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[WM]The scene of the fatal stabbing of a man in his 60’s at a house on Rutland Grove, Crumlin at about 8pm last night. Photograph: Colin Keegan/ Collins Dublin.
A man in is 60s who died following a stabbing incident at his home in Crumlin in south Dublin has been described as a “lovely man” by those who knew him.
Gerard Fortune (63) received stab wounds at his home in Rutland Grove on Sunday night. It is understood the suspect, who was known to Mr Fortune, then fled the scene in a car.
Mr Fortune, was removed from the scene by ambulance shortly after 8pm and taken to St James’s Hospital, where he also worked, and was pronounced dead a short time later.
A man in his 30s was arrested in connection with the incident is currently being questioned at Crumlin Garda station. Gardai said they are investigating and are appealing to the public for information, in particular regarding the movements a red Toyota Yaris.
Speaking at Sundrive Road station, superintendent Michael Cryan said: “We are appealing to anyone who was in the Rutland Grove/Clogher Road area of Dublin 12 between 8pm and 8.15pm on Sunday the 19th August 2018 to come forward.
“We are also trying to trace the movements of a Red Toyota Yaris, described as a four door hatchback with L plates and partial registration 04-WW, that was driven from the scene at Rutland Grove at about 8pm before it was recovered at approximately 8.20pm at Connolly Hospital, Blanchardstown.
Another neighbour said Mr Fortune regularly brought her for appointments in the hospital.
“He was just lovely, I’ve been living beside him about 30 years, I can’t believe it,” she said.
Local councillor Anne Feeney (FG) said she was shocked to hear of the tragedy in Rutland Grove.
“My sympathies and heart goes out to the family of the man who died. It must have been very frightening and upsetting for everyone and a terrible scene for the local kids to witness while off on their school holidays,” she said. |
[WM]CHICAGO–UAL Corp.'s United Airlines yesterday became the latest airline to begin charging $15 (U.S.) to check a single bag on domestic flights, matching the controversial fee launched in May by AMR Corp.'s American Airlines, hoping to offset soaring fuel prices.
The parent of the Number 2 U.S. airline said it also raised the fee it charges to check three or more bags, overweight bags or items that require special handling to $125 from $100, or to $250 from $200, depending on the item.
The changes apply to customers who buy a ticket on or after June 13 for travel within the U.S. and to or from Canada, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on or after Aug. 18. The $15 fee doesn't apply to some United loyalty-plan clients.
Such fees are part of a broad effort by airlines to charge passengers for services once included in the price of a ticket. Some charge for in-flight meals, drinks and snacks.
United said fees for checking the first and second bags would generate about $275 million a year.
Also yesterday, US Airways Group Inc. announced sweeping cuts in service and hikes in fees to cover sky-high fuel costs. The carrier based in Tempe, Ariz., said it will cut domestic flights, shrink its fleet, slash 1,700 jobs, charge passengers $15 to check a first bag for tickets booked or after July 9, and add a $2 fee for non-alcoholic inflight drinks. |
[WM]Remember: presidents take an oath to "preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution, not Supreme Court rulings.
More great news: The Wisconsin Assembly passed a bill stripping public sector unions of the ability to gouge taxpayers through negotiating excessive benefit plans with the people they bankrolled into office. All this after 60 hours of debate. That's how the process is supposed to work. Meanwhile, Democratic senators are still AWOL.
Republicans have offered a Continuing Resolution that will keep government going right through September and will reduce spending. If the Democrats want to grind government to a halt, let 'em.
If the federal government shuts down, surely we can do better than we did in 1995. "Essential" workers are those needed to protect human life, property and national security. But in 1995, according to the GAO, Commerce kept 64% of its staff, and Interior 53%. HHS kept over 40% of staff in place. At HUD and at regulatory agencies, 78% kept right on working. That's ridiculous. Not a single worker in any of these agencies is "essential" for the preservation of either life, property or national defense.
The federal government owns 25% of all the land in U.S. Here's an idea to reduce debt: sell some of it. The U.S. is sitting on $767 billion worth of land and $421 billion in mineral rights.
Planned Parenthood in 2008 took in $349.6 million from taxpayers and performed 324,008 abortions. It's way past time to defund this organization.
Planned Parenthood's genocidal attack on African-Americans continues. According to the CDC, African-American women continue to have the highest abortion rates in the country. Though they comprise just 12% of population, 34% of all abortions are performed on African-American women. Abortion rates among blacks are 3 to 4 times what they are for whites. Planned Parenthood is doing Hitler's job for him in the U.S.
Afghan women's shelters will soon be run by govt committed to Sharia law. What could go wrong with that? Bye-by protection for women from forced marriages and honor killings. |
[WM]Jalapenos are used in many spicy dishes and used fresh, dried eaten pickled.
Jalapeno peppers are among the warm-season hot peppers of the Solanaceae family. Hot peppers, like jalapenos, need a long, warm growing season and grow best when planted outdoors as seedlings. You can enjoy fresh peppers or grow them to dry and use in your favorite dishes even if you do not have room for an outdoor garden. You can grow jalapenos in containers indoors and outdoors or grow them hydroponically.
You can grow jalapenos outdoors, starting two to three weeks after the last spring frost. Jalapenos require full sun, which is at least six hours of sun daily, and well-drained soil amended with organic matter. The proper pH level for jalapenos is 6.0 to 6.8, so to adjust, add limestone if the pH is low and peat moss if it is higher than 6.8. Sow jalapeno seeds 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep and space seeds or transplants 18 to 24 inches apart with two to three feet between rows. Water regularly to keep peppers evenly moist.
Jalapenos grow well in large containers if you don't have space in your yard. You need a large container, with a capacity of about 2 to 3 gallons. To successfully grow peppers in a container, they still need enough sunlight and proper care. You can use an all-purpose potting mix, but container plants still require more fertilizer and careful watering. Use a liquid fertilizer once a week and water the container to keep the soil moist. Put the container jalapenos where they will get at least six hours of sun a day.
You can grow jalapenos indoors hydroponically using a simple deep-water culture set-up. Peppers grow well with ebb and flow system along with rockwool slabs as a growing medium. Because pepper plants grow tall, they will need support to keep them from falling over. When grown hydroponically, the correct nutrient solution is important, so if you're new to hydroponics, it might be better to use a premixed solution.
