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The House plans to vote within two weeks on a bill to limit appeal rights of Veterans Affairs Department employees, Majority Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calf.) said Thursday.
Under a measure approved Wednesday by the House Veterans Affairs Committee, VA employees would have less time to challenge disciplinary actions, such as demotions or firings, and they could not appeal decisions beyond a first-level hearing official. Those changes would largely mirror limits imposed last year by a law that applies only to senior executives at the VA.
With about 300,000 employees, the VA accounts for about a seventh of the 2.1 million executive branch workforce outside the independent U.S. Postal Service. The measure is one of numerous proposals offered in response to the scandal over patient scheduling and care at the department, and employee organizations see such measures as a precedent for making similar changes government-wide.
“For years this administration has failed to hold executive agencies accountable, and in the VA that has had dire consequences. The House Committee on Veterans Affairs has been doing good work, and this bill is another step toward providing the care that our veterans deserve,” McCarthy said in announcing the intent to schedule the vote before the congressional August recess.
[After a year of frustration, new bill would make it easier to fire VA employees]
Under the bill, an employee would have only seven days to file an appeal at the Merit Systems Protection Board, and the hearing officer there would have only 45 days to issue a decision or else the agency action would take effect by default. The outcome would be final.
Standard federal employee appeal rights provide for 30 days to file an appeal, set a target of having a decision in 120 days with no provision for default judgments if there is no ruling by then, and allow the outcome of the hearing level to be appealed to the three-member merit board and then into federal court.
Also, under the bill, during the appeal, the hearing officer could not temporarily stay the agency’s action, and the employee would be ineligible for awards and could not be placed on non-working paid “administrative” leave. Further, newly hired VA employees would have to serve a probationary period of 18 months, rather than the standard 12 months.
The shortened appeal process for VA senior executives has been used in only a handful of cases since that law was enacted a year ago, and a court challenge is pending, asserting that the procedure denies due process rights.
“This bill would achieve nothing, while spreading the growing culture of fear plaguing VA employees,” National Federation of Federal Employees president William R. Dougan said in a statement last week. “The provisions in this bill would likely lead to a higher turnover of qualified healthcare professionals at the VA, ultimately resulting in worsening standards of care for the brave men and women that served our country – and all at a higher cost to the American taxpayer.”
The American Federation of Government Employees has made similar comments, saying that employees “would become at-will and subject to the whim of managers engaging in discrimination, retaliation and patronage.”
In a statement to the committee, the VA said the measure likely would “result in unintended consequences for VA, such as a loss of qualified and capable staff to other government agencies or the private sector.”
“In effect, the bill would create a new class of employees in the government, a ‘VA class,’” the department said. “These ‘VA class’ employees could be removed or demoted at the discretion of the Secretary, would receive fewer due process rights and abbreviated MSPB appeal rights in actions taken and would serve longer probationary periods than their peers at other government agencies. This will hinder VA efforts to make the ‘VA class’ of employee the very finest employees to serve our veterans and ensure that they timely receive the benefits and care to which they are entitled.
“By singling out VA employees, the legislation would dishearten a workforce dedicated to serving veterans and hurt VA’s efforts to recruit and retain high performing employees,” it said. |
There was once a time when, if you were going to see a huge concert in Philadelphia, it meant going to The Spectrum. The historic South Philly arena opened 48 years ago today – September 30, 1967 – and though it was initially a sports arena and home to the Flyers and 76ers, it quickly developed a strong rep as rock and roll central on Broad and Pattison.
Bruce Springsteen played his first arena shows there in 1976. The Boss was also performing there in 1980, the day John Lennon was shot and killed; he opened the show with a moving speech. Billy Joel holds a record for selling it out the most, and developed a strong connection with his Philadelphia fans over his song “Captain Jack.” ( The version on his 1980 live album Songs In the Attic was recorded at The Spectrum). Fleetwood Mac and The Grateful Dead played The Spectrum a bazillion times over the years, and hometown heroes The Hooters headlined on Thanksgiving, 1987, for a special simulcast on MTV. (Watch “And We Danced” from that show below.)
In the 90s, Beck played his biggest show at the time (and one of the biggest of his career) before a packed Spectrum on the Odelay tour. Soundgarden also made their Philly arena debut there in 1991, and 16-year-old me saw my first concert there when Nine Inch Nails performed with Jim Rose Circus Sideshow and Marilyn Manson in December of 1994. (Watch that entire show here.)
By the end of the 90s, the Philly concert landscape was changing – major acts started to be booked at the neighboring Wells Fargo Center following its 1996 opening (fka First Union Center, fka Wachovia Center), and during the summertime, they went to the SBC in Camden (fka Tweeter Center, fka Budweiser-Sony Amphitheater). By the mid-aughties, the old rock hall was in slow decline – though still housing a ton of memories – and during its final run in 2009, it hosted headlining gigs from Taylor Swift and a whopping four-night stand from Pearl Jam, who brought the house down with an epic Halloween show that closed with a cover of Neil Young’s “Rockin’ In The Free World.” (I remember being at this show, watching fans try to steal chairs on the way out and security hysterically wrestling them away.)
To mark The Spectrum’s birthday, we collected an assortment of videos from its history – beginning with the most recent and working our way backwards through time. Check them out below, and leave your memories of The Spectrum in the comments.
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Chiptune artists have been using gameboys and other retro gaming hardware to create some rad-sounding tunes for a long time now, but it’s never been quite as easy as this. Using Nanoloop’s new Mono cartridge, now anyone can convert their Gameboy into a retro-tech synthesizer.
Nanoloop is a brand that has been part of the Chiptune movement since its earliest days. Cartridges produced under that name have been around since the late ’90s and there is already a Nanoloop One which provides sequencer functionality for Chiptune artists, but the Mono is a much more in-depth piece of kit.
The Mono turns a Game Boy into a three-channel analog synthesizer. It generates sound on the cartridge itself and then outputs through the headphone jack of the Game Boy. And it is able to generate some really quite impressive tunes, as early adopters are finding.
It works, as the creators describe:
“The analog components (op-amps, comparators, logic cells, etc.) of a PIC microcontroller are connected and configured in such a way that they form a hybrid sound chip with 3 analog filters and a true random noise generator, using only a few passive external components; a step sequencer with per-step control for all parameters. There are 8 banks of flash memory, each of which can hold 15 patterns per channel and a song structure.”
Much like the previous Nanoloop cartridges, this one comes built on a single, robust PCB that measures just a few millimeters in thickness. It also comes with software to help you create tunes on it, offering per-step control for all parameters.
All of the additional functionality does come at a price, though. While it fits onto a singular PCB, much like the previous Nanoloop 1 and 2, the Mono does cost quite a bit more. The latter two are priced at 28 euros ($31) and 50 euros ($55) apiece, but the Mono pre-order is just shy of 70 euros ($77).
For those interested, the Nanoloop Mono is expected to begin shipping on December 2 this year. |
As Democratic leaders publicly shoot down impeachment talk, members of the House Judiciary Committee are building a plan behind the scenes for impeaching President Trump, weighing all constitutional tools available to them in case Democrats win in 2018.
Judiciary Committee Democrats have decided it’s time to start getting serious about an impeachment strategy. The committee’s Republican chairman, unlike his Senate counterpart, has not engaged in any investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and is mum on the subject.
Up to this point, talk of drafting articles of impeachment has remained limited to a handful of Democrats.
“Several members of the Judiciary Committee have determined it’s important that all committee Democrats meet to discuss the emergency of our committee to hold the president accountable for his actions,” one Democratic member on Judiciary told the Washington Examiner.
“The more out of control the president gets the more all actions should be on the table,” the member added, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Democratic leaders have advised their members to steer clear of impeachment, urging them to focus on policy and lifting up the party's economic message heading into 2018. When asked about impeachment, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi D-Calif has pivoted to pitch Democrats' Better Deal plan. And the rest of her leadership team is in lock-step, calling impeachment efforts “premature.”
The concern: If Democrats rally behind impeachment they won’t just wake up their base, they’ll wake up President Trump’s, jeopardizing their chances of taking back the House in 2018. (Though a recent poll conducted by Public Policy Polling, a Democratic firm, found 49 percent of voters support impeaching Trump.)
Right now impeachment resolutions have no way of advancing because Republicans control everything. But if Democrats win the House in 2018 the ability to exert a check on the president won’t be a far-flung fantasy. Those on the Judiciary Committee — where impeachment resolutions are usually referred to, investigated, and if warranted debated in a full hearing — don’t want to be caught without a plan.
“There’s a growing sense on the committee that we need a unified and disciplined examination of what are the constitutional tools available to us,” a second Judiciary Democrat said in an interview.
The member added that there’s a “rising sentiment for impeachment” among Democrats.
“[On] one hand we have to get ready for what might happen -- either in an immediate crisis or after the elections -- and, wanting to make sure whatever we do strengthens our political case in 2018 and not weaken it,” the member said.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Rep. Luis Gutierrez D-Ill. said he’s working with a group of his colleagues to “present articles of impeachment before Thanksgiving,” but he didn’t say if it was a part of the united effort underway among Judiciary Democrats. Gutierrez sits on the committee.
“We’ve gathered together some of the most best-informed scholars on constitutional issues especially around impeachment and I assure you we will not leave you lacking for reason to impeach the president of the United States,” he added.
Rep. Steve Cohen D-Tenn., another member of Judiciary, has also threatened to draft articles. And Reps. Brad Sherman D-Calif. and Al Green D-Texas, have already introduced their own. The House nearly voted on Green’s resolution but he backed off at the last minute under pressure from his party. The vote would have put Democrats on the record on impeachment, causing potential problems with voters in 2018.
But the more organized effort that’s afoot isn’t about symbolic votes. Instead, it’s about putting a plan of action in place if special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation into possible collusion between Trump’s campaign and the Russian government finds a smoking gun.
Mueller's investigation produced its first indictments on Monday, with former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort among those facing charges.
Rep. Jamie Raskin, a member of Judiciary, said his concern is about maintaining “cohesion and coordination.”
“Many members are undertaking a systematic [evaluation] of the constitutional principles that operate in this environment and historical precedents that are relevant to where we are,” the Maryland Democrat said in an interview. Raskin has a bill of his own that’s garnered 35 co-sponsors.
Raskin’s bill sets up a “body” by Congress under the 25th amendment. The 25th amendment offers an alternative option to impeachment. It says that the vice president and a majority of the body to be set up by Congress can determine a president’s inability. “My legislation just sets up the body -- it doesn’t mention Trump’s name -- and so it’s prepared to act in the event of an emergency.”
Raskin’s bill is just one option Judiciary Democrats are looking at as they craft a strategy should circumstances in the investigation or their party's political fortunes change.
It would still require a two-thirds majority in the Senate to remove the president from office even if he was impeached by the full House. Such an effort failed against President Clinton in 1999 despite Republican majorities in both houses of Congress.
“We’re in the analysis stage,” Raskin said walking into the chamber. He paused just beyond the door, spun around, poked his head back out and said with a grin, “We’re in the serious analysis stage.” |
A journalist captured in Afghanistan told the world he was still alive by tweeting with a prison guard's cellphone.
This remarkable tale about a tweet kicks off a new meme here at Gadget Lab that we're calling Tweet of the Day, where we'll post our favorite tweets from just about anybody in our orbit: gadget customers, pundits, analysts, journalists, Silicon Valley bigwigs and so on. Each Tuesday and Thursday, we'll be handpicking tweets that we find especially fascinating, enlightening, hilarious, moving or sad — anything that really gets us buzzing.
Today's tweet comes from Kosuke Tsuneoka, a Japanese freelance journalist who was released from five months of captivity in Afghanistan over the weekend. Since he was captured April 1, no one had heard a single word from Tsuneoka, but on Sept. 3 he managed to send out a tweet: "i am still allive, but in jail."
Speaking at a press conference today in Tokyo, Tsuneoka recounted the story of how he managed to trick his captors into allowing him to tweet. A low-ranking soldier had just gotten a new cellphone, a Nokia N70, and was asking Tsuneoka how to use it.
The guard had heard of the internet but didn't know what it was, so Tsuneoka called customer care to activate the phone and configure it for internet access. He showed the guard how to perform a Google search of "Al Jazeera," and then he talked about Twitter.
"But if you are going to do anything, you should use Twitter," he said he told the guard. "They asked what that was. And I told them that if you write something on it, then you can reach many Japanese journalists. So they said, 'Try it.'"
And just like that, Tsuneoka was able to communicate to the world that he was still alive. This is a truly amazing story originally reported by IDG News that underscores the power of a web-connected gadget and social networking while telling us a bit about the disconnected culture of Afghanistan.
A hat tip to Mary H.K. Choi (@choitotheworld) for spotting and sharing this story.
Seen any especially awesome tweets you'd like us to feature? Share them with Gadget Lab by Twitter. |
UPDATE 4/15/10: Blabbermouth is now confirming the death of Peter Steele, after contacting Type-O keyboardist Josh Silver, who validated online speculation about his death. The band has also posted a statement on their official site that an official statement from the band and Peter's family will come later today.
UPDATE #2 4/15/10: SPV, Type-O's official label just released this statement:
It's with great sadness that we give our condolences to the family and friends of Peter Steele. He died on April 14th, 2010. With his bands CARNIVORE and TYPE O NEGATIVE he achieved cult status and was loved by fans around the world. The last releases he did with TYPE O NEGATIVE were the DVD 'Symphony For The Devil' and the studio album 'Dead Again'. SPV/Steamhammer proudly released both products worldwide, which will now — very unfortunately — be the end of his recording legacy. The world has lost a charismatic frontman and a very talented person. Our condolences go to Peter's family, friends and the members of his bands.
Here is our original report, with some tributes added below it:
While nothing official has been released by the band, we are getting word that Type O Negative frontman Peter Steele died earlier today. Mistress Juliya confirmed the speculation by tweeting that she spoke to Type-O guitarist Kenny Hickey who confirmed it was of heart failure. He was 48 years old. Here are Juliya's two tweets:
Hatebreed frontman posted this tribute earlier today:
"HATEBREED would like to extend our condolences to the family, friends and fans of Peter Steele. He is one of the best guys we've ever toured with and a true legend! There will NEVER be anyone else like him. May he rest in peace."
Biohazard frontman and fellow Brooklynite, Evan Seinfeld posted this on Twitter:
[Rest in peace], my friend, brother, and mentor, Peter Steele, TYPE O NEGATIVE, CARNIVORE… my single biggest musical influence… who named BIOHAZARD. I fucking miss you so much already… I love you, brother. I hope you are in a better place.
Inhuman frontman Mike Scondotto posted a lengthy tribute, here is an expert:
"Pete meant a lot to me, and he meant a lot to Brooklyn. I would say that he was without a doubt the most successful Brooklynite to ever come out of the hardcore/metal scene and a true 'Brooklyn Bastard' if there ever was one."
UPDATE 4/16/10: The remaining members of Type O Negative and Peter's family have released an official statement.
As soon as we have any more info, we will report on it. This is truly a bummer, as Peter Steele was somebody all of us here at Metal Injection were a fan of. Whether it's Type O or his previous band Carnivore, Steele always brought something unique to the table. Here is one of Type O's biggest hits, Black No. 1:
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by Clay Turner, Creative Director - Friday, May 22, 2015
If gun control was a brand, it would be The Sharper Image.
That company’s way-cool gadgets and sleek stores once were the definition of high-tech (remember that catchphrase?), making them the coolest kid in the mall. They sold shiny, remote-controlled gadgets at premium (at least to a college kid like me) prices that solved problems you didn’t even know you had. They were hot before hot was even a thing.
The fall began when we learned that Sharper Image’s indispensable air ionizer actually pumped our designer living rooms full of noxious ozone. Lawsuits followed, and stores closed. I remember seeing a TV spot featuring founder Richard Thalheimer, the man who created it all, as pitchman. He came across as the creepiest guy I’d never want to have dinner with. “Hot” had lost its cool.
If you consider gun control as a brand of advocacy, you can catch a whiff of Sharper Image in it. The hot new cause (or brand) for those who believed their thinking didn’t stink, gun control had everything going for it in the 1960s and ’70s. It was driven by high-profile assassinations, benefited from the national anti-war/peace movement, and had the support of the nation’s major daily papers, monthly magazines and the three-and-a-half channels that constituted a TV monopoly. Gun control had brought us sparkling products like the Waiting Period for gun purchases, Background Checks and the Assault Weapons Ban—and politicians bought them.
But in the Bill Clinton era, the brand began to lose its mojo. Gun control had brought us sparkling products like the Waiting Period for gun purchases, Background Checks and the Assault Weapons Ban—and politicians bought them. Waiting on its shelves were shiny new bans on handguns, Saturday night specials and cop-killer bullets, too.
Americans, however, didn’t buy them, because the stuff we had already purchased was starting to smell funny.
First, we learned that only law-abiding citizens submit to background checks, while criminals steal their guns or buy them from other criminals. Then we learned that “assault weapons” worked just like Grandpa’s 100-year-old semi-auto shotgun, and when the FBI told us the ban had no effect on gun crime, politicians caught the scent and declined to renew it. Perhaps they were both early examples of, “We had to pass the bill to find out what was in the bill.”
Americans began to feel they’d been sold a bill of goods, and looked at the gun-control movement’s other products like they contained lead paint.
So-called cop-killer bullets turned out to be most hunting rifle rounds. Saturday night specials were nothing more than affordable handguns. The assault weapons ban was not only a hoax; it was also a ruse to ban every handgun, rifle and shotgun with a semi-automatic action. Smelling a rat, we began buying handguns like they were hotcakes, and we made the AR-15 the most popular rifle in America.
And their losing streak continued. Al Gore for president. John Kerry for president. Heller. McDonald.
In response, gun-control groups began to exhibit all the classic signs of brand panic. They changed their names to distance themselves from past failed products. Handgun Control Inc. became The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, which then adopted the nickname The Brady Campaign so it could easily be written on a check. The National Coalition to Ban Handguns became the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence. The Million Moms For Gun Control became the Million Mom March somewhere along the line (or vice versa). Unable to garner even a fraction of that many moms, it then morphed into Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Michael Bloomberg then acquired the Moms brand, after all but abandoning his Mayors Against Illegal Guns in the face of departing mayors. To keep up the momentum, he folded both into a whole new brand, Everytown for Gun Safety, which doesn’t involve every town, and is not focused on gun safety.
Just when things looked darkest, Newtown happened—a national nightmare so incomprehensible that it shook every American, whether gun owner or not. Americans began to feel they’d been sold a bill of goods, and looked at the gun-control movement’s other products like they contained lead paint.
The gun-control movement saw daylight, and ran to it. In the middle of that opening was a microphone, and standing behind it was the most powerful man in the world, who welcomed the gun-control brand right into the White House. Every newspaper, every magazine and every TV anchor screamed for gun owners’ heads, and none dared to debate them in their righteous time slot.
Yet gun control lost that one, too. Congress demurred. States revolted. Voters voted.
In fairness, the gun-control movement had lost that battle before it even began. Just as if they were choosing a family minivan, Americans had done their research and distrusted the specious claims, false data and empty promises. Brands die when they lie: Once that trust bond with brand loyalists is broken, it’s nearly impossible to regain it. Gun control had promised us safety, but couldn’t deliver. Consumers may be fooled once, but they’re brutal on brands when betrayed.
Today, the classic signs of brand desperation continue to accelerate. Unable to get the Center for Disease Control to do it for them, Everytown publishes “studies” so thin on credibility that they serve as their own opposition research. Shannon Watts of Moms Demand Action barely rises from the pavement before she trips over another falsehood. Bloomberg dismisses recalled state senators as being from districts “where I don’t think there’s roads.” Moms Demand manipulates photos of its rallies to hide paltry attendance. The gun-control brand has little grassroots support: Without an infusion of cash from billionaire investors, it likely would be on the trash heap.
In contrast stands a brand of advocacy called the National Rifle Association, which has never been, nor ever will be, the National Rifle, Handgun and Shotgun Association or the National March For Things That Propel Projectiles. For 144 years, the NRA has stood for the protection, enjoyment and pursuit of the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.
In the branding world, that’s called “focus.” And a brand that loses focus will eventually begin to smell like it is past its “use by” date. |
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A Birmingham councillor has admitted a racist video produced by a former leader of the Klu Klux Klan was shared on his Facebook account.
But Labour councillor Zafar Iqbal said he had no idea how it got there. He said: "I know that this type of content could cause deep offence and I apologise to anyone who was affected by seeing this material."
Labour said any allegations of racism will be looked at.
The film, called "CNN, Goldman Sachs & the Zio Matrix!", was produced by David Duke, a former Imperial Wizard of US white supremacist movement the Klu Klux Klan.
The description in the post from Coun Iqbal's Facebook account states that it "reveals how the Zionist Matrix of Power controls Media, Politics and Banking." This appears to have been generated automatically from the description of the video on YouTube, where it was posted by Dr Duke.
While "Zionist" is sometimes used to refer to the state of Israel, the idea that Jews are part of a "Zionist" conspiracy to control institutions across the world is an anti-Semitic allegation which was used to demonise Jews before modern Israel even existed.
Coun Iqbal said in a statement: "I have no recollection of sharing this video and have no idea how it was shared on my Facebook page.
"Anyone that interacts with me on social media knows that I would never knowingly share any racist, abusive or anti-Semitic content.
"Nevertheless – I accept that this content was for a period active on my Facebook page and it is now been deleted.
"I know that this type of content could cause deep offence and I apologise to anyone who was affected by seeing this material.
"There is no place for anti-Semitism in the Labour Party or in our society – and I will continue to work closely with groups of all faiths in Birmingham against racism and prejudice."
A West Midlands Labour Party spokesman said: " The Labour Party treats all allegations of anti-semitism, racism, intimidation or abuse very seriously. Any evidence of such behaviour will be looked at and action will be taken when relevant.
"We don’t comment on individuals’ membership status."
Coun Iqbal is a Labour councillor in South Yardley. He also was appointed a Justice of Peace at Solihull Magistrates Court in 2007, and received an MBE in 2008 for services to education and the community.
Watch: Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn says his party will not tolerate racism or anti-Semitism |
ALBANY, New York (Reuters) - A Buffalo man who was shot nearly a decade ago can sue the manufacturer, the distributor and the dealer of the semi-automatic pistol used to shoot him, a New York state appeals court ruled on Friday.
Attorneys for Daniel Williams, who was shot in 2003 when he was in high school, argued that Ohio-based manufacturer Beemiller and the distributor, MKS Supply, violated federal law by knowingly supplying guns to irresponsible dealers.
The defendants said they cannot be sued because of the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, a 2005 law that shields firearm manufacturers and sellers from liability for harm caused by the criminal misuse of their non-defective products.
A unanimous panel of the Appellate Division, Fourth Department, on Friday reversed a 2011 ruling that threw out the case against the defendants - Beemiller, MKS Supply and gun dealer Charles Brown, who sold the guns to James Bostic, a Buffalo resident accused of running a trafficking scheme that funneled guns into the black market in New York.
The decision reinstates the case.
The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, which is representing Williams, claims Bostic is a convicted felon and is barred from purchasing guns, according to the ruling.
The center said Bostic traveled to Ohio, which does not require a license to buy a gun, to procure a large numbers of handguns, including the pistol used to shoot Williams, the ruling said.
“Although the complaint does not specify the statutes allegedly violated (by the defendants), it sufficiently alleges facts supporting a finding that defendants knowingly violated federal gun laws,” Justice Erin Peradotto wrote for the court.
Jeffrey Malsch, a lawyer for MKS, said he is reviewing the decision.
“We believe (the lower court’s ruling) was a courageous and legally correct decision, but the Fourth Department was unwilling to follow his well reasoned opinion,” he said. “Whether we appeal or not, we are confident that ultimately the facts will contradict the baseless allegations in the complaint and the case will be dismissed.”
Attorneys for Williams and the remaining defendants did not immediately return requests for comment. |
By Bob Cesca: For the last couple of days, I've been totally obsessed with recent polls that confirm the correlation between the American people and the townspeople of Springfield on The Simpsons.
I'm not breaking any news with that comparison since the legendary cartoon show is built around the idea of a microcosmic satire of the United States and all of its weirdness. We're fickle, fearful, misinformed, ignorant, easily-deceived and loaded with contradictions. But these flaws are becoming increasingly self-evident, and especially so with the release of a Reuters/Ipsos poll indicating that Americans love the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, while incongruously hating the law itself.
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We just don't seem to realize what we're telling pollsters. We love those healthcare provisions! Too bad they're not compiled into a law with the word "affordable" in the title. That'd be swell! Do you like the healthcare reform law called the Affordable Care Act with all of those provisions included? Obamacare?! Hell no! Impeach!
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There's another poll that was released yesterday that highlights a second huge example of this infuriating dynamic.
The latest NBC News / Wall Street Journal poll:
60 percent say President Obama inherited the current economic conditions, compared with 26 percent who blame his policies for the state of the economy.
In other words, a supermajority of Americans blame George W. Bush, and, perhaps, others before him, for the Great Recession.
And rightfully so. The seeds of the recession and the near collapse of the American economy were planted by Ronald Reagan more than 30 years ago. If there's one legacy the Reagan administration left behind -- the legacy that too often gets overlooked when the press discusses the present state of the economy -- it's the dissolution of the middle class, the dismantling of government regulations and massive tax cuts for the rich. The press won't tell you this, but these policies have always been the driving cause behind everything awful that's happened since around 2007.
The nation's wealthiest citizens continued to get richer, while middle class wages stagnated and personal debt skyrocketed. Meanwhile, the dismantling of government regulations allowed financial institutions to get away with economic murder.
Sadly, it wasn't just about Reagan. Bill Clinton and congressional Democrats lapsed into the mindset, too. Lured by the political success of the Reagan Republicans, the DLC era Democrats sold out liberal principles by pandering to small government conservatives. Clinton not only declared an end to the "era of big government," but also signed the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which repealed Glass-Steagal and blurred the line between banks and "shadow banks" -- the big financial institutions that crashed and burned throughout 2008. These moves probably helped Clinton's poll numbers, but they also perpetuated a doomed-to-fail economic philosophy.
Regardless, the American people are wise enough to see how the fire was started long before President Obama was elected. However, they clearly don't understand the depth of the problem nor do they grasp the fact that the Republicans are deliberately sabotaging the economy by filibustering and blocking everything related to the recovery in order to prevent the president from being re-elected.
And so what, exactly, is the contradiction in all of this?
It looks like half of the country wants Mitt Romney to be president. Half. The polls are almost all tied, with Gallup and Rasmussen showing Romney in the lead. As we all know, Romney's economic plan is to give us more Reaganomics. Basically, Romney's plan is the George W. Bush plan with a better haircut. There is literally no difference between the Romney plan and Bush's terribly disastrous policies. Romney wants smaller government, fewer regulations, permanent tax cuts for him and his corporate goon-squad and a repeal of everything President Obama has done to repair the damage.
The Great Recession isn't Obama's fault, they say. But let's elect someone who's pitching the same ideas that caused these calamities in the first place.
Smart.
Sometimes I honestly believe Americans get what they deserve. |
Just take some leeches and stay away from the vaccines.
Today was vaccine day, thanks to Chris Christie’s oddly equivocal interview on the subject. Vaccine trutherism is a form of unscientific craziness that has mostly lacked any partisan profile, as it brings together anti-government paranoia shared more by the right than the left with anti-corporate paranoia shared more by the left than the right. But the scent of crazy in the air inevitably attracted Rand Paul, who gave a disturbing interview to CNBC.
First, displaying the rigid libertarian logic that has previously caused him to refuse to fully endorse the 1964 Civil Rights Act, he argued that vaccination must be voluntary, which kind of runs against the inherent way vaccination works. (A handful of cranks who refuse can mess it up for everybody else, which is exactly what’s happening now.)
More crankishly, Paul actually endorsed the belief that vaccines can cause autism. “I’ve heard of many tragic cases of walking, talking, normal children who wound up with profound mental disorders after vaccines,” he argued very, very wrongly.
Rand Paul is a doctor, for goodness’ sake. |
The New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Indiana Fever and all of their players have been fined by the WNBA for wearing black t-shirts in warmups contrary to the league’s uniform policy.
Despite using their celebrity to promote peace in wearing plain black Adidas t-shirts in response to two black men (Alton Sterling and Philando Castile) shot and killed by police and five Dallas police officers slain at a protest, teams were each fined $5,000 and each player was fined $500, according to the Associated Press.
Players are required to wear only the uniforms supplied by the league during all WNBA games and practices, including warmup periods and going to and from the playing floor. League rules do not permit the alteration of uniforms in any way, such as adding, removing or covering over any symbols on the uniform or in any other manner.
Teams were sent these rules again earlier this week, but that didn’t stop the Liberty from wearing the shirts again on Wednesday and the Mercury and Fever wearing them on Tuesday.
“We are proud of WNBA players’ engagement and passionate advocacy for non-violent solutions to difficult social issues, but expect them to comply with the league’s uniform guidelines,” said WNBA President Lisa Borders in a statement.
The Liberty have worn the shirts four times, the first time on July 10 with hashtags #BlackLivesMatter and #Dallas5 appearing on the front. Since then, the team has dropped the hashtags off the front and just worn plain black shirts.
Because of a failed system innocent lives have been taken. Am I next? #BlackLivesMatter #Dallas5 A photo posted by Tina Charles (@tina31charles) on Jul 10, 2016 at 8:15pm PDT
“We’re still advocating for it. We’re still advocating for Black Lives Matter,” Liberty forward Tina Charles told SB Nation before the fines were levied on Wednesday. “Wearing a standard Adidas shirt, knowing that the WNBA is sponsored by Adidas. We’re still advocating for it and just more of a change in the system of what’s going on right now.”
Charles was the lone player to still wear a plain black shirt, flipping her team’s warmup inside-out Thursday morning before a game against the Fever at Madison Square Garden. She then posed for a picture while receiving her award for Player of the Month.
After the game, Liberty and Fever players used locker room media availability to talk only about issues in society and shared their responses on receiving fines.
“We really feel there’s still an issue here in America,” said Liberty guard and WNBA Players Association Vice President Tanisha Wright. “We want to be able to use our platforms, use our voices. We don’t want to let anyone silence us in what we want to talk about. It’s unfortunate that the WNBA has fined us and has not supported its players.”
Fever forward and WNBAPA President Tamika Catchings wouldn’t take basketball-related questions after the game either.
Phoenix Mercury players Mistie Bass and Kelsey Bone, who were fined, expressed their frustration on Twitter as well.
Don't say we have a voice and then fine us because we use it. #notpuppets #cutthestrings — Mistie Bass (@A_Phoenix_Born) July 21, 2016
5k a team $500 a player... For a tshirt? — Sophia Petrillheaux (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
When the shooting in Orlando happened the WNBA immediately sent shirts for us to wear to show support.. — Sophia Petrillheaux (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
As a league with Players and fans a part of the LGBT community that's exactly what should have been done... — Sophia Petrillheaux (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
As players we have been trying to figure out where were the shirts to support the events going on in our country recently... — Sophia Petrillheaux (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
We were told a statement had been made and that was that... — Sophia Petrillheaux (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
So some teams decided to take matters in their own hands. — Sophia Petrillheaux (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
I think it's sick that we are being punished for supporting a matter that affects majority of us personally... — Sophia Petrillheaux (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
Why support one cause that effects our country and not another? — Sophia Petrillheaux (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
As our league take a month long break for the olympics you tell us shirts will be made for our first game back... — Sophia Petrillheaux (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
Fine me until the end of time! I have a 14 year old brother growing up in this country. — Sophia Petrillheaux (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
In a time where our league is searching for relevance why not take a stand and support your players on issues that effect majority of them — Sophia Petrillheaux (@kelseybone3) July 20, 2016
The Minnesota Lynx first made their stand on July 9, wearing “Change Starts with Us” shirts with the names of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile on the back, as well as the Dallas Police emblem. They also held a press conference. In response, four off-duty Minneapolis police officers working that day’s game left their security posts.
“It was very disappointing,” Charles said. “Because the whole point of the shirts, I know specifically what Minnesota was wearing, was that ‘Change Starts With Us.’ Meaning that us athletes, we have a platform we can use and we definitely want to lend our voice and know that it affects us too. We’re not immune to what’s going on out there just because our job is different so it affects us, and our family and friends.”
The Liberty heard no such backlash after they wore their shirts a day later.
“Our management is very supportive of what we wanted to do and the stand we wanted to take and they knew how important it was for us personally,” Charles said. |
Jose (Kiko) Garcia July 3, 1992 During a struggle with police officers in the lobby of an apartment building, Mr. Garcia, a 23-year-old Dominican immigrant who the police said was carrying a revolver, was shot twice by Officer Michael O’Keefe. What happened: Later that year, a grand jury cleared Officer O’Keefe, supporting the officer’s assertion that Mr. Garcia reached for a gun before he was shot.
Ernest Sayon April 29, 1994 Mr. Sayon, 22, was standing outside a Staten Island housing complex when police officers on an anti-drug patrol tried to arrest him. Mr. Sayon suffocated because of pressure on his back, chest and neck while he was handcuffed on the ground. What happened: A grand jury declined to file criminal charges against any of the three police officers involved, apparently concluding that the officers had used reasonable force in subduing Mr. Sayon.
Nicholas Heyward Jr. Sept. 27, 1994 Nicholas, 13, was playing cops and robbers with friends in a Gowanus Houses building stairwell when Officer Brian George, mistaking the teenager’s toy rifle for a real gun, shot him to death. What happened: The Brooklyn district attorney decided not to present the case to a grand jury, saying the real culprit was an authentic-looking toy gun.
Anthony Baez Dec. 22, 1994 Mr. Baez, 29, a security guard, was playing football outside his mother’s Bronx home when a stray toss landed on a police car. Mr. Baez died after an officer applied a chokehold while trying to arrest him. What happened: Francis X. Livoti, who had been dismissed by the force for using an illegal chokehold, was convicted on federal civil rights charges and sentenced to seven and a half years in prison, two years after he won acquittal in a state trial.
Amadou Diallo Feb. 4, 1999 Mr. Diallo, a 22-year-old immigrant from Guinea, was killed by four officers who fired 41 times in the vestibule of his apartment building in the Bronx. They said he seemed to have a gun, but he was unarmed. What happened: In February 2000, after a tense and racially charged trial, all four officers, who were white, were acquitted of second-degree murder and other charges, fueling protests. The city agreed to pay the family $3 million.
Patrick Dorismond March 16, 2000 Mr. Dorismond, 26, an unarmed black security guard, was shot dead by an undercover narcotics detective in a brawl in front of a bar in Midtown Manhattan, after Mr. Dorismond became offended when the detective asked him if he had any crack cocaine. What happened: By late July, a grand jury declined to file criminal charges against the detective, Anthony Vasquez, concluding that the shooting of Mr. Dorismond was not intentional. The city agreed to pay $2.25 million to his family.
Ousmane Zongo May 23, 2003 Mr. Zongo, 43, an art restorer, was shot and killed by a police officer during a raid at a Chelsea warehouse that the police believed was the base of a CD counterfeiting operation. What happened: In 2005, Officer Bryan A. Conroy was convicted at the second of two trials and sentenced to probation. The judge placed the blame for the killing primarily on the poor training and supervision by the Police Department. The city agreed to pay the family $3 million.
Sean Bell Nov. 25, 2006 Five detectives fired 50 times into a car occupied by Mr. Bell, 23, and two others after a confrontation outside a Queens club on Mr. Bell’s wedding day. He was killed. What happened: After a heated seven-week nonjury trial in 2008, the judge found Detectives Gescard F. Isnora, Michael Oliver and Marc Cooper not guilty of all charges, which included manslaughter and assault. In 2012, Detective Isnora was fired, and Detectives Cooper and Oliver, along with a supervisor, were forced to resign. The city agreed to pay the family $3.25 million.
Ramarley Graham Feb. 2, 2012 Mr. Graham, 18, was shot and killed by Richard Haste, a police officer, in the bathroom of his Bronx apartment after being pursued into his home by a team of officers from a plainclothes street narcotics unit. Mr. Graham was unarmed. What happened: A grand jury voted to indict Officer Haste on charges of first- and second-degree manslaughter, but a judge dismissed the indictment a year later. Prosecutors sought a new indictment. In August 2013, a grand jury decided not to bring charges in the case. The city agreed to pay the family $3.9 million.
Eric Garner July 17, 2014 Mr. Garner, 43, died after Officer Daniel Pantaleo restrained him using a chokehold, a maneuver that was banned by the New York Police Department more than 20 years ago. The officers were trying to arrest Mr. Garner, whose death was attributed in part to the chokehold, on charges of illegally selling cigarettes. What happened: A grand jury, impaneled in September by the Staten Island district attorney, voted not to bring criminal charges against Officer Pantaleo. The city agreed to pay the family $5.9 million. |
ELP Laser turntable (LT-2XA) and RME Fireface 800
A laser turntable (or optical turntable) is a phonograph that plays standard LP records (and other gramophone records) using laser beams as the pickup instead of using a stylus as in conventional turntables.
History [ edit ]
William K. Heine presented a paper "A Laser Scanning Phonograph Record Player" to the 57th Audio Engineering Society (AES) convention in May 1977. The paper details a method developed by Heine that employs a single 2.2 mW helium–neon laser for both tracking a record groove and reproducing the stereo audio of a phonograph in real time. In development since 1972, the working prototype was named the "LASERPHONE", and the methods it used for playback was awarded U.S. Patent 3,992,593 on 16 November 1976.[1] Heine concluded in his paper that he hoped his work would increase interest in using lasers for phonographic playback.
Finial [ edit ]
Four years later in 1981 Robert S. Reis, a graduate student in engineering at Stanford University, wrote his master's thesis on "An Optical Turntable".[2] In 1983 he and fellow Stanford electrical engineer Robert E. Stoddard founded Finial Technology to develop and market a laser turntable, raising $7 million in venture capital. In 1984 servo-control expert Robert N. Stark joined the effort.[3]
A non-functioning mock-up of the proposed Finial turntable was shown at the 1984 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), generating much interest and a fair amount of mystery, since the patents had not yet been granted and the details had to be kept secret. The first working model, the Finial LT-1 (Laser Turntable-1), was completed in time for the 1986 CES. The prototype revealed an interesting flaw of laser turntables: they are so accurate that they play every particle of dirt and dust on the record, rather than pushing them aside as a conventional stylus would. The non-contact laser pickup does have the advantages of eliminating record wear, tracking noise, turntable rumble and feedback from the speakers. The projected $2,500 street price (later raised to $3,786 in 1988) limited the potential market to professionals (libraries, radio stations and archivists) and a few well-heeled audiophiles.[4]
Unfortunately for Finial, the laser turntable development exactly coincided with two major events, a major economic recession, and the perfection and introduction of the Digital Compact Disc, which soon began flooding the market at prices comparable to LPs (with CD players in the $300 range). Vinyl record sales plummeted, and many existing turntable manufacturers went out of business as a result.
The Finial turntable never went into production. After a few hand-built (and finicky)[5] prototypes were completed and shown, tooling delays, component unavailability (in the days before cheap lasers), marketing blunders, and high development costs kept pushing back the release date. With over US$20 million in venture capital invested, Finial was faced with a dilemma: to forge ahead with a selling price that was too high for most consumers, or to gamble on going into mass production at a much lower price and hoping the market would lower costs.
ELP [ edit ]
In late 1989 Finial's investors finally cut their losses and liquidated the firm, selling the patents to Japanese turntable maker BSR, which became CTI Japan, which in turn created ELP Japan for continued development of the "super-audiophile" turntable. After eight more years of development the laser turntable was finally put on sale in 1997 – twenty years after the initial proposal – as the ELP LT-1XA Laser Turntable, with a list price of US$20,500 (in 2003 the price was lowered to US$10,500).[6] The turntable, which uses two lasers to read the groove and three more to position the head, does allow one to vary the depth at which the groove is read, possibly bypassing existing record wear. It will not, however, read clear or colored vinyl records.[7] ELP continues to sell laser turntables directly to consumers in two versions (LT-basic, and LT-master),[8] at a reported cost of approximately $15,000 for the basic model.[9]
IRENE system [ edit ]
A completely separate technology[10] has been developed by physicists Carl Haber and Vitaliy Fadeyev of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Installed in the Library of Congress late in 2006, the IRENE System (for Image, Reconstruct, Erase Noise, Etc.)[11] uses a two-dimensional camera rotating around the record and taking detailed photographs of the grooves. Software then uses the digital images to reconstruct the sound[12]. In 2018 the system was used to play, for the first time, the only known recording of Alexander Graham Bell's voice. IRENE often produces a large amount of hiss with the recording, but it is very capable of removing pops and clicks produced by imperfections on the record surface. IRENE will only read lateral information (monophonic), but a three-dimensional scanner project is underway that will handle stereophonic and quadraphonic records, in addition to historical hill-and-dale recordings.[13] |
Still, “I just wanted a movie I wanted to go see,” she added. “I wasn’t trying to do a women’s studies class.”
