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Imagine, for a moment, that it’s September of 1994 and you’ve just left work. After grooving to Ace of Base’s “I Saw the Sign” on the drive home, you check your beeper, then settle in to watch something on your brand-new satellite TV. You surf over to NBC and notice that a new show is playing — it looks like it’s about a group of six attractive people just sitting around at a coffeehouse. Weird premise. Then you notice a few familiar faces. Hey, is that Doogie Howser? And your sister’s favorite actress from Knots Landing? And the chick from Speed?
When the title sequence — set to R.E.M.’s “Shiny Happy People” — plays, you finally learn what you’ve been looking at: a sitcom called Six of One, brought to you by Marta Kauffman and David Crane. It’s funny — the jokes land, and the pacing is crisp. But somehow, things seem… off. Especially that too-clever title. Wouldn’t Crane and Kauffman have been better off with something simpler? Something like, say, Friends?
Thankfully, we don’t live in that alternate universe. But according to this oral history of Friends — an excerpt from Warren Littlefield’s upcoming book Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV, published in this month’s Vanity Fair — everyone’s favorite ’90s sitcom (that isn’t Seinfeld) could have been a very, very different show. The full article isn’t online yet — but we’ve gone through and picked out eight of the best tidbits. Cue up The Rembrandts, pat your Smelly Cat, and get ready: It’s time to go back to Central Perk.
1. Title trivia
It’s no secret that before Kauffman and Crane settled on Friends, they called their pals-hanging-out pilot Six of One (as in “half a dozen of the other.”) But before that, the duo had a third possible title for their pitch: Insomnia Cafe. Sounds more like a horror series than a sitcom.
2. Jane Krakowski could have played Phoebe and Nicollette Sheridan could have played Monica
The article includes a list of actors Kauffman and Crane considered for their pilot. They also thought about casting Téa Leoni as Rachel and eventual Rent star Anthony Rapp as Ross. Bradley Whitford, Neil Patrick Harris, Sandra Bullock, and Molly Ringwald appear on the list of possible principals as well, though their potential parts aren’t noted. (NPH could only have been Chandler, though, right?)
3. At first, Matthew Perry wasn’t available for Friends because he was shooting a pilot set in the year 2194
It was called LAX 2194, and it was about the baggage handlers of the future. (Whose Line Is It Anyway? comedian Ryan Stiles was in it too!) The show did not get picked up.
4. Lisa Kudrow was Frasier‘s original Roz
The future Phoebe was cast in the Cheers spinoff, but got fired during rehearsals for its pilot. The director of that pilot — a.k.a. one of the guys who fired Kudrow — also directed 15 episodes of Friends, including its first.
5. NBC’s West Coast president thought Monica was a “trollop”
He was so opposed to her sleeping with “Paul the Wine Guy” that he insisted on handing out the following questionnaire to the show’s studio audience: Do you think Monica sleeping with the wine guy makes her a) a slut, b) a whore, [or] c) a trollop? Even so, the subplot stayed.
6. Season 6 could have been the show’s last*
Due to contract negotiations — and the main cast’s insistence on receiving the same astronomical pay — NBC almost ended Friends with Monica and Chandler’s engagement. Harold Brook, NBC’s former executive vice president of business affairs, says the network made two possible promos that spring: one for a season finale, and one for a series finale.
7. The cast hated the idea of Rachel and Joey dating
According to Matt LeBlanc, the concept “felt wildly inappropriate.” He says he and his five costars approached Kauffman and Crane as a group to air their concerns. Would later seasons have been better if the show’s creators had listened?
8. Ross and Rachel almost didn’t end up together
As Crane says, “We talked about doing a qualified ending… They’re not together together, but there’s the hope they can be together. [Then] we said, “F— it. We’ve jerked these people off for 10 years. Who are we kidding?” Good call, Crane — good call.
Do these bits of Friends trivia tickle you as much as they tickled me, PopWatchers? What Friends what-if do you find most promising?
*This post originally stated that Season 5 could have been the show’s last. Though the oral history implies this — Warren Littlefield writes that the contract dispute came “after the fifth season” — an EW article from 2000 confirms that the renegotiation actually occurred at the end of Season 6. We regret the error.
Read more:
Jennifer Aniston still watches ‘Friends’ reruns. She IS just like us!
‘Friends’ with benefits: Study records how often the sitcom’s characters scored. (Sorry, Chandler.)
‘Cougar Town’: Everybody Loves Graymond |
LIVESTRONG Sporting Park | Kansas City, Kan.
Attendance: 18,863 (sold out)
Weather: 92 degrees and rain
Quotes
Score 1 2 1ET 2ET F PK Sporting Kansas City 0 1 0 0 1 3 Seattle Sounders FC 0 1 0 0 1 2
Sporting Kansas City: Jimmy Nielsen ©; Chance Myers, Lawrence Olum, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic (Michael Harrington 100); Julio Cesar, Paulo Nagamura, Roger Espinoza; Graham Zusi, Teal Bunbury (C.J. Sapong 89), Kei Kamara
Subs not used: Eric Kronberg, Neven Markovic, Jacob Peterson, Michael Thomas, Soony Saad
Seattle Sounders FC: Michael Gspurning; Leonardo Gonzalez, Zach Scott, Jhon Kennedy Hurtado, Patrick Ianni; Alex Caskey (Brad Evans 69), Andy Rose (Christian Tiffert 69), Mauro Rosales ©, Osvaldo Alonso; Fredy Montero (Marc Burch 107), Eddie Johnson
Subs not used: Andrew Weber, Jeff Parke, Steve Zakuani, Sammy Ochoa
Stats SKC SEA Shots 17 7 Shots on Goal 7 2 Saves 1 6 Fouls 16 19 Offside 0 2 Corner Kicks 4 3
Misconduct Summary:
SEA - Osvaldo Alonso (caution; dissent) 4
SEA - Mauro Rosales (caution; reckless tackle) 57
SEA - Patrick Ianni (caution; tactical foul) 73
SEA - Zach Scott (caution; reckless tackle) 92
SEA - Patrick Ianni (caution; reckless foul) 118
SEA - Patrick Ianni (ejection; second caution) 118
Scoring Summary:
KC - Kei Kamara (penalty kick) 84
SEA - Zach Scott (Mauro Rosales) 86
(August 8, 2012) - Sporting Kansas City are champions of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup for the second time in club history, prevailing 3-2 on penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in regulation against the Seattle Sounders in the 2012 tournament final on Wednesday in front of a sold-out crowd at LIVESTRONG Sporting Park.
After a scoreless first half, Sporting Kansas City forward Kei Kamara scored the game's opening goal in the 84th minute from the penalty spot after a Zach Scott handball inside the penalty area. Seattle responded two minutes later with a header from Scott off a Mauro Rosales free kick. Both 15-minute extra time periods ended scoreless, leaving kicks from the spot to decide the 99th annual edition of the U.S. Open Cup.
With the crowd behind them, it was Sporting Kansas City with the first chance of the match in the 12th minute from a heavily-marked Kamara from 25 yards out. His angled shot was just wide of the post.
Eager on the counterattack, the Sounders had a chance of their own in the 17th minute. Fredy Montero regained possession after having his run on goal disrupted by Kamara and bent the ball in from deep on the right wing but Jimmy Nielsen was there to make the save.
Kamara was back at it again in the 24th minute when Paulo Nagamura snatched the ball from Seattle and slotted it to Kamara, who took a dipping shot from 35 yards out that soared over Michael Gspurning and was saved by the woodwork.
Seattle's Andy Rose responded with a long volley of his own three minutes later that soared narrowly over the crossbar. In the 29th minute, former Sporting Kansas City striker Eddie Johnson expertly headed down a corner from Rosales on goal, but Nielsen dove and pushed Johnson's shot with an even finer save that prompted uproarious applause from the packed crowd.
Johnson was back at it again six minutes later, beating Sporting KC's backline with his speed and taking a low shot from outside the box that was just wide of the far left post.
The home side fought back in the form of a long-distance shot from Seth Sinovic in the 38th minute that hit the side-netting and had the crowd convinced it was a goal upon first inspection. It was Sporting Kansas City with the final chance in the first half, coming three minutes into stoppage time when Graham Zusi played a pass back to Olympic hero Roger Espinoza, who took a blasting shot at the top of the box that was feverishly deflected by Gspurning.
Sporting Kansas City opened the second half strong, with a chance just one minute in when Kamara fought his way to the corner flag and crossed the ball to Bunbury at the near post. Bunbury, marked by two men, did his best to create enough space for a shot and forced Gspurning to make the save.
The 61st minute saw an excellent bit of defending from Matt Besler when Johnson tore his way down the left wing and lined up a shot on goal only to see Besler make a perfectly-timed tackle to stop the dangerous opportunity before it could escalate.
Thirteen minutes later, Seattle's Osvaldo Alonso put Sporting's defense to the test when he skirted his way past three men and looked to shoot on the open net when Lawrence Olum blocked the ball out of play with a sliding stop.
Sporting Kansas City's golden opportunity arrived in the form of a penalty kick as a result of handball in the box from Zach Scott in the 82nd minute on a Bunbury cross. Kamara converted the penalty, putting Sporting Kansas City ahead with six minutes remaining in regulation.
It was too soon to crown the home side victors, however, as Seattle fought back in the 86th minute and capitalized on a Rosales set piece with a well-placed header from Scott to level the score in short succession.
Sporting Kansas City nearly bagged a dramatic game-winner in the first minute of stoppage time when second-half substitute C.J. Sapong chipped the ball to Kamara en route to goal, but Kamara's headed shot was just over the crossbar.
With the two sides deadlocked at 1-1 and a trophy on the line, the match went into extra time. Sporting KC won a corner early in the first 15-minute period which Seattle headed out, but Nagamura intercepted and sent in a volley just wide of the goal.
Despite bouts of pressure and danger from both sides, along with a late ejection to Patrick Ianni after being shown his second yellow card of the match in the 118th minute, neither team could break through. Extra time ended without a goal and the match progressed to penalties.
Sporting KC, shooting first in the best-of-five shootout, began with Kamara's second successful attempt of the night. The Sounders would match it with a make of their own through Brad Evans' shot to his left.
Gspurning gave his team the advantage with a stop on Espinoza and Seattle momentarily led following Marc Burch's blast down the middle. Besler pulled Sporting KC back level with a shot off the underside of the crossbar and into the back of the net.
Alonso and Zusi both sent their shots over the crossbar in back-to-back attempts, and Nielsen made a superb save to his left to deny Christian Tiffert to send it to the fifth and final penalty kick with it all to be decided.
Nagamura's initial attempt was saved by Gspurning, but he was ruled to have come off his line early and the Brazilian calmly converted the ensuing second chance to his left to put Sporting KC ahead in dramatic fashion.
Johnson walked to the spot with LIVESTRONG Sporting Park in a frenzy, needing to score to keep Seattle alive. Back in Kansas City for the first time since he played with the then-Wizards in 2007, Johnson's shot sailed over the crossbar and brought an end to the shootout with Seattle's third straight miss from the mark.
Wednesday was the first U.S. Open Cup Final decided after regulation since Sporting Kansas City won the title 1-0 over the Chicago Fire in 2004 on a golden goal by Igor Simutenkov at Arrowhead Stadium. It was also the first U.S. Open Cup championship decided by penalty kicks since 1997 when the then-Dallas Burn prevailed over D.C. United.
Sporting Kansas City will have the team's named engraved on the Dewar Challenge Trophy, the oldest trophy in United States team sports, and earn a berth in the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League for the opportunity to compete against the best club teams in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.
Wednesday's title snapped a streak of three-straight U.S. Open Cup championships for the visiting Sounders FC and was Seattle's first falter in the competition since joining Major League Soccer in 2009.
This year, the U.S. Open Cup featured the largest field in tournament history with 64 teams -- 32 professional, 32 amateur -- competing for the crown.
FAST FACTS:
Sporting Kansas City won the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final for the second time in club history and are now 2-0-0 in the U.S. Open Cup Final.
Wednesday was the team’s first appearance in a U.S. Open Cup Final since 2004 when the team won the championship with a 1-0 victory over the Chicago Fire on an Igor Simuntekov golden goal in extra time.
Wednesday’s match was delayed due to weather for 37 minutes.
Sporting KC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen started his fourth straight U.S. Open Cup match on Wednesday and allowed his first goal in the competition after going 353 minutes without allowing a goal in the U.S. Open Cup this year.
Defender Chance Myers made his first appearance since a 2-1 loss to the Houston Dynamo at BBVA Compass Stadium on July 18th.
Myers and Matt Besler appeared in their tenth all-time U.S. Open Cup match, moving them past Jack Jewsbury into a tie for sixth place on the club’s all-time chart with Jimmy Conrad and Chris Klein.
Myers started his ninth U.S. Open Cup match all-time on Wednesday, moving in a tie for third place on the club’s all-time chart with Michael Harrington and Jimmy Conrad.
Defender Seth Sinovic has started all five games for Sporting Kansas City in the U.S. Open Cup this year.
Sinovic led all Sporting KC players with 460 minutes played in the U.S. Open Cup this season.
Besler, midfielder Graham Zusi and forward C.J. Sapong have appeared in all five Sporting Kansas City games in the U.S. Open Cup this year.
Sporting Kansas City is 18-12-4 all-time in U.S. Open Cup competition.
Sporting Kansas City is 8-8-1 (including qualifying) all-time against MLS competition in the U.S. Open Cup.
Sporting Kansas City is 12-5-1 (including qualifying) all-time at home in the U.S. Open Cup.
Sporting Kansas City has scored 67 goals all-time in the U.S. Open Cup and allowed 42.
Kei Kamara converted a penalty kick in the 84th minute, marking Kamara’s second goal scored in Open Cup competition for Sporting Kansas City.
Wednesday marked the first final to go into extra time since 2004, when Sporting Kansas City beat the Chicago Fire 1-0.
Sporting Kansas City is 5-2-4 (including qualifying) when going into overtime in U.S. Open Cup competition.
The last time Sporting Kansas City went to penalty kicks was after a 3-3 tie on June 30, 2009 against the Minnesota Thunder in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup round of 16. Kansas City won 4-2 on penalty kicks.
Aurelien Collin missed the match due to yellow card accumulation after receiving his third caution of the tournament against the Philadelphia Union in the semifinals on July 11, 2012.
Quotes
Sporting Kansas City Manager Peter Vermes
On the significance of the winning the tournament…
I'm extremely excited for the ownership group, for the club and the staff, the players and the fans. And more importantly, Kansas City. We really set out on a mission to make soccer a major sport in this community and this city. I think that when you look at the event tonight, it just demonstrates the commitment that this organization and this ownership has and that our fans do, as well. It's an incredible reward for the great job that everyone did.
On the importance of the home crowd…
It was fantastic. Staying through the bad weather early on and continuing to keep the noise up and supporting us throughout the whole entire game. It was fantastic. Just putting a lot of pressure on Seattle, especially on the penalty kicks, a big credit to them.
On the penalty shootout…
We knew going in who our guys were going to be. But we had to make a change because Teal (Bunbury) was one of them. He wasn't out there because we had made a sub. All-in-all, I thought the guys did a good job. They stayed focused. They got the job done at the end of the day. They committed to what we need to do.
On the importance of the berth in the CONCACAF Champions League…
It's what we set out do as a club. First of all, to be in competitions like that. This made is a straight berth into it for us. Bringing that kind of competition to this facility and to this club is the next step in the direction that we want to go in.
Sporting Kansas City goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen
On Sporting KC’s penalty shootout victory over Seattle in the U.S. Open Cup Final…
I’m so happy right now, just extremely happy. It’s well deserved for this whole organization and this whole city. There are a lot of hard-working people in this organization, and they’re doing an excellent job to promote the soccer team. This is not only Sporting Kansas City’s victory and night, it’s the whole city’s night. It’s unbelievable how this team has grown in the last year-and-a-half. It’s unreal. I’m happy for so many people on and around this team.
On his strategy in defending the Seattle penalty kicks…
I had a plan A and a plan B for the shootout. I didn’t’ really feel like plan A was working, so I changed a little bit. I tried to mess around with them a little bit and get into their head.
Sporting KC midfielder Paulo Nagamura
On preparing for the penalty kick shootout…
We trained for penalty kicks during the whole week and Peter (Vermes) made his selection right before the shootout. We are just glad to bring this Cup home to our fans. They have done so much for us, so it is good to give them something in return. We were confident we could do this tonight. We are a good team. Seattle is a good team, too, but we thought we could do this. It was a very hard game and it has ended very well for us.
On Sporting KC’s penalty shootout victory over Seattle in the U.S. Open Cup final…
This win ranks pretty high in my career. I’ve won this trophy once with Los Angeles but this one is pretty special because of the home crowd and this stage. This win is for Sporting KC, and it’s very big.
On the injury he suffered to his face in the first half…
I think I’m going to have to have three stitches. But there was no chance of me leaving the game. I knew I had to be on the field to help my team win.
On retaking his penalty kick during the shootout…
The second time I took the shot, I was pretty confident. I knew he was off his line the first time, and I didn’t think he could stop me two times. I trained really well this week, so I knew I just needed composure. I thought he came off his line more than once. But I’m glad it worked out for us. We’re the winners, and we’re very happy with that.
Sporting KC forward Kei Kamara
On Sporting KC’s penalty shootout victory over Seattle in the U.S. Open Cup final…
This is a dream come true. We wanted to do this for the fans. They’ve been fantastic for us for the longest time. Things didn’t come easy, Seattle’s a tough team. They’re organized and hard to beat, but we came out tonight knowing we had to win. There wasn’t really a choice. We had to do this for SKC Nation.
On making two penalties, one in the 84th minute and one in the shootout…
I’m comfortable taking penalties. It’s my job on the team, so when Peter (Vermes) decided I would go first, I knew I had to deliver just like I did earlier. Jimmy (Nielsen’s) save was the momentum swinger in the shootout. Once he made that save, you kind of felt like we were going to do it.
On where this win ranks in his MLS career…
This is about as good as it gets. Winning a major trophy in front of the best fans in the League, you couldn’t ask for more than this. Everyone on the team deserves this moment. Everyone out in the crowd deserves this moment. I’m so happy for everyone.
Seattle Sounders FC defender Zach Scott
General comments on the match…
Obviously it was a great run. It didn’t end like we hoped it would, but we’re still very proud. The quality we put into this game, we gave ourselves a good chance to win. The circumstances just didn’t work in our favor. But now our focus has to be quickly back to League play and on our game on Saturday versus San Jose. That is the most important thing at this point.
On scoring the team’s equalizer…
I knew their marking wasn’t as tight as they wanted it to be and we have so many guys who are good in the air. As long as Mauro (Rosales) put it into a good spot, which he always does, we knew we would have a chance. Fortunately, I was the guy in the right place at the right time and I was able to get just enough on it to tuck it into the corner.
On conceding a penalty kick…
I have a ton of respect for the refs in our League, Ricardo (Salazar) in particular. I think he’s a great ref. I think you guys saw the game. I think you guys saw the replays. I am not going to comment any further on that. Sigi (Schmid) can comment on the refs all he wants. But as for me, I will be the first guy to put my hand up when I make a mistake, and I hope the refs do the same.
Seattle Sounder FC striker Eddie Johnson…
On his penalty kick…
It’s those moments that you dream of as a soccer player, being able to make those moments, wanting to contribute to the team in pressure situations. But I wouldn’t change anything about my approach to that. I was confident taking it, I sent the keeper the wrong way. Maybe from a psychological standpoint, he probably got in my head a little bit, because he was reading a piece of paper. But for me, I didn’t want to change anything. I was comfortable going that way and I just hit it a little too hard. But, I wouldn’t change anything about the approach. I wouldn’t change anything about the way we played as a team.
On the team’s performance…
I thought we came out and we showcased ourselves well and played them well with them having the home-field advantage and having the fans behind them. I think we still created chances and gave ourselves a chance to still get something out of the game.
On the penalty kick shootout…
On a perfect day, the save that Gspurning made that got retaken goes our way. But it didn’t go our way this time. If you ask me, or the other four guys that took penalty kicks, we’re all confident. But it didn’t go our way.
On bouncing back from the setback…
It’s not the end of the world for us. We know we’re a good team. We’ll turn things around. I have never seen this team put our heads down after a loss. We have never lost two games in a row. We will take all the positive out of this game and look forward to our game against San Jose this weekend.
On being the one to take that last kick…
No, it doesn’t hurt. The coach put me their for a reason. I am confident in my own ability, the team is confident in me. It is a lose-lose situation. If I don’t take it I get criticized, if I take it and miss I still get criticized. Those are the things you have to deal with. Everyone has high expectations. I stepped up, I took it. It didn’t go my way. It’s not going to stop me from playing confidently and doing what I have been doing to get us here and stop us from playing the way we have been playing to get us to this point as a team.
Seattle Sounders FC Manager Sigi Schmid
On his team’s performance…
Congratulations to Kansas City on winning the championship. I think their players battled and fought hard. I think it was difficult for us. It’s our third game in six days so just that little bit of sharpness was missing. It’s difficult when your playing against a team at home so the crowd helps them. And then when your playing against the referee as well and he makes some absolutely ridiculous calls, it is very tough to win.
On the refereeing…
The hand ball that he called, I don’t know how he could see it. He’s not at a good angle to see it. Nobody that I have talked to has seen a replay that shows a definite handball or not. Our assistant coach said it hit him in the chest, so you don’t know. And then you can always call a goalkeeper for moving, so you don’t know. Nielsen moved ahead of every shot as well. But he didn’t call anything back there.
How does a team commit an equal amount of fouls as an opponent and one team gets five yellow cards and the other gets zero? There were some things I didn’t understand this whole tournament for us. Our backs were against the wall this whole tournament. It was as difficult a road as it could be. I’m very proud of guys for getting to this point and battling and not giving up and taking the game into overtime. They battled through all the obstacles that we had to face.
On the team’s determination…
Even when we went down 1-0 tonight, we came back right away and got the equalizer. Obviously, there were guys out there playing on fumes because of the fact that they have played so many minutes over the last 10 days. It is what it is, but I am very proud of what we accomplished. I think we had a good chance to get four in a row. We missed our last three penalty kicks so that is something that doesn’t help. And certainly if he doesn’t call the one back, we’re still taking penalty kicks right now.
On the equalizer…
It showed the character of the team. We went down 1-0 and we got one back. It was a little bit of fate as well, because I thought theirs was undeserved and we ended up getting it right back and equalizing the game. Obviously Zach (Scott) did well, and it was a great free kick from Mauro (Rosales). |
President Donald Trump has postponed a dinner planned for Thursday with justices on the Supreme Court.
The Hill first reported Sunday night that Trump would no longer have dinner with the justices on Thursday due to scheduling conflicts. ABC News’ Jonathan Karl confirmed Monday morning that the dinner is not on the President’s schedule anymore.
Schedule update: This dinner is no longer on the President's schedule https://t.co/TmSFXS6oT3 — Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) April 24, 2017
The White House said earlier on Sunday that Trump would dine with justices on the Supreme Court this week. The Trump administration did not confirm which members planned to attend, but the newest member of the court, Justice Neil Gorsuch, was expected to attend, according to the Huffington Post.
It’s unusual for a president to dine with members of the Supreme Court, but it’s not entirely unprecedented. But the Trump administration faced criticism Sunday for the planned dinner. |
Balazs Barabas: Dle prim-ministru, mulţumim pentru interviul acordat în exclusivitate pentru programul „Paşaport diplomatic” de la Digi24 România.
De curând au fost atacuri violente în Ierusalim şi Tel Aviv, iar Hamas a anunţat că adună o armată pentru a se apăra de Israel. Care sunt planurile dvs. pentru a împiedica aceste acţiuni?
Benjamin Netanyahu: În primul rând Israelul trebuie să se apere de atacurile Hamas-ului şi de atacurile militanţilor islamişti. Ei se luptă între ei, ISIS, şiiţii, Iran, Hezbollah, Hamas, dar toţi sunt de acord asupra unui singur lucru: Israelul nu ar trebui să fie aici, ţările vestice nu ar trebui să fie aici şi nici chiar arabii moderaţi nu ar trebui să fie aici. Fiecare vrea să fie „cel mai tare din parcare”, cu asta sunt toţi de acord, nu prea s-au înţeles încă cine să fie cel mai tare, dar toţi sunt de acord să existe o „parcare” islamistă. Printre altele, ei ne atacă la graniţele noastre, în interiorul ţării, aşa cum atacă şi alte ţări, ţări europene. Noi avem un singur lucru de făcut când suntem atacaţi: să ripostăm, să ne apărăm. Şi asta facem.
Sănătatea premierului israelian stă în mâinile unui medic român
Balazs Barabas: Israelul a ridicat un zid în jurul Cisiordaniei pentru a se apăra, dar se pare că acum atacurile au loc din interior. În această situaţie mai are rost menţinerea zidului?
Benjamin Netanyahu: Nu e un zid, e un gard, 96% din el este gard. Are scopul de a împiedica teroriştii să vină la noi, de exemplu atentatori sinucigaşi care explodează în autobuze pline cu copii, aşa cum au făcut în trecut. Am pierdut aproape o mie de oameni din cauza acestor atentate. Iar de când am ridicat acest gard, aceste bariere, atentatele s-au rărit. Aveţi dreptate, există atacuri. În primul rând, acest gard nu este ermetic, există palestinieni care lucrează în Israel, unii legal, alţii ilegal. Şi profită de acest lucru ca să infiltreze terorişti ai Hamas şi din păcate terorişti incitaţi de Autoritatea Palestiniană, de preşedintele Autorităţii. Noi vom face tot ce putem ca să prevenim acest pericol. Evident, faptul că există un pericol pe care îl stopezi şi altul pe care nu îl stopezi nu înseamnă că trebuie să te expui la două pericole. Nu facem acest lucru. Israelul şi-a arătat capacitatea de a se apăra. Sunt lucruri foarte dureroase, oameni sunt înjunghiaţi în staţii de autobuz, chiar în centrul Tel Aviv-ului, înjunghiaţi de militanţi islamişti fanatizaţi, femei tinere călcate de maşini, copii mici călcaţi de oameni care folosesc maşinile ca arme ucigaşe. Da, acestea sunt mari dificultăţi. Dar suntem tenace. Luptăm împotriva încercărilor de distrugere a statului evreu, a poporului evreu, de șapte ani, ba chiar dinainte de înfiinţarea statului Israel. Vom trece şi peste asta.
Balazs Barabas: Vara aceasta, sute de oameni au murit în Fâşia Gaza. Putem vorbi despre o spirală a violenţei, toată lumea vrea răzbunare, iar şi iar, împotriva celuilalt?
Benjamin Netanyahu: Nu este un conflict simetric. Israelul doreşte pacea, întotdeauna a urmărit pacea, ca şi mine, dar dorim o pace adevărată. Nu vrem doar să dăm teritorii unora care iau teritorii, care sunt dirijaţi de Iran, ca în Liban, după ce ne-am retras. Hezbollah a preluat puterea şi, susţinuţi de Iran, au lansat mii de rachete asupra noastră. Sau în Gaza, ne-am retras din Gaza, iar, susţinut de Iran, a intrat Hamas, au lansat mii de rachete asupra noastră. Evident, nu vrem să se repete toate acestea. Noi vrem o pace adevărată, reală, în care ei ne recunosc, cealaltă parte recunoaşte dreptul poporului nostru la un stat al nostru, la fel cum ei ne cer nouă să recunoaştem dreptul poporului lor pentru un stat al lor. Dar ei nu vor să ne ofere acest drept. Ei spun: nu, daţi-ne teritoriul ca noi să putem, pentru a treia oară, să lansăm rachete asupra voastră, mii de rachete, ca să vă distrugem. Ar face România la fel? Nu.
Balazs Barabas: Dar Israelul anunţă iar şi iar că permite construirea de noi colonii, chiar recent, Israelul a anunţat confiscarea de terenuri în Cisiordania pentru scopuri militare. Nu credeţi că acestea alimentează tensiunile cu palestinienii?
Benjamin Netanyahu: Păi cred că pentru palestinieni toate sunt colonii: Tel Aviv, Haifa, şi ei chiar o spun. Eu cred că problema graniţelor viitoare în cadrul unei păci reale este ceva ce trebuie discutat, inclusiv chestiunea coloniilor. Dar înainte de toate nu vom accepta că suntem ocupanţi străini pe acest teritoriu. Nu suntem. Suntem aici de aproape 4000 de ani, din timpurile lui Avraam. Vă amintiţi de regele David? De regii Israelului, de profeţii Ieremia, Isaia? Unde credeţi că erau ei? Erau aici! Chiar pe pământul Israelului. Unii ne spun că acestea sunt pământuri străine, pe care le-am ocupat, ca belgienii în Congo sau francezii în Algeria. Nu, nu e aşa. Este parte a patriei evreieşti. Dar recunosc că în patria noastră istorică, trăia şi un alt popor, cel palestinian. Trebuie să găsim o soluţie pentru amândoi. Dar să spui că nu avem niciun drept să fim aici, că trebuie să plecăm, ba mai mult, să fim daţi afară, să lăsăm teroriştii care urmăresc să ne distrugă pe micul teritoriu care ne-a mai rămas, nu este drept, este injust. Sunt gata să fac compromisuri pentru pace, dar nu sunt gata să mă sinucid (s.n.). Vreau o pace durabilă, o pace pe care o putem apăra. Iar singura pace care poate dura aici este pacea pe care o putem apăra. Eu cred că adevărata problemă nu sunt coloniile, nu unde vom trasa graniţele. Adevărata problemă este dacă există voinţa de partea palestiniană să accepte în sfârşit un stat evreiesc în orice graniţe. Eu cred că este o problemă existenţială, dacă recunosc însăşi existenţa, principiul dreptului Israelului la existenţă. Aceasta este esenţa conflictului. Iar dacă aceasta se va rezolva, va fi pace, foarte simplu. Şi sper că într-o zi vom obţine pacea, că această zi va veni curând. Dar de fapt, ceea ce vedem în Orientul Mijlociu este că lucrurile se îndreaptă într-o altă direcţie. Vedem flăcările islamiştilor militanţi arzând Irakul, Siria, Yemen, Libia, Gaza şi, din păcate, Autoritatea Palestiniană aici, în Iudea şi Cisiordania. Toată lumea este spulberată de acest islamism militant, care nu urmăreşte niciun compromis cu Israelul, niciun compromis cu România. Pentru ei, şi România ar trebui să fie parte a unui califat, un califat medieval, fictiv, renăscut. Europa trebuie recucerită (s.n).
Spania trebuie eliberată. Da, sunt închipuiri, este o nebunie. Dar în mintea lor, a ISIS, a Hamas, a altor militanţi islamici este realitate. Asta vor să obţină. Israelul nu e decât un avanpost, în primul rând în campania lor de a spulbera Occidentul. În asta cred ei, asta urmăresc. Deci atunci când noi ne apărăm, apărăm şi Europa (s.n). Ştiu că în Europa, mulţi nu înţeleg asta. Dar ştiţi ceva? Militanţii o înţeleg. Aşa gândesc, iar din punctul lor de vedere, au dreptate.
Balazs Barabas: Dar se pare că ISIS nu poate fi oprit. Şi-au instalat baza în regiunea Raqqa, se simt confortabil acolo şi nimeni nu-i poate înfrânge. Cum trebuie tratată această situaţie?
Benjamin Netanyahu: Bineînţeles că pot fi opriţi. Nu sunt invincibili, trebuie doar să vină cineva cu voinţa şi puterea necesară. Eu îl sprijin pe preşedintele Obama în efortul său de a coagula o coaliţie care să lupte cu ei. Există un singur mod de a lupta împotriva lor: să luptăm. Nu există altă cale (s.n.).
Balazs Barabas: Inclusiv cu forţe terestre?
Benjamin Netanyahu: Cu toate forţele necesare pentru a-i slăbi şi a-i distruge. Nu e imposibil. Israelul a înfruntat o forţă mult mai puternică decât ISIS, cu o armată mult mai numeroasă, cu rachete, din păcate amplasate printre civili. Hamas a luat ostatic propriul popor. Noi foloseam rachete ca să ne apărăm copiii, iar ei foloseau copiii lor pentru a-şi apăra rachetele. De necrezut. Cu toate acestea, noi am fost capabili să le ripostăm şi vorbim de o forţă considerabil mai mare decât ISIS. Bineînţeles că ISIS poate fi oprit. Bineînţeles că trebuie luptat împotriva ISIS. Dar cred că este doar unul din două pericole ale umanităţii. Nici măcar nu este cel mai mare. Cred că un pericol mult mai mare sunt alţi militanţi islamici, conduşi de Iran (s.n.). Militanţii şiiţii, conduşi de Iran, împreună cu aliaţii lor: Hezbollah, Jihadul Islamic din Gaza, şi mai nou, rebelii houthi din Yemen. Dar pericolul mai mare este că oricare din aceşti militanţi islamici, fie ei sunniţi, ISIS sau al-Qaeda sau şiiţi din Iran, oricare dintre ei obţin arme nucleare. Cel mai mare pericol pentru securitatea lumii, pentru securitatea Europei, a României, pentru securitatea şi viitorul Israelului este dacă Iranul devine o potenţială putere nucleară. Pentru că în momentul în care vor avea capacitatea de a construi bomba, o vor face. Şi atunci cu toţii vom fi în pericol.
Balazs Barabas: Am aflat că îndrăgiţi mult România. De ce credeţi personal că România este importantă şi de ce consideră Israelul că relaţiile bilaterale sunt importante?
Benjamin Netanyahu: Avem relaţii excelente. Semănăm din multe puncte de vedere, culturile noastre, dar în primul rând avem 100 de mii de israelieni care au venit din România. Medicul meu personal provine din România. Acest fapt arată că iubesc România. Dar am fost acolo, am vizitat România de mai multe ori şi am simţit o legătură puternică. Care s-a tradus prin cooperări de succes cu guvernul României şi simţim o legătură culturală, legături prin valori, prin istorie, dar şi o legătură a două democraţii, două ţări cu rădăcini puternice provenind dintr-o civilizaţie comună. Înfruntăm aceleaşi dificultăţi care ne ameninţă civilizaţia comună. Am sentimente foarte bune pentru România. În plus, îmi place şi mâncarea românească.
Balazs Barabas: Ce mesaj personal aveţi pentru următorul preşedinte al României?
Benjamin Netanyahu: Mult succes. În primul rând, la noi sunt alegeri, în ambele ţări. Ceea ce nu prea se ştie, sunt multe lucruri care se întâmplă în lume. În al doilea rând, ştiu că prietenia dintre noi este împărtăşită de toate partidele politice. E adevărat pentru Israel şi ştiu că şi pentru România. Pentru noi este importantă prietenia cu România.
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Shinobigami Rulebook Cover
Shinobigami - God of the Shinobi - is a tabletop Role-Playing game originally developed and published in Japan by Adventure Planning Service. Originally written by legendary designer Toichiro Kawashima and gorgeously illustrated by Shie Nanahara, Shinobigami is a fast one-session RPG focusing on character drama, stories of conflict and cooperation, and light tactical strategy in a dark modern "World of Shadows" setting where mysterious ninja exist and engage in inter-clan conflict in an ongoing hidden cold war. It is being translated and published by Kotodama Heavy Industries, the team behind previously crowdfunded releases Tenra Bansho Zero and Ryuutama.
The overall effect is a very easy-to-learn game that is equal parts story-driven RPG, German-style board game, and secret identity/role game (Werewolf, Coup): With a few friends, you together create a dramatic story that starts and ends in the course of just a few hours (one evening). From there, you can revisit the same characters or make new characters, and create another tale set in the Ninja Cold War.
Find out more about this game at the official English website, www.shinobigami.com.
The Hasuba Ninja Army uses science and engineering to replicate ninja techniques
The Game
Shinobigami is a game for 3-7 players, with one player acting as the "Game Master", who creates the scenario and helps facilitate the game. Each player creates a character from one of the six warring ninja clans in accordance with the rules, and introduces them to the other players (you can find out more about Shinobigami character creation and rules at the official website). The GM then hands each player Secret, which is a piece of information or a true goal specific to that character. The GM introduces the antagonist characters (if any), the Prize or Goal of the mission that all of the characters share, then the game begins:
The game plays in three Cycles: Each cycle, every player has one scene where their character is the focus. That player narrates their scene and starts moving to accomplish their goals. Based on their Secret and the other characters, they might attempt to learn the other character's Secrets, to form Emotional Bonds with them, or just follow them in order to trigger a one-on-one battle.
After three cycles, there is a no-holds-barred free-for-all battle called the Climax Phase with twists and surprises as the players reveal their true alliances and hidden motives. After the dust settles from the Climax Phase, there's a brief epilogue where we see who accomplished their goals, which relationships changed or became stronger, and who walked away with the Prize.
Relationships can change, or grow stronger in the course of play
This three-act structure, the character types, the secrets, the strategies and twists that occur during combat by means of Shinobigami's "Velocity System" battles, and most importantly the nature of the relationships that form in the game due to the Emotional Bond rules, means that even though the game follows a tight tructure or include the same players, no two games of Shinobigami will ever play out the same. It will be a unique experience each time.
The Lost Ones, or Haguremono, just want to be left alone. In time, of course, they are drawn back into the struggle...
The Books
Shinobigami has a very different form factor and design from common Western RPG books. Shinobigami is originally a small form factor hand-sized paperback book of about 250 pages that can fit in your pocket, not too different than Japanese manga size. The book is divided into two sections: The first 2/3 of the book contains a Japanese-style Replay, or an entire session of play - from character creation to epilogue - written out in screenplay format. This is a real session that happened, and provides the reader with a blueprint to understanding what kinds of stories and fun you can create with Shinobigami. A replay is also a great reference for new or inexperienced role-players, because it shows you what to expect from the game, how the rules work in actual play, and what an actually good, fun session with enthusiastic players can look like.
The last third of the book contains all the rules you need to play the game. Once you read the replay, you've got an idea of the flow of the game: The rules show you how you can take the next step and run the game yourself. The rules are written simply and concisely, and there are lots of random tables to help you with the character creation process, especially when trying to come up with authentic Japanese ninja-like character and NPC names.
Both books maintain this format of Replay followed by Rules. This format was a new experiment even in the Japanese roleplaying scene, and it took off because of the success it had in helping both new roleplayers and experienced hobbyists into quickly understanding the game and how it works in play.
For the English release, we plan on keeping this same revolutionary format of Replay-and-Rules. Because of language differences between Japanese and English, the books themselves will be a slightly larger/wider size to accommodate left-to-right writing. The final book will have a paperback cover, black and white interior (full bleed), approximately 5 x 8 inches and about 150-200 pages, or "almost the same size as Japanese manga books published and sold in English". We are aiming to provide a thorough, well-researched and expertly localized translation, like our previous games.
The Shinobigami Game Book
The core Shinobigami game book (cover picture above) will contain the full replay text, with several gorgeous illustrations by Shie Nanahara throughout the piece. The rules demonstrate how to quickly create a character of one of the Six Shinobi Clans. Role-playing focused game-play rules are referenced, followed by the explanation of the unique Shinobigami light tactical combat system called the "Velocity System". The last few pages of the book contain reference material for antagonists and other enemies that may appear. Throughout the rules text are simple and cute "chibi" illustrations by Nagomi Ochiai that help demonstrate key points.
The book is easy to read (it's a very fast read, that was definitely a goal of the original author), easy to understand, and easy to reference. It is also the only book you need to play the game for... forever, basically. You can have such rich and limitless experiences with only this book; while we plan on also printing the first rulebook for the game and creating more material, this is all you'll ever need to enjoy the Shinobigami experience.
We are planning a fulfillment date of the final print version of the core rulebook to the backers by December 2016.
Shinobigami Supplement Book Cover
The Shinobigami Supplement Book/Advanced Rulebook
The Shinobigami Supplement book contains expanded rules and material, and also includes a replay which demonstrates the use of them in an actual game session.
The expanded material includes extra scenarios; extra charts to help create scenes in school, city and other environments; expanded "sub-clans" for each of the six core Shinobigami clans (indeed, each clan has 3-4 splinter groups with different and sometimes conflicting goals) including special rules and powers for those sub-clans; finally, special expanded rules for playing "normal human" characters tangled in the ninja war. Of course, "normal humans" in Shinobigami are anything but normal, and the rules exceptions and abilities they have demonstrate this.
A normal girl gets caught up in a ninja war. Other shinobi protect her, and "fill her in" on the details of the ninja World of Shadows...
Again, while you do not require the supplement book to play, it will expand the options available to your Shinobigami game.
We plan to have the supplement rulebook printed and fulfilled to our backers in a second, later, shipment, by December 2017 (it will not ship/deliver with the core book).
The Kurama Shin Ryu clan are masters of physical prowess, weapons and martial arts
Kickstarter Goals and Rewards
Our initial goals are simple: We want to produce, print and distribute 4,000 copies of the Shinobigami core book. Due to the smaller margins involved in this project, we are not looking for a high Kickstarter funding number in dollars. Instead, we are hoping to see a high backer (PEOPLE, not Dollars) count for this project. The more people who come in and support even at the lower tiers, the more money we can free up for planned free and for-purchase followup material for the English release of Shinobigami. Also, the more support we see for this project, the more material and supplements from this expansive game we'll bring over from Japanese into English in the future. To that end, if you believe in this project, please get the word out and tell your friends!
-- EXPANSION MATERIAL --
We have several reward levels that say "ALL EXPANSION MATERIAL" or "ALL PDF MATERIAL". Here is what we are working on for those reward levels. Most will be fulfilled by the time of the delivery of the core rulebook in December 2016.
* New scenarios for Shinobigami, written by many unique voices in the English role-playing hobby and produced in PDF format, for ready-to-play options. We already are developing twelve new scenarios at this level. We will add even more as we achieve backer count levels!
* Full color quick play guide. The full-color comics that appear in our Kickstarter video above were part of a supplement and not in the core (B&W) book; we'll be collecting those 6 full-color manga pages into a full-color 10-page guide for new players of the game, to help quickly explain the themes and rules of Shinobigami.
* A Shinobigami setting reskin: Play Shinobigami in a Weird West setting based loosely on imagery/visuals from T**gun or Ph****sy S*** Online 2. A simple, evocative setting with some new abilities and rules skillfully penned by Steven Siddall, complete with some scenarios to get you started.
* Theme-Run scenarios: The translators are creating a set of three unique scenarios each based on a common "theme", that can be played in order as an extended campaign. Think "The Key to Time" from Doctor Who
* Character "Chibi" Tokens: In the Velocity System, you use a token (like a cut-out or miniature) to track your location. There are about 20 wonderful B&W nittoushin ("chibi") designs available in the supplement book, which will be made available to all backers of expansion material for print/play.
* A Guidebook to writing Shinobigami scenarios: Shinobigami scenarios are actually just 1-3 page small affairs mostly focusing on the opening scene and secrets. But for new GMs, we've got a lot of experience and advice to create new Shinobigami scenarios. We've compiled our strategies into a document which we'll share with you.
* A Director's Cut book, which has interviews from the original author and illustrators, the translators; and talks about the background of the game and development of the English edition, including the bizarre story of when the translators met for the first time at the grand Atsuta Shrine. Think of this as the book version of a "Director's Commentary" you hear on the DVD Extra for a movie.
* Printer-friendly versions (PDF and epub) of the core books for quick reference.
* A Roll20 package of Shinobigami material so that you can easily play online with friends over Google Hangouts.
* Print and Play cards to supplement various elements of play, like EmoBond connections and the Velocity System chart.
-- LIMITED EDITION HARDCOVER BOOKS --
The highest level of support/backing rewards you with a limited edition version of both the core Shinobigami book and the supplement book. We were extremely happy with all the previous "limited edition cover" attempts we've done in the past (especially the success of our Ryuutama limited edition cover), and plan to do the same here for this campaign. The design is not finalized, but the concept will be Hardcover, Faux-Leather, Black with Bright Red highlights, that looks like a cross between a cursed ninja training scroll and a secret journal. Esoteric Buddhism (密教/Mikkyo, often used in "ninja magic") lettering and diagrams, and so on. Will attract strange looks from passersby.
-- WITH YOUR SUPPORT, WE HOPE TO LIST THESE AS GOALS ACHIEVED AT CERTAIN BACKER OR FUNDING THRESHOLDS --
* More scenarios that make use of the core and supplement rulebook.
* Some illustrations for this new expansion material above, from the original artist Miss Shie Nanahara.
* More Chibi character markers from Nagomi Ochiai
* A second Shinobigami setting reskin with a Magical Girl anime theme, complete with new abilities, rules and accompanying scenarios.
* And more: We have even more ideas we're frankly too scared to put into words at this point without seeing if this campaign is successful!
All of the additional goals we reach will be made available to all backers of the "ALL EXPANSION/PDF MATERIAL" levels. We may make some material available to all for free on the Shinobigami website.
Crowdfunding is a long road, but with determination and support...
Extra Copies of the Shinobigami Books
If you want to order multiple copies of the Shinobigami two-book set beyond the first set, please add the following amount (this combines the book price as well as shipping) to your existing two-book pledge:
For an additional set of Regular Edition Shinobigami books:
USA: Add $44.
Rest of the World: Add $60.
For an additional set of Limited Edition (special hardcover) Shinobigami books:
USA: Add $75.
Rest of the World: Add $85.
For an extra copy of just the Regular edition of the Shinobigami Core Rulebook (and not the supplement):
USA: Add $21.
Rest of the world: Add $36.
Why Kickstarter
We've had successful Kickstarter projects before: So why another one? We go into details on the website, but in short, we'd like to print a large amount of these books at a price point that will help a new generation get into our tabletop role-playing hobby: By doing this carefully and at a measured pace, we hope work with distributors to see copies of the small form-factor Shinobigami turn up not just in game stores, but in comic stores and regular bookstores as well, lined up near manga.
Our experiences at local and national conventions with selling Ryuutama has been that anime and manga fans have heard of role-playing: Many want to try it, they're very interested in it, but the price point and learning curve has been an issue. They only need a small push to try it out. Ryuutama's been selling well with brand new RPGers as that "push", but we think that Shinobigami will help be more of a "loving boot in the ass" to expand the hobby to new potential players, or ex-gamers who are looking for a catalyst to come back.
With extra money for printing raised through Kickstarter, we can try to make that happen.
Finally, we do have goals in mind, but we want to see how much interest there is in this project. If it goes well, we'll bring over other Shinobigami supplement books and maybe even a second Shinobigami-like game from Adventure Planning Service.
The Bloodline of Oni are sorcerers, immortals, vampires and otherworldly types who seek to awaken the Shinobigami
Shipping
As mentioned above, this Kickstarter is a little unusual: It is not just for the publishing of one book, but rather two books; the second book (supplement) to be delivered a year after the first. To that end, you'll notice the shipping costs (even in the US) for the two-book set is roughly double the shipping of the core book (though the core book's price already has some of the shipping cost added to it; the retail price point will be a few dollars less). This is because we have to ship two books.
