it must be a pair of handcuffs to meet him.
But he couldn’t give a good reason. Since Li Zeliang knew the exact location of the murderer, he couldn’t wait for a moment. If he caught the murderer earlier, the stone hanging in the air would fall.
Originally, as long as the Taoist father finds the exact location of the murderer, he has completed the task. It was the police’s business to arrest the murderer, but since he knew the inside story, he couldn’t watch the police confront the fox demon and get hurt or lose their life.
He had to go with him.
Then, things completely deviated from Li Zeliang’s expectations. The murderer was indeed in the room. They broke in with guns, but they didn’t expect that the murderer was not afraid when he saw them, although he panicked for a moment.
The murderer was so fierce that he was able to dodge bullets, injured several people, and finally jumped out of the window.
He lives on the eighth floor!
Looking down from the window, he could see that the murderer jumped downstairs. He didn’t fall but ran faster. In an instant, he broke the world outlook of the police present.
Li Zeliang immediately called for support and asked the police waiting downstairs to intercept him.
It’s completely useless. The murderer escaped!
Li Zeliang hurried downstairs, but heard a policeman say, “Zuo, Mr. Zuo caught up.”
He asked subconsciously, “how did he catch up?”
The police officer was in a bit of a trance: “He just went after him on the battery bike he rode over.”
When Zuo Xingping came with them, he did not take a police car, but by battery bike.
Li Zeliang’s expression changed.
“The killer is extremely dangerous, how can you let him go alone, he is not a police officer, if something happens, who can bear the responsibility!”
The policeman was a little wrong. He wanted to stop him, but before he could stop it, Mr. Zuo disappeared in his battery bike.
Li Zeliang was angry and anxious at the same time. He was stabbed in the shoulder by the murderer, his blood flowed like a flood, but he didn’t care. He immediately contacted the Transportation Bureau, adjust the monitoring, and look for the trace of the killer escaping along the way, and Zuo Xingping!
After a busy night, they couldn’t find their tracks and couldn’t get through to Zuo Xingping. Li Zeliang’s anxious mouth burst into a large circle of blisters.
Early in the morning, Zuo Xingping suddenly came to the police station on his battery bike, and behind him sat the kidnapped murderer.
With a disheveled appearance, he pushed the murderer to Li Zeliang.
“Here, the murderer is caught.”
Everyone: “….”
Zuo Xingping didn’t care what everyone thought. He was chasing the fox demon for most of the night and was too tired. After he caught up, the other party was more aggrieved than him.
Fox demon: I just want to be a person.
Zuo Xingping: You want to be a human being, you can be a human being but why are you killing people and many at that.
After a bitter battle, Zuo Xingping finally caught the murderer and broke the murderer’s internal energy, disabling him to transform into his original form and would pose any danger.
It’s most appropriate to hand it over to the police.
Zuo Xingping, who completed the task, naturally told her baby daughter the good news as soon as possible.
“Dad is really good.”
Jiang Mian doesn’t know about the thrilling experience of her Taoist Father that one night, but she won’t be stingy with her praise.
She thought her Taoist Father was just helping to get the exact location of the killer.
When Zuo Xingping heard his daughter’s sweet voice, he was shocked, but he was no longer tired in an instant. He wiped his face and succeeded in giving his face more color and looking silly.
“I’ll get the pay later. When your work is over, shall we go shopping?”
Zuo Xingping thought Jiang Mian had returned to the hotel.
These days his baby girl has been feeding him, now that he has money, he wants to buy for his baby girl!
“Okay.” Jiang Mian couldn’t help laughing. After chatting with her Taoist father for a while, she remembered Qi Yanshu’s request. He was still waiting nearby.
Jiang Mian tapped her forehead and hurriedly said, “Dad, uncle Qi said he wanted to talk to you about something.”
“Huh?” The Taoist Father was bewildered, “What does he want with me?”
“I went home last night since I don’t have any scenes to record this morning, so I didn’t go back to the set. Just now, I went out to prepare to go to the hospital and happened to run into Uncle Qi.”
Knowing that her Taoist father does not want her to interact more with Qi Yanshu, Jiang Mian explained smoothly, “I’ll give him the phone and let him talk to you.”
She handed the phone to Qi Yanshu, who took it, “Brother Wuzhen.”
Zuo Xingping: “……”
During this time, Qi Yanshu returned to the Taoist temple—Zuo Xingping contacted a younger martial brother of Lingqing temple before. While chatting, the other party told him that Qi Yanshu had returned to Lingqing temple.
His baby daughter came home last night and met Qi Yanshu today. Taoist father was simple-minded, but he thought this was a bit too coincidental.
Hearing Qi Yanshu wanted to meet him and thinking of his baby daughter saying she was going to the hospital—Taoist father hatched a scheme.
Lian Feng was a sharp person, he could let him assess the situation.
The more he thought about it, the more he thought it was a good idea, so he said.
“Mian Mian wants to go to the hospital. Go with Mian Mian, and I’ll go to the hospital now.”
Qi Yan agreed.
She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, she never thought that her Taoist father would let Qi Yanshu go to the hospital.
Hanging up the phone, Qi Yanshu frowned and asked Jiang Mian.
“To the hospital? Were you injured?”
“It’s not me.” Jiang Mian was helpless, “I have a …… uncle who was injured and was hospitalized, I’m going to visit him.”
Qi Yanshu returned her phone and asked no more questions.
When they went downstairs Jiang Mian got into Qi Yanshu’s car. The car’s interior decoration was very simple, and a faint light sandalwood fragrance made it quite comfortable to smell.
“Have you eaten breakfast?” Qi Yanshu asked.
“No.” Jiang Mian touched her stomach, she didn’t sleep the whole night, and now he’s really hungry.
“Neither do I.” Qi Yanshu’s voice was very natural.
Jiang Mian: “then I’ll treat you to breakfast.”