Ms. Wexler’s own experiences informed the humorous — and chaste — treatment scenes, in which women of different ages are “cured.” For instance she recalled the situation many women find themselves in at the gynecologist’s office, feet in stirrups while doctors chitchat. “You’re like, ‘Dude I’m sitting here,’ ” she said.
Working from a script by the husband-and-wife team Stephen Dyer and Jonah Lisa Dyer, Ms. Wexler spent close to seven years working to get the film made with the producer Tracey Becker, who said it was not an easy sell. “We saw the marketing potential,” Ms. Becker said, “but when it came right down to it, we had this script which dealt with these very blush-inducing themes, and most of the time it was in the hands of a male executive, who had the veto power.”
“Hysteria” represents something of a departure from the traditional studio film aimed at women, and Ms. Wexler, Ms. Polley and others said there was a hunger for more movies that don’t just end with a kiss and marriage.
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“I like a good wedding-dress movie, like all girls, if they’re good,” Ms. Wexler said, “but it’s just not all we want.”
Ms. Polley’s “Take This Waltz,” which will be released next month, starts a few years after the wedding, with Michelle Williams as a young married woman confronting temptation. “I wanted to look at what happens to sexuality over time, and it’s something we don’t talk about,” Ms. Polley said in a telephone interview.
In part because men have been in the director’s seat, “the cliché is always the woman has a headache or is tired of sex, or there’s some kind of burning out of sexuality, and I couldn’t remember an example of the opposite — that men get bored and men have a dropping-off of sexual intensity too,” Ms. Polley said. “Maybe men don’t show that because it’s emasculating, but it does happen to men in long-term relationships.”
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Nudity, Ms. Polley said, was also important for her to address as a director. “Every time you see a naked woman’s body on screen, it’s either in a sexual context — or if it’s an older woman it’s the scene in ‘About Schmidt,’ where Kathy Bates gets in to the hot tub and the whole audience is supposed to scream, and Jack Nicholson is so horrified,” she said. “I’ve seen that over and over, and I find that really offensive that women’s bodies are either objectified or used for comic value.”
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In “Take This Waltz” Ms. Polley included a shower scene in a health club with women of all ages naked in a completely casual way. “That scene came specifically out of being a female filmmaker,” she said, “I would have maybe pretended a few years ago that I just want to make stories like everyone else, and my gender didn’t matter, but I think that’s naïve. Certainly with this film I was very conscious of the way I was handling nudity and sexuality.”
For actresses, having a female director can influence the dynamic during sex scenes. Ms. Gyllenhaal said that a female director changes the feel of a film. “The most interesting sex scenes that I’ve done or seen are the ones that are truthful from a women’s perspective,” she said. “Instead of what I think everybody got used to in the ’80s and ’90s: Put on a black Victoria’s Secret demi bra and be lit perfectly and arch your back.”
“That’s supposed to look like sex,” she added, “but that doesn’t look like sex for most people, and if it does, I think you’re probably missing out on a lot.”
Juliette Binoche, who stars in “Elles,” Ms. Szumowska’s graphic look at student prostitutes in Paris that was released last month, also noticed the difference a female director makes. “Because I’m used to working with male directors, working with a woman there was a new feeling I had which was related to something more personal, it felt like an auto-portrait at some moments,” she said. “And so the responsibility of acting with a director of the same sex, it’s something of a mirroring feeling.”
Ms. Wexler and her colleagues said that making movies that focus on female sexuality also meant risking being pigeonholed as a director only for women. Noting that Marc Webb followed up the romantic comedy “(500) Days of Summer” with “The Amazing Spider-Man,” Ms. Wexler said: “I doubt that I’m getting ‘The Avengers’ or ‘Justice League.’ I want to do movies for women, but I don’t only want to do that.”
For Ms. Wexler, and others, more films by women about women is no doubt progress, but, she added, that inevitably presents another set of challenges. “What we’re doing as women by making these small, little movies, because that’s all they’ll give us, is we’re making things that don’t make as much money, that have a smaller audience and are harder to get right, and then we’re wondering why we don’t get bigger movies. That is very self-reinforcing. I would love me a big Hollywood movie. ‘Wonder Woman’? Give me a call.” |
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The tragic, confusing, and politically volatile death of Black Lives Matter activist Sandra Bland has shifted some of the recent media focus away from deaths involving street-level law enforcement officers, and toward the horrors that can occur behind bars. Bland's death was officially ruled a suicide by hanging, but an investigation into "lingering questions" is ongoing.
Stories of other women dying in police custody have been cropping up these past few weeks. With Monday's report of a 43-year-old woman named Raynette Turner dying mysteriously in a Westchester County, New York, jail, the issue seemed impossible to ignore. Is this an epidemic that is only getting worse? Are more women of color dying in police custody than usual?
Sandra Bland was found hanging in a Hempstead, Texas jail cell on July 13, three days after being cuffed and arrested during a traffic stop for failing to indicate a turn. A week before, on July 6, a young Lakota woman named Sarah Lee Circle Bear was reportedly found dead in a jail cell in Aberdeen, South Dakota. The day after Bland's death, there was another death by apparent suicide of an 18-year-old Black Lives Matter protester named Kindra Chapman, who had been arrested at a demonstration in Homewood, Alabama, for allegedly stealing a cellphone. Joyce Curnell, a 50-year-old who had been arrested for shoplifting in Charleston County, South Carolina, was found dead in a jail cell on July 22. Earlier this week, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio, a woman named Ralkina Jones, who had been arrested after a fight with her husband, died in custody. Jones had been suffering from medical conditions that had been "documented during her intake process and she was administered her prescribed medication as directed," according to Cleveland Heights Police.
These deaths are tragic, but the sad truth is that these sorts of incidents happen routinely. In 2012, the latest year for which the Bureau of Justice Statistics' Deaths in Custody Reporting Program has released data, 4,309 people died while being held in local jails or state prisons. In local jails, where there were 958 deaths—an 8 percent increase from 2011—the number-one cause of death was suicide.
Watch our documentary about the militarization of America's police:
In total, 122 women died in local jails in 2012, or about ten per month—which means, depressingly, that if the six women mentioned above were the only women who died in custody in July, that wouldn't be unusual. (All of the women mentioned died in jail rather than in prison.)
We spoke to Jamira Burley, an Amnesty senior campaigner about the issue. She told VICE of the need for "transparency," and "independent investigations from outside of police departments to look into those matters," but added, "We haven't done an independent study on deaths in police custody."
Follow Mike Pearl on Twitter. |
Do we know the full truth about the Euphrates Shield? Daily Hürriyet’s veteran diplomatic correspondent, Uğur Ergan, reported on Monday that Turkey’s Euphrates Shield operation in Northern Syria, launched on Aug. 24 against the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Peoples’ Protection Units (YPG) – which Ankara says is a terrorist group linked to the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) – has slowed down.
Using background information from official sources, Ergan cited three reasons for this: The strong resistance by ISIL in the town of al-Bab, the time needed to prepare to break this resistance and the recent abduction of two Turkish soldiers by ISIL.
An immediate question that springs to mind – especially in the wake of recent statements by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan which clearly suggested that the capture of al-Bab is only days away – is why these very likely contingencies were not factored into the planning of the operation.
Another question that crops up is whether the Turkish-trained Free Syria Army (FSA), which provides the main component of the Euphrates Shield, is up to the task. The FSA has proved to be ineffective in the past, and it seems that it may still not be up to scratch when it comes to serious fighting.
Yet another question is why the abduction of two soldiers by ISIL – sad as it is – can stall a major operation, as it has been billed to date by the government, and whether this does not send a message to ISIL to try and abduct more soldiers, given the effect this will have on the Turkish military.
There are a lot of gaps regarding the operation despite the great hope placed on this by the government, and Ergan’s report clearly highlights this. But there is another and more crucial question that Ergan’s sources are clearly shying away from.
Could it be that the Euphrates Shield has reached the limit that will be allowed by Damascus and its main backer, Moscow? This question is especially crucial in light of the recent aerial attack against Turkish forces stationed near al-Bab, for which the Turkish military blamed the Syrian regime.
Russia denies that it or the regime was behind this attack, but the Turkish Armed Forces have not retracted their original statement. As for the government, it has been trying to downplay the attack. This is noteworthy given the attempt by Ankara to cozy up to Moscow in order to counterbalance its deteriorating ties with its Western allies.
Put mildly, that attack was a serious blow and embarrassment to Ankara. That strike also made it risky for the Turkish Air Force to fly missions in support of Turkish forces and their FSA vanguard in the region.
The likely Russian thinking in this regard is simple to understand. Al-Bab is a gateway to Aleppo, where Russia and Syria are on the verge of defeating the FSA and radical Islamic elements fighting alongside them. Moscow clearly does not want to see a Turkish-supported FSA presence take control of that town.
Erdoğan’s promise was also to move on to Manbij, currently held by the U.S.-supported Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), once al-Bab was captured, in order to rid it of YPG fighters operating under the SDF umbrella. Washington, however, does not want to see that happen.
The way things are stacked in northern Syria presently, it appears Erdoğan will be unable to fulfill this promise either.
So is it all rhetoric and nothing else we have been hearing from Erdoğan and other members of the government about the great successes being secured by the Euphrates Shield? Erdoğan’s statement last week that the Euphrates Shield aimed to topple Bashar al-Assad, and his retraction of this statement a few days later after signs of disapproval from Moscow, has only added to the confusion.
In other words, are there developments on the ground that are being withheld from the Turkish public? These questions will be increasingly asked in the coming period. Meanwhile, Turkey’s Syria policy continues to give the impression of being an intractable debacle. |
"Central fovea" redirects here. For other uses, see Fovea (disambiguation)
The fovea centralis is a small, central pit composed of closely packed cones in the eye. It is located in the center of the macula lutea of the retina.[1][2]
The fovea is responsible for sharp central vision (also called foveal vision), which is necessary in humans for activities where visual detail is of primary importance, such as reading and driving. The fovea is surrounded by the parafovea belt, and the perifovea outer region.[2] The parafovea is the intermediate belt, where the ganglion cell layer is composed of more than five rows of cells, as well as the highest density of cones; the perifovea is the outermost region where the ganglion cell layer contains two to four rows of cells, and is where visual acuity is below the optimum. The perifovea contains an even more diminished density of cones, having 12 per 100 micrometres versus 50 per 100 micrometres in the most central fovea. This, in turn, is surrounded by a larger peripheral area that delivers highly compressed information of low resolution following the pattern of compression in foveated imaging.[citation needed]
Approximately half of the nerve fibers in the optic nerve carry information from the fovea, while the remaining half carry information from the rest of the retina. The parafovea extends to a radius of 1.25 mm from the central fovea, and the perifovea is found at a 2.75 mm radius from the fovea centralis.[3]
The term fovea comes from the from Latin foves, meaning 'pit'.
Structure [ edit ]
Fovea is the depression in the inner retinal surface, about 1.5 mm wide, the photoreceptor layer of which is entirely cones and which is specialized for maximum visual acuity. Within the Fovea is a region of 0.5mm diameter called the foveal avascular zone (an area without any blood vessels). This allows the light to be sensed without any dispersion or loss. This anatomy is responsible for the depression in the center of the fovea. The foveal pit is surrounded by the foveal rim that contains the neurons displaced from the pit. This is the thickest part of the retina.[4]
The fovea is located in a small avascular zone and receives most of its oxygen from the vessels in the choroid, which is across the retinal pigment epithelium and Bruch's membrane. The high spatial density of cones along with the absence of blood vessels at the fovea accounts for the high visual acuity capability at the fovea.[5]
The center of the fovea is the foveola – about 0.35 mm in diameter – or central pit where only cone photoreceptors are present and there are virtually no rods.[1] The central fovea consists of very compact cones, thinner and more rod-like in appearance than cones elsewhere. These cones are very densely packed (in a hexagonal pattern). Starting at the outskirts of the fovea, however, rods gradually appear, and the absolute density of cone receptors progressively decreases.
The anatomy of the foveola was recently reinvestigated, and it was discovered that outer segments from the central foveolar cones of monkeys are not straight and twice as long as those from the parafovea.[6]
Size [ edit ]
The size of the fovea is relatively small with regard to the rest of the retina. However, it is the only area in the retina where 20/20 vision is attainable, and is the area where fine detail and colour can be distinguished.[7][8]
Properties [ edit ]
OCT scan of a retina at 800nm with an axial resolution of 3µm
The diagram shows the relative acuity of the left human eye (horizontal section) in degrees from the fovea.
Photograph of the retina of the human eye, with overlay diagrams showing the positions and sizes of the macula, fovea, and optic disc
Anatomical macula / macula lutea / area centralis (clinical: posterior pole): Diameter = 5.5mm (~3.5 disc-diameters) (about 18 deg of VF) Demarcated by the superior and inferior temporal arterial arcades. Has an elliptical shape horizontally. Histologically the only region of the retina where GCL has >1 layer of ganglion cells Yellowish appearance = luteal pigments (xanthophyll and beta-carotenoid ( Beta-Carotene ) in the outer nuclear layers inward.
Anatomical perifovea: Region between parafovea (2.5mm) and edge of macula GCL has 2-4 layers of cells. 12 cones / 100 um
Anatomical parafovea: Diameter = 2.5mm. GCL has >5 layers of cells, and highest density of cones
Anatomical fovea / fovea centralis (clinical: macula) Area of depression in the centre of the macula lutea. Diameter = 1.5mm (~1 disc-diameter) (about 5 deg of VF)
Foveal avascular zone (FAZ) Diameter = 0.5mm (about 1.5 deg of VF) Approximately equal to the foveola
Anatomical foveola (clinical: fovea) Diameter = 0.35mm (about 1 deg of VF) the central floor of depression of fovea centralis 50 cones / 100 um Highest visual acuity
Anatomical umbo Represents the precise center of the macula [9] Diameter = 0.15mm Corresponds to the clinical light reflex
Function [ edit ]
Illustration of the distribution of cone cells in the fovea of an individual with normal color vision (left), and a color blind (protanopic) retina. Note that the center of the fovea holds very few blue-sensitive cones.
In the primate fovea (including humans) the ratios of ganglion cells to photoreceptors is about 2.5; almost every ganglion cell receives data from a single cone, and each cone feeds onto between 1 and 3 ganglion cells.[10] Therefore, the acuity of foveal vision is limited only by the density of the cone mosaic, and the fovea is the area of the eye with the highest sensitivity to fine details.[11] Cones in the central fovea express pigments that are sensitive to green and red light. These cones are the 'midget' pathways that also underpin high acuity functions of the fovea.
The fovea is employed for accurate vision in the direction where it is pointed. It comprises less than 1% of retinal size but takes up over 50% of the visual cortex in the brain.[12] The fovea sees only the central two degrees of the visual field, (approximately twice the width of your thumbnail at arm's length).[13] If an object is large and thus covers a large angle, the eyes must constantly shift their gaze to subsequently bring different portions of the image into the fovea (as in reading).
[14] Distribution of rods and cones along a line passing through the fovea and the blind spot of a human eye
Since the fovea does not have rods, it is not sensitive to dim lighting. Hence, in order to observe dim stars, astronomers use averted vision, looking out of the side of their eyes where the density of rods is greater, and hence dim objects are more easily visible.
The fovea has a high concentration of the yellow carotenoid pigments lutein and zeaxanthin. They are concentrated in the Henle fiber layer (photoreceptor axons that go radially outward from the fovea) and to a lesser extent in the cones.[15][16] They are believed to play a protective role against the effects of high intensities of blue light which can damage the sensitive cones. The pigments also enhance the acuity of the fovea by reducing the sensitivity of the fovea to short wavelengths and counteracting the effect of chromatic aberration.[17] This is also accompanied by a lower density of blue cones at the center of the fovea.[18] The maximum density of blue cones occurs in a ring about the fovea. Consequently, the maximum acuity for blue light is lower than that of other colours and occurs approximately 1° off center.[18]
Angular size of foveal cones [ edit ]
See also: Retina Display , a trademarked term describing a pixel density matching that of the human eye.
On average, each square millimeter (mm) of the fovea contains approximately 147,000 cone cells,[19] or 383 cones per millimeter. The average focal length of the eye, i.e. the distance between the lens and fovea, is 17.1 mm.[20] From these values, one can calculate the average angle of view of a single sensor (cone cell), which is approximately 31.46 arc seconds.
The following is a table of pixel densities required at various distances so that there is one pixel per 31.5 arc seconds:
Example object Distance from eye assumed PPI (PPCM) to match
avg. foveal cone density
(20/10.5 vision) Phone or tablet 10 inches (25.4 cm) 655.6 (258.1) Laptop screen 2 feet (61 cm) 273.2 (107.6) 42" (1.07 m) 16:9 HDTV, 30° view 5.69 feet (1.73 m) 96.0 (37.8)
Peak cone density varies highly between individuals, such that peak values below 100,000 cones/mm2 and above 324,000 cones/mm2 are not uncommon.[21] Assuming average focal lengths, this suggests that individuals with both high cone densities and perfect optics may resolve pixels with an angular size of 21.2 arc seconds, requiring PPI values at least 1.5 times those shown above in order for images not to appear pixelated.
It is worth noting that individuals with 20/20 (6/6 m) vision, defined as the ability to discern a 5x5 pixel letter that has an angular size of 5 arc minutes, cannot see pixels smaller than 60 arc seconds. In order to resolve a pixel the size of 31.5 and 21.2 arc seconds, an individual would need 20/10.5 (6/3.1 m) and 20/7.1 (6/2.1 m) vision, respectively. To find the PPI values discernible at 20/20, simply divide the values in the above table by the visual acuity ratio (e.g. 96 PPI / (20/10.5 vision) = 50.4 PPI for 20/20 vision).
Entoptic effects in the fovea [ edit ]
The presence of the pigment in the radially arranged axons of the Henle fiber layer causes it to be dichroic and birefringent[22] to blue light. This effect is visible through the Haidinger's brush when the fovea is pointed to a polarized light source.
The combined effects of the macular pigment and the distribution of short wavelength cones results in the fovea having a lower sensitivity to blue light (blue light scotoma). Though this is not visible under normal circumstances due to "filling in" of information by the brain, under certain patterns of blue light illumination, a dark spot is visible at the point of focus.[23] Also, if mixture of red and blue light is viewed (by viewing white light through a dichroic filter), the point of foveal focus will have a central red spot surrounded by a few red fringes.[23][24] This is called the Maxwell's spot after James Clerk Maxwell[25] who discovered it.
Bifoveal fixation [ edit ]
In binocular vision, the two eyes converge to enable bifoveal fixation, which is necessary for achieving high stereoacuity.
In contrast, in a condition known as anomalous retinal correspondence, the brain associates the fovea of one eye with an extrafoveal area of the other eye.
Other animals [ edit ]
The fovea is also a pit in the surface of the retinas of many types of fish, reptiles, and birds. Among mammals, it is found only in simian primates. The retinal fovea takes slightly different forms in different types of animals. For example, in primates, cone photoreceptors line the base of the foveal pit, the cells that elsewhere in the retina form more superficial layers having been displaced away from the foveal region during late fetal and early postnatal life. Other foveae may show only a reduced thickness in the inner cell layers, rather than an almost complete absence. Many species of birds have a double fovea.[citation needed]
Additional images [ edit ]
Illustration showing main structures of the eye including the fovea
Structures of the eye labeled
This image shows another labeled view of the structures of the eye
Schematic diagram of the macula lutea of the retina, showing perifovea, parafovea, fovea, and clinical macula
A fundus photograph showing the macula as a spot to the left. The optic disc is the area on the right where blood vessels converge. The grey, more diffuse spot in the centre is a shadow artifact.
See also [ edit ]
This article uses anatomical terminology; for an overview, see anatomical terminology |
During a recent visit by the king of Saudi Arabia to China, the two countries signed deals worth $65 billion, including a partnership for manufacturing drones, foreign media reported. In recent months, Saudi Arabia has repeatedly turned to China to buy drones. Experts said that the choice reflects the growing popularity of Chinese drones on the global market, especially in the Middle East, due to their high cost-efficiency. They also noted that Saudi Arabia needs support from China to wean its economy off oil exports.
An unmanned drone works in a field on Saturday in Ji'ning, East China's Shandong Province. Photo: CFP
As a rising dealer of military drones, China has found a good customer in the Gulf country of Saudi Arabia.During a state visit to China by Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud from March 15 to March 18, the two countries signed deals worth as much as $65 billion, including a partnership agreement to manufacture drones, Reuters reported on March 16.Domestic media outlets have reported that the agreement was signed between Beijing-based China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC) and Saudi Arabia. CASC declined to confirm the news.In recent months, Saudi Arabia has frequently bought drones from China. According to a report in February by the Xinhua News Agency, China's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), called the Wing-Loong II, had the "biggest overseas purchase order in the history of Chinese foreign military sales" of unmanned aircraft system.Although Xinhua didn't disclose the name of the buyer, a report on defence-blog.com in March revealed that the Wing-Loong II was sold to Saudi Arabia.During the International Defense Exhibition and Conference held in February in Abu Dhabi, Chinese companies signed deals with Saudi buyers to sell them the Rainbow UAV production line, according to a report on guancha.cn on March 20.China's growing trade of drones with Saudi Arabia reflects the growing popularity of Chinese weapons, especially UAVs, on the global market, thanks to their comparatively low prices and technical advantages, a source from CASC, who did not want to be named, told the Global Times on Wednesday.As an active anti-terrorism participant, there are good reasons for Saudi Arabia to prefer made-in-China UAVs. One of the most important is value.The CASC person brought up the Rainbow UAV as an example of China's advanced drone technology."Rainbow UAVs are very good at striking time-sensitive targets, which have been in battle in countries that have bought and used the weapon. This makes the Rainbow suited to small-scale fights against militants," he said.In the past, the Iraqi air force has deployed Rainbow drones against rebels. In one battle in 2015, a Rainbow-4 destroyed an enemy stronghold, said Li Daguang, a professor at the National Defence University PLA China. He added that Nigeria has also used Rainbow UAVs to fight terrorists."Chinese UAVs' wonderful performance on Middle East battlefields such as in Pakistan may have caught Saudi Arabia's attention," said Zhou Rong, a senior research fellow at the Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies at Renmin University of China.Another advantage of Chinese drones is that they are more cost-effective than many of competing UAVs. According to Sarah Kreps, associate professor of the Department of Government at Cornell University, a drone produced by China is "a fraction of the cost of the comparable drone produced in the US," giving Middle East customers like Saudi Arabia a good economic reason to acquire drones from China.A Wing-Loong UAV costs about $1 million, while a similar Reaper UAV made in the US costs about $30 million, Li told the Global Times on Wednesday.Externally, the US, the biggest competitor to China's drone exports, has a "complicated, idiosyncratic, and unpredictable" process for exporting military technology, Kreps told the Global Times on Wednesday.Just recently, the US canceled a weapon sale to Saudi Arabia because of its involvement in Yemen, according to Kreps. These factors have prompted Saudi Arabia to turn to China, which offers a more streamlined process for acquiring drones.Saudi Arabia's growing dealings with China come at a time when Chinese drones are gaining popularity on the international market.For example, Rainbow drones have been sold to more than 20 customers in more than 10 countries, the CASC person said.Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Pakistan and Nigeria have all reportedly imported UAVs from China, a CNBC report said on March 5.The CASC source noted that the prospects for Chinese drone exports are promising because Chinese UAVs are not only for military use. They also have wider applications in civilian markets such as forest fire prevention, marine surveillance and transportation management."The biggest market for UAVs is the civilian market, which requires more exploration. Also, the development of UAVs will be closely linked with artificial intelligence and big data in the future," he noted.As Saudi Arabia runs increasingly short on oil reserves, the country is beefing up efforts to shift its economic focus from oil to other sectors such as manufacturing, and China can help them achieve this goal, Zhou told the Global Times on Tuesday."The fact that they have not only bought drones, but also drone production lines shows Saudi Arabia's ambition to become a manufacturing center in the Middle East, as they turn from an affluent country to a developed country with assets and technologies," Zhou said.According to the initiative, Saudi Arabia intends to become a global investment powerhouse by the end of 2030.Li noted that buying a UAV production line is not a common practice, "but it's a smart decision because it can help Saudi Arabia narrow its gap with Iran's UAV manufacturing industry," Li said.Apart from UAVs, the $65 billion in deals also included agreements in sectors such as energy, transportation, telecommunications and aviation."I guess Saudi Arabia has been attracted by the results of the 'One Belt and One Road' initiative and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor," Zhou said.He also noted that orders from Saudi Arabia can also bring benefits to China, not only in terms of money, but also in terms of easier access to the Middle East for greater economic cooperation. |
Alyoshenka (Russian: Алёшенька, diminutive of the Russian male first name Alexey) or the Kyshtym Dwarf is believed by many to be a prematurely born female baby with many deformities found in the village of Kaolinovy, near Kyshtym, Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia in May 1996. Subsequently, the remains were lost. Only photos and videos of the corpse survive. Various supernatural and mystical speculation arose; sceptics regard the information about its existence as nothing more than urban legends.
Discovery [ edit ]
A small human foetus, Alyoshenka was found by an elderly woman, Tamara Vasilyevna Prosvirina. The foetus had an unusual appearance, giving rise to rumours of its extraterrestrial origin. The local population readily supported this rumour, collecting fees from reporters for interviews – at least two Japanese companies (Asahi TV and MTV Japan) made documentaries about the remains.
Physical appearance [ edit ]
Alyoshenka was a greyish foetus about 25 centimetres (9.8 in) in length. Its hairless head had a number of dark spots. The eyes were large, occupying most of the face. It breathed through a small nose below the eyes.
Later incidents [ edit ]
Somewhere between a few days to a month after the discovery, Tamara Prosvirina was admitted to a hospital or psychiatric hospital (details vary on this) for treatment, and in some accounts the remains were passed to the local militsiya (police) by a neighbour. In most accounts, once the body was given to authorities in order to get DNA testing, it "disappeared" and Prosvirina's family was unable to retrieve it from authorities. In 1999, Prosvirina was killed in a car accident in an attempt to escape from the hospital.[1]
Speculation [ edit ]
Little is known about what happened to the remains, and accounts of Alyoshenka's death and appearance vary greatly. A local ufologist claimed that the corpse was taken away by a UFO inhabited by members of Alyoshenka's species. Some sceptics hold that it was bought by a wealthy collector of curiosities. A doctor from the local hospital who had allegedly seen the corpse reported that it corresponded to a normal 20- to 25-week human foetus, born prematurely. It could have lived for several hours, but not several weeks, contrary to Prosvirina's claims.[2]
Testing [ edit ]
Bendlin decided initially that this was the mummified remains of a child and took it to Dr Irina Yermolaeva for analysis. She stated that it wasn't a hoax in that it was a genuine mummified body that was once living tissue. Her conclusions though were that it was a premature child that was deformed, something which could be attributed to the far reaching fall-out of the 1957 Kyshtym Disaster.
On 15 April 2004, scientists made an official statement that the "Kyshtym creature" was a premature female human infant, with severe deformities. However, other experts and eyewitnesses said it could not have been a human as there were too many differences (up to 20 were counted) in the skeleton that varied from a human being, especially in regard to the skull.
However Bendlin's clinical assistant, Lyubov Romanowa, who herself had seen many deformities in children stated that "they had never seen anything like this", and that she believed that it was "not of human origin". She said the differences were just too many, not least of which the amount of bones on the head that consisted of four in total that had sharp edges which were "completely different to a human being".[3]
According to genetic experts at the Moscow Vavilov Institute of General Genetics, DNA analysis of the clothes Alyoshenka was wrapped in revealed evidence that his DNA was of unknown origin. It was also tested for radiation, but did not show high radiation levels.[4][5]
A March 2018 study on the similar Atacama skeleton found an extremely high number of mutations for bone & muscle formation, suggesting that such major mutations, although extremely rare, are possible.
See also [ edit ] |
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GARLAND (CBSDFW.COM) – The Garland City Council approved a new school zone outside of Garland High School Tuesday night.
This was a direct response to a request from parents at the campus after instances of kids being hit by fast drivers along the busy South Garland Avenue.
The street runs directly in front of the high school, with no school zone. The current speed limit is 35 mph, but city leaders are proposing a 20 mph speed limit along this road during appropriate hours. That change will be up for a vote at the city council meeting on Tuesday night.
There is currently no school zone along this roadway because most kids do not arrive at campus from this direction.
Garland’s mayor expects the recommendation to pass without any question. “When the school zone says 20 mph, people need to be doing exactly 20 mph or less,” said Mayor Douglas Athas. “People just don’t realize that hitting someone with a car at 25 mph or greater is almost guaranteed serious injury or death.”
In the last two months, two students from Garland High School have been hit by drivers. In both instances, the students were in the crosswalk on their way to school in the morning. And, in one of the cases, the student hit a button at the crosswalk for a set of lights to start flashing.
When a pedestrian is in the crosswalk, vehicles must yield. But that has not been enough to keep kids safe. Athas believes that too many drivers are distracted behind the wheel, and being dangerous. “People need to be a lot more cautious around schools than what they’re being,” he said.
“I get it too, because they’re rushing to work, but it’s just, sometimes, they don’t care,” said student Marcos DeJesus.
A pickup truck hit 18-year-old Natalia Estrada back in January and threw her several yards. She broke six bones and endured multiple surgeries. The driver of that vehicle fled from the scene. Then, just last month, another student was struck along the same road. After the second incident, the school held an assembly to reinforce to kids the need to be careful while crossing the street.
“It’s not just around schools,” Athas said. “We’re seeing an uptick in accidents. It’s not just Garland. Cities all over the United States are seeing an uptick in accidents. And most of it, I presume, it’s because of distracted driving.” Along with a penalty for speeding, a new school zone in Garland would also create a penalty for using a cell phone.
“I really think it’s just a matter of people paying better attention, honestly,” added mother Gloria Gray. She and parents Emily Coker and Aubrey Blankenship welcome the proposal for a school zone, but are not sure that it will solve the problem. Nearby streets are also under a school zone, and two other crashes occurred in those areas earlier this year. According to police, those were the fault of teenage pedestrians, not drivers. |
The search for the man police believe responsible for the killing of a woman at a business in Burnaby has expanded across the Lower Mainland.
On Tuesday, the Integrated Homicide Investigation Team provided an update on the investigation into the murder of Hee Sook Youn, noting police are still looking for her ex-husband, Youngku Youn.
But IHIT is also asking for the public’s help finding 54-year old Kyonghee Kim, who police believe is Youngku Youn’s girlfriend and who may be with him. Kim has not been in contact with anyone since Oct. 5, and family and police are concerned for her well-being. Police believe Kim could be in danger.
IHIT has released a timeline of the events related to the case starting on Oct. 5.
At approximately 11 a.m., Hee Sook Youn was found dead in the bathroom of her business in the 4500 block of North Road.
At the same time, Ridge Meadows RCMP received information about a man who was suicidal. This man was identified by the caller as Youngku Youn. At this stage, police said Youn was a person of interest in the murder of his ex-wife. Ridge Meadows RCMP conducted a search in their area and located Youn’s PT Cruiser on the corner of Harris Road and Fraser Way.
Just before 11 a.m., Kyonghee Kim received a call from Youn, and Kim’s vehicle was spotted on the Golden Ears Bridge just before noon.
At 11 p.m., Kim’s grey Hyundai Sonata was spotted by park patrol employees in the Golden Ears Park, just off of Mike Lake Road.
Police noted investigators found Kim’s vehicle in Golden Ears Park on Oct. 8 and determined that the vehicle had been in the area of the park since the evening of Oct. 5.
IHIT said various police agencies were involved in an extensive search of the park, but neither Youn nor Kim was found.
Youn, 60, is described as five feet, seven inches tall, weighing 143 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair.
Anyone who sees the pair is asked to call 911 immediately.
article continues below |
SCP-2837
Item #: SCP-2837
Object Class: Safe
Special Containment Procedures: All instances of SCP-2837 are to be kept at separate Sites. No instances are allowed to be at the same Site for any period of time without the consensus of both the lead researchers on SCP-2837 and the Site Director.
SCP-2837-1 is kept at Site 17, suspended in the center of a cell measuring 4 m x 4 m x 4m. SCP-2837-2 is kept at Site 24, suspended in the center of a cell measuring 60 m x 60 m x 60 m. SCP-2837-3 is kept at Site 37, suspended in the center of a cell measuring 15 m x 15 m x 15 m. SCP-2837-4 is kept at Site 50, suspended in the center of a cell measuring 35 m x 35 m x 35 m. All containment cells are to have access doors located only in one of the upper corners of the chamber, with a walkway extending to the center of the room, allowing access to the SCP-2837 instance.
By preference, only telepresence robots are allowed to enter the range of effect of an SCP-2837 instance. In the rare event that direct human exposure is required, only D-class personnel are to be used.
SCP-2837 instances present a null probability of active containment breach. If accessed or moved by an outside force or individual, follow standard protocols for neutralizing the outside agent.
Description: SCP-2837 consists of a set of 4 perfect Platonic solids composed of different unidentified indestructible substances. The edges of each instance are 17.37 cm in length. Each instance is surrounded by an anomalous region of space centered on it, within which the laws of physics are altered such that all matter consists of mixtures of 4 indivisible particles, described below, and the laws of thermodynamics and motion are greatly simplified. Normal molecular structures are replaced by simple structures composed of these particles, which interact in a manner sufficient to mimic those of standard molecules. The action by which this mimicry works is poorly understood.
SCP-2837-1 is a tetrahedron composed of a uniform red (wavelength 700 nm) substance. Its range of effect is a sphere with a radius of 1.74 m. All exothermic reactions occurring within this volume produce approximately 50% more thermal energy than they do outside the affected region. Inside the affected region, all thermal and electrodynamic energetic processes are facilitated by the transfer of nanoscopic tetrahedral particles. Purely thermal or electric discharges are composed exclusively of these particles, in varying concentrations and luminosities.
SCP-2837-2 is a cube composed of a uniform green (wavelength 549 nm) substance. Its range of effect is a sphere with a radius of 27.8 m. Within the affected region, the force of gravity is normalized such that all objects within it experience 9.8 m/ s2 of acceleration towards the center of the Earth, regardless of the distance from the Earth. A continuous bidirectional flow of nanoscopic cubical particles extends from all solid objects towards the center of the Earth. Additionally, any magnetized objects form similar, less intense flows with ferromagnetic objects within the affected region. All solid matter contains high concentrations of these particles, with elemental iron being formed exclusively of them.
SCP-2837-3 is an octahedron composed of a uniform yellow (wavelength 570 nm) substance. Its range of effect is a sphere with a radius of 6.95 m. Sapient creatures report a greater clarity of thought and ease of thinking within the affected region and perform, on average, 15% higher on standardized measures of intelligence and achievement than they do outside the region. Dense clouds of nanoscopic octahedral particles surround all living brain tissue within the affected region, with density operating according to the inverse-square law. Additionally, all objects that contain or transmit coherent information are accompanied by similar, but less dense, clouds of these particles. All gases within the effective range are rendered uniform and breathable and are composed exclusively of these particles.
SCP-2837-4 is an icosahedron composed of a uniform blue (wavelength 446 nm) substance. Its range of effect is a sphere with a radius of 15.6 m. All coefficients of friction are reduced by approximately half within the affected region. Additionally, all mechanical or kinetic processes are facilitated by the transfer or action of nanoscopic icosahedral particles. All liquids are composed primarily of these particles, with purified water being composed exclusively of them.
When two or more instances are within 50.3 cm of each other, the affected region becomes a perfect sphere with center at the centroid of the placement of the instances. The radius of the sphere is equal to the sum of the radii of the spheres surrounding each included instance. The effects of each instance are active throughout the entirety of the new volume. Experimentation has determined that biological processes that occur within this collective region operate at approximately 30-50% efficiency, depending on the complexity of the organism. Notably, microscopic organisms die immediately upon entering this region. All biological matter that expires within the region rapidly decays into disorganized admixtures of the four particle types, which gradually stratify over time.
SCP-2837 was discovered in 1847 within a sealed, underground Roman tomb located in present-day Turkey by The Royal Society for the Study of Curiosities and Peculiarities, a Foundation precursor. The tomb has since been destroyed by regional conflicts, but etchings and drawings made at the time of discovery indicate that the entry door and interior of the tomb were covered in bas-relief carvings and frescos depicting a previously unknown mystery cult devoted to the Roman god Orcus. Several of the drawings indicate that the cultists considered SCP-2837 to be a gift from Orcus, intended to purify the world in preparation for his return to the surface world. Notes from the archaeologists responsible for the finding indicate the tomb was sealed by order of an official entitled the "Curator Arcanorum", or Superintendent of Secrets. |
Designing a Semen-Collecting Helmet & Bird Perfume
Sirocco the kakapo looks for love in all the wrong places. Photo © Department of Conservation / Flickr
Would you let an endangered bird mate with your head?
Meet the kakapo: a flightless, nocturnal, chunky 8-pound parrot from New Zealand. Formerly found throughout New Zealand, kakapos were nearly wiped out by feral cats and are now restricted to only four small, offshore (and predator free) islands.
To demonstrate their reproductive fitness, male kakapos toddle up a mountain, dig a hole in the dirt, and then “boom” into it for up to 8 hours straight. These low-frequency calls can travel up to 5 kilometers. Upon hearing this enticing serenade, female kakapos have to clamber through the forest and up the mountain to find the males.
Ridiculous at the best of times, this mating strategy is especially ineffective when there are only about 100 birds left. So to help bolster genetic diversity and conserve the species, Kakapo Recovery started a captive breeding program. They noticed that some males were vastly more popular than others, and realized that is had something to do with how those males smelled. So researchers from Massey University are using a gas chromatograph mass spectrometer to analyze feathers from the successful males, in the hopes of figuring out just why these males have such scent appeal and, perhaps, developing a synthetic kakapo “perfume” to improve captive breeding success.
Speaking of breeding… one wild (but hand-raised) kakapo, Sirocco, developed an unfortunate habit of attempting to mate with people’s heads. Don’t believe me? Watch filmmaker Mark Carwardine get “shagged by a rare parrot” as actor Stephen Fry looks on.
Trying to make the best of an awkward situation, the Kakapo Recovery staff improvised a special helmet that would collect Sirocco’s semen. Unfortunately, Sirocco prefers seducing helmet-free heads, and he now receives special behavioral training to teach him to redirect his urges toward a stuffed owl puppet. |
Outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan, right, chases Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. (John McDonnell/The Washington Post)
Greg Manusky is hardly the first new NFL defensive coordinator to promise a more aggressive, attacking approach to play-calling. But Manusky, named in January to succeed Washington Redskins defensive coordinator Joe Barry, had a novel way of illustrating his basic concept to reporters this week before teeing off for the Ryan Kerrigan Leukemia Golf Classic at Lansdowne Resort.
Asked how his defense would be more aggressive, Manusky, a former linebacker with 12 years’ NFL experience, started by reviewing the role of defensive backs, who, he explained, “play from distance and vision.” Then he recapped the linebackers’ stance, five yards off the line.
Suddenly, Manusky thrust his massive, round head about a centimeter from a reporter’s nose and growled: “Our linemen, it’s like they’re right here! Makes you feel uncomfortable!”
[Gruden on Cousins contract: ‘He’s gonna be here this season and that’s all I care about.’]
And he broke into a devilish grin “We might not win a game,” he said with a chuckle, “but we’ll sure beat the crap out of a lot of people!”
If making opposing offenses uncomfortable is the new rallying cry, Kerrigan can’t wait to get started, mindful of the gutting completions that sustained far too many drives on third-and-long last season.
“We obviously had our struggles last year defensively, no doubt about it — especially on third down,” said Kerrigan, a two-time Pro Bowl honoree, of the Redskins’ 28th ranked defense.
Kerrigan said he loved seeing the Redskins invest their top three picks on defense in the recent NFL draft and couldn’t believe that Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen, regarded by many analysts as a top-five pick, fell to Washington at 17th. And he loved the second-round selection of Alabama linebacker Ryan Anderson — “dude can really get after the passer!”
[Redskins announce 2017 training camp dates]
Though the full squad won’t start on-field work until May 23, Kerrigan said he has been struck by the amount of pressure Manusky intends to install in the defense, based on what he has seen on paper.
“You look at the install sheets for when we’re installing our defense, and you see a lot of lines going forward,” said Kerrigan, who’ll be among the front five said. “That’s a cool [thing] for a guy that plays up front because it’s going to allow us to hopefully play in the backfield a little bit.”
Kerrigan led the Redskins’ outside linebackers with 11 sacks last season. Trent Murphy added nine, and Preston Smith contributed 4.5. With the addition of Anderson and the expected return of Junior Galette, Kerrigan thinks the outside linebacker position should be a strength of team this season.
Inside linebacker Will Compton said he’s bullish about the entire defense and senses a new energy with the influx of the new rookies and free agents vying for starting jobs.
“You’re excited to play for [Manusky] and learn the new scheme,” Compton said. “But there’s always an energy when you bring in a lot of young guys, especially on the defensive side where there will be a lot of competition and battles. You can tell guys are really into it. Really serious.”