We may have some physical add-ons, but they will be done in a way where we will not have to ask you to give us more money for shipping later (unless there's a total global shipping collapse in mid-2017). We'll of course reconfirm shipping addresses and the like before shipping the second book later.
Unfortunately for our international friends, we cannot hold off on shipping the first book, and bundle them together in one set when the second book is ready; instead, if shipping for you is costly, please consider just backing the single core rulebook; if you enjoy it, you can later order the second book when it is later available.
Credits and Donations
Because of the small form factor nature of the books, we're going to have a new policy for backer credits: All backers of this project will have their name listed in the credits for the electronic (PDF) copy of the rulebook. However, the physical rulebooks will not contain individual backer names in them. We will also create a memorial page on the Shinobigami website where all backers' names are listed.
We mention on our website that this project has far lower margins than our other projects: This helps us achieve that goal of "low cost high production book", as well as the creation of new material for the English-speaking market. We will be happy to accept your donations above the price of the level you choose. Whatever extra we receive will not be going into our pockets, but immediately re-invested into new material including scenarios, illustrations by the original Shinobigami artists, and the like to be shared with everyone.
Thank you so much for your support. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. And don't forget to see the official Shinobigami website for more information and links to Shinobigami-themed communities.
Together, we can bring Shinobigami into English!
Thanks to Jennifer Lee for her video mastery.
Thanks to the band Copestoned and Forfeit Productions for granting us the use of their excellent track "Our Screams". You can see more of them at their Facebook site here, and Forfeit Productions. |
Gordy Haab understands what makes John Williams' epic music for Star Wars unique. Haab wrote the OST for Star Wars Battlefront from Dice Studios and EA Games. As Gordy explains, there's way more to the music than just the familiar themes, and it was his job to discover the key to Williams' sound.
Kate's conversation with Gordy Haab
In his music for the latest Death Star expansion, Gordy says he went "really dark" with the music -- including the menacing themes John Williams wrote for the thrilling conclusion to A New Hope.
Gordy says he dealt with fans' expectations by holding himself to really high standards, because, as he expains, "I'm a huge fan, too!"
Episode tracklist:
Gordy Haab: Star Wars Battlefront: Hoth Alliance/Into Battle, Sullest's Hars Terrain
John Williams: Star Wars, A New Hope: Desert and Robot Auction
Follow Gordy on Twitter
Follow Kate on Twitter
Subscribe to Music Respawn on iTunes! |
EMBED >More News Videos Dee Ann Haney is charged after a deadly crash on the Gulf Freeway.
A Texas City commissioner charged in a crash that killed a father and his son has been released from custody. Authorities say she admitted to smoking marijuana before the incident.Authorities held Dee Ann Haney after the crash on northbound I-45 near the Galveston Causeway at 12:55 a.m. Monday.Law enforcement at the scene said two men were standing outside of a stopped black truck when a woman in another pickup hit them. The men died from the crash.Police said the men and another person were trying to secure items in the bed of the truck when the crash happened. Authorities identified the men killed as Van Duoc Le, 59, and his son Phue Hong Le, 33.The woman in the other truck was taken to a nearby hospital and then booked into Galveston County Jail. Authorities said the driver, who was identified as 54-year-old Haney, is being charged with two counts of intoxication manslaughter in connection with the crash.In a probable cause affidavit, a trooper told investigators that Haney was under the influence of marijuana and that she admitted to smoking pot before the crash. Troopers determined marijuana intoxication after a field sobriety test.A magistrate judge set Haney's bond at $100,000. As part of the conditions, Haney will have to install a breathalyzer in her vehicle. Additionally, she is not allowed into any place that serves primarily alcohol.Texas City Mayor Matthew Doyle confirmed to Eyewitness News that Haney is a sitting commissioner-at-large for the city. The mayor is out of the country and did not immediately comment on the crash.Haney is also an employee of Texas A&M University at Galveston, working as a lab safety and training coordinator.The university released a statement following the crash:"We learned this morning that an employee of Texas A&M University at Galveston, Dee Ann Haney, was involved in a vehicle accident last night that resulted in two deaths. Our deepest condolences go to the families of those who lost their lives."Northbound Gulf Freeway was shut down heading out of the island for hours during the investigation. |
Daryl Hall is the taller, more visible half of Hall & Oates, one of the best-selling musical duos of all time who, despite being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, never quite got the sort of critical love that many other inductees have generated. Hall and John Oates met while attending Temple University in Philadelphia, a city known not just for hosting American Bandstand for decades but for a rich musical lineage that includes classical singers (Mario Lanza, Marian Anderson), teen idols (Fabian, Frankie Avalon), and a version of soul that became known as "the Philadelphia Sound" (The Stylistics, Harold Melvin & the Blue Noes).
The city also gave rise to what became known as "blue-eyed soul," an homage to a mix of influences but especially to the black soul music that was "the Phiiadelphia Sound." Since 2007, Hall has also produced an online concert show called "Live From Daryl's House," where Hall hosts a singer or band at his Colorado residence/living space at an upstate New York venue. It's an interesting scene and recent guests have included acs such as Cheap Trick, Wyclef Jean, Ben Folds, and Aaron Neville (for a full list of appearances, go here).
In a new interview, Salon asked Daryl Hall how he, the great "blue-eyed soul" master, would respond to charges of "cultural appopriation" in terms of his music. The answer is...interesting (Salon questions in bold):
One of the current debates is over “cultural appropriation” – The idea that white people should not appropriate the culture of ethnic and racial minorities. I know that you don’t like the term “blue eyed soul.” Have you followed this conversation? Are you trying to say that I don’t own the style of music that I grew up with and sing? I grew up with this music. It is not about being black or white. That is the most naïve attitude I’ve ever heard in my life. That is so far in the past, I hope, for everyone’s sake. It isn’t even an issue to discuss. The music that you listened to when you grew up is your music. It has nothing to do with “cultural appropriation.” I agree with you entirely, because… I’m glad that you do, because anyone who says that should shut the fuck up. Well, this entire critique is coming back… I’m sorry to hear it. Who is making these critiques? Who do they write for? What are their credentials to give an opinion like that? Who are they? Much of it is academic. Well, then they should go back to school. Academia? Now, there’s a hotbed of idiocy. Anyone who knows about music, about culture in general, understands that everything is much more natural. Everything is a mixture. We live in America. That’s our entire culture. Our culture is a blend. It isn’t split up into groups. Anyone who says otherwise is a fool – worse than a fool – a dangerous fool.
Whole thing here.
As we've noted previously, essentially all culture activity, from music to yoga, is an act of appropriation (speaking of the yoga that's practiced today in North America, it's a Western creation). Hall's defense of his musical practice is starkly refreshing, even as it slides into anti-intellectualism.
It's worth making a distinction that goes unspoken in the Salon interview: Different types of cultural appropriation have different moral weights. When the appropriation serves to create continuity or openly acknowlege and celebrate influence and adaptation, it's all to the good. When it seeks simply to fetishize or conceal the influence of (almost inevitably) marginalized or vanquished groups, not so much.
Like it or hate it, Hall's music is certainly in the former group and his discography extends well beyond anything like simple imitation. As reviewers at the All-Music Guide wrote, "At their best, Hall & Oates' songs were filled with strong hooks and melodies that adhered to soul traditions without being a slave to them by incorporating elements of new wave." Popular culture—and pop music especially—is a "perpetual meaning machine" that is constantly riffing off itself, mongrelizing, and remixing itself. Led Zeppelin borrows from the blues (belatedly forking over money to Willie Dixon) and a million other sources (especially folk) before becoming one of the most-sampled bands in hip hop. And on and on (at least until copyright and the DMCA gets in the way).
En route to telling critics of cultural appropriation to "shut the fuck up," Hall says something equally damning about the music business, which was notoriously slow to allow crossover artists back in the day (hillbilly music, race music, pop music needed to be quarantined from one another) and even slower to embrace the Internet (leading to a series of sad Senate hearings circa 2000 and the banishing of Napster and similar services, only to see them re-emerge as Pandora and Spotify). Here's Hall's take:
If you work with what is real today instead of trying to fight it and resist it, it is a great time for making music. The real problem for young artists is that they don’t have any help or understanding from the record companies. Record company executives are the most backward bunch of idiots I’ve ever seen in my life. They are probably only surpassed by television executives. If I had a record company, I would know what to do, and how to promote new artists, and how to make money for myself, and for the artist. Now, all the artists are floundering, because all they can do is play live, and hope that they can gather a large enough tribe to support them. There is far too much ignorance right now and refusal to accept change.... If I was the head of Atlantic Records, and not to single them out, I would start an internet show, and I would pair my young artists with my older artists for every broadcast. They have a big enough name. They’re as big as me.
There's nothing new about recording artists slagging suits as out of touch and stupid; indeed, after the booty call, such an insight might be rock music's most-popular motif. But it's nothing less than inspiring to see a charter member of the baby boom (Hall was born in 1946) and a guy whose first LP came out in 1972 looking forward rather than bitching and moaning about his and his industry's salad days, when artists and labels alike could force you to buy 10 songs on a record or disc to get the one that you really wanted to hear.
Read the full interview at Salon.
Well, let's close this out with a song, right? Here's Hall performing one of Hall & Oates' signature tunes, "Sara Smile," with Smokey Robinson on a 2011 episode of Live From Daryl's House. Why "Sara Smile"? Because according to a 2012 count, it had been sampled no fewer than 59 times by various rappers and hip hop artists. And because no one ever really wants to hear "Maneater" ever again. |
Image copyright AFP Image caption Many migrants make the treacherous journey in the hope of a better life in Europe
Troops in northern Niger have rescued 92 migrants who were on the brink of death in the Sahara Desert, an army statement has said.
Traffickers abandoned the group, which included women and children, without water and food, it added.
One migrant died after being taken to a relief centre, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) said.
African migrants travel through the desert to reach Libya before crossing the Mediterranean Sea to get to Europe.
However, the journey through the desert is perilous as the migrants are crammed into pick-up trucks and have little food or water.
More than 40 people died of thirst in the Sahara Desert about a fortnight ago after their truck broke down.
And last June, the bodies of 34 migrants, including 20 children, were found in the Sahara Desert near Niger's border with Algeria.
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption How I smuggle people from Nigeria to Europe
The rescued migrants, who included at least 30 women and babies, were being looked after at a facility in the garrison town of Dirkou in northern Niger, the IOM said.
"Usually what happens in such situations is that smugglers try to exploit them," IOM head of mission Giuseppe Loprete told BBC Focus on Africa.
"They ask for more money when they are in the middle of the desert. If they don't pay, they are abandoned."
He said the migrants - most of whom were from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Burkina Faso - were saved because they were abandoned near a well.
The harsh Sahara: By Martin Patience, BBC News, Nigeria
The unforgiving conditions of the Sahara Desert mean that a broken down vehicle is often a death sentence for migrants.
Niger serves as a transit point for West Africans hoping to reach Europe to start a better life.
Every year, tens of thousands of migrants cross the Sahara to reach Libya. From the Libyan coast they board rickety boats to ferry them to Europe.
Many drown in the Mediterranean but, perhaps, less well known, are the dangers they face while crossing the Sahara.
It's not known how many deaths there are every year - as it's a vast, ungoverned region. But many migrants die of thirst, while others are robbed and attacked by criminal gangs and security forces.
'My sister drowned getting to Europe' |
We’ve said this in a number of ways, but it bears repeating to those who haven’t tuned in yet: Fargo is the best show currently airing on television, and that includes Game of Thrones. There are at least three Emmy-worthy performances going on in it (Allison Tolman, Martin Freeman, and Billy Bob Thornton), the writing is on par with True Detective (and like True Detective, every episode was written by its showrunner, in this case Noah Hawley), and the cinematography and directing is outstanding. For those who like shocking deaths and WTF twists, Fargo is also doing that better than anyone now, even while staying true to the spirit of the original Coen Brothers’ film.
But don’t expect season two to have the same leads.
I suppose it stands to reason since Fargo is being submitted to the Emmys as a mini-series, where it should sweep the actor, actress, supporting actor, and best miniseries in those categories. But Hawley more or less confirmed it in a statement he made at the Austin ATX festival, saying that the series would not likely follow the same characters:
“When I went in and sat down with FX, I said the movie was as powerful as it was, because at the end you knew she was going to wake up tomorrow and it was going to be a normal day. And we’re saying it’s a true story, which it isn’t, but it’s following a certain true story logic, and it would strain credulity I think to have the continuing adventures of Molly and Gus with [a new storyline of] ‘What crazy Coen Brother case are they going to catch next time?’ My feeling is we would explore new territory, but nothing is set in stone yet.”
Billy Bob Thornton is only signed on for a year, Bob Odenkirk has Better Call Saul coming up, and Martin Freeman is always busy, and who knows which one of those characters would survive, anyway. I do hope, however, that when Hawley decides on a new storyline, he creates a character for Allison Tolman and that she is to Fargo what Jessica Lange is to American Horror Story: A potent acting weapon he can pull out every year.
Meanwhile, Hawley also said that he’s going to try and break Twitter with tonight’s episode and if Twitter doesn’t break tonight, next week’s “bloody” season finale should do the trick.
Source: EW |
MFA vs. CPU: Another MFA Article Misses the Bigger Picture
Lincoln Michel Blocked Unblock Follow Following Mar 7, 2016
Every now and then, the literary world likes to take a break from debating whether ebooks are taking over or whether the novel is dead to discuss an even more pressing matter: are MFA programs bad?
Of all the literary debates, the MFA question might be the dullest, because the stakes are so low. Some writers like to take a few classes for a couple years, others don’t. There’s an important debate about funding — especially in this baby boomer-ravaged economy — but otherwise who really cares if an author has taken a few writing workshops? Not many editors, reviewers, or readers do. But that fact is actually what’s interesting about the MFA debate: it tends to completely ignore the groups that actually determine what gets published in favor of an MFA-centric theory of the literary universe where all other players orbit around the MFA, propelled by its workshopped gravity.
This weekend, The Atlantic jumped into the MFA debate with “How Has the MFA Changed the Contemporary Novel?” If you are intrigued by the title, don’t be. The article doesn’t examine how the rise of MFA programs has changed contemporary fiction. There’s not even any discussion of fiction before the rise of MFA programs. Instead, authors Richard Jean So and Andrew Piper — “two professors of language and literature who regularly use computation to test common assumptions about culture” — set out investigate a question that I truly believe no one has ever asked: are published novels by writers with MFAs stylistically similar to published novels by authors without MFAs that are reviewed by the New York Times?
a question that I truly believe no one has ever asked: are published novels by writers with MFAs stylistically similar to published novels by authors without MFAs that are reviewed by the New York Times?
So and Piper use “a variety of tools from the field of computational text analysis” (talk about vague) to compare some novels from MFA grads (story writers, poets, and non-fiction writers are ignored) to New York Times-reviewed novels by authors like Donna Tartt and Akhil Sharma. Their computer can’t detect much difference in vocabulary or syntax between the two sets of novels. The authors don’t investigate why stylistically similar books are being shopped by agents and published by editors. Instead, they assume what is published is representative of what is written, and conclude that MFA programs don’t affect writers.
The central question itself is a little bizarre. Who argues that MFA grads write differently from their mainstream literary fiction peers? Most aspiring novelists go to MFAs precisely to be able to write the kind of work that gets published by big houses and reviewed in major papers — i.e., mainstream literary fiction. So and Piper might have found very different results if they compared the works of MFA grads to, say, small press horror novels or self-published romance ebooks.
Most aspiring novelists go to MFAs precisely to be able to write the kind of work that gets published by big houses and reviewed in major papers — i.e., mainstream literary fiction.
Because of this sloppy methodology, So and Piper fail to rebut either the pro- or anti- MFA crowds, despite claiming to rebut both. The argument for MFAs is essentially that studying the craft and taking dedicated time to work with engaged peers will help your writing get better. (The more cynical might say that even if it doesn’t help your writing, it can get you important connections.) Does the MFA help people get better? In my experience, yes, but So and Piper make no attempt to analyze whether writers improve or change during an MFA. They don’t compare authors’ work before and after MFA programs, nor do they see if writers’ publication rate or job prospects increase after getting an MFA.
So and Piper also make the faulty assumption that the influence of MFA writing can be measured by MFA degrees. A case in point: one of the three examples The Atlantic gives for a non-MFA writer they analyzed is Akhil Sharma. Sharma studied under writers like Joyce Carol Oates and Paul Auster in undergrad, then was awarded a prestigious Stegner creative writing fellowship, and has taught in the MFA program at Rutgers. It is only a technicality that Sharma doesn’t count as an MFA author (the Stegner is an MFA-style creative writing program at Stanford that is largely awarded to people who already hold MFAs). The authors don’t make their data public, but there’s little doubt that their “non-MFA” data set is filled with writers who similarly either studied creative writing in undergrad or teach in MFA programs.
The Atlantic piece is part of a rise in “data journalism” invading the arts. Computer analysis of artistic works can be interesting, but the majority of the time it seems to show the biases and assumptions of the authors rather than anything about the work itself. Everyone knows how Nate Silver revolutionized baseball analytics and election forecasting with his data-driven approach, but when Silver launched his FiveThirtyEight website and attempted to extend “data journalism” into the arts, the results have been pretty silly. I still remember when the site launched, it featured an analysis of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet that declared “More than 400 years after Shakespeare wrote it, we can now say that ‘Romeo and Juliet’ has the wrong name.” The author “discovered this by writing a computer program to count how many lines each pair of characters in ‘Romeo and Juliet’ spoke to each other” and being shocked to find that Romeo and Juliet don’t speak to each other as much as they speak to other characters. Of course, anyone who studied that play in middle school knows that the entire point of the play is that Romeo and Juliet are “star-crossed lovers” whose relationship is thwarted by outside forces. We don’t need data to tell us the main characters are kept apart from each other, that’s literally what the entire plot revolves around.
So and Piper don’t get into detail about how their data analysis works, but what they do say brings up far more questions than answers. For example, So and Piper claim to analyze the “themes” of MFA and non-MFA novels, but spend only two sentences describing this:
To test whether this was the case, we used a method called topic modeling that examines themes instead of individual words. And while MFA novels do tend to slightly favor certain themes like “family” or “home,” overall there’s no predictable way these topics appear with any regularity in novels written by creative writing graduates more than other people who write novels.
Telling us a book is about “home” or “family” isn’t really delving into its themes in any meaningful way. Would So and Piper’s program tell us the “themes” of The Metamorphosis and Moby-Dick are “insects” and “the ocean”? Later, they claim to calculate the number of “strong female characters” in the novels without any explanation of how their algorithm decides which female characters are strong and which are flat and cliché. (I assume the authors are being loose with language and by “strong” they just mean “has a lot of lines,” but who knows.)
Would So and Piper’s program tell us the “themes” of The Metamorphosis and Moby-Dick are “insects” and “the ocean”?
The only interesting parts of the essay are when So and Piper say their program doesn’t detect much difference between the voices of writers of color and white writers, and when they note that women characters are underrepresented in all books. But this part only highlights again how weak their argument is — and the arguments of so many similar MFA articles — because they completely ignore the book-producing elephant in the room: the publishing industry.
While So and Piper smarmily note that MFA programs claim to be “challenging ‘patriarchy’ and ‘heteronormativity’” while producing sexist work, they seem to naively believe that MFA programs determine what gets published. They don’t. Writers with or without degrees don’t either. Writers of color frequently talk about how editors ask them to make their voices “less ethnic” or change their books to fit what “the market” wants. Groups such as VIDA have long highlighted gender disparity in publishing and in reviewing. While there is certainly sexism and racism in the MFA world, what and who gets published and covered is far more determined by editors, agents, marketing directors, reviewers, publicists, and even readers than MFA professors.
This is ultimately the problem with the entire MFA debate. It ignores all the outside pressures, signals, influences, and factors that determine what gets published. MFAs can be useful to writers, especially when they are well funded, but ultimately, the MFA is only two to three years out of a writer’s life. Those years don’t outweigh decades of signaling from the publishing industry, major newspapers, and magazines about what type of fiction is popular and publishable. And they don’t outweigh years of one’s personal reading habits and taste either. Writers tend to leave the MFA program with their tastes and style in tact and their writing a little more honed. Hopefully they have a polished manuscript freshly printed in their hands. But when the leave the warm confines of the MFA program, they face the cold world of agents, editors, and readers who couldn’t care less what workshop comments or professor feedback they got. |
I have long wanted to see inside the Caledonian Park Clock Tower and the Open House London weekend provided the opportunity to do so, with tours available on the Saturday, so on a warm, sunny afternoon I was in Caledonian Park ready for the climb.
Referring back to yesterday’s post, the Clock Tower from the south. The old Copenhagen House would have been just in front and to the left of the Clock Tower.
At the base of the tower are plaques recording the march in support of the Tolpuddle Martyrs and the original Copenhagen Fields and House.
Once inside the base of the tower, a spiral staircase provides access to the first floor:
Further up the tower, the first glimpse of the view to come from the top:
Along with the weights that drive the clock.
The clock has not been converted to an electric system, the original mechanical clock is still in place, driven by weights and needing to be wound once a week.
The weights have almost half the height of the tower to fall when the clock is fully wound to provide a reasonably long running period.
On the floor below the clock mechanism is the pendulum. Fully operational with a smooth sweep back and forth. The bottom part of the near vertical wooden steps to climb between floors can just be seen below the pendulum.
On the next floor is the clock mechanism. In place since the original construction of the Clock Tower:
One of the dials recording that the clock was constructed by John Moore & Sons of Clerkenwell in 1856. Founded in 1790, John Moore & Sons operated from Clerkenwell Close for the whole of the 19th century, finally moving to Spencer Street in 1900 where they would remain for a further 20 years, mainly as watch makers. As well as the Caledonian Park Clock Tower, mechanisms manufactured by John Moore & Sons can still be found in many churches including St. Michael, Wood Green, St. Mary the Virgin in Mortlake and Holy Trinity Church in Fareham.
There have been a few restorations of the clock in the intervening 155 years, however it is still essentially the same as when it was first installed.
Other dials record later restorations. John Smith & Sons of Derby in 1993:
On the next floor up is the mechanism that takes the single drive from the clock on the floor below and drives four rods, one to each of the four clock faces on each side of the clock tower. Unfortunately the actual mechanism was hidden within a large wooden box.
One of the clock faces. The rod running from the right drives the clock and the gearing in the middle is the reduction drive so that both the minute and hour hands can be driven from the single drive.
The final set of steps provides access to the viewing gallery around the top of the Clock Tower. Through a small doorway, facing due south and straight into the following view across the whole sweep of central London and to the hills beyond.
Canary Wharf:
The City of London:
St. Paul’s Cathedral on the western edge of the City. When the Clock Tower was originally built. the city horizon would have seemed very flat with the exception of St. Paul’s and the steeples of the City churches.
The chimney of Tate Modern:
The Shell Centre building on the south bank and the London Eye:
The walkway around the Clock Tower is not that wide and the railings around the edge did not seem very high given the height of the Clock Tower.
Moving round to the east, the Olympic Park and the ArcelorMittal Orbit:
And a bit further round, the Arsenal Emirates Stadium:
Alexandra Palace:
Looking to the south west, with the BT Tower in the centre. The area now covered by trees, the block of flats to the right and the sports pitches were all part of the Cattle Market.
The view looking down onto the park. The area occupied by the park, the football pitches and the sports complex were also part of the Cattle Market. Unfortunately I have not been able to find any photos taken from the tower whilst the market was in operation. It must have been an impressive sight on a busy market day.
Above the viewing gallery are the bells, not used having been out of action for many years.
As with the clock, the bells are original. The main bell showing 1856 as the year of manufacture:
It was about 10 to 15 minutes at the top of the tower, it went far too quickly when there was so much to take in, however It was time to climb back down through the doorway, and take one last look at London:
The Caledonian Clock Tower is a fantastic survival from the Metropolitan Cattle Market. Largely unchanged since first built and faithful to James Bunstone Bunning’s original design. It is a Grade II* listed building to recognise the important part the Clock Tower played in London’s commercial and industrial heritage. Long may it survive.
alondoninheritance.com
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Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau is giving himself a bit of wiggle room on just how big his government's deficits could be if he's elected.
For the past few weeks, Trudeau has faced a series of questions from reporters travelling with his campaign about his fiscal plans and when he will release a fully costed platform.
During a town hall meeting in downtown Toronto Monday, Trudeau hinted that his deficits could grow beyond the planned $10 billion a year.
Infrastructure boost
The Liberal platform is to run a series of deficits of up to $10 billion a year in the next three years in order to kickstart the economy by investing in big infrastructure projects. Trudeau has promised to balance the budget in 2019.
Trudeau was asked by Radio-Canada reporter Daniel Thibeault if those deficits could go above $10 billion per year given the low price of oil.
The Liberal leader responded in French, saying, "We are committed to balancing the budget in 2019, and we have always said that we will have modest deficits for the first three years."
But then he added, "We have also said that, if the situation gets radically worse, we might revise these numbers."
It is the clearest answer Trudeau has given to date on that issue, possibly giving himself a bit of wiggle room if the economy performs worse than expected.
"But as of now, we have been conservative … prudent in our evaluation and I am confident in our plan, and in our fiscal framework, that you'll see during this campaign," he told the audience in the Trinity-Spadina riding, where his party is battling it out with the NDP.
Trudeau's staff were quick to follow up after the event, pointing out that the Liberal leader has said this before and that he's not changing his tune mid-stride.
They point out that background material sent on Aug. 27 included this statement: "If the fiscal situation deteriorates due to a further slowdown of the economy in the weeks ahead, Liberals will be honest with Canadians about the facts."
Trudeau also hedged his bets on deficits two days before that when talking to reporters after a rally with former prime minister Paul Martin:
"We are, as Liberals, always are committed to balancing the budget. But how long that will take will depend very much on the size of the mess Mr. Harper has left us."
Both the NDP and Conservatives have accused the Liberal leader of heading toward a slippery slope of ever-increasing deficits with his borrow and build infrastructure plans.
In a statement to CBC News, Conservative campaign spokesman Stephen Lecce said Trudeau is "either unable or unwilling to control his spending."
"He has pledged to repeal the Balanced Budget Act, a necessity if he plans to run permanent, structural deficits," Lecce said of the Liberal leader. "This will inevitably end in higher taxes for Canadians, even beyond the payroll and employer tax hikes he has already promised."
But Liberal campaign press officer Zita Astravas points out that their deficit plan is based on economic projections from both the OECD and from the parliamentary budget officer.
"It's also important to note that the OECD recent numbers were aligned with the PBO projections for July," she wrote in an email.
"So there hasn't been any adjustments from our end and [it] would be wrong to suggest otherwise." |
Processor: AMD FX 4100 4-Core Processor
Memory/RAM: Gskill Ripjaws 8GB
Power Supply: Raidmax RX-1000 - 1000W 80 PLUS Gold Power Supply
Graphics card: Sapphire AMD 7950 Dual-x
Operating system: Windows 8 64bit Professional
AMD Drivers: 13.8 Beta
Cgminer: 3.4.0
GPU Settings: MSI Afterburner
UPDATE WARNING: If mining litecoin (Scrypt coins) do not upgrade to anything above Cgminer 3.7, as the GPU mining element has been removed.
Overview
This tutorial is a compliment to the Cgminer-Linux tutorial. You can find that Here. In comparing Windows, and Linux for mining purposes. Windows has some important features, that Linux simply does not have. The most important, is the capacity to adjust the voltage settings on "unlocked" graphics cards. This can lower your temperatures by 10C, which is significant, when it comes to mining. This configuration of cgminer, I will be using two Sapphire AMD Radeon 7950 GPUs,
System pre-check
First, download, and install the drivers, and the cgminer software. They can be found at the links above. Always use the latest version. If you run into problems, you can always roll back your drivers, and cgminer versions. Unzip cgminer into a folder on your main drive. For example: C:\cgminer-3.4.0-windows Make sure you reboot your computer, after you've completed the installation.
Once the reboot is complete. We need to set our environmental variables. Open your command prompt (with administrator access), and type the following commands:
setx GPU_MAX_ALLOC_PERCENT 100
setx GPU_USE_SYNC_OBJECTS 1
It should give you a visual confirmation, that it was successful. You can double check that these environmental variables are set, by going into the control panel>search "variable">Edit environmental variables for your account. This should open a new window, where your environmental variables are shown. If you do not see them here, you must add them in. Click "New", and enter the variable name, and value above. It should look something like this:
Now that you've verified the installation of the environmental variables, we can verify that cgminer recognizes your gpu. In your command prompt:
cd /
cd cgminer-3.4.0-windows #Whatever the directory name, cgminer is in
cgminer.exe -n
The result should look like this:
Cgminer configurations
First, open windows explorer, and navigate to your cgminer directory. Inside, you'll find a file named: example.conf. Rename your example.conf to cgminer.conf. This will be where the default settings for cgminer will be stored. It will access it every time you start cgminer.
Open your newly renamed cgminer.conf. This will give you a good head start on creating your .conf file. Depending on how you want to configure your mining rig, these settings can be static, or dynamic. You can find all of the possible commands inside the cgminer directory, in the "README" & "SCRYPT-README" files.
Pulling information from my previous Sapphire 7950 installations, I already know a good working range for the clock/mem speeds. Some of these basic settings for the 7950 can be found in this review: Sapphire 7950 Dual-x Graphics Card Review. Below are the settings I used for this tutorial. Your results may vary.
Now that we have our cgminer.conf configured. We need to create a .bat file Inside the cgminer directory. You can do this by "right mouse-click">New>Text Document, inside the cgminer directory. Name the file Cgminer-Start.bat (or something you'll remember). This file will be setup to automatically start mining when your computer reboots. I automatically delete the .bin file. I do this every time cgminer starts up. By not deleting your .bin file, it can be the source of many problems. The .bin file stores information about your settings. It's good practice to automatically delete this file. The settings are as follows:
del *.bin
cgminer.exe
Now that we have our cgminer.conf and Cgminer-Start.bat we can begin our final adjustments.
Initialize cgminer - Litecoin
Cgminer can be initialized, by simply double-clicking on the Cgminer-Start.bat file. Once it starts up, you can then begin card optimization.
Using the configuration settings for the Sapphire 7950 above, this is the result. Keep in mind, there was no modification of the voltage settings. Hence, the high temperatures. Manually adjusting cgminer's GPU settings can be done by pressing [G] on your keyboard. This will bring you to a menu where you can select which option you need to adjust. Get to know the adjustment settings in cgminer, they can save you a lot of time, when fine tuning your GPU's. Alternatively, you can adjust your settings inside MSI Afterburner, in real time. Either option works well.
MSI Afterburner configuration
Using Afterburner is crucial when bitcoin/litecoin mining on Windows. It's relatively easy to install, and get setup. You can download the latest version of Afterburner at the link above.
After installing Afterburner, you'll need to modify your configuration file. It's located in: C:\Program Files (x86)\MSI Afterburner\MSIAfterburner.cfg Open the MSIAfterburner.cfg, and near the bottom of the file, you'll see this area:
You must add the correct information in the fields, like in the picture above. This will enable Afterburner to overclock your graphics card. Please note, that any damage to your computer, or graphics cards, are your own responsibility.
Inside Afterburner, in the settings menu, you'll see the following.
Master graphics processor selection
- Sync GPU's only if they are the same type & speed
General properties
- Start with windows - do this if you want your mining to be automated at startup
Compatibility properties
- Enable all of these properties for over clocking & stability
Update checking properties
- Only enable if you want to check for software updates to Afterburner
AMD compatibility properties
- Enable extending official overclocking limits, use caution
Knowing that my cgminer configuration is good at the current settings. I need to lower the voltage, to get the temperatures down. On the Sapphire AMD 7950 GPU's, the stock voltage is: 1.125V. After some adjustment, I ended up with a voltage of 1.100V. This ran stable, and cool. Just what we want.
After I determined the settings that worked best with the 7950's, I "Saved" those settings within Afterburner, as a "Profile". Making it easy to recall these settings. Since this mining rig will be automated, I selected "Apply overclocking at system startup". This will apply my saved profile "1", every time I boot up the computer.
Compare Stock Voltage vs. Undervolting
In the illustration below, I wanted to show the temperature difference between stock voltage, and undervolting the GPU. The result speaks volumes.
VS
Keep in mind that this test was performed with an "open-air" rig, using PCI-e risers. Ambient room temperature of 78F/25.5C
Automating startup
Automating startup in windows is fairly straight forward. Make sure that your MSI afterburner settings, are saved in a profile, and you've selected the appropriate settings for startup.
A good practice is to create a shortcut for your Cgminer-Start.bat, by right mouse click > create shortcut. Then drag this shortcut to your desktop. This will keep available for quick access. Once the shortcut is created, you'll want to copy it into the startup directory. The path should look something like this: C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs\Startup\
This will trigger every time you startup your computer. It's a simplistic approach, but it works.
My cgminer.conf in an easy to copy/paste format - Litecoin :
{
"pools" : [
{
"url" : "https://Poolinfo:9327",
"user" : "username",
"pass" : "password"
},
{
"url" : "poolinfo",
"user" : "username",
"pass" : "password"
},
{
"url" : "poolinfo",
"user" : "username",
"pass" : "password"
}
],
"intensity" : "19",
"vectors" : "1",
"worksize" : "256",
"kernel" : "scrypt",
"lookup-gap" : "0",
"thread-concurrency" : "21376",
"shaders" : "0",
"gpu-engine" : "1100",
"gpu-fan" : "85",
"gpu-memclock" : "1600",
"gpu-memdiff" : "0",
"gpu-powertune" : "20",
"gpu-vddc" : "0.000",
"temp-cutoff" : "95",
"temp-overheat" : "85",
"temp-target" : "75",
"api-listen" : true,
"api-port" : "4028",
"expiry" : "120",
"failover-only" : true,
"gpu-dyninterval" : "7",
"gpu-platform" : "0",
"gpu-threads" : "1",
"hotplug" : "5",
"log" : "5",
"no-pool-disable" : true,
"queue" : "1",
"scan-time" : "30",
"scrypt" : true,
"temp-hysteresis" : "3",
"shares" : "0",
"kernel-path" : "/usr/local/bin"
} |
It's the most secure distribution version of Windows XP ever produced by Microsoft: More than 600 settings are locked down tight, and critical security patches can be installed in an average of 72 hours instead of 57 days. The only problem is, you have to join the Air Force to get it.
The Air Force persuaded Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer to provide it with a secure Windows configuration that saved the service about $100 million in contract costs and countless hours of maintenance. At a congressional hearing this week on cybersecurity, Alan Paller, research director of the Sans Institute, shared the story as a template for how the government could use its massive purchasing power to get companies to produce more secure products. And those could eventually be available to the rest of us.
Security experts have been arguing for this "trickle-down" model for years. But rather than wield its buying power for the greater good, the government has long wimped out and taken whatever vendors served them. If the Air Force case is a good judge, however, things might be changing.
Threat Level spoke with former CIO of the Air Force, John Gilligan, to get the details.
Gilligan, who served as CIO of the Air Force from 2001 to 2005 and now runs a consulting firm, said it all began in 2003 after the NSA conducted penetration tests on the Air Force network as part of its regular testing of Pentagon cybersecurity.
NSA pen-testers made Swiss cheese of the network, and found that more than two-thirds of their intrusions were possible because of poorly configured software that created vulnerabilities. In some cases, the culprit was an operating system or application that came bloated with unsecured features that were never re-configured securely by Air Force administrators. In other cases, systems that were configured securely became vulnerable later (for instance, when a system crashed and original software was re-installed without patches that had been on the system before the crash).
"It was really an easy target," Gilligan says. "All the NSA had to do was scan the network."
The Air Force, on the verge of renegotiating its desktop-software contract with Microsoft, met with Ballmer and asked the company to deliver a secure configuration of Windows XP out of the box. That way, Air Force administrators wouldn't have to spend time re-configuring, and the department would have uniform software across the board, making it easier to control and maintain patches.
Surprisingly, Microsoft quickly agreed to the plan, and Ballmer got personally involved in the project.
"He has half-a-dozen clients that he personally gets involved with, and he saw that this just made a lot of sense," Gilligan said. "They had already done preliminary work themselves trying to identify what would be a more secure configuration. So we fine-tuned and added to that."
The NSA got together with the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Defense Information Systems Agency and the Center for Internet Security to decide what to lock down in the Air Force special edition.
Many of the changes were complex and technical, but Gilligan says one of the most important and simplest was an obvious fix to how Windows XP handled passwords. The Air Force insisted the system be configured so administrative passwords were unique, and different from general user passwords, preventing an average user from obtaining administrative privileges. Specifications were added to increase the length and complexity of passwords and expire them every 60 days.
It then took two years for the Air Force to catalog and test all the software applications on its networks against the new configuration to uncover conflicts. In some cases, where internally designed software interacted with Windows XP in an insecure way, they had to change the in-house software.
"We started to put discipline into what people were fielding in the way of applications," Gilligan said. "It required a lot of senior-level attention because this was not something that the IT guys were happy about. We were taking control from them and forcing them to make modifications in systems. But the benefits were huge because now the Air Force knows what is fielded; they know all the applications that run against a certain configuration."
In addition to the secure configuration, they also got Microsoft to install automated tools to update patches and to detect and prevent someone from altering the configuration.
Having a single configuration across the network greatly reduced the time it took to patch systems. Gilligan said it used to take the Air Force well over 100 days to install patches after new vulnerabilities were discovered, because the military's network administrators had to test the patches against multiple configurations. Emergency patches that needed to be installed post-haste took 57 days to install, leaving systems vulnerable to intruders during that time.
"Once the flaw was known, then those who wanted to attack our systems could be developing attacks in that time," Gilligan said.
But with a single configuration, all that testing is now done by Microsoft before it releases a patch, saving the Air Force time. An added benefit of the new configuration was a 40 percent drop in the number of calls to Air Force help desks.
"Turns out when you configure things properly and don't touch them, they actually work pretty well," Gilligan said.
The Air Force began the project in 2005 and finished installing the new configuration on systems in 2007. In contracts with hardware providers it demanded that vendors pre-load the special Windows XP configuration onto systems before delivering them to the Air Force.
The USAF saved $100 million on a five-year license agreement with Microsoft by consolidating more than 30 contracts – made possible by the fact that it was now able to buy a single standard configuration.
Most importantly, security of the system improved. Gilligan said 85 percent of attacks were blocked after the configuration was installed.
"Once you get the standard configuration, then it becomes a much harder target to attack," Gilligan said. "I will not say that the Air Force cannot be penetrated, but the incidents have decreased. The hope is that those who are defending the networks can focus their energies on a smaller set of vulnerabilities and more sophisticated attacks. It dampens out the low-hanging fruit and the easy attacks."
The project was so successful that it became the foundation for the government's Federal Desktop Core Configuration program, which was mandated last year by the White House's Office of Management and Budget to improve the security of government systems across the board. Gilligan said other departments have started with the Air Force configuration and modified it slightly to fit their unique needs and applications.
He said the next step is to expand the project to other software products, such as database management systems. He added that he's confident the Microsoft example marks the turning of the tide against vendors that arrogantly resist locking down their products.
"They're still in the model that they want to give all the features enabled to clients," he said. "But I think we've reached a point where that model is one that is no longer effective. I'm of the opinion that all products ought to be configured with these locked-down configurations, and if the customer decides they want to undo them, then they can do that. They cannot continue fielding products where the cost that is being borne by the consumer in terms of having to maintain configurations and deal with attacks is so high."
What this means for the rest of us is unclear. Threat Level contacted Microsoft to find out if any part of the locked down Windows XP configuration got into general consumer versions of the software or has influenced how it configures future versions of its software. The company did not respond.
*Top image: Brigadier General Gary T. Magonigle and Colonel Brian Dravis present Steve Ballmer with a plaque showing the Air Guard's appreciation for Microsoft's support of Guards and Reservists. (United States Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Douglas Olsen) * |
A missing, 85-year-old man from South Carolina was found asking directions at the Lincoln Tunnel on Friday night.
Around 7 p.m., the missing man – who was driving a 1993 Chrysler New Yorker with South Carolina license plates – approached a Port Authority Police Officer asking for directions.
When the officer asked the man where he wanted to go, he received a "confused" response. After the officer further inquiry, the officer performed a computer check and discovered that the man was reported missing in South Carolina two days earlier.
The officer contacted Port Authority Detectives and the man was transported to Hoboken General Hospital via ambulance.
After contacting the relevant South Carolina police agency, the officer then made contact with the man's son, who confirmed that he would travel to Hoboken to pick his father up from the hospital. |
Speaking hours after returning from meetings with leaders from the major world economies in Pittsburgh, the Prime Minister said that he had become convinced that only legislation would stop bank bosses from returning to the “bad old days”.
And he added that the British public, with its innate sense of fairness, had been “appalled” by the practices of many working within the banking system, which had resulted in the near collapse of the financial sector.
In a wide-ranging interview, Mr Brown told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show: “I am saying today: ‘enough is enough’. We are not going to stand by and let people return to the bad old days.
“People in Britain have a very strong sense of fairness and a very strong sense that people should take responsibility for their actions.”
Announcing that he would introduce a Banking and Finance Bill in the Queen’s Speech this autumn, the Prime Minister said that the new legislation would ban the awarding of substantial bonuses as rewards for risky, short-term behaviour.
And the Financial Services Authority would be given boosted powers to act to stop risky lending and penalise institutions failing to abide by the rules.
“I have become utterly convinced as I talked to my colleagues in Pittsburgh just how far we have to go," Mr Brown said.
“The banks are anxious to get back to the bad old days. A lot of people have not understood the damage that the banks have done.
“I know that we have got to play by the rules, you know we have got to be fair to your colleagues, I think the banking system forgot that."
He continued: “We will be saying to people that we are not going to be allowing a return to the bad old days.
“This is a measure that we will bring to the House of Common in the next few weeks.
“Where there is bad behaviour the Financial Services Authority will have the right to intervene.
“My fight is for the future of Britain. My fight is for an economy that is sustainable.”
Mr Brown said that his biggest mistake in politics was not introducing greater regulation ahead of the collapse to stop banks becoming co-dependent.
In the interview, Mr Brown also said that he was confident that the public would come round to Labour before the general election once voters saw that he and the party had taken the “right decisions” on the response to the economy.
He claimed that he had “led the world” in leading the global economy out of recession, and insisted that he had the “strength” to “get up in the morning” and see the job through.
The Prime Minister added that voters were angry about the MPs expenses scandal, which he himself had found shocking.
Responding to recent speculation about his health, Mr Brown emphatically denied rumours that he was a regular user of prescription painkillers but admitted that he had had serious problems with his eyesight since losing the sight in one eye following a teenage rugby accident.
He said that while he had come close to going blind in the other eye, he had regular check-ups, including one a few days ago, which had indicated no further deterioration in his sight. |
As tensions have begun to mount this weekend between the New York Police Department and the tens of thousands of protesters who continue to march against the grand jury decision in the killing of Eric Garner, the spiritual head of the area’s millions of Catholic residents spoke out on Monday, urging both sides “tune down the volume and speak calmly” as anger continues to rise.
And Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the charismatic archbishop of 2.6 million Catholics in much of New York City (Brooklyn and Queens are in a separate archdiocese with 1.6 million more Catholic residents), is in many ways in a unique position as a broker of peace in the city, remaining a highly respected religious official among the NYPD, which has traditions long shaped by the city’s Irish Catholic heritage.
This weekend, episodes of violence erupted in a few incidents across the city as some 30,000 protesters took to the streets, disrupting traffic and chanting slogans against the grand jury decision and the NYPD. And on Saturday night, a small breakaway group caused a disturbance on the Brooklyn Bridge, reportedly tossing materials onto the roadway below the pedestrian bridge and then assaulting two police lieutenants, leaving both hospitalized and one with a broken nose.
And members of the NYPD continued their verbal attacks against Mayor Bill de Blasio, who as a candidate was outspoken in his opposition to police tactics. Police appeared especially incensed over the past two weeks after Mayor de Blasio said he and his wife, Chirlane McCray, who is black, have told their biracial son Dante to be especially careful during encounters with police, citing a history of heightened dangers white children may not face.
On Friday, the Patrolman’s Benevolent Association, the NYPD’s largest union, responded by posting a form on its website for cops to sign, requesting that neither the mayor nor City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito attend his or her funeral, should they be killed in the line of duty.
Cardinal Dolan urged “upset leaders” not to pour “kerosene on the fire” and caricature “dedicated police officers as bigots.” And while he did not refer directly to any leader specifically, his words, published Monday in The New York Daily News, were linked to a story about the de Blasios’ worries about their son, and the vehement responses from NYPD officers and others.
But Dolan also denounced the union’s aggressive action against a hallowed public tradition.
“It is equally unfair and counterproductive to dismiss our mayor and other leaders as enemies of the police, and even to go so far as to make controversial one of the more gripping and tearful occasions in the life of this city, the funeral of a fallen officer, a sacred occasion meant to unite us, never fracture us.”
The cardinal, too, has played the role of peace broker before. After Garner was killed by police during an arrest for selling loose cigarettes in July, de Blasio outraged police by giving the Rev. Al Sharpton, a controversial civil rights activist, a prominent place in a forum about police and community relations.
The mayor asked Dolan to host a second meeting with the city’s spiritual leaders days before a major protest against Garner’s killing in August – a move that drew “kudos” from the NYPD at the time, who said the cardinal had respect and credibility among the rank and file.
But as protests continue, police frustration is beginning to show. For nearly two weeks, the NYPD has taken a mostly hands-off approach with protesters, allowing them to march amid traffic, and showing restraint when clearing episodes of peaceful disobedience -- a tactic shown by many police departments across the nation as marchers continue to protest the grand jury decisions in the cases of Mr. Garner and Michael Brown.
But after a number of reported injuries to police officers, who have been seen punched and taunted by some protesters, NYPD officials say it may be time to “draw the line,” even as the Mayor and other leaders denounce the violence over the weekend.
“Over the past few weeks we have gone to great lengths to ensure, even facilitate, people’s ability to protest,” said New York Chief of Department James O’Neill. “All during this time, our officers have shown extraordinary restraint and patience in the face of verbal abuse and much more ... But after tonight’s event, after our cops are assaulted, this is where we have to draw the line. I want to be clear that these assaults do not come with the territory.”
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Despite the rising tensions, Dolan invoked the holidays to urge calm.
“This radiant season, when both Christians and Jews celebrate the triumph of light over darkness, life over death, and hope over despair, might be a providential time to rediscover our character, and that of this grand city, to tune down the volume and speak calmly,” he wrote. |
Virtual reality startup 8i has hired Big Frame founder and former CEO Steve Raymond as its new president of studios. In his new role, he will help the company grow its presence in Los Angeles and sign up customers and production partners for the company’s volumetric virtual reality (VR) capture technology.
“I looked at several different industries, but this industry really pulled at me to the point where I felt like I had no choice,” Raymond said in a blog post Friday.