Qi Yanshu shook his head gently and his voice was soothing: “you invited me many times, so this time I’ll invite you.”
Jiang Mian responded cheerfully.
Inadvertently, she looked up and saw from the rearview mirror that Luo Jiale, who was driving, was smiling like a fool.
It’s just a discussion about breakfast, why are you smiling like this?
I Have Four Dads After Transmigrating in a Novel | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5248324871063232, "wiki_prob": 0.5248324871063232, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1034817"} |
Tournaments > 2012 > United States > 43rd World Series of Poker - WSOP 2012
Tournament: 43rd World Series of Poker - WSOP 2012
Date: May 27 - Jul 16, 2012
Venue: Rio Hotel and Casino Las Vegas, NV, United States
Event: No Limit Hold'em (Event #38) (Jun 20 - 22, 2012)
Buy-in: $1,500
Prize: $3,420,900
Entries: 2,534
May 27 - 28, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Casino Employees Event (Event #1) $500
May 28 - 30, 2012 No Limit Hold'em (Event #2) $1,500
May 29 - 31, 2012 No Limit Hold'em/Pot Limit Omaha - Heads-Up (Event #3) $3,000
May 29 - 31, 2012 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #4) $1,500
May 30 - Jun 1, 2012 Pot Limit Hold'em (Event #5) $1,500
May 31 - Jun 3, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Mixed Max (Event #6) $5,000
May 31 - Jun 2, 2012 Seven Card Stud (Event #7) $1,500
Jun 1 - 3, 2012 Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #8) $1,500
Jun 2 - 6, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Re-Entry (Event #9A) $1,500
Jun 3 - 5, 2012 Seven Card Stud (Event #10) $5,000
Jun 4 - 6, 2012 Pot Limit Omaha (Event #11) $1,500
Jun 5 - 8, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Heads-Up (Event #12) $10,000
Jun 5 - 7, 2012 Limit Hold'em (Event #13) $1,500
Jun 6 - 8, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Shootout (Event #14) $1,500
Jun 6 - 8, 2012 Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #15) $5,000
Jun 7 - 9, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Six Handed (Event #16) $1,500
Jun 8 - 10, 2012 Pot Limit Hold'em (Event #17) $10,000
Jun 8 - 10, 2012 Seven Card Razz (Event #18) $2,500
Jun 9 - 11, 2012 No Limit Hold'em (Event #19) $1,500
Jun 9 - 11, 2012 Limit Hold'em (Event #20) $5,000
Jun 10 - 12, 2012 No Limit Hold'em (Event #21) $1,000
Jun 10 - 12, 2012 Limit 2-7 Triple Draw Lowball (Event #22) $2,500
Jun 11 - 13, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Six Handed (Event #23) $3,000
Jun 11 - 13, 2012 Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #24) $5,000
Jun 12 - 14, 2012 Limit Hold'em - Shootout (Event #25) $1,500
Jun 12 - 14, 2012 Pot Limit Omaha (Event #26) $3,000
Jun 13 - 15, 2012 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #27) $1,500
Jun 14 - 16, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Four Handed (Event #28) $2,500
Jun 15 - 17, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Seniors Championship (Event #29) $1,000
Jun 15 - 17, 2012 No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball (Event #30) $1,500
Jun 16 - 18, 2012 H.O.R.S.E. (Event #32) $10,000
Jun 18 - 20, 2012 Pot Limit Omaha - Six Handed (Event #34) $5,000
Jun 18 - 20, 2012 Mixed Hold'em (Event #35) $2,500
Jun 19 - 21, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Shootout (Event #36) $3,000
Jun 19 - 21, 2012 8 Game (Event #37) $2,500
Jun 21 - 23, 2012 Pot Limit Omaha (Event #39) $10,000
Jun 21 - 23, 2012 Limit Hold'em - Six Handed (Event #40) $2,500
Jun 22 - 24, 2012 Omaha /Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo (Event #42) $2,500
Jun 24 - 26, 2012 The Poker Players Championship (Event #45) $50,000
Jun 26 - 28, 2012 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #47) $1,500
Jun 26 - 28, 2012 Limit Hold'em (Event #48) $3,000
Jun 27 - 28, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Ante Only (Event #49) $1,500
Jun 29 - Jul 1, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Ladies Championship (Event #51) $1,000
Jun 29 - Jul 1, 2012 10 Game - Six Handed (Event #52) $2,500
Jun 30, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Doubles $560
Jun 30 - Jul 2, 2012 No Limit Hold'em (Event #53) $1,500
Jul 1 - 3, 2012 No Limit Hold'em (Event #54) $1,000
Jul 1 - 3, 2012 The Big One for One Drop (Event #55) $1,000,000
Jul 3 - 5, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Six Handed (Event #57) $10,000
Jul 3 - 5, 2012 Pot Limit Omaha Hi/Lo (Event #58) $3,000
Jul 5 - 7, 2012 No Limit 2-7 Draw Lowball (Event #60) $10,000
Jul 6, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - Bounty Event $560