Vegetables that grow well together in containers save space while still giving you variety. You can plant vegetables, such as jalapeno peppers, tomatoes and herbs together in one container, making it easy to grow ingredients for your favorite dishes or your favorite herbs for flavoring foods. When growing vegetables all in one container, give each plant plenty of room and leave enough space to accommodate plant growth. Simply fill a container with fresh potting mix, plant the vegetables, water and place in a sunny location. Always use a container with drainage holes.
Allman, Molly. "Ways to Grow Jalapenos." Home Guides | SF Gate, http://homeguides.sfgate.com/ways-grow-jalapenos-45100.html. Accessed 25 April 2019. |
[WM]A 35-year-old cop with the Railway Protection Force had to be given four sutures on the head after a Nigerian drug peddler clobbered him with a bamboo, the police said.
MUMBAI: A 35-year-old cop with the Railway Protection Force had to be given four sutures on the head after a Nigerian drug peddler clobbered him with a bamboo, the police said. Constable Salim Shaikh was part of a raiding team that swooped down on drug peddlers at Wadi Bunder railway yard, close to Sandhurst Road, late on Wednesday where nine drug dealers were present.
Officials of Dongri police station said the attacker, Kone Odama (28), was arrested with cocaine worth Rs 30,000 and ecstasy pills worth Rs 16,000, the others managed to flee.
ACP Avinash Dharmadhikari said the men started fleeing on seeing the cops. "The cops gave chase. Shaikh was attacked in the melee." he said. "The accused tried to run, but Shaikh did not loosen his grip on him despite being hurt."
Shaikh said, "The man called out to his pals asking them to kill us, but they escaped." |
[WM]HELENA – A state panel heard four hours of testimony Wednesday on bills relating to missing and murdered Indigenous women, an issue that proponents said affect all Montanans, but could have a profound impact on the Native American community.
House Bill 21, known as “Hanna’s Act,” authorizes the department of justice to hire a missing persons specialist to work with local, state, federal and tribal law enforcement authorities on missing persons cases.
The specialist will help law enforcement and families in the search for missing persons, oversee entries into the database of the national crime information center of the U.S. Department of Justice and other databases to ensure records of missing persons are accurate, complete, and made in a timely fashion.
However, they also noted it was not just a problem on reservations but statewide as well.
The bill, which would appropriate $100,000 to the general fund for each year of the biennium, would become effective July 1. The House Judiciary Committee heard the bill, along with three others Wednesday, but only took testimony.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Rae Peppers, D-Lame Deer, is in remembrance of Hanna Harris, a Lame Deer woman killed in 2013 on the Northern Cheyenne Reservation.
Her mother, Malinda Harris Limberhand, was among those who spoke to the committee, not only about HB 21 but on HB 54 as well, which requests all law enforcement agencies to immediately accept a report of a missing person unless there are extenuating circumstances.
She said she reported her daughter missing and was told by the police chief she was probably partying.
“To this date I don‘t think she was ever put into a data base for missing persons,” Limberhand said.
Bryan Lockerby, division administrator for Montana Department of Justice’s Division of Criminal Investigation, said HB 54 provides help when issues about jurisdiction arise.
“This is about closing loopholes and closing gaps and finding them in the system and getting them shut down,” he said.
A long line of people testified Wednesday on the four bills before the House Judiciary Committee, many of them becoming emotional.
Other bills discussed included HB 40, creating the reentry cultural programming grant program and HB 48 to provide stacking of tribal court convictions for partner or family assault.
The hearing was capped by a rally in the rotunda of the Capitol and a news conference in the governor’s reception room.
Gov. Steve Bullock called missing and murdered indigenous women an "epidemic."
He said that nearly half the missing people cases in Montana are Native women. He said in 2013 there were 30 Native missing or murdered women in Montana.
"These are real lives and real people and for every single person going missing or murdered it has a ripple effect" on the lives of others.
He said lawmakers have a moral obligation to deal with the issues.
"Never doubt the power of your voices,” he said.
Peppers said the lives and safety of Native women cannot be put on the back burner any longer.
“Too many of our sisters, mothers, and daughters have been left behind by our legal system,” she said.
Peppers said the people who testified Wednesday are seeking justice.
“They are asking for answers,” she said, adding that law enforcement does not take their losses seriously.
Rep. Casey Schreiner, D-Great Falls, the House minority leader, said the “epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women could not be more urgent.
“Getting justice for these missing Montanans and their families is one of our top priorities. Democrats in the Legislature will not stop working until we get these bills across the finish line and deliver on our promises to Indian Country,” he said.
Peppers and others throughout the day said it wasn’t just an Indian Country problem, this is a Montana problem.
Rep. Sharon Stewart Peregoy, D-Crow Nation, said hearing the testimony was difficult.
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., recently wrote a letter to the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs criticizing the handling of the case of 14-year-old Henny Scott of Lame Deer, who was found murdered in December. It took 13 days for law enforcement to notify the public that a missing persons report had been filed.
On Jan. 18, the House passed House Bill 20, that allows any law enforcement officer in the state to file a missing child report as soon as a child is reported missing.
It passed the House 97-0 on Jan. 21 and awaits a hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
These bills come as a record number of Native lawmakers are serving in Montana’s Legislature this session, with the Montana American Indian Caucus having 11 tribal members, roughly 7 percent of the Legislature. |
[WM]A Charlotte cancer patient and his Oncologist just finished one of the most iconic marathons in the country.
Wayne Moorehead continues to inspire as he learns to walk without help at TIRR Memorial Hermann, because to him, sitting around waiting for life to happen is not an option.
An Army captain who had been away from his wife and two children for nearly a year surprised them in Maryland.
Joe Magouirk noticed a young woman with Down Syndrome frightened during her visit to the doctor. He thought maybe his Purple Heart would give her a dose of courage. It did.
He defeated cancer as a child, and now a Louisiana man is facing an entirely new battle. Wayne Moorehead had both arms and both legs amputated last fall. But he's not letting that stop him from getting back to life. Through laughter and a light heart, Moorehead is taking his new life in strides -- slow and steady, careful and concise. "We start on just one simple step," Moorehead said. |
[WM]Mismanagement and secrecy have stalled the war on terrorism—and at home its effects reverberate against civil rights.