8i hails from New Zealand, and has developed a kind of capture technology that allows the company to record 3D holograms of persons or artifacts, and then recreate them in a VR environment. In many ways, 8i’s approach is the exact opposite the way most VR video is being shot. 360-degree videos are usually being recorded with a multi-camera rig capable of capturing everything around it. The result is a video in which the viewer can look into every direction, but not easily change position or interact with its environment.
8i on the other hand records people in a green-screen studio, with 40 cameras strategically placed around them to get as much footage from every angle as possible. The recorded footage is rendered to fill in any blind spots, and the resulting holographic asset can then be imported into a computer-generated 3D scene. This makes it possible for users of higher-end VR headsets like the HTC Vive or Oculus Rift to actually walk around these actors and look at them from every angle, leading to a much higher level of immersion.
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8i’s technology is not perfect; during a demonstration for Variety earlier this year, the outlines of these 3D holograms still at times looked a bit fuzzy at times, and some of the blind spots that had been filled in through rendering didn’t seem quite natural. However, the effect of being able to walk around the actor in a movie was profound, and made it easy to overlook some of those imperfections.
That’s apparently also what some of 8i’s first partners thought. The company also announced Friday that it will produce a VR experience for L’Oreal Studio, and also help River Studios and the Emblemartic Group to enhance their VR experiences with volumetric capture. Finally, 8i’s technology is being used by a Realtra, a new production company that will specialize in volumetric capture for VR.
As for 8i, the startup is getting ready to launch a bigger production facility in Culver City, California this summer. “We need to put the gear for capturing volumetric video into the hands of thousands of creators – first professionals, then everyone else,” said Raymond.
8i raised a $13.5 million Series A round of funding from RRE Ventures, Horizons Ventures, Samsung Ventures, Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments and Dolby Family Ventures and others last October. |
A majority of Americans disapprove of the way President Trump is handling healthcare, according to a new survey.
A CBS News poll finds just 32 percent of respondents approve of the way Trump is dealing with the issue of healthcare, compared to 59 percent who disapprove.
The poll also finds that 45 percent of respondents disapprove of Trump's handling of the economy and 57 percent disapprove of Trump's handling of immigration.
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Overall, 69 percent of Americans have a good view about the condition of the economy, compared to just 30 percent who have a poor view of it.
Trump also has a negative job approval rating, according to the poll. Just 36 percent of respondents approve of the job the president is doing, compared to 58 percent who disapprove.
The poll comes after the GOP's push to repeal and replace ObamaCare collapsed in the Senate last month.
Now, some lawmakers are pushing for Republicans to continue their healthcare push while others are arguing the GOP should move on to other agenda items, such as tax reform.
The poll was conducted from August 3 to 6 among 1,111 adults. The margin of error is 4 percentage points. |
In what's become a common occurrence in the last few months, the Kenai Peninsula Borough Assembly has again voted to change the rules governing who can deliver invocations before its meetings.
The Assembly voted 5-4 Tuesday night to pass an amendment that gets rid of a recently approved set of controversial rules that puts religious restrictions on who can give those invocations.
The change would return the Assembly's policy to what it looked like earlier this year — a first-come, first-served system that allows anyone to sign up to give an invocation before a meeting. That was how it worked before an atheist and, most notably, a satanist delivered invocations over the summer, leading to conversations about whether there should be a stricter set of rules.
Tuesday's amendment was introduced by Assembly member Gary Knopp.
But the change is not certain yet.
Assembly member Blaine Gilman, former president of the body, asked for reconsideration of the amendment at the next meeting. That means the current policy — which says the person delivering an invocation has to represent a religious group approved by the Assembly and fit a certain set of rules — stays frozen in place for now.
In all, the Assembly has put forward six separate pieces of legislation regarding invocations this year.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska and national nonprofit the Freedom from Religion Foundation both called that policy "unconstitutional" after the Assembly approved it in October.
Borough Mayor Mike Navarre then vetoed the religious rule but the Assembly voted to override his objection.
"I think when the mayor vetoed the policy the first time around he was definitely animated by the constitutional concerns we had raised," said Joshua Decker, executive director of the ACLU of Alaska. "I think our constitutional concerns resonated with a lot of them. We're happy that they listened."
Decker also said that when the issue comes up again at the next meeting, "our hope and expectation is that they will continue to do the right thing and uphold the Constitution."
Gilman didn't return a call seeking comment about his notice to reconsider the issue.
"I think I have a right, as an elected official, because I'm Christian, I'm Catholic, all my decisions stem from my core belief, and I think I have a right to have people give an invocation and a prayer," Gilman said at an Assembly meeting in October.
Gilman and Assembly members Wayne Ogle, Dale Bagley and Stan Welles opposed the amendment to get rid of the religious rule.
"I have been opposed to excluding anyone from the very beginning," new Assembly President Kelly Cooper said Wednesday. "It has nothing to do with legality. It has to do with everyone having the same rights."
She co-sponsored a resolution that would have broadened the religious rule to secular groups and individuals. But there was no need to introduce that resolution Tuesday night after the body voted to toss the rule out.
An ordinance that would have appropriated $75,000 in borough money to fight future court battles over the religious rule was withdrawn as a result of the Assembly approving the amendment. Decker said in the past that while the ACLU hopes not to sue, it wouldn't rule it out, "if that's what upholding the Constitution takes."
Amid all the debate about religious invocations, a woman from an atheist group actually gave the invocation at Tuesday's meeting. Cooper said she decided to allow it after she looked up "religion" in the dictionary and found a definition she felt was broad enough to encompass atheism. She even included the Merriam-Webster definition in her documents for the meeting. |
FERGUSON, Missouri — Vonderrit Myers is no Michael Brown. Myers, the black 18-year old shot and killed by a St. Louis police officer last week, is also no Trayvon Martin or Jordan Davis or any of the others on a growing list of slain unarmed black men who have invigorated a new generation’s fight for racial justice.
But Myers doesn’t have to be.
Unlike Brown and others who were clearly unarmed during their fatal confrontations with white antagonists, police say Myers shot first, and the officer he shot at returned fire and killed the teen. Lab results found Myers had gun powder residue on his right hand at the time of his death. He was also facing trial on earlier gun charges and was wearing an ankle bracelet as a condition of his bond in that case.
Myers at 16 was arrested for another shooting but was never charged. And photographs have gone viral on social media showing him posing with guns just days before his death.
Myers, in other words, may not be the model victim in the ongoing story of police brutality and white violence against young black men. But his death nonetheless has sparked an important wave in the burgeoning movement built around the notion that black lives matter. All black lives – not just those that draw the most public sympathy.
“Vonderitt Myers matters because we are still talking about a fundamental question of the value of black children and the value of black life,” said Brittany Packnett, head of Teach for America in St. Louis. “The circumstances may be different, but there’s the recognition that if we don’t come out early and often to demand justice for African-American children, quite often it doesn’t come.”
“He has no incentive to engage the police in a shooting”
Brown’s death in Ferguson on August 9 sparked weeks of rage and protest, in large part because he was unarmed and witnesses say had raised his hands in surrender when he was fatally struck.
Myers’s family insists that he too was unarmed when he was shot on October 8, packing little more than a sandwich at the time. They remember Myers as a beloved teenager who had hopes of getting his life back on track.
Protesters took to the St. Louis streets in the hours and days after Myers’s shooting, just as they had a dozen miles away in Ferguson. They marched and chanted. There were showdowns with police and some burned American flags. The unrest became something of a parallel protest to what had happened to Brown.
PHOTO ESSAY: Ferguson’s ‘Weekend of Resistance’
Myers’s family and their supporters say they don’t trust the police. They’ve poked holes in the police account of how the teen was killed and have highlighted over and again how often that account has changed.
“A lot of people believe St. Louis police compromised this case by doing things that I hate to think they could have done in this situation,” said Jermaine Wooten, an attorney for Myers’ family.
Brown’s killing was highly symbolic, another name on the tragic roll call of unarmed black men gunned down by white men and cops. The list includes Sean Bell, killed the morning of his wedding in Queens, New York in 2006; Oscar Grant, shot by a transit cop on an Oakland, California subway platform in 2009; Trayvon Martin, shot to death by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman in Florida in 2012; and Jordan Davis, gunned down by motorist Michael Dunn in 2012 in a scuffle over loud music.
Brown’s killing was also among a string of similar cases across America this summer, where cops killed unarmed black men under mysterious circumstances.
They include Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York on July 17, killed in a police chokehold after being confronted over selling untaxed cigarettes; John Crawford in Beavercreek, Ohio on August 5, shot down by police at a Walmart as he talked on his cell phone and toyed with a plastic gun he’d picked up off a shelf in the toy department; and Ezell Ford in Los Angeles on August 11, felled by police bullets after they stopped him on a sidewalk, at which point they say he made “suspicious movements” before attempting to take an officer’s gun.
The protests sparked by Brown’s killing only grew more emboldened by what happened to Myers weeks later. But while Brown’s killing fits a much neater narrative, with multiple eyewitness accounts and forensic evidence, the Myers case is murky.
There are the photos of Myers allegedly showing off with handguns, holding one in each hand and another sitting in his lap. A lawyer for the officer who killed Myers told reporters the gun in Myers’s lap had been reported stolen in late September and investigators had identified it as the gun police believe Myers used to fire at the officer.
The police account of what happened the night of the shooting has changed multiple times. And even with mounting evidence to the contrary, there is the unshakable heart-of-hearts belief among those who love Myers that he was not armed that night.
“We as attorneys understand what these lab results mean,” Jermaine Wooten said. “If I fire a gun at you in close proximity there is going to be gun powder residue all over your body. So the fact that the gun powder residue is on Vonderrit is not indicative at all that he fired a weapon.”
Wooten acknowledged Myers had pleaded not guilty to earlier charges of eluding police and illegal possession of a weapon. The charges stemmed from Myers’s involvement in a high-speed car chase that ended with him jumping out of the car and eventually throwing a handgun into a sewage drain, police said.
Myers was released on bond for the incident and was facing a court date in November, Wooten said. “He has no incentive to engage the police in a shooting. Any kid I don’t care if they are 14 or 18 knows that’s a losing battle,” Wooten said.
“We’re done, as a police union, standing in the shadows in these cases”
Eyewitnesses to Myers’s shooting told Wooten that the officer, who was off-duty and working a second job as a security guard, had come out from a gangway and never identified himself as he chased Myers and a handful of people with him that night.
“No one knew who this man was chasing these kids with a gun,” Wooten said.
On Tuesday, not long after St. Louis police released the lab results showing the residue on Myers’s hand, the St. Louis Police Officers’ Association held a press conference to discuss the case.
Jeff Roorda, the organization’s business manager, cautioned that such high-profile cases are often tried in the court of public opinion rather than on hard evidence.
“We’re done, as a police union, standing in the shadows in these cases,” Roorda said, adding he and other members of the union had seen the photographs allegedly showing Myers posing with guns and were aware of Myers’s earlier arrest.
Wooten accused the union of being biased and protective of its own. He also said law enforcement in St. Louis and the surrounding region, in the wake of the persistent unrest in Ferguson, has an incentive to show Myers’s shooting was justified.
“I think the last thing St. Louis expected was another police shooting. If it’s another unarmed black man, I think we would have been on the verge of chaos,” Wooten said. “That’s why I think a lot of people aren’t willing to accept that he was unarmed.”
‘Ferguson is the Birmingham of our time’
The Myers killing rekindled activism in Ferguson, having taken place just days before a so-called “Weekend of Resistance” there which drew scores of protesters from across the country. The Myers and Brown shootings served as a double-sided rallying cry against police violence.
Between Oct. 10 and Oct. 13, protesters staged massive rallies and marches as well as meticulously planned acts of civil disobedience. Demonstrators blockaded local Walmart stores, crashed a fundraiser for a local politician, shut down a main road in Ferguson and even staged an elaborate protest during a Monday Night Football game between the St. Louis Rams and San Francisco 49ers.
Some 43 people were arrested during an action staged at Ferguson police headquarters, including a number of clergy and high-profile community leaders.
“Ferguson is the Birmingham of our time. There is no doubt about it. Ferguson is the Montgomery of our time. So each life matters. The black life matters,” activist and author Cornel West told msnbc. West took part in the Weekend of Resistance, where he was arrested and briefly detained.
No Justice, No Trust
Myers was, in fact, the second man killed by police in St. Louis after Brown’s death.
Kajieme Powell, a mentally ill 25-year-old, was shot and killed by St. Louis city police just 10 days after Brown. Police initially said Powell had lunged at a pair of officers with a knife raised over his head. Cell phone video released shortly after the shooting revealed that he neither lunged nor ever raised a knife.
The killings of Brown, Powell and Myers have widened an already gaping abyss of mistrust between the black community and the police.
“With Vonderrit you have the structure saying trust me while we find the truth. But how can we trust you in the midst of all of this,” said DeRay McKesson, a protest organizer. “How dare you demand my trust when you continue to violate our ability to be alive, our freedom to assemble and continue to threaten the assembly of black bodies.”
“We’re out here because people are dying,” McKesson added. “We also refuse to live in a world where blackness is a death sentence. I refuse to let that be my reality.”
Many believe the events that led to Myers’s death was an act of racial profiling.
Police said the off-duty officer had stopped Myers and a group of men during a “pedestrian check,” and that the men scattered. Police initially said the officer gave chase and that at some point Myers hopped menacingly from behind a bush. The police version later changed, as no bushes apparently exist where the shooting occurred.
The latest iteration of the story alleges that the officer chased Myers into an alley, where they engaged in some sort of physical confrontation that ended with Myers running away, falling to the ground and firing on the officer.
Police say Myers fired three shots and that the gun they believe was used in the shooting was recovered at the scene.
“The thing is even if Vonderrit did start shooting at the cop I can’t necessarily say, especially in the environment we are currently in with everything going on in the city with Mike Brown, I still have an extreme level of distrust of the police,” protester Leon Kemp said. “I have to take what they say with a grain of salt and I’m still skeptical.”
‘I Just Can’t Move’
Last Monday morning more than 1,000 people staged a massive sit-in on the campus of St. Louis University, not far from where Myers was killed in the city’s Shaw neighborhood. Protesters blocked intersections, jumping rope and throwing balls, a play on a common chant during rallies that authority “think it’s a game, think it’s a joke.”
Police in riot gear stood at the ready, as the peaceful protests swelled through the campus. At one point protesters held a moment of silence, a minute for each day since the teen was killed.
Myers father, Vonderrit Myers Sr. stood at the front of the crowd.
“You make my heart feel easy,” he said over a loudspeaker. “God bless you.”
The Myers family has joined a national club of heartbroken parents whose children have been taken, regardless of circumstances, too soon.
A few days earlier, the fathers of Michael Brown Jr. and Vonderrit Myers Jr. met face to face for the first time.
“It was really a beautiful moment,” said the Rev. Carlton Lee, who was in the room during the meeting. “They just talked and showed love. It’s what they both needed.”
During the meeting Ron Davis, the father of Jordan Davis, called in and spoke with both men. Tracey Martin, Trayvon Martin’s father, has also reached out.
Vonderitt Myers Sr. was scheduled to join Michael Brown Sr. for a service at Rev. Lee’s Flood Christian Church. But in the middle of his sermon, Lee received a text from Myers, saying: “I just can’t move.” |
ELMHURST, IL — "American Images", an exhibition featuring the paintings of Wesley R. Baker, will be held in the Elmhurst Artists' Guild Gallery in the Elmhurst Art Museum, 150 Cottage Hill Ave. According to a release from the Guild, the exhibition will run from Aug. 13 to Sept. 22.
The public is invited to meet the artist at the free opening reception on Friday, Aug. 18, from 7 to 9 p.m. According to the release, the exhibition will feature a diverse collection of abstract iconic American images, ranging from motorcycles and landscapes to Civil War and Native American themes, exploring current and historical political issues.
Baker's style tends toward abstract representational, according to the release. Artistic inspiration has come from two centuries of sources, ranging from 19th Century impressionists to 20th Century symbolist and abstract painters like Gustav Klimt, Franz Kline, and Chicago Imagist, Ed Paschke.
"The passion in these paintings is personal. Through my paintings, I strive to communicate experiences of life – joy, freedom, fear, grief," Baker said in a release.
Referring to a painting that was part of a four-year traveling exhibition of motorcycle art at the National Motorcycle Museum and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, Baker explained in a release, "Some of my paintings, like 'Cloud Chaser,' are about the wind in my hair, and two wheels in motion. It's unclear where the rider is going, and whether the ride is free-spirited and joyous, or whether imminent danger looms ahead."
Baker began his artistic career as a teenager, working as a sign painter and pinstriper, according to a release. After a four-year stint as an artist in the U.S. Air Force, working as an illustrator for the flight magazine and the flight school, he returned to college and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Industrial Design. After a 35- year career in the construction industry, he came full circle and returned to painting full time, according to a release.
Most artworks in the exhibit are available for purchase. According to the release, the sales benefit the artist, the EAG and the Elmhurst Art Museum. The exhibition can be viewed during regular Museum hours, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is $9 adults / $8 seniors except the first Friday of each month which is the Museum's free admission day. EAM and Guild members, students and children under 18 are always admitted free.
Photos provided by Elmhurst Artists' Guild. |
In a hugely surprising turn of events, Wolfgang Voigt returns to his most cherished project with the first new GAS album in almost two decades.
No matter if you are the most die-hard techno head who's still salivating over last year's mammoth 10 x LP boxset (or even one of those lucky enough to have bought the original LPs the first time around!) or a casual browser within the esoteric electronic universe, there is no doubt that the words 'GAS' followed by 'new album' are going to send shivers down your spine.
It's no surprise that we have long adored the GAS project, having featured the previously unreleased track Die Wand as the opening piece on our decade anniversary compilation Bleep:10, each GAS record receives a weekly spin on the Bleep office stereo. The original four albums have also been a constant source of inspiration for endless waves of artists coming through the underground. From the next gen Chain Reaction-techno of Fluxion and the reverb-drenched breakbeat excursions of the Modern Love crew through to the outer-reaching wax of Astral Industries.
Narkopop is a truly immersive journey into the deepest, darkest corners of the Königsforst from which the inspiration for the project stems - sure to be one of the most life-affirming albums of 2017. |
Conservative media outlets trumpeted a five-year-old video of Barack Obama on Tuesday night in which he talked about urban despair, the Los Angeles riots and Hurricane Katrina but made only glancing references to race.
Despite claims that the tape was a racially charged “bombshell,” it shows Obama as a presidential candidate speaking at Virginia’s historically black Hampton University in June 2007—and, according to BuzzFeed, at least part of it has existed online since then.
What “steams me up,” Obama said, was that the Bush administration had waived a law after Hurricane Andrew in Florida and the Sept. 11 attacks that required local authorities to match federal aid—but did not do so after Katrina. “Somehow the people down in New Orleans, they don’t care about as much,” Obama said. While the Illinois senator didn’t mention race, New Orleans is a majority-black city whose poorest wards were hardest hit by the hurricane. A number of politicians and commentators have accused the administration of lacking urgency in aiding that city.
In a move apparently timed to influence Obama’s first debate with Mitt Romney on Wednesday, the posting of the 40-minute video appeared to be an attempt to shift the campaign focus to racial matters, a subject the Republican nominee has not broached.
The video was obtained by the Daily Caller, a conservative website edited by Fox commentator Tucker Carlson and financed in part by Foster Freiss, a financier who is helping bankroll one of the pro-Romney Super PACs. It was touted by right-leaning Internet gossip Matt Drudge and played on the air by Sean Hannity, the most reliably Republican voice on Fox News Channel. Hannity accused the “left-wing press” of “hiding” the speech.
Carlson, on Hannity’s show, accused Obama of using a “phony” accent. That seems off base; while Obama dropped some g’s and spoke as if delivering a church sermon, the cadence is recognizably his. On a subsequent panel, Fox analyst Juan Williams, who is African-American, told Hannity that “you guys are playing the race card.” Hannity accused him of “protecting” the president.
In the section of the speech on the L.A. riots and Katrina, Obama did attempt to explain—and perhaps justify—anger in the black community: “People in Washington, they wake up, they’re surprised: ‘There’s poverty in our midst! Folks are frustrated! Black people angry!’ Then there’s gonna be some panels, and hearings, and there are commissions and there are reports, and then there’s some aid money, although we don’t always know where it’s going—it can’t seem to get to the people who need it—and nothin’ really changes, except the news coverage quiets down and Anderson Cooper is on to something else.”
An analysis of why some blacks are angry and frustrated is not the same as racial rabble-rousing, which explains why the speech drew little coverage at the time, when Obama had been a presidential candidate for nearly six months.
The other comment in which Obama directly refers to race is this: “We don’t need to build more highways out in the suburbs. We should be investing in minority-owned businesses, in our neighborhoods.” But that is hardly an inflammatory position for a big-city Democrat, and did not cause a ripple at the time. Obama went on to say that the highways were not needed because people were ready to take jobs in the city.
Under a banner headline, Drudge said that “Obama describes a racist, zero-sum society.” But nothing on the tape supports that.
In the video, the Illinois senator says that when people are homeless, Iraq veterans are struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder or children grow up in foster homes, “we can’t expect them to have all the skills they need for work. They may need help with basic skills—how to show up for work on time, wear the right clothes and act appropriately in an office.” None of that seems particularly scandalous.
Obama also praised his pastor at the time, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who was in the Hampton audience, as a friend and leader.
There is a faction in the conservative movement that has long argued that Obama got off easy in 2008 over Wright’s racially charged rhetoric, and that the onetime community organizer harbors questionable views on race. The most extreme elements believe he is a secret Muslim and was born in Kenya, despite documented evidence that he is a Christian and his birthplace was Hawaii.
The Caller’s publicizing of the video could be viewed as a counterattack to the liberal magazine Mother Jones obtaining the secretly recorded fundraising video last May in which Romney dismissed 47 percent of voters as freeloaders addicted to government benefits. A key difference is that Obama delivered his address in public, in front of reporters and television cameras.
The New York Times did not cover the speech in a news story. The Washington Post gave it two paragraphs in a roundup column, saying: “Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) said in a speech yesterday that ‘quiet riots that take place every day’ in impoverished communities around the country create conditions that lead to violence such as the 1992 Los Angeles riots.”
Carlson has criticized the Hampton speech before. In a 2007 clip posted by BuzzFeed, Carlson, then hosting a show on MSNBC, said Obama “waded into the controversial waters of race” and aired this excerpt:
“These quiet riots that take place every day are born from the same place as the fires and destruction and the police decked out in riot gear … They happen when a sense of disconnect settles in and hope dissipates. Despair takes hold in young people all across the country look at the way the world is and believe that things are never gonna get better.” There was no reference to race in those words, although Obama was clearly talking about poor, urban communities where many minorities live. |
President Trump on Tuesday expressed confidence following North Korea’s latest missile launch, saying “it’s a situation we will handle.”
"We will take care of it,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “It is a situation that we will handle."
The president said he would not alter his stance on North Korea in response to the launch. “Nothing changed. Nothing changed,” Trump said, adding he is keeping “a very serious approach.”
Trump's comments came after U.S. military officials confirmed that North Korea had launched a ballistic missile , its first such launch since September.
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The missile was fired at dawn local time on Wednesday from an area north of Pyongyang and flew eastward before falling into the Sea of Japan.
The Pentagon said the missile posed no threat to North America or any U.S. territories or allies and that the U.S. remains "prepared to defend ourselves and our allies from any attack or provocation."
The launch directly defies Trump's repeated demands that the country curb its burgeoning nuclear program. |
Until an earthquake in 226 BCE knocked it down, the Colossus of Rhodes, a 30-metre-high iron and bronze statue of the Greek god Helios, sat near the harbour of Rhodes, Greece, for 54 years.
Now, a plan put forth by a small team of scientists seeks to rebuild the ancient statue and boost tourism and local jobs in the process.
A rendering of the 400-foot Colossus of Rhodes reboot. Credit: Colossus of Rhodes
The plan calls for a new statue that’s way taller than the ancient one. At 122 metres tall, the new Helios would be nearly four times the height of the original. The proposal also includes an interior library, museum, cultural centre, exhibition hall, and, of course, a crowning lighthouse that’s visible for 56 kilometres.
One obvious change to the new structure is that it would use modern construction techniques and technology to make it earthquake-proof. The exterior would be completely covered in golden solar panels, making it entirely self-sufficient, which is appropriate for the Greek god of the sun.
A museum inside the statue would display ancient Greek treasures currently stored away. Credit: Colossus of Rhodes
It’s estimated that the project can be completed in three to four years at a cost of 240 to 260 millions euros (US$264 to US$286 million). Funding is expected to come from cultural institutions and international crowdfunding.
In addition to renewing and extending Greece’s tourism season, the statue’s construction would bring much-needed jobs. Whether or not this will all come together depends on how much support and money the team behind the plan can raise. No construction dates have been released.
A view of the statue’s lighthouse, which would glow for up to 35 miles. Credit: Colossus of Rhodes
A museum and library are among the interior plans for the statue. Credit: Colossus of Rhodes
This time, the statue will be earthquake-proof. Credit: Colossus of Rhodes
A solar panel skin will make the structure entirely self-sustaining. Credit: Colossus of Rhodes
This article was originally published by Business Insider.
More from Business Insider: |
How Much Processing Power Does it Take to be Fast?
First, watch this.
It's Defender, an arcade game released thirty years ago. I went out of my way to find footage running on the original hardware, not emulated on a modern computer. (There's clearer video from an emulator if you prefer.)
Here's the first point of note: Defender is running on a 1MHz 8-bit processor. That's right ONE megahertz. This was before the days of pipelined, superscalar architectures, so if an instruction took 5 cycles to execute, it always took 5 cycles.
Here's the second: Unlike a lot of games from the early 1980s, there's no hardware-assisted graphics. No honest-to-goodness sprites where the video processor does all the work. No hardware to move blocks of memory around. The screen is just a big bitmap, and all drawing of the enemies, the score, the scrolling mountains, the special effects, is handled by the same processor that's running the rest of the code.
To be fair, the screen is only 320x256 with four bits per pixel. But remember, this was 1980, and home computers released up until mid-1985 didn't have that combination of resolution and color.
Now it's 2010, and there's much amazement at the responsiveness of the iPad. And why shouldn't it be responsive? There's a 32-bit, gigahertz CPU in there that can run multiple instructions at the same time. Images are moved around by a separate processor dedicated entirely to graphics. When you flick your finger across the screen and some images slide around, there's very little computation involved. The CPU is tracking some input and sending some commands to the GPU. The GPU is happy to render what you want, and a couple of 2D images is way below the tens of thousands of texture-mapped polygons that it was designed to handle.
Okay, JPEG decompression takes some effort. Ditto for drawing curve-based, anti-aliased fonts. And of course there's overhead involved in the application framework where messages get passed around to delegates and so on. None of this justifies the assumption that it takes amazing computing power to provide a responsive user experience. We're so used to interfaces being clunky and static, and programs taking long to load, and there being unsettling pauses when highlighting certain menu items, that we expect it.
All the fawning over the speed iPad is a good reminder that it doesn't have to be this way.
(If you liked this, you might like Slow Languages Battle Across Time.)
permalink April 24, 2010
previously |
Cyber violence is just as damaging to women as physical violence, according to a new U.N. report, which warns women are growing even more vulnerable to cyber violence as more and more regions gain internet access.
The report calls itself a “wake-up call” about cyber violence as a systemic concern, especially as technology is spreading across more regions. Presented by U.N. Women and the U.N. Broadband Commission, the report estimates that 73% of women have endured cyber violence, and that women are 27 times more likely as men to be harassed online. In Europe, nine million girls have already experienced some kind of cyber violence by the time they’re 15. Anita Sarkeesian, a gamer and activist who has long agitated for more action against cyber violence, spoke at the launch of the new report, titled “Cyber Violence Against Women and Girls: A Worldwide Wake-Up Call.”
The U.N. defines violence against women as “any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts.” The report notes that cyber violence is an extension of that definition, that includes acts like trolling, hacking, spamming, and harassment.
The report also argues that “cyber touch is recognized as equally as harmful as physical touch,” suggesting that online harassment might be just as lethal as domestic violence or sexual abuse.
“Dead is dead,” says Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under-Secretary-General of the U.N. and Executive Director of U.N. Women. “Whether you are dead because your partner shot you or beat you up, or you killed yourself because you couldn’t bear cyber-bullying, or you were exposed to many of the sites that lead people to suicide pacts— bottom line, we lose a life.”
Mlambo-Ngcuka explained that the report is intended to encourage governments to take action against cyber bullying, and U.N. Women is committed to making sure those efforts are sustainable and enforceable. She said the three most important ways to combat cyber violence are sensitization to the dangers, safeguards against harassment, and sanctions against those who perpetuate internet abuse. “This is a 21st century challenge that needs us to have new ways of reacting,” she says. Still, one in five female internet users live in countries where law enforcement are extremely unlikely to respond to internet violence, and only 26% of law enforcement agencies in the 86 countries surveyed are properly prepared to address the problem.
Even with her position at the U.N., Mlambo-Ngcuka says it’s been difficult to convince some people that this is a problem to take seriously. She recalled some resistance from industry leaders, particularly in the gaming space, who seemed to think that cyber violence was not their problem. “The attitude was like, ‘this sells, this is a business we make money off it, so what are you asking us, to reduce profits?’” she says. “This gentlemen said to me, ‘Lady, you are so intense, chill!’”
She emphasized that cyber violence exists on a continuum with physical violence, and that both problems are byproducts of a society that is inherently unequal for women.
Even if women don’t end up dead, the Under-Secretary-General said, cyber violence can still dramatically affect women’s ability to participate in the modern world. With 450 million more women expected to come online in the next three years, more and more women are relying on the internet for educational and professional resources.
If the internet isn’t a safe place for them, Mlambo-Ngcuka added, they risk swearing off it altogether. “If the woman is tormented, she may then decide that ‘I don’t want to have anything to do with technology,” she said. “To be disconnected from technology in the 21st century, it’s like having your freedom disrupted: your right to work, your right to meet people, your right to learn, your freedom of speech. So if women become so intimidated and traumatized from the experiences they may have, it’s a whole world that will be lost to them for the rest of their life.”
Write to Charlotte Alter at [email protected]. |
Paul Ostergaard writes via email:
Here is an interesting new paper that Miklos Zagoni has pointed me to via Judith Curry’s blog. This researcher in Germany has carried out a spectroscopic analysis of the impact of CO2 and other greenhouse gases’ contribution to warming.
It arrives (surprise!) at a value one seventh of the IPCC best estimate for Climate Sensitivity for a CO2 doubling. Looks intriguing at first blush…
The climate sensitivity CS as a measure for the temperature increase found, when the actual CO2-concentration is doubled, assumesCS = 0.41 ̊C for the tropical zone, CS = 0.40 ̊C for the moderate zones and CS = 0.92 ̊C for the polar zones. The weighted average over all regions as the global climate sensitivity is found to be CS = 0.45 ̊C with an estimated uncertainty of 30%, which mostly results from the lack of more precise data for the convection between the ground and atmosphere as well as the atmospheric backscattering…. The values for the global climate sensitivity published by the IPCC [3] cover a range from 2.1 ̊C – 4.4 ̊C with an average value of 3.2 ̊C, which is seven times larger than that predicted here.
Here is the link to the abstract:
http://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU2011/EGU2011-4505-1.pdf
The paper is being presented at the EGU General Assembly 2011 in Vienna.
Perhaps our WUWT readers can dissect this and see how well it holds up. It is important to verify if the paper’s methodology is sound.
===============================================================
How much CO2 really contributes to global warming? Spectroscopic
studies and modelling of the influence of H2O, CO2 and CH4 on our
climate
Hermann Harde
Helmut-Schmidt-Universität Hamburg, Germany
Based on the actual HITRAN’2008 database [1] detailed spectroscopic studies on the absorbance of the greenhouse gases water, carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere are presented. The objective of these investigations was to examine and to quantify with these newly available data the influence of these gases on our climate.
The line-by-line calculations for sun light from 0.1 – 8 m (short wavelength radiation) as well as those for the emitted earth radiation from 3 – 60 m (long wavelength radiation) show, that due to the strong overlap of the CO2 and CH4 spectra with the water vapour lines the influence of these gases is significantly reducing with increasing water vapour pressure, and that with increasing CO2-concentration well noticeable saturation effects are observed limiting substantially the impact of CO2 on the warm-up of the atmosphere.
For the water vapour, which in its concentration is considerably varying with the altitude above ground as well as with the climate zone, separate distributions for the tropes, the moderate zones and the polar regions are presented.
They are based on actual GPS-measurements of the water content in these zones [2] and are applied for calculating the absorbance in the respective regions. The vertical variation in humidity and temperature, in the partial gas pressures and the total pressure is considered for each zone separately by computing individual absorption spectra for up to 228 atmospheric layers from ground level up to 86 km height.
The propagation length of the sun light in these layers, which depends on the angle of incidence to the atmosphere and therefore on the geographic latitude, is included by considering the earth as a truncated icosahedron (bucky ball) consisting of 32 surfaces with well defined angles to the incoming radiation and assigning each of the areas to one of the three climate zones.
To identify the influence of the absorbing gases on the climate and particularly the effect of an increasing CO2- concentration on the warming of the earth, a two-layer climate model was developed, which describes the atmosphere and the ground as two layers acting simultaneously as absorbers and Planck radiators. Also heat transfer by convection between these layers and horizontally by winds or oceanic currents between the climate zones is considered.
At equilibrium each, the atmosphere as well as the ground, delivers as much power as it sucks up from the sun and the neighbouring layer or climate zone.With this model for each climate zone the temperature progression of the earth and the atmosphere is calculated as a function of the CO2-concentration and several other parameters like ozone and cloud absorption, short- and long-wavelength scattering at clouds as well as the reflection at the earth’s surface.
The simulations for the terrestrial and atmospheric warm-up show well attenuating and saturating progressions with increasing CO2-concentration, mainly caused by the strongly saturating absorption of the intensive CO2 bands and the interference with water lines. The climate sensitivity CS as a measure for the temperature increase found, when the actual CO2-concentration is doubled, assumesCS = 0.41°C for the tropical zone, CS = 0.40°C for the moderate zones and CS = 0.92°C for the polar zones. The weighted average over all regions as the global climate sensitivity is found to be CS = 0.45°C with an estimated uncertainty of 30%, which mostly results from the lack of more precise data for the convection between the ground and atmosphere as well as the atmospheric backscattering.
The values for the global climate sensitivity published by the IPCC [3] cover a range from 2.1°C – 4.4°C with an average value of 3.2°C, which is seven times larger than that predicted here.
How much CO2 really contributes to global warming? Spectroscopic studies and modelling of the influence of H2O, CO2 and CH4 on our climate Hermann Harde Helmut-Schmidt-Universität Hamburg, Germany ([email protected]) Based on the actual HITRAN’2008 database [1] detailed spectroscopic studies on the absorbance of the greenhouse gases water, carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere are presented. The objective of these investigations was to examine and to quantify with these newly available data the influence of these gases on our climate. The line-by-line calculations for sun light from 0.1 – 8 m (short wavelength radiation) as well as those for the emitted earth radiation from 3 – 60 m (long wavelength radiation) show, that due to the strong overlap of the CO2 and CH4 spectra with the water vapour lines the influence of these gases is significantly reducing with increasing water vapour pressure, and that with increasing CO2-concentration well noticeable saturation effects are observed limiting substantially the impact of CO2 on the warm-up of the atmosphere. For the water vapour, which in its concentration is considerably varying with the altitude above ground as well as with the climate zone, separate distributions for the tropes, the moderate zones and the polar regions are presented. They are based on actual GPS-measurements of the water content in these zones [2] and are applied for calculating the absorbance in the respective regions. The vertical variation in humidity and temperature, in the partial gas pressures and the total pressure is considered for each zone separately by computing individual absorption spectra for up to 228 atmospheric layers from ground level up to 86 km height. The propagation length of the sun light in these layers, which depends on the angle of incidence to the atmosphere and therefore on the geographic latitude, is included by considering the earth as a truncated icosahedron (bucky ball) consisting of 32 surfaces with well defined angles to the incoming radiation and assigning each of the areas to one of the three climate zones. To identify the influence of the absorbing gases on the climate and particularly the effect of an increasing CO2- concentration on the warming of the earth, a two-layer climate model was developed, which describes the atmosphere and the ground as two layers acting simultaneously as absorbers and Planck radiators. Also heat transfer by convection between these layers and horizontally by winds or oceanic currents between the climate zones is considered. At equilibrium each, the atmosphere as well as the ground, delivers as much power as it sucks up from the sun and the neighbouring layer or climate zone.With this model for each climate zone the temperature progression of the earth and the atmosphere is calculated as a function of the CO2-concentration and several other parameters like ozone and cloud absorption, short- and long-wavelength scattering at clouds as well as the reflection at the earth’s surface. The simulations for the terrestrial and atmospheric warm-up show well attenuating and saturating progressions with increasing CO2-concentration, mainly caused by the strongly saturating absorption of the intensive CO2 bands and the interference with water lines. The climate sensitivity CS as a measure for the temperature increase found, when the actual CO2-concentration is doubled, assumesCS = 0.41°C for the tropical zone, CS = 0.40°C for the moderate zones and CS = 0.92°C for the polar zones. The weighted average over all regions as the global climate sensitivity is found to be CS = 0.45°C with an estimated uncertainty of 30%, which mostly results from the lack of more precise data for the convection between the ground and atmosphere as well as the atmospheric backscattering. The values for the global climate sensitivity published by the IPCC [3] cover a range from 2.1°C – 4.4°C with an average value of 3.2°C, which is seven times larger than that predicted here.
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Here’s a quick list of 10 lessons we learned when making the switch to Gradle from Maven for StackFoundation. Coming from a deeply Maven place, these are the things that gave us an “Aha! That’s how you do it in Gradle!” moment. As with any other tool, these are not the only way (nor the best) to do some of these things with Gradle – this is not meant to be a prescriptive list of best practices. Rather, it’s just a few things to help those Mavenistas out there who are thinking of switching to Gradle, or actively switching to Gradle, and figuring out how to get their mind to think Gradle.
1) Forget the GAV, use the directory layout!
Maven folks are used to thinking about a module’s GAV – it’s group, artifact, and version. When you switch to Gradle, you don’t have to think about this so much. Gradle will name projects based on the names of the directories by default. So if you have the following multi-project directory structure:
server core src/main/java logging src/main/java
These projects are named server, core, and logging. In Gradle, projects are identified with a fully-qualified path – in this case the paths are going to be :server , :server:core and :server:logging .
Note: You can give projects a group, and version, if you want.
2) Build everything from the root!
More than a GAV, when you start using Gradle regularly, you’ll start thinking of projects by their path.
In Maven, you’re probably used to switching to a particular sub-module directory and then invoking mvn clean install , etc from there. In Gradle, you’re going to kick off all builds from the root of your multi-project setup. And you can simply use a sub-project’s path to kick off a task for that project. For example, you can invoke gradlew :server:logging:build to build the logging sub-project, within the top-level server project.
3) Use custom tasks!
In Maven, if you need to perform some custom logic for a build or deploy, you go hunting for a particular plug-in, and then see if invoking one of it’s goals at some spot within the fixed Maven build lifecycle accomplishes what you want. If not, you try and look for another plug-in. And another, and then you might try writing one yourself.
Gradle is fundamentally built around tasks. You’re going to end up writing a custom task for a lot of what you want to do. Build a package by combining things in a specific way? Write a task. Deploy a service? Write a task. Setup infrastructure? Write a task. And remember all Gradle scripts are Groovy scripts so you are writing Groovy code when writing your tasks. Most of the time, you won’t write a task from scratch – you’ll start with a plug-in (yes, like in Maven, you’ll start by searching for plug-ins), and one of the tasks it defines, and then customize it!
4) Name your tasks, give them a group and description!
If you have a complex Maven project, you are very likely using a number of profiles, and you will probably have a specific order to build things, and maybe even a specific order to run things with different profiles activated. You’ll end up documenting this on a Wiki or a README file in your Git repo. And then you’ll forget to update that document so that eventually, how exactly something is built is only tribal knowledge.
In Gradle, you create custom tasks. This was already point 3 – but once you create them, you can give these tasks a group and a description. We give our most important custom tasks the group name ‘StackFoundation’. That way when we run a gradlew tasks , we see a list of tasks specific to our project in the list of available tasks to run. A great way to document our tasks.
5) Alias tasks, name them something you will remember!
Picking up from 3 and 4: You can create a task just to alias another task defined by another plugin. For example – the Shadow plugin is the Gradle version of the Maven Shade plugin. You might be happy with the default shadowJar task it provides but if in your project, a more meaningful name for creating that shadow JAR package is createServicePackage , you can create an alias:
task createServicePackage(dependsOn: shadowJar)
Note: It’s not exactly an alias, but close enough.
6) The Shadow plugin is the Gradle version of the Maven Shade plugin
This one is used by enough Maven folks that it’s worth repeating.
7) Use the Gradle wrapper
With Maven, you have to get everyone to setup Maven or use an IDE which comes with a Maven built-in in order to run builds for your project. With Gradle, there’s the Gradle wrapper – and you’re meant to check it in to your team’s repo. Setup your project to use the wrapper, and put it in your source control repo! Your team won’t have to think about getting Gradle.
8) Forget the inheritance parent, use external build scripts to define common tasks
In Maven, you use an inheritance parent to manage dependencies, and plugins.
With Gradle, you can reference other Gradle files from a build.gradle file – you do that using something that looks like: apply from: '../../gradle/services.gradle' . These are called external build scripts and there’s some caveats to using them but they’re a great way to define common tasks. For example, you can create some common tasks for deploying any of the services you use in your projects inside gradle/services.gradle and reference them from your other Gradle files.
Note: You can also put common task code inside buildSrc.
9) Forget the inheritance parent, create custom libraries
In Maven, you use a parent POM to define common dependencies. With Gradle, you can define common dependencies by putting them in an external build script (described in point 6). Here’s an example of a file in gradle/dependencies.gradle which defines some common libraries we use in all of our projects:
repositories { mavenLocal() mavenCentral() } ext { libraries = [ aws : { it.compile('com.amazonaws:aws-java-sdk-s3:1.11.28') { exclude group: 'org.apache.httpcomponents', module: 'httpclient' exclude group: 'com.fasterxml.jackson.core', module: 'jackson-annotations' exclude group: 'com.fasterxml.jackson.core', module: 'jackson-core' exclude group: 'com.fasterxml.jackson.core', module: 'jackson-databind' exclude group: 'com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat', module: 'jackson-dataformat-cbor' } }, awsEcr : 'com.amazonaws:aws-java-sdk-ecr:1.11.28', datamill : { it.compile('foundation.stack.datamill:core:0.1.1-SNAPSHOT') { exclude group: 'org.apache.httpcomponents', module: 'httpclient' } }, datamillLambda : 'foundation.stack.datamill:lambda-api:0.1.1-SNAPSHOT', junit5 : [ 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:5.0.0-M4', 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-migration-support:5.0.0-M4' ], ] }
Note the use of GAVs to refer to Maven dependencies, and how you can setup exclusions using this approach. With this approach, we get to give our own names to these libraries instead of referring to everything with GAVs. This is especially great for us because colloquially, we refer to our dependencies using these names and this makes looking at project dependency information clear and concise. In addition, we can group multiple Maven dependencies into one custom user library, as with the junit5 example.
Here’s how a particular project defines the libraries as dependencies:
dependencies { compile libraries.datamill(it) testCompile libraries.junit5 }
10) Doing resource filtering
In Maven, you probably use resource filtering to replace property placeholders in resource files. There’s two equivalents in Gradle – the first is to use ReplaceTokens:
processResources { def props = [imageVersion: 'unspecified'] filesMatching('*.properties') { filter(org.apache.tools.ant.filters.ReplaceTokens, tokens: props) } }
This looks for placeholders of the form @imageVersion@ , i.e., they’re delimited by @’s. It tolerates missing property names. A second form looks like this:
processResources { props = [imageVersion: 'unspecified'] filesMatching("**/*.yaml") { expand props } }
This looks for property placeholders of the form $imageVersion – well, sort of. It’s actually using a template mechanism in Groovy which makes it very powerful but if you use it for simple cases, you’ll probably encounter the following: if a simple placeholder references a missing property, your build will fail in error!
That’s all for now! More lessons from our experience migrating to Gradle at StackFoundation will be for a future post! Hope that helps those of you making the switch from Maven! |
If only science always tasted so good.
Professor Kevin “Kit” Parker set 16 students in his “Engineering Sciences 96” class to a real-world test of teamwork, technical skill, and dedication this semester, assigning them the 14-week task of building a better barbecue smoker.
Along the way, they had to decode the arcane process of smoking meat, applying science to a traditional Southern art form with the aim of simplifying it for the novice and updating it for the 21st century. They had a real-world client in Williams-Sonoma, the company that sponsored their efforts; real-world competition in their experimental control, a high-end smoker called the “Big Green Egg”; and the real world itself to contend with, in the form of snowstorms and subzero temperatures for their Saturday smoking sessions.
“I was eating it last night as it came off the smoker, and it was fantastic,” said Patrick Connolly, Williams-Sonoma executive vice president and chief marketing officer, who was at an end-of-semester barbecue Monday where the culinary results were presented.
Connolly was among several dozen guests, students, faculty, and staff at the barbecue, held just outside Harvard’s Maxwell-Dworkin building. The barbecue followed an hour-long student presentation of the scientific results of the project in nearby Pierce Hall. Guests were able to sample brisket from the student-built smoker side by side with that from the control unit. After 220 pounds of brisket, 880 man-hours of smoking, and countless more hours of research, design, and construction, the students appeared to have pulled off the feat.
“This is first-class brisket,” said Dave Schaefer, a barbecue chef who presented a guest lecture to the class in March and returned for the public unveiling Monday. “This is as good a brisket as I’ve had in months and months.”
The students’ learning curve was incredibly steep. First, they had to understand the basics, the current art of cooking brisket — a meat cut that is tough to get right and, because of the connective tissue it contains, requires long, slow cooking to make it tender.
In their presentation, students described their initial research, consulting expert chefs and authorities in everything from heat transfer to food chemistry to ceramics. The fundamental problem, they said, is temperature control. Because brisket has different parts — the fat cap, the flap, and the point — the temperature has to be controlled carefully to ensure it cooks uniformly. In addition, enzymes that can break down the tough connecting tissue take time to work but break down themselves at higher temperatures. That means that not only does the brisket have to be cooked at low temperatures for 12 to 15 hours, that temperature has to rise to the primary cooking temperature slowly over several hours.
The students found that maintaining the proper temperature is tough to do. Even the high-end control smoker had hot and cool spots, with as much as a 50-degree difference across the cooking surface, which caused the meat to cook unevenly.