Jul 7 - Oct 30, 2012 World Championship - No Limit Hold'em (Event #61) $10,000
Jul 6 - 8, 2012 No Limit Hold'em - National Championship $10,000
1st Dung Gomer Nguyen $607,200 — —
2nd Theo Tran $377,565 — —
3rd Bahman Jahanguiri $267,241 — —
4th Blair Hinkle $192,734 — —
5th David "The Dragon" Pham $140,736 — —
6th Kristijonas Andrulis $103,995 — —
7th Zachary Korik $77,791 — —
8th Jeffrey Manza $58,874 — —
9th Tyler Patterson $45,087 — —
10th Scott Clements $34,927 — —
11th Matthew Pierce $34,927 — —
12th Ricky L Crandell $34,927 — —
13th Miguel Proulx $27,367 — —
14th Marcus Gurley $27,367 — —
15th Mihails Morozovs $27,367 — —
16th Blake Cahail $21,689 — —
17th H Michael Borovetz $21,689 — —
18th Jesse Wilke $21,689 — —
19th Jason Lester $17,378 — —
20th Bastian Fischer $17,378 — —
21st Jia Liu $17,378 — —
22nd Chris Bonita $17,378 — —
23rd Layne Flack $17,378 — —
24th Aharon "Ronnie" Shabtay $17,378 — —
25th Ardys Reed $17,378 — —
26th Michael Palamidessi $17,378 — —
27th Fred Kulikowski $17,378 — —
28th Keven Stammen $14,094 — —
29th Simeon Naydenov $14,094 — —
30th Joshua Weiss $14,094 — —
31st Lauren Kling $14,094 — —
32nd Scott Augustine $14,094 — —
33rd Samad "KODDZILLA" Razavi $14,094 — —
34th Sam Lee $14,094 — —
35th Joseph Dipascale $14,094 — —
36th Nicolas Cardyn $14,094 — —
37th Marty Feijo $11,563 — —
38th Grayson Ramage $11,563 — —
39th Isaac Haxton $11,563 — —
40th Anthony Minniti $11,563 — —
41st Thomas Kaplan $11,563 — —
42nd Jesse Yaginuma $11,563 — —
43rd Karl Nathaniel Dawson $11,563 — —
44th Ilan Boujenah $11,563 — —
45th Timothy Good $11,563 — —
46th Travell Thomas $9,579 — —
47th Dmitry Kuzmin $9,579 — —
48th Adam Sanders $9,579 — —
49th Dwight Farrell $9,579 — —
50th Miles Barnum $9,579 — —
51st Anthony Ruberto $9,579 — —
52nd Rodney Pickering $9,579 — —
53rd Pete Crisp $9,579 — —
54th William Migely $9,579 — —
55th Timothy Liddell $8,005 — —
56th Alessandra Correa "Ale Braga" Dos Santos $8,005 — —
57th Scott Shelley $8,005 — —
58th Joseph Hunter $8,005 — —
59th Steven Tabb $8,005 — —
60th Mark Martin $8,005 — —
61st Steve Tripp $8,005 — —
62nd Buffy Shapiro $8,005 — —
63rd Steven Gurney-Goldman $8,005 — —
64th James Collopy $6,773 — —
65th Matthew Beisher $6,773 — —
66th Francisco Rios Vallejo $6,773 — —
67th Daniel Cai $6,773 — —
68th Ashton Berner $6,773 — —
69th Kane Lai $6,773 — —
70th Dan Smith $6,773 — —
71st Ivan Mamuzic $6,773 — —
72nd James Bolender $6,773 — —
73rd Nicholas Mitchell $5,781 — —
74th Jason Senti $5,781 — —
75th Jeffrey Fielder $5,781 — —
76th Joe Warling $5,781 — —
77th Jarrod Blackwell $5,781 — —
78th Tarek Riester $5,781 — —
79th Slaven Popov $5,781 — —
80th Mike "GoLeafsGoEh" Leah $5,781 — —
81st Unknown "Car Wash" Player $5,781 — —
82nd Sami Banizuraij $4,995 — —
83rd Anton Morgenstern $4,995 — —
84th Vitor Coelho $4,995 — —
85th Stephane Tayar $4,995 — —
86th Mickael Morgousky $4,995 — —
87th Will Jones $4,995 — —
88th Jose Luis Franco $4,995 — —
89th Payman Moughaddas $4,995 — —
90th Michael Benvenuti $4,995 — —
91st Evan Krentzman $4,345 — —
92nd Eoghan "Tiltpaddy" O'Dea $4,345 — —
93rd Nicky Evans $4,345 — —
94th Mark "Pegasus" Smith $4,345 — —
95th Arie Ori Miller $4,345 — —
96th Donald Yucius $4,345 — —
97th Mike Cordell $4,345 — —
98th Jeffrey Davis $4,345 — —
99th Elon Alexander Diamond $4,345 — —
100th Eric Dubreuil $3,831 — —
101st Waldemar Essig $3,831 — —
102nd Assani Fisher $3,831 — —
103rd Brian Seibert $3,831 — —
104th Nabih Zaczac $3,831 — —
105th Ivan Holmes $3,831 — —
106th Andrew Stringer $3,831 — —
107th Andrew Pauka $3,831 — —
108th Steven Fox $3,831 — —
109th Jordan Morgan $3,831 — —
110th Robert L Cole $3,831 — —
111th Thomas Decker $3,831 — —
112th Benjamin Zamani $3,831 — —
113th Kenji Tsukamoto $3,831 — —
114th Petr Bartagov $3,831 — —
115th Jason Potter $3,831 — —
116th Joshua Schiffman $3,831 — —
117th Christopher Gamboa $3,831 — —
118th Teddy Conner $3,831 — —
119th Wai Lau $3,831 — —
120th Kory Kilpatrick $3,831 — —
121st Andrea Vezzani $3,831 — —
122nd Kwinsee Khoa Tran $3,831 — —
123rd Sammy Colwell $3,831 — —
124th Robert Hillman $3,831 — —
125th William Mietz $3,831 — —
126th Ryan Smith $3,831 — —
127th Stacey Nutini $3,831 — —
128th John Knipfer $3,831 — —
129th William Gottman $3,831 — —
130th Richard Toth $3,831 — —
131st Filipp Khavin $3,831 — —
132nd Scott Sitron $3,831 — —
133rd Tommy Vedes $3,831 — —
134th Matthew "Matt" Affleck $3,831 — —
135th Rock Cloutier $3,831 — —
136th Michael Newport $3,421 — —
137th Tim Farrelly $3,421 — —
138th James Page $3,421 — —
139th Michael Swimelar $3,421 — —