If September 11 was this generation's Pearl Harbor, the Bush Administration's war on terrorism is still in early 1942, when the news from the front was bad, and the home front was panicky and confused. Now the instant-gratification warriors of the press are rushing in to turn things around. Columnists William Kristol and Charles Krauthammer grumble that the Administration is operating under too many constraints. Impatience with the air campaign has sparked calls by the Sunday morning punditocracy to send in substantial ground troops beyond the small contingent already there. Senator John McCain calls for B-52 carpet-bombing. Polls show a rising number of Americans doubt the war on terrorism will succeed.
Our concern is less about fine points of military strategy than about the possibility that the human and political costs of the war might outweigh any gains in national security and undermine America's moral credibility in the fight against the perpetrators of September 11. The bombing campaign may or may not be militarily effective–who knows, since our only information comes from the Pentagon and Al Jazeera–but civilian casualties are eroding support among coalition allies. TV pictures of devastated neighborhoods and wounded civilians fuel anger against America throughout the Arab and Muslim world and provide rallying cries for extremists, who could destabilize fragile governments in Pakistan, Indonesia and elsewhere. Sketchy reports from inside Afghanistan suggest that the bombing is turning people's loyalty back to the Taliban–making more difficult any covert operations aimed at capturing the "Evil One." It has sent waves of humanity to huddle on Pakistan's closed borders. As winter sets in, as many as 5 million face dire food shortages.
At home, Congress passes a counterterrorism bill "without deliberation and debate," according to Senator Russ Feingold, the lone senator who cast a historic vote against the ill-named PATRIOT Act. The act grants the Feds sweeping powers that break down the firewall between intelligence-gathering and criminal justice. Nothing in the bill would have prevented the disaster of September 11. And yet Bush and House GOP leaders still balk at passing the one measure that could have: federalizing airport security. Meanwhile, the Justice Department continues to resist legitimate requests for information about the 1,107 people it has detained in connection with the September 11 attacks. Civil liberties organizations and others, including this magazine, have filed a Freedom of Information Act request for information about those detained, warning that the government's "official silence prevents any democratic oversight of [its] response to the attacks." The government should comply.
Ultimately, the antiterrorism campaign could have disastrous consequences if America alienates its allies abroad and its people at home. The United States must reassure–by words and deeds–the majority of Muslims who oppose the terrorist attacks that the purpose of US military action is not to punish Afghans for the actions of Osama bin Laden. To this end, it should work more closely with the United Nations by curtailing military actions that hamper relief activities and by supporting UN efforts to build a coalition government that represents all parties in Afghanistan.
Polls show that an overwhelming majority of Americans favor a multilateral effort against terrorists, including working through the UN. Add to this stepped-up international policing efforts that must be the backbone of any global antiterrorism campaign and financial countermeasures that target identifiable terrorist groups. As Jonathan Schell writes on page 8, "In a war on terrorism–as distinct from a war on a state–it is politics, not military force, that will probably decide the outcome." |
[WM]According to the relevant laws and regulations, search results for “constitutional government” cannot be displayed.
As of January 6, the following search terms are blocked on Sina Weibo (not including the “search for user” function).
Although these characters are unblocked as of posting, “southern” (南方) and “weekend” (周末) remain unsearchable.
– China dream (中国梦): The title of the original Southern Weekly editorial was “China’s Dream, the Dream of Constitutionalism” (中国梦 宪政梦).
See also Sensitive Words updates from January 3 and January 4. |
[WM]FMCG major Hindustan Unilever (HUL) on Thursday reported a 9 per cent increase in its net profit to Rs 1,444 crore for the December 2018 quarter on account of strong volume growth and improved margins.
The company's net profit stood at Rs 1,326 crore in the October-December period of the previous fiscal.
Sales during the quarter under review stood at Rs 9,357 crore, up 12.42 per cent, as against Rs 8,323 crore in the corresponding period of the last fiscal, HUL said in a regulatory filing.
"Domestic consumer growth was 13 per cent with underlying volume growth at 10 per cent. Ebitda margin (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation) was up 170 basis points and profit after tax (before exceptional items) grew by 17 per cent," HUL said in a statement.
"Prudent management of volatility in costs (crude and currency led) along with improved mix and operating leverage has driven margin improvement," the company said.
HUL chairman and managing director Sanjiv Mehta said the company has achieved another strong performance in the last quarter with double digit volume growth and improvement in margins.
"Our focus on strengthening the core and leading market development by tapping into emerging trends has been yielding results across categories," he said.
Its total expenses during the quarter under review were at Rs 7,652 crore as against Rs 7,036 crore, up 8.75 per cent.
HUL's revenue from the home care segment was at Rs 3,148 crore, up 14.84 per cent, during the quarter under review as against Rs 2,741 crore in the corresponding period a year ago.
"Home care continued its impressive performance with both fabric wash and household care delivering double-digit growth," said HUL adding growth momentum in household care continued with increased penetration of bars in rural markets.
While contribution from the beauty and personal care segment was up 10.9 per cent to Rs 4,539 crore during the October-December period this fiscal as against Rs 4,090 crore a year ago.
"Personal wash growth continued to be driven by premiumisation of the portfolio. Skin care witnessed excellent growth enabled by stellar execution of winter portfolio," HUL said, adding that hair care also continued to perform strongly.
Its foods and refreshment segment was also up 9.92 per cent during the period to Rs 1,728 crore as against Rs 1,572 crore of Q3/FY 2017-18.
However, its 'other' segment, which includes, exports, infant and feminine care was down 23.52 per cent to Rs 143 crore as against Rs 187 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago.
Over the outlook, Mehta said: "In the near term, demand is likely to be stable. We will keep a close watch on the macro-economic environment and respond with agility. We remain focused on our strategic agenda of delivering Consistent, Competitive, Profitable and Responsible growth."
The market ended with gains in a highly volatile trading session, with the Nifty settling above the 10,900-mark. The BSE Sensex rose 113.31 points or 0.31 per cent to close at 36,582.74.