In Manusky’s view, the combination of eager rookies and seasoned veterans gives the Redskins defense the raw material for success this season. “The players that are in that room that we have, we have to win with ‘em,” Manusky said. “And we will win with ‘em.” |
HIALEAH, Fla. -- Police in Florida are searching for a man accused of dousing his pregnant girlfriend in gasoline and lighting her on fire, CBS Miami reports.
Police said Noel Grullon, 32, left his 27-year-old girlfriend with second degree burns to her upper torso area after the incident around 5 a.m. Thursday morning.
The girlfriend's two children from another relationship -- a 1-year-old and 4-year-old -- witnessed the entire incident, police said.
They said Grullon fled the scene in a 2007 Ford pickup truck.
Noel Grullon CBS Miami
Police said the couple had been in a relationship for six months and were arguing over cigarettes. The woman is pregnant with Grullon's child.
The victim took hours to reveal that the burns were deliberately inflicted by her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend.
As of Friday night, she was in the hospital being treated for her injuries.
"It took most of the day for her to finally admit to a social worker what had really happened to her. At first she was saying it was a barbecuing accident," said Hialeah Police Sgt. Carl Zogby.
Zogby said Grullon has a lengthy history of arrests and convictions for violent crimes including armed robbery, armed carjacking, kidnapping, aggravated battery, grand theft, burglary and criminal mischief.
Grullon was released from state prison just eight months ago after serving 12 years for carjacking and robbery offenses. |
The students were met by a legislative assistant, Soltani said, who gave the students a questionnaire, telling them it must be filled out in writing.
Adam Soltani, executive director of Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR) Oklahoma, told BuzzFeed News that high school students from Tulsa's Peace Academy visited Bennett's office to either meet with him or schedule a meeting.
Oklahoma Rep. John Bennett asked his constituents taking part in the state's third annual Muslim Day on Thursday — in which Muslims have the opportunity to interact with state legislators at the capitol — to fill out the questionnaire.
Muslims hoping to meet with a Oklahoma lawmaker during a special event had to first fill out a controversial questionnaire about Islam that included inquiries such as "Do you beat your wife?"
The nine-part questionnaire includes questions such as, "The Koran, the sunna of Mohammed and Sharia Law of all schools says that the husband can beat his wife. Do you beat your wife?"
Another question is, "I have heard that, according to accepted Islamic sources, Mohammed, at age of 49, married a 6-year-old girl, and that he had sex with her when he was 52 and she was only 9 years old. Is that really true?"
"I was distraught when [the students] showed me the questionnaire," Soltani told BuzzFeed News. "I wasn't completely surprised by it because obviously we have been challenging Bennett's hate rhetoric for many years."
Martha Perry, Bennet's legislative assistant, told BuzzFeed News the lawmaker was not available for comment.
Bennett, a former US Marine who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, made headlines in 2014 when he made anti-Islam comments on social media, later adding that Islam is a "cancer in our nation that needs to be cut out."
He also said there is no difference between moderate and radical Islam.
"How can I be racist against Muslims or Islam when the ethnicity is actual Arab?" he said at the time, adding, "This is kind of confusing."
Last year, Oklahoma lawmakers approved a proposal Bennett submitted to study the "current threat posted by radical Islam and the effect that Sharia Law, the Muslim Brotherhood and jihadist indoctrination have in the radicalization process in Oklahoma and America."
Soltani said he does not know how many people got the questionnaire because more than 200 people attended Muslim Day at the Capitol, adding that all the other legislators were very supportive and welcoming.
The questionnaire was written up by anti-Islam group ACT for America — the group's logo and email address are on the sheet of paper.
"The question that comes to mind is, does he do this to others?" Soltani said. "Does he ask question to his Christian constituents? His Jewish constituents? If the answer is no, that's discrimination. There's no other way to call it."
Soltani said there shouldn't be somebody working for the state of Oklahoma who doesn't represent all citizens.
"Nobody should be vetted with stupid, Islamophobic, hateful, bigoted questions before they can meet with their representative," Soltani said in a video posted to Facebook Thursday. |
Posted Wednesday, June 21, 2017 12:10 pm
Handguns, bullet-proof vests, Tasers and stuffed animals.
What item on this list doesn’t seem to belong?
You probably said “stuffed animals,” but when it comes to equipment that Middletown Borough Police officers need to carry, stuffed animals really do belong on the list.
Only you won’t find stuffed animals among the list of police equipment items that are funded by the borough budget.
Instead, the MPD has depended on the generosity of outside groups to provide a piece of equipment that officers say comes in very handy — especially any time an officer is dealing with a situation involving a young child.
In recent years, Kiwanis and Members 1st have donated teddy bears and other stuffed animals to the department for officers to give to children, said MPD Patrol Officer Mark Laudenslager.
Now, a new group has stepped up — the Penn State Harrisburg Chapter of the National Criminal Justice Honor Society, known as Alpha Phi Sigma.
The chapter is new this academic year, said Jennifer Gibbs, an assistant professor of criminal justice and chapter co-adviser along with Jennifer Smith, a lecturer in criminal justice at Penn State Harrisburg.
After seeing a video in Gibbs’ class depicting a young girl in a car accident being calmed down by a police officer giving her a stuffed animal, students in the chapter were inspired to organize a campus-wide collection of new stuffed animals to be donated to the Middletown Police Department.
Dubbed “Operation Tactical Teddy Bear” by the students, the collection took place over the course of the past semester starting in January, and was the chapter’s first community service project, Gibbs said.
Gibbs and Smith recently showed up at the MPD to drop off four large bags full of new stuffed animals to the department. The animals vary in size, shape and color, but they are all cuddly.
Smaller bags containing a few of the stuffed animals will be placed in each police cruiser, Laudenslager said. Officers give them out at their own discretion. However, police typically hand out a stuffed animal to any child who is at the scene or involved in a domestic violence incident, an accident or emergency, or any situation involving child custody.
Laudenslager has seen first hand the impact the stuffed animals can have upon a child.
“It usually calms them down right away. They will hug it (the stuffed animal) the whole time,” he said.
Penn State Harrisburg has about 150 criminal justice students. Many are looking to become police officers, Gibbs said.
Among other requirements, undergraduate criminal justice students at Penn State Harrisburg must have a minimum grade point average of 3.2 to get into the National Criminal Justice Honor Society. Graduate students need a minimum GPA of 3.4.
The new Penn State Harrisburg chapter has eight students. The idea for the stuffed animal drive is credited to the chapter’s three officers: President Michael Raymond, Vice President Michael Imbrogno, and Secretary/Treasurer Aric Townes.
Other members who assisted are Bao Pham, Christine Hollman, Daniela Barberi and Michael Posteraro.
The chapter plans to have more service projects and will look for other opportunities to connect with the Middletown Police Department, Gibbs said. |
President Donald Trump speaks as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe listens as they both made statements about North Korea at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., Saturday, Feb. 11, 2017. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
WASHINGTON (AP) — There was President Donald Trump, in the middle of his Mar-a-Lago resort, conferring with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on decisions with national security implications over iceberg wedge salads. The club members snapped photos and posted them to Facebook with detailed narratives about what they were seeing unfold before their eyes Saturday night in Palm Beach, Florida.
“HOLY MOLY !!! It was fascinating to watch the flurry of activity at dinner when the news came that North Korea had launched a missile in the direction of Japan,” Richard DeAgazio wrote on his public Facebook page.
Welcome to the social media presidency — and all of the security and ethical challenges it poses.
DeAgazio also posed for a photo with a man whom he said carries the “nuclear football” for the president. He’s since deleted his account and did not respond to requests for comment from The Associated Press.
CNN and other news outlets used DeAgazio’s and other social media accounts to write about what seemed to be an open-air situation room. The publicly shared photos showed Trump, illuminated by cell phone flashlights, conducting national security business on the terrace of his oceanfront resort, in an area accessible to dues-paying members.
White House spokesman Sean Spicer said no classified material was discussed at the dinner table and that the president had been briefed previously and afterward in a secure setting. He said the photos on social media depicted Trump and Abe aides discussing the logistics of a press conference they were about to hold.
Yet Democrats said the scene at Mar-a-Lago seemed to pose security risks. Trump spent much of his campaign blasting opponent Hillary Clinton for her use of a private email server to conduct business while she was secretary of state, something Trump said was not nearly secure enough.
“There’s inconsistency all over the place in terms of how much Donald Trump raised national security on the campaign trail and how he is now operating as president,” said Brian Fallon, who was Clinton’s campaign spokesman. “And there’s hypocrisy from congressional leaders who demagogued this issue, constantly accusing Hillary Clinton of doing something that was far less egregious than this very conspicuous departure from security protocols.”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi wrote on Twitter, “There’s no excuse for letting an international crisis play out in front of a bunch of country club members like dinner theater.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Trump “never should have had such a sensitive discussion in such a public place.”
Some Republicans appeared frustrated by Trump’s Saturday night powwow. “You can’t make it up,” said Arizona Sen. John McCain, a frequent Trump critic of late.
“Usually that’s not a place where you do that kind of thing,” said Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, who sits on the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.
The chairman of that committee, North Carolina Sen. Richard Burr, seemed dismissive of the concerns.
“If the president didn’t speak of things that couldn’t be spoken of in public, then there’s no problem with it,” he said. He said he saw no immediate need for a briefing on the matter.
There’s also an ethical component: Mar-a-Lago memberships now cost $200,000. Some of that money makes its way back to the president, since he has stepped away from operating his businesses but not given up his financial stake.
That means those who can afford it get special access to Trump, who has dubbed Mar-a-Lago his “Winter White House” and now traveled there two weekends in a row for official duties.
“This is all a symptom of Donald Trump continuing to comingle his business ventures with his official government duties,” Fallon said. “He’s trying to make Mar-a-Lago more of a destination for paying members and paying diners by bringing state visitors there.”
After working through the details of their joint response to North Korea, the two world leaders stepped into a wedding being held on Trump’s property. A guest shot a minute-long video of Trump’s impromptu speech, which was then shared with New York Magazine.
“I said to the prime minister of Japan, I said, ’Come on, Shinzo, let’s go over and say hello,” Trump says in the video. “It’s an honor to be with you, and you really are a special, beautiful couple.”
The groom, Carl Henry Lindner IV, is the son of the chief executive of American Financial Group. The elder Lindner gave $100,000 last fall to two super PACs supporting Trump.
At the wedding, the video showed, the president kissed the bride on the cheek and encouraged the guests to get back to dancing.
___
AP White House Correspondent Julie Pace and AP writers Erica Werner, Catherine Lucey and Stephen Ohlemacher contributed to this report. |
Binyam Ahmed Mohamed (Amharic: ብንያም መሐመድ) (Arabic: بنيام محمد) (also listed as Benjamin Mohammed, Benyam (Ahmed) Mohammed and Benyam Mohammed al-Habashi) (born 24 July 1978) is an Ethiopian national and United Kingdom resident, who was detained as a suspected enemy combatant by the US Government in Guantanamo Bay prison between 2004 and 2009 without charges.[1] He was arrested in Pakistan and transported first to Morocco under the US's illegal extraordinary rendition program, where he claimed to have been interrogated under torture.
After some time, Mohamed was transferred to military custody at Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Mohamed's military Personal Representative at the time of his Combatant Status Review Tribunal reported that he had admitted that he had trained in the al-Qaeda terrorist training camp, Al Farouq.[2] Mohamed has since said that the evidence against him was obtained using torture and denied any confession.[3]
The US dropped its charges against him, and eventually released him. He arrived in the United Kingdom on 23 February 2009. Together with other detainees, he took legal action against the UK government for collusion by MI5 and MI6 in his torture by the United States. In February 2010, the UK Court of Appeal ruled that he had been subjected to "cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment by the United States authorities".[4] in which the British Intelligence services had been complicit. The UK government agreed to pay an undisclosed sum in compensation in November 2010.
Early life and background [ edit ]
Born in Ethiopia, Mohamed immigrated to Canada in 1995, where he sought political asylum. He lived there for seven years with leave to remain while his application was resolved. He was seeking Permanent Resident status.[5]
Travel to Asia [ edit ]
In June 2001, Mohamed travelled to Afghanistan, for reasons which are in dispute. He and his supporters said that he had gone to conquer his drug problems and to see Muslim countries "with his own eyes". The British and U.S. authorities contend, and the Personal Representative's initial interview notes record, that Mohamed admitted receiving paramilitary training in the al Farouq training camp run by al-Qaeda.[6] He admitted to military training, but said that it was to fight with the Muslim resistance in Chechnya against the Russians, which was not illegal.[2] Mohamed said that he had made false statements while being tortured in Pakistani jails.
Arrest and detention [ edit ]
On 10 April 2002, Mohamed was arrested at Pakistan's Karachi airport by Pakistani authorities as a suspected terrorist, while attempting to return to the UK under a false passport.[7] Mohamed contends that he was subjected to Extraordinary rendition by the United States, and entered a "ghost prison system" run by US intelligence agents[8] in Pakistan, Morocco[9] and Afghanistan. While he was held in Morocco, he said that interrogators tortured him by repeatedly using scalpels or razor blades to cut his penis and chest.[10]
On 19 September 2004, Mohamed was taken by U.S. military authorities from Bagram airbase in Afghanistan to their Guantánamo Bay detention camp at their Navy base in Cuba. He says that he was "routinely humiliated and abused and constantly lied to" there.
In February 2005, he was placed in Camp V, the harsh "super-maximum" facility where, reports suggest, "uncooperative" detainees are held. He was told that he would be required to testify against other detainees.[11]
Mohamed's British barrister, Clive Stafford Smith, legal director of Reprieve said that Mohamed participated in lengthy hunger strikes in 2005 to protest against the harsh conditions and lack of access to any judicial review.[12] The hunger strike started in July 2005, and resumed in August 2005 because the detainees believed the US authorities failed to keep promises to meet their demands.
From a written statement by Mohamed dated 11 August 2005:
The administration promised that if we gave them 10 days, they would bring the prison into compliance with the Geneva conventions. They said this had been approved by Donald Rumsfeld himself in Washington DC. As a result of these promises, we agreed to end the strike on July 28. It is now August 11. They have betrayed our trust (again). Hisham from Tunisia was savagely beaten in his interrogation and they publicly desecrated the Qur'an (again). Saad from Kuwait was ERF'd [subjected to the Extreme Reaction Force] for refusing to go (again) to interrogation because the female interrogator had sexually humiliated him (again) for 5 hours _ Therefore, the strike must begin again.[13][14]
Charged with conspiracy [ edit ]
Ten Presidentially authorised Military Commissions were convened in the former terminal building of the disused airfield on the Guantanamo Naval Base's Eastern Peninsula.
The U.S. Government planned to house up to 80 of the new Congressionally authorised Military Commissions in a $12 million tent city.
On 7 November 2005, Mohamed was charged by a military commission at Guantanamo with conspiracy. The complaint alleges that Mohamed was trained in Kabul to build dirty bombs (weapons combining conventional explosives with radioactive material intended to be dispersed over a large area). According to the complaint, he "was planning terror attacks against high-rise apartment buildings in the United States and was arrested at an airport in Pakistan, attempting to go to London while using a forged passport."[15]
At the start of his military commission, Mohamed chose to represent himself. He protested against the commissions, and said he was not the person charged because the Prosecution had spelled his name incorrectly. He held up a sign "con mission" and stated: "This is not a commission, it's a con mission, It's a mission to con the world."[16]
In mid-2006, the United States Supreme Court ruled in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld that the President lacked the constitutional authority to create military commissions outside the regular federal and military justice systems, and they were unconstitutional. Mohamed's military commission was halted.
In late 2008, the United States Department of Defense (DOD) filed new charges against Binyam Mohamed after the United States Congress authorised new military commissions under the Military Commissions Act of 2006 to respond to the Supreme Court ruling.
On 21 October 2008, Susan J. Crawford, the official in charge of the Office of Military Commissions, announced that charges were dropped against Mohamed and four other captives, Jabran al Qahtani, Ghassan al Sharbi, Sufyian Barhoumi, and Noor Uthman Muhammed.[17][18]
Carol J. Williams, writing in the Los Angeles Times, reported that all five men had been connected to Abu Zubaydah — one of the three captives the CIA has acknowledged was interrogated using the controversial technique known as waterboarding. Williams quoted the men's attorneys, who anticipated the five men would be re-charged within thirty days.[18] They told Williams that "prosecutors called the move procedural", and attributed it to the resignation of fellow Prosecutor Darrel Vandeveld, who resigned on ethical grounds. Williams reported that Clive Stafford Smith speculated that the Prosecution's dropping of the charges, and plans to re-file charges later, was intended to counter and disarm the testimony Vandeveld was anticipated to offer that the Prosecution had withheld exculpatory evidence.
Accusations of abusive incarceration and UK complicity [ edit ]
In December 2005, the declassification of his lawyer's notes permitted Binyam Mohamed's additional claims of abusive interrogation to be made public.[19] He said that he had been transported by the US to a black site known as "the dark prison" in Kabul, where captives were permanently chained to the wall, kept in constant darkness, and was subjected to Dr. Dre and "The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem at extremely loud levels for 20 days.[20]
Binyam's attorneys reported that he had been subjected to "extraordinary rendition", transferred to Morocco, where he was tortured, in addition to the CIA interrogation centres in Afghanistan, prior to his transfer to Guantánamo in 2004.[21][22]
On 21 June 2008, The New York Times reported that the UK Government had sent a letter to Clive Stafford Smith, confirming that it had information about Binyam Mohamed's allegations of abuse.[23]
On 28 July 2008, his lawyers filed a petition in a UK court to compel the Foreign Office to turn over the evidence of Binyam Mohamed's abuse.[24] They also filed a petition with the Irish government for the records of his illegal air transport over Ireland. On 21 August 2008, the High Court of the United Kingdom found in Mohamed's favour, ruling that the Foreign Office should disclose this material. The judges said of the information that it was "not only necessary but essential for his defence".[25][26]
Although the documents were disclosed to Mohamed's legal counsel as ordered, they were not released to the general public.[27] The High Court later found in favour of the Foreign Secretary to prevent the publication of these materials.[28] The reasons given were that — even if it was unreasonable for it to affect international relations — if the Foreign Secretary thought it was going to harm the special intelligence relationship with the United States, it would not be in the public interest.[29]
In February 2009, CBC News reported that Mohamed had described being warned to cooperate by two women, who represented themselves as Canadians.[30] Each woman had represented herself as a third-party intervener, who warned Mohamed that she thought he should co-operate. Each suggested he should answer the Americans' questions fully, or he was likely to be tortured. According to the CBC report, Canada had an obligation to object if it determined that the Americans had falsely represented US security officials as Canadians, as a ploy to trick Mohamed into confessing.
British request for release of legal residents [ edit ]
On 7 August 2007, the British Foreign Secretary David Miliband requested that the US release Mohamed and four other Guantánamo detainees, all of whom had been granted refugee status or other legal right to remain in the United Kingdom, prior to their capture by US forces.[31] Previously, the British government had only sought the release of British citizens, not residents.
Civil suit [ edit ]
On 1 August 2007, Mohamed joined a civil suit filed with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union under the United States' Alien Tort Statute against Jeppesen Dataplan, which had operated the planes that carried him during extraordinary rendition.[32] [33][34][35][36] The defendant in the case was a Boeing subsidiary accused of arranging extraordinary rendition flights for the CIA. Mohamed had a joint lawsuit with four other plaintiffs: Bisher Al-Rawi, Abou Elkassim Britel, Ahmed Agiza, and Mohamed Farag Ahmad Bashmilah.
Accepting the argument of the Obama administration that hearing the case would divulge state secrets, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit dismissed the lawsuit on 8 September 2010.[37]
Release [ edit ]
On 7 August 2007, the United Kingdom government requested the release of Binyam Mohamed and four other, men who had been legal British residents.[38] He was not released however, and in June 2008 the U.S. military announced they were formally charging him. Later that year, he went on a hunger strike to protest his continued detention.
On 16 January 2009, The Independent reported that Mohamed had told his lawyers he had been told to prepare for return to the United Kingdom.[39] The Independent quoted a recently declassified note from Mohamed: "It has come to my attention through several reliable sources that my release from Guantánamo to the UK had been ordered several weeks ago. It is a cruel tactic of delay to suspend my travel till the last days of this [Bush] administration while I should have been home a long time ago."[39]
In an interview with Jon Snow of Channel 4 News on 9 February 2009, Mohamed's assigned military defence lawyer, Lt-Col Yvonne Bradley, asserted that there was no doubt that Mohamed had been tortured, and that Britain and the US were complicit in his torture.[40] Bradley subsequently took up his case directly with British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on 11 February 2009.[41]
According to Agence France Presse, Mohamed had been on a hunger strike but had stopped on 5 February 2009, when his lawyers informed him he could soon expect transfer to the UK.[42] He was visited on 14 and 15 February 2009 by a delegation of UK officials, including a doctor who confirmed he was healthy enough to be flown back to England.
On 23 February 2009, almost seven years after his arrest, Mohamed was repatriated from Guantánamo to the UK, where he was released after questioning.[43]
Allegations of MI5 collusion [ edit ]
Two weeks after Mohamed's release, the BBC published claims that the British domestic security service MI5 had colluded with his interrogators. They provided specific questions and his responses led to his making false confessions of terrorist activities. In a first memo, an MI5 agent asked for a name to be put to Mohamed and for him to be questioned further about that person. A second telegram concerned another interrogation. The legal organisation Reprieve, which represents Mohamed, said its client was shown the MI5 telegrams by his military lawyer Yvonne Bradley.
While the claims of MI5 collusion were being investigated by the British government, the Shadow Justice Secretary, Dominic Grieve, called for a judicial inquiry into the allegations and for the matter to be referred to the police. Shami Chakrabarti, director of campaign group Liberty said: "These are more than allegations - these are pieces of a puzzle that are being put together. It makes an immediate criminal investigation absolutely inescapable."[44]
On 12 March 2009, in an op-ed piece in The Guardian, the analyst Timothy Garton Ash called for Mohamed's claims of torture and MI5 collusion to be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions. He said that any other decision "will inevitably be interpreted as a political cover-up."[45]
On 10 February 2010, the UK Court of Appeal ruled that material held by the UK Foreign Secretary must be revealed. "MI5 knew that Binyam Mohamed, the former Guantanamo detainee, was being tortured by the CIA, a Court of Appeal judgment has revealed." The court opinion noted:
...cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment by the United States authorities. The treatment reported, if had been administered on behalf of the United Kingdom, would clearly have been in breach of the undertakings given by the United Kingdom in 1972 [in the UN convention on torture]. Combined with the sleep deprivation, threats and inducements were made to him. His fears of being removed from United States custody and ‘disappearing’ were played upon.[4]
The former detainees' suit against the government for the collusion of MI5 and MI6 in the unlawful treatment by the CIA, was eventually tried in 2009. Despite attempts by the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband, to suppress evidence on the grounds that such disclosure would harm national security, the government lost the case in the High Court.[4]
On 14 December 2009, Miliband appealed against six High Court rulings that CIA information on Mohamed's treatment, and what MI5 and MI6 knew about it, must be disclosed. In an unprecedented case, counsel for The Guardian and other media organisations, Mohamed and two civil rights groups, Liberty and Justice, argued that the public interest in disclosing the role played by British and US agencies in unlawful activities far outweighed any claim about potential threats to national security.[46][47]
On 20 December 2009, a U.S. District Court judge, Gladys Kessler, found that there was "credible" evidence that a British resident was tortured while being detained on behalf of the US Government. Her formerly classified legal opinion, obtained by The Observer, records that the US Government does not dispute "credible" evidence that Binyam Mohamed had been tortured while being held at its behest.[48][49]
On 27 January 2010, The Guardian reported that "United Nations human rights investigators had concluded that the British government had been complicit in the mistreatment and possible torture of several of its own citizens during the 'war on terror'". Among listed cases in which the authors concluded that a state has been complicit in secret detention, they highlight "the United Kingdom in the cases of several individuals, including Binyam Mohamed".[50]
On 10 February 2010, three Court of Appeal judges ordered the British government to reveal evidence of MI5 and MI6 complicity in the torture of Binyam Mohamed, overruling the Foreign Secretary, David Miliband.[51]
In response to highly critical media coverage of the torture, Alan Johnson, the Home Secretary, insisted that these were "baseless, groundless accusations".[52] He denied that government lawyers had forced the judiciary to water down criticism of MI5, despite an earlier draft ruling by Lord Neuberger, the Master of the Rolls, that the Security Service had failed to respect human rights, had deliberately misled parliament, and had a "culture of suppression" that undermined government assurances about its conduct.[53]
According to The Washington Post, the court order forcing the British Government to publish secret memos that it received from US intelligence officials will jeopardise future US-UK intelligence sharing.[54] The Washington Post quoted "White House officials" on 10 February 2010, who said the publication: "will complicate the confidentiality of our intelligence-sharing relationship". According to The Guardian, an anonymous White House official told them: "the court decision would not provoke a broad review of intelligence liaison between Britain and the US because the need for close co-operation was greater now than ever."[55]
In November 2010, Mohamed received an undisclosed sum as compensation from the British government as part of a settlement of a number of suits against the government for collusion by MI5.[56]
Representation in other media [ edit ]
Binyam Mohamed's case was featured in Extraordinary Rendition, a documentary by AlphaOne Productions.[ citation needed ]
See also [ edit ]
Suspected secret torture centres in Morocco where Binyam Mohamed was held:
References [ edit ]
Further reading [ edit ] |
By Bob Kravitz, Indianapolis Star
Team president Peter Wilt was walking up New York Street on the IUPUI campus shortly before 6 p.m., checking out the surroundings near Carroll Stadium on the night of the Indy Eleven’s sellout debut.
“I saw two people, two of our biggest supporters, and they had been there for a half an hour,” Wilt said at halftime of the Eleven’s franchise-opening 1-1 draw with the Carolina RailHawks. “Then I walked around the corner and saw the line; it kept going and going and going more than 100 yards. I was saying to people, `It’s not general admission seating, it’s not first-come, first-served, go have a beer in the parking lot and come back in a half hour or so.’
“And they’re like, `No, we want to get in now when it opens.’ I was truly surprised by the enthusiasm of people who wanted to get inside and get this thing going. The whole thing…I’m humbled. I really am.”
Professional soccer has tried here in Indianapolis, and it’s failed, for any number of different reasons. But if opening night is any indication, owner Ersal Ozdemir and Wilt have a winning proposition on their hands. Fans came early and stayed late, and were rewarded with an entertaining draw.
The Eleven sold more than 7,000 season tickets in short order, and would have sold more than 10,000 if they’d have chosen to do so. They cut it off at 7,000 in the interest of drawing new fans to the games, specifically group-ticket sales and single-game tickets. Little wonder the Eleven is already thinking about building its own soccer-only stadium and moving up to Major League Soccer. Clearly, there is a market here for the sport of the millennials.
“The reaction, the noise, it’s nothing like I’ve seen or heard before,” Wilt said. “We had a bigger crowd (more than 36,000) for our first game (with the Chicago Fire) but the passion is greater here. The big part is the community here has totally bought in. Look around: How many Indy Eleven jerseys have you seen, and sweatshirts and scarves? Our first year in Chicago, we didn’t see that until we got well into the season. Indy bought into the Indy Eleven before we ever started.”
The heartbeat of the Eleven is the Brickyard Battalion, a group of roughly 2,000 soccer zealots who have turned the west end zone into the city’s biggest pep rally. It’s Area 55 and the G2 Zone on steroids. From the opening kickoff until the very end, they stand, they chant, they sing. It is a taste of international soccer on local soil.
“They were formed more than two years ago with the idea of bringing pro soccer to Indiana,” Wilt said. “They had a Facebook page, a web page, invented a team name, created scarves. They were in place before we ever had a team, before (owner) Ersal (Ozdemir) brought me down here. They’re the ones creating this atmosphere tonight. They’re advocates. They’re evangelists. They’re the ones who made this happen.”
The Battalion aren’t fans, per se. They are supporters. And they’re loud and resistant to fatigue. And they had plenty of company Saturday night as the Eleven performed in front of a standing-room only house.
“I’ve never played in front of a crowd like this,” said Eleven forward and IU graduate Mike Ambersley, who scored the Eleven’s lone goal in the first half. “I can’t say enough about them.”
We won’t know for a couple of years whether Indy can support the Eleven and the newly-minted Fuel on top of the Colts, Pacers and Indians, plus all the college teams in the area. This is an undeniably rabid sports town, but it’s a small town in terms of dollars. Is there enough to go around for everybody?
We can say this much: The Eleven got off to a rousing start.
Even if there were a couple of logistical glitches.
“In a word, lines,” Wilt said. “We had long lines at concession stands and for merchandise, and we’ll get that fixed. I guess if you’re not going to have a problem with long lines anywhere, it’s good that it wasn’t at the restrooms.”
Parking was a bit of a challenge, too, but Wilt believes that once season-ticket holders figure out ingress and egress, things will run more smoothly.
“We did get everyone into the stadium by kickoff, though, so that’s good,” Wilt said.
Clearly, Carroll Stadium cannot be the Indy Eleven’s home in the future. There’s a reason Ozdemir already has talked about building a soccer-only facility in the city. Carroll is small and antiquated, an erector set of a stadium.
But first things first.
The Eleven made a good first impression. Now it’s a matter of maintaining it.
“This is the future of sports in America,” Wilt said. “Groups supporting this team are the future of America. Suburban youth soccer, young adults, the millennials, the new Americans – first and second generation immigrants. This is their sport. Soccer is a primary passion for them. And Indiana finally has a team.”
Indiana has had pro soccer teams before, and they’ve failed. But the time is right now. The demographics are right now. This was a start, and it was a loud and impressive one. |
Jonathan Pryce and Terry Gilliam on set for 'The Man Who Killed Don Quixote'
The director has previously called the allegations "ignorant nonsense."
Portuguese authorities have rejected a television program's claims that one of the country's most cherished historic monuments was damaged during the shooting of a film by director and former Monty Python star Terry Gilliam.
The General-Directorate for Heritage says an investigation has found that the 12th century Convent of Christ suffered only "insignificant" damage during a recent location shoot for The Man Who Killed Don Quixote.
The report published Monday said a program by public broadcaster RTP alleging wider damage "lacked rigor and revealed a lack of scientific knowledge."
Gilliam has previously called the allegations "ignorant nonsense."
The convent was a stronghold of the Knights Templar, a Christian military order founded in 1119, and is classified as a World Heritage site by UNESCO. |
Could the Rock be joining Sacramento's bench once more?
Comcast SportsNet's Bill Herenda has learned that Kings-legend Mitch Richmond is being considered by new head coach George Karl as an addition to the coaching staff. From Herenda's report:
One of the short term objectives for George Karl is assembling his coaching staff in Sacramento and it's likely that the Kings existing assistants will remain intact -- with perhaps one addition, CSNCalifornia.com is learning. According to league sources, Mitch Richmond and Coby Karl are possible additions. Richmond -- a Hall of Famer, former King, and current scout for the franchise -- may be in the mix to join Karl's staff.
According to Herenda, Coby Karl is currently playing professionally in Germany and would be unlikely to join the team this season, making Richmond a more realistic probability. Chris Haynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer has also suggested another possible addition:
Once a deal is reached between George Karl and Kings, I'm told offensive guru Vance Walberg is expected to be brought on as an assistant. — Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) February 10, 2015
Walberg is currently an Assistant with the Philadelphia 76ers, and as such, wouldn't join the team this year either. Because it is mid-season, I wouldn't expect wholesale changes to the coaching staff, with maybe one or two minor additions. Richmond would be that, although another Hall of Famer wants to join the staff as well: Gary Payton, who told SiriusXM today that he'd be reaching out to Karl. |
Decades of exposure to Games Workshop’s marketing materials has conditioned me not to paint individual figures, but regiments, and then armies. There was no stopping at just one Gnorman Gnoll. Gnot on your gnelly. eBay trawling has turned up two more preslotta gems from 1981–3.
Lord Tisserand with his hawk Antonius, accompanied by two Gnolls.
Lord Tisserand is a simple conversion of the Wargames Foundry ex-Citadel Normans with the arm from a Black Tree command figure holding a hawk swapped in to make him a regimental champion. I also sculpted on a strap so he could carry a shield while waving around the Bird of Command – but that’s barely worth mentioning as this sentence took longer to type than the strap took to sculpt.
You can see the original figure as it appeared in White Dwarf 92, with the cliché French names variously inspired by Inspector Clouseau, Rémy Martin cognac, Marie Brizard liquer and maybe ‘Allo ‘Allo characters.
And just what is the French for “cliché”?
Why a hawk? Hawks were a symbol of authority in Norman times. The Bayeaux Tapestry initially shows Harold holding a hawk, and switches to showing William holding a hawk when his claim to England’s throne becomes legitimate.
I might push this idea of animals symbolising command into the realm of fantasy and model a Norman King on a giant hawk or griffon. I am enjoying the blend of historical and fantasy in the same project.
Lord Tisserand and the Gnolls against Undead Wights.
All three Gnolls I have painted now are variants of the same figure. In the above image the right-most Gnoll is the unadulterated miniature. The one on the left I converted with an arm and sword from a 1980s Citadel Goblin. The central Gnoll is the resculpted version that appeared in the later C13 range – who has the same body but a new weapon arm and head. Challenge now is how to convert future Gnolls to provide enough variety for a complete Gnorman regiment. |
While Robert Downey Jr. has yet to officially say if he will return for an Iron Man 4 movie, he has no problem sharing his thoughts on Marvel’s other franchises and potential franchises. When asked by USA Today about why it’s taking so long for a standalone Black Widow movie, Downey Jr. quipped, “Doesn’t Scarlett deserve a break?”
Downey Jr. then went on to rave about all the major female characters in Marvel Studios movies. Downey Jr. said, “I think that the interesting thing particularly after Guardians with Zoe (Saldana), (or) even from the first Iron Man where Pepper was kind of this really – to me the Iron Man franchise would never have taken off without (Gwyneth) Paltrow. There’s something about her that grounded the story. She’s not your typical lady in a superhero movie, and then by Iron Man 3 she’s swallowing serums and putting on suits and kicking (butt) and all that stuff.”
In the end though, Downey Jr. conceded that it would probably be most appropriate for a character already established like the Black Widow to lead a movie, noting that people seem to like to go see whatever Scarlett does. Downey Jr. didn’t stop with just Black Widow though, he added, “The funny thing is honestly at this point everyone deserves a franchise. I think Jeremy Renner is — when folks see the Avengers: Age of Ultron he’s just a rockstar, a bada–. And Ruffalo is pumped. He does great (work). I’d like to hear them talk even more seriously about a Hulk franchise, because that’s been one of the toughest ones to get right. But I’m sure that my parent company is feeling expansive and bold after the summer they’ve had.” |
Boodles British Gin is a brand of gin bottled and distributed in the United Kingdom by Proximo Spirits.
History [ edit ]
Boodles was named after Boodle's gentlemen's club in St. James's, London, founded in 1762 and originally run by Edward Boodle. It was reputed to be the favourite gin of the club's most famous member, Winston Churchill,[1] though the same has been claimed for Plymouth Gin.[2]
Boodles was created in 1845,[3] becoming one of the gins to shape the flavor of the modern London Dry style of gin, which is essentially a vodka-like spirit infused or otherwise flavored with a blend of botanical herbs and spices.[4] It was originally produced by Cock Russell & Company,[5] and was first bottled in the United States by Seagram's. In 2001, Seagram's assets were sold to several companies, including Pernod Ricard, which took over Boodles.[6] In 2012, Boodles was purchased by Proximo Spirits of New Jersey.[7]
In October 2013, Boodles Gin was released in the UK, with a redesigned bottle and an alcoholic strength of 80 proof. The botanical recipe for the gin remains the same.[3][5][8] Boodles has always been made in the UK, but had previously only been available for purchase in the US and Japan.[9]
Description [ edit ]
Three bottles of Boodles Gin (current bottle far right).
Boodles is bottled at two strengths: 45.2% alcohol by volume (90.4 proof) for the US, and 40% alcohol by volume (80 proof) for the UK market.[7][10] It is produced at the Greenall's Distillery in Warrington, England,[11] in a Carter-Head still.[7]
Boodles is known for its distinctive floral nose and lingering juniper flavor, with a clean finish.[1][12] It contains a blend of nine botanicals: juniper, coriander seed, angelica root, angelica seed, cassia bark, caraway seed, nutmeg, rosemary and sage.[7] It is made in a vacuum still, a process that allows the gin to retain more of the flavors of its botanicals.[12] It is the only gin to contain nutmeg, rosemary and sage among its botanicals.[13] Unlike other London Dry gins, Boodles contains no citrus ingredients.[3]
Honors and awards [ edit ]
Wine Enthusiast magazine gave Boodles a score of 90-95 in 2004. It received a rating of 93 (Exceptional) from the Beverage Tasting Institute in 2013, and a silver medal at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.[14][15] |
One good deed-doing South Carolina teacher didn't exactly heed The Steve Miller Band's advice to "take the money and run."
Instead, Sherry Whitesides and her 12-year-old son, Alan, of York, S.C., turned in $11,000 in cash they found literally flying at them out of thin air.
"We were downtown on a fairly busy street and there was a vehicle in front of me, a couple car lengths in front of me, and I saw what, to me, looked like something had flown off the top of the car," Whitesides, 42, told GoodMorningAmerica.com. "I saw it hit the road, and then I saw the scatter."
The money, stacks and stacks of $100 bills, had flown out of a black Wells Fargo bank bag before landing squarely on the side of the road, scattering all over the place - ripe for the picking.
"We get out of the car and I looked down and saw all these $100 bills," she recalled. "But they were pink and blue, like the brand new ones, and my first thought was, 'This isn't real.'"
However, they were very real, and the befuddled Whitesides knew there was only one thing they could do. They had to return it.
"It was just the right thing to do," Whitesides said. "God put me in that situation for a reason."
Fortunately, they had plenty of clues to help them get the cash back to its rightful owner, who never even realized the money had flown off the car, let alone turned around to go back for it.
"There was a white piece of paper and it looked like trash, and I just felt the Lord telling me to pick it up," said Whitesides. "I opened it up and it was a receipt for Wells Fargo in the amount of $30,000 cash. And I thought, 'Well, we've got to go back there.' He must've just come from there."
She and her son quickly gathered up all the money and drove down the road to the bank just a few blocks away, hoping they'd be able to track the transaction, but the bank was were closed.
"My thought was, 'I cannot keep this money until tomorrow when Wells Fargo opens," she said.
The bank receipt wasn't the only telling piece of information inside the bag, though. The man's drivers license and credit cards were also thrown in, together with the wads of cash.
"I just figured he had just come from the bank and just stuffed all that stuff in the bag," Whitesides said.
Her next stop was the police station.
"I told them, 'I think I just found $30,000,' and the look on their faces were priceless," she said of the two officers that greeted her. "They sent a deputy out to his house to see if he'd lost anything and to follow up."
After she left the station, however, Whitesides couldn't get the entire wacky scenario out of her head. She paid another visit to the Clover Police Department, where they informed her they were, indeed, successful in finding the money's owner and returning the cash, which turned out being only $11,000 of the $30,000 from his bank receipt.
What became of the rest of the money or how the man lost the cash off the top of his car remains a mystery to Whitesides.
"He's a man in his 60s and they [the police] said he had just moved to Clover," she said. "He has not contacted me and I don't feel like it's my place to contact him. But I'm just thankful he got it back.
"My whole purpose in doing this was to show my son the money was not ours," she added. "I was not going to hide and try to claim that something was mine. I wanted to set a godly example for him. And I did not feel like this was a provision from heaven. It didn't just fall from the sky. When you find stuff like this, the right thing to do is give it back. Because if I had lost it, I'd want someone to be able to return it to me." |
If you happen to be flying over County Donegal in the republic of Ireland, you may be astonished to see a beautiful arrangement of conifer trees in the shape of a Celtic cross growing on the ground below.
“It’s not just cutting patterns in your back garden," Gareth Austin, a gardening columnist for the Donegal Daily said. "This is horticultural engineering – we will be appreciating this for up to the next 70 years."
To pull off the beautiful design, measuring 330 feet long by 210 feet wide, two different species of trees were planted. Every autumn, the Celtic trees (likely composed of Eastern white pine) change their hue, while the surrounding species retains its dark green. The display went viral this fall after a particularly dry stretch of months made the colors contrast sharply. Airline passengers couldn't resist posting to social media about the mysterious cross. As shown in the video below, drone pilots quickly followed:
When a reporter for UTV Northern Ireland went to investigate, he discovered that the creative planting was the work of Irish forester Liam Emmery. Sadly, Emmery passed away six years ago at the age of 51. Until this year's dramatic display, his family had completely forgotten about the legacy he had planted on the hill behind their home.