140th Steven "Gloub94" Moreau $3,421 — —
141st Ted Jivkov $3,421 — —
142nd Fernando Furlaneti $3,421 — —
143rd Mike Sica $3,421 — —
144th Unknown Player $3,421 — —
145th Leo Whitt $3,421 — —
146th Patros Behnam $3,421 — —
147th Dario Derenzi $3,421 — —
148th Artem Kobylynskyi $3,421 — —
149th Richard Barone $3,421 — —
150th Mikhail Timoshin $3,421 — —
151st Keith Block $3,421 — —
152nd Keir Ratcliff $3,421 — —
153rd John Morstad $3,421 — —
154th Emanuel "Will" Failla $3,421 — —
155th Robert Pisano $3,421 — —
156th Priyan de Mel $3,421 — —
157th Gergely Meszaros $3,421 — —
158th Aaron Christman $3,421 — —
159th Diego Alvarez $3,421 — —
160th Nelder Mendes De Carvalho $3,421 — —
161st Brian Kee $3,421 — —
162nd Unknown Player $3,421 — —
163rd David Levi $3,421 — —
164th Jonah Ari Miller $3,421 — —
165th Jonathan Cohen $3,421 — —
166th Alex Jennings $3,421 — —
167th Richard Osborne $3,421 — —
168th Edward Lowitzki $3,421 — —
169th Sarah Beard $3,421 — —
170th Peter Rho $3,421 — —
171st Jean Sebastien Ledoux $3,421 — —
172nd Shane Bolda $3,421 — —
173rd Andrew Pruitt $3,421 — —
174th Will Jaffe $3,421 — —
175th Kenny Phan $3,421 — —
176th Romuaid Pycior $3,421 — —
177th Jarred Solomon $3,421 — —
178th Stefano Ricci $3,421 — —
179th Scott Schwalich $3,421 — —
180th Denys Drobyna $3,421 — —
181st Steve Karp $3,079 — —
182nd Henrik Thuesen $3,079 — —
183rd Billy Rogers $3,079 — —
184th Philippe Boucher $3,079 — —
185th Jared Lawrence $3,079 — —
186th Patricia Johnson $3,079 — —
187th Sebastian Pollack $3,079 — —
188th Jason Montague $3,079 — —
189th Douglas Steller $3,079 — —
190th Yordan Mitrentsov $3,079 — —
191st Jonathan Tamayo $3,079 — —
192nd Alan "Ari" Engel $3,079 — —
193rd Reinaldo De Santanna $3,079 — —
194th Hunter Frey $3,079 — —
195th Athipoo Phahurat $3,079 — —
196th David Lanes $3,079 — —
197th Carlo Braceros $3,079 — —
198th Eric Baldwin $3,079 — —
199th Allen Wiseman $3,079 — —
200th Darryl Ronconi $3,079 — —
201st Paul Renfrow $3,079 — —
202nd Kevin Miller $3,079 — —
203rd Timothy "Tim0thee" Adams $3,079 — —
204th Juan Manuel Pastor $3,079 — —
205th Dylan Wilkerson $3,079 — —
206th Jacob Brenden $3,079 — —
207th Todd Tritsch $3,079 — —
208th Vince Burgio $3,079 — —
209th Elijah Pena $3,079 — —
210th Camile Pontillo $3,079 — —
211th Ray Foley $3,079 — —
212th Frank Vulpis $3,079 — —
213th Jason Mayfield $3,079 — —
214th Ross Myers $3,079 — —
215th Richard Willoughby $3,079 — —
216th Jeff Carlson $3,079 — —
217th Dennis Yeary $3,079 — —
218th Harrison Gimbel $3,079 — —
219th Anthony Ruffolo $3,079 — —
220th Edward Hansen $3,079 — —
221st Arthur Lim $3,079 — —
222nd Jose Ruizdominguez $3,079 — —
223rd Jacob Panzeri $3,079 — —
224th Charlie Dawson $3,079 — —
225th Shawn Payne $3,079 — —
226th Mohsin "ChicagoCards1" Charania $2,771 — —
227th Tonya Baltazar $2,771 — —
228th Matthew Huey $2,771 — —
229th Kou Vang $2,771 — —
230th Istvan Toro $2,771 — —
231st Gabriel Nassif $2,771 — —
232nd Andrew Jackson $2,771 — —
233rd Cory Carlson $2,771 — —
234th George Broussard $2,771 — —
235th Anthony Rubio $2,771 — —
236th Phillip Tom $2,771 — —
237th Andrew Dean $2,771 — —
238th Joseph Sanchez $2,771 — —
239th Carlos Heller $2,771 — —
240th Fred Goldberg $2,771 — —
241st Tony Cousineau $2,771 — —
242nd Thomas Ahern $2,771 — —
243rd Mike Fraser $2,771 — —
244th David Miscikowski $2,771 — —
245th Dane Canelas-Miller $2,771 — —
246th Duane Yoshioka $2,771 — —
247th Christian Steen $2,771 — —
248th David Levi $2,771 — —
249th Perry Lin $2,771 — —
250th William Varga $2,771 — —
251st Charles Nelson $2,771 — —
252nd Martin Diaz $2,771 — —
253rd Scott Peterson $2,771 — —
254th Stephen Graner $2,771 — —
255th Jeffrey Tanouye $2,771 — —
256th Gregory Marcus $2,771 — —
257th Nick Wong $2,771 — —
258th In Sun Geoum $2,771 — —
259th John Clark $2,771 — —
260th Park Yu "Sparrow" Cheung $2,771 — —
261st David Schwind $2,771 — —
262nd Candido Pondo $2,771 — —
263rd John Cossin $2,771 — —
264th Christopher Rauscher $2,771 — —
265th Scott Epstein $2,771 — —
266th Qinghai Pan $2,771 — —
267th Jorge Fregoso $2,771 — — | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 1.0000001192092896, "wiki_prob": 1.0000001192092896, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line1646806"} |
Internet October 10, 2022
Killing Twitter, With Tesla As Collateral Damage [Opinion] By Techagents
Will this deal be the one that breaks Elon Musk? He is a risk taker who has proved to be a good thing in many ways. Businesses such as Tesla, SpaceX and Starlink would have either failed or failed to launch successfully without him.