To even out those hot spots in their design, students borrowed the concave shape of a power plant cooling tower, called a “hyperboloid.” That shape forces the smoke to mix in the narrow waist, evening out the temperature, before it expands again to engulf the meat. The shape also creates eddies of smoke above the cooking surface, bathing the brisket in the wood fumes, which imparts flavor during the cooking process.
With the assistance of the Harvard Ceramics Program, the students made their cooker out of clay, creating a half-size prototype and then a full-scale model that took five weeks to shape and fire. They added modern electronics: temperature sensors, automatic vent fans, and a small computer to control the fans and regulate how much oxygen the fuel received — and thus the overall temperature.
To top it all off, they connected the computer to the Internet and created a smartphone app that lets a chef monitor the hours-long process without constantly having to open the top, or even — in the middle of winter — to go outside. The app provides recipes for planning, shopping sites for supplies, data from the smoker itself to monitor cooking, and social media for sharing results.
Juniors Paul Kaczor and Jack Zhou said they enjoyed the experience, even though the Saturday smoking sessions required them to start at 3 a.m. through the worst of New England’s record-setting, snowy winter. At temperatures as low as minus 1, they had to shovel off a spot for the smoker and then struggle to light the fuel in the cold and wind. It wasn’t as simple as just setting up the smoker, because they were collecting data at the same time, so they also had to ensure that the experiments were set up and the equipment was working properly.
“I loved it,” Kaczor said. “I’m a huge fan of meat. I figured if we have to do all this each week, at least we get to eat brisket on weekends … I had an absolute blast.”
Fittingly, given how long brisket has to cook, the course itself incubated for two years. That was when Parker, the Tarr Family Professor of Bioengineering and Applied Physics and core member of the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering, visited a cooking contest in Memphis and realized how little science had touched the practice of barbecue.
“I was looking at the most god-awful contraptions I’d ever seen,” Parker said of the smokers used by competitors. “It dawned on me that we really don’t understand the fundamental rules of how you smoke. It’s more like a crazy art form.”
Parker and teaching fellow Peyton Nesmith, visited with barbecue chefs and gathered the background knowledge needed to set their students to the task. Parker praised the entire class, saying the students were up to what proved to be a challenging project, working nights and weekends, as well as in class. Along the way, they mastered not just cooking, but design, computer modeling, heat transfer, and other skills.
“We took this art form to a science,” Parker said. “Everything came together. We had a good client, a good mission.”
Though Connolly was impressed with the results, he stopped short of saying the “Harvard Smoker,” as the students dubbed it, would soon be in stores. There are many steps between a research project and an actual product, he said, but elements of what the students devised — the hyperboloid shape and the electronic temperature controls —could warrant further investigation. The goal, he said, is to make it easier for a backyard barbecue to produce results while letting the chef enjoy his or her company.
“When you think about outdoor cooking, very seldom is it done for one person. It’s family entertaining, a group sharing a meal together,” Connolly said. “For anyone doing it, you’re torn between spending time with them and making sure you get a good result.”
Three of the students aren’t done yet, according to junior Jordan DeGraaf. Though the brisket came out well, the prototype had several drawbacks. The smoker’s ceramic body meant it held heat well, but it cracked when used, probably due to problems in its construction. It is also heavy, topping 300 pounds.
DeGraaf, a bioengineering concentrator, said she and her classmates will be working on campus this summer to refine the design. DeGraaf, who grew up in New Mexico, said she had a neighbor who would smoke brisket for them, but she never thought of the science behind it.
“I’m from the South, and I really enjoy my brisket,” DeGraaf said. “I hadn’t thought of it as an engineering problem before this class.” |
WATCH: Jordan Armstrong reports on a weekend of fires burning all over British Columbia
There were at least 18 fires that started in British Columbia on Monday. Thirty-fix fires started Saturday, 21 started Sunday, and 32 on Friday. There are 185 active wildfires as of Monday.
A haze blankets the majority of people in B.C., as winds bring smoke from fires in Pemberton to people in Vancouver and Victoria. The Metro Vancouver Air Quality Health Index went to 10+, or “Very High Risk” on Sunday night.
READ MORE: Air quality advisory issued for Metro Vancouver and Sunshine Coast
And undoubtedly, there will be more fires to come in the days and weeks ahead.
“Why we’ve seen this severe situation so early has been the weather conditions,” says Kevin Skrepnek, Provincial Fire Information Officer, who added that lightning has also played a big part in many of the fires.
“Almost all of the Lower Mainland, most of the Vancouver Island, and big areas of northeastern and central B.C. are in extreme fire danger rating. It’s unusual for this time of year [and] there’s no relief in sight in the weather forecast. We’re expecting temperatures in the mid-30s, and absolutely no rain in the near future. That’s definitely cause for concern.”
Here’s a brief rundown of our fire coverage from today:
PORT ALBERNI: Fire burns next to Sproat Lake; tactical evacuation of cabins underway
PORT ALBERNI: As fires increase, so do calls to bring back Martin Mars water bombers
PEMBERTON: Multiple fires in Pemberton area explode in growth overnight
KOOTENAYS: Fires in Kootenays advance on homes, then retreat – but alerts still in place
PORT HARDY: Evacuation order in Port Hardy lifted
KELOWNA: Evacuation Order in Huckleberry fire completely lifted
SUNSHINE COAST: Evacuation alert issued due to forest fire burning near Sechelt
BURNABY: Crews battle fire on Burnaby Mountain
PHOTOS: Fires create haze blanketing B.C. in sea of yellow and orange
The B.C. Wildfire Centre also has a list of all active fires for the entire province.
In Metro Vancouver, there was one new major fire on Burnaby Mountain Sunday – and it was the first full weekend of enhanced water restrictions in the region, and officials warned that they would likely continue for some time.
“We’re in areas where we’ve never been before,” says Darrell Mussatto, Mayor of North Vancouver and Chair of Metro Vancouver’s Utilities Committee.
“We’ve never had a dry May and June like we’ve just had…we’re at record low inflows into our reservoirs.”
The B.C. Wildfire Service also warned that smoke from two lightning-caused wildfires could drift into the communities of Bella Coola, Houston, Burns Lake, Southside and Francois Lake.
The Kapella River fire had burned about 600 to 1,000 hectares about 77 kilometres northwest of Bella Coola, while the Europa Lake fire had burned about 10 hectares about 86 kilometres southeast of Kitimat.
— With files from The Canadian Press and Jon Azpiri |
This is due to the annexation of the Crimea and Donbas aggression
Open source
Ukraine voiced its objections to Russia's presidency at CIS in 2017, because Ukraine believes that Russia violated international law by annexing Crimea and contributing to the conflict in the Donbas. This was stated by head of the Ukrainian delegation at the CIS summit in Bishkek, Ambassador of Ukraine to Kyrgyzstan to Mykola Doroshenko.
Doroshenko said that Ukraine will take part in the CIS census only in the case if Russia doesn't take into account residents of the Crimea in their census. Otherwise, Ukraine shall consider these results wretched, reported by RBK.
Russian President Vladimir Putin objected to the Ukrainian delegate, saying that "Russia has never annexed anything".
"Russia has never annexed anything. Everything that happened with the Crimea is the result of illegal actions during the coup," - he said. Crimea, according to Putin, has joined Russia in the result of the all nation will expression.
"Regarding Russia's presidency in the CIS, Ukraine has neither signed nor ratified the charter of the CIS and is unlikely to make any offers," - said Putin.
As it was reported, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko withdrew the representative of Ukraine in the CIS Executive Committee Anatoly Dron, and Ukraine Committee, and Ukraine left the CIS criminal investigation database. However, the CIS report that Ukraine continues to selectively participate in the work of the Commonwealth.
Ukraine has not yet ratified the CIS Charter, therefore, formally is considered only an observer in this organization, and not its member. |
Jeff Hardy and Matt Hardy – Photo Credit: WWE Raw on USA
Excitement is at a fever pitch that the Broken Universe is about to once again see the light of day. Unearthed from its TNA tomb, no longer shelved and left in purgatory of the sins of Impact past. A single ‘obsolete’ reference by Jeff Hardy on Monday’s edition of WWE Raw was all it took to let imaginations run wild.
What some might not realize however, is the line “I’ll fade away and classify myself as obsolete”, is originally part of the lyrics to track 9 of Jeff’s PEROXWHY?GEN CD release ‘Within the Cygnus Rift‘. Meaning, while the Broken Universe continues to be subtly teased, the line alone does not conclusively mean an agreement regarding the gimmick (if one is necessary from the Hardy’s side) is in place. Jeff is well in his rights either way to use a lyric from his own band and album.
The Origins of Jeff Hardy’s Obsolete Line
Jeff’s band release predates the Broken universe, seeing its release in July 27, 2015. The era of Broken Matt roughly started on the May 17, 2016 edition of Impact Wrestling, sans the bleached streak of hair and accent.
Are there indeed negotiations going on behind the scenes with Anthem/GFW regarding the gimmick? Do the Hardys fully own rights? It’s difficult to say for sure. Perhaps, the WWE wanted to slowly ease newer fans into the gimmick and start off with what WWE faithful remember. If Anthem/GFW at the negotiating table is what’s shelved the gimmick the last few months then we could still be a ways off. Especially with the current Jeff Jarrett twitter feud with Matt/Reby Either way, the question is as Jim Cornette once phrased the idea ‘where does Matt Hardy end and Broken Matt begin’?
“Wrestlers are not actors that play parts, they are who they are, and when they change the way they present themselves and it gets over they become that. You can’t separate a gimmick from a guy if it’s really successful. Somebody else could have been the Undertaker right? Yeah (sarcastically).” – Jim Cornette
The Moment the Broken Universe Stood Still
We’ll see in the coming weeks, maybe months, if the Broken Hardys make a grand return in the WWE. As noteworthy as the ‘obsolete’ line was, there’s still no guarantees unfortunately the Broken Universe is making its televised return… Though it lives on digitally on Matt Hardy’s Twitter. |
The 1989 Comparison
Prospects for peace seemed especially bleak at the beginning of 1989. Detente appeared on the brink of collapse. Washington showed a clear hand in the Soviet Union’s protracted war in Afghanistan. A scheduled meeting between Mikhail Gorbachev and Deng Xiaoping meant a possible end to the Sino-Soviet split, and a renewed alliance against the US. American conservatives meanwhile girded themselves for a post-Cold War conflict, of unknown duration and intensity.
Yet, by the end of year, revolutions had swept through Central and Eastern Europe. The children of a generation that participated in the failed uprisings of 1956 and 1968 appeared to have vindicated their parents. The Soviet Union would soon collapse, and Germany would reunify. The bewilderment these events produced was nearly impossible to put into perspective until a generation later, when a wave of popular demonstrations ripped through the Arab Middle East, and toppled entire governments seemingly overnight.
As with the Arab Spring, political analysts were left scrambling for an explanation. Ill prepared, their answers sounded eerily familiar to those of the Western news media in the Fall of 1989: political repression, mixed with economic disenfranchisement and youth, is a recipe for revolution. Drawing many a comparison to ’89, too, it was as though history was repeating itself. Cause and effect scenarios were routinely invoked to rationalize the upheaval, as though it adhered to universal laws, valid in every country and every political situation.
The problem with this analytical reflex is that although it helps explain certain things, it never accounts for what inspires events, for example, like Czechoslvakia’s Velvet Revolution. Why do they happen at particular historical periods and not others? What makes some revolutions successful and not others? Are the failings of European communism really the same as those of Bedouin monarchs and Arab dictators? They’re basic questions, clearly. Unfortunately, news media is the first place that people go to make sense of the world, where we encounter such equations. It would help if at least some of the time, it got things reasonably right.
So fearful is its coverage of social unrest, that it draws a blank whenever coverage is necessary. The problem is that since the end of the Cold War, the upheaval hasn’t stopped. Yet, the English-speaking world remains beholden to the notion of surprise, typical of the Cold War era, that there is some kind of continuum in daily life, around the world, that revolutions, for example, remain an eternal exception to. It’s as though 9/11 never happened in New York, or 7/7 in London. The US and the UK, though they often appear to forget it, are a part of history, too.
A veteran of Cairo’s Tahrir Square protests, such questions of have especially preoccupied me as of late, as I search for precedents to help explain what I experienced there. Inevitably I am lead back to 1989 as though it was the start of a process of which I continue to be a part of. I am particularly interested in the continuum of non-violent protest, which was part of political protests in parts of the world not celebrated for their overthrow of communism. I am thinking in China, in particular the Tiananmen Square protests, twenty-four years ago, frequently deleted from popular accounts of this revolutionary time.
Protests by Chinese students began in April 1989, after the death of former Communist Party General Secretary Hu Yaobang. Students sought to honor Yaobang’s memory with a productive call for social change, which is an instinct that relies on a tradition of grassroots dissent to even be synthesized. Hence, students converged at Tiananmen Square because it was the center of a rich tradition of local protest, whether in the May Fourth movement of 1917 or the Tiananmen Square protests of 1975.
Characteristics of the seven week protests had been learned from popular struggles more broadly: they were initially buoyed with strong support from urban workers, students quickly networked with progressive factions that joined the protests, hunger strikes were used to establish moral legitimacy and reinvigorate the movement’s dying momentum, and so on. Protestors at Tiananmen were quick to take advantage of the media presence (initially intended for the summit between Gorbachev and Xiaoping) to establish a national and international presence. Through smart organizing, the spark that was Yaobang’s death lead to millions of people protesting in four hundred Chinese cities.
However, Tiananmen Square had its problems. The presence and ambitions of various organizations led to unclear demands and confusion among party officials. Much of the protest movement’s problems, however, were the result of its immaturity and the sudden convergence of disparate groups into a shared setting of protest. It is interesting that these logistical and competitive issues would later be observed in the 2009 – 2010 Iranian election protests and 2011 – 2012 protests associated with Occupy Wall Street. Many of these problems could have been addressed had the movement been allowed to develop. This said, the 20th May declaration of martial law, and mass crackdown on June 3rd and 4th, put an end to those possibilities.
Neither issue was present in Central and Eastern Europe. As a result of international outcry surrounding the Chinese crackdowns, Gorbachev implicitly repealed the Brezhnev Doctrine in a July 7th 1989 address to the Council of Europe. Moscow would no longer use force to prevent a Warsaw Pact member from leaving the Communist sphere. Movements such as the independent Polish trade union Solidarity had grown massively in strength and influence. Following their success in Polish elections on June 4th, 1989 that followed a wave of strikes in April and May 1988, further galvanized by the events at Tiananmen Square, Solidarity mobilized even further. By August 24th 1989, Poland’s parliament ended forty-three years of one party rule. Hungarian activists, with awareness of their failed revolution of 1956, were next to follow, and by the end of the year, the Autumn of Nations had spread across the Soviet bloc.
Events at Cairo’s Tahrir Square played out in a very similar way. Noting inspirational images of popular struggle in Tunisia, activists independently agreed on a Day of Rage on January 25th, 2011. The revolutionary esprit de corps of the demonstrators was a direct consequence of the two Palestinian intifadas, which helped inspire grassroots organizing, and discredited the use of violence as an effective means of social change. Learning from previous radical movements, as well as their own predecessors, they adopted an approach similar to that of the students at Tiananmen Square in reaching out to progressive organizations and forming strong ties with Egypt’s labor movement. The end result: Hosni Mubarak resigned on February 13th, 2012.
Most importantly, memories of China’s violent crackdown in Tiananmen Square helped dampen Mubarak’s sense of freedom in putting down the Tahrir protests. The fear was clear, particularly if one paid attention to the number of parallels being made to Tiananmen at the time, not just amongst activists, eager to be more successful than their Chinese peers, but also amongst politicians, and an ever-conservative global news media, eager to see the Egyptian revolution as a replay of 1989, in Eastern Europe.
By the end of 2012, radical movements throughout the region had treated the Egyptian revolution as a catalyst, whose inspiration is still being felt today, in both North Africa, and of course, Syria. Though some of these revolutions have been more successful than others, the Middle Eastern political landscape has been irreversibly transformed by them, largely for the better. Despite, that is, the disappointments experienced in Egypt, where the struggle for democracy has renewed itself as of late.
My greatest fear is that the Egyptian revolution will end up being as disappointing as that attempted in China. Will the political energies that threw out Mubarak lead to real democracy, or will it remain instrumental in the perpetuation of the status quo? Only time will tell. In the interim, what I hope for is something closer to the Eastern European example. That’s the connection, for me, between the collapse of Communism, and the Arab Spring, and why 1989 and 2012 remain worthy of comparison. Hopefully 2013 will end on a better note than it started.
Photographs courtesy of Diego Sideburns and Robert Croma. Published under a Creative Commons license. |
In a brief rapid fire style but still very fun presentation LEGOLAND Florida announced five new additions to the resort, all debuting withing the next year or so!
First up was LEGOLAND Beach Retreat:
The concepts for this resort look great with colorful duplex bungalows and more!
Next up we were nearly attacked by a ninja who was here to tell us about Ninjago The Ride:
The ride layout will be different from it California counterpart but will employ the same interactive technology to shoot fireballs, lightning and more using nothing more than your hands!
This ride will be a whole new area in the park near the wooden roller coaster Coasterasaurus, Lego Ninjago World will open in early 2017:
Next up was the highlight of already open Creative Cove featuring build a boat races at LEGOLAND Florida Waterpark:
Kids can build and race boats down a winding channel, this looks like a very neat addition to the waterpark:
A third movie will be coming to the Well’s Fargo Theater in late May as the Nexo Knights join in an 4D battle for the kingdom!
The other 2 shows will remain in the theater as well and the shows wil alternate throughout each day so you will be able to see all 3!
In the final announcement we learned of a new nighttime event coming weekends in the summer to the park! LEGOLAND Night Lights! The resort will debut its latest all-new event in June, a celebration of summertime fun featuring extended park hours, meet-and-greet opportunities with favorite LEGO characters, exclusive opportunities to build alongside LEGO Master Model Builders and a spectacular, brick-tacular NINJAGO fireworks display that will light the night above Lake Eloise with brilliant colors and triumphant music. Held exclusively at LEGOLAND Florida Resort, the party is included with park admission and will take place every Saturday and Sunday from June 18 to July 31.
The exciting new projects represent the largest period of growth in the nearly 4½-year history of LEGOLAND Florida Resort, a rapid trajectory of expansions that has included LEGOLAND Water Park (May 2012), LEGO STAR WARS™ Miniland Model Display (November 2012), LEGO World of Chima™ (July 2013), DUPLO Valley (May 2014), LEGOLAND Hotel (May 2015), Heartlake City (June 2015), and phased restorations of the historic Cypress Gardens botanical wonderland, which recently celebrated its 80th anniversary.
With all of these additions the park has definitely given us plenty to talk about! Look for more coming soon on each of these projects!
Be sure to follow our various social media channels for more on these exciting additions: |
Times Square’s brawling Spider-Men and extortionist Elmos besmirch the “Crossroads of the World.”
But a more stomach-turning scourge is the tourist-trampled district’s chain restaurants, which conveniently concentrate Manhattan’s most terrible food in every cuisine within a few blocks’ radius.
Which places are the worst? You might guess critically napalmed Guy Fieri’s American Kitchen or “Tuscan” laughingstock Olive Garden, but you’d be soooooo wrong.
The lows are much lower. Here are the three worst.
Dave & Buster’s
234 W. 42nd St.
If North Korean designers tried their hands at a Western-style sports bar, this might be the result.
The third-floor dining room, next door to Ripley’s Odditorium, is a despairing mismatch of red banquettes, black-and-white floor and cheap ceiling fixtures. On the way up, you pass a second-floor Applebee’s and a bunch of honky-tonk game rooms.
The menu aptly evokes North Korea’s near-famine. Beer-bucket chicken ($17.79) was less tolerable than Popeyes, the skin gelatinous and the meat clay-like. But nothing I’ve encountered in 16 years of covering restaurants (included with chicken) compared to “crunchy apple slaw” — a mélange of substances I could not identify except for the overpowering stench of day-old vinegar.
There might have been apples. There might have been noodles. Willing to take no chances, I got out of there as fast as I could. I was even ready to kiss the Elmos.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
1501 Broadway
My stomach snarled like the Times Square sidewalks after I sampled the “I’m Stuffed” Shrimp ($19.99), a 930-calorie affair of “large” (fact check: small) shrimp supposedly stuffed with crab.
The eerie-tasting “crab” alloy did not stuff the shrimp, but was grafted onto them, like the result of a 1950s horror-film experiment. The mutant entity, drenched in butter and alleged Monterey Jack cheese, literally stuck to the pan — just as the accompanying “jasmine” rice formed a ball seemingly adhered with Krazy Glue.
Cocktails take up the first two menu pages. Waiters answer every query, “That is my absolute favorite drink.”
If all the butter and booze chase you to the loo, beware: Toilet tissue is that narrow-gauge, flimsy breed found in Third World budget hotels.
Buca Di Beppo
1540 Broadway
Sad-looking couples, who evidently fear more legitimately formulated dishes at nearby Carmine’s, fill this third-floor warren of dark alcoves.
The rooms sport full-goombah plumage: red-checkered tablecloths, maroon carpet and Italian-themed photos.
However tacky, the décor beats the dispiriting pastas aimed at the “boil it to Jell-O” crowd. I’ve eaten lasagna since I was 3, but I’ve never encountered a specimen as mushy, unseasoned and characterless. Or eggplant parmigiana ($21.99) and spaghetti (from $16.99) as bland as Buca’s. But they bested stringy chicken parmigiana that would embarrass your average salad-bar fare. |
This blog has been set up by members of Solidarity Federation (IWA) who work or have experience in the door-to-door sales and charity fundraising industry.
People begin working in the word of door-to-door sales and fundraising from a variety of backgrounds. For many, it is their first job after leaving full-time education or long-term unemployment. Most are recruited with the promise of decent wages, attractive bonuses and job satisfaction. What they often end up experiencing is the exploitative and demoralising management practices of bosses who care more about company profits and their own bonuses than they do about their employees. The experience can be particularly bad for those working on a commission-only basis.
Through this network, we aim to share what will hopefully be useful advice and information to fellow door-to-door workers.
As anarcho-syndicalists, we also want to help build a revolutionary working-class movement based on solidarity, direct action and rank-and-file democracy. You can learn more about anarcho-syndicalism here. |
Dale and Annette Shattuck with their four children. (Photo: Submitted)
A Port Huron Township couple whose marijuana charges were dismissed last month is considering civil action against the county.
Marijuana charges against Dale and Annette Shattuck were dismissed in late February by Circuit Judge Daniel Kelly, about a year and a half after the couple’s home, business and grow barn were raided.
In early March, TVs, laptops, iPads, phones, paperwork, guns, a lawn mower, and vehicles were returned to the family of six.
But a safe was returned without a key, a phone was damaged, vehicles had to be jumped after 19 months of storage, and several electronics were missing cords or controllers.
In the 19 months since their arrest, the Shattucks had to borrow money while their bank accounts were frozen, they were barred from volunteering at their children’s schools and, Annette Shattuck said, her children will always remember the July 2014 raid on their home.
“I and my family would have never in a million years thought this could happen if it didn’t happen to us,” Annette Shattuck said.
“… Reform needs to happen. Change needs to happen.”
The Shattucks’ lawyer, Michael Komorn, agreed.
“I don’t think that people who would look at this case would say it’s fair that a child had to go through that,” Komorn said.
The trouble started when the Shattucks opened a compassion center, DNA Alternative Wellness Clinic, after receiving approvals from Kimball Township in March and May 2014 for the business. The couple also contacted the St. Clair County Drug Task Force, asking the agency to perform an inspection of the facility.
The St. Clair County Drug Task Force raided the Shattucks’ marijuana dispensary, home and grow barn on July 28, 2014. The couple was charged five months later with possession with intent to deliver and manufacture marijuana and maintaining a drug house.
Kelly dismissed the charges Feb. 19, stating the Shattucks’ charges constituted entrapment by estoppel — in other words, defendants can’t be prosecuted when they reasonably relied on government approvals for their operation.
“… There is nothing that would alert a reasonable citizen that Kimball Township’s representation was erroneous,” Kelly wrote in his opinion.
“Further, it stands to reason that Defendants would not have called (Drug Task Force) and invited law enforcement to their compassion center for an inspection unless Defendants believed in good faith that DNA Alternative Wellness Center was properly licensed and operating within the law.”
About 10 days after Kelly issued his opinion, the civil forfeiture case against the couple also was dismissed.
But the couple maintains the return of their items is neither complete nor capable of making things right.
Annette Shattuck said seized paperwork is missing, electronics were returned broken and cords were missing from other devices.She said the home was left in disarray after the search.
The Shattucks still are unable to volunteer at their children’s school. They had to borrow money while theirs was tied up in the civil forfeiture process. And the couple’s credit scores, auto insurance costs and reputations are still suffering.
Besides damage to personal property, Komorn said, the emotional trauma inflicted on the Shattuck children during the raid and the time the family went without a large portion of their possessions can’t be remedied easily.
The Shattucks’ four children were with their grandmother at their Port Huron Township home when Drug Task Force members raided the home in tactical gear.
The Shattucks maintain Drug Task Force members pointed their guns at the children when they were in the home, but St. Clair County Sheriff Tim Donnellon takes issue with the claim.
“Those kids were rounded up and sat on the couch,” Donnellon said.
“We do not aim guns in the faces of children. Those deputies are parents, too.”
Donnellon, who worked on the Drug Task Force for several years prior to becoming sheriff, said the dynamic entry in tactical gear is made to protect both law enforcement and those inside the home.
"You’re going to always go in there to your advantage tactically so your deputies come home at the end of the day," Donnellon said.
“...It’s very easy to armchair quarterback what the Drug Task Force does. That is the most difficult job in law enforcement in St. Clair County and the most dangerous.”
Annette Shattuck said she observed a similar dynamic entry when the Drug Task Force raided the Shattucks' Kimball Township compassion center shortly before entering her home. She said she has little reason to question her children’s perception of the entry.
“I am shocked that Sheriff Donnellon has made any comments about the forced entry considering he wasn’t here,” Annette Shattuck said.
“When my children tell me a gun was pointed at them that seems very believable because I’ve witnessed a dynamic entry ... they dynamically entered the home knowing the possibility there were children in there was extraordinarily high.”
Donnellon said the search of the home was performed with a valid search warrant, but he said he understands and respects Kelly’s decision on the case.
"We acted within our legal boundaries with good faith with a valid search warrant," Donnellon said.
Donnellon said the Shattucks should alert the sheriff department of any missing or damaged property.
“If she is missing something, we will track it down,” Donnellon said.
Annette Shattuck said she and her attorney were working to recover the missing items.
“Do I have much faith we’ll get it back? No,” she said.
“… My opinion — they take all this property with absolutely no intention of giving it back.”
St. Clair County Prosecutor Mike Wendling said he felt the investigation and prosecution were handled appropriately.
He said the complications with the case are a reflection of the changing interpretations of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act.
“The statute is so difficult to implement that we’re left with kind of a moving target,” Wendling said.
“The clarity we get is usually after a case is initiated and it leads to a case like this. You get new issues and new situations that no one anticipated occurring.”
Both Donnellon and Wendling said the case won’t stop them from investigating violations of the medical marijuana act. But they also don’t expect those cases to get any easier.
“Michigan has a lot of work to do to decide how we’re going to deal with medical marijuana and marijuana in general,” Wendling said.
“We’re going to continue to enforce the statutes on the books to the best of our ability; they just keep changing the books as we go.”
Komorn said the case is unsettling, “the idea that the government is breaking into people’s homes and taking their property without a conviction.
“I’m reinvigorated by the ruling of the court … but this is not how our system of justice is supposed to be.”
Komorn said he believes the continued scrutiny of medical marijuana cases is due in part to a lack of education about the medical marijuana act.
“Unfortunately, we’ve seen this happen a lot,” Komorn said.
“This is not unique to just St. Clair County. My practice has exposed me to other cases as well.”
Contact Beth LeBlanc at 810-989-6259, [email protected], or on Twitter @THBethLeBlanc.
Read or Share this story: http://bwne.ws/1RUOf8x |
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Status: Three time Wimbledon singles champion (’59, ’60, ’64). Four time US singles champ (’59, ’63, ’64, ’66). Also won eleven major doubles titles. Eighteen major titles in total.
DOB: October ll, l939 In: Sao Paulo, Brazil
First Tennis Memory: “I think I started to play when I was two. I grew up with tennis. My entire family played tennis, my parents, my brothers. Great memories. Never thinking of winning nineteen Grand Slams or anything like that. I played because I enjoyed the sport. So everything just happened.”
Tennis Inspirations: “I started traveling when I was fourteen. And I just wanted to play. It was awfully difficult in those times to go away, especially from Brazil. It’s still very far away. My inspiration was to do what I loved the most and I knew I could do well. Actually now (at 20l3 US Open where we did this interview) I was just told today – I forgot all about it – it’s 50 years since one of my wins here at the Open. Just things fell into place. I traveled a lot most of my entire life. And I still play and I love what I do.”
Greatest Sports Moment: “Probably winning Wimbledon. I was in five finals and I won three. I had a very short career because I had an arm and shoulder injury so I had to stop when I was really at the top. But winning Wimbledon I think was the highest point of my career.”
Most Painful Moment: “When I had to stop and I couldn’t move my arm or my hand for seven years. Went through twelve surgeries. And I’m pretty lucky to have 50% back so I’m still playing. I played people like Martina Hingis, Sharapova, I’m very lucky to have hit with people like Federer last year. But it’s only about 50% of what I had before so I can’t possibly play competitive anymore. But I’m doing what I can and I’m still enjoying it.”
First Famous Player You Met Or Encountered: “I remember very well Fred Perry and Jack Kramer. Jack Kramer was in California at Los Angeles Tennis Club. And he came over and we talked and he was unbelievably nice. And Fred Perry was just a huge thing for me to meet him. The first time I came over he actually gave me some tennis clothes and we had a hit. And one of the things that stuck in my mind he said: When you let the ball go to start the rally, he said, You do that just like a pro. And I must’ve been fourteen or fifteen. I was just out of the Orange Bowl and playing in Florida. Those are the two that really stuck in my mind.”
Funny Tennis Memory: “Last laugh…I wouldn’t know. I had some strange things. When I went to England and I was supposed to meet Prince Phillip and unfortunately I was late for the dinner and I got there and I didn’t know what to do. I got there and they said Just go in. And I was suspended for a few years. It was something strange that happened. But I enjoyed the occasion, he was wonderful, his guests were wonderful, so that, now I can laugh at it. But at the time I was a bit concerned about the circumstances.”
Closest Tennis Friends: “Lots and lots of friends. Lots of places I went to visit that had wonderful people and I think, those days, we had a better chance to get around real people. Because it was just me and me. It was not like the players today – they are so protected. And you never get to talk with them. Like now you would need to get through ten people to get to me, wouldn’t it? So…and it’s nice to be able to do things and I still keep in touch with most of the people that I first met and some of the homes that I stayed with – I still go back and see them. That’s really a very good sign.”
Funniest Players Encountered: “I like very much Roy Emerson, one of the greatest players of all time. He was a very nice guy, very funny, he always had an answer for everything. He made us laugh when we practiced, he was very easy going. I think Roy was one of the best characters that I went across.”
Why Do You Love Playing Tennis: “I don’t know. I was born with a gift. And I made use of it. And I think I brought everything I have and everything I have been in to tennis. I still enjoy the sport, I enjoy the exercise, it’s easy for me to play. But I think most of all it’s to see that it can give some people some enjoyment for what I do. And it’s nice to have people come up to me and say We enjoyed so much when you played, you make things look so easy. So that’s a great reward.”
Favorite Sport Outside Tennis: “No, tennis [smiles].”
Favorite Players To Watch: “I liked to watch Martina when she was at the top. Sampras. Laver. I think today everything is a bit boring. I like to watch Federer because the manner in which he plays and conducts himself and he’s a great person. And I like to watch Nadal because of his heart. It’s so difficult to see people do what he does, match after match after match. And the first point and the last point, never excuses.”
You Hit With Federer: “Yes, yes, in Brazil. To me it was a fantastic hit. And we had lots of laughs. I think Roger has a special thing about him that Bill Clinton has, he makes you feel like he’s just there for you. Whether it’s a party or he’s playing, he concentrates on you and it makes you feel good. Like Bill Clinton has that touch. If you come into a room with him, he comes to talk to you. You say, Oh gosh, this guy came here just for me. I think that’s a great asset, especially now.”
Last Book Read: “Not a tennis book. I loved to read history books. I just did a huge thing on the Tudors. I was in England, I spent a lot of time visiting castles and I read a lot about history. And every time I have a chance that’s where I go.”
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: “Chocolate.”
Favorite Tournaments: “Wimbledon. Rome. US Open.”
Fiercest Competitors Encountered: “I think Margaret Court, the Australian. She never gave you anything. She was really fighting for everything. And again, for our time, she was very big, a huge girl, now nothing compared to all the size. But she was very fit and played really well. It was difficult to play her.”
People Qualities Most Admired: “Being honest. Respectful. And being a legitimate person, that you don’t have to worry about anything. They’re not after you for any other reason but you.”
Bueno has hit with Fred Perry and Federer
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Are pro-mining forces trying to sway the Environmental Protection Agency on Pebble Mine?
Last month, I reported on the potential environmental threats posed by the massive proposed gold and copper mine in Alaska. The EPA conducted a watershed analysis, released in April, that showed that the mine would endanger rivers and the Bristol Bay, as well as the region’s salmon fishery. The EPA extended the comment period through the end of June, allowing more time for the public to weigh in.
A number of organizations, both pro- and anti-Pebble, had circulated mass mailings asking supporters to comment. You’ve seen the type; they’re form letters that people can sign onto via email. As of Friday, pro-mining groups had generated 118,294 comments from those mass mailings. But 117,401 of those comments—or 99.25 percent—came from a single group called Resourceful Earth. Here’s a sample of one of its letters:
I am writing to voice my strong opposition to the EPA’s draft watershed assessment for the vast Bristol Bay region of Alaska because it sets a dangerous precedent, is wholly unnecessary, and relies on dubious source material from biased anti-mining organizations and scientists that recently admitted to falsifying reports submitted in legal proceedings.
Resourceful Earth is a project of the conservative think-tank Competitive Enterprise Institute. Started in 2011, the project’s mission is to “promote access to natural resources and oppose special interests that abuse the regulatory process to lock up the raw materials of prosperity.” CEI is generally opposed to environmental regulations, and has taken millions of dollars over the years from industry like ExxonMobil, the American Petroleum Institute, and groups associated with the Koch brothers. CEI was critical of the EPA the last time the agency used the Clean Water Act to block a permit for a coal mine in West Virginia (which is what activists in Alaska are asking it to do on Pebble).
CEI President Fred Smith also signed onto a letter from conservative groups opposing the assessment of Pebble sent to the EPA on June 4. Other groups signing onto that letter include Americans for Limited Government, Americans for Prosperity, and Americans for Tax Reform.
The Save Bristol Bay coalition—which is working to block Pebble Mine—tallied all the comments from the EPA’s docket. As of Friday, the agency had received 424,492 comments. The vast majority—306,198—were against the mine and in support of the EPA’s evaluation of the risks. Many of those came from major environmental groups as well, including Trout Unlimited, Earthworks, and the Sierra Club. |
An eerie Facebook post showed what’s either a potential booby-trapped shotgun, or an extremely wild set of circumstances.
The photos show the inside of either a Winchester 1200 or 1300 shotgun, and if you look closely, you’ll notice something that doesn’t belong . . .
Lodged inside the firearm was a .380 ACP pistol round aimed directly at the person firing the weapon. The intention or freak mishap hasn’t been determined yet, but the incident has allegedly been reported to BATFE and local authorities.
Here are the photos posted by Tap Rack Bang:
The whole ordeal has gained quite a bit of attention on Facebook, racking up nearly 5,000 shares and well over 1,000 comments of people weighing in on what may have occurred here. Scrolling through the comments, it appears to be a mixed bag of people on alert and downplaying skeptics.
One user even suggested the bullet was placed by an anti-gun advocate trying to murder a gun owner.
While that last part may never be confirmed, this is a great example of why you should always inspect your guns before firing them – especially if you purchased it online!
Image courtesy Facebook
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Disney's sports network ESPN, hit by subscriber declines, will benefit from being digitally distributed that will unlock the company's stock, RBC Capital Markets said.
Media analyst Steve Cahall put a $130 price target for this year on shares of Disney, nearly 20 percent higher than Wednesday's premarket price of $109.
"What we think is really getting better with ESPN is these new virtual cable distribution platforms," Cahall told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Wednesday. "Hulu is set to launch soon, DirectTV now recently launched, and [Disney CEO] Bob Iger last night indicated that they're going to be on Google as well as some others."
Google has not confirmed anything yet, but is widely expected to launch YouTube-affiliated live TV.
In an interview with CNBC on Tuesday, Iger said there was "way too much pessimism" around ESPN's slumping subscriber growth. He said Disney's strategy is to launch the sports network with every new digital service.
"[Digital distribution] helps stabilize that base, it supports their traditional affiliate fees, so that's what unlocks the stock," said Cahall.
Disney's recent investment in media streaming giant BAMTech will also strongly position the company and ESPN in the years to come, Cahall contended.
"BAMTech has the leading technology for concurrent streaming. And so if you think of how we might be watching live sports five or 10 years from now, chances are it will be very digital," the analyst said.
"So whether or not it owns the sports right[s], whether or not it owns the platform that we're watching it on may be less important because it will be owning the production of actually getting that in front of us via BAMTech," he continued. |
NASA-funded research has created a material that could self-heal in seconds. Two layers of solid polymer sandwich a gel that with an ingredient that solidifies on contact with air (i.e. when one or both of the outer layers is damaged). This differs from other approaches that rely on a mostly-liquid compound, or similar, slower techniques. The protective applications in space craft (like the ISS) are obvious, and could add a vital line of defense against dangerous debris. The ISS already has shields to protect it, but reactive armour in the event of damage would be even more reassuring. Back down here on earth, the same material could be used in cars, pips, containers and even phones (beyond scratches). Watch the material get shot and self-heal in the video below. |
In recent years, I have repeatedly called on the wireless industry to activate the FM chips that are already installed in almost all smartphones sold in the United States. And I've specifically pointed out the public safety benefits of doing so. In fact, in my first public speech after I became Chairman, I observed that ‘[y]ou could make a case for activating chips on public safety groundsalone.’ When wireless networks go down during a natural disaster, smartphones with activated FM chips can allow Americans to get vital access to life-saving information. I applaud those companies that have done the right thing by activating the FM chips in their phones.
Apple is the one major phone manufacturer that has resisted doing so. But I hope the company will reconsider its position, given the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. That's why I am asking Apple to activate the FM chips that are in its iPhones. It is time for Apple to step up to the plate and put the safety of the American people first. As the Sun Sentinel of South Florida put it, 'Do the right thing, Mr. Cook. Flip the switch. Lives depend on it.'"
Apple cares deeply about the safety of our users, especially during times of crisis and that's why we have engineered modern safety solutions into our products. Users can dial emergency services and access Medical ID card information directly from the Lock Screen, and we enable government emergency notifications, ranging from Weather Advisories to AMBER alerts. iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 models do not have FM radio chips in them nor do they have antennas designed to support FM signals, so it is not possible to enable FM reception in these products.
Amidst renewed pressure from the National Association of Broadcasters, FCC chairman Ajit Pai has now issued a statement urging Apple to activate the FM radio capabilities built into the wireless modem of every iPhone.Pai said he hopes Apple will "reconsider its position" following Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, which have devastated parts of the United States, including Florida and Texas, and Caribbean islands like Barbuda, Dominica, and Puerto Rico.Powerful storms can leave thousands or millions of people without power or cellular service for weeks or even months, and over-the-air FM radio can provide vital access to weather alerts and other life-saving information.Pai added that "it is time for Apple to step up to the plate and put the safety of the American people first."His full statement:Pai has advocated for the activation of the FM tuner in all smartphones before, but this is the first time he has called out Apple by name.A study by the National Association of Broadcasters last year found only 44 percent of the top-selling smartphones in the United States had FM radio capabilities enabled. 94 percent of the unactivated devices were iPhones.Both the Qualcomm and Intel chips that enable Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity in every iPhone have a built-in FM tuner that would allow people to listen to FM radio over the air. Apple has not enabled the functionality, forcing users to use an app to stream FM radio over Wi-Fi or cellular data.Apple hasn't revealed why it keeps the FM radio functionality disabled. Some critics suggest it could be to avoid losing Apple Music subscriptions, but the real reason is probably deeper than that.MacRumors has received the following statement from an Apple spokesperson:We'll update this article if the FCC responds to Apple's statement. |
Elizabeth Kaye, 75, has given up retirement to reopen her dayhome in Old Crow — the community's only daycare.
"I could not sit and do nothing," she told CBC Yukon's Leonard Linklater on Midday Café.
Kaye had been running the dayhome for 15 years when she retired in 2005 at the age of 65. The small fly-in community, pop. 245, then went without a daycare for 10 years.
"I thought I was going to stay home and relax," she said of her retirement.
Instead she has re-opened Trinin Tsul Zheh, or Home of Little Children in the Gwitchin language.
The business is legally called a dayhome and not a daycare because it offers child care in a private residence. Children are dropped off at a small guest house which is beside Kay's home in the community.
Kaye said she's delighted to again spend her time around children.
"I became very fond of the little children. Their presence just made me feel comfortable."
The dayhome has room for six children and clients range in age from 18 months to 5 years.
Lack of daycare was 'an obstacle,' says First Nation
The lack of a daycare in Old Crow, had been causing problems for many families and also for the local First Nation.
In 2012 the The Vuntut Gwitchin Government passed a resolution to research options for daycare in Old Crow.
I became very fond of the little children. Their presence just made me feel comfortable - Elizabeth Kaye, manager of Trinin Tsul Zheh
The resolution stated that "lack of child care within the community is disrupting the daily government operations," and also created "an obstacle for hiring potential VGG employees who have children."
The measure passed unanimously but didn't yield a result.
Kaye said people in the community of about 300 people had been coping in different ways.
"Most of the parents had home-sitters," she said. "They had their parents or someone in the family who was unemployed took care of their children."
New building will house daycare, elders programs
In April 2014 the Yukon government announced $2.7 million in funding for a new community recreation centre in Old Crow.
The building was announced as a potential space for a daycare as well as facilities for elders, youth and a community radio station.
Kaye says she doesn't plan to move from the guest house. She says Old Crow has enough demand for two childcare centres.
Meanwhile her son Edward Kyikavichick is working to earn qualifications to help her look after the children. |
As part of his year-end news conference, President Obama defended the scale of America’s ongoing war in Syria, insisting that he really “wanted to do something” and that the war the US ended up launching, with a few hundred ground troops and large numbers of air strikes, was the most he was able to muster.
This was because he was unable to get Congressional support for a bigger war, or the approval of the international community for such an operation, saying that the United States would’ve needed to be willing to “take over Syria” outright to get in a much bigger war.
Obama wasn’t necessarily averse to this idea, it seems, but that such a huge war was “impossible to do on the cheap.” It appears that not getting sucked into Syria’s ongoing civil war was never even considered by the administration as an option.
It is noteworthy that President Obama is lamenting the lack of a bigger US war in Syria, as Secretary of State John Kerry also recently insisted that both he and Obama really wanted that war back in 2013, and that it was really the fault of the Republican Congress that the 2013 invasion didn’t happen.
Last 5 posts by Jason Ditz |
BENGALURU: Flipkart is taking a step again into the payments business with the launch of its digital wallet , which could help it cut significant costs related to handling cash on product returns, in addition to offering users a new payment method.The launch of Flipkart Money comes at a time when online wallet providers Paytm Freecharge and MobiKwik are raking up millions of users, enticing them with cashbacks and discounts. These firms have primarily used bill and prepaid mobile payments for customer acquisition. Chief executive Binny Bansal had in an interview with ET in February identified payments as one of the four pillars of Flipkart’s business, alongside ecommerce, logistics and advertising.The launch of Flipkart’s semi-closed prepaid instrument comes after the company acquired a majority stake in Punjab-based FX Mart last year for about Rs 48.5 crore. FX Mart, which holds a licence from RBI for operating a prepaid payment instrument till August 2019, is powering Flipkart Money.Flipkart Money has been launched on the company’s Android app, where users can hold a balance of Rs 10,000 at a time. Consumers can top up the wallet with a maximum of Rs 25,000 a month using their credit cards, debit cards or via net banking.Cash can be withdrawn from the wallet to the cards or the bank account. Money is part of Flipkart Wallet, which includes WS Retail Credit (WS Retail is the biggest seller on Flipkart), gift cards and other bank cards saved on the online retailer’s platform. The digital wallet can presently be used only for payments on Flipkart.Flipkart Money is expected to be helpful for quick refunds, especially in the case of cash on delivery payments that account for a majority of its transactions. On an average, 15% of ecommerce shipments end up in returns, according to experts tracking the industry.This could mean huge numbers for Flipkart, as the company has said that it aims to sells goods worth $12 billion in the year ending March 31, a three-fold increase compared with the prior fiscal year.Analysts said Flipkart could also use the wallet to drive a strategy to give cashbacks rather than discounts to consumers, keeping them on the platform. “Etailing companies will be moving this year to cut discounts, and cashbacks work on platforms where frequency of usage is high and consumers are making routine purchases,” said Harminder Sahni, founder of retail consulting firm Wazir Advisors. |
1. "Thriller," the biggest-selling album ever, wasn't the only Michael Jackson work released in November 1982. A few weeks before it was set to hit stores, MCA Records released an album of Jackson reading the story of "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" and performing the original song "Someone in the Dark." The album promotion, which featured posters of Jackson and E.T. looking very friendly, angered CBS Records, which felt it was stealing the thunder from "Thriller." Lawsuits ensued. Both albums ended up winning Grammys the following year.
2. "Thriller's" phenomenal success led to a breaking down of traditional racial barriers on FM radio at the time. New York's WPLJ, a "white" station, played Jackson's "Beat It" because of Eddie Van Halen's appearance on it. The song caused a wave of protests from some listeners who didn't want "black" music on their station. MTV also had a reputation for favoring white performers at the time, and its heavy rotation of Jackson videos helped alleviate the criticism.
3. The music video of "Thriller" played in a Westwood theater for one week in 1983 to qualify for an Oscar nomination. It opened for Disney's "Fantasia," much to the dismay of unsuspecting parents.
4. After the success of the "Thriller" video, a Hollywood production company began serious work on turning "Billie Jean" into a feature film. (In 1985, Helen Slater starred in the teenage drama "The Legend of Billie Jean," although there is no connection.)
5. In 1984, the National Coalition on Television Violence classified more than half of 200 MTV videos surveyed as too violent, including the videos for Jackson's "Thriller" and "Say, Say, Say." Dr. Thomas Radecki, chairman of the coalition, was quoted as saying, "It's not hard to imagine young viewers after seeing 'Thriller' saying, 'Gee, if Michael Jackson can terrorize his girlfriend, why can't I do it too?' "
6. Brooke Shields was Jackson's date to the 1984 Grammys, when he won eight awards.
7. "Thriller" video makeup artist Rick Baker already had an Oscar on his resume. He won the award for best makeup in 1981 -- the first time the award was handed out -- for his work on "An American Werewolf in London."