For a capital-starved economy, India shows little urgency to extricate good money stuck in failed businesses.
Why should insurance companies conduct a marathon run or a zumba dance event? |
[WM]RANGERS general manager Doug Melvin, whose team has been in last place since June 11, said he is more interested in signing closer John Wetteland to a contract extension than he is in trading the veteran who has lost something on his fastball but still is effective enough to get 21 saves in last 23 chances.
… Sammy Sosa‘s money people are negotiating a deal with Warner Bros. for a movie on the slugger’s life story. Sosa said he is contemplating playing himself. Don Baylor must be wondering what ballplayer will play the part of Sosa as a young player making outstanding catches and strong throws and stealing bases. |
[WM]Singer Carrie Underwood, former American Idol champ and Almay makeup spokesperson, posted an Instagram pic on Friday that showed off her flawless skin and adorable dog.
"Cloudy but no rain = perfect day to run outside!" she captioned the pic. She helpfully included her workout routine: "1mi treadmill warm up, tabata arms and abs, finish up with a 3 mile run/lunge up the hills. I'm a sweaty mess, but fortunately I have sweet Penny to help get me cleaned up!" #NoMakeup #NoFilter #BeNice.
The Most Successful American Idol Winners, RankedWhere will this year's winner land?
Watch Carrie Underwood Take James Corden Cowboy Boot ShoppingDuring "Carpool Karaoke," the country star and the late night host make a pit stop. |
[WM]After the FDA found listeria in a sample of “Original Tahini Sauce,” the company initiated the nationwide recall and suspended its food production.
Consumers with the products should toss them out or return them to the store of purchase for a refund.
The Yorgo products recalled are hommus in the Original flavor; Vegetable; Garlic; Roasted Red Pepper; Lemon Pepper; Chipotle Pepper; Sundried Tomato; Green Olive; and Garlic and Chive. Salads recalled are Taboule; Chickpea; Black Bean; Three Bean; and Vegan Hoppin.
Also recalled are Spinach Hummus with Artichoke; Baba Ghannouj; Grape Leaves; Yogurt Dip Cilantro & Chive; Tahini Sauce; Falafel; and Tzatziki.
The two Trader Joe’s store-brand products recalled are: Cilantro & Chive Yogurt Dip and Tahini Sauce.
Anyone with questions can call Yorgo at 603-624-5830, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, or go to Yorgo's website.
Listeria is a bacteria that can cause food-borne illness, known as listeriosis. It can grow in foods such as uncooked meats, vegetables, soft cheeses and unpasteurized milk. |
[WM]PARIS (Reuters) - Finding friends and meeting new ones could become even more important uses for global positioning chips than getting from A to B as the technology spreads to cellphones in coming years.
Combined with mobile Internet access, GPS (global positioning system) is seen in the industry as adding a new dimension to social networking that could also have implications for the media business.
“GPS tells me that today I’m sitting somewhere at 48 degrees north, 2 degrees east. Is that really that much value if I know I’m sitting in Paris?” said Miles Flint, head of mobile phone maker Sony Ericsson.
But he saw that changing in future.
“One of the more compelling things that we might use every day is the integration of that information into knowing where my friends are,” he told the Reuters Global Technology, Media and Telecoms Summit in Paris this week.
Once people can physically find those they want to more easily — as long as those others want to be found — it can enhance the establishment of growing Internet social networks such as News Corp.’s MySpace site.
“‘Your communities in your pocket,’ I think that explains where we’re headed quite well,” Nokia Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said earlier this month at a shareholders meeting.
Industry executives still disagree over how quickly satellite navigation will find its way into phones.
The chief executive of chip maker CSR, John Scarisbrick, told the Reuters Summit his company was expecting to see a quick uptake of GPS chips in phones as prices fall.
But Alain De Taeye, chief executive of digital map supplier Tele Atlas, voiced doubts.
“I’m incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunities. However, the last time I was incredibly enthusiastic about the opportunities, it took 20 years to realize them,” De Taeye said.
Nokia is already betting on GPS-enabled phones and most top handset suppliers are expected to come out with models soon, though Flint gave no date for when Sony Ericsson would start building GPS into its phones.
The first selling point for GPS phones is as a tool for users to find their way around, but many believe the social networking similar to that helped by MySpace, Facebook and Flickr Web sites is what will deliver mass appeal.
An Amsterdam company, recently acquired by small Finnish mobile phone maker Benefon, is currently building a social networking application for GPS-enabled phones.
The service, branded GyPSii, will allow users to upload pictures, videos and sound clips recorded with their phones that are automatically encoded with the location where the picture was taken or the recording was made.
Users can see where their friends are and see and search each other’s saved places.
The company’s founders, Dan Harple and Sam Critchley, believe that eventually, these place marks will grow into a database that will deliver more relevant search results because the company also records data on who submits what and when.
A 40-year old man searching on a Wednesday evening for a place to meet friends for drinks might get different results to a 16-year-old girl doing the same search on a Saturday night.
Sitting on board a canal boat in Amsterdam, Harple said the venture was not exactly of a scale that was likely to bring down Google.
“But we will deliver a different type of search results. We’re not just crawling the web, content is being pushed from the ground up,” he said. |
[WM]Thanks to Meghan Markle, black pants are no surprise on a royal outing — but when Kate Middleton decided to opt for the look, we had to do a double take. On Dec. 5, the Duchess of Cambridge stepped out with Prince William at RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, wearing black wide-leg pants and the very appropriately named Smythe Duchess Blazer ($695), which she paired with a white t-shirt and an L.K.Bennett Dora clutch ($285). And this time, the casual look wasn't to play sports.
While Kate often wears pants if she's participating in physical activity or visiting a center where she is expected to interact with the public, she typically goes for jeans and heels and rarely for wide-leg trousers. For this look, we can't help but wonder whether she's taken a styling tip from her sister-in-law, Meghan, who's more than once worn pants and a blazer on an official outing.