However, much of his business is also at risk, often because of Musk’s moves. Tesla sales, for example, appeared to be falling off a cliff when Musk first announced his desire to acquire Twitter and make changes that disagreed with Tesla buyers. This action demonstrated a relatively strong correlation between Musk’s behavior, good or bad, and the success of those businesses.
The Twitter acquisition is going to get ugly. It was already in operational trouble when Musk launched his hostile takeover, which caused further damage to the company. Now he is paying full price for something that was not only damaged, initially, but was further damaged by the first unsuccessful attempt.
Let’s talk about the good and the bad (lots of bad) with this Musk/Twitter deal. On one hand, it could have saved Twitter. However, cascading failure is more likely to start across all of Musk’s firms.
We’ll close out with our product of the week, a new discrete graphics card from Intel, the Arc A770 Limited Edition, that promises to shake up the graphics card market.
‘Bridgeton’ analogy
Thanks to some comments on “Dancing with the Stars” this month, I was thinking about the “Bridgeton” TV series this week. It is a light drama that revolves around the Old English matchmaking system.
In that framework, Musk would be the nobility, who decided to marry the daughter of another aristocrat who was in financial trouble, regardless of the wishes of the other nobility or the daughter. Musk then uses threats to do even more harm to his potential in-laws, forcing them to agree to the union. He then changes his mind and spoils the family, especially his potential bride, to such an extent that no one else will marry him.
The disgraced family takes him to task in front of the Queen, who appears to be on the side of the bride’s family, and Musk then decides that he will go through with the wedding. The queen is happy, and the bride’s family is happy, but the bride now facing marriage with a man who does not know her has clearly decided that he does not want her, and possibly disrespectful to her. Will happen.
Think of Twitter’s rank-and-file employees as bridesmaids. He is vilified by his potential new CEO, has no real say in the acquisition, and is likely to leave the company or focus on making Musk’s time a living nightmare.
There is no doubt in my mind that Musk is aware of the problem, which means he would be tempted to cut too deeply. But it looks like he plans to replace the late workers with automated technology, as his focus is on finding someone who can code for them to run the place.
While not a bad idea, the technology he needs doesn’t yet exist, which means he won’t be able to backfill in time, making it more likely that Twitter could collapse due to inadequate staffing.
In short, a Bridgeton-like ending, where both parties discover they love each other and live happily ever after, is unlikely.
Musk’s other problems
Musk has little spread across his companies, each of which must receive the full attention of his CEO. In fact, he is more of an operational chairman of the board, in that he delegates the operations of his firms and leads, when needed, or interest of him.
Twitter lives off ad revenue. In fact, it is a marketing construct. But Musk, while an expert in opinion manipulation, has shown no aptitude in marketing, so a business that relies on advertising revenue to survive is far from his skill set.
All of Musk’s other high-profile companies make money by selling products or, in the case of Starlink, services. Advertising revenue-dependent companies are a very different animal because the people you serve are the product of the firm, while the customers are the advertisers who want access to them.
Advertisers typically don’t want their brands to be associated with activities they don’t want to be associated with, but this is the business basis for the kind of moderation that companies like Twitter and Facebook use. They want dispute-related revenue, but they don’t want disputes that damage their brand or the brands of the firms they advertise with.
Musk’s plan to reopen Twitter to people who were banned as a result of violating Twitter’s rules would create a problem for advertisers and could sharply reduce Twitter’s associated revenue.
Cascading failure probability
Musk primarily exists under the image that, although he does crazy things, he is very successful and incredibly lucky, making it unwise to bet against him.
It’s problematic if Twitter fails because it’s a high-profile company, and the nature of this acquisition effort has already demonstrated that Musk is anything but infallible.
Should it fail, Musk’s reputation for success would take a significant hit, undermining his ability to pursue venture capital, and potentially hurting the brands of the firms he currently oversees.
Instead of giving Musk a pass, the media and individual investors will see Musk differently than the successful leader he and his people have worked so hard to build.
Also, Tesla sales could again take a big hit if a large number of people object to Musk’s Twitter redesign, which is likely. This comes at a time when the electric vehicle competition is getting steeper.
Potentially positive, though
Twitter is in deep trouble. It was in trouble before Musk’s bad decision made things worse for the company. To fix something as complicated as Twitter, sometimes you need to take it down to the basics and rebuild it almost from scrap. Whether it’s intentional or not, Musk is effectively doing so, and his effort could result in a company that’s easier to manage.
Since Musk doesn’t understand advertising, once private, taking Twitter to a fee-based model could be a way to focus the service on its users rather than its advertisers. If Pivot is successful, the result should be a communications service that optimally meets the needs of its customers.
Musk has hinted at something called “Application X,” which could be a Microsoft Office-like application that combines social media activity and communication into one application. Depending on the makeup of Application X, that could pose a major threat to Facebook and Google, the most likely companies that would target Application X. This could provide both of those firms with much needed competition to focus back on their core markets.
Musk’s decision to buy Twitter is dire and has the potential to overwhelm many of his other companies, especially Tesla.
The most brutal hit will be Twitter employees, who are not only unsupported by Musk, but are likely to be laid off by him. It should be clear to most that in the very short term it would be better to effectively turn Twitter into the shell of the rest of the employees than to quit. With the job market cooling down, those who move soon will likely have the most luck finding a new job.
Musk’s moves to reinstate those banned by Twitter should lead to increased use of Twitter and advertisers leaving the platform to avoid brand damage. Musk could mitigate this consequence if he changes Twitter from an ad-supported to a user-supported revenue model.