8. Baker actually appears in the video: He's the zombie seen stumbling out of the mausoleum.
9. Dance choreographer Michael Peters also had a role as a zombie in "Thriller," and shared a Tony Award with Michael Bennett for his choreography work on Broadway's "Dreamgirls." Before his death in 1994, he was an advocate of adding a choreography category to the Academy Awards.
10. Jackson's girlfriend in the video, Ola Ray, was Playboy magazine's Miss June in 1980, telling the publication that her favorite entertainers were "Michael Jackson, Donna Summer, Ben Vereen, Emry Thomas." She also listed her turn-ons as "music, men, dancing and romancing, health and nature" and turnoffs as "waiting for something that never comes."
11. Just as Van Halen's guitar solo begins in "Beat It," there's a noise that sounds like someone knocking on a door. According to rock 'n' roll myth, the knock is someone walking into Van Halen's studio. Another story claims it's simply the sound of Van Halen knocking on his own guitar.
12. "Thriller's" opening cut, "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'," is also the longest track on the album, clocking in at over six minutes. The radio version, however, is about two minutes shorter.
13. The movie theater seen in the beginning of the video was also seen in director John Landis' "The Kentucky Fried Movie." The posters seen in the theater are for the movie "Schlock," also directed by Landis.
14. Jackson's disclaimer at the beginning of the video, in which he discounts any belief in the occult, was prompted by his status as a Jehovah's Witness at the time.
15. The 1988 movie "Return of the Living Dead Part II" features a zombie dressed as Michael Jackson.
16. Forrest J. Ackerman, creator of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, can be seen sitting behind Jackson in the theater at the beginning of the video.
17. The video that popularized Jackson's "Moonwalk," 1983's "Billie Jean," was directed by Steve Barron, but it may not be the clip he's best known for. That would be the live-action comic book treatment he gave to A-ha's "Take on Me."
18. The song "Thriller" was originally titled "Starlight."
19. Producer Quincy Jones wanted "Billie Jean" to be titled "Not My Lover," so people wouldn't think the song was about Billie Jean King.
20. During the "Thriller" era, Jackson's plastic surgery became noticeable. His face changed from the time the photo was taken for the album cover to the filming of the "Thriller" video.
21. Real gang members were brought it to be extras in the "Beat It" video.
22. Although "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' " was one of the biggest singles off "Thriller," no video was ever made for the song.
23. The man who wrote the song "Thriller," Rod Temperton, also wrote songs for Boyz II Men, Herbie Hancock, Karen Carpenter and Michael McDonald.
24. The "Thriller" album has sold more than 104 million copies.
25. At the height of the song's popularity, MTV would run the 14-minute "Thriller" video twice an hour. |
The Canadian Press
KERRVILLE, Texas - A newborn calf in Texas has strikingly similar black-and-white facial markings to KISS frontman Gene Simmons, and the rock star likes their shared look.
Simmons' onstage persona includes face paint, black leather clothing and wild hair. He tweeted his admiration for the calf named Genie, saying, "This is real, folks!!!"
The female calf was born Friday at a ranch near Kerrville, 60 miles (96 kilometres) northwest of San Antonio.
Heather Taccetta (tuh-SET'-uh), who lives at the ranch with her family, said Tuesday that the calf belongs to her grandmother. The animal is named for Simmons.
Taccetta found the calf in a pasture. She says the 75-pound (34 kilogram) farm animal and its mother are fine.
Taccetta also says Genie is a family favourite and won't be sold for slaughter. |
edit on 3/10/2013 by Klassified because: redaction
edit on 3/10/2013 by Klassified because: grammar
Aaaah yes. I remember the good old days of thinking I had the truth, and if everyone on earth believed as my bible told them to, it would be a paradise.Oh wait...that doesn't work does it? There are billions of Christians. The Catholics and Protestants have been fighting over who's right for how many centuries? There are how many sects of Christianity? 40,000? And every sect is the one that's right? So even you folks can't really agree on what your bible says you should believe and do. You even tell each other you're going to hell if you don't believe it my way.How about the Muslims? Surely they've got it all worked out. Nope. They can't agree either. Seems it's all open to interpretation for them too.The Hindu's? Nah. They have their own set of problems. And they're as divided as any other.As atheists. We can agree on one thing. We lack the belief in a God. All else is individual belief and preference. And you aren't going to atheist hell if you lack a belief in God different than the way I lack a belief in God.As to your jokes. Some atheists may believe the way you generalize all of us, and slap a label on us. But atheists are as diverse in their beliefs as anyone. The difference is, it isn't a problem for us. I'm ok if Jigger or Phoenix has a different belief than I do about our origins. |
Call it a lucrative finale to a looney first quarter.
The Dow surged more than 1,200 points to new 2016 highs in March, capping off a remarkable rebound from what was the worst start to a year -- ever.
Virtually everyone capitalized on the comeback, with over 92% of investors making money in March, according to data shared exclusively with CNNMoney by investment performance tracking app Openfolio. It was the polar opposite of January when 93% of Openfolio users suffered losses.
The burst of buying on Wall Street was fueled by a spike in oil prices, fading recession fears and soothing words from the Federal Reserve on rate hikes.
"The end-of-the-world scenario that people were fearing has eased," said Scott Wren, senior global equity strategist at the Wells Fargo Investment Institute. "This was a fear-based, not fundamental-based, selloff."
But since mid-February, the focus has shifted away from fear and back on U.S. fundamentals, which are relatively less fever inducing. The economy may not be going gangbusters, but it's also not collapsing as some suggested.
"Recessionary fears were overdone," said David Lafferty, chief market strategist at Natixis Global Asset Management. "The fundamentals of the global economy haven't deterioriated. We remain in a low but positive real growth environment."
That more sober outlook has driven cash back into stocks. The average Openfolio investor made nearly 6% in March. Those gains nearly wiped out the losses inflicted earlier this year. The average Openfolio user ended the first quarter with a loss of 0.8%.
Related: Stocks soar to highest level of 2016
While the first quarter is ending on a happier note, market mayhem took investors on a rollercoaster ride that was downright scary at times.
The turmoil centered on fears that China's economy was rapidly slowing down and the unknown repercussions of cheap oil.
Just four trading days into 2016, the Dow was down an incredible 911 points, or more than 5%. That was the worst four-day percentage loss to start a year on records that go back to 1897.
Things got so bad that the Nasdaq nearly tumbled into a bear market for the first time since the Great Recession. At one point, the Dow was down a stunning 1,974 points on the year. And CNNMoney's Fear & Greed Index was flashing "extreme fear." The VIX volatility gauge got to the highest level since August when the Dow plummeted 1,000 points.
Investors got downright obsessed with the crash in oil prices and the negative side effects on jobs, emerging markets and the health of banks. The global stock market sank into a bear market on February 11 as oil plummeted to $26.05 a barrel -- the lowest level since 2003.
Related: Is the stock market too hot?
That proved to be a turning point. Oil not only stopped crashing, it started racing higher amid hopes that Saudi Arabia, Russia would "freeze" production to ease the epic supply glut. The oil rally from $26 a barrel to $40 lifted shares of energy companies like Chesapeake Energy (CHK), boosted banks like Wells Fargo (WFC) and fueled a rally in emerging markets like Brazil.
The Fed also put investors in a better mood by abandoning plans to raise rates four times this year. Investors feared aggressive rate increases would only add to the turmoil -- and now Fed chief Janet Yellen seems to agree.
But where do stocks go from here? Many observers believe the markets look "overbought" after their epic rally. Solid earnings growth will be needed to support the recent rally.
And investors shouldn't expect the calmer waters to last forever. If the first quarter taught people anything, it's that volatility can emerge very quickly, seemingly out of nowhere.
"We may run into some further turbulence in the days, weeks and months ahead. That turbulence is likely to bring a downshift in pricing with it," Peter Kenny, an independent market strategist, wrote in a recent note. |
The pontiff meets with five survivors and is ‘profoundly sorry’ but advocates say pledge is not enough after years of ‘crimes and sins’
Pope Francis has met victims of Catholic church sex abuse and vowed that those responsible will face justice, providing a sombre start to the last day of his visit to the United States.
Pope Francis’s words on clergy sex abuse ring hollow for some survivors Read more
The pontiff met five victims, now adults, in a private meeting on Sunday morning before starting public engagements in Philadelphia, which was gearing up for a huge, farewell mass.
“I hold the stories and the suffering and the sorry of children who were sexually abused by priests deep in my heart,” Francis said, speaking to a gathering of priests and bishops at St Charles Borromeo seminary.
“I remain overwhelmed with shame that men entrusted with the tender care of children violated these little ones and caused grievous harm. I am profoundly sorry. God weeps.”
Speaking Spanish in unscripted remarks made before a formal address, he continued: “The crimes and sins of the sexual abuse of children must no longer be held in secret. I pledge the zealous vigilance of the church to protect children and the promise of accountability for all.”
Abuse survivors have become true heralds of hope and ministers of mercy, said Francis. “We humbly owe each one of you and your families our gratitude for your immense courage to shine the light of Christ on the evil of the sexual abuse of children.”
Pilgrims gathering in Philadelphia, which is ringed by huge security, watched on Jumbotron screens under cool, autumn skies. Up to one million people attended the afternoon mass before the pope’s chartered Alitalia plane, informally known as Shepherd One, was due to return him to Rome.
Francis has already issued an apology for the Catholic church’s inadequate response to the crisis, but meeting them in the US is significant because it represents the first time the Argentinian pontiff has met with victims outside of Rome, where he has done so once before. As archbishop of Buenos Aires, then Jorge Bergoglio was sometimes criticized for not being as attentive to the unfolding sex abuse storm as lawyers and victim advocates wanted him to be.
Pope Francis speaks to inmates at Philadelphia correctional facility - live Read more
Fr Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See press office, said in a statement the victims had been abused by the clergy or by members of their families or their teachers. “The group consisted of five adults – three women, two men – who have suffered abuse when they were minors. Each person was accompanied by a family member or support person.”
The pope spoke with them, listened to their stories as a group, and later with each one individually.
“He then prayed with them and expressed his solidarity in sharing their suffering, as well as his own pain and shame especially in the case of injury caused them by clergy or church workers,” said Lombardi. The pope reiterated the church’s commitment to hear all victims and deliver justice – that “the guilty be punished and crimes of abuse be combated with an effective prevention program in the church and in society”, said the spokesman.
“The pope thanked the victims for their essential contribution to restore the truth and begin the journey of healing. The meeting lasted about half an hour and ended with the blessing of the Holy Father.”
The group was accompanied by Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley, archbishop of Boston and chair of a commission set up by the pope to protect minors. Charles Chaput, the archbishop of Philadelphia, and bishop Fitzgerald, head of the Philadelphia diocese’s office for the protection of minors, also attended.
Pope Francis: US bishops show 'courage' over Catholic church sex abuse crisis Read more
The meeting had not been published on Francis’s itinerary but had been widely expected during his first US visit since the legacy of sex abuse and cover-ups continues to haunt the church – and victims.
The issue has hovered over an otherwise triumphant visit that has taken in the White House, Congress, the United Nations and Madison Square Garden.
Francis struggled to balance a desire to raise the spirits of clergy drained by decades of revelations, lawsuits and criticism with the pain of victims, many of whom feel they never received justice.
In Washington, he commended the “courage” of bishops gathered at the Cathedral of St Matthew the Apostle. “I realize how much the pain of recent years has weighed upon you and I have supported your generous commitment to bring healing to victims – in the knowledge that in healing we, too, are healed – and to work to ensure that such crimes will never be repeated.”
He struck a similar tone in New York, telling clerics that many had had to “bear the shame of some of your brothers who harmed and scandalized the church”.
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (Snap), an advocacy group, accused Francis of rubbing salt in wounds. “An innovator in other ways, this pope is a throwback on sexual violence. He talks and acts like the church hierarchy is the real victim in this crisis.”
In advance of Sunday’s meeting with victims, the group said such an encounter would not suffice. |
One of the individuals who first brought the Internet to Australia, Geoff Huston, has unloaded on the federal government's chaotic attempt to introduce its data retention regime.
Now chief scientist at APNIC, Huston has written in his Potaroo blog that one of the key assumptions behind the data retention regime, a stable mapping of IP addresses to endpoints, is pretty much obsolete in a world of exhausted IPv4 addresses.
“We are trying as hard as we can to retain the role of Global Village Idiot,” Huston writes, because in spite of repeated assertions that Web browsing history won't be retained, that's the near-certain outcome of data retention.
He wrote: “the Australian Data Retention Laws say something has to be stored, and the bureaucrats running the Attorney General's Office of Data Retention say something has to be stored, and the industry players are trying to understand what exactly should be stored, because in shared address-based networks there is nothing around that meets the intended requirements of this law.”
The problem Huston believes will lead to storage far beyond the mandate of the law is that (apart from the relatively small number of people who shell out for a fixed IP address) the account-to-IP mapping is recorded in only one place: the carrier-grade NAT's logs.
“Every transaction generates a new NAT binding, and that NAT binding generates a log entry. So every DNS query, every part of every web page, every individual email collected by your device - in short, each and every individual network transaction - will generate a CGN log entry. This is no less than your entire Web browsing history, your DNS query history, and the history of everything else you are doing on the net.”
The reason, he suspects, is simple cluelessness: nobody in parliament nor among the various departmental heads that demanded data retention understands how the networks operate: "They just don’t get it", he states.
At least such a large data trove will be unlikely to fit on a USB key. ® |
Amazon is preparing to start its Fresh grocery delivery business in New York City as early as next month, according to two people who have been briefed on the plans, as the online retailer takes more aggressive steps toward making its same-day delivery service national.
The company has been building up its food inventory in a warehouse in Avenel, N.J., with the goal of launching its grocery delivery business in New York City as early as October, one of these people said. The warehouse is located about 20 to 25 miles from Manhattan, in a part of New Jersey near Staten Island, New York.
Re/code previously reported that Amazon was prepping this facility for grocery delivery, but it wasn’t clear at the time whether it would be used to launch the delivery business in New York City or New Jersey.
Amazon may eventually launch its grocery delivery business in Philadelphia as well, using food stored in the Avenel facility, this person said. Rumors of launches in other east coast and midwestern cities have intensified in recent months in grocery industry circles.
Amazon Fresh currently delivers fresh and frozen foods to customers in Seattle, and in and around several major California cities, like San Francisco, Los Angeles and San Diego. Customers who place orders before a certain cut-off time in the morning receive their grocery deliveries that same day. Customers who place orders later receive their goods the following morning. Amazon makes new Fresh customers sign up for a $299-a-year Prime Fresh account, which includes same-day or next-day delivery of groceries along with a growing catalogue of other non-grocery products such as electronics and books.
In New York City, Amazon will be competing against FreshDirect, a 15-year-old business that is said to do around $400 million to $500 million in annual sales, according to multiple grocery industry executives. It will also be going up against Google’s new Shopping Express business as well as the startup Instacart, backed with $55 million in venture capital, whose delivery people ferry groceries from physical stores such as Whole Foods and Costco to customer homes. A company called MyWebGrocer also helps some brick-and-mortar grocers set up their own delivery business.
For Amazon, the $600 billion grocery industry remains one of the giant opportunities it has not yet cracked. A wave of young grocery delivery companies crashed and burned during the dot-com bust, but the popularity of mobile apps and the rise of Uber-like workforces have reignited interest in the business idea. Amazon, for its part, is taking a relatively old-school approach, buying up groceries in bulk and storing them in warehouses around the country. It recently began partnering with the U.S. Postal Service to help deliver its groceries.
While the grocery business can be characterized by low margins, Amazon sees it as a way to dramatically increase order frequency among its best customers, which will allow it to make same-day delivery of higher-priced, higher-margin goods more affordable.
An Amazon spokeswoman declined to comment. |
New Delhi: Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan joined Left parties in paying rich tributes to Cuban revolutionary icon Fidel Castro, saying the departed leader was a great friend of the Indian communist movement and India.
Quoting one of Castro's famous statements, Pinarayi said, "Adieu Comrade Fidel! You will continue to inspire."
'A revolution is a struggle to the death between the future and the past'. Adieu Comrade Fidel! You will continue to inspire. pic.twitter.com/S7RXeB8ixZ — CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) November 26, 2016
Marxist veteran and former chief minister V.S. Achuthanandan said Castro's death was a "great loss" to humanity in these days as imperialist forces were spreading its roots globally.
Describing Castro as a source of "inspiration," CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said he steered Cuba from a very backward country to what it is today.
Adios Fidel Castro: The bearded revolutionary who outlasted nine US presidents
"He steered Cuba from a very backward country to what it is today. It has got the world's highest rate of literacy, development in medical sciences where even the US sends doctors for training there. And he remained and remains a big revolutionary and source of inspiration," he said.
"End of an era. But revolutionaries like Fidel Castro live forever," he said in a tweet.
In a statement, the CPI said "Fidel Castro played a historic role in building the modern socialist Cuba, which is free from illiteracy, hunger and illness. Castro was great Marxist thinker and a legendary revolutionary fighter".
"He was great friend of Indian communist movement and India. He played remarkable role in the non-aligned movement giving it a new orientation," the party said.
Expressing "deep sorrow" over the demise of the former Cuban president, the CPI said, "his demise is not just a loss for Cuba but for the whole world and for all revolutionary."
Castro, who led a rebel army to improbable victory in Cuba, embraced Soviet-style communism and defied the power of 10 US presidents during his half century rule, died in Havana on Friday night.
(With agency inputs) |
Award-winning videographer Sean Malone had a raygun belt buckle confiscated recently by the good folks at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). You know, because all of the 9/11 hijackers were packing rayguns or something.
Malone emails that the pinch happened at LAX:
Same thing almost happened at DCA on my way out to Los Angeles on Sunday, but I argued with them until I got a high enough level supervisor to get it back.
Didn't have time this morning to fight it because I was already late for boarding when it started.
They called it a "replica" of a weapon....
PS. Here is what I wrote on FB Sunday when they tried to take it at DCA:
Now that I'm in a restaurant in Philly, I have time to share more of the stupidity. First, they did a bag check, which happens to me every time I fly anyway, so who cares. When I walked over, the guy said, "Yeah, there's something in there that's kind of shaped like a gun," to which I replied, "Yeah. It's a belt buckle."...
He pulled it out of the bag and looked at it. Yep. Belt buckle. He didn't seem like an idiot, but he called his supervisor over, who instantly made it clear to me that she was one of those petty authoritarian, logic-impaired idiots you often come to expect in positions of middling power in law enforcement. Her word was law... Even when, you know, it wasn't actually law. She said, "Listen, you can either go back out of security and put this in your check luggage (which I don't have), or we'll confiscate it."
But this is honestly my favorite belt buckle, and I'm me, so - realizing I was speaking with a woman with the brainpower of a block of Parmesan cheese - I looked at her and said, "You understand that this is a belt buckle, right? It is not a danger to the safety of anyone nor is it against the law to carry. I have also traveled with this belt buckle all over the country and it's never been a problem. So please explain to me how exactly you would justify taking it."
Her response was to suggest a hypothetical scenario. "What if", she postulated, "you take this object out of your bag and point it - like a gun - at a police officer? He would have no choice to assume that it was a gun, and take action against you."
Now... Let's leave aside for a second that the entire premise behind this argument is that police officers are too dumb and hopped up on their own power that they can't recognize a dangerous weapon from a belt buckle in the shape of a 1950's toy ray gun. I'm glad she recognized this reality, but I don't think she really processed what it says about law enforcement in America. But leaving that aside... Why in the hell would I ever take my belt buckle and point it at a police officer?
To this, she had no answer.
She also had no answer to the point that even if I did that, it would represent a danger to me and not, say... an airplane full of people.
At this point, she got red in the face and loudly declared that she wasn't going to argue with me or "have a debate about this". "You have two options. That's it," she said. So I asked to speak with *HER* supervisor. Fine. She took the belt buckle and walked it over to some other guy far out of earshot and talked to him for a bit while someone else came over and talked to me. Also seemed like a fairly reasonable guy.
Eventually the woman came back, curtly handed me the buckle and said, "Here you go. Have a good flight, sir."
-- I was super late at LAX and I basically got to stage two where mid level supervisor said I couldn't take it on the plane and didn't have enough time to argue up the chain of command.
The agent at LAX said that it's policy to reject all replica weapons.
I pointed out that even if it was a "replica", which is dubious, it would be a replica of a fictional weapon used by Flash Gordon... Which, you know, makes confiscation of the belt buckle even MORE insane than it already was. |
FORMER Queensland army reservist Ash Johnston has become the first Western fighter to be killed by Islamic State while fighting with Kurdish forces, after leaving the comforts of Canberra to help efforts to eradicate the terror group in Iraq.
Mr Johnston, 28, had spent seven years in the Army reserve but had only experienced peacekeeping missions prior to joining the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) in fighting the Islamic State, adopting the name Heval Bagok Sherhad.
The Defence Department confirmed the former reservist is believed to be dead.
Read Next
“Defence is aware that a former Australian Army Reserve member is believed to have been killed in northern Iraq while allegedly fighting with Peshmerga forces against Daesh (Islamic State),” Defence said in a statement.
“Due to the provisions of the Privacy Act, Defence will not release further information about the former member’s military service or their personal details.”
Mr Johnston was killed after his squad’s truck was attacked after it broke down near the Sinjar Mountains, where Kurdish fighters have been trying to expel Islamic State after it took thousands of Yazidi women and children as slaves.
He had maintained contact with friends and relatives overseas, and had been learning to speak Kurdish both online and in person.
The Australian understands he grew up in Maryborough, Queensland, but had more recently been living in Canberra, where some of his family remain.
A Kurdish spokesman is set to speak about Mr Johnston’s death later today.
A recruitment page for potential foreign fighters on Facebook – The Lions of Rojava – has detailed the circumstances of the death.
“We the YPG regretfully inform you of the death of one of our bravest western fighters Heval Bagok Serhed,” a statement published on The Lions of Rojava page says. “He is the first western fighter to be martyred fighting the evil of isis. Rest in Peace our Brother
“Throughout his time in Kurdistan he had a positive impact on my peoples lives though his humility and kindness to everyone he met. He was taken from us in a heroic assault on ISIS positions in a small village near Shingal (Sinjar).
“His squad of 8 fighters where in a truck which had broken down and it was critical that they dislodge ISIS form their positions so they pushed on fearlessly with little regard for the own safety.
“They where (sic) massively outnumbered and outgunned but fearless in the face of this as they knew another ISIS death meant saving the lives of countless civilians. He was a fearless and exceptional soldier as well a great man.”
A fellow Western YPG fighter, New York man Robert Rose, said he was heartbroken over his Australian friend’s death.
“RIP to my heval (friend) Ash,” Mr Rose posted. “He was the first 1 when I got in country to teach the basics of my Ak 47 how to strip it assemble it and how to zero it, he was a great guy this really hurts I really feel bad for his family and friends.”
A post, said to have been written by the Australian in January, has also been published on the Lions of Rojava page in which he describes being in the army.
“I spent 7 years in my country’s Army reserve (Rifleman and section level combat medic), I only deployed on peacekeeping operations and though I enjoyed my time in the Army it was mostly pretty uneventful,” the post says.
“I am writing this because in my short time here so far I am absolutely disgusted by the amount of westeners that feel the need to either inflate or completely bullshit their resumé.
“There are a good number of people here with actual military experience from all over the globe that CAN AND WILL immediately spot you as a fake.” |
A globster or blob is an unidentified organic mass that washes up on the shoreline of an ocean or other body of water. A globster is distinguished from a normal beached carcass by being hard to identify, at least by initial untrained observers, and by creating controversy as to its identity.
History [ edit ]
The term "globster" was coined by Ivan T. Sanderson in 1962[1] to describe the Tasmanian carcass of 1960, which was said to have "no visible eyes, no defined head, and no apparent bone structure." Other sources simply use the term "blob".
Globsters may present such a puzzling appearance that their nature remains controversial even after being officially identified by scientists. Some globsters lack bones or other recognisable structures, while others may have bones, tentacles, flippers, eyes, or other features that can help narrow down the possible species. In the past, these were often described as sea monsters, and myths and legends about such monsters may often have started with the appearance of a globster.[citation needed]
Many globsters have initially been described as gigantic octopuses, though they later turned out to be decayed carcasses of whales or large sharks. As with the "Chilean Blob" of 2003, many are masses of whale blubber released from decaying whale corpses. Others initially thought to be dead plesiosaurs later turned out to be the decayed carcases of basking sharks. Others remain unexplained. Giant and colossal squid may also explain some globsters, particularly those tentatively identified as monster octopuses.[citation needed]
Some globsters were examined only after they had decomposed too much and seemed to represent evidence of a new species, or were destroyed—as happened with the "Cadborosaurus willsi" carcass, found in 1937.[2] However, Canadian scientists did analyse the DNA of the Newfoundland Blob—which revealed that the tissue was from a sperm whale. In their resulting paper, the authors point out a number of superficial similarities between the Newfoundland Blob and other globsters, concluding a similar origin for those globsters is likely.[3] Analyses of other globsters have yielded similar results.[4][5]
Notable globsters [ edit ]
The following is a chronological list of carcasses that have been described as globsters or blobs in the literature.[1][6][7]
See also [ edit ]
References [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ] |
Sega Master System: Pro Wrestling Review.
Made in 1986 and remembered by no one but me, Pro Wrestling was one of my very few Sega Master System games. (If you’ll recall from this review, our Master System actually belonged to my father. He rarely played it, but it was still technically his.)
I wouldn’t have normally spent one of my IOUs on a game for a system that wasn’t mine, but I just couldn’t resist this one. Or maybe the store just didn’t have any good Nintendo games in stock that day. I don’t know, it was a hundred years ago.
At first, I was disappointed. The game paled in comparison to Nintendo’s Pro Wrestling, and if it’s possible for something to be frustratingly easy, this was it. None of that kept me from playing it hundreds of times, though. Perhaps repetition really is key, because I came out of those experiences wholly convinced that this was a great game.
Pro Wrestling has a two-player “versus” mode, but I almost never played the Master System with my buddies. No, for me, this was always a solo journey – a struggle to stay awake for thirty matches that never once threw me a curve.
Below is a breakdown of one-player game, from start to finish. By the end of it, you may agree that it was a little too thorough. My bad.
The first order of business, henceforth FOOB, is to choose your team. (There are only tag team matches in Pro Wrestling.) Who you choose is mostly a matter of visual preference, but each wrestler does have special moves.
I went with the Mad Soldiers, who, according to the manual, are named Muscle Soldier and Iron Soldier. Clearly inspired by the Road Warriors, this was as close as the game got to a real life wrestler reference.
I chose them for two important reasons. One, Muscle Soldier’s “lariat” is the best move in the game, utterly cheap and always effective. It’s Super Smash Pikachu lightning, in spirit if not appearance. In most matches, I just nail a lariat on my opponent five times in a row, pin him and move on. If I don’t do that, it’s only because I’m bored of doing that. The lariat is a foolproof victory, every time.
And the other reason is this:
Only two teams can use the steel chair, and Mad Soldiers is one of them. “Are” one of them? I don’t know. Word’s grammar checks can only mask my stupidity for so long. When I say that the bottom tastes like oak, you can be assured that it is true.
The chair sporadically appears outside the ring, and though it can be extremely hard to hit anyone with it (since the defense is to simply walk in the other direction for the five seconds the chair gets before black magic blinks it out of existence), who can resist? Plus, I’m not going back to check, but I’m pretty sure I remember special music playing whenever I grabbed that chair.
To balance things out, the teams that can’t use the chair are afforded high risk maneuvers from the top turnbuckle. Those never seem to connect, either. Basically, if you’re playing Pro Wrestling, just keep kicking until you win.
Now that I’ve chosen my team, it’s finally time to wrestle. My first goal is to beat the stupid Crush Brothers ten freakin’ times.
The Crush Brothers (Elder and Younger Crusher) may be the least compelling of the teams, but they do have some of the best moves. Unfortunately for them, they won’t have a chance to use them. My Mad Soldiers are unstoppable; to them pain is as phony as that “Area 51 Alien Interview” video. The one where the shadowy guy kept saying “terminated.”
At root, the matches are all about the punches and kicks. You can’t set up the bigger moves until you punch and kick your opponent to the mat.
You can win matches just by kicking, but some of the big moves are irresistible. Even in 1986, I was impressed with the selection. Only counting the Crush Brothers’ moves, there’s everything from sentons to brain busters to German suplex holds. Each of the game’s eight wrestlers have four special moves, and there’s very little overlap.
See Elder Crusher, hanging out on the ring apron? The drop kick is all his.
I made short work of the Crush Brothers, needing only a few minutes to beat them ten times. This was made easier by the fact that you can often pin your opponent even if his energy bar is nearly full. (If you ever play this game, try it. Knock down Elder Crusher just once, and go for the pin. At least five times out of ten, you’ll win.)
My reward for this tedious exercise was the Mexican tag team championship, including title belts and a trophy shaped like a short-haired naked lady. Fine.
After that, you fly to Hawaii and fight for the Pacific league championship.
This time, my Mad Soldiers were pitted against the Orient Express. That’s Dragonfly on the left, and Giant Bull on the right. I took no mercy on him, but Giant Bull is one of my favorite characters in the game. He’s vaguely reminiscent of Andre the Giant, or maybe he isn’t. Is the fact that each has “giant” in his name enough?
Conversely, they don’t come more boring than Dragonfly. Even his “rolling sobat” couldn’t save him, and that sounds like a dessert!
🙁
I am. So sorry.
After killing the Orient Express, my Mad Soldiers became the Pacific tag team champions. That time, the belts were a little more ornate, and the trophy came with a gold bird on top. Awesome.
But it ain’t over yet…
For the final matches, the Mad Soldiers traveled to New York, and were surprised to find it under attack by a giant rogue wave. This is what happens when you have to beat the Orient Express in ten matches, for however long that takes. You miss stuff.
Hey, wait a sec. Why am I fighting the Crush Brothers again? There are four teams, so wouldn’t it make sense for me to fight each of the other teams once?
Actually, they did that intentionally. Certain teams can NEVER fight each another. The Crush Brothers can’t fight Orient Express, and the Mad Soldiers can’t fight the Great Maskmen.
…which is a shame. Those Maskmen are great. The guy in the ring is named Green Mask, and that’s Stone Mask waiting in the corner. I assume they called him “Stone Mask” because “Pink Mask” didn’t sound dangerous enough. Of course, now Green Mask feels shortchanged, believing that he too should named after something heavy and blunt. Wrestling politics.
The Crush Brothers were no tougher on the second go, and soon enough, my Mad Soldiers were the WORLD tag team champions!
The last trophy looked to be around twelve feet tall, and topped with one of those Meneki-neko cats you see on the counters at Japanese restaurants. It was very hard for the Mad Soldiers to fly it home.
The game then cuts to this boring “GAME OVER” screen, robbing us of a proper ending. It would’ve been nice to at least see the Mad Soldiers flexing over a pile of money, maybe with all of the fallen grapplers crying in the background. And let’s bring back that rogue wave, too.
It’s not an exciting game, but you know, as I was grabbing the images for this review, I found myself playing it for a lot longer than I needed to. It’s more fun than it looks, especially because you can’t hear the awesome music.
Did I mention that Giant Bull can jump at his opponents stomach-first from the top rope? That visual alone makes Pro Wrestling something you should find.
This review ran shorter than I was anticipating. So uh, here’s a look at the crowd, zoomed to the extreme:
Did you get your money’s worth now? |
A meeting of bitcoin startup executives and miners held this weekend has resulted in the publication of a new proposal for how the open-source project should be upgraded to support additional transaction capacity.
Detailed in a Medium post published by investment firm Digital Currency Group today, the proposal was billed as an agreement that would make two changes toward this stated goal. The proposal was signed by more than 50 companies, and claims to have support from 83% of the network’s miners – businesses that operate computers that secure the blockchain and add new transactions to it.
First, it lowered the barrier for the activation of Segregated Witness, the long-stalled proposal put forward by Bitcoin Core developers in December 2015, to 80% of the network’s mining power. Second, it stated that the undersigned businesses would agree to activate software that would upgrade bitcoin’s block size to 2MB via a process known as a hard fork.
DCG further called on companies, miners, users and developers to join the proposal via a dedicated web form that was provided in the post.
The company wrote:
“We are also committed to the research and development of technical mechanisms to improve signaling in the bitcoin community, as well as to put in place communication tools, in order to more closely coordinate with ecosystem participants in the design, integration, and deployment of safe solutions that increase bitcoin capacity.”
Abra, Bitclub Network, Bitcoin.com, BitFury, Bitmain, BitPay, Blockchain, Bloq, Circle, RSK Labs and Xapo are said to be providing technical and engineering support to prepare for the upgrades, though their commitment was not further detailed.
Notable, however, is the absence of developers making up the open-source development community Bitcoin Core. Blockstream, a company that funds two such developers, opted not to attend the meeting when it was announced in March, with Blockstream CEO Adam Back formally declining to participate on behalf of the startup.
According to those involved, the proposal will use an idea put forth by RSK Labs developer Sergio Demian Lerner in early April, though it’s notable that several developers rejected the proposal in following emails. (The idea has been floated many times before as well.)
Speaking to CoinDesk, Lerner affirmed that the startup would play a role in the process, though he said he “probably won’t write” the code that is eventually used.
“Our agreement is to audit that code,” he said.
No code was released in the announcement, and others were less clear about what technology would underlie the move.
According to those involved, the process by which the measure would be approved involves miners augmenting coinbase transactions in new bitcoin blocks to signal their support, as soft forks are usually deployed. By signaling on “bit”, miners would be voicing their approval for a process by which SegWit would be activated at the time of a network fork.
“SegWit can activate immediately and the same bit will say in the future, at X date, a 2 MB hardfork happens, signaling two events with one bit,” said Jeff Garzik, founder of bitcoin startup and proposal signatory Bloq.
What’s different this time?
One of the more complex questions that resulted from the publication centers around just what it means exactly – and if it will really impact bitcoin’s technical direction.
Garzik put forth the strongest argument that it marks a significant departure from past proposals, namely because it finds new businesses funding technical efforts that will benefit the non-proprietary code.
“I think a mistake that every business has made is that they free-rode on Core,” Garzik said.
Others remarked similarly that the commitment might be real this time. Marshall Long, one of the leaders behind Bitcoin Classic, an early 2016 effort to increase bitcoin’s block size, argued that the “field of communication” is improved over previous efforts.
In particular, he referenced a 2016 agreement between a subset of miners and developers, colloquially termed “The Hong Kong Agreement”, which originally committed to a timetable that would see both the activation of the SegWit code upgrade and the development of a 2MB hard fork. Ultimately, both timelines were missed.
“We’ve seen this before, so it has a less likely chance of turning out the same way. The recent history, the Hong Kong agreement is so fresh, something will happen good or bad,” Long told CoinDesk.
Still, Blockstream CSO Samson Mow, whose firm did not sign the proposal, noted that, like with other fork proposals, there is disagreement that it represents a significant enough majority to impact the network’s direction.
“The technical community and a big swath of users have already said that a hard fork is not needed now,” Mow said, adding:
“This proposal is just going back and rehashing things that have already been discussed at length.”
Chaincode developer Matt Corallo had a similar view.
“I’m somewhat disappointed that all of the feedback given by folks who’ve worked on the bitcoin protocol was completely ignored,” he said in the DCG chat group. “[I] suggest much more technically realistic ways to accomplish the same goal.”
Who gets what?
Others commented on the somewhat messy sociology behind the positioning, given that bitcoin users have been so firmly entrenched along partisan lines – with those supporting so-called “off-chain scaling” solutions on one, and those backing “on-chain scaling” solutions that would increase the hard-coded block size on the other.
For example, Bloq economist Paul Storzc, whose startup is supporting the proposal, noted that he wasn’t sure exactly what the compromise was.
“People wanted SegWit on the small block side, but the small block side thought the big block side would also like it because it’s getting larger blocks, so it was unclear there would be any sentiment against it,” he explained.
Still, he noted that the activation of SegWit as part of the deal would be unlikely to win over Bitcoin Core developers. “It isn’t a huge concession to the small blockers to activate SegWit. It was only being withheld to annoy them anyway in the first place,” he remarked.
Bitcoin miner Chandler Guo noted his belief that, if anything, the compromise is perhaps more out of necessity given frustration over the stagnation of the technology’s development, and that in the end, there are perhaps no winners.
In a roundabout analogy, he compared the deal to a “beautiful girl” who would finally need to marry an “ugly man” due to indecision.
“The beautiful girl was waiting and waiting, and they have to marry someone, it doesn’t matter who. The beautiful girl has to finally marry someone,” he said.
Will the network fork?
Perhaps the most contentious part of the agreement is the commitment to a bitcoin hard fork within a certain timeframe.
Yifu Guo, the founder of bitcoin mining firm Avalon (now Canaan), professed to skepticism that the timeline would be held. “I’ll believe it when I see it,” he said. “It’s too fast, they don’t have enough adoption.”
Even with the agreement, Guo said, there are technical limitations to how fast such a solution could be tested. Asked if he thought it would be a success, he said: “I don’t believe that.”
Others were also concerned about the six-month timeline as those backing the proposal would have to develop code, ensure that it has widespread agreement, and deploy it all before the deadline.
“I don’t think it’s very realistic. Six months is not long enough. Let’s put it like that,” said bitcoin enthusiast Stefan Jespers, who goes by the moniker ‘WhalePanda’. He mentioned that it took developers six months to develop SegWit, and that it takes a long time for nodes to upgrade, offering recent bitcoin client versions as examples.
“You know the expression ‘honey badger doesn’t care’ in bitcoin?” said Jespers. “People are going to oppose it, because it seems like they’re being forced into it. Even if 80% of the miners support it, then what do the other 20% want to do?”
He added that he feels many developers and users don’t support a block size parameter increase, and that their voices were excluded from the agreement.
Action at any cost?
The fact that a range of scaling proposals have been put forth over the last year, with none ultimately reaching full agreement from the bitcoin community, meant there was also a notable skepticism of the proposal.
Still, some argue that it’s at least a path forward.
ShapeShift CEO and co-founder Erik Voorhees, one of the companies that signed the agreement, told CoinDesk:
“I’m almost of the opinion that I don’t care what path is chosen for bitcoin. I just want something to happen. Bitcoin’s been in this deadlock for two years. I’m a supporter of SegWit. I’m a supporter of a hard fork to a larger block size.”
There were also strong enthusiasts of the measure due to the perception that fees on the network are escalating with the bitcoin blockchain’s increasing use. Here, a variety of perspectives diverged, most of them stemming from disagreements on how economic costs of the network should function and who should pay those costs.
Garzik, for example, stressed the pain that he believes users are feeling, stating the proposal “actually addresses a problem facing the user community”.
He told CoinDesk:
“[Bitcoin] Core is refusing to do anything in the short term that will actually increase capacity. If you want to talk about price, talk about transaction fee price.”
Are network and startup needs the same?
Elsewhere, comments underscored a key divide in the argument, whether the bitcoin network should even adapt to the needs of startups.
Paul Puey, CEO and co-founder of wallet provider Airbitz, said he is in “full support” of the proposal due to the pain his firm has experienced of late, despite the fact that his startup had not signed the pledge at press time. As a wallet operator, its customers and the company itself have been feeling the strain of the higher transaction fees, and it’s due to an upgrade that they have no control over.
“All of those people who think this is okay, that bitcoin doesn’t support many transactions in volume. I think they’re horribly wrong,” Puey said. “I’m all for pushing forward something at this point.”
Others disagreed, with Blockstream’s Ben Gorlick stating that SegWit offers a clear benefit for transaction capacity.
“What is being used right now is an attempt at a compromise. They’re saying it as an excuse to fork. They’re saying, let’s take this thing that seems certain to everyone and they’re creating a false majority,” he stated.
Will the network fork?
Gorlick’s statements also hinted at another side effect of the proposal – the fact that action without broad agreement could risk splitting the bitcoin network in two.
The ‘contentious hard fork’ aspect, which could result in two chains if not everyone agrees, is partly what’s held back previous proposals so far. Some, such as Mow, think that this outcome could hold up this proposal as well.
Others say that it’s a risk worth taking.
“That is a risk. But the risk of bitcoin stagnating because everyone’s getting fed up with it is also a risk. The latter is becoming a much bigger problem in my opinion,” Voorhees said.
Lightning Network creator Joseph Poon said he isn’t supporting either side, but that from his past participation in negotiations, he believes the proposal puts the network on a path to a split that could result in two bitcoin blockchains.
Poon told CoinDesk:
“It looks like the way both sides are communicating, a fork is going to be inevitable. The real fight is going to be who gets to be called ‘bitcoin’.”
And, what will happen if it does? In a Consensus 2017 panel yesterday, BitPay CEO Stephen Pair said that as he thinks that the market should decide which blockchain is the one that would be called ‘bitcoin’. He suggested that BitPay will ultimately choose to support both bitcoins for a time, even if he thinks one will ultimately win out.
In remarks, Digital Currency Group CEO Barry Silbert acknowledged that different users of the bitcoin network could go separate ways as a result of the deal, though he stated his belief that this outcome was increasingly likely before the meeting and proposal.
Can two chains survive?
Others said that the economics of the network won’t support such an outcome.
“There will be two bitcoins with two market prices, they will sum up to what they have before,” Storzc said. “One will be worth more than the other, and the one that is smaller won’t be enough for miners to run profitably.”
While the ethereum blockchain underwent a split, commentators remarked that the unique design of bitcoin – it takes longer for the difficulty to reset, for example – means that this might not happen the same way.
Even if miners with spare hardware were to support a fork, Peter Rizun, developer for the alternative bitcoin implementation Bitcoin Unlimited, expressed his doubts that two chains could continue.
“The technical problem of keeping the chain alive. Old miners will mine that, but they’ll never find the block,” he said. “I don’t think people realize how long the minority chain will struggle.”
Others continued the familiar refrain that this outcome is unlikely. Economics aside, there may be technical hold-ups to efforts to change bitcoin.
“I think the people [behind the agreement] pushing for the fork are not really the majority so they won’t do it,” said Ferdinando Ametrano, a professor at Politecnico di Milano.
Ametrano told CoinDesk:
“In the end, this might be for the better. Bitcoin might be good as it is right now. Core can’t get SegWit, and startups can’t get 2MB, that just reinforces the idea that bitcoin is really immutable.”
Correction: BitGo was mistakenly included as a signatory. The article has been revised.
Disclosure: CoinDesk is a subsidiary of Digital Currency Group, which has an ownership stake in Abra, BitGo, BitPay, Blockstream, Bloq, Circle, RSK Labs, ShapeShift and Xapo. |
Parents across Canada are paying a wide range of fees for child care, from a low of $152 a month in Quebec to a high of $1,676 for infant care in Toronto.
But the affordability of daycare in Canadian cities also varies by the average incomes of women in the workforce.
A study by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has developed an affordability index for daycare that found Brampton, Ont., a city west of Toronto, is the least affordable and Gatineau, Que., as the most.
The index compares the median costs of fully licensed child-care centres and licensed family child-care to the average income of working mothers.
“This is the reality parents face,” says Kate McInturff, a researcher on the study. “It’s a confirmation of what most parents know from their own experience.”
Quebec’s $7-a-day fixed fee for daycare puts the four Quebec cities in the study at the top of the list for affordability. Daycare fees rise to $7.50 a day in Quebec at the end of the year, but the provincewide program has led to a sharp increase in women’s participation in the workforce.
Daycare and economic security
Gatineau, Que., rises to the top of the affordability ranking because women there tend to have well-paid jobs in the civil service.
Quebec families have improved economic security because of the daycare program, McInturff said.
The study also found that, in general, daycare becomes more affordable and more available as children get older, with infant care (for children under 18 months) much more expensive than care for preschoolers aged three to five.
Toronto has the most expensive child-care costs, at $1,676 a month for infants under 18 months, $1,324 for toddlers and $998 for preschoolers.
Although fees in Brampton are lower than those in Toronto, incomes there are much lower, so that 36 per cent of a woman’s income, or the equivalent of four months of work, goes to daycare fees.
Toronto, London, Ont., Windsor, Ont., and Surrey, B.C., are close behind Brampton in being relatively unaffordable.
The study points to a Statistics Canada finding that 49 per cent of women in Alberta who worked part-time said they opted for part-time work because they couldn’t afford child care.
Subsidies vs. income splitting
“If we want to remove barriers to economic security for women so they have equal access to paid work, what we need is a federal subsidy for child care,” McInturff added.
How much of a woman's income goes to child care? 1. Gatineau, Que.: 4% 11. Vancouver: 29% 2. Laval, Que.: 5% 12. Kitchener, Ont.: 30% 3. Quebec City: 6% 13: Hamilton: 31% 4. Montreal: 6% 14: Mississauga, Ont.: 32% 5: Winnipeg: 15% 15. St. John's: 32% 6. Saskatoon: 23% 16: Windsor, Ont.: 32% 7. Edmonton: 24% 17: Toronto: 34% 8. Ottawa: 26% 18: London, Ont.: 34% 9. Calgary: 26% 19: Surrey, B.C.: 35% 10 Halifax: 28% 20: Brampton, Ont.: 36%
In advocating a federal subsidy, McInturff says she is not endorsing the NDP plan for federal child-care support so that no family pays more than $15 a day. But she says income splitting, the tax incentive being implemented by the Harper government, is a poor alternative to government support for childcare.
“In every other country where they’ve implemented income splitting, we’ve seen women’s participation in the workforce goes down, but men’s doesn’t go up,” she said.
“You get a smaller labour force, which isn’t good for economic growth,” she added.
McInturff pointed out that most Canadian women are working, so parents end up paying the fees because they have no alternative, and people shouldn't believe that a daycare subsidy is going to change their choices.
But despite the high concentration of mothers who work, Canada ranks second last in the OECD in government spending on early childhood education and care. —Parent Trap co-author Martha Friendly
“We’ve got to move past the idea that restructuring child care is going to change choices by parents who don’t need it,” she said.
The study points out that Canada spends less on early childhood education and care than most OECD countries, although a large proportion of Canadian families have both parents in the workplace.
“More than three-quarters of mothers with children under the age of six are part of Canada’s labour force,” said Martha Friendly, co-author of the report, in a news release.
“But despite the high concentration of mothers who work, Canada ranks second last in the OECD in government spending on early childhood education and care,” she said. |
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- A few takeaways from the Denver Broncos' locker room after a 31-17 victory over the New York Jets in MetLife Stadium.