“If he was here, we would have all heard about it because he would have been so proud,” Liam's wife, Norma Emmery, told The Irish Post. “He just loved things to be perfect. And I think the Celtic Cross is perfect for him.”
A 'hidden' forest in the shape of a Celtic cross has emerged in Ireland
The beautifully engineered living artwork was created by the late Irish forester Liam Emmery. |
"Two and a Half Men" star Charlie Sheen has skirted disaster as a wayward, middle-aged party boy who regularly tested the patience of the TV network and studio trying to protect their valuable sitcom property. It was a violence-tinged and anti-Semitic radio rant that helped push him over the edge and, finally, forced CBS and Warner Bros. Television to take action.
"Two and a Half Men" star Charlie Sheen has skirted disaster as a wayward, middle-aged party boy who regularly tested the patience of the TV network and studio trying to protect their valuable sitcom property.
It was a violence-tinged and anti-Semitic radio rant that helped push him over the edge and, finally, forced CBS and Warner Bros. Television to take action.
In a one-sentence joint statement Thursday, the companies said they were ending production on television's No. 1 sitcom for the season, a decision based on the "totality of Charlie Sheen's statements, conduct and condition."
Whether he's gone far enough to sink the series and, possibly, his career as one of TV's highest-paid actors remained unclear. Sheen's rambling interview Thursday with host Alex Jones was reminiscent of Mel Gibson's tirade during a 2006 traffic stop — but Sheen knew his remarks were public.
The production halt leaves CBS eight episodes shy of the 24 half-hours it had expected to air as the cornerstone of its Monday night comedy lineup. And it makes the network and Warner, which reaps hundreds of millions from the show in syndication, the potential go-betweens between Sheen and "Two and a Half Men" executive producer Chuck Lorre.
Lorre bore the brunt of Sheen's attacks during the radio interview and in a subsequent "open letter" sent to TMZ after the CBS-Warner decision and posted on the entertainment website.
In the letter, the actor called Lorre a "contaminated little maggot" and wished the producer "nothing but pain."
"Clearly I have defeated this earthworm with my words — imagine what I would have done with my fire breathing fists," the 45-year-old Sheen wrote.
Improbably, he also called on his admirers to start a protest movement for him.
"I urge all my beautiful and loyal fans who embraced this show for almost a decade to walk with me side-by-side as we march up the steps of justice to right this unconscionable wrong," Sheen wrote.
Those remarks, along with his comments to Jones, veered from ludicrous to self-aggrandizing to threatening. For a man who has battled addiction and faced allegations of domestic violence, the outbursts raised troubling questions about his state of mind and his most recent effort at rehabilitation.
In an interview Wednesday, his father, Martin Sheen ("The West Wing," ''Apocalypse Now") compared his son's fight against addiction to that of a cancer patient.
"The disease of addiction is a form of cancer," Martin Sheen told Sky News in London. "You have to have an equal measure of concern and love and lift them up, so that's what we do for him."
CBS and Warner had tolerated Sheen's recent misadventures, including wild partying and three hospitalizations in three months. The incidents are part of a checkered life that included his $50,000-plus tab as a client of "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss' prostitution ring, a near-fatal cocaine overdose in 1998, and conflict-filled marriages.
(Last August, he pleaded guilty in Aspen, Colo., to misdemeanor third-degree assault after a Christmas Day altercation with his third wife, Brooke Mueller. The couple's divorce was recently finalized.)
The TV season was interrupted for "Two and a Half Men" after Sheen was briefly hospitalized last month following a 911 call in which he was described as "very, very intoxicated" and in pain. Production was put on hold while Sheen tried rehab, reportedly at home, but also railed against the hiatus as unneeded.
He signed a new two-year contract at the end of last season that reportedly pays him about $1.8 million per episode.
Plans were set for taping to resume next week. Then came the Jones radio interview and the attack on Lorre that reeked of anti-Semitism.
"There's something this side of deplorable that a certain Chaim Levine — yeah, that's Chuck's real name — mistook this rock star for his own selfish exit strategy, bro. Check it, Alex: I embarrassed him in front of his children and the world by healing at a pace that his unevolved mind cannot process," Sheen told Jones.
"Last I checked, Chaim, I spent close to the last decade effortlessly and magically converting your tin cans into pure gold. And the gratitude I get is this charlatan chose not to do his job, which is to write," he said.
Lorre, who was born Charles Levine, is a veteran producer whose hits include "The Big Bang Theory," ''Dharma & Greg" and "Cybill." He had no comment on Sheen's remarks or the production shut down, a spokeswoman said Thursday.
Speaking of himself, the star of the films "Platoon," ''Wall Street" and "Major League" said he has "magic and poetry in my fingertips, most of the time."
But he also made repeated, unclear references to mayhem. At one point, Sheen called himself the new sheriff in town who has an "army of assassins."
"If you love with violence and you hate with violence, there's nothing that can be questioned," he said.
When CBS Entertainment President Nina Tassler was asked about Sheen at a news conference in January, she said, "We have a high level of concern. How can we not?" she said.
When a reporter suggested a person in a different line of work and a similar track record would be fired, Tassler replied: "What do you get fired for? Going to work and doing your job?" |
If we were aboard a sinking ship, and the captain boldly stated that to prevent submersion we must turn off the air conditioners, burn less oil, and start using squirrelly new-fangled light bulbs, it would be clear that the captain had truly lost his mind. President Obama’s fixation on climate change as the most pressing issue facing the nation whilst experiencing a global conflagration of Islamic extremist terrorism, should be seen no differently.
ISIS, contrary to the president’s assertion, is not “contained,” and is spreading throughout the Middle East, leaving a wake of beheadings, mass executions, and destruction. Terrorists sympathetic to jihad are striking globally, including 130 innocent victims slain in Paris two weeks ago, and now striking on our own soil in San Bernardino this week. Yet the president and his administration continue to appear impotent not only addressing the threats, but even acknowledging them for what they are.
Instead, in conjunction with the Paris Climate Conference this week, administration officials uttered these inanities and non-sequiturs: “Today, there is no greater threat to our planet than climate change.” “No challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.” “It is indeed one of the biggest threats facing our planet today.” “Climate change is the threat multiplier.” “If another country threatened to wipe out an American town, we’d do everything in our power to protect ourselves. Climate change poses the same threat right now.”
And unsurprisingly, the mainstream media parrots the lunacy. CNN reported, “The recent terror attacks are tragic. And many lives will never be the same because of them. They should not be minimized. But climate change is another form of terror and it’s one we’re wreaking on ourselves.” So after the estimated 350 billion tons of CO2 emitted for the confab in Paris, we’re apparently to assume that we’re safer from the threat of global jihad just because they conflated the two dissociated issues. And if we ascribe validity to the president’s premise, all 150 global leaders are now accomplices to global climatic terror by their carbon footprint to Paris.
We have addressed this issue ad nauseam in the past, how the “science” behind purported anthropogenic climate change (aka “global warming,” until the earth quit warming 17 years ago), is not “settled.” The issue is a political one, not a scientific one, as recently averred by a Nobel Prize-winning scientist who has been a supporter of Obama.
Dr. Ivar Giaever, a Norwegian-American physicist who won the Nobel Prize for physics, declared in July, “I would say that basically global warming is a non-problem.” After referencing Obama’s declaration that “no challenge poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change,” Giaever said it was a “ridiculous statement.” He went on to say, “I say this to Obama: Excuse me, Mr. President, but you’re wrong. Dead wrong,”
In 2009, Giaever was one of over 100 scientists who wrote a letter to the president that stated, “We the undersigned scientists, maintain that the case for alarm regarding climate change is grossly overstated.”
Giaever says that the theory behind fears about rising carbon dioxide levels created by man “is not backed by evidence.” He said, “Global warming really has become a new religion. Because you cannot discuss it. It’s not proper.”
Clearly the Nobel Laureate is correct. The political left is wholly sold on the notion that carbon dioxide, the gas we exhale and that plants feed on, causes climate change. And to attempt to reason with them based on the actual evidence and logic, rather than the hyperbolic talking points of those with vested interests, especially those receiving government grants for their confirmation bias, is utterly futile.
The ideological fascism exercised from the left on climate change disallows the possibility of diversity from their preconceived conclusions. Discussions, regardless of logic and data, inexorably devolve to casting aspersions and adolescent name-calling. One is a “flat-earther” if one fails to embrace the highly doctored, exaggerated, and pre-conceived notion of man-made climate change.
Yet interestingly, even among climate scientists, there is no “consensus,” and the “97% agree in man-made climate change” is bogus. The most recent polling of 6550 scientists working in climate related fields including climate physics, climate impact, and mitigation, was conducted by PBL Netherlands Environment Assessment Agency. They found that only 43% agree with the premise that human activity is causal to global warming, or climate change.
Obama’s attempt to conflate terrorism with climate change is entirely specious, and his preoccupation with faux man-made climate change is ideological, not scientific. There is no evidence that governmental intervention and regulation, however well intentioned, can alter climatic trends, for such an assumption is based upon an unsettled and unproven “scientific” premise.
When it comes to facing exogenous and valid threats to the nation, we truly need a reality-based commander in chief, not an ideology-based meteorologist in chief. |
Hillary Clinton's seemingly inevitable march to the Democratic presidential nomination may still be in doubt, according to a former pollster and political adviser to Bill Clinton.
Douglas E. Schoen, in an editorial in The Wall Street Journal, said that a Bernie Sanders win in California could blunt Clinton’s path to the nomination — even if she captures the required number of delegates to hit the majority (she’s currently less than 80 away when super delegates are included, according to the Associated Press).
“The inevitability behind Mrs. Clinton’s nomination will be in large measure eviscerated if she loses the June 7 California primary to Bernie Sanders,” Schoen writes. “That could well happen.”
California, as do all states under Democratic primary rules, will allocate its 475 pledged delegates proportionally based on the primary results.
The former secretary of State is ahead of Sanders in the state by about 9 points, according to the RealClearPolitics rolling average, but recent surveys vary widely. A Public Policy Institute of California poll has Clinton ahead by just 2 points, while a KABC/SurveyUSA survey that ended the same day had her ahead by 18.
In his editorial, Schoen highlights the argument that Sanders has been making for a while now: If he continues to gain momentum, the superdelegates — party leaders and elected officials free to support anyone — will have to change their votes to go with the will of voters.
“A Sanders win in California would powerfully underscore Mrs. Clinton’s weakness as a candidate in the general election. Democratic superdelegates—chosen by the party establishment and overwhelmingly backing Mrs. Clinton, 543-44 — would seriously question whether they should continue to stand behind her candidacy,” he writes.
“There is every reason to believe that at the convention Mr. Sanders will offer a rules change requiring superdelegates to vote for the candidate who won their state’s primary or caucus. A vote on that proposed change would almost certainly occur — and it would function as a referendum on the Clinton candidacy. If Mr. Sanders wins California, Montana and North Dakota on Tuesday and stays competitive in New Jersey, he could well be within 200 pledged delegates of Mrs. Clinton, making a vote in favor of the rules change on superdelegates more likely.”
Schoen then ticks off a series of what he sees as Clinton’s weaknesses, including the closing gap in the polls in a general election matchup with Trump, her legal troubles related to her private email server and a lack of trust from voters.
In what could only be described as highly unlikely scenarios, Schoen also suggests it's still possible that Secretary of State John Kerry, or more plausibly, he says, Vice President Biden could still claim the nomination.
“Mr. Biden would be cast as the white knight rescuing the party, and the nation, from a possible Trump presidency. To win over Sanders supporters, he would likely choose as his running mate someone like Sen. Elizabeth Warren who is respected by the party’s left wing,” he said. |
President Obama has left few questions about what he plans to unveil in his State of the Union address tonight, having dropped several previews in the last two weeks about legislation the White House is proposing. He will undoubtedly go into more detail tonight at 9 p.m. ET, and we will be watching specifically to hear him expand on comments already made about proposed changes to cybersecurity legislation (.pdf).
The State of the Union address is traditionally the vehicle for the president to reveal his legislative agenda for the year to Congress. With Republicans now in charge of both houses, President Obama did something he hasn't done in the six State of Unions he's delivered before tonight—he took his agenda to the public first. The point of this public tactic is no doubt to win support for his new proposals outside the Beltway, applying pressure on Capitol Hill.
There are several areas of the address that will be of interest to WIRED Threat Level readers. Some of them involve changes to the existing Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, some of them involve new legislative proposals.
1. Information-Sharing About Computer Intrusions
Obama has proposed legislation that would give companies certain immunity for sharing information with the government about breaches they experience. The move is meant to help the government predict and combat cyberattacks by encouraging companies to share threat data with the Department of Homeland Security and information-sharing and analysis centers—known as ISACs—without fear of potential lawsuits from customers. Similar legislation was proposed in the past but failed to gain traction due, in part, to concerns from civil liberties groups that the data could include information that violates the privacy of customers and provides the government with another avenue for conducting warrantless surveillance. Of particular concern to privacy groups is a provision of the new proposal that would allow DHS to further share the information in "near real time” with other government agencies, including the FBI, Secret Service, NSA, and the Defense Department's U.S. Cyber Command.
Groups like the Electronic Frontier Foundation are concerned that personal information shared with law enforcement and intelligence agencies might be used for purposes other than combating cyber threats. But the White House has pointed out that in order to qualify for immunity under the proposal legislation, companies would be required to remove unnecessary personal information before handing it off to DHS. The White House proposal also calls for imposing limits on how and when the data can be used and tasks DHS and the Justice Department with developing guidelines for its retention and use.
2. 30-Day Breach Notification
The White House is also proposing a federal breach notification law. This would require entities that are hacked—private companies, educational institutions and government agencies, for example—to notify victims within 30 days after discovering that their personally identifiable information has been stolen or accessed by an unauthorized person. The proposal attempts to resolve disparities between a patchwork of state breach notification laws that are confusing and costly to enforce.
3. Expansion of Federal Law Deterring Spyware
The White House proposal would allow the government to seize any proceeds gained from the sale of spyware or other tools intended to be used for unlawful data interception. In the wake of a recent indictment against the maker of a spyware app called StealthGenie, this is meant to target all sellers of spyware and stalkingware. StealthGenie is a spy app for iPhones, Android phones and Blackberry devices that was marketed primarily to people who suspected their spouse or lover of cheating on them, but products like it are also used by stalkers and perpetrators of domestic violence to track their victims. The app secretly recorded phone calls and siphoned text messages and other data from a target’s phone, all of which customers of the software could view online. Authorities arrested CEO Hammad Akbar, a 31-year-old Pakistani resident, last October following his indictment in Virginia on federal wiretapping charges, which included conspiracy to market and sell the surreptitious interception device. “Advertising and selling spyware technology is a criminal offense, and such conduct will be aggressively pursued by this office and our law enforcement partners,” U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia said in a statement about the case.
Although it’s not uncommon for the makers of illicit tools used in criminal hacking to be charged with illegal activity, it’s often the case that the developers of such tools are also its surreptitious users. The case against Akbar was remarkable for its focus on the seller of a commercial software program who wasn't accused of using the tool for illegal purposes. The government argued that the maker of such software is liable as an enabler of a privacy invasion.
4. Give Courts Authority to Shut Down Botnets
Botnets, or armies of infected machines, are used by cybercriminals to deliver spam, conduct denial-of-service attacks and distribute malware. A burgeoning business has developed to supply spammers and cybercriminals with access to readymade bots by renting them time on the hijacked machines. The White House proposal would give courts the authority to shut down botnets and would also give immunity to anyone complying with such an order as well as authorize officials to reimburse someone who incurs a monetary cost for complying with the order. The proposal is meant to cement authority that has already been exercised by courts in a few cases—notably the Coreflood botnet case in which a federal court granted the FBI a controversial order to distribute code to infected machines to disable the botnet malware on those systems.
5. Criminalize the Sale of Stolen Financial Data
It's already illegal to steal financial data or use it for fraudulent purposes, and it's illegal to traffic in stolen data, but the White House is proposing to put a fine point on the law by criminalizing the overseas sale of stolen U.S. credit card and bank account numbers. The proposal targets the vendors on and administrators of underground carding forums—many of them hosted and administered outside the U.S.—where stolen credit card data is traded and sold.
6. Cybercrime Can Be Prosecuted Like Mob Crimes
The White House proposes to affirm that the federal RICO statute or racketeering law applies to cybercrimes. Although conspiracy to commit fraud is already included in the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and covers individuals who may not actually commit a crime but facilitate it in some way or are involved in the planning of it, this change further codifies that they can also be charged under the RICO statute. Mark Jaycox, legislative analyst for the EFF, says the RICO statute sets a lower bar for prosecuting anyone who belongs to a criminal organization no matter their role in it. This would potentially allow even the most minor player in a hacking conspiracy to be prosecuted under the RICO statute. And Jaycox notes that RICO doesn't actually define "organization," therefore there is concern that prosecutors could get creative in their definition of it.
7. Additional Changes to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
The White House is proposing several changes to the federal anti-hacking statute, which was originally passed in 1984 during the early days of hacking and has struggled to keep pace with the changing nature of computer intrusions. The CFAA prohibits unauthorized access to a computer whether that involves bypassing protections on the computer—such as in the case of hacking—or exceeding authorized access to a computer for unauthorized purposes (for example, an employee who has legitimate access to his company's database but uses that access to steal data). Currently, basic hacking is considered a misdemeanor unless it's done for profit or for the furtherance of another crime. As for exceeding authorized access, George Washington University law professor Orin Kerr points out that courts are currently divided over what constitutes a violation of this.
The proposed changes would turn a basic case of unauthorized access into a felony punishable by a sentence up to three years or up to ten years in some cases if it's considered a hack for profit or for the furtherance of another crime.
The proposal also attempts to clarify the kind of activity that is considered unauthorized access. It states that access is unauthorized any time a user accesses information “for a purpose that the accesser knows is not authorized by the computer owner.” This is likely meant to address problems that occurred with the prosecution of Andrew "weev" Auernheimer. Auernheimer was convicted of hacking an AT&T web site by using a vulnerability in the site that allowed anyone to obtain the unprotected email addresses of iPad customers. His defense attorneys argued that this wasn't unauthorized since by posting the information online and failing to protect it, AT&T had essentially authorized anyone in the world to access it. The government argued, however, that Auernheimer knew AT&T did not intend for users to access the data in the way he did and therefore it was unauthorized. The White House proposal, according to Kerr, could be intended to strengthen the government's stance in similar cases in the future.
"[T]he expansion of 'exceeding authorized access' would seem to allow lots of prosecutions under a 'you knew the computer owner wouldn’t like that' theory," Kerr wrote in a Washington Post column last week. "And that strikes me as a dangerous idea, as it focuses on the subjective wishes of the computer owner instead of the individual’s actual conduct."
Ordinarily, Auernheimer's act, if considered a violation, should have been a misdemeanor, but the government charged him with a felony by saying that his unauthorized access was in furtherance of another crime—a New Jersey state law against unauthorized access. Defense attorneys considered this a double-counting of a single offense and Auernheimer's conviction was later overturned.
The White House proposal appears to address this. For example, it states that simple unauthorized access is a felony if done against a government computer, if the value of the data exceeds $5,000 or if it's done in furtherance of a state or federal felony crime. But if, in the latter case, the state or other federal violation is "based solely on obtaining the information without authorization or in excess of authorization"—that is, with no other additional crime than this, then it would not qualify for a felony. Kerr says the wording is tricky, however, and could be interpreted as a means to address the double-counting problem that prosecutors encountered with the Auernheimer case. As long as the law governing the other state or federal felony crime is not just about unauthorized access but includes an additional element to it then a defendant could be charged with a felony for exceeding authorized access based on the combination of the CFAA and the state law.
"If the state unauthorized access crime has just one element beyond unauthorized access such as 'obtaining information,' the thinking would run, the violation is not based 'solely on obtaining the information without authorization," Kerr notes. "That will usually be the case, though, which to my mind introduces a serious double counting problem…. Given that the Administration’s proposals would make liability for breaching a written condition a felony where the theory is allowed — mostly serious 10-year maximum felonies — the double-counting problem gives me some heartburn."
The White House also proposes to make it illegal to traffic in any tool that provides the "means of access" to a computer, if the maker has reason to believe someone could use it for illegal purposes. This is meant to criminalize the sale or trading of stolen passwords or similar credentials but the proposal also refers to trafficking in "any other means of access" to a computer. Critics are concerned that the latter could be interpreted to outlaw the sale or distribution of penetration tools or exploit code—code that is used by cyber criminals to attack vulnerabilities in computer systems to gain access to them. This matters because exploits and penetration tools are also used by security professionals to determine if a system is vulnerable to attack. Jaycox says this is the most dangerous part of the White House changes to the CFAA.
"They're potentially killing the security tools researchers use to find security holes," he says. "The chilling effect this may have on researchers is enormous."
In summary, Kerr says on the whole he's "skeptical" of the administration’s proposals for the CFAA since they would make some punishments too severe and "expand liability in some undesirable ways." But he notes that the administration has also made some compromises. "They’re giving up more than they would have a few years ago, and there are some promising ideas in there," he noted in his assessment.
It will all depend on which of the proposals, if any, lawmakers decide to adopt and how they word their changes. |
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Online thieves who steal credit and debit card numbers are making millions of dollars in profits, fueling a global criminal enterprise marked by the high-profile data breaches of major companies such as Target and Home Depot.
Thomas J. Holt, Michigan State University criminologist and lead investigator of one of the first scientific studies to estimate cybercrime profits, says the findings should be a wakeup call for consumers and law enforcement officials alike.
“In the past two years there have been hundreds of data breaches involving customer information, some very serious like the Target breach in 2013,” said Holt, associate professor of criminal justice. “It’s happening so often that average consumers are just getting into this mindset of, ‘Well, my bank will just re-issue the card, it’s not a problem.’ But this is more than a hassle or inconvenience. It’s a real economic phenomenon that has real economic impact and consequences.”
Holt and fellow researchers analyzed online forums in English and Russian where criminals sold stolen financial and personal information, often in batches of 50 or 100. The buyers then attempt to access the victims’ bank accounts or buy goods or services with the stolen cards.
On average, a batch of 50 stolen credit or debit cards can make a seller between about $250,000 and $1 million.
Buyers, in turn, assume more risk (since they could get caught trying to use the cards), but also stand to gain more. On average, a batch of 50 stolen credit or debit cards could make the buyer between $2 million (if only 25 percent of the cards worked) and nearly $8 million (if all cards worked).
In a 2014 report for the National Institute of Justice, Holt called for a more intensive, coordinated approach by law enforcement agencies around the world to attack cybercrime.
Ultimately, Holt hopes to help protect consumers from the potentially disastrous effects of identity theft and credit fraud.
“My goal is make people cognizant of just how much their personal information means, how much value there is,” Holt says. “If we don’t understand the scope of this problem, if we just treat it as a nuisance, then we’re going to enable and embolden this as a form of crime that won’t stop.”
Holt’s coauthors were Olga Smirnova, assistant professor at Eastern Carolina University, and Yi Ting Chua, doctoral student in criminal justice at Michigan State. The study, published online in the journal Deviant Behavior, was funded by the National Institute of Justice.
Source: Michigan State University |
A paper sun hangs on the wall, and the dresser is covered with bottles of nail polish in all colors. The woman who used to inhabit this room, who has been in the hands of the government for the past three months, seemed to have a fondness for ladybugs. There is a stuffed animal ladybug on the bed, and a rug in the shape of a ladybug on the floor. "Her friends called her the ladybug of the revolution," Duaa El-Taweel, 22, says of her sister, who has disappeared.
El-Taweel says her sister Esraa was restless and constantly on the go, taking pictures wherever she went. The walls are covered with patches of dried adhesive. "We took down the pictures," she says, explaining that anyone depicted in them is in danger. El-Taweel pulls letters from her sister out of a cardboard box. They were folded to make them as small as possible, so that they could be smuggled out of prison. "I was blindfolded for 15 days," El-Taweel reads from one of the letters. "I felt as if I were in a grave. It was so bad that I prayed to God to allow me to be resurrected. But I couldn't kneel down. They kidnapped me on the last day of my period. I couldn't wash myself for 17 days."
Esraa El-Taweel, 23, a sociology student and freelance photographer, was abducted on June 1 of this year -- not by criminals or a terrorist organization, but by the police in her own country.
More than four years after the Egyptian revolution, the government headed by President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is cracking down on unwelcome journalists, former revolutionaries and, most of all, Islamists. In the name of fighting terror, laws are enacted that limit freedom of the press and freedom of expression. In some cases, government forces are breaking the country's laws, in what sometimes feels like a retaliation campaign against those who drove out former dictator Hosni Mubarak and believed in democracy.
Kept in the Dark
Young people are being detained -- on the street, at work and at home. They are interrogated without arrest warrants or access to an attorney, and their family members are kept in the dark about their whereabouts. There were occasional cases like these already under Mubarak, but since Interior Minister Magdy Abdul Ghaffar came into office in March, the police are disappearing scores of people, especially members and supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood, which the new regime collectively treats as terrorists. Human rights activists believe there are up to around 800 such cases in Egypt today.
Duaa El-Taweel looks tired as she sits in a café in Cairo's Gizeh district, wearing costume jewelry. It is still hot, even though it is already evening, and a song by Whitney Houston is blaring from the loudspeakers -- the louder, the better, to prevent others from listening in on conversations. El-Taweel can hardly concentrate on what she is saying, and her movements are erratic, her eyes constantly darting around the room.
"It was the worst when we didn't know anything at all," she says. "We didn't even know if she was still alive." Esraa had said goodbye to her sister at about 5 p.m. on the day of her abduction. She had plans to meet two friends for dinner at Chili's. They tried a new restaurant every week, eating everything from grilled chicken to Indian food. Esraa had left her crutches at home that evening, because her friends were able to help her walk. Her legs have been partially paralyzed since Jan. 25, 2014, the third anniversary of the revolution, when security forces shot her in the back during a demonstration.
She disappeared on that evening, along with her two friends. When they left the restaurant, several police officers dressed in civilian clothing pulled them into a minivan.
The family had no idea what had happened, and there was no news from her for two weeks. Esraa's father went on television to ask the public for help. They contacted an attorney, who filed a complaint with the attorney general. "Tell me where she is and we will investigate the case," the general prosecutor's office replied, suggesting that perhaps she had run off with a lover.
It was only by accident that the family learned what had happened to Esraa. A young woman who had seen her in prison contacted the family via Facebook.
Perfidious Tactics
Duaa El-Taweel says she talks in her sleep at night, constantly repeating the number of her sister's missing person report: 1191. The day before our interview, she saw her sister again for the first time since her disappearance, but only from a distance, beyond a barrier in front of the building that houses the prosecutor general's office. Esraa's detention was extended by 14 days, but the same thing has been happening every two weeks. She is charged with being a member of the Muslim Brotherhood, and of having disseminated false reports and provided information to other countries.
"Those are the top three charges if you want to arrest someone these days," says her attorney, Halem Henish. El-Taweel denies them all. Henish describes the enforced disappearances as a perfidious tactic, because "it allows the government to hide people from the law." A person who is officially arrested cannot be interrogated without an attorney present. The person's case would have to be presented to the public prosecutor within 24 hours, and the government would have to release him or her if there were no indictment, says Henish.
But the "disappeared" are stuck in a legal vacuum of sorts. They are initially taken to a building owned by the state security service. "Confessions are forcibly extracted from them there," sometimes through torture, Henish explains. Then an indictment is prepared. According to her attorney, Esraa El-Taweel was interrogated for 18 hours, and in the end she signed the minutes of the interrogation. The document also bears the signature of an attorney, but that lawyer wasn't even present, says Henish.
According to Henish, there is no legal basis for arresting people without an arrest warrant. "But the government doesn't have to amend the laws," says Henish. "It simply breaks them."
Esraa El-Taweel denies the claim that she belongs to the Muslim Brotherhood. Ahmed el Degwy, 23, however, was in fact a member of the political arm of the Brotherhood, the Freedom and Justice Party, and headed its youth organization. He disappeared on July 16.
After the revolution, the Muslim Brotherhood rapidly came into power and then suffered a brutal fall from grace. Because it was the most well-organized political force in a country with no experience with democracy, the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice party won Egypt's first free elections.
But then it established a corrupt regime under then President Mohamed Morsi. Morsi seized more and more power by issuing constitutional decrees. The people protested, and Egypt seemed to be sinking into chaos. This is why a large share of Egyptians, anxious for stability, supported the military takeover, and the reason many still support Sisi today.
Fear
Thousands of members of the Muslim Brotherhood were arrested after Morsi's overthrow, and hundreds, including the former president himself, were sentenced to death by trial courts. Anyone who was a member of the Brotherhood is now in prison, has fled abroad or is in hiding.
The new government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization, and the Islamist community has since become radicalized. For years, al-Qaida cells and groups affiliated with the so-called Islamic State have been operating on the Sinai Peninsula, and Egypt has recently been shaken by a series of violent attacks. Because it is so difficult to come to grips with terrorism in the country, and the government is determined to produce successes, it has also taken a harsh stance against those who share Islamist or politically divergent views but are not prepared to commit acts of violence.
Reda Ghada Abassy, 49, the mother of Ahmed el Degwy, is wearing a purple niqab. She is afraid -- for her son Ahmed, for her three other children and for her husband. She doesn't want to meet us in her home, saying it isn't a safe place. She tells us that her apartment has been searched several times. First she proposes a recreational club, but then she changes her mind, because visitors are required to register at the front desk. In the end, we meet in a coffeehouse, where she sits in a corner and shows us photos of her son on her mobile phone: Ahmed as a little boy, holding a birthday present, Ahmed smiling on the beach in Alexandria, and Ahmed wrapped in a Palestinian scarf on Tahrir Square, an attractive man with amber eyes and wavy hair.
Before his arrest, he had been in hiding for two years, living in the apartments of various friends and constantly changing his whereabouts. His mother never knew where exactly he was at any given time. He communicated with her via WhatsApp. Sometimes they met in public places, like a café or a park. His clothes looked old and worn, and she tried to give him money. "He usually refused to take it," she says.
"Ahmed didn't want to leave the country," his mother says. "He always insisted that he had done nothing wrong." But soon the net began to tighten around him. Several of his friends were arrested. When he received a text message from the confiscated mobile phone of one of his friends, he began to worry that the intelligence service could locate his phone.
On July 16, the last day of the month of Ramadan, he had made plans to meet at a friend's apartment to play with his X-Box. He's been missing ever since. His friends say he is being held in a building owned by the state security service, but there is no official confirmation of his whereabouts, nor has an indictment been issued. "That's what is so dangerous," says his mother. "They could accuse him of all kinds of things, even of committing a terrorist attack that never happened."
Ahmed's mother has tears in her eyes. "May God return the apple of my eye to me, just as he returned Moses to his mother," she writes in a social media status update. She fears her son will be killed.
Civil Rights Under Attack
After the 2011 revolution, the constitution was amended to allow civilians to be tried in military courts, where defendants have virtually no rights. All terrorism cases -- and all it takes to classify a case as terrorism is damage to public property -- can be tried by military courts. This is one of the changes President Sisi issued by decree.
A new anti-terrorism law enacted by the Egyptian government has recently come under fire internationally, because it restricts freedom of speech. Under the law, journalists can expect substantial fines if their reports on attacks contradict the official government accounts. According to the government, the purpose of the law is to improve morals in the country.
A trial that came to a preliminary end on Aug. 29 demonstrates how harshly the regime takes action against media organizations. A Cairo court sentenced each of three employees of the Al Jazeera network -- Egyptian Baher Mohamed, Canadian Mohamed Fahmy and Australian Peter Greste -- to three years in prison. They had been arrested in a luxury hotel on Samalik Island in the Nile River. They were accused of working without a permit from the Information Ministry, disseminating false information and aiding a "terrorist organization," the Muslim Brotherhood.
The situation is even more serious for three other Egyptians who were arrested in connection with the same case, because they allegedly supplied the network with material. One of them is political science student Sohaid Saad. "It's true that he worked as a freelance journalist," says his brother, Osama Saad, 26, "and it is certainly possible that he also supplied Al Jazeera with videos."
Osama Saad is sitting in an Italian restaurant in downtown Cairo. He doesn't want anything to drink, and he doesn't want to talk about Al Jazeera anymore. In a few days, his brother will be put on trial before a military court in a completely different case, in which he stands accused of being one of the country's most dangerous terrorists.
Torture with Electroshocks
Sohaib Saad was also abducted, while the official investigation against him and the other journalists was still underway. In other words, says his brother, it was at a time when he was already required to report to a police station every day. The family heard nothing from him for 15 days. During that time, Saad made a confession. The military published his statement in a video on "the arrest of the most dangerous terrorist cell, which is a threat to national security." In it, Saad appears with a pale face and dark circles around his eyes. He confesses to having received money and purchased a weapon. The television news programs depict images of machine guns, hand grenades and explosives. "They gave him a piece of paper and told him to memorize it," says his brother, who claims that Sohaib Saad was tortured with electric shocks, has a scar on his nose and gashes on his wrists, where he was allegedly bound and suspended from the ceiling.
The Italian restaurant is located near Tahrir Square. With the tents and crowds of people that once covered the square, along with the drums and graffiti, it was once the chaotic, pulsating heart of the revolution.
Today the square consists of a number of manicured lawns and flowing traffic. The Egyptian flag flutters on a flagpole in the center. The place where a regime was once toppled is now a symbol of its return to power.
When Duaa visits her sister Esraa El-Taweel once a week, they sit in a small room with a few chairs in it, and a guard listens to their conversation.
Esraa was in bad shape the last time she saw her, says Duaa. She had lost a lot of weight, her skin was covered with blisters, and she was feeling pain in her paralyzed legs because she was not being given physical therapy. Duaa had brought along a bottle of water, which her sister ripped from her hands and drank. She had been unable to buy any water in a week, says Duaa, and the tap water smelled of sewage. Merely using it for washing was enough to cause infections. Esraa fainted the day before due to dehydration.
"I still can't believe what has happened," Esraa wrote in one of her letters. "I wake up in a panic, and I don't know where I am." |
Florida Gators head basketball coach Billy Donovan met with the media on Wednesday, two days before his team opens the 2014-16 regular season against the William & Mary Tribe on Friday, Nov. 14 at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center in Gainesville, Florida.
NOT EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE
Ahead of last season, Donovan chastised the Gators, going out of his way to say that Florida was nowhere near as good as advertised. Twelve months later, his attitude has not changed all that much. Is UF the seventh-best team in the country? “No, not even remotely close,” he said Wednesday.
“We’ve talked a lot about that from the perspective of… I know what those kinds of teams look like, and we’re not one of those teams,” Donovan added.
Did Donovan say the same thing last year about a team that wound up advancing to the Final Four for the first time in seven seasons? You bet. Does that mean that he recognizes his standard annual pessimism? Not one bit, because every season is different and this year’s issues are different than those that the Gators had in 2013-14.
“And I was right. We were totally dysfunctional,” said Donovan of his comments from a year ago. “We had our starting point guard suspended seven games. Damontre Harris was [missing in action]. You wouldn’t have felt good either. Now, we evolved into a team and hopefully we can [do that again]. But right now, that is something I would say for our guys, I think they understand that’s not where we are right now. It’s not.
“I think they can see, guys from last year, they know what a really good defensive team looks like, and we’re not there yet. The biggest thing from last year for me, which is great for this year’s team, is there’s a measuring stick, not in terms of leadership, but in terms of defensive possessions, transition defense, communication, running offense, executing, extra pass, ball movement. They have a pretty good idea what that looks like.”
Donovan remains most concerned with Florida’s defense, noting as OnlyGators.com first reported two weeks ago that UF struggled in its secret scrimmage (and once again when facing Barry last week).
“The three scrimmages that we’ve basically have played, OK, we are giving up an average of 82 points a game – and we are giving up 48 percent from the three-point line. So if that continues, it’s hard for me to say we’re the seventh-ranked team in the country,” he noted.
FRESHMEN COMING ALONG
Following the Gators’ exhibition game, Donovan harshly – and deservedly – criticized freshman forward Devin Robinson for his play. Robinson ignored some pre-game instructions that Donovan shared with him personally, which included worrying about doing the little things rather than concentrating simply on scoring. Robinson took numerous bad shots and was ineffective in other areas, leading his coach to give an honest assessment of him after the contest.
One week later, he’s pleased with the way Robinson responded to his disappointment.
“I tried to help him understand, when you do that, you take your focus and your mind off what your job is and what’s going on. And I felt like when Devin got in the game, it was just all about scoring. … I was disappointed with him because I had a conversation with him specifically about that,” he explained again.
“The one thing I give him an enormous amount of credit for was, after I talked after the game, he was waiting for me in the locker room and he wanted to talk, just [show me] his commitment to try to get better. He’s a freshman. There’s going to be learning experience, there’s going to be growing experience. …
“I think offensively he’s playing with a better pace and tempo and a better mindset – trying to get him out of the fact that he’s got to score points to get on the floor. I showed him his point differential. When he was on the floor, we lost points. But he’s not even thinking about that. It’s my job to help him, teach him what really goes into winning and how to go about winning. And I think, first and foremost, it starts with what kind of mindset you’re in. … But I really appreciated from that moment how well he responded.”
Donovan added: “I’ve always said this: there’s certain players you tell them, ‘It’s hot, don’t touch,’ and they don’t touch it. There’s other guys you say, ‘Hey, it’s hot, don’t touch it,’ and they want to touch it. And they find out what hot is and they learn that way. And I think Devin, in that situation, wanted to touch the stove. He could have played a lot better, performed a lot better and helped us if he would have heeded my words. Sometimes guys have to go through experiences to learn and grow.”
While Robinson has received some due criticism from Donovan, Chiozza has gotten some praise from the future Hall of Fame coach, who continued his positive assessment of the player on Wednesday. “I thought Chiozza really responded and played well, especially coming down the stretch. I thought he did a really good job for us [in the exhibition game],” he said.
Donovan is also pleased with how Robinson and Chiozza have approached the game from a work ethic perspective. He thinks “they can cardiovascularly handle” playing the college game and will be “able to sustain intensity” at a high level, at least until they hit the rookie wall at some point this season.
NOTES AND QUOTES
» Donovan plans to start the same five players he did in the exhibition game against Barry – freshman PG Kasey Hill, sophomore guard Michael Frazier II, redshirt junior G Eli Carter, redshirt junior F Dorian Finney-Smith and center Jon Horford.
» On his players learning to stay quiet on the court and not all try to lead at once: “Bringing it to their awareness and them understanding, I think it’s been good in terms of just trying to lift each other up and trying to get more connected as a group. I think that that’s been good where it’s not like we need anybody to be a particular leader. Nobody in the huddle is in charge; it’s just a matter of them getting engaged and focused on the next thing. … I think it’s still a work in progress. I think it’s better today than it was last week and hopefully as the year goes on we’ll continue to get better.”
» On William & Mary: “Obviously [Marcus] Thornton is a great player. He’s really, really good. He’ll be as good as any guard that we’ll play against this year. He can really score the ball, he’s got really good size, he’s got deep range, he can play in pick-and-roll, he can play in transition. He’s a special player. You’re going to be playing against a team that’s going to run the Princeton style. They are really good in terms of passing, cutting, moving. They utilize the three-point line very well, they get you on back cuts for layups. They’re a team that stays true to their system, their style of play and what they’re doing.” |
It looks like the Rifqa Bary saga may be coming to an end:
Fathima Rifqa Bary, the Ohio teenager who fled to Orlando nearly three months ago, will return to her home state and foster care there, Florida and Ohio judges decided Tuesday.
Orange County Circuit Judge Daniel Dawson ruled that an Ohio court has jurisdiction over the 17-year-old girl and that matters need to be handled there.
But Dawson refused to relinquish Florida’s immediate emergency jurisdiction because of two issues, including Rifqa’s immigration status, a topic that prompted banter between attorneys and a scolding from the judge.
Rifqa’s family is from Sri Lanka. Her parents have told the Orlando Sentinel they moved to the United States in 2000.
Dawson twice has ordered the parents to hand over the teen’s immigration documents, and he asked again Tuesday.
Rifqa’s guardian ad litem, Krista Bartholomew, told the judge it was vital the Barys and their respective lawyers do so.
Why?
“As it appears right now, there is a high chance that this child is not legally in this country and has not legally been in this country for quite an extensive time frame,” Bartholomew said.
Bartholomew, who is also a lawyer, raised the possibility that Rifqa could be forced to return to Sri Lanka. She doesn’t know Rifqa’s exact residency status.
Orlando immigration lawyer Gail Seeram said that if Rifqa’s parents are in the country legally, so is their daughter. The law says children of naturalized citizens, legal permanent residents and holders of unexpired visas fall under their parents’ classification.
Dawson said he had “very grave concerns” why the documents have not been provided. “I don’t think it’s that hard,” he said of gathering the required documentation. |
The therapy gives the immune system the tools to flush out HIV, meaning daily drugs can be ditched – one man has been free of them for seven months
NIBSC/SPL
FIVE people with HIV are currently free of detectable virus – and daily drugs – thanks to a new vaccine-based therapy.