Intel Arc A770 Limited Edition Discrete Graphics Card
At $349, the Intel Arc 770 Limited Edition with 16GB of memory seems like quite a price for a discrete graphics card. For the right users, it may well be.
I’ll give my advice again when it comes to this new thing in technology: Unless you’re willing to accept some teething pain, you don’t want to be the first to use it.
Any new technology will have compatibility issues. This product will be no different, though initial reports indicate that those problems revolve around older game titles for the most part, where the card’s features probably won’t work well. It may still outperform cards that are over two years old, but if you’re running a current AAA game, it looks like it’s fine.
Intel’s graphics technology isn’t yet competitive with AMD or Nvidia at the high end, but the card appears to be competitive at this price point. As a limited edition with a nice industrial design, it may be acceptable to gamers and PC users who want a discrete card but are on a tight budget. This card provides a way to buy the highest end card from Intel at an affordable price.
ARC A770 Limited Edition GPU (Image credit: Intel)
Keep in mind that this card comes in two versions that are only $20 apart, which makes me wonder which idiot would buy the cheaper card. The difference is memory, and you may not need the extra 8GB of memory on the more expensive cards, but there’s no way to upgrade a card from 8GB to 16GB after purchase, a ton from paying that $20. makes more sense.
The card is set up for overclocking, initially drawing 225 but is wired to draw 300 watts. An interesting strategy in this card is to offer features like Upscaling (XeSS), Smooth Sync, Speed Sync and Arc Control at this attractive price point. Often, features like this show up in cards that cost almost twice as much).
PCMag did the most comprehensive set of benchmarks we’ve ever seen on this card. It performed competitively in its price range and did the best when the title could reach the card’s advanced features. For example, games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and Shadow of the Tomb Raider that use the XeSS upscaling feature did very well with this card.
However, as I mentioned above, it conflicts with legacy games like Far Cry 5 and Rainbow Six Siege, for example. So, until those games get an update, another option will serve you better if you mainly play legacy games and not new titles.
For someone who’s okay with early adopters and plays newer games more than old ones, the Arc A770 looks like a decent value and a solid early product from Intel’s new graphics group, which is why this week is my product.
How To Not CX, Lenovo Style [Opinion] By Techagents
Sometimes the world of smart technology innovations collides with the planet of dumb customer service provisions. That confrontation usually doesn’t bode well for the customer.
In my case, that scenario is especially true. I bought Lenovo’s Chromebook Duet 5 from a leading national electronics store at an attractive price. In the end, it was a purchase I wish I could undo.
The Duet 5 is considered by many reliable reviews as the best overall ChromeOS tablet / detachable computer available this year. Its large screen and detachable full-size keyboard create a usable and fun tablet experience that isn’t available with pure Android devices.
To me, that honor does little more than reaching that point. In fact, if your primary need for a Chromebook is to run Linux apps, think again about not buying Lenovo’s Duet 5. You may find a unit like mine that works even if Linux doesn’t. That failure is not considered a valid claim under Lenovo’s warranty.
I have become very fond of Chromebooks. ChromeOS devices complement my home office cadre of Linux computers. They link to my Android phone and its apps. I can run the same productivity apps and access their data directly on the Chromebook.
What fueled my fascination with the Duet 5 is it’s logical follow-up to the very popular 10.1″ original Duet that I bought a few years back. The Duet line has a detachable keyboard and is a stand-alone ChromeOS tablet.
Putting need versus need aside, I debated the potential for greater productivity and convenience with a bigger screen at 400 nits, a bigger keyboard, and 8GB of RAM. I knew the manufacturer and the retail store as well as the product line. Or so I thought.
What could have gone wrong? Three things: a failed product, no support, and a warranty that didn’t work!
maybe a lot
The last thing I needed to buy was another Chromebook. Over the years, I’ve used four or five models from HP, Lenovo and Asus.
The Duet 5 seemed to check all the boxes. As it turned out, the check mark for reliable technical support and customer service went out of the box.
No, I could not return the computer. By the time I realized its faulty nature, the undo window was closed.
I think this incident would prompt me to buy expensive add-on store warranties for less expensive electronic components. Adding insult to injury, Lenovo tech support said the malfunction was “out of the scope of the manufacturer’s one-year warranty.”
A final correspondence from Lenovo’s tech support told me that if I sent the device to its repair facility, all technicians would do is reset the unit to its original OS state and remove Linux.
Heck, I’ve already done the same thing twice.
Lenovo buyer beware
This account is not intended for product reviews. Rather, it explains what happens when corporate arrogance destroys the customer experience.
I usually write about business technology issues and open-source development affecting the Linux OS. My reporting beat overlaps with e-commerce and customer relationship management (CRM) issues.
As a technical writer and product reviewer, I’m used to having manufacturers send me their own products in hopes of showing off their best wares. Marketing wonders often offer high-end configurations to capture the attention of consumers. They go out of their way to make sure the reviewer is completely satisfied.
It’s too bad that mindset isn’t always present when inferior consumers are on the receiving end. But I wasn’t using a lending unit, I’d send back anyway, satisfied or not. I have purchased this model and have no plans to review it. I just wanted to use it.
My personal experience further hardened my resolve not to buy Lenovo products. Not because of a bad product encounter. Lenovo lost my customer loyalty due to shoddy customer service and no dedication to solving my problem with a bad computer I made.
white detail
According to Lenovo’s ill-conceived logic, the warranty on Chromebooks doesn’t cover user modifications. Since I ran into a problem with activating the Linux partition, deleting the partition, and not reinstalling Linux apps when I bought it, I was guilty of modifying the device.
To clarify, all Chromebooks require the user to have a Linux partition on and install Linux apps. The same process goes for using Android apps on a Chromebook.
Chromebooks are built to run ChromeOS and optionally run in separate built-in containers of Android and Linux software. Google certifies the hardware to make sure the software works.
ChromeOS likewise enables users to access websites in a browser environment. An additional option lets users access those web destinations to run application services within a tabbed browser window or as Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) in their own separate window.