Broncos linebacker Von Miller was put through the concussion protocol after a second-quarter collision with Jets running back Chris Ivory. Miller, however, said he simply had the contact lens in his right eye knocked out on the play. He did not return for the Broncos' next defensive series to close out the first half but played the entire second half after being cleared by the team’s medical staff. “I just knocked out my contact," Miller said. “Just with all the intensity, they just took me to the locker room and had all that stuff checked out. What took so long, I couldn’t put it back in and the guy had never put contacts in; I had to walk him through it. That was it."
The penalty totals were lopsided in the win, as the Broncos tied a season high with 11 penalties for a season-high 101 yards. The Jets were penalized just twice for 9 yards. The Broncos also had 11 penalties in a Week 2 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. This time around, Broncos coach John Fox sounded as if he may dispute one or two calls. “We were on the wrong side of that," Fox said after Sunday’s game. “... We go evaluate penalties, sometimes you get the moniker of this, that and the other, sometimes there’s just some bad calls, but we’ll look at them, we’ll evaluate them, and we’ll send them to the league like we do every week."
When linebacker Danny Trevathan left the game with a left knee injury after the second play from scrimmage for the Broncos defense, Denver turned to rookie Corey Nelson. The team’s seventh-round pick in May’s draft, Nelson played as one of the two linebackers in the Broncos’ nickel package and finished with a team-leading seven tackles.
Quarterback Peyton Manning finished with three touchdowns and is now just two away from tying Brett Favre’s mark of 508 career touchdown passes. Odds are, since Manning has thrown at least three touchdown passes in four of the Broncos’ five games this season and at least two touchdown passes in all of their games, the home fans will see history made with the Broncos having back-to-back games in Denver with the 49ers and Chargers next. Manning, however, continues to try to deflect yet another brush with the record book. “We’re trying to win football games," Manning said. "... If Ronnie [Hillman] wants to run for four touchdowns next week, I promise you I’m in favor of that." |
Each of our cells has an energy furnace, and it is called a mitochondrion. A Northwestern University-led research team now has identified a new mode of timekeeping that involves priming the cell's furnace to properly use stored fuel when we are not eating.
The interdisciplinary team has identified the "match" and "flint" responsible for lighting this tiny furnace. And the match is only available when the circadian clock says so, underscoring the importance of the biological timing system to metabolism.
"Circadian clocks are with us on Earth because they have everything to do with energy," said Joe Bass, M.D., who led the research. "If an organism burns its energy efficiently, it has a better chance of survival. Our results tell us how the circadian clock triggers the cell's energy-burning process. Cells are most capable of using fuel when the clock is working properly."
Bass is the Charles F. Kettering Professor and chief of the division of endocrinology, metabolism and molecular medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and an endocrinologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Mitochondria regulate the supply of energy to cells when we are at rest, with no glucose available from food. In a study of mice, the researchers found that the circadian clock supplies the match to light the furnace and on the match tip is a critical compound called NAD+. It combines with an enzyme in mitochondria called Sirtuin 3, which acts as the flint, to light the furnace. When the clock in an animal isn't working, the animal can't metabolize stored energy and the process doesn't ignite.
This pathway through which the body clock controls activities within the mitochondria shows how energy generation is tied tightly to the light-dark/activity-rest cycle each day.
The findings, which could be useful in the development of therapies to treat metabolic disorders related to circadian disruption, will be published by the journal Science.
The results demonstrate that the circadian clock, a genetic timekeeper that evolved to enable organisms to track the daily transition from light to darkness early in evolution, generates oscillations in mitochondrial energy capacity through rhythmic regulation of NAD+ biosynthesis.
The clock facilitates oxidative rhythms that anticipate an animal's fasting/feeding cycle that occurs during the transition from light to darkness and wakefulness to sleep each day, and, in so doing, prevents the cell from "starving" during the night.
To understand how mitochondria are affected by circadian clock disorder, the researchers genetically removed the clocks in laboratory mice and compared them to controls. Both groups of mice were studied in a state of fasting; this "stress" test enabled the researchers to pinpoint just how the clock maintains "energy reserves" (akin to stress testing of a bank).
Bass and his research group worked together with Navdeep S. Chandel, a colleague of Bass' at Feinberg, and John M. Denu, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. They found the mice lacking clocks had defects in their mitochondria: the mitochondria could not metabolize stored energy and had no reserve to prevent depletion of the main currency, ATP. (Adenosine triphosphate is an energy-bearing molecule found in all living cells.)
Working with Northwestern colleague Milan Mrksich, they went on to show that removal of the clock depletes the necessary ingredient to turn on an enzyme within mitochondria, Sirtuin 3, which activates energy burning during fasting.
The researchers also showed that when the circadian clock was disrupted, resulting in a lack of NAD+, they could provide NAD+ supplements and restore function to the mitochondrion.
The findings expand the understanding of the molecular pathways linking the circadian clock with metabolism and show that the clock provides an essential buffer to stabilize the cell as organisms transition between eating and fasting each day. This knowledge has implications for disease intervention and prevention, including of diabetes, and potentially for states of increased cell demand for metabolism (including inflammation and cancer).
"We have established the chain of events that couples the clock's control switch with the machinery of the mitochondria," said Bass, who also is a member of the department of neurobiology at the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences. "We now have identified an additional link in the supply chain that provides energy to the cell at different phases of our daily sleep-wake cycle. These findings establish a key role for the NAD+ biosynthetic cycle in this process."
Major senior authors from Northwestern include Chandel, a professor in medicine-pulmonary and cell and molecular biology at Feinberg, and Mrksich, the Henry Wade Rogers Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry and Cell and Molecular Biology at Feinberg, Weinberg and the McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science. Chandel and Mrksich are members of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.
The co-first authors are Clara Bien Peek, a postdoctoral fellow, and Alison H. Affinati, an M.D./Ph.D. candidate, both working in Bass' lab. They have literally worked around the clock on the research, which builds on the earlier work of co-author Kathryn Moynihan Ramsey. In 2009, she and colleagues reported in Science that the compound NAD, together with the enzyme SIRT1, functions as a molecular "switch" to coordinate the internal clock with metabolic systems.
The current research team combined Northwestern expertise in basic circadian clock research, chemistry and physiology with outside collaborators who were able to verify the Northwestern findings.
Co-author Eric Goetzman, from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, an expert in the rare children's disease called metabolic myopathy, was able to confirm that the pattern the researchers observed in mice was the same as that seen in these children. Fasting can be life-threatening for children with this disorder because they can't metabolize stored energy due to defects in their mitochondria. |
Harbin Opera House was designed by MAD Architects that has an architecture seamlessly blends with surrounding landscape to create a dramatic cultural center of the future which represents the integration of human, art and the city identity.
Architect: MAD Architects
Location: Harbin, China
Time: 2010 - 2015
Photos: Hufton Crow - Adam Mork
Project's description: On the exterior, the architecture references the sinuous landscape of the surrounding area. The resulting curvilinear façade composed of smooth white aluminum panels becomes the poetry of edge and surface, softness and sharpness. The journey begins upon crossing the bridge onto Harbin Cultural Island, where the undulating architectural mass wraps a large public plaza, and during winter months, melts into the snowy winter environment.
The architectural procession choreographs a conceptual narrative, one that transforms visitors into performers. Upon entering the grand lobby, visitors will see large transparent glass walls spanning the grand lobby, visually connecting the curvilinear interior with the swooping façade and exterior plaza. Soaring above, a crystalline glass curtain wall soars over the grand lobby space with the support of a lightweight diagrid structure. Comprised of glass pyramids, the surface alternates between smooth and faceted, referencing the billowing snow and ice of the frigid climate. Visitors are greeted with the simple opulence of natural light and material sensation—all before taking their seat.
Presenting a warm and inviting element, the grand theater is clad in rich wood, emulating a wooden block that has been gently eroded away. Sculpted from Manchurian Ash, the wooden walls gently wrap around the main stage and theater seating. From the proscenium to the mezzanine balcony the grand theater’s use of simple materials and spatial configuration provides world-class acoustics. The grand theater is illuminated in part by a subtle skylight that connects the audience to the exterior and the passing of time.
Within the second, smaller theater, the interior is connected seamlessly to the exterior by the large, panoramic window behind the performance stage. This wall of sound-proof glass provides a naturally scenic backdrop for performances and activates the stage as an extension of the outdoor environment, inspiring production opportunities.
Harbin Opera House emphasizes public interaction and participation with the building. Both ticketholders and the general public alike can explore the façade’s carved paths and ascend the building as if traversing local topography. At the apex, visitors discover an open, exterior performance space that serves as an observation platform for visitors to survey the panoramic views of Harbin’s metropolitan skyline and the surrounding wetlands below. Upon descent, visitors return to the expansive public plaza, and are invited to explore the grand lobby space.
Surpassing the complex opera house typology, MAD articulates an architecture inspired by nature and saturated in local identity, culture and art. As the Harbin Opera House deepens the emotional connection of the public with the environment, the architecture is consequently theatrical in both its performance of narrative spaces and its context within the landscape.
> Nanjing Zendai Himalayas center by MAD
> Futuristic architecture of the Australia Forum in Canberra
> Futuristic architecture: Taichung Metropolitan Opera House |
As I point out in my new book, A Government of Wolves: The Emerging American Police State, there are several methods for controlling a population. You can intimidate the citizenry into obedience through force, relying on military strength and weaponry such as SWAT team raids, militarized police, and a vast array of lethal and nonlethal weapons. You can manipulate them into marching in lockstep with your dictates through the use of propaganda and carefully timed fear tactics about threats to their safety, whether through the phantom menace of terrorist attacks or shooting sprees by solitary gunmen. Or you can indoctrinate them into compliance from an early age through the schools, discouraging them from thinking for themselves while rewarding them for regurgitating whatever the government, through its so-called educational standards, dictates they should be taught.
Those who founded America believed that an educated citizenry knowledgeable about their rights was the surest means of preserving freedom. If so, then the inverse should also hold true: that the surest way for a government to maintain its power and keep the citizenry in line is by rendering them ignorant of their rights and unable to think for themselves. A Government of Wolves... John W. Whitehead Best Price: $2.52 Buy New $6.00 (as of 09:30 EST - Details)
When viewed in light of the government’s ongoing attempts to amass power at great cost to Americans—in terms of free speech rights, privacy, due process, etc.—the debate over Common Core State Standards, which would transform and nationalize school curriculum from kindergarten through 12th grade, becomes that much more critical.
Essentially, these standards, which were developed through a partnership between big government and corporations, in the absence of any real input from parents or educators with practical, hands-on classroom experience, and are being rolled out in 45 states and the District of Columbia, will create a generation of test-takers capable of little else, molded and shaped by the federal government and its corporate allies into what it considers to be ideal citizens.
Moreover, as Valerie Strauss reports for the Washington Post: “The costs of the tests, which have multiple pieces throughout the year plus the computer platforms needed to administer and score them, will be enormous and will come at the expense of more important things. The plunging scores will be used as an excuse to close more public schools and open more privatized charters and voucher schools, especially in poor communities of color. If, as proposed, the Common Core’s ‘college and career ready’ performance level becomes the standard for high school graduation, it will push more kids out of high school than it will prepare for college.”
With so much money to be made and so many questionable agendas at work, it is little wonder, then, that attempts are being made to squelch any and all opposition to these standards. For example, at a recent public forum to discuss the implementation of these standards in Baltimore County public schools, one parent, 46-year-old Robert Small, found himself “pulled out of the meeting, arrested and charged with second-degree assault of a police officer” simply for daring to voice his discontent with the standards during a Q&A session with the superintendent.
“Don’t stand for this. You are sitting here like cattle,” shouted Robert Small to his fellow attendees as he was being dragged out of the “forum” on the Common Core standards. “Is this America?”
No, Mr. Small, this is no longer America. This is, instead, fascism with a smile, sold to us by our so-called representatives, calculating corporations, and an educational system that is marching in lockstep with the government’s agenda.
In this way, we are being conditioned to be slaves without knowing it. That way, we are easier to control. “A really efficient totalitarian state would be one in which the all-powerful executive of political bosses and their army of managers control a population of slaves who do not have to be coerced, because they love their servitude,” writes Aldous Huxley.
The original purpose of a pre-university education in early America was not to prepare young people to be doctors or lawyers but, as Thomas Jefferson believed, to make citizens knowledgeable about “their rights, interests, and duties as men and citizens.” The Change Manifesto: ... John W Whitehead Best Price: $1.59 Buy New $21.99 (as of 02:25 EST - Details)
Yet that’s where the problem arises for us today. Most citizens have little, if any, knowledge about their basic rights, largely due to an educational system that does a poor job of teaching the basic freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Many studies confirm this. For instance, when Newsweek asked 1,000 adult U.S. citizens to take America’s official citizenship test, 29% of respondents couldn’t name the current vice president of the United States. Seventy-three percent couldn’t correctly say why America fought the Cold War. More critically, 44% were unable to define the Bill of Rights.
That Americans are constitutionally illiterate is not a mere oversight on the part of government educators. And things will only get worse under Common Core, which as the Washington Post reports, is a not-so-subtle attempt “to circumvent federal restrictions on the adoption of a national curriculum.”
Putting aside the profit-driven motives of the corporations and the power-driven motives of the government, there is also an inherent arrogance in the implementation of these Common Core standards that speaks to the government’s view that parents essentially forfeit their rights when they send their children to a public school, and should have little to no say in what their kids are taught and how they are treated by school officials. This is evident in the transformation of the schools into quasi-prisons, complete with metal detectors, drug-sniffing dogs, and surveillance cameras. The result is a generation of young people browbeaten into believing that they have no true rights, while government authorities have total power and can violate constitutional rights whenever they see fit.
Yet as Richard Dreyfuss, Oscar-winning actor and civics education activist, warns: “Unless we teach the ideas that make America a miracle of government, it will go away in your kids’ lifetimes, and we will be a fable.”
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There are numerous things that confuse me about America: the obsession with reality TV, addiction to pumpkin spice lattes and the system of measurement we use.
The fact that America is basically the only country that doesn’t use the metric system should be argument enough to convert. And yet, we’re still using our own confusing system.
The metric system is much easier to understand and use. It makes a lot more sense.
For instance, in the metric system freezing would be 0 and boiling is 100. Doesn’t that make more sense than 32 degrees being freezing and boiling being 212 degrees?
Another benefit of the metric system is that there is one base unit for each type of measurement:
Need to measure weight? Use grams.
Need to measure volume? Use liters.
Need to measure length? Use meters.
This is unlike the US, which for volume alone has cups, pints, quarts and gallons.
And guess what else is nice about the metric system? They are all a factor of 10.
For instance, 10 millimeters = 1 centimeter. So if there is a unit in millimeters, and it needs to be converted to centimeters, divide by 10. Easy as that.
I’m just not sure why the US doesn’t use this system instead.
Sometimes I feel like America doesn’t convert just to be obstinate. It’s like Americans can’t possibly handle using something the rest of the world uses.
If America were to convert, it would make everything so much easier to understand, not to mention there wouldn’t be a discrepancy between America and the rest of the world.
Allison Galbreath can be reached at [email protected] or @agalbreath19 on twitter. |
The man who claims that he is about to tell me the secret of human happiness is eighty-three years old, with an alarming orange tan that does nothing to enhance his credibility. It is just after eight o'clock on a December morning, in a darkened basketball stadium on the outskirts of San Antonio, and -- according to the orange man -- I am about to learn 'the one thing that will change your life forever." I'm skeptical, but not as much as I might normally be, because I am only one of more than fifteen thousand people at Get Motivated!, America's "most popular business motivational seminar," and the enthusiasm of my fellow audience members is starting to become infectious.
"So you wanna know?" asks the octogenarian, who is Dr. Robert H. Schuller, veteran self-help guru, author of more than thirty-five books on the power of positive thinking, and, in his other job, the founding pastor of the largest church in the United States constructed entirely out of glass. The crowd roars its assent. Easily embarrassed British people like me do not, generally speaking, roar our assent at motivational seminars in Texas basketball stadiums, but the atmosphere partially overpowers my reticence. I roar quietly.
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"Here it is, then," Dr. Schuller declares, stiffly pacing the stage, which is decorated with two enormous banners reading "MOTIVATE!" and "SUCCEED!," seventeen American flags, and a large number of potted plants. "Here's the thing that will change your life forever." Then he barks a single syllable -- "Cut!" -- and leaves a dramatic pause before completing his sentence: '... the word 'impossible' out of your life! Cut it out! Cut it out forever!"
The audience combusts. I can't help feeling underwhelmed, but then I probably shouldn't have expected anything different from Get Motivated!, an event at which the sheer power of positivity counts for everything. "You are the master of your destiny!" Schuller goes on. "Think big, and dream bigger! Resurrect your abandoned hope! ... Positive thinking works in every area of life!'
The logic of Schuller's philosophy, which is the doctrine of positive thinking at its most distilled, isn't exactly complex: decide to think happy and successful thoughts -- banish the spectres of sadness and failure -- and happiness and success will follow. It could be argued that not every speaker listed in the glossy brochure for today's seminar provides uncontroversial evidence in support of this outlook: the keynote speech is to be delivered, in a few hours' time, by George W . Bush, a president far from universally viewed as successful. But if you voiced this objection to Dr. Schuller, he would probably dismiss it as "negativity thinking." To criticize the power of positivity is to demonstrate that you haven't really grasped it at all. If you had, you would stop grumbling about such things, and indeed about anything else.
The organisers of Get Motivated! describe it as a motivational seminar, but that phrase -- with its suggestion of minor-league life coaches giving speeches in dingy hotel ballrooms -- hardly captures the scale and grandiosity of the thing. Staged roughly once a month, in cities across North America, it sits at the summit of the global industry of positive thinking, and boasts an impressive roster of celebrity speakers: Mikhail Gorbachev and Rudy Giuliani are among the regulars, as are General Colin Powell and, somewhat incongruously, William Shatner. Should it ever occur to you that a formerly prominent figure in world politics (or William Shatner) has been keeping an inexplicably low profile in recent months, there's a good chance you'll find him or her at Get Motivated!, preaching the gospel of optimism.
As befits such celebrity, there's nothing dingy about the staging, either, which features banks of swooping spotlights, sound systems pumping out rock anthems, and expensive pyrotechnics; each speaker is welcomed to the stage amid showers of sparks and puffs of smoke. These special effects help propel the audience to ever higher altitudes of excitement, though it also doesn't hurt that for many of them, a trip to Get Motivated! means an extra day off work: many employers classify it as job training. Even the United States military, where "training" usually means something more rigorous, endorses this view; in San Antonio, scores of the stadium's seats are occupied by uniformed soldiers from the local Army base.
Technically, I am here undercover. Tamara Lowe, the self-described "world's No. 1 female motivational speaker," who along with her husband runs the company behind Get Motivated!, has been accused of denying access to reporters, a tribe notoriously prone to negativity thinking. Lowe denies the charge, but out of caution, I've been describing myself as a "self-employed businessman" -- a tactic, I'm realizing too late, that only makes me sound shifty. I needn't have bothered with subterfuge anyway, it turns out, since I'm much too far away from the stage for the security staff to be able to see me scribbling in my notebook. My seat is described on my ticket as "premier seating," but this turns out to be another case of positivity run amok: at Get Motivated!, there is only "premier seating," "executive seating," and "VIP seating."
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In reality, mine is up in the nosebleed section; it is a hard plastic perch, painful on the buttocks. But I am grateful for it, because it means that by chance I'm seated next to a man who, as far as I can make out, is one of the few cynics in the arena -- an amiable, large-limbed park ranger named Jim, who sporadically leaps to his feet to shout I'm so motivated!" in tones laden with sarcasm.
He explains that he was required to attend by his employer, the United States National Park Service, though when I ask why that organization might wish its rangers to use paid work time in this fashion, he cheerily concedes that he has "no fucking clue." Dr. Schuller's sermon, meanwhile, is gathering pace. "When I was a child, it was impossible for a man ever to walk on the moon, impossible to cut out a human heart and put it in another man's chest ... the word 'impossible' has proven to be a very stupid word!" He does not spend much time marshaling further evidence for his assertion that failure is optional: it's clear that Schuller, the author of "Move Ahead with Possibility Thinking" and "Tough Times Never Last, but Tough People Do!," vastly prefers inspiration to argument. But in any case, he is really only a warm-up man for the day's main speakers, and within fifteen minutes he is striding away, to adulation and fireworks, fists clenched victoriously up at the audience, the picture of positive-thinking success.
It is only months later, back at my home in New York, reading the headlines over morning coffee, that I learn the news that the largest church in the United States constructed entirely from glass has filed for bankruptcy, a word Dr. Schuller had apparently neglected to eliminate from his vocabulary.
For a civilization so fixated on achieving happiness, we seem remarkably incompetent at the task. One of the best-known general findings of the "science of happiness" has been the discovery that the countless advantages of modern life have done so little to lift our collective mood. The awkward truth seems to be that increased economic growth does not necessarily make for happier societies, just as increased personal income, above a certain basic level, doesn't make for happier people. Nor does better education, at least according to some studies. Nor does an increased choice of consumer products. Nor do bigger and fancier homes, which instead seem mainly to provide the privilege of more space in which to feel gloomy.
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Perhaps you don't need telling that self-help books, the modern-day apotheosis of the quest for happiness, are among the things that fail to make us happy. But, for the record, research strongly suggests that they are rarely much help. This is why, among themselves, some self-help publishers refer to the "eighteen-month rule," which states that the person most likely to purchase any given self-help book is someone who, within the previous eighteen months, purchased a self-help book -- one that evidently didn't solve all their problems. When you look at the self-help shelves with a coldly impartial eye, this isn't especially surprising. That we yearn for neat, book-sized solutions to the problem of being human is understandable, but strip away the packaging, and you'll find that the messages of such works are frequently banal. The "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" essentially tells you to decide what matters most to you in life, and then do it; "How to Win Friends and Influence People" advises its readers to be pleasant rather than obnoxious, and to use people's first names a lot. One of the most successful management manuals of the last few years, "Fish!," which is intended to help foster happiness and productivity in the workplace, suggests handing out small toy fish to your hardest-working employees.
As we'll see, when the messages get more specific than that, self-help gurus tend to make claims that simply aren't supported by more reputable research. The evidence suggests, for example, that venting your anger doesn't get rid of it, while visualising your goals doesn't seem to make you more likely to achieve them. And whatever you make of the country-by-country surveys of national happiness that are now published with some regularity, it's striking that the "happiest" countries are never those where self-help books sell the most, nor indeed where professional psychotherapists are most widely consulted. The existence of a thriving "happiness industry" clearly isn't sufficient to engender national happiness, and it's not unreasonable to suspect that it might make matters worse.
Yet the ineffectiveness of modern strategies for happiness is really just a small part of the problem. There are good reasons to believe that the whole notion of "seeking happiness" is flawed to begin with. For one thing, who says happiness is a valid goal in the first place? Religions have never placed much explicit emphasis on it, at least as far as this world is concerned; philosophers have certainly not been unanimous in endorsing it, either. And any evolutionary psychologist will tell you that evolution has little interest in your being happy, beyond trying to make sure that you're not so listless or miserable that you lose the will to reproduce.
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Even assuming happiness to be a worthy target, though, a worse pitfall awaits, which is that aiming for it seems to reduce your chances of ever attaining it. "Ask yourself whether you are happy," observed the philosopher John Stuart Mill, "and you cease to be so." At best, it would appear, happiness can only be glimpsed out of the corner of an eye, not stared at directly. (We tend to remember having been happy in the past much more frequently than we are conscious of being happy in the present.) Making matters worse still, what happiness actually is feels impossible to define in words; even supposing you could do so, you'd presumably end up with as many different definitions as there are people on the planet. All of which means it's tempting to conclude that "How can we be happy?" is simply the wrong question -- that we might as well resign ourselves to never finding the answer, and get on with something more productive instead.
But could there be a third possibility, besides the futile effort to pursue solutions that never seem to work, on the one hand, and just giving up, on the other? After several years reporting on the field of psychology as a journalist, I finally realized that there might be. I began to think that something united all those psychologists and philosophers -- and even the occasional self-help guru -- whose ideas seemed actually to hold water. The startling conclusion at which they had all arrived, in different ways, was this: that the effort to try to feel happy is often precisely the thing that makes us miserable. And that it is our constant efforts to eliminate the negative -- insecurity, uncertainty, failure, or sadness -- that is what causes us to feel so insecure, anxious, uncertain, or unhappy. They didn't see this conclusion as depressing, though. Instead, they argued that it pointed to an alternative approach, a "negative path" to happiness, that entailed taking a radically different stance towards those things that most of us spend our lives trying hard to avoid. It involved learning to enjoy uncertainty, embracing insecurity, stopping trying to think positively, becoming familiar with failure, even learning to value death. In short, all these people seemed to agree that in order to be truly happy, we might actually need to be willing to experience more negative emotions -- or, at the very least, to learn to stop running quite so hard from them. Which is a bewildering thought, and one that calls into question not just our methods for achieving happiness, but also our assumptions about what "happiness" really means.
Which is how I came to find myself rising reluctantly to my feet, up in a dark extremity of that basketball stadium, because Get Motivated!'s excitable mistress of ceremonies had announced a "dance competition," in which everyone present was obliged to participate. Giant beach balls appeared as if from nowhere, bumping across the heads of the crowd, who jiggled awkwardly as Wham! blared from the sound system. The first prize of a free trip to Disney World, we were informed, awaited not the best dancer but the most motivated one, though the distinction made little difference to me: I found the whole thing too excruciating to do more than sway very slightly. The prize was eventually awarded to a soldier. This was a decision that I suspected had been taken to pander to local patriotic pride, rather than strictly in recognition of highly motivated dancing.
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* * *
One of the foremost investigators of the problems with positive thinking is a professor of psychology named Daniel Wegner, who runs the Mental Control Laboratory at Harvard University.
This is not, whatever its name might suggest, a CIA-funded establishment dedicated to the science of brainwashing. Wegner's intellectual territory is what has come to be known as "ironic process theory," which explores the ways in which our efforts to suppress certain thoughts or behaviors result, ironically, in their becoming more prevalent. I got off to a bad start with Professor Wegner when I accidentally typed his surname, in a newspaper column, as "Wenger." He sent me a crabby email ("Get the name right!"), and didn't seem likely to be receptive to the argument that my slip-up was an interesting example of exactly the kinds of errors he studied. The rest of our communications proved a little strained.
The problems to which Wegner has dedicated much of his career all have their origins in a simple and intensely irritating parlor game, which dates back at least to the days of Fyodor Dostoevsky, who reputedly used it to torment his brother. It takes the form of a challenge: can you -- the victim is asked -- succeed in not thinking about a white bear for one whole minute? You can guess the answer, of course, but it's nonetheless instructive to make the attempt. Why not try it now? Look at your watch, or find a clock with a second hand, and aim for a mere ten seconds of entirely non-white-bear-related thoughts, starting ... now.
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My commiserations on your failure.
Wegner's earliest investigations of ironic process theory involved little more than issuing this challenge to American university students, then asking them to speak their inner monologues aloud while they made the attempt. This is a rather crude way of accessing someone's thought processes, but an excerpt from one typical transcript nonetheless vividly demonstrates the futility of the struggle:
Of course, now the only thing I'm going to think about is a white bear ... Don't think about a white bear. Ummm, what was I thinking about before? See, I think about flowers a lot ... Okay, so my fingernails are really bad ... Every time I really want, like ... ummm ... to talk, think, to not think about the white bear, then it makes me think about the white bear more ...
At this juncture, you might be beginning to wonder why it is that some social psychologists seem to be allowed to spend other people's money proving the obvious. Of course the white bear challenge is virtually impossible to win. But Wegner was just getting started. The more he explored the field, the more he came to suspect that the internal mechanism responsible for sabotaging our efforts at suppressing white bear thoughts might govern an entire territory of mental activity and outward behavior. The white bear challenge, after all, seems like a metaphor for much of what goes wrong in life: all too often, the outcome we're seeking to avoid is exactly the one to which we seem magnetically lured.
Wegner labelled this effect "the precisely counterintuitive error," which, he explained in one paper, "is when we manage to do the worst possible thing, the blunder so outrageous that we think about it in advance and resolve not to let that happen. We see a rut coming up in the road ahead, and proceed to steer our bike right into it. We make a mental note not to mention a sore point in conversation, and then cringe in horror as we blurt out exactly that thing. We carefully cradle the glass across the room, all the while thinking 'Don't spill' and then juggle it onto the carpet under the gaze of our host."
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Far from representing an occasional divergence from our otherwise flawless self-control, the capacity for ironic error seems to lurk deep in the soul, close to the core of our characters. Edgar Allan Poe, in his short story of the same name, calls it "the imp of the perverse": that nameless but distinct urge one sometimes experiences, when walking along a precipitous cliff edge, or climbing to the observation deck of a tall building, to throw oneself off -- not from any suicidal motivation, but precisely because it would be so calamitous to do so. The imp of the perverse plagues social interactions, too, as anyone who has ever laughed in recognition at an episode of "Curb Your Enthusiasm" will know all too well.
What is going on here, Wegner argues, is a malfunctioning of the uniquely human capacity for metacognition, or thinking about thinking. "Metacognition," Wegner explains, "occurs when thought takes itself as an object." Mainly, it's an extremely useful skill: it is what enables us to recognize when we are being unreasonable, or sliding into depression, or being afflicted by anxiety, and then to do something about it. But when we use metacognitive thoughts directly to try to control our other, everyday, "object-level" thoughts -- by suppressing images of white bears, say, or replacing gloomy thoughts with happy ones -- we run into trouble. "Metathoughts are instructions we give ourselves about our object-level thinking," as Wegner puts it, "and sometimes we just can't follow our own instructions."
When you try not to think of a white bear, you may experience some success in forcing alternative thoughts into your mind. At the same time, though, a metacognitive monitoring process will crank into action, to scan your mind for evidence of whether you are succeeding or failing at the task. And this is where things get perilous, because if you try too hard -- or, Wegner's studies suggest, if you are tired, stressed, depressed, attempting to multi-task, or otherwise suffering from "mental load" -- metacognition will frequently go wrong. The monitoring process will start to occupy more than its fair share of limelight on the cognitive stage. It will jump to the forefront of consciousness -- and suddenly, all you will be able to think about is white bears, and how badly you're doing at not thinking about them.
Could it be that ironic process theory also sheds light on what is wrong with our efforts to achieve happiness, and on the way that our efforts to feel positive seem so frequently to bring about the opposite result? In the years since Wegner's earliest white bear experiments, his research, and that of others, has turned up more and more evidence to support that notion. One example: when experimental subjects are told of an unhappy event, but then instructed to try not to feel sad about it, they end up feeling worse than people who are informed of the event, but given no instructions about how to feel. In another study, when patients who were suffering from panic disorders listened to relaxation tapes, their hearts beat faster than patients who listened to audiobooks with no explicitly "relaxing" content. Bereaved people who make the most effort to avoid feeling grief, research suggests, take the longest to recover from their loss. Our efforts at mental suppression fail in the sexual arena, too: people instructed not to think about sex exhibit greater arousal, as measured by the electrical conductivity of their skin, than those not instructed to suppress such thoughts.
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Seen from this perspective, swathes of the self-help industry's favorite techniques for achieving happiness and success -- from positive thinking to visualizing your goals to "getting motivated" -- stand revealed to be suffering from one enormous flaw. A person who has resolved to "think positive" must constantly scan his or her mind for negative thoughts -- there's no other way that the mind could ever gauge its success at the operation -- yet that scanning will draw attention to the presence of negative thoughts. (Worse, if the negative thoughts start to predominate, a vicious spiral may kick in, since the failure to think positively may become the trigger for a new stream of self-berating thoughts, about not thinking positively enough.) Suppose you decide to follow Dr. Schuller's suggestion and try to eliminate the word "impossible" from your vocabulary, or more generally try to focus exclusively on successful outcomes, and stop thinking about things not working out. As we'll see, there are all sorts of problems with this approach. But the most basic one is that you may well fail, as a result of the very act of monitoring your success.
This problem of self-sabotage through self-monitoring is not the only hazard of positive thinking. An additional twist was revealed in 2009, when a psychologist based in Canada named Joanne Wood set out to test the effectiveness of "affirmations," those peppy self-congratulatory phrases designed to lift the user's mood through repetition. Affirmations have their origins in the work of the nineteenth-century French pharmacist Emile Coue, a forerunner of the contemporary positive thinkers, who coined the one that remains the most famous: "Every day, in every way, I am getting better and better."
Most affirmations sound pretty cheesy, and one might suspect that they would have little effect. Surely, though, they're harmless? Wood wasn't so sure about that. Her reasoning, though compatible with Wegner's, drew on a different psychological tradition known as "self-comparison theory." Much as we like to hear positive messages about ourselves, this theory suggests, we crave even more strongly the sense of being a coherent, consistent self in the first place. Messages that conflict with that existing sense of self, therefore, are unsettling, and so we often reject them -- even if they happen to be positive, and even if the source of the message is ourselves. Wood's hunch was that people who seek out affirmations would be, by definition, those with low self-esteem -- but that, for that very same reason, they would end up reacting against the messages in the affimations, because they conflicted with their self-images. The result might even be a worsening of their low self-esteem as people struggled to reassert their existing self-images against the incoming messages.
Which is exactly what happened in Wood's research. In one set of experiments, people were divided into subgroups of those with low and high self-esteem, then asked to undertake a journal-writing exercise; every time a bell rang, they were to repeat to themselves the phrase "I am a lovable person." According to a variety of ingenious mood measures, those who began the process with low self-esteem became appreciably less happy as a result of telling themselves that they were lovable. They didn't feel particularly lovable to begin with -- and trying to convince themselves otherwise merely solidified their negativity. "Positive thinking" had made them feel worse.
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* * *
The arrival of George Bush onstage in San Antonio was heralded by the sudden appearance of his Secret Service detail. These were men who would probably have stood out anywhere, in their dark suits and earpieces, but who stood out twice as prominently at Get Motivated! thanks to their rigid frowns. The job of protecting former presidents from potential assassins, it appeared, wasn't one that rewarded looking on the bright side and assuming that nothing could go wrong.
Bush himself, by contrast, bounded onstage grinning. "You know, retirement ain't so bad, especially when you get to retire to Texas!" he began, before launching into a speech he had evidently delivered several times before. First, he told a folksy anecdote about spending his post-presidency cleaning up after his dog ("I was picking up that which I had been dodging for eight years!") Then, for a strange moment or two, it seemed as if the main topic of his speech would be how he once had to choose a rug for the Oval Office ("I thought to myself, the presidency is going to be a decision-making experience!"). But his real subject, it soon emerged, was optimism. "I don't believe you can lead a family, or a school, or a city, or a state, or a country, unless you're optimistic that the future is going to be better," he said. "And I want you to know that, even in the darkest days of my presidency, I was optimistic that the future was going to be better than the past for our citizens and the world."
You need not hold any specific political opinion about the forty-third president of the United States to see how his words illustrate a fundamental strangeness of the "cult of optimism." Bush was not ignoring the numerous controversies of his administration -- the strategy one might have imagined he would adopt at a motivational seminar, before a sympathetic audience and facing no risk of hostile questions. Instead, he had chosen to redefine them as evidence in support of his optimistic attitude.
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The way Bush saw it, the happy and successful periods of his presidency proved the benefits of an optimistic outlook, of course -- but so did the unhappy and unsuccessful ones. When things are going badly, after all, you need optimism all the more. Or to put it another way: once you have resolved to embrace the ideology of positive thinking, you will find a way to interpret virtually any eventuality as a justification for thinking positively. You need never spend time considering how your actions might go wrong.
Could this curiously unfalsifiable ideology of positivity at all costs -- positivity regardless of the results -- be actively dangerous? Opponents of the Bush administration's foreign policies might have reason to think so. This is also one part of the case made by the social critic Barbara Ehrenreich, in her 2009 book "Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America." One underappreciated cause of the global financial crisis of the late 2000s, she argues, was an American business culture in which even thinking about the possibility of failure -- let alone speaking up about it at meetings -- had come to be considered an embarrassing faux pas.
Bankers, their narcissism stoked by a culture that awarded grand ambition above all, lost the capacity to distinguish between their ego-fueled dreams and concrete results. Meanwhile, homebuyers assumed that whatever they wanted could be theirs if they wanted it badly enough ( how many of them had read books such as "The Secret, which makes exactly that claim?) and accordingly sought mortgages they were unable to repay. Irrational optimism suffused the financial sector, and the professional purveyors of optimism -- the speakers and self-help gurus and seminar organizers -- were only too happy to encourage it. "To the extent that positive thinking had become a business in itself," writes Ehrenreich, "business was its principal client, eagerly consuming the good news that all things are possible through an effort of mind. This was a useful message for employees, who by the turn of the twenty-first century were being required to work longer hours for fewer benefits and diminishing job security. But it was also a liberating ideology for top-level executives. What was the point in agonizing over balance sheets and tedious analyses of risks -- and why bother worrying about dizzying levels of debt and exposure to potential defaults -- when all good things come to those who are optimistic enough to expect them?"
Ehrenreich traces the origins of this philosophy to nineteenth-century America, and specifically to the quasi-religious movement known as New Thought. New Thought arose in rebellion against the dominant, gloomy message of American Calvinism, which was that relentless hard work was the duty of every Christian -- with the additional sting that, thanks to the doctrine of predestination, you might in any case already be marked to spend eternity in Hell. New Thought, by contrast, proposed that one could achieve happiness and worldly success through the power of the mind.
This mind-power could even cure physical ailments, according to the newly minted religion of Christian Science, which grew directly from the same roots. Yet, as Ehrenreich makes clear, New Thought imposed its own kind of harsh judgmentalism, replacing Calvinism's obligatory hard work with obligatory positive thinking. Negative thoughts were fiercely denounced -- a message that echoed "the old religion's condemnation of sin" and added "an insistence on the constant interior labour of self- examination."
Quoting the sociologist Micki McGee, Ehrenreich shows how, under this new orthodoxy of optimism, "continuous and neverending work on the self [was] offered not only as a road to success, but also to a kind of secular salvation."
George Bush, then, was standing in a venerable tradition when he proclaimed the importance of optimism in all circumstances. But his speech at Get Motivated! was over almost as soon as it had started. A dash of religion, a singularly unilluminating anecdote about the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, some words of praise for the military, and he was waving goodbye -- "Thank you, Texas, it's good to be home!" -- as his bodyguards closed in around him. Beneath the din of cheering, I heard Jim, the park ranger in the next seat, emit a sigh of relief. "OK , I'm motivated now," he muttered, to nobody in particular. "Is it time for some beer?"
"There are lots of ways of being miserable," says a character in a short story by Edith Wharton, "but there's only one way of being comfortable, and that is to stop running around after happiness." This observation pungently expresses the problem with the "cult of optimism" -- the ironic, self-defeating struggle that sabotages positivity when we try too hard. But it also hints at the possibility of a more hopeful alternative, an approach to happiness that might take a radically different form. The first step is to learn how to stop chasing positivity so intently. But many of the proponents of the "negative path" to happiness take things further still, arguing -- paradoxically, but persuasively -- that deliberately plunging more deeply into what we think of as negative may be a precondition of true happiness.
Perhaps the most vivid metaphor for this whole strange philosophy is a small children's toy known as the "Chinese finger trap," though the evidence suggests it is probably not Chinese in origin at all. In his office at the University of Nevada, the psychologist Steven Hayes, an outspoken critic of counterproductive positive thinking, keeps a box of them on his desk; he uses them to illustrate his arguments. The "trap" is a tube, made of thin strips of woven bamboo, with the opening at each end being roughly the size of a human finger. The unwitting victim is asked to insert his index fingers into the tube, then finds himself trapped: in reaction to his efforts to pull his fingers out again, the openings at each end of the tube constrict, gripping his fingers ever more tightly. The harder he pulls, the more decisively he is trapped. It is only by relaxing his efforts at escape, and by pushing his fingers further in, that he can widen the ends of the tube, whereupon it falls away, and he is free.
In the case of the Chinese finger trap, Hayes observes, "doing the presumably sensible thing is counterproductive." Following the negative path to happiness is about doing the other thing -- the presumably illogical thing -- instead.
Excerpted from "The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking" by Oliver Burkeman, published in November 2012 by Faber and Faber, Inc., an affiliate of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, LLC. Copyright © 2012 by Oliver Burkeman. All rights reserved. |
There appears to be a movement in Germany at the moment towards using Windows Phone in law enforcement as part of an effort to eradicate paperwork and increase police time on the beat.
We have seen several police forces in Germany adopt Windows 10 Mobile and the UWP app platform, and the latest to join the list is the Hamburg force, who just purchased 900 Lumia Windows Phones at the cost of 100,000 Euro.
In internal documents the force describes how using the UWP platform they will be able to increase the efficiency of police officers by processing incident reports digitally and directly into the police database.
The also describe how using UWP apps they can use the same app on the phone, laptop or tablet, desktop and even the backend system, with differing user interfaces and capabilities.
Officers on the beat would have access to the information systems, and internal messaging service and various applications for incident reports. On a bigger screen they would of course be able to do much more.
This vertical market approach, where the absence of 3rd party apps, especially consumer apps, do not matter, and integration with Microsoft’s backend systems are more important, has great potential to cement Windows 10 Mobile as an enterprise platform and as part of the Windows in enterprise story as a whole, particularly due to being able to leverage existing developer and platform management talent already in place in businesses.
Due to the small size of the market however there is an issue with the availability of low-cost devices. In this deployment each handset appears to have cost around 110 Euro. With Lumias disappearing from the market the cheapest enterprise Windows Phone will likely be many multiples of that price.
Of course HP is rumoured to be working on a cheaper device and appears to be attacking this market head-on, so we may see a healthy niche developing for our favourite mobile OS that seems determined to live on long after everyone declared it to be dead. |
We engineered the Deltaprintr to be simple, efficient, and affordable. We want as many people as possible to be able to get their hands on this exciting new technology without having to sacrifice quality or user-friendliness.
Why Deltaprintr?
SIMPLE - Using a 3D Printer shouldn't be a hassle. We designed our printer so that it requires minimal set-up, and so that there's effectively no long-term maintenance. We'll be shipping every printer with a construction manual (pictures!) to get you up and running in no time.
EFFICIENT - The polar coordinate system allows for faster movements (than those of traditional Cartesians printers) while achieving a 100 micron resolution.
AFFORDABLE - Because a Deltaprintr design doesn't need as many parts as other 3D printers, we can pass the savings on to you.
About the Deltaprintr
The Deltaprintr uses three stepper motors, located under the acrylic build platform, to control the carriages that move the hot-end. Both the drive reels and the bearings that the carriages ride on are manufactured via high-precision CNC machining.
The Deltaprintr's CNC'ed drive reels
The minimal carriage design allows you to simply slide the assembled carriage onto the extruded aluminum beams without having to make any adjustments. The Deltaprintr also uses 65lb Spectra fishing line instead of expensive belts to control the carriages. The Spectra line also makes it easy to expand the build volume - all you need to do is buy longer aluminum extrusions, which cost a few dollars.
Custom laser-cut carriages
Every printer will be fitted with an automatic calibration probe, ensuring that prints stick to the bed and don't warp when printing. In addition, every printer will also come with an LCD display and a compact 60 Watt laptop-style power supply.
Benefits of a Deltaprintr
Faster speeds
100 micron resolution
Automatic calibration - no more manual calibration
Ease of use and assembly
Easy & expandable print volume
PLA plastic - biodegradable and food safe
LCD and SD card included
Compact power supply
Print Samples
Printed at 100 micron resolution
Specs
Deltaprintr brochure
Deltaprintr specifications
Getting Started Guide
We're already working on an assembly manual so that backers can look it over before their Deltaprintr comes in the mail. For those new to 3D printing, we'll be sure to walk you through the software end of things too.
We understand that 3D printing may seem overwhelming to beginners but it's really not that bad! We'll have more detailed instructions on creating your first 3D print on our website after the campaign ends.
"Getting Started Guide" for the Deltaprintr
Timeline
Click to enlarge
World Maker Faire NY 2013
We attended World Maker Faire NY this past September and had a blast. Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth, we were overwhelmed by the support and excitement! Check out the pics:
Andrey explaining how the Deltaprintr works
Printing a tornado at 100 micron resolution
The Deltaprintr booth
Supporters signing up to receive updates and to find out when we launch!
Kids checking out the cool prints
Upgrades
Though the Deltaprintr has everything one would need to start printing, we think LED lights are pretty cool.
LED to light up the acrylic bed and logo - Add $10 to your pledge.
Why Kickstarter?
We're here because we wouldn't be able to turn our idea into a reality without initial funding. The industrial grade machinery we need is expensive stuff. Producing these printers at a low cost requires us to place large orders to our manufacturers, so we're turning to you guys!
About Us
From left to right - Shai, Andrey, Yasick and Eugene
Shai Schechter - “Highly capable and motivated, Shai is currently majoring in graphic design with a minor in business at SUNY Purchase College. He’s the tech guru behind the Deltaprintr and was the driving force behind this project's inception. When he's not working on this project, he works as a freelance web designer.” - Andrey
Andrey Kovalev - “A student at the Cooper Union School of Engineering and a habitual tinkerer, Andrey brings a passion for efficiency and innovation to life with his contributions to our project. He has a keen eye for detail in the realm of mechanical design, a hands-on understanding of pertinent business concepts, and a wicked jump shot.” - Yasick
Yasick Nemenov - “Yasick is a student at Williams College studying Economics and Math. He has a knack for numbers and his guidance has helped drive the business and financial aspects of this project. Yasick’s common sense has been useful at every stage of development. He is also an avid rock-climber. One day he hopes to 3D print a rock." - Eugene
Eugene Sokolov - “Eugene is currently a student of electrical engineering at Cooper Union in New York City. He has hands-on experience in circuit design and is helping with the electrical aspects of the printer. Apart from working on this project, he is a computer programmer and a talented soccer player. He hopes on scoring a goal with this project.” - Shai
Thanks and Acknowledgements
While we have spent a great deal of time and effort designing, improving and prototyping the Deltaprintr, we couldn't have done it without the help of these fellow makers, developers and friends. |
On last night’s O’Reilly Factor, Rick Santorum compared Obamacare to apartheid, then called Obamacare “cool” because it will help Republicans win in 2014.
“Nelson Mandela just died,” O’Reilly said. “I don’t know if you’re aware. Ninety-five years old. Nelson Mandela — I spent some time in South Africa, he was a communist, this man. He was a communist. But he was a great man anyway. The sacrifices he made for his people were just stunning. But he was a communist. A great man, but a communist.”
“I would never attack Nelson Mandela,” O’Reilly continued. “I told Bishop Tutu, who’s like that too, but I told him ‘I respect you.’ Why can’t you guys in the Republican Party bring that to the forum?”
“Well, Nelson Mandela stood up against a great injustice,” Santorum replied. “And he was willing to pay a huge price for that. And it’s for that reason he — he — he is mourned today, because of that struggle he performed. But what he was advocated for was not necessarily the right answer, but he was fighting against some great injustice.”