Ahead, get a closer look at Kate's outfit — as well as a few of the times Meghan's worn this kind of ensemble — then shop similar pieces to re-create the look for yourself. Honestly, we won't blame you if you've already decided to dig out your pants and favorite blazer for work tomorrow. |
[WM]A key provision in the 1997 accord between the county and Basketball Properties Ltd., the Heat’s operating arm, stipulates that Miami-Dade is to receive 40 cents of every dollar of profit after the team earns $14 million in profits. Yet, 15 years into the deal — even after a 2006 world championship and nearly two years with league Most Valuable Player LeBron James — the Heat maintains it has never come close to that magic number.
That’s because despite some profitable years, the contract allows the Heat to pay off all of its losses before declaring profitability. The team reported losses totaling $156.6 million through 2010.
Despite James’ presence, a $13 million windfall from increased ticket sales, a giant spike in food and drink concessions last year, and $72.2 million the county poured into operating the arena, the Heat remains well below the threshold of sharing profits with Miami-Dade.
“The county has little idea of the underlying conditions and financial issues that, to date, have resulted in the Arena’s failure to generate sufficient reportable net cash flow that would have allowed the county to share in the distribution of Arena excess cash flow,” the audit stated.
The county administration, in a statement Thursday afternoon, said it is improving managerial oversight of the arena agreement.
Gimenez said his office is consulting with the county attorney and will issue a status report within 90 days as requested by the inspector general.
Mazzella said the county must familiarize itself with the Heat’s complex finances and review the team’s capital budgets, including how much the Heat spends on equipment leases such as those for LED screens and monitors. The county, as the owner of the arena, should also be notified of lawsuits filed against the Heat.
The inspector general suggested the county learn how the team makes money from lucrative concessions and “premium” ticket sales, including suites. Also, the county should know more about non-basketball events at the arena, since those revenues impact potential profits, he wrote.
Mazzella also criticized the Heat, questioning $3.3 million the team spent on capital improvements. He said that money should have gone toward negating losses instead.
And Mazzella questioned certain Heat expenditures, including $12,300 spent on political contributions and $614,000 on lobbyists. The Heat said $10,000 went to a National Conference of Mayors convention in Miami, presided over by former Miami Mayor Manny Diaz.
Lopez, the Heat’s lobbyist who earned a large chunk of the $614,000 in question, called all of the team’s expenses “legitimate” and said the Heat will work harder to get its budgets to the county on time.
Eric Woolworth, president of the Heat Group’s business operations, said in a statement that the audit failed to recognize the successes of the partnership between the Heat and the county — especially the revitalization of downtown Miami — and that it gave “short shrift on the risk” the company took in undertaking construction.
Woolworth also said Mazzella misinterpreted provisions of the agreement relating to capital expenditures and business expenses.
The Heat played its first game at the AAA in 2000, after a dozen years at the old Miami Arena in Overtown. Blessed with fan and corporate support, the team pined for the millions in new revenue anticipated from the sales of expensive suites, exclusive seats and high-end retail at the new arena.
Broward County offered a better financial deal for the team to play at the BankAtlantic Center, but Heat owner Micky Arison wanted his team to remain in Miami-Dade, where he has a home.
In the end, Arison put $210 million toward construction, with the county spending $37.6 million to purchase the 17 waterfront acres along Biscayne Boulevard from the city of Miami. The county also paid a $5 million subsidy before the arena opened and agreed to give the team $6.4 million a year for operations. |
[WM]The Transformative Fund Account formed 18 months ago at the Central Bank of Kenya to hold proceeds from the voluntary pay cuts has only Sh35.2 million.
Super salary-scale civil servants are ceding only Sh2 million per month to the Treasury, thwarting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s effort to cut the ballooning public wage bill through voluntary pay cuts.
Treasury secretary Henry Rotich said Transformative Fund Account formed 18 months ago at the Central Bank of Kenya to hold proceeds from the voluntary pay cuts has only Sh35.2 million.
The account also holds savings from foreign travel restrictions, hotel accommodation and other non-core expenditures.
Mr Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto — who are entitled to Sh1.7 million and Sh1.49 million per month respectively — pledged in March last year to take a 20 per cent pay cut as part of broader efforts to free up cash for investment in capital projects.
The President also directed Cabinet secretaries, PSs and heads of government departments and agencies to follow suit and take pay cut of between 20 and five per cent to reduce the wage bill adding those who defied the order would be sacked.
Later, the 18 Cabinet secretaries and 26 PSs also pledged to voluntarily reduce their salaries by 10 per cent. Last week, Mr Rotich said Sh5.2 million had been added into the account since July.
Public servants earn an average of Sh47 billion a month or Sh568 billion annually.
Mr Rotich will in the meantime form a team to oversee the spending of the amount accumulated so far as Transformative Fund on development projects.
“We will constitute a team to advise or propose transformative projects as the fund builds up,” he told the Business Daily.
Failure by civil servants to embrace voluntary pay cut points to the herculean task that awaits Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba in his latest bid come up with a legislation chopping salaries of senior public officers by 50 per cent.
Apart from the top government officials in Mr Uhuru’s scheme, Mr Namwamba is targeting the Judicial Service Commission and Parliamentary Service Commission staff. A number of politicians, including national assembly speaker Justin Muturi, have dismissed the plan as populist.
President Kenyatta had, on the other hand, counted on the goodwill of the senior staff of his administration to rein in public wage.
Cabinet secretaries, who earn Sh1.12 million, would each surrender Sh112, 000 per month to Treasury and PSs Sh91,000 each from their Sh910,000 pay.
This means that the account should be holding more than Sh70 million from deductions made on the pay of Cabinet and principal secretaries alone over the 18 months.
The public service also has more than 200 chief executives of State- owned firms.
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) had raised the red flag over the Sh568 billion wage bill, saying it is unsustainable.
The public wage bill takes up 52 per cent of government revenues, higher than the global average of 35 per cent for nations in the lower middle-income category, where Kenya belongs.
State officers have to first write to the SRC, led by Sarah Serem, declaring that they are giving up a share of their pay. |
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[WM]I’m not one to adhere rigidly to the idea of drinking seasonally: reds when it’s cold, whites and rosés when the weather heats up. This is textbook nonsense that makes it seem as if temperature is the only consideration in choosing a wine.
But this is winter, a time to hunker down. For many, that means seeking pleasure in long, slow cooking.
In Manhattan, where I live, the idea of a hearth may be fanciful, but the warmth of the oven or stove, with a bubbling pot of beans or a simmering stew, serves the crucial figurative function.