That’s what Chromebooks are designed to do on any manufacturer’s hardware. Turning on/off these built-in features should not be considered as “modifying” the device.
tech support helm
A few weeks after getting the Duet 5, I only experienced one intermittent screen flicker problem. This cleared up after a system update. do not worry. No worries.
that time i turned on linux partition and installed the same linux app i use on my other less endowed Chromebook. Those devices worked fine with the same apps.
But Lenovo Duet 5 froze after loading Linux apps and running for few minutes. Messy installations happen. So I did what is standard troubleshooting. I have reset ChromeOS to its original state. Then I set up the Linux partition and resized it beyond the Google-recommended minimum size.
not a solution to the problem. So I wiped the Linux partition again. This time around, I installed a single Linux app at a time, looking for the culprit that stunned others. Every Linux app froze in isolation.
Lenovo technical support declined to examine or test the hardware. Agents suggest finding an affiliated tech center to pursue a solution.
stuck with no option
I would have happily done so. But the nearest such Lenovo repair center was about 150 miles across state lines.
I contacted the Google Chromebook support community for an alternative solution. A support person there had me run the “df command” in a Linux terminal to determine the physical health of the partition.
A readout of that diagnostic confirmed that the device contained a valid and working Linux container. This partially settled the question about the hardware. However, it did not identify what other hardware issues could be involved.
The Google support forum tech then suggested that I find one or more dude packages by following the procedure outlined above. But, of course, I have already done this many times.
poor lesson learned
If you’re planning on buying a Chromebook just to get easy access to selected Linux apps, seriously consider my experience. Maybe look elsewhere instead of Duet 5. Several Chromebook alternatives exist.
Who knows? Maybe the Linux apps on your Duet 5 work just fine for you. As I said, I haven’t had this situation on any other Chromebook product I’ve used.
No doubt my experience was a gross anomaly. The worrying part of all this is that I will never know the reason for it.
But if you buy the Duet 5 from a retail outlet directly from the manufacturer, be sure to confirm how that store honors the warranty. Now you know how Lenovo honors its warranty. | {"pred_label": "__label__wiki", "pred_label_prob": 0.5527457594871521, "wiki_prob": 0.5527457594871521, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line618523"} |
Home » Lifestyle » Why Don't More Women Talk About Pregnancy Headaches?
Why Don't More Women Talk About Pregnancy Headaches?
“I love being pregnant. I like it more than not being pregnant. But the headaches, my god the headaches. Someone…please help. Don’t say water. Or Tylenol. Or iron. Or magnesium. I need witchcraft."
Yes, Chrissy Teigan told it straight, back when she was pregnant with baby Miles in December 2017. Pregnancy headaches can make you want to slap the man sitting next to you. It's a bitter irony that pregnancy headaches happen at the same time as pregnancy, so, no you can't have any Advil. But if knowledge is power, here's why they happen and what you can do.
When you are pregnant, what you had previously thought of as your body gets remodeled into something like a single bedroom apartment with a giant waterbed. The waterbed houses a new roommate who stretches your ligaments, pushes your organs up into your chest, pumps you full of hormones, tugs on your back, eats up your food, drinks your water, and uses up lots of energy. And all of these things can cause headaches. Most of the time pregnancy headaches are normal, but it's also good to make sure your headaches aren't a symptom of something more serious
According to Sarah Prager, M.D., an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington, dehydration is probably the most common cause of pregnancy headaches. “Women need to hydrate more than usual, and this is worse if they have significant nausea or vomiting,” she says.
Lets recap: you are tired, you might feel ill, you are running around trying to gather the approximately five gazillion things you will need for a tiny new human, and now you need to drink EVEN MORE than normal? Yes. Your new roommate needs water too, and when you don’t drink enough for the both of you, headache is often the unpleasant reminder.
Here the treatment is simple: drink more fluids. And maybe consider something that helps you remember to drink throughout the day. The Fitbit has a fluid intake tracker, there are apps for your phone, and you can even buy a water bottle that reminds you to drink. Though Fitbit and other companies still lack “pregnancy mode,” another benefit of health trackers while pregnant is that you can see just how hard your body is working. As one woman who posted her results online wrote, “It is a test of strength and endurance simply to carry a child to term and give birth.” Don’t forget to hydrate during your marathon.
Another likely cause is muscle stress. Especially in the third trimester, your baby is pushing things around. The organs that normally occupy your torso are literally squeezed up into your chest cavity, you have something about the size and weight of a bowling ball pulling on you, and your ligaments have gotten stretchier. These headaches are tension headaches, so anything that helps with muscle tension can help relieve the pain. That could include massage, warm or cool compresses, relaxing music, meditation, herbal tea, relaxing scents like lavender or botanical oils, a warm rice sock, or a bath. (Just make sure the bath is not too hot, and no, nobody knows exactly how hot that would be.)
There are a dozen other reasons. Some of these are sleep deprivation, stress, hormone fluctuations, low blood sugar, not enough protein, iron, magnesium, or calcium in your diet, food sensitivities, and caffeine withdrawal. If you can, try to determine the trigger. Do you get headaches when you are hungry or go too long without eating? You might need to even out your blood sugar by eating smaller meals, more often.
VIDEO: Why Doctors Considered Meghan Markle’s Pregnancy “Geriatric”
Migraines are a special form of headache hell. Severe, pulsing pain on both sides, migraines can build over minutes or hours and make you sensitive to light and even throw up. Some women get fewer migraines while pregnant, while others find that pregnancy brings them on. Pregnancy migraines generally have the same causes as less debilitating headaches, but hormone changes are especially to blame.
Virginia Christian, 38, who is pregnant with her third child, says the migraines that began early in this pregnancy were so bad she missed work. “I would get massive headaches and get sick and try to rehydrate and get sick. I lost weight. They were just really making me ill.” Now in her last trimester, Christian says her headaches are less frequent, but nothing she tried really helped. Her pregnancy has been so rough that she never wants to do it again. “This one will definitely be the finale,” she says.