“I would make the argument,” Santorum continued, “that we have a great injustice going on too, in this country, with an ever-increasing size of government that is taking over and controlling people’s lives, and Obamacare is front-and-center in that.”
“And I agree with [O’Reilly’s] talking points earlier, that the center focus of the 2014 election must be Obamacare and all of its aspects,” he concluded.
“And the cool thing about Obamacare is that it’s not only bad for the economy, not only bad for people’s health, it’s also bad for freedom of conscience — it’s also bad for a whole variety of issues that will energize all across America.”
Watch the entire exchange from The O’Reilly Factor below. |
Christopher Lee shared a birthday with Vincent Price. It was a well-known fact, but always felt note perfect that these towering figures of terror, princes of darkness, kings of horror should divide a day and lord over us all. They also shared a sensibility, a presence in classical, Gothic horror that defined their singular presences as the kind a film fan grew up with. Very likely, Christopher Lee was one of the first actors a budding admirer of genre or horror had a grasp of. We lost Price in 1993. Now, another sad day has come as Christopher Lee, at the age of 93, has passed.
Born May 27, 1922 in the Belgravia district of London, Lee began acting in 1947, following release from his duty in the Royal Air Force during World War II. Perhaps his true career began ten years later, with a pained, stirring performance as the monster in The Curse of Frankenstein. Hammer, a name now synonymous with Lee and the genre, was about to truly endeavor into horror. Lee became great friends with co-star Peter Cushing and the two would go on to star in several films together including, just one year later, The Horror of Dracula. Now a classic alongside Brownings, The Horror of Dracula presented Lee in his now most iconic role.
Lee would play Dracula, a fierce, captivating creature, nine times, while appearing in innumerable productions, many horror. He caught two doomed locomotives in Dr. Terrors House of Horrors and Horror Express, essayed mad villains Rasputin and Fu Manchu, worked with masters Mario Bava and modern greats like Peter Jackson and Tim Burton. Lee appeared in the James Bond, Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings series, rarely slowing down as he grew older; even boasting a healthy musical output.
Lee sang famously in folk horror classic The Wicker Man and ventured into recording with Kathy Joe Daylors Italo Disco track, Little Witch; narrating on Italian metal band Rhapsody of Fires albums; and of course, there was his own metal on the Charlemagne albums. In spoken word, he recorded readings of Edgar Allan Poes The Raven (like Price) and several times appeared in video games reprising roles contemporary and long past.
Lees work in life is staggering. The performer was knighted in 2009. He is both a comforting aura, and a dark demeanor. Dangerous as Dracula, and unbelievably suave as the Duc de Richleau in 1968s stunning The Devil Rides Out.
Rest in Peace, Christopher Lee, and thank you.
Top Photo: Sven Jacobsen |
AUBURN, Ala. — Auburn center Austin Wiley devoted much of last season catching up to his freshman teammates.
Wiley stepped onto campus as an early enrollee midway through the year. He practiced all of two times before playing his first game and was thrown into the starting lineup shortly after that.
Coach Bruce Pearl asked Wiley to “learn where to go and what to do” on the job. There were growing pains as Wiley averaged 8.8 points and 4.7 rebounds, but the decision is paying dividends with the team regrouping for summer practice.
“He is now a returning player, he is able to impose his leadership and ownership and kind of say, “hey this is my team now,” Pearl said Sunday.
Wiley worked for much of the practice alongside Chuma Okeke and Davion Mitchell while Pearl walked the newcomers through the team’s basic offensive concepts. A few months ago Wiley needed similar instruction, but now he’s a player the youngsters on the team can turn to for help.
“I love it, it’s great,” Pearl said. “It’s different for him.”
Wiley and Okeke will get extra time to train together trying out for USA Basketball’s U19 team later this month. The combo could be one to watch for Auburn fans thanks to Okeke's inside-outside game. Pearl isn't ready to commit to any pairings, but admits Okeke's versatility will be a nice fit next to Wiley's presence in the paint.
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After 26 losses, Ron Paul won his first popular vote over the weekend. However, the congressman from the Lone Star State walked away with only one lone delegate.
In the U.S. Virgin Islands, Paul got 29 percent of the vote, edging out Mitt Romney by 3 percentage points. Despite a Paul win, Romney ended up with seven of the nine available delegates.
According to the Republican Party of the Virgin Islands, the caucus selected three Romney delegates, one Paul delegate and two uncommitted delegates, one later pledging support for Romney. The former Massachusetts governor also has the support of the three RNC member delegates.
Some Paul supporters might be upset by this result, but to be fair, this is exactly what Ron Paul hopes to do elsewhere. Despite losing the popular vote in caucus states like Iowa, Nevada, Colorado and Minnesota, the Paul campaign believes the Texas congressman can get a far number of delegates than what the polls reflect, according to a press release issued in February.
In response to the reports that declared Romney the winner, Ron Paul’s campaign blogger Jack Hunter posted a video with a “math lesson for mainstream media,” in which he emphasized that 29 percent is indeed higher than 26 percent. (Thank you, Jack! You are correct.)
The ultimate purpose of Hunter’s video is to point out that in every other contest, most media outlets have reported winners in terms of the popular vote. The U.S. Virgin Islands is the first place where delegates were used to determine who won.
“If we’re going to start to measure it according to delegate counts…when we go back and look at who actually has accumulated the most delegates in some of these states – Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and beyond – and Ron Paul actually picks up more delegates possibly than what his straw poll finish would indicate, is the mainstream media going to adjust accordingly?” he asks.
Hunter continues, arguing that the mainstream media will most likely not report Paul as the winner if he picks up more delegates as the caucus selection process plays out.
“The mainstream media is trying to have it both ways” he said. “Once again, when Ron Paul does win, they find all sorts of ways to ignore it.” |
There is a path forward, past denial and scandal and shame.
Are you a man who has been outed as a sexual harasser or abuser? Are you a man who is reading about all these rich and powerful men being brought down by their past transgressions and hoping and praying that the gross shit you did that violated the humanity or autonomy of another human being won’t be brought to light? Are you a man who is right now swearing that you’ve changed, that you are not the foolish man you once were and you are appalled by your past actions, but also you remember them differently, but also you’d like us all to be able to move forward?
Are you a man who has sexually harassed, abused, or assaulted someone and you do not want to be that person anymore? Are you a man who wants to genuinely move past the wrong you’ve done?
There is a path forward, past denial and scandal and shame. There is a path to genuinely being the better person that you want to be. I’m writing this sincerely. I’m writing this because sexual abuse and assault is so very common in our society that chances are, someone I know and love and respect is reading this and knowing that they are guilty. I’m writing this because if we don’t find a way forward, this will keep happening. Even if you never harass or abuse or assault another human being again: If you don’t try to make this right, this will keep happening and you will have helped to enable it.
When You Can’t Throw All Men Into The Ocean, What CAN You Do?
Are you ready to get started? Here are some first steps you can take.
1. Stop calling your victim(s) a liar.
Don’t slander them, don’t ignore them, don’t try to intimidate them. Don’t try to get your buddies to vouch for how you would absolutely never do anything like this. When you hurt someone, and then tell them to their face that you didn’t hurt them, you are hurting them all over again. Do not make your victim carry this alone.
2. Don’t wait to be accused.
If the person you harmed has not come forward publicly yet, do not just wait in terror for them to do so. Do not force them to take the risk to their reputations, careers, and peace of mind that victims take when they come forward with abuses against them. If you can first come forward to the person you abused in a way that would not add further harm to them, do so. And then be honest with others. If you harassed someone at work, go to your boss and to HR. Come clean with your community. Come clean with your sons.
An important note: Unless you have the permission of the person you harmed, you absolutely must protect their identity and any personal details of what happened that might cause further harm to them to hear or to have their community hear. Anything you do must place the wellbeing of the person you harmed as a top priority. A simple statement of, “I did this, and it was a violation of this person. It was not okay and I’m very sorry” is a good start.
3. Pause before immediately saying what a better person you are now.
Oh, you just got called out for sexual harassment or abuse but you’re a better person now? How much better? Better because you aren’t harassing or abusing people anymore? Better because when you think about what you did you feel bad? How much better of a person were you before someone had to be brave enough to publicly discuss the pain you put them through? How much better of a person were you when they were carrying the pain of what you did every day but you got to pretend like it didn’t happen? You might be on the way to better, but you haven’t earned the right to make any public declarations of reform yet. Keep reading.
4. Understand exactly what you did.
If you know you did something wrong but part of you is still thinking, “this wasn’t really that big of a deal,” then you need to take some time and do some research. Research how sexual harassment impacts victims. Research rape culture and the lasting effects of sexual abuse and assault. Listen to survivors. Listen to them and respect their ability to interpret what happened to them and the impact that it has had on them. Believe them.
5. Face the consequences.
Do you deserve to lose some friends? Yes. Do you deserve to lose some respect? Yes. Do you deserve to lose your job? Yes. Do you deserve to go to jail? If you assaulted someone — yeah. If your teenager was stealing from work and got fired for it, if you were a halfway decent dad you’d likely tell them to be glad for the opportunity to learn from their mistakes and to realize that actions have consequences. Well, what you did was worse, way worse — even from a business perspective. Even if it was “just” sexual harassment. You stole the productivity of the person you harassed, who from then on had to try to do their job and deal with your gross ass at the same time. You likely made anybody else who was aware of what you did feel unsafe, which contributed to low morale and higher turnover. You made your employer look bad. You spent your work hours playing grab-ass instead of doing your job. On top of just being very shitty and abusive you wasted company time and resources and you deserve to be fired for that.
If you ever want young men to believe in personal accountability you will take these consequences respectfully, gratefully even. Yes, it does indeed suck if you will now find it harder to feed your family but understand that YOU DID THAT. You, not your accuser, not your employer, not an “angry mob” on the internet. You did that. You did that to yourself and your family and your community. Apologize to them for what your actions have brought and know every day that you are not the victim.
If you don’t face any of these consequences, consider yourself a lucky beneficiary of a society that doesn’t give two fucks about sexual abuse and assault victims, and know that you did absolutely nothing to deserve such luck.
On Spacey, Weinstein, Milo, And The Weaponization Of Identity
6. Use your power for good.
Hey, remember how you felt so powerful and entitled that you were pretty sure you could sexually harass someone and nothing would happen to you? Remember how you were pretty sure that you were so well liked and respected that nobody would believe sexual assault accusations against you? The power that you had in order to be able to do this gross shit? It’s power you can use to actually stop this gross shit.
Hey, you hold the careers of other people in your hands and that makes it really easy for you to tell a woman that you’d ruin her if she spoke out about your sexual harassment? It’s literally just as easy to tell the dudes you work with that you’d ruin THEM if they sexually harassed women.
Man, people really like you and look up to you so you have the perfect shield for your past sexual abuses? You also have the perfect platform to start talking about your struggles with toxic masculinity and encouraging other men to do the same.
Are you the dude who all the other dudes try to impress with their sexist jokes? You can be the dude who says, “hey man, that’s not cool.”
And if you for one minute used your power (and even if you’re an unemployed dude looking around his studio apartment saying “what power,” trust me, you have some over at least one person in your life) to harass, abuse, or assault someone and you are not now using that power to fight the harassment, abuse, or assault of others — you are not a man changed. You are a man with a debt that you must pay.
7. Do not expect forgiveness.
Yes, you may be doing this to be a better person, but it does not mean that others have to see you as a better person. The things we do cannot be undone. We must find other ways to get as close to making things right as we can, but if you’ve harmed someone, you have no right to expect to be seen by them or anyone else impacted by you actions as anyone other than the person who harmed someone. You have to live with what you did as long as they do.
This does not mean that you have to beg for forgiveness for all eternity. It means that you will have to find a way to move forward while also carrying that burden with you. It will remind you of why your work now to fight the culture that makes sexual abuse so prevalent is so important. It will remind you to not be complacent, to not abuse your power, to resist the lure of toxic masculinity. It will fuel your fire to reach out to other men you care about so that they, too, will not harm others and have to carry around the harm they caused forever.
When Forgiveness Isn’t A Virtue
And to some people — to a lot of people — you will likely be seen as a better person, because you will be a better person. But you will never have a right to expect or demand that.
We have a serious sexual abuse and assault problem in this society, and as a perpetrator of some of that abuse, you have an increased obligation to help fight. You are not alone. There are millions of men around the country looking at their past behavior and wondering what they can and should do about it. You can help them follow the right path by taking the first steps yourself. This is not easy. This open accountability for the wrongs you’ve done is very painful to go through. But it’s nothing compared to the pain you’ve caused your victim(s) or the harm your silence does to society by continuing to uphold a culture that makes this abuse so easy.
You can never erase this, but you can repair some of the damage done, and the damage your inaction is currently doing. You can be a part of the solution. And you have to be. You owe it to your victims. You owe it to us all. |
Image caption Public health minister Michael Matheson said minimum pricing "would save lives"
Scottish deaths from chronic liver disease are among the highest in Europe, new statistics have suggested.
Compared to countries in central, western, northern and southern Europe, only Hungary has a higher mortality rate than Scotland.
The rates are almost 70% higher than the average across the UK and 60% higher than 30 years ago.
Meanwhile, a target for cancer patients to begin treatment has been missed by half of Scotland's NHS boards.
Seven boards failed to hit the standard for getting at least 95% of patients with a suspicion of cancer to their first treatment within 62 days.
The liver deaths statistics have been published by the Scottish Public Health Observatory, a collaboration led by Information Services Division Scotland (ISD Scotland) and NHS Health Scotland.
It said male mortality rates for chronic liver disease (CLD) were twice as high as those reported for women, and that people in the most deprived areas were more than five times more likely to die of CLD than those in the least deprived.
'Too high'
Scotland's Public Health Minister Michael Matheson said alcohol minimum pricing would "save lives".
"The death and suffering caused by chronic liver disease is far too high and much of the blame lies with our relationship to alcohol," he said. "Cheap alcohol comes at a cost to our nation's health and we need to reduce the toll alcohol is taking on our society.
"It is unacceptable to see that Scotland ranks amongst the worst countries in Europe for CLD. Alcohol misuse costs Scotland £3.6bn per year. That's £900 per adult whether they drink or not that could be put to better use.
"The affordability of drinks with high levels of alcohol is a particular problem we must address, and minimum unit pricing is a key part of the solution."
The Scottish Parliament has passed legislation which seeks to introduce a minimum price of 50p per unit.
However, the plan has faced legal challenges from European wine and spirit producers and the Scotch Whisky Association.
Waiting times
According to the latest statistics on cancer waiting times, covering July to September, NHS Grampian scored the lowest with 89.5% of patients getting their first treatment within 62 days.
Orkney was the only board to hit 100%.
The 95% target was also missed by Highland, Borders, Fife, Ayrshire and Arran, Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and Shetland boards.
The national average was slightly below the target at 94.5%.
All 14 boards passed a second target to ensure 95% of all patients, regardless of route of referral, wait a maximum 31 days from decision to treat to their first treatment.
In this case, the national average was 98.1%, up slightly on the previous figures.
Health Secretary Alex Neil said: "We understand that having to wait for tests or to begin cancer treatment can be frightening and at the very least frustrating.
"That is why we continue to scrutinise performance across NHS Scotland and request action plans from NHS boards where performance against the cancer waiting times standard has not been maintained."
The waiting times statistics have been published by ISD Scotland. |
Aung San Suu Kyi probably knew she was courting danger when she allowed “that wretched American,” as one of her lawyers called John Yettaw, to sleep overnight in her home. He’d exhausted himself swimming across the lake on which her house is situated and withholding mercy doesn’t come naturally to the type of person who wins a Nobel Peace Prize.
Burma’s ruling junta is another tiger that can’t change its spots. No doubt, its 12 generals are congratulating themselves over catching up Suu Kyi in a technical violation of her house arrest (allowing, however uninvited, an unauthorized visitor).
Aung Din, executive director of the US Campaign for Burma called it a “cunning scheme.” But there’s nothing clever or cunning about using the flimsiest and most obvious of legalistic pretexts to deposit Suu Kyi in Rangoon’s infamous Insein prison. Like many of the junta’s actions and policies, it’s heavy-handed, just like you’d expect from a tin-pot dictatorship. Even more pitiful, the junta seems to work at cross purposes with itself.
For example, the New York Times had just run a story entitled A Year After Storm, Subtle Changes in Myanmar. Last May, Cyclone Nargis, swept through the Irrawaddy Delta killing 85,000 and leaving 54,000 missing (presumed dead). The subsequent “surge of humanitarian aid,” reports the Times, “might have opened a breach in the political wall around Myanmar, including perhaps a new and softer line by the United States.”
If you’ll recall, the junta at first refused to allow aid organizations into the country. ” But now it “readily accepts air shipments of foreign aid,” though not by sea because “the xenophobic junta — still [fears] a seaborne invasion by Western powers. … [Also] the number of international aid groups allowed to work in Myanmar has doubled in the past year.”
The article quotes Frank Smithuis, director of Médecins Sans Frontières in Burma: “Look, the human rights record is shaky, yes, and it’s politically nice to beat up Burma, but the military has actually been quite helpful to us.”
“Shaky”? Try nightmarish. “Politically nice to beat up Burma”? There couldn’t possibly be any other reason besides politics that over 100 groups outside of Burma are working for its democracy and that the United States and the European Union have sanctioned it, could there?
More to the point, no sooner did a major American media outlet in effect pat the junta on the back for signs it was growing a conscience then the junta turned around and arrested one of the world’s most beloved women. Will the Times also praise the junta for allowing foreign media and diplomats to attend the trial? (Uh, probably not, since it only lasted one day.)
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was livid, declaring to a congressional hearing that the trial was “baseless” and that the 2010 elections were “illegitimate because of the way they have treated her.” Sure, the junta is an easy target, but the point is they shouldn’t be, especially since, post-Nargis, the world has been reaching out to it.
The UN and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) also censured Suu Kyi’s arrest, as did the European Union. Then the United States extended the current sanctions regimen, which wasn’t even up for reconsideration until the end of the year, when it expires.
Maybe the Times and the aid organizations quoted in the article, however well intentioned, were giving the junta too much credit. In the view of Asia Times Online’s Brian McCartan, the flow of aid that the junta allowed is regulated by The Aid Wall.
Many international aid groups are angling to extend their activities beyond the Irrawaddy Delta. … They complain that the junta has maintained restrictions in other parts of the country, effectively building an “aid wall” around the Nargis-hit delta. … the military rulers clearly still believe an extended relief effort could have political repercussions, including unwanted observers of its alleged human-rights abuses and empowerment of grassroots communities.
In fact…
. . . the humanitarian aid community’s outreach in the Irrawaddy Delta has not resulted in greater openness but rather represents the latest example of the junta’s well-worn open-and-closed strategy for maintaining power.
Supposedly the 12 generals of the ruling junta are preparing for next year’s elections. By mimicking democracy, they hope to seduce the United States and the European Union into removing sanctions. But imprisoning the Lady, as she’s known to Burmese, erecting an aid wall, and oppressing minorities such as the Karens and Shan are a funny way of showing you care about the West’s opinion.
Clearly, the junta doesn’t. Thanks to oil and gas deals, among other business transactions, it already has China and India in their economic corner. Sacrificing development from the West is a small price to pay to ensure that the junta endures.
The Bush administration went out on a limb to convince the Nuclear Suppliers Group to overlook India’s refusal to sign the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. One can’t help but wonder why the United States can’t exact some sort of reciprocity from India. Expecting India to completely disengage from the junta is unrealistic. But asking it to withdraw specified deals in response to fresh human rights violations on the part of the junta shouldn’t be too much to ask.
Meanwhile one encouraging development has emerged as a result of Aung San Suu Kyi’s internment. Irrawaddy Magazine reports that East Timor President and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jose Ramos-Horta has teamed up with the Burma Lawyers’ Council. Together they intend to petition the International Criminal Court to begin investigations in hopes of charging the junta’s leader, General Than Shwe, with human rights abuses and violations of international law.
The ICC may not be able to haul him into court, but it will make it that much harder for India, if not China, to continue dealing with the junta. |
It’s that time of year again. College Halloween parties are coming up, and you will want to come up with an original costume idea. Dressing up like an intoxicated Elvis (or Britney Spears, for that matter) isn’t funny anymore…if it ever was funny.
In order to be funny, costumes have to be original. Originality comes from putting a lot of thought into the costume. Sometimes, you can design your costume based on the people you will be attending parties with. For example, you can dress up as one of your coworkers or as one of your fellow students (in a respectful manner, of course), or as your boss or professor.
Also, some college parties ask you to wear costumes pertaining to a certain theme. If not, here are some examples of funny costumes I found on the Web that are original, and in my opinion, hysterical:
A 1 Night Stand: Fabricate a night stand out of cardboard, paint some drawers on, apply handles, build a lamp to cover your head, and then paint the number "1" on the night stand. Voila. You are a one night stand.
Fabricate a night stand out of cardboard, paint some drawers on, apply handles, build a lamp to cover your head, and then paint the number "1" on the night stand. Voila. You are a one night stand. Static Cling Costume: Dress in all black. Tease your hair and apply hair spray so you get that 80’s ratted look (like you stuck your finger in an electrical socket). Attach socks, underwear and other clothing to your body with pins so it looks like you have a really bad case of static cling.
Dress in all black. Tease your hair and apply hair spray so you get that 80’s ratted look (like you stuck your finger in an electrical socket). Attach socks, underwear and other clothing to your body with pins so it looks like you have a really bad case of static cling. Cereal Killer: Build a cereal box out of a large cardboard box that you can place over most of your torso. Then buy a large plastic knife, and paint some blood on your cereal box (if you want). This one will definitely make people think, but they’ll laugh when they get it!
Build a cereal box out of a large cardboard box that you can place over most of your torso. Then buy a large plastic knife, and paint some blood on your cereal box (if you want). This one will definitely make people think, but they’ll laugh when they get it! Piñata: This is a costume that is not only funny, but allows your friends to have a bit of fun at your expense. Dress up like a piñata by gluing or otherwise attaching colored strings, strips of colored paper and frilly fabrics to it. My advice is to wear a lot of padding underneath your colorful suit. Then, buy some foam bats and let your friends take a few swings. You can even let candy fall out of your hands.
This is a costume that is not only funny, but allows your friends to have a bit of fun at your expense. Dress up like a piñata by gluing or otherwise attaching colored strings, strips of colored paper and frilly fabrics to it. My advice is to wear a lot of padding underneath your colorful suit. Then, buy some foam bats and let your friends take a few swings. You can even let candy fall out of your hands. Construction Cone or Traffic Sign: A cone is probably easier to pull off. Just fashion some heavy duty cardboard into a cone around you, and spray paint it orange. Or, if you’re really ambitious, create one of those obnoxious blinking traffic signs with some boards, paint, and lights that blink using batteries. Paint "road closed" on the boards. Then, at the party, you can place yourself wherever you’d like in order to stop traffic! If you want, partner up with a friend who dresses as a construction traffic director with a sign that says "STOP" on one side and "SLOW" on the other.
A cone is probably easier to pull off. Just fashion some heavy duty cardboard into a cone around you, and spray paint it orange. Or, if you’re really ambitious, create one of those obnoxious blinking traffic signs with some boards, paint, and lights that blink using batteries. Paint "road closed" on the boards. Then, at the party, you can place yourself wherever you’d like in order to stop traffic! If you want, partner up with a friend who dresses as a construction traffic director with a sign that says "STOP" on one side and "SLOW" on the other. Gold Digger: This is a good costume for someone who wants to dress up but still be funny. Put on your slinkiest dress, paint your nails, overdo your makeup and hair, and wear really high heels. The more gold colors and jewelry you wear, the better. Then, carry a small shovel with a bucket of rocks (or pieces of foam) that you have spray painted gold.
This is a good costume for someone who wants to dress up but still be funny. Put on your slinkiest dress, paint your nails, overdo your makeup and hair, and wear really high heels. The more gold colors and jewelry you wear, the better. Then, carry a small shovel with a bucket of rocks (or pieces of foam) that you have spray painted gold. Gang Green: If there is a group of you going to the party together, here is a costume that is inexpensive and easy to do. Everyone should dress in green, from head to toe. Paint your faces green, and spray green color in your hair, if you want. There you go: gangrene.
If there is a group of you going to the party together, here is a costume that is inexpensive and easy to do. Everyone should dress in green, from head to toe. Paint your faces green, and spray green color in your hair, if you want. There you go: gangrene. Jack-in-the-Box: Use a large cardboard box that you can fit inside. Reinforce it with heavy-duty tape, and cut a hole in the top that is just big enough for you to jump out of. Cut a hole in the bottom so you can walk. On the top hole, place a piece of fabric that will cover you while you are inside the box. Paint it as if it is a children’s toy, and create a handle on the side that people can turn. Then, dress up in a joker’s costume. Paint your face.
Use a large cardboard box that you can fit inside. Reinforce it with heavy-duty tape, and cut a hole in the top that is just big enough for you to jump out of. Cut a hole in the bottom so you can walk. On the top hole, place a piece of fabric that will cover you while you are inside the box. Paint it as if it is a children’s toy, and create a handle on the side that people can turn. Then, dress up in a joker’s costume. Paint your face. Pin the Tail on the Donkey: Dress up all in brown, and if you can, design big hooves for shoes and gloves. Wear big donkey ears. Put a mane running from the top of your head down your back. You can even put a fake saddle and bridle on. Then, make a long tail out of yarn. Go around and ask people if they would like to "pin the tail on the donkey." Make sure you have a good sense of humor for this one…more than likely one of your friends will call you some different names for "donkey."
Dress up all in brown, and if you can, design big hooves for shoes and gloves. Wear big donkey ears. Put a mane running from the top of your head down your back. You can even put a fake saddle and bridle on. Then, make a long tail out of yarn. Go around and ask people if they would like to "pin the tail on the donkey." Make sure you have a good sense of humor for this one…more than likely one of your friends will call you some different names for "donkey." Dart Board: Use large pieces of foam or cardboard to hang on the front and back of your torso. Cover them with really strong Velcro. Then paint dartboard rings and scoring numbers on the boards. Hang them over you with some straps. Darts should not be sharp!!! Make darts using Velcro as well, so that when people throw them at you, the Velcro from the darts and the boards stick to each other.
I hope these ideas helped, or at least got your creative juices flowing. If you have any more ideas, please add them below! Good luck and happy Halloween! |
Image copyright AFP Image caption These are two of the cars which were seized
Prosecutors in Switzerland have seized luxury cars belonging to the vice-president of Equatorial Guinea, who they are investigating for corruption.
Teodorin Obiang Nguema, the son of the country's president, is accused of money laundering. He has not commented.
Swiss authorities have seized 11 cars in total.
Among them was reportedly a Porsche valued at more than $830,000 (£667,000) and a Bugatti Veyron which sells for $2m (£1.7m).
The accused is due in court next year in France on similar charges, which he denies.
Prosecutors in Geneva say he has plundered his country's oil wealth to buy luxuries, including a private jet and Michael Jackson memorabilia.
Equatorial Guinea, a small country on the west coast of Africa, struck oil in 1995.
Its president, Teodoro Obiang Nguema, is Africa's longest serving leader. He has been described by rights organisations as one of Africa's most repressive leaders.
He seized power in 1979.
Image copyright AFP Image caption Teodorin Obiang Nguema has been made Number 2 of Equatorial Guinea by his father
MrObiang, 47, was promoted in June by his father to be vice-president.
He was already set to face trial in France next year on corruption and embezzlement charges.
He is challenging those charges at a UN court and is not expected to appear before the French judges. |
Testifying in an antitrust lawsuit on Thursday, Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue said the initial success of iPod and iTunes was reliant on digital rights management due to an onslaught of attempts from hackers to crack the ecosystem.
"We thought about licensing the DRM from beginning [...] but we couldn't find a way to do that and have it work reliably." - Apple SVP of Internet Software and Services Eddy Cue
During his hours-long testimony, Cue made constant use of the terms "hack" and "hacker" to drive home the notion that DRM was a necessary tool in keeping music labels on board with iTunes."All these other guys that tried the approach of trying to be open failed because it broke," Cue said, according to in-court reports from CNET. "There's no way for us to have done that and have the success that we had."Cue offered new insight on Apple's deals with record labels, saying, "If a hack happened, we had to remedy that hack within a certain time period or they [the labels] would remove all their music from the store."Apple is accused of inventing a monopoly between 2006 and 2009 with its closed iPod-iTunes ecosystem protected by FairPlay DRM, which in turn allowed the company to sell iPods at inflated prices, harming consumers. In court yesterday, attorneys for the plaintiffs claimed Apple intentionally deleted music from users' iPods if the content was purchased through competing digital stores.Apple has taken the stance that DRM was the only way to keep iTunes protected from hackers, characterizing it as a necessary evil."Steve was mighty upset with me and the team whenever we got hacked," Cue said, referring to late Apple cofounder Steve Jobs.On Tuesday, emails and a videotaped testimony from Jobs revealed Apple was "very scared" of running afoul of its precarious music label contract terms. Jobs touched upon a lynchpin issue during his deposition, saying frequent iTunes updates were rolled out as "hackers" found new workarounds.A main contention in the case is that Apple updated its iTunes software to stop users from playing back songs from competing music stores, specifically RealNetworks' RealPlayer storefront. RealNetworks rolled out Harmony, which effectively bypassed FairPlay, but the technology was subsequently broken with the iTunes 7.0 update. Apple maintains its software upgrades were of real value to customers.According to a separate report from The Verge, Cue said Apple was opposed to a DRM lockout, but had to implement it to appease large music labels, themselves afraid of losing money on pirated, illegally distributed content."We thought about licensing the DRM from beginning, it was one of the things we thought was the right move that because we can expand the market and grow faster," Cue said. "But we couldn't find a way to do that and have it work reliably."When asked if there was any way for iPod owners to get non-iTunes music on their devices, Cue mentioned a tried-and-true method most iTunes users in 2004 likely have employed, or at least known was an option."You could take the songs you bought in another store and burn them onto a CD and then rip them back into any device or music player you wanted," Cue said.The class includes individuals and businesses who bought iPod classic, iPod shuffle, iPod touch or iPod nano models between Sept. 12, 2006 and March 31, 2009, and plaintiffs are seeking $350 million in damages, an amount that could be tripled to over $1 billion under U.S. antitrust laws. Trial proceedings are scheduled to continue into next week, with upcoming testimony expected from Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller. |
One of the core benefits of Java is the JVM, which is an out-of-the-box memory management. Essentially, we can create objects and the Java Garbage Collector will take care of allocating and freeing up memory for us.
Nevertheless, memory leaks can still occur in Java applications.
In this article, we’re going to describe the most common memory leaks, understand their causes, and look at a few techniques to detect/avoid them. We’re also going to use the Java YourKit profiler throughout the article, to analyze the state of our memory at runtime.
1. What Is a Memory Leak in Java?
The standard definition of a memory leak is a scenario that occurs when objects are no longer being used by the application, but the Garbage Collector is unable to remove them from working memory – because they’re still being referenced. As a result, the application consumes more and more resources – which eventually leads to a fatal OutOfMemoryError.
For a better understanding of the concept, here’s a simple visual representation:
As we can see, we have two types of objects – referenced and unreferenced; the Garbage Collector can remove objects that are unreferenced. Referenced objects won’t be collected, even if they’re actually not longer used by the application.
Detecting memory leaks can be difficult. A number of tools perform static analysis to determine potential leaks, but these techniques aren’t perfect because the most important aspect is the actual runtime behavior of the running system.
So, let’s have a focused look at some of the standard practices of preventing memory leaks, by analyzing some common scenarios.
2. Java Heap Leaks
In this initial section, we’re going to focus on the classic memory leak scenario – where Java objects are continuously created without being released.
An advantageous technique to understand these situations is to make reproducing a memory leak easier by setting a lower size for the Heap. That’s why, when starting our application, we can adjust the JVM to suit our memory needs:
-Xms<size>
-Xmx<size>
These parameters specify the initial Java Heap size as well as the maximum Heap size.
2.1. Static Field Holding Onto the Object Reference
The first scenario that might cause a Java memory leak is referencing a heavy object with a static field.
Let’s have a look at a quick example:
private Random random = new Random(); public static final ArrayList<Double> list = new ArrayList<Double>(1000000); @Test public void givenStaticField_whenLotsOfOperations_thenMemoryLeak() throws InterruptedException { for (int i = 0; i < 1000000; i++) { list.add(random.nextDouble()); } System.gc(); Thread.sleep(10000); // to allow GC do its job }
We created our ArrayList as a static field – which will never be collected by the JVM Garbage Collector during the lifetime of the JVM process, even after the calculations it was used for are done. We also invoked Thread.sleep(10000) to allow the GC to perform a full collection and try to reclaim everything that can be reclaimed.
Let’s run the test and analyze the JVM with our profiler:
Notice how, at the very beginning, all memory is, of course, free.
Then, in just 2 seconds, the iteration process runs and finishes – loading everything into the list (naturally this will depend on the machine you’re running the test on).
After that, a full garbage collection cycle is triggered, and the test continues to execute, to allow this cycle time to run and finish. As you can see, the list is not reclaimed and the memory consumption doesn’t go down.
Let’s now see the exact same example, only this time, the ArrayList isn’t referenced by a static variable. Instead, it’s a local variable that gets created, used and then discarded:
@Test public void givenNormalField_whenLotsOfOperations_thenGCWorksFine() throws InterruptedException { addElementsToTheList(); System.gc(); Thread.sleep(10000); // to allow GC do its job } private void addElementsToTheList(){ ArrayList<Double> list = new ArrayList<Double>(1000000); for (int i = 0; i < 1000000; i++) { list.add(random.nextDouble()); } }
Once the method finishes its job, we’ll observe the major GC collection, around 50th second on the image below:
Notice how the GC is now able to reclaim some of the memory utilized by the JVM.
How to Prevent It
Now that you understand the scenario, there are of course ways to prevent it from occurring.
First, we need to pay close attention to our usage of static; declaring any collection or heavy object as static ties its lifecycle to the lifecycle of the JVM itself, and makes the entire object graph impossible to collect.
We also need to be aware of collections in general – that’s a common way to unintentionally hold on to references for longer than we need to.
2.2. Calling String.intern() on Long String
The second group of scenarios that frequently causes memory leaks involves String operations – specifically the String.intern() API.
Let’s have a look at a quick example:
@Test public void givenLengthString_whenIntern_thenOutOfMemory() throws IOException, InterruptedException { Thread.sleep(15000); String str = new Scanner(new File("src/test/resources/large.txt"), "UTF-8") .useDelimiter("\\A").next(); str.intern(); System.gc(); Thread.sleep(15000); }
Here, we simply try to load a large text file into running memory and then return a canonical form, using .intern().
The intern API will place the str String in the JVM memory pool – where it can’t be collected – and again, this will cause the GC to be unable to free up enough memory:
We can clearly see that in the first 15th seconds JVM is stable, then we load the file and JVM perform garbage collection (20th second).
Finally, the str.intern() is invoked, which leads to the memory leak – the stable line indicating high heap memory usage, which will never be released.
How to Prevent It
Please remember that interned String objects are stored in PermGen space – if our application is intended to perform a lot of operations on large strings, we might need to increase the size of the permanent generation:
-XX:MaxPermSize=<size>
The second solution is to use Java 8 – where the PermGen space is replaced by the Metaspace – which won’t lead to any OutOfMemoryError when using intern on Strings:
Finally, there are also several options of avoiding the .intern() API on Strings as well.
2.3. Unclosed Streams
Forgetting to close a stream is a very common scenario, and certainly, one that most developers can relate to. The problem was partially removed in Java 7 when the ability to automatically close all types of streams was introduced into the try-with-resource clause.
Why partially? Because the try-with-resources syntax is optional:
@Test(expected = OutOfMemoryError.class) public void givenURL_whenUnclosedStream_thenOutOfMemory() throws IOException, URISyntaxException { String str = ""; URLConnection conn = new URL("http://norvig.com/big.txt").openConnection(); BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader( new InputStreamReader(conn.getInputStream(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8)); while (br.readLine() != null) { str += br.readLine(); } // }
Let’s see how the memory of the application looks when loading a large file from an URL:
As we can see, the heap usage is gradually increasing over time – which is the direct impact of the memory leak caused by not closing the stream.
How to Prevent It
We always need to remember to close streams manually, or to make a use of the auto-close feature introduced in Java 8:
try (BufferedReader br = new BufferedReader( new InputStreamReader(conn.getInputStream(), StandardCharsets.UTF_8))) { // further implementation } catch (IOException e) { e.printStackTrace(); }
In this case, the BufferedReader will be automatically closed at the end of the try statement, without the need to close it in an explicit finally block.
2.4. Unclosed Connections
This scenario is quite similar to the previous one, with the primary difference of dealing with unclosed connections (e.g. to a database, to an FTP server, etc.). Again, improper implementation can do a lot of harm, leading to memory problems.
Let’s see a quick example:
@Test(expected = OutOfMemoryError.class) public void givenConnection_whenUnclosed_thenOutOfMemory() throws IOException, URISyntaxException { URL url = new URL("ftp://speedtest.tele2.net"); URLConnection urlc = url.openConnection(); InputStream is = urlc.getInputStream(); String str = ""; // }
The URLConnection remains open, and the result is, predictably, a memory leak:
Notice how the Garbage Collector cannot do anything to release unused, but referenced memory. The situation is immediately clear after the 1st minute – the number of GC operations rapidly decreases, causing increased Heap memory use, which leads to the OutOfMemoryError.
How to Prevent It
The answer here is simple – we need to always close connections in a disciplined manner.
2.5. Adding Objects With no hashCode() and equals() Into a HashSet
A simple but very common example that can lead to a memory leak is to use a HashSet with objects that are missing their hashCode() or equals() implementations.
Specifically, when we start adding duplicate objects into a Set – this will only ever grow, instead of ignoring duplicates as it should. We also won’t be able to remove these objects, once added.
Let’s create a simple class without either equals or hashCode:
public class Key { public String key; public Key(String key) { Key.key = key; } }
Now, let’s see the scenario:
@Test(expected = OutOfMemoryError.class) public void givenMap_whenNoEqualsNoHashCodeMethods_thenOutOfMemory() throws IOException, URISyntaxException { Map < Object, Object > map = System.getProperties(); while (true) { map.put(new Key("key"), "value"); } }
This simple implementation will lead to the following scenario at runtime:
Notice how the garbage collector stopped being able to reclaim memory around 1:40, and notice the memory leak; the number of GC collections dropped almost four times immediately after.
How to Prevent It
In these situations, the solution is simple – it’s crucial to provide the hashCode() and equals() implementations.
One tool worth mentioning here is Project Lombok – this provides a lot of default implementation by annotations, e.g. @EqualsAndHashCode.
3. How to Find Leaking Sources in Your Application
Diagnosing memory leaks is a lengthy process that requires a lot of practical experience, debugging skills and detailed knowledge of the application.
Let’s see which techniques can help you in addition to standard profiling.
3.1. Verbose Garbage Collection
One of the quickest ways to identify a memory leak is to enable verbose garbage collection.
By adding the -verbose:gc parameter to the JVM configuration of our application, we’re enabling a very detailed trace of GC. Summary reports are shown in default error output file, which should help you understand how your memory is being managed.
3.2. Do Profiling
The second technique is the one we’ve been using throughout this article – and that’s profiling. The most popular profiler is Visual VM – which is a good place to start moving past command-line JDK tools and into lightweight profiling.
In this article, we used another profiler – YourKit – which has some additional, more advanced features compared to Visual VM.
3.3. Review Your Code
Finally, this is more of a general good practice than a specific technique to deal with memory leaks.
Simply put – review your code thoroughly, practice regular code reviews and make good use of static analysis tools to help you understand your code and your system.
Conclusion
In this tutorial, we had a practical look at how memory leaks happen on the JVM. Understanding how these scenarios happen is the first step in the process of dealing with them.
Then, having the techniques and tools to really see what’s happening at runtime, as the leak occurs, is critical as well. Static analysis and careful code-focused reviews can only do so much, and – at the end of the day – it’s the runtime that will show you the more complex leaks that aren’t immediately identifiable in the code.
Finally, leaks can be notoriously hard to find and reproduce because many of them only happen under intense load, which generally happens in production. This is where you need to go beyond code-level analysis and work on two main aspects – reproduction and early detection.
The best and most reliable way to reproduce memory leaks is to simulate the usage patterns of a production environment as close as possible, with the help of a good suite of performance tests.
And early detection is where a solid performance management solution and even an early detection solution can make a significant difference, as it’s the only way to have the necessary insight into the runtime of your application in production.
The full implementation of this tutorial can be found over on GitHub. This is a Maven based project, so it can simply be imported and run as it is. |
A Houston woman who says she was drugged and brutally raped at Neon Boots Dancehall and Saloon — and then left alone and locked inside the club for hours — sued the business Thursday for negligence.
The harrowing details are laid out in a statement the woman provided to the Houston Press, and in the lawsuit itself, which suggests that the perpetrator is a club employee. In a statement to KTRK last week, Neon Boots' representatives said they are cooperating with authorities. An assistant manager told the Press Thursday that he could not comment while the criminal investigation was pending. (The suit names Neon Boots and RRJJJD, LLC. The most recent Texas Secretary of State filings for that company list Rodney D. Myers and James L. Daily III as president and vice president, respectively).
The 44-year-old woman, identified only as "Jane Doe" in the lawsuit, claims that she went to the northwest Houston club with friends the night of October 4, and woke up around 5:30 a.m. the following morning on the floor of the ladies' room, bloody, bruised and in extreme pain, unaware of how she wound up there. She says her cell phone was dead, and, realizing she was stranded, set off the club's burglar alarm to summon help.
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Medical records "concluded that she was brutally torn from being vaginally raped and sodomized," according to the suit. "She also had severe bruising on both of her inner thighs, resembling fingerprints, as if someone had forcibly opened her legs."
The woman's attorney, Diana Sims, says the Houston Police Department added insult to injury by not immediately questioning club staff, and claims that the lead investigator let the case languish until contacted by KTRK reporter Jessica Willey last week.
According to the lawsuit, the woman met friends for a birthday dinner at a restaurant the night of October 3, where she had two glasses of wine over approximately two and a half or three hours. The group then went to another bar, where she had one cocktail. The suit claims that she arrived at Neon Boots with 13 others, who all say the woman didn't appear to be drunk by the time most of them left at midnight. After that, independent witnesses noticed the woman acting bizarre and aggressive.
"Several witnesses stated that she exhibited signs of being on some sort of drug," the suit alleges. "She was touching people inappropriately and grabbing people as they passed by her. It was blatantly obvious to these witnesses that she was highly intoxicated, even though none of the witnesses observed her excessive drinking."
The woman became so obnoxious that one of these witnesses told a bartender around 2 a.m. that there was an intoxicated patron who needed to leave. Another patron "recalled being ushered out of the bar around 2:15 a.m., with her friends, yet she observed [the woman] standing alone at the back of the bar...Throughout the night, this witness watched [the woman's] erratic behavior and was confused as to why the staff allowed this obviously intoxicate[d] patron to remain in the bar, even at closing time, when everyone else was told to leave."
Video surveillance shows the woman walking to the ladies' room around 2:15 a.m., according to the lawsuit. What happened between then and when she awoke at 5:30 a.m. was, according to the lawsuit, a vicious, prolonged attack "seemingly committed by someone extremely familiar with his surroundings and skillful enough to avoid the normal bar closing protocol of Neon Boots."
In a statement provided to the Press, the woman alleges that:
On the morning of October 4, 2015, I woke up and felt dazed and confused. I had no idea where I was but it was very cold and dark. I could tell I was lying on a cement floor and tried to move my hands and legs but they just wouldn’t obey the commands my brain was giving them. I was terrified and thought I’d been kidnapped and locked in someone’s basement. I don’t know how many times I faded in and out of consciousness but I know it was a few times. As I drifted in and out, I tried to move my arms and legs but it almost felt as if someone had locked me in a box or I was in a very confined space. I couldn’t move and it felt like there were walls all around me. I started to panic but I just couldn’t move or function. I was in a lot of pain, all alone, felt helpless and feared for my life. After lying there a while, I was finally able to start moving around and became more aware of my body and how much pain I was in. I couldn’t comprehend why it felt like my underwear was pulled down but my denim pants were pulled up, unzipped and unbuttoned and my belt was undone. I felt intense pain in my vaginal area and inside and around my anus.
She eventually was able to crawl to a bathroom cupboard and pull herself to her feet. She walked out into the bar and eventually set off the burglar alarm by opening a door to the patio. A police officer, two owners and a manager arrived. Another officer, a female, arrived a little later.
The woman says in her statement:
The two male owners were very rude and made me feel like I was a criminal. They never asked me if I was ok or needed any help. I told the two owners and the police officer I’d been raped and they responded, “How do you know?” I informed all three males I knew because I was badly hurt and in pain. I told them they should walk with me to the back of the bar and I’d take them to the ladies restroom where I’d woken up at approximately 5:30AM. When we got to the bathroom I couldn’t find the light switch but the officer found it and switched the light on. I was shocked at the condition of the bathroom. It looked like a bomb had gone off inside. There was toilet paper everywhere. I could see tissues with blood on them and the trash can was overturned. We looked in one stall and the plastic toilet paper dispenser was broken off the wall and was on the floor. I then remembered my head had been resting on something plastic when I woke up and I informed the police officer that was the spot where I came to at about 5:30. I told the officer and the bar owners it was my blood on the floor and on the tissues but they didn’t believe me so I told the officer to wait outside the bathroom stall while I closed the door and took some toilet paper and wiped myself. I showed him the toilet paper which was covered with dark pink fluid and the officer seemed to be a little more sympathetic after that. While this was going on the owners were standing in the doorway area and could hear our conversation. — I had a lot of pain all over my body. I wanted to show the female officer how bruised my legs were so the male officer stepped outside. I pulled my denim jeans down in front of the female officer and showed her the bruises on the inside of my legs and she confirmed the bruises were consistent with a hand or finger imprint from someone forcing my legs open. — In addition, I had bruising on my arms and around my neck. It felt like I’d been choked and my head was pounding. I had a very bad headache and was very sore on the right side of my temple, skull and forehead. It felt like my head had been hit very forcefully against a hard wall or object. Not all my bruises showed up that morning. Some appeared a day or so later but as the next few days passed, I felt a different area hurting each day.
The lawsuit accuses Neon Boots of negligence for "leaving an intoxicated and assaulted woman locked in the establishment," and by failing to train its staff how to "ensure the safety of an obviously intoxicated patron."
The suit also claims the club is guilty of intentional infliction of emotional distress, because, "instead of conducting business like a reasonable bar, a member of its staff took advantage of the [woman's] vulnerable state by isolating her in the women's restroom and brutally raping and sodomizing her after the bar was closed." |
Medway NHS Foundation trust is one of 11 trusts put on “special measures” because of concerns over high death rates and failings in patient care.