Although it is early days, one participant has been drug-free for seven months.
Most people with HIV need to take antiretroviral drugs (ART) each day to stop the virus from replicating and causing damage to their immune system. These have to be taken over a lifetime because the virus can hide away in tissues such as lymphoid and gut cells; if ART is stopped, the virus quickly re-emerges from these cells.
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Although effective, ART is expensive, time-consuming and can cause nasty side effects.
Three years ago, Beatriz Mothe of the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute in Barcelona, Spain, and her colleagues started a trial in which 24 people recently diagnosed with HIV were given two vaccines developed by Tomas Hanke and his colleagues at the University of Oxford. They were also given ART, then monitored to see whether the vaccines induced a strong immune response.
This year, 15 of them each received a booster dose of one of the vaccines, followed by three doses of romidepsin – a cancer drug that has shown potential for flushing HIV out of hiding. Finally, each person received another vaccine booster, and then stopped taking ART.
In 10 of the participants, the virus rapidly bounced back, forcing them to return to ART. But five of the participants no longer needed to take the drugs because their immune systems could suppress the virus unaided.
One person has been off ART for seven months now. The other four have been free of detectable virus for six, 14, 19 and 21 weeks, respectively. Mothe, who revealed the results at the Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections in Seattle last week, says they will follow each participant to see how long they can control the virus themselves.
It isn’t clear why two-thirds of the group didn’t respond to the therapy – Mothe and her colleagues are investigating this now. But even a small number of people responding positively to the therapy is good news, says Sharon Lewin, director of The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity at the University of Melbourne, Australia. She says it is the first treatment to stop the virus from replicating without the daily use of ART.
“It is the first treatment to stop the virus from replicating without the use of daily drugs”
Both vaccines carry genes coding for proteins that are also produced by all known variants of HIV. Once these proteins reach the blood, they are recognised as foreign by the immune system, which primes a type of white blood cell called CD8 cytotoxic T-cells. If a cell becomes infected by HIV and expresses these proteins on its surface, the CD8 cells can recognise them and so attack and destroy the cell.
The second component of the therapy – romidepsin – flushes dormant HIV out of its hiding place so it can then be taken out by the CD8 cells. “If you have a prepared immune system, once a cell starts showing little parts of the virus, it should be recognised and eliminated,” says Mothe.
While the results are significant, excitement should be tempered. Previous treatments have appeared to “cure” people with HIV only for the virus to later return. For instance, after being born to a mother with HIV, a baby in Mississippi was treated with ART for 18 months. This seemed to cure her of the virus but it returned when she was 4. HIV has also re-emerged months after ART was stopped in two men who appeared to have got rid of the virus after bone marrow transplants two years earlier.
Mothe says that this time might be different. Previous treatments involved either attacking the virus as early as possible or trying to replace the entire immune system to get rid of any dormant virus.
This time round researchers are launching a double-pronged attack: the vaccines focus on priming immune cells to rid the body of active virus as quickly as possible after infection, and the cancer drug flushes out any hidden dormant virus so it, too, can be targeted.
If the treatment were to prove successful, the savings could be huge. Costs of ART in low to middle-income countries hit $19 billion in 2015 – despite having only reached half of the 36.7 million people infected with HIV.
Mothe says her team is now working hard to unpick the mechanisms behind the response and simplify the treatment schedule. There’s a long way to go, she says, “but we’re on the right path”.
This article appeared in print under the headline “HIV infection stopped in its tracks” |
For the past two years I have used this space to blog about a wide range of issues in my role as a mental health advocate. Sometimes I've shared deep and personal details about my life and other times I've suggested ways in which we can all advance the mental health agenda in this country.
I haven't been afraid to specifically call out celebrities for furthering mental health stigma; other times I've defended them for being the victim of stigma. And sometimes corporations have been the subject of my blogs. I have a habit of blogging when I'm ticked off and the subject matter of this blog is no exception. This time it's personal; real personal!
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford and his brother City Councilor Doug Ford seem to make the news on a daily basis saying something shocking. On occasion these shocking things have made international headlines. Sidebar: I am stunned television newscasts have yet to create their own graphics package and theme music and devote a specific segment to what comes out of the Ford Brother's mouths.
Over the weekend it was reported that Doug Ford wants a community based group home located in a residential neighborhood of west Toronto, to be moved. According to CP24 Ford was OK with the group home moving into the neighborhood and was told it would house "a few kids with autism who wouldn't leave without supervision" but feels mislead after learning some of the residents with allegedly violent tendencies were able to leave the property unsupervised.
According to the Etobicoke Guardian, The Griffin Centre (which operates the group home) says Ford was told exactly what kind of facility would be housed in the neighborhood. Ford alleges emergency personnel have responded to the home multiple times and cars have also been broken into.
Enough of what Ford has to say. I lived in group homes in 'normal neighborhoods' for nine years. Yes, everybody in the neighborhood knew what the house was. I'll also admit at times the fire department, paramedics, and police had to respond to the group home. However, not one bad thing was ever said to me or other residents by the neighbors.
The neighbors were nothing but welcoming to us. Sure, they recognized the challenges we faced and I'm sure some days they were grateful it was us facing those challenges and not them. It is my opinion that the neighborhood recognized they played an essential part of our recovery. In order for us to succeed and thrive we had to learn what it meant living in a very real community.
Mental health centres (otherwise known as psychiatric institutions or hospitals) do have a purpose, but they should not house people over the long term unless ordered by a court or if agreed to by a team of mental health professionals. This should only happen in the rarest of circumstances.
It is my opinion that if a resident of a group home in a neighborhood is such a disturbance and cannot thrive in such an environment, they will be relocated and not necessarily to another neighborhood. It may be to a hospital or even into the suburbs where neighborhoods are less condensed.
Ford is alleging cars are being broken into. I don't know if this is true or not but the allegations alone suggest Ford believes people with mental illness to be violent.
There are concerns by Ford along with residents that the group home would drive down property values. There is no evidence to suggest this is true. Any neighborhood I've ever lived in, including downtown Toronto, hasn't seen an influx of homes put up for sale as a result of the group home moving in, nor have residents complained of their properties losing value.
Ford's brother Rob is supposedly in rehab right now. I'm willing to bet Doug would be beyond angry if Rob was in a residential rehab facility and the neighborhood tried to force him out. What happens if one of Doug's children or niece or nephew lived in a group home? Would he propose institutionalizing them in a hospital because they weren't fit to live amongst everybody else? Yet, apparently it's okay for Doug to want a children's mental health facility that he has no relation to, to relocate. Where would this group home go? To another neighborhood and become somebody else's problem?
People with mental illness are not violent as Doug Ford suggests. They are deserving of being given the opportunity to live in the community like everybody else. There is no denying there will be the odd disturbance. However, I hope the neighbors give The Griffin Centre a chance. I am hopeful within a matter of time they'll see the group home makes the neighborhood and community a more diverse and richer place to live in.
MORE ON HUFFPOST: |
Researchers have discovered a new antibiotic — and it belongs to a brand new class.The compound, named teixobactin, treated a wide variety of infections in mice, including staph and blood infections, reports a study published in Nature today. And because of teixobactin's molecular structure, researchers believe that developing resistance to the compound will be difficult — an important characteristic in the face of increasingly resistant bacterial infections worldwide.
Teixobactin probably couldn't have been discovered until now
Teixobactin probably couldn't have been discovered until now. Normally, the bacteria used to produce antibiotics are grown in sterilized laboratory settings. But only 1 percent of environmental microorganisms can be grown successfully in petri dishes, says Kim Lewis, a microbiologist at Northeastern University and a co-author of the study, in a press call. So researchers were limited to a tiny portion of the available bacteria.That's why researchers at Northeastern came up with a way to grow "uncultured bacteria" in soil, their natural environment — something scientists previously thought would be too difficult to achieve. Then, the researchers screened 10,000 soil bacterial strains and identified 25 that might be capable of producing new antibiotics. And of that set, Lewis said, teixobactin was the most promising.
"Early on we saw that there was no resistance development to teixobactin," Lewis said. "We also find that teixobactin had good efficacy in several animal models of infection," without causing any visible side-effects to the doses tested — a characteristic that makes it "a promising drug candidate."
"there was no resistance development to teixobactin."
The antibiotic discovery comes at a time when many bacterial infections have become difficult to treat. Approximately 23,000 people die in the US each year because of resistant strains. In response, health officials have asked that antibiotics only be used when absolutely necessary — a move that has contributed to a decline in antibiotic research, and growing disinterest from the pharmacological industry. "Pathogens are acquiring resistance faster than we can introduce new antibiotics," Lewis said. And "we now have pathogens, such as strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis, that are resistant to all available antibiotics." The researchers therefore hope that the announcement of a new antibiotic candidate be the kick in the pants that the pharmaceutical world needs to start searching for new compounds again.
Teixobactin works by breaking down bacteria's cell wall, triggering the cell's death — which is "a particular Achilles heel for antibiotic attack," said Tanya Schneider, a biochemist at Connecticut College and a co-author of the study. Because bacteria can't easily modify their cell walls to resist antibiotics, the drug won't spur resistance as readily, Schneider says.
Teixobactin works by breaking down bacteria's cell wall
The researchers were able to use teixobactin to successfully treat mice with blood infection, lung infections, and staph infections. Unfortunately, the compound wasn’t able to treat infections caused by E. coli because this type of bacteria — commonly referred to as "Gram-negative bacteria" — is surrounded by an outer membrane that prevents access to the drug's target.
Henry Chambers, an infectious disease researcher at the University of California, San Francisco, who didn’t participate in the study, thinks the researchers’ new approach is interesting. But the fact that the antibiotic isn’t effective against most Gram-negative bacteria is slightly disappointing. "There are now plenty of drugs for infections caused by Gram-positive," he said, "and the more pressing need is for resistant Gram-negatives."
Chambers also cautions against getting too excited about the idea of a new antibiotic. It’s "too early to get excited for yet to be proven clinical utility," Chambers says. And even if the drug is approved for human use, it won’t solve the current problem of widespread antibiotic resistance — a problem that stems from overuse in both medicine and food production. "If an antibiotic is used enough, resistance ultimately will emerge." For example, although it took 40 years for resistance to develop against vancomycin — another antibiotic that works in a similar way — resistance did eventually occur. Still, if teixobactin is approved for human use in a few years, that will be good news, Chambers says. "New potent and effective antibiotics belonging to a novel class are welcome, even for Gram-positives."
Getting the antibiotic to market will take at least five years
A lot can go wrong during drug development, though. So far, producing large quantities of the bacteria that produces teixobactin hasn’t been too difficult —but because the drug has yet to be tested on humans, it’s difficult to predict how well it will do in the long run. Before human trials can take place, the researchers would like to find out if they can produce the drug synthetically, rather than from bacteria — a process that might be more efficient. They also want to improve the drug’s effectiveness. That, Lewis said, will take about two years. And then they will need at least another three years to test teixobactin on humans. Still, the antibiotic discovery is encouraging, because the method used to discover it could lead to other new discoveries, too.
"The discovery of compounds like teixobactin that came from uncultured bacteria suggests that this is a promising source in general for antibiotics," Lewis says. "And that it has a good chance of helping revive the field of antibiotic discovery." |
The out-of-bounds play "Short" used to be the Hornets' own highlight factory. It produced a number of alley-oops by Gerald Henderson his last two years in Charlotte as coach Steve Clifford's staff primarily used the play for the bouncy Duke Blue Devil.
For those interested, I did a full write-up on the specifics of the play back in November when Henderson visited Charlotte with his current team, the Portland Trail Blazers. Back then within four seconds of playing time the former Hornet faced an out-of-bounds situation and recognized what was about to come.
Unfortunately for him, Nicolas Batum also made an on-the-fly audible. Batum realized that Henderson had instructed young teammate Allen Crabbe to stay underneath the screen in anticipation for the lob pass, instead of following the Frenchman through the fake action. The small forward thus actually used the screen for real to pop out for a three-pointer:
It is only one of the four times that "Short", which used to have a rather good completion rate, has worked out this season. Jeremy Lamb, suited for the play due to his lank, has been on the finishing end twice.
Jeremy Lin has made the single successful lay-in off "Short" ever since the Hendo incident. Ironically, it occurred against the New York Knicks who now have been burnt by all three aforementioned players (twice by Hendo, once by Lamb and Lin, per my notes).
Given the fact that the team has mostly moved on from the play, it's almost as if the coaching staff couldn't help themselves and coach Clifford said to Patrick Ewing: "Ten bucks says that they fall for it again."
Other than that it seems as if the rest of the league has this set in their scouting report. After "Short" being heavily disrupted a number of times in November, the Hornets have rarely gone back to it.
Once opponents know that it's coming, it can be quite easy for them to crowd the paint where the recipient of the alley-oop should have space for his take-off. It can be as simple as the defender of the screen-setter stepping in Lamb's way and possibly switching with Lamb's defender altogether.
It has come to the point that "Short" is very likely to be a turnover in the makings. Here is Wizards assistant coach Pat Sullivan anticipating it and gesturing with his hands to demonstrate what is about to happen just like Henderson did:
With Charlotte's highlight-generating play likely being a thing of the past to which the team will return scarcely, here are three frequently used out-of-bounds sets that the Hornets have settled on.
"Two-Four-Five"
Quite simply referred to as "Two-Four-Five" due to the positions of the players involved, it seemingly has been the most frequent Hornets out-of-bounds play as of late.
It starts off like this:
The two-guard (Nicolas Batum) exits his starting position underneath the basket to set a back-screen on the four's (Marvin Williams) defender somewhere near the free throw line:
It serves two purposes. Obviously, it would be great if Marv cut for an uncontested layup. However, if Batum's man takes a step off him to bother Williams and the path he's taken, it might give Batum enough space for what is about to come.
In this case, Philly's defenders are smart enough not to get hit dead-on with a back-screen.
The two-guard then instantly pops out to the corner through a screen set by the center (Cody Zeller):
If Batum's man sags off just a little bit to prevent that cut by the four-man, it might give him the necessary head start to get an open look. Just like it happens on this play with Jordan Clarkson trying to help out:
What makes this set smart is that there's even a way to transition seamlessly into the possession if the players choose to do so. In case the wing player didn't take or get a jumper, the movement can continue with the center setting a down-screen for the power forward so he appears for a post touch in motion:
In some cases it can also be a "One-Four-Five" if coach Clifford wants to involve the point guard. This way you can somewhat ensure the fact that he'll get the ball. In these scenarios the play might be more about simply finding him than getting a quick look at the basket.
"Triangle Four"
Way more simpler of a play, yet also used regularly. A simple screen set by the center to free up one of Charlotte's power forwards for a baseline jumper.
One would have to assume that the main motivation behind this play is using our good shooters at the four spot - Marvin Williams and Frank Kaminsky.
Although an 18-foot mid-range look isn't the sexiest of shots, you could call it a fine way of getting yourself a decent look, especially if there's not much time left on the clock. If the opposition is playing two real bigs, they might not have the instincts or willingness to prevent Marvin or Kaminsky getting at least somewhat open.
An Over-the-Top Pass for Lamb
It's not an idea exclusive to the Hornets. Plenty of teams around the NBA have done this to capitalize on the defense's lack of attention or to use the athletic abilities of their own player(s).
Moreover, you certainly cannot rely on it day in and day out. It's a sneaky play moreso meant to catch one by surprise.
That being said, I enjoy seeing this use of Jeremy Lamb's freakishly long arms. It might be the closest thing to "Short" that we have left.
One more random note which probably isn't worthy of an article on its own before wrapping this up...
Courtney Lee's Lack of Offensive Activity
Courtney Lee has never been a particularly important offensive piece on any of his teams. He spaces the court, takes the open looks he gets and occasionally puts the ball on the court for what usually is a pull-up jumper, while doing his job admirably on defense. The Indiana native is a true 3&Lee player (awesome pun, isn't it?).
With that in mind, he's currently taking only 7.6 field goal attempts per 36 minutes in Charlotte, a clear career-low. However, it's not due to him passing good looks. As the table below shows his front court touches are also way down.
Team MIN Front CT Touches Front CT Touches per 36 Memphis 29.2 31.3 38.6 Charlotte 28.2 23.8 30.4
(Data per SportVU at nba.com as of March, the 9th)
Justise Winslow and Gerald Green have been the only perimeter players to average more than 25 minutes per game this season and touch the ball less often in the front court than Lee.
Courtney Lee's style of play makes him a good fit alongside the ball-dominant Kemba Walker. |
Plant-in City is an art installation that takes terrariums to the 21st Century.
The Vision
We are creating a large-scale interactive art installation, a "Green City," where plants populate stackable structures inside a gallery space in Manhattan. Our goal is to raise funds to buy materials and develop technology needed to complete this project.
In our installation we envision a dense, lush skyline, where water flows from one terrarium to another. Visitors to the space enter an immersive environment. Sounds of plants echo in their ears. Vibrant rays of light articulate every nuance of beauty that the eye can see.
We're creating a space where a community who loves architecture, technology and plants can meet. Our mission is to integrate these disciplines into a new paradigm that changes the way we live and interact with nature. We believe that interacting with plants will improve our lives.
Plant-in City - Illustration of the first "Green City"
How it Works
Plant-in City taps into the natural systems that foster plant life to give the plants themselves a voice. This revolutionary planter system contains built-in sensors that are activated by sun exposure, changes in soil moisture, humidity, temperature, and other natural cycles. Once activated, these sensors translate the environmental data into sounds or visuals, creating an imaginary vibrant wilderness.
Plant-in City - Concept Illustration - FRAME with embedded sensors
The Hardware: A system of stacked or interconnected planter frames equipped with an embedded microcomputer (Arduino) and a series of sensors that detect changes in light, soil moisture, temperature, etc. We currently have three types of frames in our system: Soil FRAME: the base planter unit that contains soil plants and sensors.
the base planter unit that contains soil plants and sensors. Light FRAME: a unit with embedded LED lighting and provides a uniform and pleasant light.
a unit with embedded LED lighting and provides a uniform and pleasant light. Water FRAME: consists of a water tank, solenoid valve and copper tubing irrigation system that provides a natural rain effect when watering plants. 12" x 48" - Light FRAME - Soil FRAME - Irrigation FRAME ($3500 Pledge)
The Technology
Our innovative design utilizes hardware and software solutions to provide plants with most of the care they need to thrive.
iPhone and Arduino: the technology powering Plant-in City.
The Software: The Arduino connects the frames to the web linking the sensors and control systems for water and light. These enable you to remotely connect to the Plant-in City using a mobile web app to check the plants’ vital signs and control lights or other systems and even water them.
Demonstration of our water FRAME irrigation system being controlled by the iPhone.
Open Source
We plan to release our source code to the public as we develop our hardware and software designs. We are also looking into the release of hardware design blueprints so that we can invite third parties to develop their own hardware add-ons for the Plant-in City system.
Our Kickstarter Plan
Using the funds we raise through this Kickstarter, we will create our first large scale Plant-in City installation in a New York gallery (location TBC). With the amount we have budgeted we can buy materials, electronics and plants to build it.
We have prototypes for the majority of these components and interactions. However, a significant amount of work still needs to be done in order to build all the new frames and develop the interactive experiences further.
After we are done with this production and development stage, all of the FRAMES we build as a result of this campaign will come together to create an immersive architecture full of plants, sounds, lights and data.
Pledge Rewards
$15 Pledge: Set of hand built cedar blocks (15 units ea. aprox.)
$25 Pledge: Set of hand built cedar magnets (5 units ea. aprox.).
$75 Pledge: LED Light Fixture.
$250 Pledge: 12" light cube FRAME.
$500 Pledge: 12" light cube FRAME with custom landscape.
$800 Pledge: Three Day, Two Stay in NYC. Vacation with Plant-in City
$1500 Pledge: Cedar LED Chandelier
$1,000 Pledge: 12" x 24" x 18" light FRAME with custom landscape.
$3,500 Pledge: 12" x 48" x 18" soil, light and water FRAMES with custom landscape.
$7,500 Pledge: Customized Plant-in City architectural installation commission for your location of choice. 7-10 units per installation based on FRAME types selected.
Note: Currently, we are not selling the Plant-in City until our R&D phase is complete. However, if you donate $250 or more to our campaign, we will build a working prototype FRAME for you. This FRAME will also be included in the Plant-in City installation at the end of our campaign. Donate and become a vital building block in our Plant-in City installation!
About Us |
The entire economics world is abuzz about the intriguing smackdown between Paul Krugman and Ron Paul on Bloomberg. The Guardian summarises:
Ron Paul said it’s pretentious for anyone to think they know what inflation should be and what the ideal level for the money supply is.
Paul Krugman replied that it’s not pretentious, it’s necessary. He accused Paul of living in a fantasy world, of wanting to turn back the clock 150 years. He said the advent of modern currencies and nation-states made an unmanaged economy an impracticable idea.
He accused Paul of living in a fantasy world, of wanting to turn back the clock 150 years. He said the advent of modern currencies and nation-states made an unmanaged economy an impracticable idea. Paul accused the Fed of perpetrating “fraud,” in part by screwing with the value of the dollar, so people who save get hurt. He stopped short of calling for an immediate end to the Fed, saying that for now, competition of currencies – and banking structures – should be allowed in the US.
He stopped short of calling for an immediate end to the Fed, saying that for now, competition of currencies – and banking structures – should be allowed in the US. Krugman brought up Milton Friedman, who traversed the ideological spectrum to criticize the Fed for not doing enough during the Great Depression. It’s the same criticism Krugman is leveling at the Fed now. “It’s really telling that in America right now, Milton Friedman would count as being on the far left in monetary policy,” Krugman said.
Paul’s central point, that the Fed hurts Main Street by focusing on the welfare of Wall Street, is well taken. Krugman’s point that the Fed is needed to steer the economy and has done a better job overall than Congress, in any case, is also well taken.
I find it quite disappointing that there has not been more discussion in the media of the idea — something Ron Paul alluded to — that most of the problems we face today are extensions of the market’s failure to liquidate in 2008. Bailouts and interventionism has left the system (and many of the companies within it) a zombified wreck. Why are we talking about residual debt overhang? Most of it would have been razed in 2008 had the market been allowed to liquidate. Worse, when you bail out economic failures — and as far as I’m concerned, everyone who would have been wiped out by the shadow banking collapse is an economic failure — you obliterate the market mechanism. Should it really be any surprise that money isn’t flowing to where it’s needed?
A whole host of previously illiquid zombie banks, corporations and shadow banks are holding onto trillions of dollars as a liquidity buffer. So instead of being used to finance useful and productive endeavours, the money is just sitting there. This is reflected in the levels of excess reserves banks are holding (presently at an all-time high), as well as the velocity of money, which is at a postwar low:
Krugman’s view that introducing more money into the economy and scaring hoarders into spending more is not guaranteed to achieve any boost in productivity.
As I wrote last month:
The fundamental problem at the heart of this is that the Fed is trying to encourage risk taking by making it difficult to allow small-scale market participants from amassing the capital necessary to take risk. That’s why we’re seeing domestic equity outflows. And so the only people with the apparatus to invest and create jobs are large institutions, banks and corporations, which they are patently not doing. Would more easing convince them to do that? Probably not. If you’re a multinational corporation with access to foreign markets where input costs are significantly cheaper, why would you invest in the expensive, over-regulated American market other than to offload the products you’ve manufactured abroad? So will (even deeper) negative real rates cause money to start flowing? Probably — but probably mostly abroad — so probably without the benefits of domestic investment and job creation.
Nor is it guaranteed to achieve any great boost in debt relief.
As Dan Kervick wrote for Naked Capitalism last month:
Inflation only reduces debt overhang in a significant way for households who are fortunate enough to see their nominal wages rise along with the general rise in prices. In today’s economy, workers are frequently not so fortunate.
Again, I have to bring this back to why we are even talking about debt relief. The 2008 crash was a natural form of debt-relief; the 2008 bailouts, and ongoing QE and Twist programs (which contrary to Professor Krugman’s apologetics really do transfer wealth from the middle classes to Wall Street) crystallised the debt burden born from a bubble created by Greenspan’s easy money policies. There would be no need for a debt jubilee (either an absolute one, or a Krugmanite (hyper)inflationary one) if we had simply let the market do its work. A legitimate function for government would have at most been to bail out account holders, provide a welfare net for poor people (never poor corporations) and let bankruptcy courts and markets do the rest. Instead, the central planners in Washington decided they knew best.
The key moment in the debate?
I am not a defender of the economic policies of the emperor Diocletian. So let’s just make that clear. Paul Krugman
Actually you are. Ron Paul
Ron Paul is dead right. Krugman and the bailout-happy regime for which he stands are absolutely following in the spirit of Diocletian.
From Dennis Gartman:
Rome had its socialist interlude under Diocletian. Faced with increasing poverty and restlessness among the masses, and with the imminent danger of barbarian invasion, he issued in A.D. 301 an edictum de pretiis, which denounced monopolists for keeping goods from the market to raise prices, and set maximum prices and wages for all important articles and services. Extensive public works were undertaken to put the unemployed to work, and food was distributed gratis, or at reduced prices, to the poor. The government – which already owned most mines, quarries, and salt deposits – brought nearly all major industries and guilds under detailed control. Diocletian explained that the barbarians were at the gate, and that individual liberty had to be shelved until collective liberty could be made secure. The socialism of Diocletian was a war economy, made possible by fear of foreign attack. Other factors equal, internal liberty varies inversely with external danger.
While Krugman does not by any means endorse the level of centralism that Diocletian introduced, his defence of bailouts, his insistence on the planning of interest rates and inflation, and (most frighteningly) his insistence that war can be an economic stimulus (in reality, war is a capital destroyer) all put him firmly in Diocletian’s economic planning camp.
So how did Diocletian’s economic program work out?
Well, I think it is fair to say even without modern data that — just as Krugman desires — Diocletian’s measures boosted aggregate demand through public works and — just as Krugman desires — it introduced inflation.
Diocletian’s mass minting of coins of low metallic value continued to increase inflation, and the maximum prices in the Edict were apparently too low. Merchants either stopped producing goods, sold their goods illegally, or used barter. The Edict tended to disrupt trade and commerce, especially among merchants. It is safe to assume that a gray market economy evolved out of the edict at least between merchants.
And certainly Rome lived for almost 150 years after Diocletian. However the long term effects of Diocletian’s economic program were dire:
Thousands of Romans, to escape the tax gatherer, fled over the frontiers to seek refuge among the barbarians. Seeking to check this elusive mobility and to facilitate regulation and taxation, the government issued decrees binding the peasant to his field and the worker to his shop until all their debts and taxes had been paid. In this and other ways medieval serfdom began.
Have the 2008 bailouts done the same thing, cementing a new feudal aristocracy of bankers, financiers and too-big-to-fail zombies, alongside a serf class that exists to fund the excesses of the financial and corporate elite?
Only time will tell. |
If Donald Trump could have choreographed a week before the first presidential debate it would have looked a lot like this. The week started with a terror attack in NYC (and it looks like the attack was a complex one designed to hit two or three targets at the same time) by an Afghan Islamist who had been under scrutiny by the FBI but let slide because, well, you know, you can’t be islamophobic and have a career in law enforcement even when your phobia is well founded. The Charlotte, NC, became ground zero in as Rodney King-like riot. When Hillary Clinton tried to show up to pull her Al Sharpton act, she was asked to stay away. Ted Cruz (much to his everlasting shame) endorsed Trump and, for all intents and purposes, announced that principle didn’t really mean all that much and probably had a significant impact on GOP voters who had been reluctant to vote for Trump. And the week ended with a Turkish immigrant walked into a Macy’s department store in Seattle and gunned down five people.
In poll averages Clinton has maintained a pretty consistent 4 point lead
What should be troubling her is her inability to take a decisive lead. She was right earlier in the week when she sniveled about feeling like she should be 50 points ahead. If she was a candidate possessed of normal competence, good health a functioning moral compass and the ability to relate to fellow human beings in anything other than a master-servant mode she would have run away with the race by now. The fact that it is still a four point race after the nation has seen Donald Trump in action for over a year should terrify her campaign.
But, as everyone knows, this race is not going to be decided at the national level. It is going to be decided in a handful of states. There the situation is also grim.
Ohio
Trump has a small lead in the state. His lead is probably much larger because Rob Portman is beating his senate opponent like a rented mule. Portman isn’t a terribly charismatic guy and it is difficult to believe that, especially after Ted Cruz’s endorsement, that Trump will underperform Portman. Hillary hasn’t even visited Ohio in two months.
When CNN stops fluffing for Hillary, you know it is serious:
Colorado:
Clinton has a 3 point lead. That might be enough but the trendline suggests she is losing momentum at a rate that may put the state out of reach for her by Election Day
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania, as James Carville famously described it, has Pittsburgh on one end, Philadelphia on the other and Alabama (or Pennsyltucky) in the middle. What had looked like a wrap in Pennsylvania is now more uncertain
You’ll note the recent polls have been tightening and the last one should scare the living crap out of the Clinton camp:
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton’s lead over Republican rival Donald Trump has narrowed to 3 points in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, according to a new poll. Clinton leads Trump, 44 percent to 41 percent, in the Morning Call/Muhlenberg College poll released late Saturday. One week ago, Clinton had a 9-point advantage in that poll, 47 percent to 38 percent. Clinton’s lead in a four-way matchup is now 2 points, 40 percent to 38 percent, pollsters found. Libertarian Party nominee Gary Johnson has fallen to 8 percent support, and the Green Party’s Jill Stein has 3 percent.
Essentially, in this poll, they are tied.
There is still a long way to go in this election and the polls did not cover themselves with glory during the primaries. Having said that, Hillary Clinton’s failure to open up a lead or break 50% should set alarm bells ringing in her camp. There is much more that can happen in the current events that will hurt her than will hurt Trump. She is slow on her feet and her reputation for duplicity has burned down most of the reflexive goodwill that most Democrat candidates get from the press. Trump has a bit of momentum in key states and had a very good week.
Hillary Clinton reminds you of the team that goes into the 4th quarter with a 3 point lead and decides to try to run the clock out. The strategy can work but a little bit of bad luck is devastating. |
Pandagon is daily opinion blog covering feminism, politics, and pop culture. Come for the politics, stay for the complete lack of patience for the B.S. and bad faith coming from conservative leaders and pundits.
With a plodding inevitability, the thread below a post I wrote about the mentality of abusers turned into an ugly fight debating the mentality of victims. Asking sexist, domineering men to fuck off is apparently too tall an order for this world; the only people who can ever be asked to change are women, even women who have done nothing wrong. Men are immoveable objects, apparently, and women soft playthings whose every move, no matter how innocent and non-harmful, is up for questioning. When a man hits a woman, the question we all want to ask is, “Why did she put her face in front of his fist?”
Well, I reject that. Whole-heartedly. I think that the strategy of asking women what’s so wrong with them that they were totally easy to hit like that has been tried and it has failed. I think it’s time to start asking the hard question. Stop asking why she was stupid enough to let him abuse her and start asking why he chose to abuse. It will be hard, actually blaming the people who are responsible instead of the victims, even though the victims are so frequently women and therefore just asking to be blamed for everything. But with some work, I think it can be done. So, I put together a little guide of urges you may have when confronted with domestic violence, why those urges are counter-productive to your supposed goal of reducing domestic violence, and what questions you can substitute instead.
Question: Why did she stay?
What victims hear when you ask that: Only a stupid person would let it get to the point of him hitting you. You can’t let anyone know this happened, or they’re going to ask why you stayed. Your pain is already great, and having people imply you’re stupid and you did this to yourself will just make it worse. So, you should conceal the abuse and pretend everything is okay. Otherwise, people are going to wonder how you could be so stupid.
What to ask instead: Why did he continue to hit her after he promised he would never do it again? What kind of man does that? Why does lying to someone he supposedly love come so easily to him? Why is hitting her more important to him than keeping his promises?
Question: What’s broken with her that she would stay? Doesn’t she need help?
What victims hear when you say that: If people find out that he hit me, they’re going to think I’m a weird, fucked up, broken person. They will judge me. They won’t want to be around me. My kids will become pariahs. I may have trouble getting a job if people find out. My parents will wonder how they failed. I’ll be outcast and possibly poor. Better hide the abuse rather than let people decide that I’m some kind of basketcase.
What to ask instead: What’s broken with him that he thinks hitting is okay? Why didn’t he get help before he gave in to the urge to hit? Why does he think it’s okay to hit people if he doesn’t get his way? How did our culture thwart so many men that they think that there’s something manly about hitting women?
Question: Why does she still love him?
What victims hear when you say that: If you aren’t a robot who can turn off your feelings at the drop of a hat, there’s something seriously wrong with you. Your confusion and vulnerability makes you unacceptably weak. Better hide the abuse so people don’t start to think you’re feeble-minded.
What to ask instead: Why does he hit someone he claims to love?
With this helpful guide, you too can stop contributing to an environment where victims linger in abusive relationships, afraid to ask for help because they know that they’ll be treated like freaks and pariahs. With practice, you too can start blaming the people who are to blame when domestic violence occurs: The people who make the choice to belittle, beat, stalk, rape, and intimidate. As long as you keep to the program, eventually you too can stop being a contributor to the problem of domestic violence, and start creating a supportive environment that actually makes it possible for victims to leave.
What are you waiting for? There’s no reason to not drop the victim-blaming today and start blaming abusers for abusing. The only people who you’ll hurt are men who like to hit women. And why should we help them cultivate the environment of shame and fear that keeps their victims with them? |
Recycle your plastic flower pots and trays and non-food grade styrofoam packing material.
Sponsored by Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens and Phoenix Recycling, Inc.
Dear Friends of Chadwick Arboretum & Learning Gardens,
Following Chadwick Arboretum’s very successful Spring Plant Sale & Auction, I happen to know that there are approximately 14,000 plastic pots, cell packs, and trays out there that need to be recycled or re-used.
We’ll be partnering with Phoenix Recycling and accepting horticultural plastics such as pots, cell packs, and trays. We’ll also be collecting non-food grade Styrofoam such as the material that your computer or TV is packed in.
We hope to fill a semi-truck with these horticultural plastics as we have in the past. You are also welcome to stand by and take any of these plastics that you might need for your home projects.
Please note that Chadwick Arboretum won’t be able to accept any materials prior to the morning of June 6th, but you should also know that you can drop off your horticultural plastics at any of the Lowe’s stores in central Ohio if you can’t participate in our recycling event.
Please spread the word of this event among your neighbors and gardening friends!
Chadwick Arboretum will host a membership table during this event so you can join or renew your support of our programs and gardens as your vehicle is being unloaded by our volunteers, students, and staff.
Thanks for continuing to support our programs and operations!
Mary C. Maloney, Director |
We continue our look at Bethesda’s Fallout 4 DLC with a look at the Nuka World DLC for PS4, Xbox One and PC.
As we push deeper into the year, Bethesda continues to add more content to Fallout 4, a game that’s already packed to the brim with hundreds of hours of content.
The company released its massive Far Harbor DLC in May and there’s still hope for PS4 Fallout 4 mods. PS4 mods have been delayed since June and are currently under “evaluation.”
Bethesda released the Contraptions Workshop DLC on June 21st and its new Vault-Tec Workshop DLC on July 26th.
And now, after a stint in beta, the developer’s released a much larger piece of DLC content called Nuka World.
At its E3 2016 event in June, Bethesda outlined the next three pieces of Fallout 4 DLC. The most exciting of the bunch is the Nuka World DLC and it’s now available on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Windows PC.
There are some important things to know about Fallout 4’s Nuka World DLC, the Nuka World achievements/trophies, Nuka World deals, and more. This roundup also takes a look at what’s coming after the Nuka World DLC.
Here’s what Fallout 4 Season Pass owners and prospective buyers need to know about the Fallout 4 Nuka World DLC as we push away from the release date.
We’ll continue to update this with new information as it becomes available so check back for frequent updates. |
giphy-7
However, Lianne did not want to be included in the hashtag, believing that the music industry is fair. In her (now deleted) tweets she stated:
Singer Lianne La Havas says #BritsSoWhite is 'racist' & 'unfounded' & wants to be removed from any reference to it. pic.twitter.com/gx9vg0jvyu — Dionne Grant (@DionneGrant) February 25, 2016
Apparently it went even further:
She deleted it lol 💀💀 pic.twitter.com/6P97FMy1bm — Renée (#WOCBeautyUK) (@Renee_Ed) February 25, 2016
*Receipts:
1. Its. About. To. Go. Down.
2. Some were speechless
Lianne La Havas really said the #BritsSoWhite hashtag is racist. I'm reading her tweets like pic.twitter.com/lVbsAHsmAR — Fads (@OFadz_) February 25, 2016
3. Like, let me re-read that right quick
Reading Lianne La Havas' timeline like pic.twitter.com/9VupPw4WMb — pobrecito (@mdltn) February 25, 2016
4. Wait, what?
When you find out Lianne La Havas is being problematic pic.twitter.com/pMCzdyDpG7 — Dorίαn™ (@PardonMy_Hype) February 25, 2016
5. Let me read that one more time
reading lianne la havas' timeline like pic.twitter.com/ezDLo5AccA — Adriana (@bruuhhhh_) February 25, 2016
6. Some were disappointed
I wanna live in whatever fairytale world Lianne La Havas is living where everyone is represented equally + white privilege doesn't exist — zathan (@UCNathan) February 25, 2016
7. Some thought she should have kept her mouth shut
Celebs being silent and celebs being so willfully ignorant are two different things and I wish Lianne La Havas had stuck to the former — Bonita's AppleBottom (@Shaksam_) February 25, 2016
8. Some were heartbroken
wow Lianne La Havas broke my little black heart with them tweets... smh. — ʙᴀʙʏ ɢʜᴏsᴛ (@fauxdeity) February 25, 2016
9. And had to call it quits
Looks like my former boo thang is lost in the sauce. Lianne la Havas. Smh. — melonious thonk (@RolandWNoBrakes) February 25, 2016
10. Some were not surprised at her lack of wokeness
Lianne La Havas never gave us a reason to believe she was woke. We put that on her, and now here we are. — Château de No (@JanelleToni) February 25, 2016
11. And think they know the source of her problems
Lianne La Havas using the fact that she's half Greek to deny institutional racism is just more proof that white people ruin everything — Phillip Van De Kamp (@MajorPhilebrity) February 25, 2016
12. Some were ready to disown her:
Lianne La Havas stans after hearing about stance on race. pic.twitter.com/a5DNGEqXn8 — Lwazi (@Lwazi_MD) February 25, 2016
13. Definitely not a list anyone wants to be part of
S̶t̶a̶c̶e̶y̶ ̶D̶a̶s̶h̶ ̶A̶n̶t̶h̶o̶n̶y̶ ̶M̶a̶c̶k̶i̶e̶ ̶R̶a̶v̶e̶n̶ ̶S̶y̶m̶o̶n̶e̶ ̶D̶o̶n̶ ̶L̶e̶m̶o̶n̶ ̶L̶i̶a̶n̶n̶e̶ ̶L̶a̶ ̶H̶a̶v̶a̶s̶ — seye isikalu (@byisikalu) February 25, 2016
14. Time to delete all records of acknowledgement
*deletes all tweets about lianne* — Stefanie Uwah (@StefanieUwah) February 25, 2016
15. But some kept to their original script
*sees what Lianne La Havas did* *continues to not listen to her music* — Sammy (@SamsterJr) February 25, 2016
16. Glad they never wasted their time:
whewww I dodged a bullet with lianne la havas when it turned out I didn't like her music, unlike most of my friends. win! lol — araminta's sh0tgun (@LordeBarrington) February 25, 2016
17. Or had celebrity amnesia
who is lianne la havas — Ras The Destroyer (@Smooth_Orator) February 25, 2016
Welp, time to choose a new fave.
giphy-6
Uh oh. It seems like one of our favorite British folk/soul singers has devolved into problematic territory. Singer Lianne La Havas reacted on Thursday morning to the hashtag #BritsSoWhite, which called out the Brit Awards for snubbing artists of color, and the music industry for being inherently racist.Photo:giphyNaturally, twitter reacted accordingly:Photo: giphy *Updated with receipts. |
Star Indian surfers including Ishita Malviya and Dharini Selvakumar will be seen riding the waves for the top slot in their respective categories during the second edition of the Indian Open of Surfing, which gets underway at Sasihithlu beach here from Friday.
Besides Malviya and Selvakumar, the other big Indian names in the premier competition include Sinchana Gowda, Aneesha Nayak, Manikandan and Sekar Pitchai along with Tanvi Jagadish.
The Indian surfers are expected to face stiff competition in their respective categories from their Australian, US and French counterparts in the three-day event.
Tanvi is a top-ranked Stand Up Paddler and will be the surfer to look out for at the event. She had recently achieved major international glory by emerging third in the Stand Up Paddling event at the West Marine Carolina Cup in the US.
Tanvi has been the national champion in the SUP surfing and SUP racing since 2014, and the 17-year-old Mangalore girl has been making waves on international shores as well.