The sorts of deep, soulful flavors that come from blends of herbs and spices, long braises, and meats and birds roasted on the bone require specific sorts of wines. Most often they are reds, but not just any sort of red. These foods demand staying power and the ability to stand up to robust flavors.
Yet they must also fulfill the fundamental roles of providing refreshment and enhancing meals without overpowering them. This means wines that are balanced and energetic, substantial rather than ethereal, yet not blusterous or domineering.
Here are 20 red wines that meet those requirements, not ranked in any particular order. All are in that $15-to-$20 sweet spot where price intersects with quality and distinctiveness to yield great value. You can certainly find plenty of sound wines for less than $15, but chances are they will not be as interesting.
For more than $20, you can start to add in wines that may fit the bill from more highly regarded regions, like the northern Rhône, Priorat, even Burgundy, though pretty soon you could be spending a lot of money.
Staying in the $15-to-$20 range requires searching outside the status areas, and trying wines that often come from little-known regions, are made from grapes that are not celebrated, and are frequently in limited production. If the wines are more familiar, like California cabernet sauvignon or Oregon pinot noir, they will often be made from young vines, or come from surplus grapes that were sold off.
What you won’t find here are fabricated, artificial products made with technological shortcuts or grapes that come from inappropriate areas, which permit production of cheap bottles in great quantities.
This means that most people will be able to find only some of these wines. As always, ask for other recommendations at the best wine shop nearby.
The Shebang series, moderately priced wines from Morgan Twain-Peterson’s excellent Bedrock Wine Company, offers modern versions of California field blends. This spicy, gutsy wine comes from multiple vineyards and appellations, includes many grapes (with probably a lot of zinfandel and carignan), and mixes several vintages. The result is a delicious, long-lasting red with flavors of licorice, herbs and red and black fruits.
Camp’s group of moderately priced Sonoma wines comes from Kenny Likitprakong’s Hobo Wine Company, which makes very good wines from all over California under several labels. This young cabernet is bright and well balanced, with a touch of earth and tannins that simply let you know they are there. It’s easy to enjoy right now, especially with juicy braised meats.
Good, moderately priced pinot noir from California is tough to find, because most of it comes from areas not well suited to the grape. Searching for well-priced pinot noirs is far more rewarding in Oregon, where land and labor costs have not accelerated out of control. This one from Les Brebis, a small producer in the Willamette Valley, is direct and without the sort of artifice often found in inexpensive pinot noirs. Its earthy flavors of red and black fruits and herbs pair well with pork, chicken and salmon.
Why, here’s another one, also from the Willamette, and quite different in style from the Brebis. It’s made from organic and biodynamically grown grapes, and is equally elegant in profile. It’s a little more floral and herbal, and it has a meatier character, with a deliciously savory edge. Try it with hearty soups.
Yet another side of cabernet franc, this one comes from Wölffer Estate on the South Fork of Long Island. It’s rich and expressive, more in the Bordeaux style than the Loire, less subtle, more open and welcoming. It’s balanced and earthy, and though the tannins are still a bit firm, it will go well with a meaty stew.
Like Wölffer Estate, Channing Daughters is based on the South Fork of Long Island, yet the estates could not be more different. Wölffer takes a more classical approach, but Channing is joyfully experimental, growing an eclectic range of grapes not otherwise seen on Long Island. The ’15 Rosso Fresco incorporates some of these — blaufränkisch and dornfelder along with merlot, syrah and cabernet franc. It’s bright, vividly fruity and floral, and absolutely delicious.
San Diego? Seriously? While the San Diego coast is more readily associated with beach volleyball and Navy bases, San Diego County is also home to a small wine region with some surprisingly good producers. Vesper Vineyards makes this fruity, smoky, well-balanced carignan tempered by citrus highlights.
Foxglove is the reliable value arm of Varner Wine, which makes fine chardonnays and pinot noirs. Foxglove expands that range with moderately priced wines like this Paso Robles cabernet, which is bold and intense yet not at all a fruit bomb. It’s juicy and balanced, and will go well with steaks and chops.
An earlier version of this article misstated the name of the importer of Fattoria La Rivolta Aglianico del Taburno. It is T. Edward Wines, not T. Edwards Wine. |
[WM]O2 chief executive Ronan Dunne is exploring a debt-fuelled £8.5bn management buyout attempt following the collapse of CK Hutchison’s takeover bid for the mobile operator, The Daily Telegraph can reveal.
The Irishman, 52, has been approached in recent weeks by potential private equity sponsors aiming to carry out what would be the largest UK leveraged buyout since before the financial crisis. Executives at O2’s Berkshire headquarters are running the numbers to weigh whether it would be feasible for Mr Dunne, who has led O2 for eight years and previously served as its chief financial officer, to take it independent, sources said. |
[WM]A neutrino event, identifiable by the rings of Cerenkov radiation that show up along the photomultiplier tubes lining the detector walls, showcase the successful methodology of neutrino astronomy. This image shows multiple events.
Sometimes, the best-designed experiments fail. The effect you're looking for might not even occur, meaning that a null result should always be a possible outcome you're prepared for. When that happens, the experiment is often dismissed as a failure, even though you never would have known the results without performing it.
Yet, every once in a while, the apparatus that you build might be sensitive to something else entirely. When you do science in a new way, at a new sensitivity, or under new, unique conditions, that's often where the most surprising, serendipitous discoveries are made. In 1987, a failed experiment for detecting proton decay detected neutrinos, for the first time, from beyond not only our Solar System, but from outside of the Milky Way. This is how neutrino astronomy was born.
The conversion of a neutron to a proton, an electron, and an anti-electron neutrino is how Pauli hypothesized resolving the energy non-conservation problem in beta decay.
Alpha decay, where a larger atom emits a helium nucleus, jumping two elements down the periodic table.
Beta decay, where an atomic nucleus emits a high-energy electron, moving one element up the periodic table.
Gamma decay, where an atomic nucleus emits an energetic photon, remaining in the same location on the periodic table.
In any reaction, under the laws of physics, whatever the total energy and momentum of the initial reactants are, the energy and momentum of the final products need to match. For alpha and gamma decays, they always did. But for beta decays? Never. Energy was always lost.