Christy Batts was 25 and having her third baby when she started getting migraines. “Before when I had a headache it was something I could point to and say, ‘yes, this is the cause, and it is temporary,’” she says. Her midwife suggested teas and tinctures, homeopathic treatments, herbs, heat, and ice, but nothing worked. Finally in desperation she tried a chiropractor. “I didn’t think I was one of those people who went to chiropractics,” Batts says, “but I had two other kids and I wasn’t ready to be bed-bound with the lights off.” The chiropractor made minor adjustments on Batts’ hips and massaged a pulled ligament, and she says her headaches stopped.
Anthony Noya of Noya Chiropractic in Washington, D.C., is not surprised. “There are a whole lot of postural changes that happen during pregnancy,” he says. And according to Noya, if the structure of the body is off, it can’t function properly. As you can imagine, pregnancy can throw a body off center. “The spine and the human frame is really this complex game of Jenga,” he says.
As he explains it, the brain sends messages down the spinal cord, which connects to nerves and tissues in the body, and these guide hormones and other processes. If there is something putting pressure on these highways, the messages don’t work the way they should, and headache can be a result. “It’s not necessarily treating headaches, it’s how do we get the body back to normal,” Noya explains of chiropractic treatment.
Most of the time, pregnancy headaches are a normal, if painful and irritating, part of pregnancy. But sometimes they can signal something more serious. Blood pressure spikes can also cause headaches, so severe headaches in the last trimester can be a sign of preeclampsia. Prager says pregnant women should pay attention to “headaches that don’t go away with hydration and rest; visual changes; and anything that feels really different.”
Fortunately, pregnancy headaches often get better with time or treatment. No matter what the cause, if you have pregnancy headaches, try to rest and be kind to yourself. Pregnancy is both a totally normal and totally extraordinary process — and, as you may have heard, some aspects of it may hurt a little.
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2014 UN Statements & Activities
The UN Family Rights Caucus has been active at the UN working to protect the family and family values at UN conferences and negotiations in both Geneva and New York since 2008. This represents only some of our activities and campaigns and is not all-inclusive.
Protection of the Family Series | UN Human Rights Council
To lay the foundation and present the rationale for the UN Protection of the Family resolution, the UN Family Rights Caucus held a series of events on the protection of the family at the UN Human Rights Council. Below are links to each part of the series with summaries of each event and links to the presentations.
PART I: The Family as the Best Protector of Children’s Health and Rights | September 12, 2014
PART II: The Family and the SDGs: Family Based Solutions to World Problems | September 15, 2014
PART III: Preventing the Sexualization of Children | September 15, 2014
UN Human Rights Council 26th Session
UNFRC Declaration to the 26th Session of the Human Rights Council
UNFRC Letter to UN Permanent Missions: Family Protection Resolution
UNFRC Oral Statement to the Human Rights Council delivered by UNFRC Spokesperson Annie Franklin.
(Click here and then on speech #29 to see Amnesty International’s two-minute statement attacking the Protection of the Family resolution. Then click on speech #36 to see the two-minute statement by the UNFRC refuting many of Amnesty International’s claims.
UNFRC Spokesperson Annie Franklin
UNFRC lobbied successfully for the removal of “various forms of the family” in the Protection of the Family resolution. (Note: Although we recognize government duties to provide support where needed to single parent, intergenerational, extended, and child-led families, we helped States to see that endorsing this undefined, vague term could increase pressures on them to recognize any kind of sexual relationship or living arrangement such as pedophilic, incestuous, polyamorous, or polyandrous arrangements that are seeking recognition as families.)
UNFRC Chair Sharon Slater presented at a High Level Panel on “The Role of the Family as a Vehicle in the Fight Against Poverty.” Click here to see her presentation on “Fighting Poverty by Mainstreaming the Family in the Post-2015 UN Agenda.” This event was sponsored by the African and Islamic voting blocs, and the Holy See. Other panelists included the UN ambassador over the African Union, the UN ambassador over the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Archbishop Permanent Observer of the Holy See, and the president of the Human Rights Council.
UN Commission on Population and Development (CPD)
UNFRC Spokesperson Annie Franklin, CPD UN Statement
Oral/Written CPD Statement delivered by UNFRC Spokesperson Annie Franklin. This speech given on the UN floor on behalf of the UN Family Rights Caucus warned delegations about UNFPA’s report, “ICPD Beyond 2014.” This radical document contains more than 500 highly controversial references including: 391 references to “sexual,” 25 references to “sexual orientation,” 6 references to prostitution, 4 references to “transgender,” 18 references to "comprehensive sexuality education,” 44 references to sexual and reproductive rights, and 173 references to “abortion.”
UNFRC members lobbied successfully for the deletion of "sexual rights," referenced to UNFPA’s “Beyond 2014” Report, and for the inclusion of provisions reaffirming respect for parental rights, national sovereignty and religious and cultural values in the CPD outcome document.
UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW)
UNFRC Chair Sharon Slater gave a speech at a UN Event sponsored by the governments of Belarus, Qatar, Indonesia and the Holy See. Click here to see a video of her presentation which makes a strong case for how the family is a major contributor to development and the answer to many world problems, and thus should be protected.
UNFRC volunteers pass out our “Celebrate Motherhood and the Family” bags at the 2104 the UN Commission on the Status of Women.
UNFRC Caucus members supported the creation of “CSW Voices for Motherhood and the Family” video shown at a major UN event on the family. Click here to see this three-minute clip produced by Family Watch International. | {"pred_label": "__label__cc", "pred_label_prob": 0.5165543556213379, "wiki_prob": 0.4834456443786621, "source": "cc/2023-06/en_middle_0099.json.gz/line247223"} |
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