Ishita Malaviya is India's first professional female surfer, who began surfing in 2007 after meeting a German exchange student.
She currently runs a surf club named the Shaka Surf Club as well as a camp called Camp Namaloha in Karnataka.
The 23 year-old Manikandan has achieved quite a lot in the sport of surfing. Coming from a small fishermen family in Tamil Nadu, he took up surfing about 10 years ago.
Murthy Megavan is India's top male surfer while Dharani Selvakumar, a computer science engineering graduate, turned his hobby into a profession.
The 23-year-old Dharini was the national champion at the Indian Open of Surfing in 2016.
Though the competition will see a few international surfers like Maldivian surfer Ismail Miguel in the open category, it will be interesting to see how the Indian surfers will raise the standard of the competition.
--IANS
tri/bg
(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) |
As for Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio, no doubt some conservative House members who are eager for another debt limit dust-up are angry with him for allowing the measure to go through without any strings attached. But many others are grateful to the speaker for finding a way to spare them the vote and spare their party another bruising in public opinion polls when Republicans are feeling very good about their midterm election prospects.
Mr. Boehner faces an immediate question. Having again shown a willingness to violate the so-called Hastert rule — the unwritten code that legislation should pass the House only with a majority of the majority — will he now be willing to take a similar approach on other major issues, namely immigration?
After all, he and scores of other House Republicans are interested in overhauling the nation’s immigration policy, and Mr. Boehner could easily shape a significant bipartisan majority if he teamed up Republicans who are willing to act on immigration with Democrats who are clamoring to do so. Democrats have encouraged him to just put a Senate-passed bill on the floor and pass it with mainly Democratic votes, as he did with the debt ceiling increase.
But that is unlikely to happen. Mr. Boehner is no fan of the Senate plan, and he would like the House to act on a series of immigration-related proposals rather than one sweeping bill like the Senate did. But another significant reason immigration legislation will not get the same treatment as the debt limit bill is that Republicans see no deadline or looming crisis that will force the issue.
If advocates of immigration changes want Mr. Boehner to plunge ahead, they may need to amp up the pressure.
For the most part, Mr. Boehner has turned to Democratic votes when he has exhausted other options and faced a potential catastrophe like running off the fiscal cliff. He did allow a renewal of the Violence Against Women Act to pass with predominantly Democratic votes, but House Republicans had earlier advanced their own version. In all previous cases, the number of Republicans joining Democrats was well over 28 — 87 Republicans in the violence against women bill.
Recent comparable episodes brought to mind by this week’s House vote were the 2002 vote to overhaul campaign finance laws. Just 41 of Republicans in the majority — 18 percent — sided with most Democrats to pass that landmark legislation. It was opposed by the House leadership, but enough Republicans joined with Democrats on a petition to force it to the floor, setting off a fevered debate. |
A recent report from Europol’s European Cybercrime Center includes a forecast that the world’s first “online murder” will likely occur before the end of 2014. Obviously this is a frightening concept and one that a number of news outlets quickly seized upon with ominous headlines. However, there’s a far more dangerous story that underlies this prediction, a story that illustrates some of the challenges of rapid, unrelenting progress.
The forecast was included in the Internet Organized Crime Threat Assessment (iOCTA) report that examines the growing commercialization of cybercrime. According to the report, the underground economy has been developing a “Crime-as-a-Service” (CaaS) business model in which skilled specialists create a wide range of products and services. These cover many different forms of criminal activity and are allowing those with few technical resources to readily enter into the world of cybercrime. Unfortunately for most of us, this wasn’t a bar that needed to be lowered.
So, is murder over the Internet actually feasible? Without a doubt. Years ago, I wrote about this possibility via poorly secured wi-fi in implantable medical devices (IMDs) such as pacemakers, ventricular assist devices and insulin pumps. Causing the intentional malfunction of such equipment could definitely result in a user’s death. By example, last year former Vice President Dick Cheney told 60 Minutes that he went so far as to have the wireless function in his own implanted defibrillator disabled in 2007, lest would-be assassins attempt to exploit the vulnerability.
In addition to risks from IMDs, even more security holes will inevitably emerge as body area networks – or BANs – become prevalent. A BAN is a communications network that is situated in, on or near the body and is based on standards established by IEEE 802.15.6. Of course, without adequate consideration, driverless cars and other autonomous vehicles will also become potential threats. As the Internet of Things exponentially increases the world’s current 10 billion Internet-connected devices, it will no doubt also bring with it new dangers. These are but a few examples of emerging technologies criminals could exploit for deadly purposes.
But who’s to say online murder hasn’t already happened? When hackers cause widespread power outages as they may have done in Brazil nearly a decade ago, isn’t it likely that someone among the millions affected will die due to a lack of electricity? True, such deaths wouldn’t have been specifically targeted, but to any victims and their families that distinction is of little comfort.
This alarming prediction and its near-term timeframe aren’t the truly important story here. What should really concern us is the potential for a vast increase in cybercrime due to the low barrier of entry that’s being created. Not only will this likely give rise to still more cybercriminal activity, it could also lead to a race to the bottom, with CaaS developers providing ever cheaper and easier to use tools and services.
From the futurist’s standpoint, however, all of this illustrates an even broader trend and threat – one we should be working to address much sooner than later. As technological progress continues to accelerate, we find ourselves having to deal with new innovations all the time. Nearly all of these are being developed for good, even altruistic reasons. Invariably they generate new opportunities and provide many competitive advantages. No one develops the Internet or automobiles or advances in medicine for nefarious purposes. But perhaps we need to learn to build this darker perspective into our development process and actually consider some of these possibilities? Not with the intention of halting the work, for that will never succeed. After all, when the time is right, an invention will inevitably come into the world. Just ask the 23 other early inventors of the incandescent light bulb whose names weren’t Edison.
No, the idea would be to give greater consideration to the negative and unanticipated consequences of our new technologies as early in their development as we possibly can, in order to better address their vulnerabilities and shortcomings. In doing this, we can potentially alleviate many of the significant, possibly even enormous costs and dangers we’ll otherwise have to face later down the road. Had such an approach been taken in the early days of the Internet, perhaps we wouldn’t now be dealing with a cybercrime problem that has an estimated global cost of $445 billion annually.
Of course, this will add to research and development costs at a stage when many businesses, especially startups, can least afford it. Perhaps one approach could be in the form of federal technology grants earmarked for just this purpose? Or separate consulting businesses that help envisage or even assist in mitigating anticipatable consequences? Whatever the solution, society would be well served if we were to apply better foresight to the early stages of developing new technologies. In light of this recent report, it’s becoming increasingly evident it would be a crime not to. |
I loved email. It's dead. 2019-02-24 I loved email. It's dead. We should start thinking of email addresses only as attack vectors. An email address a piece of information which, once disclosed, allows someone or something to communicate with you forever. The consequence of this communication is that you may get interrupted by a notification, and bear the cost of storing, reading, and/or deleting the message; the message also increases the cost of searching through all your other messages. These costs are small. The number of emails you receive, however, is very large. I have received well over a hundred thousand emails so far. Over time it adds up. There are many-to-many communication systems which are indexed on other kinds of addresses (such as your phone number, postal address, your Facebook identity, your cryptographic public key, and so on). Email is like a phone number or a postal address: it has the property that "knowledge-is-permission", i.e., if you know the address, you can send data to it. Unlike other knowledge-is-permission addressing systems, or "capabilities" to abuse the computer science lingo, sending an email is almost costless, much less than the smallest unit of any normal currency. The problem is that sharing your email address is a transitive operation: you are granting the recipient the capability to share the address with whomever he/she/it chooses. It is of course much worse than that: the address might be obtained accidentally or maliciously by a third party with whom you have no relationship, due to error, or the recipient going bankrupt, or a data breach, or being sold. There are some laws against sharing "personal data" without permission, but they're not remotely sufficient and probably not the right tool for the job anyway. There is a commercial incentive to obtain email addresses from customers. They improve price discrimination, which means that customers collectively have to pay more (though some may pay less). Therefore companies try to force customers to hand over email addresses. You are required to divulge an email address to obtain the product; this is useful because it helps keep you informed as the product is delivered. But then a few weeks or months later, you start getting adverts from the company. In the time it took me to write the previous paragraph, an advert arrived by email from a company from which I bought some blinds for my flat in December. But in the time it took me to write that paragraph, I blocked all future emails from them. What I have done is established a system of individual addresses for each company I and organisation I deal with. When I signed up with Blinds2Go, they got given my email address as [email protected]. But all I had to type was: address-tool --retire mk270-blinds and all future email from them is prevented with a curt "bounce" message, and I never receive a notification or store the message. Effectively, this amounts to having one email address per interlocutor, with revocation indexed on sender email address. What we actually need is a distributed store-and-forward messaging system where addresses are not transitive: instead, one would receive an invitation to communicate which could only be used by the recipient and not by third parties. This is vaguely similar to the PGP web of trust, Facebook messages between friends, and so on, but is probably most closely represented by the Scuttlebutt system. To be continued ... Permalink
The EU Withdrawal Agreement 2018-11-27 The recently published EU Withdrawal Agreement goes some way, but not far enough, towards implementing the result of the 2016 EU membership referendum. It remains to be seen whether Parliament will accept the agreement; it may yet be modified substantially by the government or others, in a way that addresses my concerns, which include the following: it is still going to be the case that, in practice, the EU's legislation will be able to change the legal relationships between private individuals across the broad generality of the affairs of day-to-day life, on pain of severe disruptions to trade
the UK will not have discretion over customs and trade policy, and may have to pay a proportion of customs revenue to the EU
to some extent, the arrangement retains preferential treatment in migration, residency and voting rights for EU citizens as such
there are to be novel and untested arrangements for resolving disputes betweek the UK and the rump-EU
some of the measures contemplated would in effect likely be permanent, not even subject to the sort of orderly withdrawal provided for by Article 50; this likely entails that the agreement cannot be used as a stepping stone to further withdrawal from the EU's structures
different parts of the UK such as Northern Ireland should not be required to remain within EU arrangements such as the Internal Market and Customs Union I have always accepted that even without the EU's Internal Market, a hard border of some kind would need to be re-established in Ireland, and that frictionless trade with the EU would become impossible upon leaving the Customs Union. The adoption by the UK government of frictionless trade and an absent hard border as negotiating objectives are effectively incompatible with the referendum result, and, to some extent, the Belfast Agreement 1998. By analogy, we appear to be saying to Scotland and Northern Ireland that their right to secede from the UK is now conditional on their remaining in close economic union with it, which is certainly not in the spirit of the 1998 agreement about Ireland, which was adopted by broad popular majorities in both jurisdictions. This is my own view and I don't mean to represent it as the view of any other individual or organisation with which I'm associated. Permalink
Blog restoration 2017-12-19 I have restored this blog; it was disabled by a software update in 2015, and one or two posts were lost. I shall retrieve them from backups and repost them. Permalink
Should there be a second In-Out referendum? 2017-04-12 Should there be a second In-Out referendum? Mike Taylor asks, via the world’s premier in-depth discussion medium Twitter, “Genuinely interested to hear from Leavers: what is the argument AGAINST a referendum on whether to proceed when we know the exit terms?” It is welcome that Remainers are generally interested in the views of Leavers; there has been far too little engagement and discussion, and too much talking past each other. For my part, I am genuinely interested in what Remainers say to the claim that supranationalism is inherently undemocratic. To Mike’s question: having a second In-Out referendum is effectively rejecting the result of the first one. As someone who is a citizen of Australia, the UK and Ireland, most of the countries of which I am a citizen have mandatory, binding, referendums on constitutional questions like Brexit, in which the terms of the measure being voted on are known: effectively, the public is being asked to ratify a statute already enacted but not yet in force. The UK however, never quick to learn from the example of other countries, put the question whether to Leave or Remain in the EU to a referendum in 2016, but employed a non-binding referendum in which the terms were not known: if you wanted the status quo, that wasn’t really on the ballot, or the outcome of Cameron’s renegotiation, you had to vote Remain, and if you wanted to leave but stay in the European Economic Area, or leave and have a free trade deal with the EU, or leave and attempt to join EFTA, or leave and trade on WTO terms, or leave and have across-the-board tarriff cuts, you would choose the Leave option. Various UK parties had promised In-In referendums, as contemplated now in the European Union Act 2011; the 2016 UK EU membership referendum was nevertheless an In-Out referendum, albeit without clarity as to which particular version of In or Out would occur. Alex Salmond demonstrated in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum that one could get 45% of the vote in an In-Out referendum without being too explicit even as to the currency one would be using in three years’ time, and had he won, no-one would be saying the result was illegitimate on grounds of the uncertainty about what leaving the UK would mean. In both cases, the options on the ballot paper, but not the wording of the ballot paper were chosen by David Cameron, who favoured the In/Remain option in both cases. It was open to him to put a specific Scottish independence or Brexit model on the ballot paper. When John Howard was faced with the republic issue in Australia in the 1990s, he faced a republican movement divided on what republican model to adopt, and could have wedged his opponents by putting the “direct election” or “indirect appointment” republican model on the ballot paper (constitutionally mandated referendums in Australia require that the status quo be one of the two options, and that the other option be spelt out in legislation). Instead, he convened a constitutional convention, half elected, half appointed, to deliberate on what republican model, if any, should go on the ballot paper. No-one could reasonably claim that the minority republican cause didn’t get a fair go. The Remainers chose to put the renegotiated settlement on the ballot paper as the Remain option, against all the possible Leave models. They could have convened a constitutional convention, John Howard-style, and sat down with the Leavers to deliberate on the appropriate Leave model to put on the ballot paper, but they chose not to do that. Some of the Leave models such as Norway or Switzerland were non-starters for various legal, realpolitik, game theory or economic reasons; other Leave models such as the supposed “Turkey model” of remaining in the EU Customs Union(!) only gained currency due to promotion by Remainers and the Irish press after the referendum. Choosing Leave’s model for them, and making it synonymous with the Leave option on the ballot paper, was something Remain chose not to do. The country voted by a small majority to leave the EU on the understanding that there was some uncertainty about what voting Remain or Leave would mean: for Remain, there was the unknown of how Cameron’s renegotiation would play out in practice, and for Leave the unknown of what the WTO/FTA models might ultimately entail. A little thought would reveal that remaining members of the EEA (the “Single Market”), EU Customs Union, or rejoining EFTA would de facto require the active consent of around thirty other countries’ governments, some of whom would be ill-disposed to the UK, e.g., over Gibraltar, Northern Ireland or Akrotiri. Remain failed to exert, or knowingly chose not to exert, the message discipline to rule out the Leave options that required this kind of consent. It was an open goal and they never lined up the shot. If staying in the EEA was ever really an option, it was demolished by too many Remainers’ inability after their defeat to shut up and stop smearing 52% of the voters as racist. The polling done by Lord Ashcroft suggests that 40% of Leavers cited immigration as a reason for their vote. Leaving aside the obvious points that most opposition to uncontrolled immigration is not motivated by racism, that people lie about this kind of thing to opinion pollsters, and that some people who said “democracy/sovereignty” rather than immigration was their reason for voting Leave tacitly meant “so we can democratically limit immigration by people we don’t much like the look of”, this meant that a vast body of voters wanted the UK to take back control of the borders, which meant no EU Court of Justice jurisdiction over migration, which is logically incompatible with the free movement of workers or of people which are supposedly integral to the EEA’s Single Market. By refusing utterly to compromise on this point, the EU hung Remainers out to dry. If they hadn’t, every politically unpalatable sacrifice made for EU integration would have been put at risk and the whole thing would have unravelled. The EU’s attitude was completely predictable and predicted, and thus Remainers went on to score an own goal: EEA membership was incompatible with respecting the supposed opinions of Leavers on immigration. So, the only real Leave models were WTO and a free trade agreement. It’s no good saying that because the losing Remain side failed to make this clear that they should get a second In-Out referendum between a particular FTA and full membership of the EU. They could have made it clear on the ballot paper itself, or forced the Leavers to debate the relative virtues of their Leave models during the campaign. A second In-Out referendum will be not be able to be held on the substantive issue, but will turn on the procedural issue of why the previous result should be overthrown, on the aspects of Project Fear that turned out to be spin and lies, hardly helped by Niall Ferguson’s admissions, and on Remain’s failure to answer why certain policies claimed to have redistributive effects (e.g., monetary policy in the 1990s and immigration in the 2010s) should be outside the scope of democratic control. The public will wonder what if anything can be done to prevent a third referendum and rightly ask what it would take to change Remainers’ minds. During the campaign, including the formal debates, I was always prepared to say what would make me change my mind: the existence of a European people, consenting to be governed in common by majority rule. I never found any Remainer prepared to say what would change theirs. Permalink
The Horns of a Trilemma 2016-04-01 Many years ago I read J H H Weiler's work on the constitution of the European Union, and I concluded that you could not simultaneously have all three of democracy, national sovereignty, and deep economic integration; this trade-off is sometimes known as "Rodrik's Trilemma" after the Turkish economist who popularised the same idea, in relation to finance markets. Apparently unconcerned by distributional effects, most people cannot be persuaded to forgo the benefits of transnational economic integration, and similarly place their feelings of belonging and tradition before self-government and democratic norms. I'm forced to conclude that the only solution is the adoption, bypassing democracy, of a uniform set of economic rules across a broad swathe of the developed world. In effect, this is what we have been acquiescing in for several decades, as treaty after treaty irons out the differences between national laws. As the technological complexity of society has increased, democratic legislatures and executive agencies have completely abdicated any role they might play enforcing the public interest; the quality of regulation in areas such as copyright and surveillance is so poor as to be beneath one's dignity to take intellectually seriously. Supranational anti-trust regulators have proven to be the only actors capable of reining in transnational corporations like Microsoft. A post-democratic world (as Jon Worth believes us already to inhabit) would allow much more scope for this proven success of regulation in the public interest. This of course is not going to be a remotely equal or fair world, but it is one which appears to attract the acquiescence of the governed, without which there can be no lasting order or peace. Accordingly, I shall no longer be supporting the campaign for British withdrawal from the European Union, and abstain, as I have at recent elections. Permalink
Experimenting with CompCert 2014-12-02 A few weeks ago I experimented with CompCert, a C compiler from INRIA, written largely in Coq, with chunks in OCaml; this allows the Coq parts of CompCert to be formally verified (see below for more on this). Now I have no need of a guarantee that my compiler is bug-free, but to the extent that translation my code into the subset of C supported by CompCert reduces the bugcount rather than increases it, it's a win. I'm basically using compcert as a lint tool, but it's fun and instructive anyway. The real-world scenario which makes any of this interesting is therefore if you have a C codebase and suspect a bug in your compiler and want to know how hard it would be to maintain that codebase such that it compiled with a compiler believed to be bug free. For many years I have maintained a codebase of 40K lines of fairly odd C, that implements a computer game I used to run in the 1990s, and which predates modern conveniences that might have been used, such as sqlite, pcre, libevent, reliable IP stacks on NeXTSTEP, ANSI C, free C++ compilers, free Erlang, etc, etc. The code is also unusual in shunning the use of struct, malloc and pointer arithmetic. For almost the last twenty years I've kept it up-to-date with the C toolchains on a number of OSes, as a way of keeping an eye on what the cool kids are breaking. So: Firstly, the codebase needs to be able to cope with multiple compilers; gcc and LLVM's clang are close to drop-in replacements for each other from the perspective of the Makefile. Not so, CompCert: -Wall -Werror are not accepted as options by CompCert, as they're effectively on by default. CompCert isn't going to want to know about any code that doesn't pass gcc -Wall -Werror, but there are a few things LLVM thinks it's Ok to warn you about that CompCert is cool with, which feels like LLVM is wasting my time. Getting the build system and revision control happy about parameterisable compiler options has to happen first. I was forced to do change all the remaining instances of conflation of integer widths. Anyone who's done arithmetic in OCaml will recognised this as one of the house microfascisms of INRIA, but it's a deep issue: a lot of corner cases depend on your installation of the header files and libraries and so on. In my case, function prototypes are culled into a .h file automatically with cproto, which by default changes the width of integers in K&R-style C functions: void my_function(i) short i { ... } is output as void my_function(int i); which gcc and LLVM tolerate, but CompCert doesn't. There were a couple of other legitimate "Well Don't Do That Then" moments that I won't tax you with. Effectively one's forced to get all the prototypes and headers and includes exactly right. This showed up a bug: a variable which was supposed to be declared extern wasn't, and was separately allocated from the global it was supposed to represent. The more formal treatment of integer widths also meant fixing a lot of sprintf format strings. The next thing I had to fix was the idiom char *messages[] = { "...", "...", "...", NULL }; int x = sizeof(messages) / ...; CompCert insists on the length of messsages[] being explicitly specified, which means this technique isn't allowed. The harder stuff was signal() and stdarg; basically, CompCert supports an anaemic subset of C, and doesn't allow stdargs, though it provides the sprintf() clique of functions. Since wrapping sprintf() is about the only thing varargs is used for in C, this turns out not to be a problem, but I originally bet that parts of the codebase were outside the CompCert C dialect and would need to be shunted into libraries. My own adventure in CompCert land basically amounted to learning new stylistic restrictions in C. Reading around what people have been doing with CompCert I came across a few interesting articles and from this chap I learnt about concolic testing which is another technique I have no use for but am glad to have spent time learning about. Permalink
An independent Scotland will be outside the European Union 2014-09-17 If the people of Scotland vote to leave the United Kingdom this week, customs checks along the new border are practically unavoidable. Alex Salmond claims that Scotland will continue to be part of the EU. He's bluffing, and without membership of Europe's Customs Union, his newly independent country will no longer be able to export goods to England tariff-free: anything crossing the border must be examined and taxed, and a cut sent off to Brussels. It's perfectly possible for Scotland to rejoin the EU after 2016, and the difficulty of doing so is being exaggerated by unionists, but automatic membership is legally impossible. The members of the European Union are states, not peoples or territories, and to gain membership a state must be approved by the governments of all the other EU member states. Except in France. Under Article 88-5 of the French constitution, the French Government no longer has the power to approve new EU member states by itself. The political elite there is so distrusted that new states must be approved by the people in a referendum, or by a supermajority in Parliament. Has Mr Salmond made a secret deal with the French people, or perhaps with the rightwingers and nationalists of the French opposition, or is he just winging it again? The French are not going to ignore their own constitution to help the SNP, as letting the French political class admit new countries to the EU means letting Turkey into the EU, and that is about as popular in France as cutting agricultural subsidies, so somehow the politicians or the people need to be bargained with. Even if Salmond said he hadn't made a secret deal with any foreign rightwinger other than Rupert Murdoch, we should not believe him: his administration spent thousands of pounds of taxpayer's money trying to prevent the disclosure of legal advice on Scotland's EU membership when in fact this advice didn't exist in the first place. Would you believe non-existent advice from this man? For an indpendent Scotland to rejoin the EU, it needs to conclude a treaty with the existing member states, including the rump UK. This can't be done while Scotland is still part of the UK (particularly from the perspective of the French constitutional requirements). This means months or years of disrupted cross-border trade and customs checks along the Tweed, at Euston Station and so on while the other countries sign up. Much has been made of the potential attitude of governments in Spain, Cyprus, Greece and other places with sensitivities about secessionism. Particularly troublesome are countries such as Spain and Cyprus which have territorial claims against the UK in Gibraltar and Akrotiri. Foreign politicians can demand that the UK abandon naval and military bases in the Mediterranean as the price for restoring customs-free trade in Great Britain. This is not a situation David Cameron should have allowed to come into existence. The Scottish Government has spent taxpayer's money brushing off Freedom of Information requests asking what discussions they have had with Spain and Cyprus over this issue. Maybe those discussions didn't happen either! Scotland may well be better off outside the EU; after all, small non-EU states like Norway and New Zealand do fine, but pretending that the country won't spend a day outside the EU is insulting to Scottish voters and the nation as a whole. Permalink
Istos custodes 2014-06-10 Ofsted is now in a dispute with the Department for Education about no-notice inspections. Puzzled readers may wonder why any school inspection involves notice, for to give notice transforms the inspection regime from an enforcement mechanism to a protection racket: you can run schools however you want, but only if you're organised enough to cover it up between notification of an inspection and clipboard hitting the desk two days later. Permalink
Instrumentalising the criminal law, part 94 2014-04-29 Sometimes the public sector unions ask for the criminal law to be changed to make it a more serious offence to assault public servants; there was an apparently unsuccessful attempt a decade ago. I wonder whether they think these laws should apply to union members who assault scabs and strike breakers during industrial disputes. Permalink |
After the extremely intense frustration we all felt in the late 80's, and the mathematically-eliminated-in-July 1990 season, we could barely believe what we were seeing in 1991. After Bobby Cox fired Russ Nixon in June 1990 and made himself manager, we had a little hope, but we had no idea how important trading Dale Murphy that August and signing Terry Pendleton in the off season would be come 1991. John Schuerlholz gave Cox the tools to win, and the players rose to the occasion, beating the accursed Dodgers for the NL West crown. The 1991 World Series is still called "The best ever" by some baseball reporters. Even though it broke our hearts when Lonnie Smith pulled up at 2nd when Chuck Knoblauch faked him into thinking he was catching a cutoff throw, and we all still collectively hate Kent Hrbek for pulling Ron Gant off first, 1991 was such a good feeling. There was never anything like it in Atlanta. Ever. But there has been since! |
The Obama administration says it is launching a new partnership with sub-Saharan Africa to improve democracy, economic growth, security and trade in the region.The new presidential policy directive on sub-Saharan Africa is based on many of the themes outlined in Barack Obama's 2009 speech to lawmakers in Ghana. The White House says it commits the United States to elevating its work to strengthen democratic institutions and boost economic growth, trade and investment.Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says President Obama believes passionately that Africa's future is now."We can and must do better by deepening our cooperation and improving our performance. This is a priority for the United States," she said.The policy directive aims to advance African democracy by strengthening institutions for more open and accountable governance and for promoting human rights and the rule of law. It also vows to challenge leaders "whose actions threaten the credibility of democratic processes."It commits the United States to increasing trade and investment in sub-Saharan Africa by improving economic governance, promoting regional integration, expanding African access to global markets and encouraging U.S. companies to trade with and invest in Africa.Duty waivers under the African Growth and Opportunity Act have increased U.S. trade with Africa. Secretary Clinton told public and private sector leaders Thursday at an annual meeting of beneficiaries of those waivers that the Obama administration is pushing Congress to extend the so-called AGOA trade preferences."The United States will stand with you as your partner on the basis of mutual respect in order to make sure that the benefits that we see as so potentially achievable are available for you and, particularly, for the next generation," she said.
Secretary Clinton delivers remarks at the African Growth and Opportunity Act Forum and marks Global Economic Statecraft Day, at the Department of State, June 14, 2012.
The presidential policy directive on sub-Saharan Africa says the United States will deepen its security partnership with African countries and regional organizations, as "only Africa’s governments and people can sustainably resolve the security challenges and internal divisions that have plagued the continent, but the United States can make a positive difference."Clinton says the directive also continues to focus U.S. aid on sustainable development."We can make a commitment knowing that it's not only about economic growth but also democratic progress, improved security, development gains," she said. "Because all taken together, we will strengthen the security, the prosperity, and the democracies across Africa and by doing so help to fulfill that dream of a future of peace, freedom, prosperity, and dignity for all Africans."The Obama administration says its new policy builds on what it calls "numerous accomplishments" in Africa, including helping to end political violence in Ivory Coast and Kenya, working to bring peace to Sudan, pursuing the Lord's Resistance Army and helping to bring stability to Somalia. |
Los Angeles has been blessed by a multitude of long-standing restaurants that continue to serve diners with classic fare that strikes at the heart of nostalgia. But many of these restaurants aren't just throwbacks or old-school, they're very much alive thanks to dedicated regulars who find comfort in knowing what to expect in a restaurant: hospitality, familiarity, and predictable cooking.
Other places are just glorified watering holes, but they continue to attract new waves of imbibers who want to sit in a comfortable seat. Here now, a collection of the oldest restaurants in Los Angeles, ones that every Angeleno should frequent at least once in their lifetime.
Removed: The Original Saugus Cafe, Valentino, Cole’s, Colombo’s Italian Steakhouse & Jazz Club, El Cholo
Added: Bernie’s, Lucques, La Casita, Matsuhisa
Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically. |
On the ice again Wednesday, T.J. Oshie told reporters he is progressing from the concussion symptoms that have undermined his start to the season, but has no timetable for a return to the St. Louis Blues' lineup.
Like most head injuries, Oshie admitted his latest setback has been a difficult one to deal with.
"Unfortunately, I know the injured feeling too much from being away from the rink, away from the guys. It's great to get back out here and skate with everyone. It's nice not to be miserable for a couple days in a row," he told reporters.
"I'm feeling better," Oshie added. "I'm improving every day. It's a positive step."
Oshie dialed back the intensity Wednesday after skating through Monday's practice at full speed.
He explained that he will not rush his return and will be back when he feels comfortable. |
LOS ANGELES – Say what you will about Jim Buss, but he doesn’t deserve this.
Not to watch every day as his fiercest critic openly campaigns for his job. Not while Jeanie Buss endorses Magic Johnson’s every step by remaining silent. Not while he still has a job to do, even as he must be wondering whether he’s even empowered to do it anymore.
This is death by slow bleed, the sort of torture the Geneva Conventions were meant to eradicate.
Jim Buss has been a flawed executive. He lacks the gravitas that transformed his humble-beginnings father into an icon and has been unable to successfully navigate a modern NBA far more complicated than the one Dr. Jerry Buss made his playground.
Marquee free agents have shunned Buss and the Lakers. The deals he and General Manager Mitch Kupchak have struck over the past half decade were disasters. Steve Nash and Dwight Howard yielded not one playoff victory and continue to cripple the franchise thanks to draft picks owed.
The sum total is that Buss has not been good enough. He deserves to be replaced atop the Lakers at the culmination of a fourth straight losing season. But not like this.
On Tuesday, Johnson appeared on ESPN and not only said he wants to be the Lakers’ President of Basketball Operations, but that if Jim and Jeanie remained dueling figureheads he would not be interested in any other position.
“I’ve got enough things I could be doing,” he said.
Never mind that he has zero experience managing an NBA front office. His only qualifications for such a position are the five championships he won as a player, and those are not transferrable.
He has a ring for every finger, yes, and that includes the middle one he is waving in Jim’s face.
Did Jeanie Buss anticipate this sort of strong-arming when she enlisted Johnson as an adviser to ownership earlier this month?
The rollout has been a public relations nightmare. Jeanie has not shared her vision for the organization’s future with Johnson aboard. If it is for him to eventually replace her brother, Johnson should have kept his mouth shut until Jim either stepped aside or was fired.
If Magic could not do that, then Jeanie should not have announced Johnson was coming on until the deed was done.
What we have instead is a situation that is not only awkward, but heartless.
Nobody knows if this was a shrewd, calculated move to hasten Jim Buss’ removal from power or a rogue power grab.
The onus falls on Jeanie Buss to explain, but she has been conspicuously silent. The window to clarify Johnson’s remarks and establish the roles of her brother, Kupchak and Johnson is closing.
When Jeanie Buss invited Johnson to take a seat at the proverbial table, she should have known he would head right for the big chair. In fact, the best you can say about Jeanie’s role in the fiasco is that she underestimated a man she has known and confided in since 1979.
Her inability to muzzle Johnson amid his current media junket, apparently scheduled before he signed on with the Lakers, is beyond problematic.
If he won’t toe the line now, what happens when he actually takes on power?
By empowering Johnson, Jeanie Buss no longer controls the organization’s message.
As the Lakers have descended into the darkest depths of the franchise’s history, she has been largely immune from criticism. This situation, far more chaotic than it ever needed to be, is strike one.
She is drawing question marks that previously were not there.
The carnage might be short-lived. If Johnson oversees a 17th championship banner being lifted into the rafters at Staples Center, few will remember or care how he came to replace old … what was his name?
“From here on out,” Johnson told the hosts of ESPN’s “First Take,” “it has to be one message, one team, one voice. Because if it doesn’t come to that, the losing continues.”
Johnson is revered and players respect him. His voice will carry weight in free agent pitches; far more than Jim’s ever did. He will win every press conference he holds.
Jim Buss will be gone. That, however, is no longer the comfort everyone believed it to be.
It is now clear that those who remain are just as capable of making a mess of things as he ever was.
Contact the writer: [email protected] |
Camp Myth is a summer camp built exclusively for mythological creatures. A place where mythical kids from across the globe gather to earn merit badges for obviously practical skills like Phoenix Watching, Kraken Fishing, Golem Building, or Unicorn Taming. Eloy Lasanta (Third Eye Games) and Chris Lewis Carter (author of Camp Myth) have joined forces to create Camp Myth: The RPG! Create your own mythic camper, and go on amazing adventures with friends to earn dozens of unique merit badges.
PLAYABLE RACES
Fae - Obsessed with studying magic in all of its forms, most Fae are self-serious blowhards who are unfamiliar with the concept of fun. Those who decide to shun the mystic arts in favour of other pursuits are considered outcasts among their own people, and avoided like a non-magical plague.
- Obsessed with studying magic in all of its forms, most Fae are self-serious blowhards who are unfamiliar with the concept of fun. Those who decide to shun the mystic arts in favour of other pursuits are considered outcasts among their own people, and avoided like a non-magical plague. Cyclops - Muscle-bound hulks who live for the thrill of combat, a Cyclops only feels at home on the battlefield. Unfortunately for the other races attending Camp Myth, Cyclopes also have a tendency to turn wherever they currently reside into a make-shift battlefield...
- Muscle-bound hulks who live for the thrill of combat, a Cyclops only feels at home on the battlefield. Unfortunately for the other races attending Camp Myth, Cyclopes also have a tendency to turn wherever they currently reside into a make-shift battlefield... Kitsune - Part human, part fox, these magical shape-shifters are both agile and cunning. For a Kitsune, there is no greater honour than to grow an additional tail, as it symbolizes power and maturity.
- Part human, part fox, these magical shape-shifters are both agile and cunning. For a Kitsune, there is no greater honour than to grow an additional tail, as it symbolizes power and maturity. Minotaur - Known as both fierce warriors and puzzle-obsessed logic-seekers, young Minotaurs are just as likely to cut you in half as they are to stare at a Jenga tower for hours contemplating the best move.
- Known as both fierce warriors and puzzle-obsessed logic-seekers, young Minotaurs are just as likely to cut you in half as they are to stare at a Jenga tower for hours contemplating the best move. Kappa – Powerful Mer-men with the ability to walk on land, Kappas are required to carry a container of water with them at all times to help avoid dehydration. After all, staying out of their natural habitat for too long can lead to several... unusual side-effects.
– Powerful Mer-men with the ability to walk on land, Kappas are required to carry a container of water with them at all times to help avoid dehydration. After all, staying out of their natural habitat for too long can lead to several... unusual side-effects. Redcap - Malicious little tricksters who inhabit The Warrens, a series of tunnels running underneath the camp, a Redcap is most easily identified by its long, crimson hat. But why are they so attached to their headgear, and why do the hats always appear to be dripping with red liquid...
- Malicious little tricksters who inhabit The Warrens, a series of tunnels running underneath the camp, a Redcap is most easily identified by its long, crimson hat. But why are they so attached to their headgear, and why do the hats always appear to be dripping with red liquid... Dryad – Heralds of nature, Dryads become extremely upset with anybody who they believe is harming the environment in any way. They are also hopelessly drawn to animals – especially those in need of assistance.
– Heralds of nature, Dryads become extremely upset with anybody who they believe is harming the environment in any way. They are also hopelessly drawn to animals – especially those in need of assistance. Leprechaun - Known for their fantastic luck, especially in tricky situations. However, if even one of their gold coins become lost (as they almost always do), a Leprechaun will stop at nothing to get it back - even jumping headfirst into extreme danger.
- Known for their fantastic luck, especially in tricky situations. However, if even one of their gold coins become lost (as they almost always do), a Leprechaun will stop at nothing to get it back - even jumping headfirst into extreme danger. Centaur - The resident "jocks" of Camp Myth, Centaurs are fiercely competitive, and believe that all disagreements are best settled on the result of a game. From rock-paper-scissors to a fight to the death, a centaur will always abide by the results.
- The resident "jocks" of Camp Myth, Centaurs are fiercely competitive, and believe that all disagreements are best settled on the result of a game. From rock-paper-scissors to a fight to the death, a centaur will always abide by the results. Harpy - Obsessed with climbing the social ladder, Harpies are materialistic and self-centered. They are also shameless gossips, and can't ever resist a juicy rumour about a fellow camper.
THE “MYTHIC PIPS” SYSTEM
Camp Myth: The RPG uses a modified version of Third Eye Games' Pip System, dubbed “Mythic Pips.” Not only is this system highly customizable and GM-friendly, but it only requires six-sided dice to play. It's easy to scale the difficulty level of each monster up or down to suit your story, or, if you'd simply like to add a mythical beast that isn't included with the game, just build it from scratch with our intuitive “Creature Crafter.” It's fun and accessible for kids and beginners, but has enough crunch for even the most experienced players.
We want to make sure that our mythology and summer camp themes are involved in all aspects of the Camp Myth RPG. Take a look at just a few of the mechanics found in Camp Myth: The RPG.
Summer Camp Skill Sets – Your camper will improve skills such as Arts and Crafts, Drama, Mythic Knowledge, and Wilderness Training. Your skill decisions impact your chances of earning specific merit badges. Unicorns have no respect for bullies, but a Cyclops only respects the fiercest of creatures. Once your camper has completed enough tasks, they just might have the skills needed to earn a merit badge.
– Your camper will improve skills such as Arts and Crafts, Drama, Mythic Knowledge, and Wilderness Training. Your skill decisions impact your chances of earning specific merit badges. Unicorns have no respect for bullies, but a Cyclops only respects the fiercest of creatures. Once your camper has completed enough tasks, they just might have the skills needed to earn a merit badge. Homesickness – Camp Myth is a dangerous place, but even the most terrifying creatures are no match for a bout of homesickness. Failing to navigate certain social situations (or encounters) can wound your ego more than your body, and a homesick camper can be a recipe for disaster!
– Camp Myth is a dangerous place, but even the most terrifying creatures are no match for a bout of homesickness. Failing to navigate certain social situations (or encounters) can wound your ego more than your body, and a homesick camper can be a recipe for disaster! Letters From Camp – A completely optional (but super-fun) system that rewards players for writing in-character “letters home” between sessions. Not only is this a great way for players to become further immersed in their characters, but it allows GMs to get an inside look on what events stood out to their players during the last session.
– A completely optional (but super-fun) system that rewards players for writing in-character “letters home” between sessions. Not only is this a great way for players to become further immersed in their characters, but it allows GMs to get an inside look on what events stood out to their players during the last session. Myth-Army Knife – Standard-issue for all campers, this multi-purpose tool allows players to invent their own unique attachments to help during adventures. It's a complex device, but thankfully you knew exactly how to spray Mandrake Repellant!
– Standard-issue for all campers, this multi-purpose tool allows players to invent their own unique attachments to help during adventures. It's a complex device, but thankfully you knew exactly how to spray Mandrake Repellant! Dozens of Companion Creatures – By using an intuitive system, any monster can be easily converted to become an in-game companion pet. What better way to reward (or spice up) a camper than by giving them a faithful Cerberus puppy or a clipped Phoenix!
REWARDS AND STRETCH GOALS
Backing this project guarantees you'll receive a quality gaming experience from two people with proven kickstarter track records. All funds will be used to pay for printing, artwork, rewards, and distribution, and additional funds will be used to create a richer Camp Myth experience for all backers. Just take a look at our current stretch goals:
$7,500 – Two Additional Races and Ten Additional Merit Badges: They just missed a spot on the main roster, but these two mythical races are out to prove they deserve cabins of their own! This stretch goal will unlock the Gorgon and Yeti character classes, which will be included in all copies of the Camp Myth RPG. Also, complete your sash with ten more amazing merit badges (and abilities) for your campers to earn, which will be included in all copies of the Camp Myth RPG.
They just missed a spot on the main roster, but these two mythical races are out to prove they deserve cabins of their own! This stretch goal will unlock the Gorgon and Yeti character classes, which will be included in all copies of the Camp Myth RPG. Also, complete your sash with ten more amazing merit badges (and abilities) for your campers to earn, which will be included in all copies of the Camp Myth RPG. $10,000 – Three Additional Custom Scenarios: Want more tales from Camp Myth? This stretch goal will unlock three more custom RPG scenarios written by Chris Lewis Carter, including “The Talent Show,” a look at what happens when mythical creatures hit the stage to impress their peers!
Want more tales from Camp Myth? This stretch goal will unlock three more custom RPG scenarios written by Chris Lewis Carter, including “The Talent Show,” a look at what happens when mythical creatures hit the stage to impress their peers! $15,000 – Free Expansion: There must be a campfire, because everyone wants s'more! All backers will receive an additional expansion to the Camp Myth RPG, which will include even more races, merit badges, scenarios, and abilities!