The V-shaped track in the center of the image is likely a muon decaying to an electron and two neutrinos. The high-energy track with a kink in it is evidence of a mid-air particle decay. This decay, if the (undetected) neutrino is not included, would violate energy conservation.
In 1930, Wolfgang Pauli proposed a new particle that could solve the problem: the neutrino. This small, neutral particle could carry both energy and momentum, but would be extremely difficult to detect. It wouldn't absorb or emit light, and would only interact with atomic nuclei extremely rarely.
Upon its proposal, rather than confident and elated, Pauli felt ashamed. "I have done a terrible thing, I have postulated a particle that cannot be detected," he declared. But despite his reservations, the theory was vindicated by experiment.
Reactor nuclear experimental RA-6 (Republica Argentina 6), en marcha, showing the characteristic Cherenkov radiation from the faster-than-light-in-water particles emitted. The neutrinos (or more accurately, antineutrinos) first hypothesized by Pauli in 1930 were detected from a similar nuclear reactor in 1956.
or they cause the emission of new particles, which have their own energies and momenta.
Either way, you can build specialized particle detectors around where you expect the neutrinos to interact, and look for them. This was how the first neutrinos were detected: by building particle detectors sensitive to neutrino signatures at the edges of nuclear reactors. If you reconstructed the entire energy of the products, including neutrinos, energy is conserved after all.
Schematic illustration of nuclear beta decay in a massive atomic nucleus. Only if the (missing) neutrino energy and momentum is included can these quantities be conserved.
In theory, neutrinos should be produced wherever nuclear reactions take place: in the Sun, in stars and supernovae, and whenever an incoming high-energy cosmic ray strikes a particle from Earth's atmosphere. By the 1960s, physicists were building neutrino detectors to look for both solar (from the Sun) and atmospheric (from cosmic ray) neutrinos.
A large amount of material, with mass designed to interact with the neutrinos inside of it, would be surrounded by this neutrino detection technology. In order to shield the neutrino detectors from other particles, they were placed far underground: in mines. Only neutrinos should make it into the mines; the other particles should be absorbed by the Earth. By the end of the 1960s, solar and atmospheric neutrinos had both successfully been found.
The particle detection technology that was developed for both neutrino experiments and high-energy accelerators was found to be applicable to another phenomenon: the search for proton decay. While the Standard Model of particle physics predicts that the proton is absolutely stable, in many extensions — such as Grand Unification Theories — the proton can decay into lighter particles.
In theory, whenever a proton does decay, it will emit lower-mass particles at very high speeds. If you can detect the energies and momenta of those fast-moving particles, you can reconstruct what the total energy is, and see if it came from a proton.
High-energy particles can collide with others, producing showers of new particles that can be seen in a detector. By reconstructing the energy, momentum, and other properties of each one, we can determine what initially collided and what was produced in this event.
If protons decay, their lifetime must be extremely long. The Universe itself is 1010 years old, but the proton's lifetime must be much longer. How much longer? The key is to look not at one proton, but at an enormous number. If a proton's lifetime is 1030 years, you can either take a single proton and wait that long (a bad idea), or take 1030 protons and wait 1 year to see if any decay.
A liter of water contains a little over 1025 molecules in it, where each molecule contains two hydrogen atoms: a proton orbited by an electron. If the proton is unstable, a large enough tank of water, with a large set of detectors around it, should allow you to either measure or constrain its stability/instability.
A schematic layout of the KamiokaNDE apparatus from the 1980s. For scale, the tank is approximately 15 meters (50 feet) tall.
In Japan, in 1982, they began constructing a large underground detector in the Kamioka mines. The detector was named KamiokaNDE: Kamioka Nucleon Decay Experiment. It was large enough to hold over 3,000 tons of water, with around a thousand detectors optimized to detect the radiation that fast-moving particles would emit.
By 1987, the detector had been running for years, without a single instance of proton decay. With around 1033 protons in that tank, this null result completely eliminated the most popular model among Grand Unified Theories. The proton, as far as we could tell, doesn't decay. KamiokaNDE's main objective was a failure.
A supernova explosion enriches the surrounding interstellar medium with heavy elements. The outer rings are caused by previous ejecta, long before the final explosion. This explosion also emitted a huge variety of neutrinos, some of which made it all the way to Earth.
But then something unexpected happened. 165,000 years earlier, in a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, a massive star reached the end of its life and exploded in a supernova. On February 23, 1987, that light reached Earth for the first time.
But a few hours before that light arrived, something remarkable happened at KamiokaNDE: a total of 12 neutrinos arrived within a span of about 13 seconds. Two bursts — the first containing 9 neutrinos and the second containing 3 — demonstrated that the nuclear processes that create neutrinos occur in great abundance in supernovae.
Three different detectors observed the neutrinos from SN 1987A, with KamiokaNDE the most robust and successful. The transformation from a nucleon decay experiment to a neutrino detector experiment would pave the way for the developing science of neutrino astronomy.
and that neutrinos aren't slowed down as they travel from the core of the collapsing star to its photospher, the way that light is.
Even today, more than 30 years later, we can examine this supernova remnant and see how it's evolved.
The outward-moving shockwave of material from the 1987 explosion continues to collide with previous ejecta from the formerly massive star, heating and illuminating the material when collisions occur. A wide variety of observatories continue to image the supernova remnant today.
The scientific importance of this result cannot be overstated. It marked the birth of neutrino astronomy, just as the first direct detection of gravitational waves from merging black holes marked the birth of gravitational wave astronomy. It was the birth of multi-messenger astronomy, marking the first time that the same object had been observed in both electromagnetic radiation (light) and via another method (neutrinos).
It showed us the potential of using large, underground tanks to detect cosmic events. And it causes us to hope that, someday, we might make the ultimate observation: an event where light, neutrinos, and gravitational waves all come together to teach us all about the workings of the objects in our Universe.
The ultimate event for multi-messenger astronomy would be a merger of either two white dwarfs or two neutrons stars that was close enough. If such an event occurred in near-enough proximity to Earth, neutrinos, light, and gravitational waves could all be detected.