Interim chairman Christopher Langley is hired on a £200,000 package to work as little as one day a week from February. Under the controversial deal, he is paid £14,000 a month plus 10 per cent for “expenses” – regardless of what he actually spent. Temporary chief executive Nigel Beverley is hired on annual rates of £360,000 to work a four-day week.
A Care Quality Commission inspection report warns of blood spattered walls, and A&E staff saying they felt “under siege” as 16 ambulances queued outside.
June 2014
A Telegraph investigation finds that the troubled trust, which had a shortage of 120 nurses, has hired more than 30 interim managers on six-figure packages, including at least ten on annual rates of more than £200,000. The most highly paid have been paid annual rates of up to £540,000 a year.
July 2014
The family of a dying cancer sufferer complain that a huge rat was spotted metres from his bedside.
August 2014
Care Quality Commission warn that Medway is the only one of the 11 put on special measures the previous summer not to have made any significant progress overall. Inspectors pay an unannounced visit to the trust, findings of which are due to be published shortly. They immediately demand changes to ensure patients are assessed within 15 minutes of arrival.
September 2014
CQC publishes an inspection report based on a visit in July. It warns that A&E is in “a state of crisis, with patients “stacked” up waiting to be seen. Inspectors ordered the hospital to provide immediate assurances that changes will be undertaken to “safeguard patients from the risk of harm”.
Five patients suffer from “serious incidents”, including a patient who was left with a needle inside them for two months after surgery and a woman who fractures her hip after falling when left without help trying to get to the toilet.
Six patients wait in A&E for at least 12 hours, including one who waits 30 hours 37 minutes, data later shows. The interim chief executive and chairman leave. Medical director Dr Phillip Barnes becomes acting chief executive and Shena Winning is appointed chairman.
October 2014
Nationally 93.7 per cent of A&E patients are being seen in 4 hours.At Medway the figure is 79.10 per cent, the worst performance so far this year.
Three patients at Medway wait at least 12 hours on a trolley – including one who waits 34 hours 54 minutes. Figures comparing death rates for all hospitals find that mortality at the trust is 17 per cent “higher than expected”.
The trust’s deficit reaches £21.4m. Board reports show that in the current financial year, the trust has spent £14m on agency staff and locums, and £2.57m on management consultants. Spending on agency staff rises 26 per cent in a month.
The trust tries to recruit a new chief executive but fails to appoint anyone.
November 2014
National figures show a doubling in trolley waits of at least 12 hours, compared to this time last year, and warnings of a winter crisis grow.
The Telegraph uncovers data showing at least 10 patients this year have waited more than 20 hours in Medway's A&E unit. National charity the Patients Association says the hospital's record suggests it is now the worst in the country.
Care Quality Commission is due to publish the findings of its latest inspection of Medway November 26th, in a report which is expected to be damning. Regulators are in talks about the future of the trust, with action plans which could mean restrictions on services, or even the dissolution of the trust, likely to be drawn up after CQC’s report is published. Trust insists "the first signs of improvement are being seen" witih figures for 12 – 19 November, showing that just under 97 percent of patients arriving by ambulance getting an initial assessment within 15 minutes. |
Paul Romer has posted an important blog post on the urbanization process. In the case of the nation of Colombia, he seeks to help the leaders of this urbanizing nation to create the necessary conditions to have productive and "livable" future cities. Rather than embracing a "Soviet Style" deterministic plan, he advocates setting up rules of the game that permit many development paths as individual cities discover their industrial comparative advantage and the needs and desires of their growing urban middle class.Here is a direct quote:Q: What do you think are the items that a “quality city” should have?Romer quote "In the beginning, all you can do is make an allocation of public space. But a quality city needs a substantial amount of public space if it is eventually to support high density. For example, in mid-town Manhattan, the roads and the sidewalks alone take up about 30% of the surface area of the land. This was the allocation that was specified in the plan that drawn up in 1811, when what is now mid-town was rural farm area. Informal development will typically devote far less land than this for mobility. And remember, in 1811, when this plan was drawn up, people had no idea how we would be using this land today. They did not know what a bicycle was, much less what a bus or car was. But they knew that in the future, this generous allocation of public space would give the city the flexibility to take advantage of new opportunities."Do you see the implicit discussion of "option value" here. In a world with countless unknowns, where we know that we will learn about our changing environment, only a fool locks himself into a pre-determined path.MORE from Paul RomerHow should the cities confront the fast urban population growth and the continuous industrial and business development?There is great wisdom in the general advice that economists give: let the market guide most decisions. The important exception is that only a government can establish the division between urban public space and urban private land. The difficulty arises because the only affordable way to get this allocation right is to do it before urban development takes place. It is economically expensive to try to do what Haussmann did in Paris under Napoleon III, destroy many buildings and create new public space. Politically, I suspect that this kind of reallocation will never again be feasible. If a city gets the allocation of public and private space right, then the market can guide the development of urban floor-space for housing, industrial, and commercial use. In the beginning the process may look messy. Manhattan had shantytowns and informal development as it grew. But over time, the buildings can change. What won’t change is the quantity of public space.What is the Urbanization Project proposal for developing cities with quality and long-term outlook?We tell officials in rapidly growing cities that they have to set aside now the public space in the area where the city is likely to expand. To stay ahead of rapid growth, the city needs to look far into the future. We encourage cities today to plan for the expansion that will take place between now and 2050 under a fast growth scenario. If the city is growing rapidly, this can require a plan that could accommodate a 10-fold increase in the city’s built area. The land can continue to be farmed until the expansion comes. If there is less growth and the city does not need all this land for urban expansion, there is virtually no cost to having planned for too much. In contrast, if a city does not plan for enough and it suffers from disorganized informal development, the cost is very high.This is fascinating stuff and I much prefer engaging on this subject matter rather than rehashing the recent economic growth debates. Urban economists who seek to work on Romer's Agenda must think harder about what are the theory and empirical questions that need to be answered.Here let me pose a couple;1. As Paul Romer presents his ideas to urban leaders, which urban leaders want to hear these ideas? Ideally, such a selection equation could be estimated. Do younger , more educated leaders want to engage with Romer? Are those with a "free market" perspective more likely to do so? Which mayors in the developing world are willing to experiment with new ideas and why?2. If in a nation such as Colombia a few cities listen to Paul Romer and improve their public goods, will these cities grow faster in the medium term or will their populations swell as the rural poor increasingly move there? In an open system of cities featuring easy within nation migration, if a subset is well governed while others are not, do the incumbent land owners gain or lose?3. For urbanites in LDCs, what are their key local quality of life desires? Health care, good nutrition, employment, education for their kids? Street safety? How does the urbanization process affect each of these? One pathway would be that urbanization raises incomes and higher incomes permit (through Engel curve consumption paths) the ability to improve one's quality of life along all of the dimensions I just listed.4. As urbanization takes place in LDC cities, does income inequality rise or fall? One could imagine a "great compression" similar to Goldin and Margo's findings for the U.S in the 1950s as the manufacturing sector's growth helps the less educated. If income inequality increases, does this raise civic unrest? Have improvements in policing (due to information technology) helped to mitigate the challenge of urbanization and crime in the developing world?5. Do mayors learn in networks? Which mayors learn from the experience of which other cities? When Mike Bloomberg experimented in NYC, which mayors were watching and imitated his "good ideas"? Or, is it the case that it takes so long for a field experiment to be implemented and then be evaluated that mayors stop paying attention? |
The Hole
UPDATE 5/7/2014
These are the latest hole pictures. I’m told it is healing very well.
Update 12/31/14
The hole is as healed as it is going to get. It is pain free and doing well. I will forever have a divet in my back, but at least I didn’t die or anything.
Still not grossed out enough?
HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS HERE (<— updated as well)
HOLE FAQ
I developed an infected carbuncle on my back. It hurt a lot. A LOT.
A carbuncle is basically a large lump under the skin filled with infected fluids. If the bacteria enters the blood stream it can be very serious. Thus, it must be removed.
I had to go to the hospital for several days.
The doctor had to surgically remove all of the infected bits. The infection was large so he kept having to make the hole bigger and bigger until all of the infection was removed.
The infection is likely from diabetes and my poor immune system.
I am in much less pain than before the operation. It only hurts if I roll on it, snag it, or poke it.
I sleep on my side or stomach.
I was on powerful antibiotics to make sure the infection did not return. I am no longer taking them. The doctor said I am in the clear.
The hole is clean and free of infection. I have special soap that I clean it with in the shower. It will not kill me if it is exposed for a short period of time. Normally it is packed with moist sterile gauze and then covered and taped.
I did have nurses that came and checked on my wound every couple of days. Since the hole is doing so well, I do not need them to come anymore and my mom dresses my wound.
The hole could not be stitched and closed because of its size. It also needs to drain.
The hole will heal in a few weeks. It will take much, much longer to close up. Possibly several months. It will have a nasty scar. |
Postpone warming by less than four years by 2100
Statistician: UN climate treaty will cost $100 trillion – To Have No Impact
Danish statistician Dr. Bjorn Lomborg, the President of the Copenhagen Consensus Center: ‘We will spend at least one hundred trillion dollars in order to reduce the temperature by the end of the century by a grand total of three tenths of one degree…the equivalent of postponing warming by less than four years…Again, that is using the UN’s own climate prediction model.’ ‘If the U.S. delivers for the whole century on the President Obama’s very ambitious rhetoric, it would postpone global warming by about eight months at the end of the century.’
‘But here is the biggest problem: These miniscule benefits do not come free—quite the contrary. The cost of the UN Paris climate pact is likely to run 1 to 2 trillion dollars every year.’ Danish statistician Dr. Bjorn Lomborg, the President of the Copenhagen Consensus Center, has come out denouncing the UN climate Paris agreement as a massive waste of money that will do nothing to impact climate change. In a January 16, 2017 Prager U video titled, “The Paris Climate Agreement Won’t Change the Climate,” Lomborg explains that “the agreement will cost a fortune, but do little to reduce global warming.” (Full transcript here) ‘Exactly how much will this treaty reduce global temperatures?’ ‘The UN agreement will cost a fortune, but do little to reduce global warming.’ Lomborg ridiculed the UN Paris agreement supporters as making “grand pronouncements and vague specifics.” More… The Paris Climate Agreement Won’t Change the Climate
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Mr. Morano is the former communications director for the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee and former advisor and speechwriter for Sen.James Inhofe. Morano’s Climate Deportis a special project of CFACT.org
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Median salaries for high-tech workers City Median salary San Diego equivalent Silicon Valley $132,057 $103,508 San Francisco $123,479 $79,619 Boston $102,230 $83,948 Washington, DC $100,488 $100,488* Durham, N.C. $100,402 $140,402 New York $98,541 $78,396 Oakland $98,406 $101,228 Seattle $96,741 $90,025 Boulder $93,590 $93,099 Philadelphia $93,406 $118,732 San Diego $93,250 $93,250 Austin $93,240 $116,506 Denver $92,156 $118,729 Los Angeles $91,152 $83,766 * The cost of living in Washington, D.C., and San Diego is essentially the same.
**Housing costs in the cost of living index are based on “monthly rental equivalents” but not the full price of a new home.
(Median tech salaries in 2009, compared to the buying power of those salaries in San Diego County, after adjusting for cost of living.)
Sources: TechAmerica and Sperling’s Best Places * The cost of living in Washington, D.C., and San Diego is essentially the same.**Housing costs in the cost of living index are based on “monthly rental equivalents” but not the full price of a new home.(Median tech salaries in 2009, compared to the buying power of those salaries in San Diego County, after adjusting for cost of living.)Sources: TechAmerica and Sperling’s Best Places
Looking to hire Thanks to such movies as Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Green Hornet” and the Shrek movies, the workforce at Carmel Valley’s Legend3D has grown exponentially during the recession. In the past year, the local workforce — which converts Hollywood movies into 3D — jumped tenfold from 40 to 400 employees. This year it plans to hire 150 locally. And with 3D technology moving into television, founder and chief operating officer Barry Sandrew sees no imminent end to the expansion. Locally, the firm looks for art school graduates with a general knowledge of computer graphics. “Because we work with proprietary technology, it’s not necessary for applicants to have honed specific skills,” he said. The firm also looks for more experienced video production workers. The biggest obstacle is when he tries to recruit workers from Los Angeles because they worry that coming down the I-5 will take them out of the heart of the film industry. “But then they see that our company is a major part of some of the top films that are out today,” he said. Over the past two years, San Diego’s Cubic Corp. has added 246 workers, mostly mechanical, electrical, software and systems engineers. After boosting its profits 13 percent last year to $284 million, Cubic — whose products range from transportation systems to military training programs — expects 100 new hires this year. But it’s tough to find workers to fill high-skilled slots, said Bob Stamp, the company’s corporate staffing manager. “Most companies would ideally like to have the ‘A’ players, with four to seven years of experience, but those are very hard to find and if you do find them, they’re very difficult to pry out of their current jobs,” he said. To find skilled workers, Cubic has an employee referral program. During select job searches, anybody who turns in the resume of a qualified job applicant gets free movie tickets and popcorn. If the applicant gets the job, the employee can get a bonus of $3,000 or $5,000. Stamp said 68 percent of Cubic’s jobs are filled via internal referrals.
Even though the jobless rate continues to hover in the double digits, there are literally thousands of high-paid job openings in San Diego County just waiting for the applicants with the right skills, according to the leaders of the local high-tech community.
But they say that finding those applicants can be a challenge, partly because of the area’s high cost of living and the lingering perception that San Diego’s more of a beach town than a Silicon Valley South.
A survey of local businesses by the San Diego Software Industry Council indicates there are around 6,000 information-technology job openings in the county. In addition, there are about 2,000 job openings in mechanical and electrical engineering, says Connect, a group formed to support the local high-tech community.
“Our universities have terrific programs in engineering, biotechnology and other fields, but we lose a large number when they graduate, especially the ones who don’t have family roots here,” said Roy Moore, chief executive of the wireless industry association CommNexus.
“As many as 20 to 30 percent either go back to where they came from or move to places where the jobs are more plentiful, such as Silicon Valley. A lot of software engineers are being sucked into the Valley to work for companies like Facebook, Google, Oracle, E-Bay, Yahoo and Hewlett-Packard.”
The companies that are looking for workers range from Jack in the Box, which is hiring systems architects to improve communications between its far-flung computers, to Huawei, a Chinese wireless firm trying to make inroads into the U.S. market.
Intuit — a creator of financial software and online applications — hired more than 300 workers in San Diego last year and currently has plans to hire 55 more.
“Historically, we’ve had consistent and relatively large hiring needs,” said Chris Galy, Intuit’s director of talent acquisition. “We’ve got a steady stream of interns and graduates from UCSD and other schools. Some of our hottest work now is to develop apps for the iPhone and iPad, so it’s good to have younger people who have grown up using the Internet.”
But there are also openings for older, more experienced workers. One recent hire is Mimika Koletsou, a 34-year-old Greek immigrant who was working as a software consultant for the pharmaceutical industry before landing a full-time job at Intuit last October. Koletsou said that over the past couple of years, the freelance consulting business had become a bit tougher because of the economy.
“But there is a critical mass of companies here that will flourish when the economy improves,” she said.
If that hiring doesn’t seem to jibe with the local 10.1 percent jobless rate, keep in mind that the jobless rate has been weighted down by the virtual depression in hard-hit industries like retail and construction. The highest unemployment rates are concentrated among low-educated workers: 14.2 percent for high school dropouts compared to 4.2 percent for the four-year college graduates being sought after by high-tech companies.
"Pretty much every software engineering graduate gets two job offers as soon as they get out of school: one from Google and one from Facebook," said Bob Slapin, executive director of the Software Industry Council.
Moore at CommNexus adds that "even if you move one notch down below a degreed software engineer and get down to self-taught IT (information technology) workers, there’s probably a couple thousand of open jobs around the county, not necessarily in tech companies but in bricks-and-mortar places like Jack in the Box or WD-40.”
San Diego’s high-tech sector weathered the recession better than most of its peers, according to a report released in December by TechAmerica. The report showed that in 2009 San Diego tied with Denver for 0.4 percent growth, which was enough to rank the two cities as the fastest-growing among the top 20 tech job markets. San Diego added 700 research and development workers that year and 500 computer systems design workers, although losses in other areas kept the total gain at 500.
And the hiring is continuing. There are currently more than 1,000 job openings listed at the Software Industry Council's job site. (Click HERE for the link.) In the past month alone, 210 local job postings have been added to JobNexus, a want-ad site run by CommNexus. (Click HERE for the JobNexus site.)
Leading the pack on that site is Entropic Communications, which specializes in semiconductors for home networking and entertainment systems. Entropic is seeking 15 workers, including two vice presidents, to oversee its software systems and quality management. The Volt employment firm is looking for 13 workers, ranging from software analysts to a recruiter who can bolster its headhunting for tech workers. Such firms as Qualcomm, Sony, Sempra and SAIC are seeking more than 10 each.
In addition to the hurdle of losing prospects to other high-tech areas, San Diego also has a tough job bringing in workers from the outside, partly because salaries don’t always compensate for the high cost of living. The local median salary for a high-tech worker is $93,250, just $10 different from the median in Austin, Texas. But San Diego’s median home price of $333,000 compares with Austin’s median of $222,450, according to Sperling’s Best Places, which compares U.S. cities. Sperling’s estimates that a median-salary tech worker moving from Austin to San Diego would need to make $116,506 to make up for the higher living costs.
Similarly, a worker in North Carolina’s high-tech center in Durham — which has a high median salary of $100,402 — would need $40,000 more to have the same purchasing power in San Diego. A median-paid tech worker in Denver would need $27,000 more.
On the other hand, Sperling’s says that San Diegans are relatively well-paid compared to workers in pricier areas like Boston or San Francisco, where the median salary of $123,479 has the purchasing power of a San Diegan making $79,619. That’s one reason why so many people who work in San Francisco live elsewhere.
Bob Stamp, who heads recruiting at Cubic Corp., said that because of the relatively high cost of living in San Diego, “the only person you’re going to get from out of state is someone who really, really wants to live here.” He said he sometimes gets lucky by landing a military spouse or someone who is following a boyfriend or girlfriend into the region.
“But when you get applicants from places like Texas or Florida, which don’t even have (state) income taxes, and then they price out the difference in the cost of living, they feel they should be getting $50,000 or $60,000 more per year to make up for it,” he said. “For some very key people you have to step up and meet those salary requirements or offer them very lucrative relocation packages. But in general you really can’t do that.”
Tom Munro, chief executive at the pay-TV security firm Verimatrix, also said that his firm has occasionally moved people in the past, to make up for concerns about real estate prices and taxes. “But it’s a very rare exception that we would do that,” he added.
On the other hand, Sobrian argued, there is probably no better time than the present to bring people to San Diego, because home prices are probably nearly as low as they will ever be. “And the lifestyle is tremendous here and our weather is unparalleled, which is why some people do decide to come,” she added.
But San Diego’s image as a resort area has problems of its own. “Part of the challenge of attracting talent from outside the area is that when people look at San Diego, they don’t realize how big our technology clusters are,” Sobrian said. “They think of San Diego as a tourist town and they’re afraid that if their job doesn’t work out or if their company gets sold, they might not be able to find another job here and they’ll have to move again. Or if they’re married they worry that if they come here, their spouses might not be able to find a job. Cities like San Francisco and Boston have a reputation for having much larger tech clusters.”
Even though San Diego has spent the past two decades trying to reposition itself as Wireless Mesa or Biotech Beach, its image as a tourist destination continues to overshadow its tech achievements, said Slapin at the Software Industry Council.
Slapin said the perception that San Diego has limited "second job" openings for applicants who want to continue their careers after taking a first job here was the top concern of the companies responding to his survey, outweighing worries about the cost of living.
"Our reputation as a tech center is just not what we need it to be," he said. "We've found that even in places like Orange County and Los Angeles, Riverside is often perceived as having greater tech opportunities than San Diego." |
If you weren’t already convinced that HTC is gunning for Samsung with everything they’ve got, take a look at the company’s launch plans for the One M8.
HTC shocked quite a few people last week when it made the M8 available to purchase just minutes after it was announced. You could order it online from almost every major carrier and have it delivered to your house the very next day. If you wanted to see a One M8 in stores, Verizon Wireless had scored a temporary exclusive. That exclusive was only ever going to last a little while, but HTC has decided to make its in-store debut with at least one carrier happen on the exact same day Samsung will launch the Galaxy S5.
One 4/11, alongside the Galaxy S5 and the Gear smartwatch trio, T-Mobile Stores will be carrying the 32GB gunmetal variant of the HTC One M8. The phone comes pre-loaded with all of the usual T-Mobile software goodies, including visual voicemail and T-Mobile TV, and of course includes a microSD slot that can support up to 128GB more storage. It’s the same day that the T-Mobile website claims that it will start shipping the phone from their warehouses, so it seems likely that the phone will be available at the other carrier stores on the same day.
Samsung is by far the most popular Android OEM today, with the Galaxy S5 expected to have record sales for the company (based on pre-orders). HTC choosing to launch its phone in stores on the same day is one of many jabs the smaller company has taken recently in the hopes that it will win them customers. HTC has done a great job delivering a powerful new phone, and the next month will undoubtedly be spent comparing the One M8 and the Galaxy S5 in every conceivable way, but in the end it seems like HTC runs the risk of being shut out in this head-to-head situation.
[Photo by Chris Sewell] |
Poll
Lawrence and Nugent threat make Derby trip a daunting one... but history favours the Blues
Ipswich Town will have to face former loanee Tom Lawrence when they play Derby County. Picture: PA PA Wire/PA Images
Tuesday night’s trip to in-form Derby County is certainly a daunting one for Ipswich Town – but history says there is reason to be optimistic.
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Gary Rowett’s Rams currently sit sixth in the Championship table, having won six of their last eight games, with the latest coming on Saturday when they demolished promotion-chasing Middlesbrough at the Riverside.
After that game Rowett hailed hat-trick hero Matej Vydra as ‘the best No 10 in the league’, with the Czech striker just one of a number of players the Blues will be wary of.
That cast is undoubtedly led by former star loanee Tom Lawrence and nemesis striker David Nugent, but the power-packed midfield of Andreas Weimann Tom Huddlestone and Joe Ledley is also the envy of many in the league.
Lawrence lit up Portman Road with a stunning run of eight goals in 10 games in the opening weeks of 2017, staging his own goal of the season competition in the process, but proved out of Ipswich’s financial reach as the Rams swooped to sign him for £6million.
STUART WATSON: A week which suggests Town are heading for mid-table mediocrity
As for Nugent, he may only have four goals to his name this season, but a much-discussed record of 15 in 15 against Ipswich means there is a sense of inevitability whenever he lines up against the Blues.
It’s been nearly two years since his last goal against Ipswich, though, and he did not play in either of the Rams’ clashes with Mick McCarthy’s side last season. So he’s either lost his touch or is overdue.
Both Nugent and Lawrence are likely to start.
Luke Varney celebrates scoring at Derby last season. Picture: PAGEPIX Luke Varney celebrates scoring at Derby last season. Picture: PAGEPIX
Tomorrow night’s game pits the Blues against a Derby side operating in a ‘different’ financial market to McCarthy and his team, but their record in the East Midlands has defied that inequality for more than a decade.
MORE: Sears had a chance to impress in a rare start at Villa... but his struggle for form goes on
Remarkably, Ipswich are unbeaten in their last nine trips to Pride Park, with that run stretching back to November 29, 2006.
That run includes back-to-back 1-0 wins, courtesy of Luke Varney and David McGoldrick goals, a total of six victories, 14 goals scored and a memorable 4-4 draw under the floodlights in 2013.
The iPro has certainly been a happy hunting ground for many years, but you get the sense the Blues will have to be at their predatory best if they are to extend that run to a 10th game. |
Churnalism US is a new web tool and browser extension that allows anyone to compare the news you read against existing content to uncover possible instances of plagiarism. It is a joint project with the Media Standards Trust.
Simply feed in a link or block of text to the Churnalism site or let the browser extension run in the background to notify you of any matches of text from Churnalism’s cache of documents. They include most articles in Wikipedia, press releases from PR Newswire, PR News Web, EurekaAlert!, congressional leadership offices, the White House, a sampling of Fortune 500 companies, prominent philanthropic foundations and much more. The browser extension available for Chrome, Internet Explorer and Firefox (full approval pending) allows Churnalism to extract article text from a whitelist of common news sites and lets you know when something you’re reading may be copied from another source. It’s a rare occurrence, but it’s not unprecedented. Just last week Tom Lee, a noted Churnalism beta tester and Sunlight Labs Director, found through Churnalism that Reuters’ prematurely published obituary of still-alive-human George Soros borrowed heavily from the collection of quotes on his Wikipedia page.
For a video walkthrough of how to use the Churnalism web tool and extensions please watch this two minute tutorial on Sunlight Academy featuring Kaitlin Devine, a developer on Churnalism:
Sunlight’s Churnalism is based on a UK site of the same name and is driven by open-source text analysis technology dubbed SuperFastMatch, both developed by the awesome Media Standards Trust. For a deeper dive into the underlying technology and process behind the project, check out this detailed post from Drew Vogel, another developer on Churnalism.
With the extension installed, you can learn about the sourced and unsourced flow of text copied from somewhere else. For some anecdotal evidence from my experience using Churnalism, I’ve found a number of instances of articles about science topics relying heavily on press releases and study summaries. For example, take this piece on the BBC website about epilepsy and migraines. Churnalism found a significant portion of the text came from this press release in EurekaAlert! and let me know with a ribbon notification on the top of the page. By tapping the Show Me button on the notification, Churnalism overlays a side-by-side display of the article and the possible match with copied text highlighted for easy comparison:
Using the Churnalism browser extension it’s easy to see the overlap between the article shown on the left linked to the corresponding text copied from a press release on the right.
The best way to detect influence and language sharing from other sources is to install the browser extension and continue consuming news. You’ll slowly start uncovering overlaps of language seen in this CBS News report, this piece on NBC News or maybe uncover a reverse application of Churnalism, like this New York Times article that is cited heavily in a Wikipedia article.
We understand the privacy sensitivities with an extension extracting text from what you read, so we’ve designed Churnalism to be quite customizable and never retain identifiable information such as your IP address. You can easily change which sites Churnalism runs on by going into the settings for the browser extension. We’ve provided a basic whitelist of major news sites, a listing of local news affiliates and the ability to let Churnalism run on any site with news or article in url, but all these can be removed or paired down (or expanded!) to whatever sites you’re interested in.
We’re very excited to get this project out into the public and hope to continue to improve the underlying software as there are some excited potential applications for large corpus text matching. We used the SuperFastMatch technology to look at model legislation and it drove stories like our look at how ALEC distributed the ‘Stand Your Ground’ legislation for adoption in a number of different states.
Let us know any interesting Churnalism matches you uncover! |
PATERSON - Paterson Mayor Jose "Joey" Torres' daughter is still being paid for her water commission position despite resigning days before her father's indictment was made public last month, NorthJersey.com reported.
Clarissa Torres, who earned $68,340 at her post at the Passaic Valley Water Commission, remained on the payroll as of Monday, a secretary confirmed to the site.
The secretary had previously said that Clarissa Torres handed in her resignation letter, but refused to provide a copy because it had not been approved by the commission's board, according to the report.
A property leased by Clarissa Torres and another family member is at the center of charges against her father.
He was accused of having city employees work on a warehouse leased by Quality Beer, a company formed by Clarissa Torres and a nephew. The Department of Public Works allegedly billed the city for overtime pay for work performed at the site.
Torres was charged along with three DPW supervisors. Joey Torres has denied the charges and remains in office as mayor. Clarissa Torres was not charged.
Sara Jerde may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @SaraJerde. |
Falco's Nicolai Helius with the pre-production Pinion gearbox. To say that this is a special bike would be an understatement.
Why a gearbox?
Pinion P1.18 details:
Photos courtesy of www.mtb-news.de
Riding the Pinion:
Pinkbike’s take:
What do you think of Pinion's gearbox? Is this the one that finally puts gearboxes into mainstream use?
If you’ve ever wondered, no we’re not above theft for you, our lovely readers. Especially when it comes to something as exciting as this new gearbox from Pinion. We spotted them at Eurobike a few weeks ago and it’s fair to say we were pretty excited about them. So when Falco from Pinion showed up on our doorstep with his pre-production bike, we felt we owed it to you. As soon as he turned his back for five minutes we hammered (or if Falco's reading this, lovingly fitted) the nearest set of pedals into his bike and legged it. Can you blame us?Rear mechs are a flawed system, there’s a box of broken mechs sitting in the same garage we stole Falco’s bike from to prove that theory. These days they shift incredibly well, but they are always vulnerable to being ripped off, are open to the elements and put weight in awkward part of the bike. So over the years many people have tried to find a different system: Rohlhoff and Shimano make their incredibly intricate geared hubs, Honda put a mech in a box and Lahar mounted a geared hub in the middle of the frame. Not to mention a small legion of men in sheds with novel solutions.None of these have really given enough of an improvement to really catch on though. Internal gear hubs tend to drag, Hondas had a complicated system of chains to drive the bike and the Lahar had both of these problems. And a common theme among all of them was the weight, they’re all relatively heavy.This is why we’re so excited about the Pinion system. They have done something that now you see it seems obvious, but nobody has tried before – mounting the gears around the bottom bracket. Getting your head round the Pinion system is somewhat of a mindset change, gears have always been something you can bolt onto your bike, but with this they're part of the frame. It isn't overly complicated (on the outside, at least) and it seems competitive weight-wise.What Pinion have behind them is engineering expertise – Christoph and Michael, the founders of Pinion, met while working at Porsche on projects like their double clutch gearbox. With that kind of background you can’t doubt they know a thing or two about gearboxes. They haven’t rushed either, this project has taken them more than five years to get to this stage and they’re still developing them. The version we tried was number 18, but there’s more tweaks coming before production.• 18 gears without an overlapping gear range• Sequential shifting with 11.5% jumps• 636% gear range• Uses a twist shifter• Total weight: 2.6kg (• MSRP: Helius AM frame w/ Pinion P1.18 gearbox - $3399 EURSo what did we manage to find out before Falco managed to catch us? Well, it works. It was a little strange using gripshift again, like some late-90s flashback, but the feel of the shifter was pretty nice - it’s very light and the indexing is crisp. We did notice that without a rear mech it was a touch unusual not to feel the feedback from chain moving on a cassette through your feet, but not in a bad way. There’s no noticeable drag anywhere in the system either, although that shouldn’t be surprising.The eighteen gears were plenty, the range was fantastic and they felt nicely spaced out. Having all eighteen in one place made shifting over the range much simpler and this could be a big advantage over multiple chainrings. There’s no repetition of ratios and you can get to them in quick sequence.Falco later explained (he did forgive us) that you need to learn a couple of things with the gearbox. You can’t always shift when you’ve got the power down, but he’s confident that’s just an adjustment to your riding style and after a few days on the bike it’s something you’d find natural. We did notice this pedalling, there seems to be a threshold to how much power you can put through the pedals and shift. If you’re just cruising along it’s not a problem, it's only when you put a bit of force into matters. When the pedals are in the vertical position there’s no pressure going through the gearbox, so if you’ve got good cornering technique you should be able to grab a handful of gears ready for the exit, which was always one of the advantages of gearbox designs.Weight-wise the bike was on the money too. Falco’s bike is around the 33lb mark (15kg), which is about right for a 170mm trail bike with this kind of build, especially one made by Nicolai. The tubeset in this bike is the same one they use in their downhill frames...On our quick spin we came away with the overall impression that the Pinion felt very normal. This may sound anticlimactic, but it’s actually very important, it feels like a system you could live with. There are lot of questions we have now that can only be answered by getting one of these out on the trails, but based on our first impressions we’re excited to answer them...Visit the Pinion website for more info. |
In this chapter from DevOps: A Software Architect's Perspective , the authors discuss how DevOps achieves its goals partially by replacing explicit coordination with implicit and often less coordination, and how the architecture of the system being developed acts as the implicit coordination mechanism. They begin by discussing whether DevOps practices necessarily imply architectural change.
A distributed system is one in which the failure of a computer you didnt even know existed can render you own computer unusable.
—Leslie Lamport
In this chapter we begin to see the structural implications of the DevOps practices. These practices have implications with respect to both the overall structure of the system and techniques that should be used in the systems elements. DevOps achieves its goals partially by replacing explicit coordination with implicit and often less coordination, and we will see how the architecture of the system being developed acts as the implicit coordination mechanism. We begin by discussing whether DevOps practices necessarily imply architectural change.
4.1 Do DevOps Practices Require Architectural Change?
You may have a large investment in your current systems and your current architecture. If you must re-architect your systems in order to take advantage of DevOps, a legitimate question is Is it worth it? In this section we see that some DevOps practices are independent of architecture, whereas in order to get the full benefit of others, architectural refactoring may be necessary.
Recall from Chapter 1 that there are five categories of DevOps practices. |
A few thoughts on the current debate between hard and soft Brexit, and why I prefer soft Brexit:
“Hard” and “soft” Brexit are not clearly-defined positions. They are usually thought of as being the UK getting no deal with the EU at all, and relying on WTO rules to trade with the EU (“hard Brexit”) and the UK staying as a member of the Single Market, like Norway (“soft Brexit”). But the eventual outcome may be somewhere in the middle, and a “hard” Brexit could mean the UK getting a rather limited trade deal with Europe, such as one that abolishes tariffs for goods but does not safeguard services firms, while a “soft” Brexit could mean Single Market-like rules governing certain sectors (such as finance) but not others. It’s probably best to think of them as referring to how extensive the free trade deal we have with Europe is. A lot of what’s going on right now is posturing. This can’t be emphasised enough. It’s tempting to try to read a lot into what different ministers say about the relative attractiveness of membership of, or access to, the Single Market, or the ease with which we could adopt WTO rules and go it alone ourselves. On the other side are European politicians like Francois Hollande who have been quite gung-ho about how quickly the UK should leave the EU, or like the European Parliament’s chief negotiator Guy Verhofstadt who has been quite hardline about the supposed all-or-nothing nature of the Single Market. In my opinion, all of these people are playing to their respective galleries and posturing before negotiations begin, and their statements are best taken with a pinch of salt. Hard vs Soft are not simple proxies for Leave vs Remain. A lot of Remainers prefer the hard Brexit option – Nick Boles MP, for example, kindly cited our case for the EEA Option (a soft option) in a recent post but decided that he preferred a hard Brexit option – while a lot of Leavers are leaning towards a softer exit option, as with long-time Brexiteer Roland Smith’s case for the EEA Option or Daniel Hannan MEP, who has emphasised the need for a close economic relationship with the EU (but is opposed to full Single Market membership). Free trade is not just about tariffs. It’s easy to assume that tariff-free access to an economic bloc is all you need for firms to be able to trade freely, but regulations matter a lot too. Countries can obstruct trade with regulations intentionally – one example is France’s requirement that services like Netflix carry at least 40% French-made content – or unintentionally – different safety standards, for example, might mean that a medical device made in the UK to British safety standards cannot be sold in the US without going through a very costly testing process in the US as well. Since tariffs are already very low between developed nations, modern free trade agreements are about mutually accepting other countries’ regulations (if it’s made in Britain and passes British rules, you can sell it in America too – and vice-versa) or agreeing on a shared set of rules for firms in both countries to adhere to. The Single Market is not all-or-nothing. It’s a mistake to believe EU rhetoric about the Single Market being a single, monolithic thing. We are very far from having a true Single Market in services – according to a 2013 government report “the Services Directive only covers half of the services sector, and is only partially implemented”, and other regulations overlap causing inadvertent barriers to services trade. With this in mind we can begin to see the bluster behind the EU’s supposed ‘red line’ on Freedom of Movement. I think it’s quite possible that we may end up with a deal that gets us free movement of workers (people employed by or with a job offer from a UK firm) but not free movement of all people, as well as things like an emergency brake.
And why I support a “soft Brexit” (though some at the ASI disagree): |
No matter how many times you avoided walking under a ladder, picked a four leaf clover, rubbed a rabbit’s foot or just crossed your fingers it did not work.
The Miami Heat could not overcome the 98.2 percent odds in Tuesday’s Draft Lottery and will be picking 14th in the June 22 draft.
But all is not lost. Of the 63 players selected with the 14th pick in NBA draft history, one already has his spot in the Hall of Fame and one has his number hanging in the AmericanAirlines Arena rafters.
Tim Hardaway, the greatest point guard in Heat franchise history, was taken 14th overall by the Warriors in 1989. Hardaway, who played at Texas El-Paso, was traded to Miami in 1996 and along with Alonzo Mourning led the Heat to six consecutive playoff appearances. Hardaway was a five-time All-Star and six times voted to one of the top three all-league teams.
Finding another Hardaway would be huge. But finding a Hall of Famer like Clyde Drexler would be franchise altering.
Yes, Drexler is a member of the 14th-Pick Club. He was taken in 1983 by Portland. He then carved out a Hall of Fame career with the Trail Blazers and Rockets, averaging 20.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 15 seasons, 10 of which he was an All-Star.
Drexler is the only player drafted 14th to average at least 20 points. Next in scoring is Hardaway at 17.7 per game and third is Peja Stojakovic, who averaged 17.0 points in 13 seasons, mostly with Sacramento. Stojakovic was drafted by the Kings in 1996 and was a three-time All-Star.
Hardaway is not the only prominent former Heat player to be taken 14th overall. Dan Majerle, who was drafted by the Suns in 1988 and signed with Miami in 1996, was a part of five of those Heat playoff teams as Hardaway’s teammate. Majerle was a three-time All-Star.
Which brings us to our all-time team comprised of 14th overall picks (We are going small):
PG: Tim Hardaway, 1989, Golden State.
SG: Clyde Drexler, 1983, Portland.
SF: Peja Stojakovic, 1996, Sacramento.
PF: Dan Majerle, 1988, Phoenix.
C: Maurice Lucas, 1974, Chicago.
Bench: G Luke Ridnour, 2003, Seattle; F/C Troy Murphy, 2001, Golden State; F Walter Berry, 1986, Portland; F Michael Cage, 1984, Clippers; F Herb Williams, 1981, Indiana; C Tree Rollins, 1977 Atlanta; G Dick Snyder, 1966, St. Louis.
The last five 14th overall picks:
2016: Denzel Valentine, SG, Milwaukee: Averaged 10.7 points in 57 games off bench.
2015: Cameron Payne, PG, OKC: Sent to D-League six times in two years; traded to Chicago in February.
2014: T.J. Warren, SF, Phoenix: Started 59 games this year, averaged 14.4 points.
2013: Shabazz Muhammad, SG, Utah: Traded to Minn.; numbers dropping since avg. 13.5 points second year.
2012: John Henson, PF, Milwaukee: Best year was second – 11.1 pts., 7.1 rebounds.
[2017 NBA draft lottery: Miami Heat will have 14th overall pick in June 22 draft]
[Mailbag: Could the Miami Heat trade their draft pick no matter where it falls? Tyler Johnson’s contract]
[Want more Heat news sent directly to your Facebook feed? Make sure to like our Heat Facebook page] |
A protein bar and a little affection were all two Arlington police officers needed to coax the muscular, menacing-looking suspect off the streets and into the back of their patrol car.
Because of their thoughtful actions, Jeffery, a white pit pull (and the so-called suspect) has been reunited with his owner and the officers are being widely praised through social media.
After responding to a residential burglar alarm Thursday morning, Sgt. Gary Carter and Officer Heather Gibson were flagged down by some residents walking in the 400 block of North East Street who reported that a dirt-covered, white pit bull was chasing them in an “aggressive” manner. “This dog is so vicious, please get him,” one woman reportedly yelled to the officers.
Carter said the stray dog, who was wagging its tail and didn’t appear to be aggressive, ran away behind a nearby house as he tried to approach it. But then the dog immediately came running back to the officers as it was chased from that yard by a tiny chihuahua.
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“He ran right to me, like ‘Help me, help me! This monster is going to eat me!’” Carter said.
Carter and Gibson coaxed the hungry and thirsty canine into a patrol car with a protein bar and some head scratches. Carter, a dog lover, also called a friend who rescues pit bulls and asked for help in finding the stray a loving home.
“Pit bulls, to the general public, have a bad reputation. People associate pit bulls with danger just like they associate guns with danger,” Carter said.
The story of Carter and Gibson’s encounter with the homeless hound has gone viral on the Arlington Police Department’s Facebook page. In one day, the photos received more than 2 million impressions, 40,000 likes and 4,000 comments from readers around the world. Many praised the department for not using lethal force on a dog that has been stereotyped as dangerous.
“Thank you for your compassion and breaking 2 stereotypes! May this pup find his loving home forever, and the Officer be praised for his love and patience!” one commenter wrote.
“A nice contrast to the all-too-common-lately posts of cops shooting dogs in the dog’s own yard. We need more like this officer!” another commenter wrote.
The Arlington Police Department implemented mandatory training two years ago to help officers identify the difference between aggressive and nonaggressive animals and know how to respond in situations when a dog is inside a home or roaming freely in a neighborhood.
The training was in response to dog shootings by officers in Arlington and other North Texas cities. In October 2011, an Arlington officer fatally shot a family dog while responding to a call about a boy being bitten. An internal inquiry later concluded that officer was justified in his use of force.
“This is exactly the type of compassion we love to see our employees exhibit and credit their good judgment and our significant investment that our organization has made in providing training to officers on how to deal with dogs,” Police Chief Will Johnson said in a news release.
Carter, who has owned large-breed dogs in the past, said the training helped him when it came to approaching and handling the stray. Officer Gibson’s tempting treat helped, too, he added.
“He was very dirty. Based on his cleanliness, he’s probably a decent dumpster diver,” Carter said. “He seemed awfully happy to get that protein bar.”
Carter, who said all he was trying to do was help a dog in need, was surprised by the attention.
Jeffery was taken to the Arlington animal shelter and reunited with his owner Friday morning, according to a tweet by Arlington police.
“You could tell he was friendly and open and he needed someone to get him off the street,” Carter said. “I’m glad the way it turned out.”
This report contains material from the Star-Telegram archives. |
Top 14
Habana to sign for Toulon
ESPN Staff
South Africa winger Bryan Habana is set to move to French Top 14 side Toulon next season, according to reports.
The 29-year-old will join the club, who already boast superstars such as Jonny Wilkinson and Matt Giteau, next year according to L'Equipe.
The French newspaper claims Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal has agreed a deal to sign the World Cup winner, having failed twice in the past to secure the South African's ruthless finishing skills.
Any deal cannot be confirmed until April but the Toulon president is confident he has finally captured his man, who has won 83 caps and scored 47 tries for the Springboks.
"On a scale of 1 to 10 (on arrival), I would say 10 but it is only my opinion," Boudjellal is quoted as saying.
Habana, who missed South Africa's end-of-season tour of Europe through injury, is currently contacted to the Stormers in Super Rugby.
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd. |
When UFC fighters stride to the cage tonight at the Garden, they’ll be adorned in Reebok gear the Canton-based company hopes will define the look of a fighter for years to come.
Reebok brand president Matt O’Toole said his company’s exclusive $70-million arrangement, under which the uniform debuted in July, has “really exceeded our expectations.”
“You have some of the most iconic sports personalities today across all sports (in the UFC),” O’Toole said. “We’re also learning so much about what an amazing sport this is and the potential that this has, not only for people who are training this way or participating in mixed martial arts, but as a lifestyle.”
O’Toole and UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta were both bullish on the deal in an interview with the Herald yesterday, despite outcry from some fighters accustomed to the catch-as-catch-can sponsorship market that preceded it. The deal made headlines again recently when the UFC withheld five-figure payments to a few top fighters, including lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos, for wearing non-Reebok items during weigh-ins or fights.
“I think it’s not fair for fighters not to comply with the outfitting policy,” Fertitta said, adding the UFC keeps withheld payments in the same pool it taps for fighter payouts. “It’s a very, very small minority of athletes that haven’t complied so far. It’s like when you went to school, you know? Some people get detention for being out of uniform. It’s not that hard. Tuck your shirt in.”
Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis, who faces Eddie Alvarez in tonight’s co-main event, said the Reebok arrangement beats chasing your own sponsors.
“I mean, Reebok’s coming in and investing money to these fighters and this sport,” Pettis said. “No other top brand has done that.”
Others have taken issue with the amount the UFC is paying fighters to wear Reebok — from $2,500 for new fighters to $40,000 for champions — but Fertitta said the UFC is actually paying out more to athletes than it is taking in royalty payments from Reebok.
“Heck yeah, man, when this thing grows and Reebok actually builds a sustainable business, fighters are going to get more money allocated to that,” Fertitta said.
He also sees a day where Reebok’s ubiquity is a given in the UFC, sewn into the very look and feel of its fights.
“I think we’re going to look back in 10 years,” Fertitta said, “and look at some of these fights back from 2011, 2012, and go, ‘Wow, did the UFC really look like that?’ ” |
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A man who raped a child in a Toys R Us car park has been jailed.
Sick Connor Hiscocks, 22, was caught on CCTV during the attack under a stairwell in the car park last year.
Hiscocks, of Plymouth, Devon, cried in the dock as he was jailed for three years and four months at the city's crown court.
Sentencing Hiscocks, Judge Ian Lawrie told the defendant his victim was "an extremely vulnerable young lady".
He added that despite the fact he was a man of previous good character "your selfishness is of a truly staggering scale."
(Image: Googlemaps)
Judge Lawrie told Hiscocks the girl was "deeply damaged before you met her" but "you have contributed to that damage".
He told the defendant he knew "exactly what you were doing" saying he "contributed to that harm and damage".
The offences happened between October 2015 and July 2016 when Hiscocks was aged 21, reports Plymouth Herald .
Judge Ian Lawrie said Hiscocks, of Diamond Avenue, Lipson, was "spectacularly emotionally immature".
(Image: Plymouth Herald)
He noted how one of the charges of sexual activity with a child was a "specimen" count and covered a number of incidents and showed "persistent behaviour over six months".
He said the other count of sexual activity with a child was captured on CCTV in a public area – namely the stairwell of the Toys R Us car park, in Western Approach.
Taking into account aspects of the case and the findings of a thorough pre-sentence report, Judge Lawrie agreed with the probation officers' report that Hiscocks was not "someone who has an unhealthy interest in young girls".
However, he was "reluctant to come to terms with your offending", having "tended to blame [the girl]" which the judge said was "entirely inappropriate".
(Image: Plymouth Herald/SWNS)
Judge Lawrie sentenced Hiscocks to one year for inciting a child to engage in sexual activity and two years for the second count of sexual activity with a child, with the sentences to run concurrently.
The judge recommended an indefinite Sexual Harm Prevention Order to be imposed upon Hiscocks and for him to remain on the Sex Offenders Register indefinitely.
After Hiscocks was led away by the dock officers, Judge Lawrie asked prosecutor Janice Eagles to pass on his thanks and appreciation to the young victim for coming forward and working with police to help bring the prosecution.
He added: "For all the other deficiencies in her life she is to be applauded for her courage." |
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