For more information about Camp Myth, visit www.campmyth.com, or chrislewiscarter.com. You can also “Like” facebook.com/campmyth, or email Chris directly at [email protected].
For more great products from Third Eye Games, visit www.thirdeyegames.net or "Like" Facebook.com/thirdeyegames.
http://kickingitforward.org |
The American Civil War became the first modern conflict. It opened with sabre-wielding cavalry charges and lines of infantry advancing in close-packed rows armed with smoothbore muskets. The first engagements would not have looked out of place in the Napoleonic wars.Yet within three and a half years the appearance of over 50 miles of trenches around the Southern capital, Richmond, as both armies dug in for months, unable to launch a decisive attack, was a clear forerunner of the First World War.
For more than two centuries infantry had advanced in close-order formations, shoulder to shoulder. Armed with smoothbore, muzzle-loading muskets, they would fire in unison.Until the 1850s, 55 to 90 yards was the effective range: 270 yards was the maximum, if random, range. Then a Frenchmen, Claude-Etienne Minié (1804-79) invented a hollow-bodied bullet which expanded upon firing and gripped the inside of the barrel as it left the musket.A spiral groove was carved into the barrel which imparted a spin to the bullet, making it more accurate and increasing the maximum range to over 1,000 yards and the effective range to more than 250 yards. With the introduction of machine-tooling in the 1850s and 1860s and the first manufacture of standardised, interchangeable parts, rifled muskets became one of the earliest mass-produced products. |
A deployed airbag is seen in a Chrysler vehicle at the LKQ Pick Your Part salvage yard on May 22, 2015 in Medley, Florida. The largest automotive recall in history centers around the defective Takata Corp. air bags that are found in millions of vehicles that are manufactured by BMW, Chrysler, Daimler Trucks, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota.
Thirteen automakers are recalling more than 652,000 vehicles in the U.S. in the latest round of dangerous Takata air bag inflator recalls.
Automakers with front passenger inflator recalls posted Thursday are Audi, Nissan, Jaguar-Land Rover, Subaru, Daimler Vans, Tesla, Mitsubishi, BMW, Ferrari, Mercedes, Mazda, McLaren and Karma.
Takata inflators can explode with too much force, blowing apart a metal canister and sending shrapnel into the passenger compartment. Sixteen people have died worldwide due to the problem.
The recall is among the latest round covering 5.7 million vehicles involving 19 automakers in the U.S. In total, it's the largest auto recall in U.S. history, affecting 69 million inflators and 42 million vehicles.
Owners can go to the National Highway Traffic Administration website to see if their models are involved.
Copyright Associated Press |
Dick Dekker, left, his daughter Laura Dekker, centre, and her lawyer, Peter de Lange, hold a news conference Aug. 24 in a courtroom in Utrecht, Netherlands. ((Bart Muhl/Associated Press) ) A Dutch teenaged sailor, who relatives reported had gone missing, has been found on the Caribbean island of St. Maarten, police said Sunday.
St. Maarten police spokesman Ricardo Henson confirmed that Laura Dekker was on the island Sunday evening, and said efforts are under way to get her back to the Netherlands. He declined to provide further details.
The Child Protection Agency in the Netherlands could not immediately be reached for comment late Sunday.
Utrecht police spokesman Bernhard Jens said, "We do not believe this is a crime."
A family spokeswoman said Dekker left a letter for her father before disappearing on Friday. She did not say what was in the letter.
Dutch police issued an international alert after Dekker was reported missing Friday.
Earlier, Jens said the boat belonging to the 14-year-old girl, who made headlines when she went to court to fight for the right to sail solo around the world, was still moored at its usual berth and she appeared to have left her father's home on her own.
The Utrecht district court refused to let Dekker set sail and placed her under the supervision of child-care authorities in late August. |
The Steampunk Movement is Good and Important
First pass at an essay on Steampunk. My main site is undergoing renovations, so this will go up here for now. I’ll post a PDF when nickharkaway.com is back in full use next week.
(Photo by Alexander Schlesier under CC Attribution-Share Alike)
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The Steampunk Movement is Good and Important
Let’s start with a simple observation: it’s not hard to find steampunk which is crap. You can find badly written steampunk novels, badly crafted steampunk items, ugly steampunk fashion, and people who live a steampunk life who are nonetheless arseholes. That is not a miracle. It’s not even a surprise, even if everything I’m about to say is absolutely spot on. Like the man said: 95% of everything is crap.
It is also unquestionable that the Victorian age, the definitive Age of Steam which Steampunk must inevitably own as part of its spiritual origin, was colonialist and racist, both systematically and unashamedly. Victorian theorists competed to identify how many biologically differentiated races lived on Earth, and proposed inherent characteristics for them, formulated explanations for these presumed variations in humanity. They engaged, consciously or not, in a massive project of justification for various acts of commercially and politically motivated conquest and for the slaughter of many non-white populations around the world. It’s also true that the position of women during this period was essentially serfdom: they could not vote, own property, or sue. British society was stratified by birth and wealth, mobility was limited and prejudice considerable.
The Steampunk ethos, according to some, glamourises the sins of the Victorians. Damian Walter, kicking off this post, wrote on Twitter that ‘steampunk looks like people who have lost their colonial privilege playing it out in fantasy’. In doing so, it takes on the guilt for those sins and promulgates an obnoxious stink of unacknowledged but conceptually inescapable racism, classism, and noxious gender politics.
So what’s to like?
Quite a lot.
In the first place, that indictment is not a bad description of the modern age in Britain, rather than of Steampunk in particular. Our attitude to sports, geopolitics, and to English language culture is almost exactly this. We decline to fade away into a dignified Northern European retirement of high tax, high standard of living, high level of happiness and education, low social inequality, low emissions and low crime. Instead we pay huge money for a significant ability to project power into far flung corners of the world - that’s what aircraft carriers and a submarine-based strategic nuclear weapons capability are for - and we somehow can’t afford mass state-funded tertiary education any more. Our infrastructure declines, our roads and our rails are pitted and rusted, our hospitals are being privatised, but we can still bomb Tehran and we still have a vote on the UN Security Council, so that’s fine. We measure greatness against the time when the map of the world belonged to London.
By the same logic which insists that literature touched by Victoriana is neo-colonialist, so too is everything else we do. Why pick out Steampunk for special disaffection on that basis?
Then, too, the vision of the Victorians I presented at the beginning is one-sided. That upsetting discussion of race came in part out of the growing - if incomplete - adoption of the scientific method as an explanatory tool. Charles Darwin’s publication of the theory of evolution in the middle of the 19th century added to the ferment, and it bore fruit in both the obnoxious eugenics movement and the modern understanding of biology and genetics which unseats the notion of race. Even as wrongheaded polygenist notions were finding shape, they were being challenged by those - including Darwin himself - who insisted on the shared ancestry of humankind. Were the Victorians racist by modern standards? Of course. So was everyone until about 1930, or maybe 1990. Or, to be honest: we still are - it’s not as if that discussion is anything like over even now. But they were also the people who created the tools which allow us to know that racism is baseless and odious, and who began groping blindly towards that realisation which seems so obvious from the far side.
Similarly, while (and because) women were unquestionably second class citizens, this was the period which saw the systematic formulation of a notion of feminism. A Vindication of the Rights of Women was published forty years before in 1792, but the Women’s Suffrage movement grew under Victoria through the work and determination of campaigners for education and empowerment - Marion Reed published her plea for women in 1843, the Ladies of Langham Place started meeting in the 1850s. Victorian women were the vanguard of the feminist movement, and the Isle of Man gave the vote to women in 1881 with New Zealand following in 1893. Britain followed piecemeal in 1918 and 1928. The Victorian period was the transition, and to some extent the engine, of gender equality - though again, the work is incomplete to this day. The same point applies to class, of course, with Karl Marx living in London from 1849 until 1883. The entire discussion of class in this country - in the world - owes its shape to dialogues which took place in London in the Victorian period.
From 150 years in its future, Victoria’s reign looks like a hellhole. But that’s because the battles fought during the period are part of what defines who we are now.
And that isn’t even why Steampunk is good or important. That’s just why the critique is a bit broad-brush.
The reason Steampunk is important is not what it says about the Victorian Age, or even what that age was. What’s important is why people like it now. It’s not some kind of subrosa fascist movement people flock to because it provides a covert sexual fix of jackboots and imperial pagentry. There are other clubs for that, whether they identify as being bondage clubs or political parties which want to “defend Englishness”. The appeal of the Steampunk movement simpler than that. The reason Steampunk attracts people is that it is premised on a technology which is visible and pleasing to the naked eye, and whose moving parts are comprehensible on a human scale.
To unpack that: steam technology is blunt-force industrial, superficially uncomplex, intuitive technology. Nothing in its operation is mysterious. Expanding steam pushes pistons, power is delivered by mechanical driveshafts. Every aspect of it is open to anyone with even a very basic knowledge of physics, or just a curious mind, because the logic of its function is visible.
The sophisticated technologies with which we live now - cellular phones, laptops, even radio and television - require an understanding or at least an acceptance of objects we can never apprehend directly in any way. It’s not that any sufficiently advanced technology is magic, it’s that any technology taking place beyond the threshold of our senses is. Modern devices require that we embrace a world of weird, tiny particles and rare earths, a world whose precise composition is so far from what we can perceive that even now it is a matter of debate whether the theories underlying tools we use on a daily basis should be taken literally, or whether they are simply the best predictive models we have, but bear no resemblance to what actually exists - just as Ptolemaic cosmology accurately predicted the movement of the planets, despite being utterly and bizarrely mistaken.
John Ruskin - a Victorian, whose writings formed the basis of the Arts & Crafts movement which stressed artisanal making over mass production - argued that industrial design was unwholesome because the perfection of it denied the human. Many of the technologies we have can be understood only cognitively, never through our senses, and in this way if no other Ruskin was on the money: on some level, modern technology asserts a universe beyond the limited reach of our bodies, and from that universe come the wonders of our age. The non-cognitive part of us, the bit which does our seeing, tasting, hearing, touching, smelling, proprioception and various other things, is a valid and real part of who we are - but it appears, in a world of the sub-atomic and the invisible, impoverished.
Just as it would be tragic to ignore the advantages and consolations of the cognitive - and those who denigrate it in favour of a romanticised understanding of the instinctual or the mystical slander themselves - so equally it is idle and spurious to contend that we are cognitive entities riding around in bony control centres in our skulls, peeping out through windows in the face. We are not just brains with mobile life support. The emerging understanding of embodied cognition is the last nail in the coffin of that idea. We are bodies which think, and we’re at home with Steampunk because it is an ethos of design and creativity which acknowledges the humanly physical, that which we can understand with our fingers. It values our bounded selves, whose world is the middle earth between the flea and the horizon line in which objects obey Newton and relativity is barely more than an academic interest. It is a cognitively limited and incomplete sort of place. In terms of our senses, though, it’s all there is, and Steampunk is about being able to have the wonders of technology while still valuing, acknowledging and respecting that restricted view.
From that one central aspect of its identity, Steampunk mounts a challenge to grey-black plastic industrial design, to the faux-sanitised world of consumer technology and to techno-/neo-colonialism. It insistently re-makes technology as something friendly and even quasi-biological by producing things that owe more to Rube Goldberg than to the Filippo Marinetti-style “faster, harder” culture of Sony and Microsoft or the endless iterations of Apple and Samsung. The ethos admits of failure: Steampunk devices almost are not working properly if they don’t have leaks, if they don’t require maintenance and the occasional thump. That’s where they get character and animation, identities of their own which reflect their owners, while every iPhone can be seen as Apple’s endlessly replicated identity given passage into your every waking moment, a tiny and instantly replaceable cloned shopfront: what role is conferred or imposed by such a device on the person carrying it? It’s not that Jonathan Ive’s designs are poor, it’s that they are profoundly truthful: an iPhone is a vector, not an object, valued by its creator for its purpose and interchangeability, not individuality. Steampunk, on the other hand, repurposes, scavenges, remakes and embellishes in an arena where embellishment is seen as decadence, never mind the inherent decadence of creating the sheer amount of computing power our society now possesses in order that most of it should sit idle or be used for email and occasional games of Plants vs Zombies. Steampunk appeals to the idea of uniqueness, to the one-off item, while every mainstream consumer technology of recent years is about putting human beings into ever more granular, packageable and mass-produced identities so that they can be sold or sold to, perfectly mapped and understood.
Is the movement imperfect? Of course. Does it produce some bad art? By the bucketload - but so do Marxism, Modernism, and Post-Modernism, so did Impressionism and every other way of doing things. Do many its proponents and practitioners ignore the issues inherent in its origins? Yes - though no more than most people do the issues inherent in the formulations of their lives. Does it, in turn, get commodified and packaged and sold back to itself as product? Of course - absent the collapse of capitalism, that’s how our world works. Will it bring about the downfall of the things it resists? Not likely.
Steampunk is flawed, and its flaws are the flaws of the society in which we live, neither more nor less than anything else we do. But along with those flaws, and not compensating for them but coming as their inevitable complement, it contains within it as art and sub-cultural movements should a critique of the mainstream which is valuable and hopeful and points to a better way of doing parts of our world, and that makes it both good and important. |
The Canadian Soccer Association unanimously voted to allow the Canadian Premier League to join its soccer pyramid, the organization announced Saturday, with ownership groups in Hamilton and Winnipeg already accepted as members of the newly formed league.
The vote took place in Whistler, B.C., and included ownership groups from the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL. In total, 10 cities across the country have submitted interest in the Canadian Premier League, which is set to kick off in 2018.
Canadian Premier League clubs will also compete for the annual Canadian Championship, with the winner of the Voyageurs Cup earning a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League.
"I would like to thank the Canada Soccer Membership for the opportunity as we continue the incredible momentum for the sport of soccer in our country," the CSA's new president-elect Steve Reed said in a statement.
"This was an important day for our sport with the unanimous approval of the Canadian Premier League along with Hamilton and Winnipeg as new members of the Association and the overwhelming support for the 2026 FIFA World Cup joint bid with USA and Mexico. I look forward to serving the Membership and building on the legacy of Victor Montagliani’s leadership of the past five years."
While the likes of Toronto FC, the Montreal Impact and the Vancouver Whitecaps are expected to remain in MLS, teams like the Ottawa Fury or FC Edmonton could potentially make the switch to the Canadian Premier League, though there is no word from either regarding a move.
Toronto FC president Bill Manning has suggested having a Toronto FC academy team compete in Canada's top flight, offering to Kurt Larson of the Toronto Sun: "If we don't have a team in the league, we'll still be supportive as long as you're not competing with us."
"We're very protective of Toronto. This is our market," Manning added.
Talk of a Canadian first-division was first reported in 2013, with the Ticats among the first potential interested parties. The CPL will now evaluate candidate cities "in the next few months." |
A few days ago, Rod Dreher published a long thoughtful post, "Evolution & the Culture Wars," that began with with a quote from an old article I wrote for the Toronto National Post back in the previous century called "Darwin's Enemies on the Left." If I had to write it over again, I'd tone down the ending's late 1990s expectation that genetic selection techniques were going to become a big deal fairly soon. In truth, nothing involving medicine moves quickly. But, my 1999 views have certainly held up better to the last decade and a half of subsequent scientific discoveries than those of the conventional wisdom of 1999, as exemplified, at its high end, by the late Stephen Jay Gould. Rod writes: That link takes you to a 1999 Steve Sailer piece in which he observed that many on the left embrace Darwinian evolution not so much because Science as because it gives them a point of view with which to bash the troglodytes of Jesusland. ... Rod goes on to say: I don’t see how evolution could be right and Sailer be wrong. I like reading Sailer because he forces me to see things I would often prefer not to see. But he also says: As Sailer points out, it is perfectly possible to reconcile the spiritual and moral equality of humanity with what science tells us is true about human biological variability. The problem, I think, is that we humans are bad at this. Given the history of the 20th century, I flat-out don’t trust our species to handle the knowledge of human biodiversity without turning it into an ideology of dehumanization, racism, and at worst, genocide. Put another way, I am hostile to this kind of thing not because I believe it’s probably false, but because I believe a lot of it is probably true — and we have shown that we, by our natures, can’t handle this kind of truth. Perhaps. Rod goes on to say:But he also says:Perhaps. But allow me to point out where much of the mindless fury of the 21st Century resides by quoting from today's blog by prominent economics professor and former Clinton Administration official Brad DeLong:
Yet More Thursday Idiocy: Outsourced to bspencer [at Lawyers, Guns, and Money]: Rod D: [Lawyers, Guns, and Money] "I’m not quite sure how to talk about this Rod Dreher post because it’s so bizarre. It reads as a whiny appeal for liberals to quit being so mean to creationists and fundies. But if you scratch the surface, you’ll find it’s really a threat. And the threat is basically: “Be careful shoving your beloved SCIENCE down our throats, libs, because SCIENCE also says Black people are stupid.” To make his case, he links approvingly to racist XXXXXXXX Steve Sailer. [Rod Dreher] One of the things that keeps drawing me to Steve Sailer’s writing is that his beliefs on human biodiversity sometimes lead him to point out inconvenient truths about ideologies informing our common life. If I’ve given you the impression that Dreher is bullying, racist sxxxhead, I apologize. He’s not. He’s heavy-hearted about what he’s telling us. He’s SAD that black people are stupid and inferior. But don’t you see that he’s left no choice but to be a racist sxxxbag when we insist on forcing our reality down his throat? “Darwin wouldn’t be surprised to learn which race had invented rap music”–Steve Sailer I’ve got a few issues.... One... there is no consensus in the scientific community that there are significant differences among the races. Two... there’s a long way to go from acknowledging differences to enacting eugenicist-influenced policies in response to said differences. Three: People are different, period... living full and happy lives. So, yes, I’m going to call it: Rod Dreher’s post is at threat, and a disgusting one at that.
The 250+ comments at the blog approvingly quoted by DeLong are highly indicative of the hate-filled state of mind of the people who are true believers in today's conventional wisdom. You really need to read them to believe them.
As for Rod's point about "the importance of maintaining the concept of forbidden knowledge," allow me to make a self-serving suggestion.
Since a 1996 article I wrote for National Review, "Great Black Hopes," I've been poking fun at the intellectual's panacea for all social problems: "Be like me!" For example, in my review of Steven Pinker's 2011 book The Better Angels of Our Nature, I wrote:
The subject of violence is so gigantic that even Pinker is eventually reduced to advocating that all-purpose solution of intellectuals: Be Like Me! Fortunately, I’m all in favor of humanity becoming more like Pinker: witty, learned, reasonable, and very, very smart. I’m even half-persuaded by Pinker’s ultimate argument that people are becoming more rational, as demonstrated by the rising raw scores on IQ tests—the celebrated “Flynn Effect.” Thus they are less likely to, say, invade Russia.
Most people aren't intellectuals, of course, so it isn't reasonable to offer policies based on the assumption that All We Have to Do is pester everybody into becoming intellectuals.
So, I've been disinclined to offer Be Like Me advice to anybody.
On the other hand, it is not unreasonable to pester public intellectuals to be better public intellectuals by pointing out the flaws, intellectual and moral in the dominant, and noting the admirable aspects of the demonized.
After all, public intellectuals' views influence policy directly and eventually seep down to the masses. And, they've "entered the arena" so it's not at all unsporting to recommend improvements to make them better public intellectuals.
Hence, here's a bit of egomaniacal advice to public intellectuals: Be Like Me.
Try to be extremely reasonable. Put yourself in other people's shoes so you can understand the incentives they face. Learn a few important subject areas in depth, especially major topics where the quality of thought is typically shallow. Don't assume you are an expert on complicated subjects such as macroeconomics or race if you are not. Check yourself to make sure your theories are level-headed. Read widely and carefully. Rethink your old policy favorites, especially when they've become popular because diminishing returns are probably setting in. Question conventional wisdom. Use wit to deflate the powerful, prestigious, and the smug when they go wrong. Don't pile on the unfashionable. Undermine Malcolm Gladwell when he's riding high in 2005-2012, but ease off in 2013 when everybody else finally gets what you've been pointing out. In summary, be less like Brad DeLong writing about race and more like Steve Sailer.
Obviously, that's extremely bad career advice.
And I'm sure that Rod would argue that, just as I laugh at public intellectuals telling average people to Be Like Me, most public intellectuals just couldn't hack it.
But how will they know unless they are encouraged to try? Who knows, maybe a few will be able to surprise themselves? |
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Everton are hoping to move a significant step closer to their dream of building a new stadium on the banks of the Mersey.
An announcement over the next stage of their plans for a site at Bramley Moore Dock is expected next month.
At January’s General Meeting, chief executive Robert Elstone spoke with confidence about “bottoming out” their partnership with Liverpool City Council to establish a funding model for the project.
And when it is confirmed that Everton’s finances are in place to press ahead with the construction of a £350m new ground, Elstone said it would ‘trigger the next steps’.
One of which would be choosing how big a ground to build.
The ECHO understands that a 55,000 seat stadium has been discussed, increasing Everton’s Goodison capacity from 39,572, though no decision has been made and talks are ongoing.
The failed Destination Kirkby project would have seen a new 50,000 seat ground built, while 2003’s aborted move to King’s Dock had proposed a 55,000 capacity new home on the waterfront.
But what about a new ground at the Bramley Moore?
Everton remain conscious of creating a ground that does not impact negatively on atmosphere and want to retain as much of the Goodison feel as possible.
Athletic Bilbao, for example, spoke last year of their decision to cap the capacity of their new San Mames home to 53,000 to ensure their famous atmosphere remained as intact, even though they could have filled a bigger ground.
Every home game this season at Goodison has been a sell out and Everton’s commitment to fair pricing structures, price freezes and payment plans are boosting season ticket sales.
The Blues are having to consider a cap on season tickets because of demand and fans are, for the first time in the Premier League era at Goodison, having to register their interest in getting hold of one.
The Premier League dictate that at least 3,000 tickets have to be made available to away supporters for every game and that 5% of all match tickets are to be put on general sale.
A new stadium would also remove the obstructed view seats that exist at Goodison and, it is expected as a result, generate yet more interest in season tickets.
Everton are believed to have been encouraged by the surge in season ticket sales generated by West Ham after they moved into the Olympic Stadium at this start of this season.
The Hammers, who previously had a capacity of 35,000 at Upton Park, have moved into the 60,000 seat stadium in Stretford, and announced in May that they had sold over 50,000 season tickets.
Spurs, meanwhile, are building a new 61,000 seat stadium which would represent a near 70% increase in capacity on their current 36,284 White Hart Lane home.
Chelsea, who received the green light to construct a new stadium on their existing Stamford Bridge site, want to take their capacity up from 41,631 to 60,000 - around a 46% increase.
Should Everton go from 39, 572 to 55,000, they would be making around a 39% increase.
Another factor in deciding on a capacity, and one which could see increase the scale of their ambition, is that Everton are conscious that a new stadium must serve the city, as well as the club, given it will form part of a wider redevelopment of the North Liverpool Docks area.
Therefore, Everton’s new home would have to be multi-purpose with the idea of being able to host concerts and other sporting events, as well being a conference facility.
Modern stadia are built with changes in mind and it would be expected that the design would allow for future increases in capacity, as Manchester City have performed recently.
Premier League modern stadia capacities (built since 2000)
Spurs - New White Hart Lane (due to be built in 2018): 61,000
Arsenal - Emirates Stadium: 60, 432
Chelsea - New Stamford Bridge (due to be built in 2021): 60,000
Man City - Etihad Stadium: 55,097
Leicester City - King Power Stadium: 32,312
Southampton - St Mary’s: 32,505
Hull City - KCOM Stadium: 25, 586
Swansea City - Liberty Stadium: 20, 520 |
Rod Blagojevich makes no bones about it.
He’s doing a great job in his current position.
“I’ve been given the jurisdiction to sweep and mop two floors,” he says. “So my jurisdiction has shrunk from the fifth biggest state in America, to these two floors. But I don’t care what anybody says, I believe in clean government, and I believe in clean floors.”
Now in his sixth year at the federal penitentiary in suburban Denver known as FCI Englewood, the former two-term Illinois governor still adamantly maintains his innocence. And says he has managed not to become bitter about his plight.
“I take one day at a time and I have a purpose,” he says. “My purpose is very strong that I have to be strong and deal with this affliction and accept the fate that’s been assigned to me.”
It is Blagojevich’s first public comment since he entered FCI Englewood five and a half years ago. Over the course of two one-hour conversations with NBC 5, the former governor spoke of his family and his desire to set the record straight through another appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
“What sustains me during this very difficult long hard trial is the love I have for my children and my wife Patti,” he said. “My kids can see from both of their parents that when adversity enters their life, when your calamity comes on like a whirlwind, and just about everything’s been taken from you, that you don’t quit---you keep going and you draw from the hardest suffering the inspiration to carry on.”
Blagojevich is now housed in the “camp” at the Colorado prison, a lower-security facility where he enjoys more freedom. But he still faces the balance of a 14-year sentence and a scheduled release date in 2024.
“Do you realize, I have twice been given a longer prison sentence than Al Capone?” he says. “I’ve been given a prison sentence by the same judge who gave a mafia hit man...he acknowledged under oath, a contract killer, my judge gave me a longer sentence than him!”
Blagojevich is correct. And he drew that 14-year sentence in a case where the government was never able to prove that he took any money. Still, his case achieved worldwide notoriety, branding Blagojevich as a virtual poster child for political corruption. And the U.S. Attorney’s office in Chicago is preparing to vigorously fight still another Blagojevich appeal.
“All I’m asking for is--apply the law,” he says. “And if you apply the right law, I didn’t cross the line.”
"I Take One Day at a Time"
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich talks to NBC 5 from prison in an exclusive interview. "I take one day at a time," Blagojevich said, "and I have a purpose. My purpose is very simple, that I have to be strong and deal with this affliction and accept the fate that's been assigned to me in a meaningful way." (Published Monday, Sept. 11, 2017)
LEAVING HOME
For Blagojevich, the world changed radically on the day he walked into FCI Englewood, March 15, 2012.
“You walk in there on the first day and your heart’s broken,” he says. “You’re in there and then they close the gates on you, and you’re in prison. And you’re yearning for your children and your wife and your home, and you’re looking at 14 years. And you can’t even see the flicker of a light at the end of a tunnel.”
At the other end of that tunnel, wife Patti has essentially become a single mother to the two Blagojevich daughters.
“Life has been a challenge for the last five years,” she says. “The first couple of years were super hard, super distressing. Every single birthday, every single Christmas, Halloween, every single event would go by and Rod wouldn’t be there--so heartbreaking!”
“But the sad thing is right now, it’s almost like you don’t expect him to be there, because he’s gone for…(on the day of the interview) tomorrow is Amy’s 21st birthday. This is the sixth birthday that he’s missed. So it’s like, you’re not looking for him anymore.”
Patti Blagojevich says she remembers vividly the day her husband was arrested in December of 2008.
“Phone rings at six in the morning and it’s the FBI, and they say we have a warrant for your husband’s arrest,” she says. “I think I hung up on them--I thought it was a joke. They called back and said if we don’t come down, they were going to bust the door open.”
“I would say if you had to talk about the worst days of your life, that was one of them,” she says. “When they took him away, I just knew at that point nothing in our lives would be the same again.”
LIFE INSIDE
Blagojevich spent his first three months in the main institution at FCI Englewood like any other inmate---in the kitchen. But he quickly took on other responsibilities, in the classroom.
“I taught for maybe 30, 29 months in the higher security prison---I taught Civil War history and history of World War II,” he says. “I gave the example of Abraham Lincoln and the difficulties he had to go through…and I tell stories to these guys and say, ‘If you think you’ve got it hard, think about him!’”
“And I’ve got to say, my classes were always sold out---I felt like Elvis for a second, you know?”
To Illinoisans who were familiar with the sight of Blagojevich jogging through Ravenswood with his bodyguards in tow, it should not be a surprise that he continues to run on the prison track. He spends time in the weight room. And, he catches up on his reading.
“Way more than I ever hoped for,” he notes.
“I try to work on writing, so I’ve been working on a series of essays for my daughters,” he says. “These essays are profiles of people who have gone through crushing adversity, and the purpose is to write these stories and give them to my daughters so they can draw some inspiration from what other people have had to go through when things were difficult for them.”
Blagojevich On What It's Like Being in Prison
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich talks to NBC 5 from prison in an exclusive interview. Here, Blagojevich talks about fellow inmates, teaching and his current prison job. (Published Monday, Sept. 11, 2017)
THE CASE
The former governor’s 14-year sentence came as the result of two criminal trials, two appeals, and one abortive trip to the Supreme Court. Out of all of those, he did manage to get five counts dropped from his convictions. But his sentence was not shortened. And now he is preparing a second trip to the nation’s highest court, insisting that everyone up to this point has gotten it wrong.
“The rule of law is not a lump of clay, to be put into the hands of prosecutors, to be shaped by them any way they want, to fit any facts, in order for them to ensure convictions.” he says. “The law is the law, and the law is what the Supreme Court says it is.”
Now, Blagojevich is once again hoping that the Supreme Court will listen as he essentially asks them to use his case to clarify when a politician steps over the line in fundraising. Because, he insists, he always stayed on the right side of that line. And those who prosecuted his case got it wrong.
The result, after two criminal trials, was a sentence which is one of the longest ever levied against a politician in America. Blagojevich and his legal team point to other notable cases where there were much smaller penalties: former governor George Ryan did only 6 and a half years; many other governors in other states who were convicted of taking money or accepting lucrative favors have done fewer than two years in prison.
Former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, whose life collapsed in a child abuse scandal, spent only 13 months behind bars. Jesse Jackson Jr., the former congressman, admitted looting his campaign fund of $750,000, but only drew a 30-month sentence.
Evidence in the Blagojevich trial showed he never received a penny in bribes. But he is doing 14 years in prison.
FELLOW INMATES
Blagojevich says he gets on well with his fellow inmates. Indeed, on that day he arrived, they knew he was coming, because they watched it live on TV.
“They call me ‘Dawg’ or ‘govvie,’ or sometimes they call me ‘G,’” he says. “They gathered up a care package to give me some of the necessary things I’d need ‘til I was able to go to the prison store and get stuff, like coffee, toothpaste, a toothbrush, they even had a yellow legal pad in there--it was really kind of touching!”
At his resentencing last year, many inmates wrote letters on Blagojevich’s behalf. He says he has tried to help many of them to prepare for life on the outside.
“Especially in the higher security prison next door…you’ve got a lot of kind of a tougher crowd over there,” he says. “I spent a lot of time with several of them, walking around the track and actually doing some mock job interviews, helping them try to make their case to a prospective employer that they should not be prejudiced against them because they’ve been incarcerated.
And then there was the band.
“Yeah, the group was originally called ‘G-Rod and the Jailhouse Rockers,’” he says. “But that sounded too gang-bangerish, and so the powers that be said just call it ‘Jailhouse Rockers.’”
His group performed for a GED graduation in June of 2013.
“And you know, my two-bit Elvis impersonation got a little less bad and I was able to work on the singing,” he notes. “We worked frankly hours my first year and a half, probably five hours a day, getting ready for that GED concert.”
The result was a vast reportoire which included “That’s Alright Mama,” “All Shook Up,” and of course, “Jailhouse Rock.”
“And if I ever have a chance to be in a place other than this, I feel like my version of “Jailhouse Rock” is much better, because I’ve actually lived it!”
THE FUTURE
For now, Blagojevich waits. He sees his family, on average, three times a year. And insists he is optimistic about the future.
“I would do a shoutout to my fellow underdogs, that are facing powerful forces among us,” he says. “Don’t ever quit. Even if you hit rock bottom, as I have, put faith over fear, you’ve got to go through the fire. Run with patience and endurance in the race that’s set before you, and if you have to, take a stand.”
“Even if the world misunderstands you, criticizes you and say you’re crazy, take a stand. Because you know what the truth is. And when you do it, my experience tells me, trust in God. You’re not alone. You never go alone. Put your faith in Him.”
TUESDAY NIGHT:
The Blagojevich legal case. And why he maintains, the courts got it wrong. |
ANALYSIS/OPINION:
Basketball superstar Kobe Bryant was socked with a $100,000 fine by the NBA last week for calling a referee what the NBA thinks is a derogatory, ugly and vile name.
To be exact, Mr. Bryant committed this egregious verbal foul because he used a word demeaning to homosexuals, the most protected class of people in America.
Gay rights groups applaud the decision of the NBA, which must make all the homosexual basketball fans feel peachy and special. Who knows, maybe the NBA will use Mr. Bryant’s $100,000 to buy courtside seats for gay basketball fans. Yeah, that’s the ticket. Show some gay pride, NBA.
Those among us who work tirelessly to shut down (and shout down, if the need arises) speech they disagree with must also be absolutely gay with pride and satisfaction over this fine.
Mr. Bryant can obviously afford to pay the fine, but that’s not the point.
The principle is what matters. Those of us addicted to common sense and logic think that fining Mr. Bryant $100,000 for calling a referee a name is much more ugly, vile and demeaning than anything Mr. Bryant uttered or could possibly have uttered. The politically correct brain-dead can’t seem to remember the ending for “Sticks and Stones.”
Think of it: $100,000 for calling someone a name. A simple apology from Mr. Bryant to the referee obviously wasn’t good enough for the NBA.
I doubt Mr. Bryant would have been fined 10 cents had he referred to the referee as a useless Christ on a crucifix soaking in a vat of urine.
No, the real reason Mr. Bryant was fined was because he used an anti-gay term to describe the referee. One has to wonder how much the NBA would have fined Mr. Bryant if, before the game, he had told the referee he “looked quite gay” that night.
Maybe the NBA will start fining their fans who scream what the NBA considers to be offensive words at players, referees and opposing fans. The NBA should publish a list of terms that the league finds offensive so the fans will know what is and isn’t out-of-bounds speech, gestures and attire.
If the NBA had any true gay convictions, the NBA should host a Homosexual Night. During halftime, the homosexuals could come down on the court, hold hands and prance around the court to music by the Village People. The NBA could then give each homosexual a pink basketball as a symbol of solidarity.
Like other professional athletes, numerous NBA players have done all kinds of things on and off the court that do not cast a positive light on themselves or the NBA, but they have not been fined $100,000 by the league.
Homosexuals are a protected class in America. If you think what happened to Mr. Bryant was a travesty, just wait until you see what homosexuals in the military do when they claim they have been mistreated because of their sexual orientation.
Speech can be ugly and demeaning, but no ugly name-calling is worth a $100,000 fine.
Wouldn’t it be refreshing if Mr. Bryant threatened to resign from the NBA over this? The amount of money the NBA would lose without Kobe Bryant helping to pack the stands would be staggering compared with the politically correct $100,000 fine levied on him.
Mr. Bryant threatening to quit wouldn’t make the NBA very gay. I got 20 bucks that says the NBA would toss homosexuals under the bus and fold like a cheap suit to keep Mr. Bryant in the NBA.
Ted Nugent is an American rock ‘n’ roll, sporting and political activist icon. He is the author of “Ted, White and Blue: The Nugent Manifesto” and “God, Guns & Rock ‘N’ Roll” (Regnery Publishing).
Copyright © 2019 The Washington Times, LLC. Click here for reprint permission. |
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As if I had any influence, I am asking the powers that be over at DirecTV and the NFL to make a big change. Bring NFL Sunday Ticket to the Roku.
First off don’t drop the PS3. There are something like 12 million of these consoles in the USA vs only 2.5 million Roku’s. So for homes that already have the PS3 , this streaming option makes a lot of sense.
But consider the new customer that has nether a PS3 nor a Roku. A new Playstation 3 will set you back about $250.00. A new Roku on the other hand, only about 60 bucks. That extra cost of a PS3 along with the subscription cost for Sunday Ticket will deter a lot of potential customers.
And if I’m going to buy a set top to watch the game, and I’m not a gamer, do I really want this big bulky thing and a controller that I’m not even going to use? The Roku is tiny and easier to set up because all it was made to do is stream video. Not to even mention the dozens of other free channels that come with it.
But is Roku/NFL even a possibility? At the time of this writing we are still in a heated debate about whether or not Sunday Ticket will even return to PS3 in 2012. So I’m not getting my hopes up. Outside of this website, I do see a new discussion over on the Roku forum with a lot of people speculating on the 2012 season.
Spec-wise these two should perform about the same. Both have HDMI outputs capable of 1080i. I have a Roku of course, and I have used the PS3, but not for streaming. I’d welcome your input below in the comments if you have used the PS3 as a streaming set top. |
In our post-event interview, we spoke with CIG CEO Chris Roberts on his thoughts regarding the event, the roadmap for Star Citizen, and Squadron 42's absence. Learn more in the video, or find a transcript below.
Viewers of the stream ( or our content ) will know that Squadron 42 didn't make it into the live demonstration, already packed with hours of discussion on Spectrum (comms systems), procedural generation, authoring tools, and roadmaps. The demonstration was technologically and graphically impressive, but Squadron 42 was left out for polish and refinement reasons. Roberts indirectly referenced our interview on stage, stating that, “I gave an interview about 3 weeks ago and probably spoke too soon,” but continued that he hoped the planet and tools demonstrations would make up for this.
CitizenCon 2016 included the biggest technological demonstrations that the game has publicly shown to-date, including fully functional procedural generation 2.0 for planets, real-time spring physics, and authoring tools. The technology suite was detailed in two of our recent interviews with Sean Tracy and Chris Roberts , but was overshadowed in some ways by statements given regarding a potential Squadron 42 demonstration for CitizenCon 2016.
"I mentioned when we interviewed before that I was hoping we were going to show one of the – essentially, in our process, we're sort of story and content complete. We filmed most our stuff, we're very far along in most of the assets. We have all this – the missions, the chapters – sort of blocked-out, what we call 'white box,' some are much further stages along. We were taking one of them, which is what we were planning on originally showing here to a final polish, finished level, but it's very important to be that final polish/finish level. We got pretty close, but I didn't feel like it was close enough.
“For me, on SQ42, that was the commitment I made – we're going to show it when it's ready. We're not quite there yet, so we'll continue on that, we'll show that when it happens, but that sort of sets the bar for the rest of it. So, when all that's in, that's sort of our ability to – a lot of times, until you start bringing things to the final quality, you're not polishing the animations, you're not testing the technology, you're not covering the edge cases between things working. That's a lot of what's been going on. We've been working on SQ42 for a long time, but even this final chapter for quite a while. We're not happy with something that's OK, or good, kind of like some other games. It needs to be super fluid, and you don't feel like, 'oh, he's jumping between AI locomotion and a [performance] cap scene.' We weren't quite ready to show it.
“Also, you don't want to show too much stuff all at once. We showed a pretty big demo, and sometimes I think that's a problem – like last time at Gamescom, we showed the Morrow Tour, where characters were more basic than they are now. And really, 2.0 sort of overshadowed it, which was the large world and the procedural stuff. To me, we're putting our best foot forward, so I showed the crashed Javelin demo with big space worm. That's kind of what the experience will look like, but on Squadron 42, it's on another level beyond that. We weren't quite there, but we have a couple live streams this year. We have a November and December one, so tune in for that and you never know what you'll see.”
The beginning of the video discusses the procedural planet technology and plans for Star Marine and Arena Commander in the immediate future, both of which will soon receive updates. We've got a more technologically inclined interview with Sean Tracy that will soon go live, followed by a content-side interview with Erin Roberts. Check back for those.
For more depth and a full recap of the evening's presentation, be sure to check out our in-depth article with 4K screenshots.
Follow us on YouTube, Twitter, or support on Patreon for more content in short order.
Editorial: Steve “Lelldorianx” Burke
Video: Keegan “HornetSting” Gallick |
Choice of Majors: Are Women Really Different from Men?
NBER Working Paper No. 23735
Issued in August 2017
NBER Program(s):Economics of Education, Labor Studies
Recent work suggests that women are more responsive to negative feedback than men in certain environments. We examine whether negative feedback in the form of relatively low grades in major-related classes explains gender differences in the final majors undergraduates choose. We use unique administrative data from a large private university on the East Coast from 2009-2016 to test whether women are more sensitive to grades than men, and whether the gender composition of major-related classes affects major changes. We also control for other factors that may affect a student's final major including: high school student performance, gender of faculty, and economic returns of majors. Finally, we examine how students' decisions are affected by external cues that signal STEM fields as masculine. The results show that high school academic preparation, faculty gender composition, and major returns have little effect on major switching behaviors, and that women and men are equally likely to change their major in response to poor grades in major-related courses. Moreover, women in male-dominated majors do not exhibit different patterns of switching behaviors relative to their male colleagues. Women are, however, more likely to switch out of male-dominated STEM majors in response to poor performance compared to men. Therefore, we find that it takes multiple signals of lack of fit into a major (low grades, gender composition of class, and external stereotyping signals) to impel female students to switch majors.
Acknowledgments
Machine-readable bibliographic record - MARC, RIS, BibTeX
Document Object Identifier (DOI): 10.3386/w23735
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Jeff Horn (17-0-1, 11 KOs) is peaking with confidence since the WBO welterweight belt wrapped around his waist, so much so that he aims to get UFC champion Conor McGregor in the ring and gives him ''no chance'' whatsoever of defeating him under boxing rules.
After getting a feel of McGregor's technique when he made the transition from the octagon against five division champion Floyd Mayweather back in August, Horn saw the fitness and fatigue kick in as the Irishman was forced to stand his ground for nine rounds in comparison to a maximum of five in the octagon.
The once humble, peaceful schoolteacher had little banter before he took on Filipino champion Manny Pacquiao, but his unlikely victory has him growing with belief he is up there with the top fighters in the world.
When asked about his chances against the biggest name in UFC, Horn had a McGregor-like response, claiming the fight would be a walk in the park.
''It would be the easiest fight of my career,’’ Horn told The Courier Mail. "If it’s under boxing rules McGregor has no chance.
"I watched McGregor’s fight with Floyd Mayweather and Floyd wore him down and stopped him even though Floyd hadn’t fought for a couple of years.
"I would bring a lot more pressure on McGregor right from the opening bell and I hit a lot harder than Floyd too. If the fight can be made I’d love it. To bring McGregor to Australia like we did with Manny Pacquiao would be a terrific event. He’s a big name and I think the crowd here would love to see me beat him."
Horn's focus is on Gary Corcoran at the Brisbane Convention Centre on December 13 after a Pacquiao rematch was ruled off the table due to his senatorial commitments.
UFC President Dana White stated in a recent interview that Horn had no chance of landing a boxing match with McGregor.
But, Horn’s promoter Dean Lonergan is ready to make an offer that McGregor can't refuse.
“We’d love to have Manny Pacquiao in Brisbane again but there has been talk about Jeff against Conor McGregor and it’s a huge fight. We’re putting the challenge out to McGregor — tell us how much money you want and we’ll see if we can make it happen," Lonergan said. |
A case of murder has been filed against the riding-in-tandem perpetrators, who turned out to be junior police officials, behind the killing of a 51-year-old crime watch group leader in Gloria municipality, Oriental Mindoro over the weekend.
The Oriental Mindoro police filed the criminal complaint against Senior Insp. Magdaleno Pimentel Jr. and Insp. Markson Almeranez, both graduates of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), for the death of Citizens Crime Watch (CCW) regional chairperson, Zenaida Luz last Sunday.
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Senior Supt. Chris Birung, provincial director of the Oriental Mindoro Police, said the suspects have been presented to the Pinamalayan Prosecutor’s Office to undergo inquest proceedings on Wednesday afternoon.
In civilian clothes, Pimentel and Almeranez shot and killed Luz in front of her house while riding in tandem on a motorcycle in Barangay (village) Maligaya past 11 p.m. on Sunday.
Responding to a distress call from a local village chief in Brgy. Banutan, a police mobile team chased Pimentel and Almeranez after seeing Luz lying on the pavement. During the pursuit, one of them opened fire on the police team. Both suspects were wounded.
A Manila Bulletin report said Almeranez even wore a mask and a wig as a disguise while Pimentel wore a bonnet and jacket.
Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor, Mimaropa police regional director, said the regional internal affairs service will conduct an investigation on the administrative liability of the two officials.
Mayor said Pimentel and Almeranez are still confined in the hospital while under custody of the Gloria police and the provincial public safety company.
Almeranez is the chief of Socorro police in the same province and was among the top 10 graduates of the PNPA “Tagapamagitan” class of 2013.
Last September, PNP chief Dir. Gen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa awaded Almeranez as outstanding police commissioned officer in a ceremony in Calapan City.
Pimentel, meanwhile, is a member of the PNPA “Kaisang-Bisig” class of 2009 and currently assigned at the First Maneuver Platoon of Oriental Mindoro Police Public Safety Company (PPSC).
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Not tolerating rogue cops
PNP spokesperson Senior Supt. Dionardo Carlos said the swift move of the Mindoro police to file criminal charges against its men manifests the stand of the PNP not to tolerate illegal acts from its personnel.
“The swift actions of the Mindoro Oriental (provincial police office) to respond to the distress call, arrest the suspects, and file criminal charges before the court clearly manifest the stand of the PNP not to tolerate any wrongdoings even from among our ranks,” he said.
“This is in line with the directive of Chief, PNP Dir. Gen. Ronald Dela Rosa to cleanse out ranks of misfits and rogue cops. The two suspects will have their day in court for the acts they committed,” Carlos added. CDG
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Nicholas Kristof and Daniel Patrick Moynihan have much in common. Namely, they have constructed variations on the “culture of poverty” argument. In “The White Underclass,” his recent op-ed piece for the New York Times, Kristof brings our nation’s favorite blame game back: “In 1965, Daniel Patrick Moynihan released a famous report warning of a crisis in African-American family structures, and many liberals at the time accused him of something close to racism. In retrospect, Moynihan was right to sound the alarms.”[1] Kristof does not call Moynihan a racist—no, he is merely something close to racist. This is far from comforting.
Kristof, like Moynihan, blames poor black families for their own struggles. Unlike Moynihan, he graciously extends this blame beyond black families and to white families as well—an update for these colorblind times. With Kristof’s muscle, the “culture of poverty” argument is taking on the contemporary poor generally, purportedly without race in mind. He has a grudge against the poor because he thinks they do not get married enough, that they do not engage enough in nuclear family structures, that they use too many drugs, and they have the gall to think that capitalism might work for them, when it is obvious to everyone else that it does not: “But the glove factory closed, working-class jobs collapsed and unskilled laborers found themselves competing with immigrants.” With the poor forced to compete with the invoked specter of immigrants, Kristof concludes that the “pathologies” discussed by Moynihan are real and relevant, and that we must build our social policies with this blame in mind.
Kristof’s piece is inspired by a new book by Charles Murray, Coming Apart, which blames liberal social policy for these problems. On the surface, Kristof opposes many points in the book, but if Kristof’s musings on the poor are any sign of how liberal policymakers think about such matters, then Murray has already won his point. The language is so drearily predictable. The working-class are men. There is a fixation on drug use as if it is solely a problem of the working-class and the poor. There is a framing of blacks and whites against immigrants. That this narrative about race and poverty reappears so easily and is so accessible tells us what we should already know: this argument is antagonistic to the poor and it is popular enough that liberals and conservatives can readily agree about it and move on to the debate over whether liberal or conservative social policy can fix the problem. There is no fixing the imagined.
In order to make clear his benevolence to the working-class subjects of this article, Kristof is quick to inform the reader that he is from a working class background, born in Yamhill, Oregon. This is irrelevant. Regardless of one’s roots, it is misleading to inform us that “growing numbers of working-class men drop out of the labor force.” We should be accountable for what we write and for how we write it. The way he phrases it, Kristof blames the victim–and also assumes a general maleness on the part of the workers. Kristof’s solution to this “male problem” of joblessness is antiquated and moralizing: he suggests that men may be tamed into the workforce through the civilizing effects of marriage. Unemployment is not pathological. The jobless do not drop out of the labor force; the labor force drops out on them.
Cameron Riopelle is a Ph. D. candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Illinois.
Notes. |
Next month, yet another version of Charlotte Bronte’s novel Jane Eyre will be adapted for the screen, this time as a major motion picture by director Cary Fukunaga. While there have already been many film and TV versions of the book, Fukunaga’s take promises a sharp departure from the mild, romantic presentations of the past, taking on a much darker and menacing tone. (Watch the trailer.)
This new look at Jane Eyre has got me wondering about the appeal the novel has today. The classic is often construed as a girls’ novel, the mother of the romance genre. As I remember it, girls usually choose it in school, while boys preferred something more brash, like Hemingway’s A Farewell to Arms. It’s often organized as “women’s fiction” (a bizarre and seemingly arbitrary term that apparently includes both Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird, and Snooki’s A Shore Thing).
I’ll admit, I’ve avoided Jane Eyre, as well as Pride and Prejudice and other similarly categorized novels, based purely on the way they’ve been marketed to the genders. Because I’m a guy, it never seemed like these books were for me to read. But I now find myself anticipating the new Jane Eyre film, which will star Mia Wasikowska and Dame Judi Dench. It actually makes the book look, well, cool.
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If Fukunaga’s adaptation of Jane Eyre brings out the strength in Jane’s character, it also seems like it will appeal to more men. It appears to tell the tale in a more traditionally masculine way: the trailer conveys a sense of imminent danger, spiritual conflict, and brooding mystery. Perhaps it will inspire more men to pick up the zombie-free version of the novel. I’ll be among them.
In the wake of Jane Slayer, which re-imagines Jane as a zombie-slaying heroine (part of a trend that also includes Pride and Prejudice and Zombies), people are beginning to recognize Bronte’s gothic influences. The story of Jane Eyre, it turns out, is a complicated and nuanced tale not merely of love gone bad. At its core is a story about character, morality, and independence.
The movie also appears to emphasize Jane as a heroine—an essential part of the story, and a designation Jane doesn’t often receive. There has been some recent debate over this: last week, Salon.com contributor Laura Miller wrote an article called “In Defense of Jane Eyre,” in which she cited the “importance of Jane’s resolve” as a key feature of the novel. Jane Eyre, she argues, is in truth a story of self-actualization, of a young woman expressing moral certainty in a culture that often refuses her the right to express anything at all.
Charlotte Bronte wasn’t just writing a steamy romance. She was writing about the unbalanced social climate of her day—something that still resonates in 2011.
What do you think? Can a two-hour film successfully break a 150-year-old novel out of the “women’s fiction” section? Men, will you be lining up to see it?
—Photo cote/Flickr |
Our School Pansy Kidd Middle School--The name of our school originated back in the early nineteen hundreds. In 1912 a lady named Pansy Ingle Kidd came to Poteau. She was a graduate of Indiana University with a Masters' Degree in English and Library Science. Pansy Ingle became a third grade teacher until 1915 when she married Frank Kidd. Since a regulation of the 1915 school board was not to hire married female teachers, she had to quit teaching. Pansy did not teach again until 1921 when the regulation was finally changed. For 40 years she taught with all her heart, and was called by many, "Dean of Poteau's Teachers." Mrs. Kidd taught whatever her superintendent needed her to teach. During her tenure she was a teacher of Science, Math, and English, Librarian, Counselor, and Principal. She organized the beginning of the Junior High School. This same school was later named in honor of Mrs. Kidd. Pansy Kidd taught for 42 years, and retired in 1960. She lived in Poteau until her death in 1978. Our school is indeed proud to be named for such an outstanding educator. The following plaque hangs in the hallway of Pansy Kidd Middle School. The following pictures are of the Pansy Kidd Junior High. The original building was also the High School. Over 100 years of education have been at this location.
History of Our School |
You could tell Ms. Koenig has often thought that Mr. Syed is probably innocent, or at a minimum, received from his lawyers a halfhearted defense. She came to like him, and so did we. But as she put it in one episode, “What if he is this amazing psychopath, and I’m getting played?”
The soul of “Serial” has been in the way Ms. Koenig has done her digging so transparently, airing niggling doubts along the way. She’s incorporated new evidence, sometimes from people who called her only after having their memories jogged by the most recent podcast. As she has moved along, she has uprooted the way murder mysteries are usually told. She’s allowed us to feel like Harper Lee, riding shotgun with Truman Capote as he reported “In Cold Blood,” before he conveniently mangled facts in his telling.
“Serial” plowed up entire fields of odd detail for listeners to linger over. The man who discovered Ms. Lee’s partly buried body, a potential suspect who is referred to as “Mr. S.,” turned out to have a penchant for streaking. A phrase that popped out of the mouth of the “Serial” producer Dana Chivvis during a re-enactment of a crucial event — “There’s a shrimp sale at the Crab Crib” — became a tasty Internet meme. I made the mistake of Googling the phrase, and now T-shirts bearing the slogan follow me across the Internet. At the conclusion of the final episode of “Serial,” Ms. Koenig, channeling Henry Fonda in “12 Angry Men,” remarks that, “As a juror, I have to acquit Adnan Syed.” Yet she’s a journalist, not a juror. She adds: “So just as a human being, walking down the street next week, what do I think? If you ask me to swear that Adnan Syed is innocent, I couldn’t do it. I nurse doubt.” Many will listen and conclude, “They got the right guy.”
“Serial” has demonstrated the bedrock truth of Calvin Trillin’s assertion in his book “Killings” (1984) that “when someone dies suddenly shades are drawn up.” A murder “gives us an excuse to be there, poking around in someone’s life.” The human details tend to be why we’re there. They’re what resonate, even if the whodunit elements never catch fire.
Endings aren’t as important to me, in terms of fiction at any rate, as they are to many people. (I’ve had mighty arguments on this topic with friends.) If a writer has kept me hooked on a long westward cross-country drive and blows a tire at the Nevada-California border, I rarely hold a grudge. I bail out on most writers back in Scranton.
This is a way of saying that no matter how “Serial” stuck its landing, I had decided by Episode 3 that I would follow Ms. Koenig’s work wherever it took her. She is an agile writer of cool, declarative sentences. Her voice — literate, probing, witty, seemingly without guile — is an intoxicating one to have in your head. |
Well, this is a drag. Citing contractual issues, the people who made Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition have removed it from sale on their site and the Apple App store. The game won't be getting an upcoming patch, and the Android version has been put on hold, as has the planned enhanced edition of Baldur's Gate II.
Don't worry, though: if you've already downloaded the game, it won't just up and disappear. You'll be able to keep your copy. Beamdog, the Extended Edition's maker, says, "If you have already purchased Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition from Beamdog or the Apple App Store, you can still download and play your game."
Beamdog president Trent Oster addressed the issue in a letter posted to the BG:EE website:
Dear Friends of Baldur's Gate, We recently removed Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition from sale on Beamdog and the Apple App Store. We've taken this step at our publishing partner's request as we attempt to resolve a number of contractual issues. Unfortunately, until this matter is resolved, we are unable to release the latest Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition patch or Baldur's Gate: Enhanced Edition for Android. This also prevents the launch of Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition. I sincerely apologize to the series' fans and promise we are working diligently to remedy the situation. Regards, Trent Oster President, Beamdog & Overhaul Games
There's a FAQ posted to the Baldur's Gate site in which Beamdog says they're unable to discuss the "complex legal matters" surrounding what's going on. As for Baldur's Gate II: EE, they've got this to say:
We have been developing Baldur's Gate II: Enhanced Edition for some time now, but until all issues with our publishing partner are resolved we cannot officially announce or offer this game for sale. This has resulted in significant amounts of wailing and gnashing of teeth amongst the development team.
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Such a bummer. We've reached out to Beamdog and will update if and when we learn more.
Update: In a statement sent to Kotaku, Beamdog's Trent Oster has offered some more details about the game's takedown. |
Amazon has begun filling more than 1,000 full-time positions at a Shakopee-based fulfillment center it began building late last year and publicly unveiled in February.
The 20-acre, million-square-foot facility will be a point of origin for smaller Amazon.com purchases — such as hardcover books and electronic gadgets.
The company said the facility also will teem with “hundreds and hundreds” of robots working alongside the humans. The complex is among more than a dozen of its “robotics fulfillment facilities” around the country.
Amazon's new fulfillment center in Shakopee will feature hundreds of robots that will fetch merchandise and transport it to human workers. (Pioneer Press: Julio Ojeda-Zapata)
Amazon's Brian Urkiel, who has managed a robotics fulfillment center in Kenosha, Wis., oversaw construction of the Shakopee facility. (Pioneer Press: Julio Ojeda-Zapata)
Amazon opened its gigantic, under-construction Shakopee fulfillment center to visitors in February. (Pioneer Press: Julio Ojeda-Zapata)
Amazon opened its gigantic, under-construction Shakopee fulfillment center to visitors in February. (Pioneer Press: Julio Ojeda-Zapata)
Amazon opened its gigantic, under-construction Shakopee fulfillment center to visitors in February. (Pioneer Press: Julio Ojeda-Zapata)
Amazon recently finished building a gigantic fulfillment center in Shakopee, and has begun hiring 1,000 humans who will work alongside hundreds of robots in the 20-acre, million-square-foot facility . (Pioneer Press: Julio Ojeda-Zapata)
Amazon has not specified how much the employees will be paid but said hourly wages will be “competitive” and bundled with benefits packages that include health insurance, 50 percent 401(k) matching, stock awards and maternity/paternity leave.
Amazon is inviting interested candidates to learn more about the positions and apply for them. |
A family lawyer says a Rutgers University freshman killed himself by jumping off the George Washington Bridge last week after he was allegedly secretly recorded having sex.
Police are trying to determine if a body pulled out of the water on Wednesday is that of the victim, 18-year-old Tyler Clementi.
Paul Mainardi, a lawyer for the family, said Wednesday that Clementi was "a fine young man and a distinguished musician."
A law enforcement official says the student's license and Rutgers University ID were found in a wallet left on the George Washington Bridge on Sept. 22 after two witnesses saw him jump.
NYPD harbor officers recovered the body of a white man clad only in pants, wearing a watch and carrying no identification on Wednesday afternoon. The body was taken to the city medical examiner's office; authorities hoped to use the watch to help identify the body.
Two Rutgers students have been charged with illegally recording Clementi having sex with another male and broadcasting the images via an Internet chat program.
Authorities believe Dharun Ravi and Molly Wei taped two sexual encounters.
A Twitter account belonging to a Dharun was recently deleted, but in a cached version retained through Google he sent a message on Sept. 19: "Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay."
Two days later, he wrote on Twitter: "Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes it's happening again."
Ed Schmiedecke, the recently retired music director at Ridgewood High School, where Clementi graduated earlier this year, said Clementi was a violinist whose life revolved around music.
"He was a terrific musician, and a very promising, hardworking young man."
Steven Goldstein, chairman of the gay rights group Garden State Equality said in a statement Wednesday that his group considers Clementi's death a hate crime.
"We are heartbroken over the tragic loss of a young man who, by all accounts, was brilliant, talented and kind," Goldstein said. "And we are sickened that anyone in our society, such as the students allegedly responsible for making the surreptitious video, might consider destroying others' lives as a sport."
The Middlesex County Prosecutor's Office has charged Ravi and Wei with invasion of privacy. Ravi, of Plainsboro, was released on $25,000 bail Tuesday. Wei, of Princeton, was released on her own recognizance Monday.
Collecting or viewing sexual images without consent is a fourth-degree crime. Transmitting them is a third-degree crime with a maximum prison term of five years.
About 100 people gathered Wednesday night for a vigil on campus. |
Beneath the early evening sun, those Sanders supporters chanted “Corporate greed has got to go,” and “The whole world is watching” on a loop.
Luci Riley, 48, a nurse and a Sanders delegate from California, said she chose to walk out of the convention and toward the media area because she believed the thousands of people who came out to Sanders campaign rallies were not given a fair chance to transform the country.
“We are walking to the people who we feel blocked out our candidate,” she said as she neared the media tents. “We are continuing to send our message that we are not stopping this campaign to elect progressives.”
Carole Levers, 69, another California delegate, said the walkout was meant to send a message to reporters and Democratic leaders who she believes worked together to ensure Hillary Clinton was the nominee.
“We are tired of corruption,” she said. “The media and the D.N.C. colluded to block Bernie Sanders so he wouldn’t be seen. We need to hit the reset button.” |
Bose headphones and audio products could soon get the boot from Apple retail stores, according to a report from MacRumors citing “a reliable source.”
While Apple’s acquisition of Beats would seem like the obvious reason behind replacing the many Bose headphones and speakers currently used with iOS and Mac demo units, the report also claims that Apple will be removing Bose products from store shelves in addition to the demo units.
The best 4K & 5K displays for Mac
The reason for the decision is unclear, but Apple did just have a recent run-ins with the company through lawsuits against Beats Electronics. In July news surfaced that Bose had filed a lawsuit against Beats Electronics over a noise-cancelling technology patent. There has also been some controversy over NFL players being fined for wearing Beats by Dre headphones after the NFL signed an agreement with Bose that barred players and staff from wearing any other brand of headphones while on camera.
Apple retail employees are reportedly preparing for the change next week with “instructions for removal being sent to employees in the coming days.” Apple also currently sells Bose products through its online store, but there’s no word if that might change next week as well. |
Bonnie-Chica...?*enters in the Kitchen*Chica-Oh hey Bonnie!What is it?Bonnie-*blushes*can you...Come for a second...I want to know if you like my new song...Chica-Oh cool!!Sure!!~*follows Bonnie*Bonnie-*takes his guitar and sits on the Show stage*Chica-*takes a chair and sit in front of him and smiles*Bonnie-*smiles and blushes more*...*start to sing*---End of the song---Bonnie-And this one is you...*looks into Chia's eyes*Chica-*just realized that the song was for her and starts to cry*....B...Bonnie....Bonnie-Chi-Chica?!Why are you crying?!Chica-...I LOVE YOU BONNIE!!!WAAAAH!!*cryies more*Bonnie-*face all red*I...I love you too Chica...Come here...~*opens his arms and hugs CHica*Chica-*smiles*Thank you...Bonnie-No problem Chic'~♥I'm going to cry,I'M SERIOUSLY GOING TO CRY QAQIt was my part of my Art trade with :yep,cause we SHIP CHICA X BONNIE >8DI finally finished this shit.And I'm still not okay with it...Because Chica's eyes are HUGEBonnie has an erection expressionAND THE BACKGROUND SUCKS QAQOh well...SHIP BONNIE X CHICA 83 ♥Bonnie and CHica belong to Five nights At Freddy'sDrawing belongs toDON'T STEALHope you like it <3 |
Amid a growing war of words between Saudi Arabia and Iran, in particular revolving around the one-year anniversary of the 2015 hajj stampede that killed more than 400 Iranians, Maj. Gen. Yayha Rahim Safavi, special military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, warned against further escalating matters with its regional rival.
“In the realm of geopolitics, we have a geopolitical rival in the name of Saudi Arabia,” said Safavi, a former commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (1997-2007), during a speech at the Center for International Research and Education of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “Either way, in this realm, my recommendation is that we have to improve our relations with Oman, Kuwait and even Qatar. And in our relations with Saudi Arabia, we have to act cautiously. In no way must we move toward the conflict [with the] Saudis.”
Safavi said that Riyadh is opposed to Iran’s current geopolitical strength and blames Iran for its losses in Iraq, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, countries in which the two are vying for influence. He also cited the various points of contention between the two countries, including reminding the audience that Saudi Arabia and Kuwait had been Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s biggest financial supporters during the Iran-Iraq War, which according to him was responsible for the deaths of 200,000 Iranians.
The number of Iranians killed in the conflict, one of the longest of the 20th century, is disputed. A parliamentary bill from earlier this year seeking damages from the United States because of its support of Hussein put the number of Iranians killed at 223,000.
Safavi also mentioned the Mina stampede during last year’s hajj, in which more than 2,000 pilgrims were killed. The high death toll among Iranians and traded accusations prevented Iranians from making the pilgrimage this year.
In calling for restraint, Safavi’s comments stand out as a rare voice among Iran’s military commanders. Most remarks by military officials in regard to the Persian Gulf have been over issues involving American spy planes flying near Iranian waters. According to Fox News, three American officials said that on Sept. 10, Iran had threatened to shoot down the planes that were flying a mile outside Iran’s territorial waters. Despite the threat, according to US officials, Iran did not have missile launchers nearby. |
This is where I disagree with my friends on HH about Donald Trump. Maybe because I’m a cynic at heart, maybe because I don’t trust “Great” sales pitches.
Or maybe, because I lived through part of the “Great Cultural Revolution”, which gives me some perspective to call BS.
Here on HH, I have previously written about the Cultural Revolution, its good and its bad. I have an ambivalent feeling about CR. The worst of it was the self-destructive hate that it unleashed upon the Chinese people. How it held back China. How it wasted the youths of an entire generation. The ONLY good that came out of it, was the destruction of Chinese irrational faith in political systems and cult of leadership. Populism was rife through the Cultural Revolution, but it was ultimately its own undoing.
I have no love for the Democrats or the Republicans, both so reliant upon the ideologies of Western Imperialism as their go to strategy.
But I have no desire to see anyone go through a “Great Cultural Revolution” under the Great Leader Donald Trump and his dynastic spawns of multiple concubines.
Is this Trump’s “Great Cultural Revolution”? At least 1 Trump Supporter thought so: https://resurgencemedia.net/2016/10/30/the-donald-trump-movement-is-a-cultural-revolution-a-true-revival-of-what-made-america-great/amp/
You may say that I’m overly alarmist about it. And you may be right.
Indeed, I’m not entirely sure that Trump is capable enough to pull off a “Great Cultural Revolution” in US. But I have predicted here in HH before, a “Western Cultural Revolution” is coming, that much is inevitable, because it is evident that the West is going through increased crisis of its cultural divides.
Many waves of populism are pounding the various shores of the Western nations.
Trump, like many other leaders, may just be the symptoms of the “Western Cultural Revolution”.
Indeed, Mao was just an instigator and symptom of the Cultural Revolution.
Like Mao, Trump doesn’t have to do anything to trigger it. He is merely the symbol to which others follow.
http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/donald-trump-personally-blasts-the-press
Today, he’s blasting the Press. Not exactly a purge, because he doesn’t have the power to curtail the press. But Mao didn’t exactly have the power to remove CCP members either back in 1966 (50 years ago). Mao just had plenty of willing stupid boys who intimidated Mao’s enemies into submission.
It is no conspiracy. It is simply how Populism in a political revolution works. Populism is stupid and irrational. It exists to defy rules and laws. It exists because the stupid and the irrational want to be “equal” to the rational and the open-minded. (and by “equal”, I mean “more equal”, without being subject to debates of facts).
The problem is, the stupid doesn’t like rules or logic of rules, which require considerable amount of rational thinking. The stupid just want to be “right” all the time, without the need to justify itself.
How then does the stupid populist like Trump justify? By louder voices, yelling, shouting, robo-tweeting. Numbers, even if fake numbers, is better than logic and facts.
That was the basis of the Cultural Revolution.
If you thought Mao could eventually come to his senses? But you forget, Mao wasn’t in charge, not really, nor will Trump be. They are merely symbols. The movement doesn’t care what the symbols actually think. The stupid populism marches to its own justifications of “right all the time, without facts”. |
Today I do my first public appearance to speak about Adnan’s case and Serial. I’ll be at Stanford Law School, a great pleasure for me, but it’s not the only reason I’m in California right now.
For the past few years I’ve worked in the field of CVE (“Countering Violent Extremism”), which is less sexy, cool or controversial as it may sound (but plenty has to be said about it, which merits future articles and posts). To that end, on Saturday I had the pleasure of attending a unique summit hosted by YouTube that brought together Muslim leaders from around the country, CVE experts, YouTube celebrities, and technical experts to explore creative ways being used by some amazing young Muslim Americans to tell their stories. Its in that telling, if done well enough, that we’ll be able to elevate authentic narratives about the lives everyday Muslims lead, and the kinds of good work they do, to counter the ugly that is online (and IRL). That ugly comes from two major sources: violent extremists who are Muslims, and anti-Muslim bigots.
Both groups are excellent at declaring, and reinforcing, that the most violent, misogynistic, anti-egalitarian interpretation of Islam is actually Islam. Which, for about 98% of Muslims, is not today nor was in the past. More on this another time, but suffice it to say the summit was a breath of fresh air, and (the dinosaur that I am) I was incredibly impressed with the creativity, boldness, and unapologetic approach that many of the young Muslims there were taking in expressing and defining themselves.
Tazzy Phe is one of the very cool, young Muslim YouTube stars I got to meet in LA. Her series is hilarious 🙂
Adnan is often on my mind, but that day was particularly so, because in the early hours before dawn I had a dream about him. I’ve only dreamt about Adnan, or anything related to him, three times in 15 years. So, when a few hours later I arrived at the YouTube space, it was both an unusual occurrence and fresh in my head. And as people approached me and asked me about him, I found myself telling them about the dream, and a few times breaking into inadvertent tears, which was not at all awkward and weird for the person who made the mistake of saying “hey, how are things going with the case?” (sorry about that, well meaning folks).
In the dream, I was sitting in a room, not sure where, but around the corner was the bathroom. I saw that the light was on in the bathroom and heard a noise. I went to explore and found a 7 or 8 year old boy in a tub full of water. The water had chilled, the boy had been put in the bath and left there, forgotten. The boy was Adnan.
He sat there, shivering and just looking at me, not sure what to do, unable to move without permission of some grownup who would come get him out of the tub. I grabbed a towel, pulled him out, wrapped him up, and led him out. And that’s where my dream ended.
I was mostly struck by the sense of him being left there, forgotten. The day before I had read the moving piece written by Ryan Ferguson, who had also been wrongfully convicted, about how it felt to hear Adnan’s story. This passage was particularly painful:
“Even more surreal, so much of how Adnan responds to his circumstances mirrors how I responded to mine. Listening to the podcast with my friend showed me just how differently we interpreted the words Adnan spoke. To me, what he said made sense. I understood the fears, the pressure, and the fact that you are told to simply sit quietly and do or say nothing. You are a pawn and your sole purpose is to try to survive while others battle for their careers, respect, and status over what amounts to little in their eyes: your life. By the time you understand that the truth, facts, and innocence or guilt don’t matter in this fight, it’s too late. You’ve faded from the world and your life is all but over.”
After that piece, and my dream, I sat through the YouTube summit realizing how much had changed since the time Adnan had faded from the world. 9/11, wars, new generations of Muslims and the new challenges facing them. He has, so far, missed all of that.
Yesterday I drove with hubby up the incredibly beautiful coast from LA to the Bay area. And again, it kept hitting me, how much Adnan has missed. I thought about my own daughter, 17 years old, and what it would mean if she was locked away for the next 16 years, or maybe the rest of her life, and how much she would miss. I couldn’t help but wonder, fearful, if Adnan would ever get to see the West coast, or anything outside of his prison, ever.
And I thought about Hae, who was also the same age as my daughter when she was killed. Tomorrow will mark 16 years since the day her family last saw her, her friends last talked toher, the last time she ever walked out of Woodlawn High School. I thought about all she was never allowed to be and see, and all that Adnan also had never experienced. I carry with me always the fear that, as we move from Serial, and post-Serial interviews with the lovely writers at the Intercept, to the case itself, we may not get another shot at this. And if we don’t succeed, Adnan may permanently fade away.
WHAT’S UP WITH NATASHA, KEN, AND THE INTERCEPT?
A whole lot of crazy, that’s what. At this point, part II of the Urick interview has yet to be published. In the interim Natasha and Ken have been clearly expressing their displeasure with their fearless, adversarial bosses, as well as people who think they did a terrible job and are not very good journalists because they don’t believe in fact checking and making corrections. They get very upset at being called out on it.
I am dedicating a post later this week to the entire fiasco, as well as a couple of new kick-ass blog posts by Colin Miller and Susan Simpson, but await Urick part II before dropping it. Stay tuned for that.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE CASE
There seems to be a lot of confusion about where we are in the actual case and what to expect. I’ve talked about it before, but another briefer here since there is a court deadline this week.
Last year Adnan lost a post-conviction appeal. His attorney filed a petition requesting that he be able to get another shot at post-conviction appeal. That petition, with the Maryland Court of Special Appeals, is now awaiting a response by the State. The Court gave the DA’s office until January 14th (yes two days from now) to respond to one particular issue raised in the petition. Once the State gives it’s response, there can be further filings by Adnan or the State (amendments, briefs, etc), and at some point the court will make a decision. That could take months. Or not. Impossible to say.
On the Innocence Project end, Deirdre et all seem poised to file a petition to get the physical evidence that exists tested for DNA matches. When they decide to file is up to them, but it seems that they are getting/have gotten new information and are waiting for that to suss out a bit. This is a second legal track, not connected to the post-conviction proceedings, but also a hopeful avenue to get Adnan to a new trial or exoneration.
WHAT’S UP WITH THE FUND AND PETITION
We’ve hit a new benchmark with over $60,000 raised. Thank you so much to the people, from around the world, who have contributed to this. If you haven’t, please consider a small gift to help us get justice for him: www.launchgood.com/freeadnan .
The petition has reached nearly 20,000 signatories. If you haven’t signed, please do and share with others.
Two things I want to clarify with regard to the fund itself:
1) Not a dime goes to me or any of the Trustees. Not a dime, not a penny. We are fully and completely volunteers (and I have to say a special thanks to attorney Dennis Robinson, who stays up half the night to help with a hundred different things from fundraising to figuring out how to split up a PDF). The money never comes to me, and I have no access to it. It’s being collected for a variety of things connected to the defense of Adnan – from fees for private investigators, to attorney fees. I am an attorney, but I am not HIS attorney. So again, I do not and will not ever get a penny from the fund.
2) I’ve said in the past that I’ll be releasing trial transcripts for every $10,000 we raise. Some people want to characterize this as “selling” the documents and have had their panties in a bunch for weeks over it. Those people are idiots. I am not selling the documents, and I can guarantee no one is giving to the fund in order to get the documents. They are donating because they feel strongly that there has been a miscarriage of justice against Adnan. I can also virtually guarantee none of the people who are pissy about having to wait for the docs have ever contributed anything at all. Lastly, I guarantee that a very small fraction of Redditors have given to the fund, and most of the supporters are people who have never been on Reddit, and don’t give a hoot about it. So if you think the fund has raised this much money thanks to Reddit, you are dazed and confused.
The money would have been raised regardless of how I timed the release of documents, and will continue to come even if I stop posting any more docs, that much I know. The people who’ve already donated don’t need to see the trial transcripts, they already decided to give. Right? right. But I’m fully cognizant of two things: the time it takes to get documents redacted versus the time I actually have, and the fact that public interest wanes with time.
We need the public interest, there is no question about it. And to keep it alive, it’s necessary to release documents over time, not in one big dump. Its called strategy.
So here you go, January 28th, 1999 trial transcripts. More to be posted later this week, once the eagle has landed back home.
January 28, 1999 Part I (um, no correction: the year was 2000)
January 28, 1999 Part II (ditto above) |
NASCAR driver Mike Harmon knew where the Jennifer Jo Cobb hauler was located and initially told police he would release it to them as long as they didn’t return it to Cobb, according to a probable cause affidavit released by the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office.
Cobb’s hauler, which transports the Camping World Truck Series team’s racing equipment and vehicles, was stolen May 11, is part of an ongoing property dispute between Cobb and her former business partner David Novak.
Novak, who was romantically involved with Cobb before they stopped working together in 2012, claims in a lawsuit filed in federal court that Cobb took the hauler from storage at Harmon’s shop in January. His motion for an injunction against Cobb and for the return of the hauler was denied in February, and Cobb alleges in a document filed Thursday that Novak “hired others to proceed to misappropriate” property from her shop.
A warrant was issued for the arrest of Novak on Saturday on an obstruction of justice charge and a charge of conspiring to commit felony larceny. According to the arrest warrant, Novak allegedly conspired with Harmon to steal the hauler and he acknowledged to a Rowan County detective that he knew where the hauler was but would not reveal its location. Novak, who lives in Illinois, has not turned himself in.
MORE: Bitter dispute | Cobb reports theft
Harmon, who worked for Novak as a team manager for the Jennifer Jo Cobb Racing team in 2010, and Harmon’s girlfriend already had been arrested Wednesday on charges of felony larceny and breaking and entering. An additional charge against Harmon of obstruction of justice was added Saturday, and Harmon also was forced to give up his cell phone, which could indicate his whereabouts when the hauler was stolen at approximately 3 a.m. May 11.
Harmon, a 55-year-old driver who has nearly 200 career NASCAR starts across the truck and Nationwide series, told reporters Thursday he has paperwork that shows Novak is the one who bought the hauler and equipment from Circle Bar Racing.
When asked Thursday if he knew where the hauler was, Harmon told reporters he did not and that he was on his way back from Darlington at the time the hauler was taken.
“I guess her hauler is gone but she does not have no video of me because I was on my way back from Darlington,” Harmon said. “The truth has got to come out. It’s not me.”
Harmon was asked point-blank by reporters if it was his cab that pulled the hauler out. He said: “No.”
He also was asked if he knew what happened to the hauler: “I definitely don’t (know),” he said.
That is different from what a Rowan County police detective believes and what he testified Harmon told him.
According to a probable cause affidavit released Tuesday, a Rowan County detective testified that two days after the hauler was stolen, Harmon “indicated he knew where the car hauler was located but would not reveal that information unless I promised him it would not be returned to the victim,” according to the affidavit.
The detective said Harmon told him May 14 that he would deliver the hauler to the sheriff’s department at 8 a.m. the next day.
“Mr. Harmon did not return the car hauler … as he had promised,” the detective said in the affidavit. “I called Mr. Harmon and he stated he had changed his mind and was prepared to be arrested if necessary.”
Also according to the affidavit, Carl Long told the detective that he drove Harmon’s semi back from Darlington, that he and Harmon arrived at Harmon’s shop at 1:30 a.m. and that Harmon told him to leave the keys inside the truck.
The detective said in the affidavit that Harmon’s semi matches the video surveillance of the truck that towed Cobb’s hauler away and that a car whose license plate matches that of the car of Harmon’s girlfriend was seen at the Cobb shop at the time of the crime.
According to the warrants, the hauler and its contents – including a generator, racing equipment, television, radios, tools and clothing – were worth approximately $279,000. |
In the face of economic upheaval in the United States, a record 89 percent of Americans now say the country has pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track while just 7 percent of Americans say the country is going in the right direction, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.
While strong majorities of all demographic groups agree that the country is headed in the wrong direction, there are some who are less inclined to be of the same opinion. Republicans and those supporting Senator John McCain are more likely to say things in the country are going well than are Democrats and those supporting Senator Barack Obama.
Americans in lower income brackets and those who consider themselves part of the working class are more negative about the direction of the country.
The Times/CBS News record high of 64 percent of those saying the country was on the right track came three months after the attacks of September 11, 2001 when the country was experiencing a rally in support for all things American.
The nationwide telephone poll was conducted Friday through Monday with 1,070 adults, of whom 972 were registered voters, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points for both groups.
Complete poll results will be available this evening at 6:30 p.m. |
iRacing has released a new video, featuring an interview with Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Larson! The video talks about the racer’s passion for racing, as well as his experiences with the online racing service.
It’s awesome hearing some of what he was saying, especially since he is a local racer, and I’ve seen him race around my local track. I also know that he’s had a passion for iRacing as well, as I remember racing him a few times back in 2011/2012, which was a blast.
I want to pull one interesting quote from this interview though: “The level of competition on iRacing is better than real life. I mean, you’ve got thousands of drivers on there that are probably better than what you see on TV, but they just haven’t had the opportunities to make it.” That is astounding to hear from the guy who is currently second in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series! When he’s so candid about “struggling for Top 10’s in the Xfinity Series” on iRacing, that speaks volumes for the level of competition in iRacing.
The interview is definitely a great watch, and gives you a bit of insight into the mind of Kyle Larson, one of my favorite active drivers in NASCAR! What did you think of the interview? |
CINCINNATI – FC Cincinnati announced on Tuesday it had signed former FC Montreal defender, Mélé Temguia for the 2017 season, pending league and federation approval.
“We are incredibly excited to add Mélé to our group,” said FCC Head Coach Alan Koch. “For a younger player, he has an excellent understanding of the game. He is a big, strong defender who has the technical ability to allow us to build from the back. He is joining a quality group of defenders and his presence will add to the healthy competition that will drive our team forward.”
The 6-foot-2 Temguia, a native of Darmstadt, Germany, played for FC Montreal in 2015 and 2016. In his first year with the club in 2015, he was voted to the USL Team of the Week twice after totaling 1,494 minutes in 19 appearances. Last season, Temguia saw limited action, playing in four games. |
The Shellshock vulnerability that was recently discovered in a commonly used piece of software dating back at least 20 years, apparently does not affect most users of Apple Mac computers, as earlier suggested. Although the Bash command shell is included in OS X, it is not vulnerable unless users specifically enable it. Since very few users are even aware of its presence, they will not have to take any corrective measures.Apple enthusiast site iMore has quoted a company spokesperson as saying "Bash, a UNIX command shell and language included in OS X, has a weakness that could allow unauthorized users to remotely gain control of vulnerable systems. With OS X, systems are safe by default and not exposed to remote exploits of bash unless users configure advanced UNIX services. We are working to quickly provide a software update for our advanced UNIX users."Users who are very familiar with Bash can patch the problem themselves, or at least disable the services until Apple releases an official fix. It was feared that users of Apple devices would be particularly at risk because OS X and iOS are both based on derivatives of UNIX, one of the oldest operating systems still widely in use.Linux and Android have also descended from Unix, as are dozens of custom operating systems designed for appliances, embedded equipment and industrial machinery. Internet servers commonly run on Unix or Unix-based operating systems, and Bash is widely used as a remote administrative tool. These systems will also be vulnerable to Shellshock attacks unless insulated from contact via the Internet.The Shellshock vulnerability , also called Bash Bug, could allow attackers to execute commands on computers and similar devices via the Internet. With the right tools and access, it would be possible for attackers to steal data such as passwords, and cause other kinds of mischief |
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