Most cleverly, it resulted in a renaming of KamiokaNDE. The Kamioka Nucleon Decay Experiment was a total failure, so KamiokaNDE was out. But the spectacular observation of neutrinos from SN 1987A gave rise to a new observatory: KamiokaNDE, the Kamioka Neutrino Detector Experiment! Over the past 30+ years, this has now been upgraded many times, and multiple similar facilities have popped up all over the world.
If a supernova were to go off today, in our own galaxy, we would be treated to upwards of 10,000 neutrinos arriving in our detector. All of them, combined, have further constrained the lifetime of the proton to now be greater than around 1035 years, but that's not why we build them. Whenever a high-energy cataclysm occurs, neutrinos speed through the Universe. With our detectors online, neutrino astronomy is alive, well, and ready for whatever the cosmos sends our way. |
[WM]An average of five lakh Indians die every year, hoping, praying and waiting for organs. Even though they know the shortfall of organs is acute, they have no option. They continue to wait in the dark. If we officially pledge our organs, each of us, on passing, can save up to 8 lives by way of organ donation. Even in death, we can give life to those waiting in the 'dark'. |
[WM]MEMPHIS, Tenn. — One person is in critical condition after a shooting Monday in the Goodwill Village Apartments in North Memphis.
Officers responded to the shooting call on Goodwill Lane at 3:30 p.m. Monday.
One male found with a gunshot wound was taken to Regional One in critical condition.
Later Monday, police reported another male was found shot in a separate shooting in Whitehaven.
Police responded to the 5900 block of Algiers at 8:20.
The victim was taken to Regional One in critical condition.
Please call 901-528-CASH with tips. |
[WM]The Associated Press Mining trucks carrying loads of oil-laden sand at the Albian Sands project in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada.
In the run-up to December’s global climate change meeting, fissures are emerging between Canada and the United States over how to deal with the internationally contentious issue of Alberta’s vast oil sands projects, which have been responsible for a sharp increase in Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.
At an Ottawa conference last week, the president of the Center for American Progress, John Podesta, a co-chairman of President Obama’s transition team, reprimanded Canada for not keeping pace with the drive to adopt green energy technology.
“The Canadians would be well served by keeping up with what’s going on in the United States with respect to this push towards clean technology,” he said, according to a report from Reuters.
The American ambassador to Canada, David Jacobson, declined to comment on whether Mr. Podesta’s remarks reflect the administration’s view.
Sujata Raisinghani, a spokeswoman for the Canadian Environment Ministry, said in an e-mail message that Canada’s intention is to develop a North American cap-and-trade system and “harmonize” the two countries’ climate-change policies.
In 2007, Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions were 33.8 percent higher than its Kyoto target, with “significant” growth due to “large increases in oil and gas production—much of it for export,” according to Canada’s 2007 Greenhouse Gas Inventory, which noted that emissions from the oil and gas extraction sector, along with mining, rose 276 percent from 1990 to 2007.
According to an interview with Canada’s environment minister, Jim Prentice, published Friday in The Globe and Mail, Canada will be heading to Copenhagen looking for less aggressive emission targets than Europe or Japan because of its faster-growing population and energy-intensive industrial structure.
With climate-change bills working through Congress, environmentalists have pressed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to block the construction of large cross-border pipelines meant to increase exports of crude from bitumen refining operations.
Canadian oil executives are concerned that new American fuel standards will work against bitumen crude, which requires vast amounts of natural gas to refine.
Mr. Prentice indicated last week that the Canadian government does not intend to reveal its negotiating position at Copenhagen before the American government does. He also told The Globe that hopes for a successful treaty in December seemed to be fading.
Canada has proposed to cut its emissions by 20 percent from 2006 levels by 2020 – a modest target compared to European goals. In previous iterations of its climate policy, released during the Bush administration, the Canadian government pushed for emission intensity targets for a broad range of industries, including oil sands producers, rather than sectoral emission caps.
Earlier this month, Mr. Jacobson, a close acquaintance of President Obama, toured the oil sands. “I’ve learned a lot about the tremendous strides that have been taken over the last several years with respect to improving the environmental record in treating the oil sands,” he told Reuters.
But at the other end of the diplomatic relationship, Canada’s new ambassador to Washington, Gary Doer, told The Calgary Herald last week that the oil sands get a “disproportionate” amount of criticism. |
[WM]Boots advent calendar is so popular it has a waiting list!
This £40 Boots advent calendar is so popular it has a waiting list.
If you'd rather swap your daily dose of chocolate for something a little more luxurious this December, Boots are selling an affordable No7 advent calendar but there's already a huge waiting list. |
[WM]To help solve this problem, Andrew Foote and Emily Woods started Sanivation— No. 55 on the BI 100: The Creators — a sanitation startup that installs in-home toilets in East Africa and turns the waste into briquettes of sustainable, environmentally friendly fuel.
Foote and Woods came up with the idea for turning waste into fuel as undergraduate students at Georgia Tech in 2011. The pair developed a thermal treatment system for human feces as a research project and later entered their work into Start-Up Chile, a business accelerator in South America.
In Naivasha, where outdoor pit latrines are the norm, the mention of an in-home toilet led many to immediately picture an open latrine inside their home — not a preferable alternative to the outdoor version. So Sanivation branded their version as "blue boxes" to dispel the negative connotations potential people had with the word "toilet."
Sanivation combines two waste streams in a metal bucket — human excrement and carbonized agricultural biomass waste, which comes from things like sugarcane gas, corn cobs, rose farms, and rice husks — and heats it to a temperature that neutralizes harmful pathogens and allows the waste to be transformed into a briquette of fuel. |
[WM]Tweet Khleo Thomas showcased his acting talent with roles alongside The Rock in “Walking Tall” and with Shia LaBeouf and Sigourney Weaver in Disney’s “Holes.” Now, the actor is focusing his energy on a music career. Thomas’ new single, “So Many Girls,” is a mere taste of what’s to come for the actor turned musician.
Q - Thank you, Khleo, for taking the time. How are you doing?
A - No, thank you. I’m feeling great, working hard and seeing the benefits of it. Loving it!
Q - You were named one of AOL's Film Fixation’s “Black Stars Rising: 10 Young African-Americans to Watch.” How did you get involved in acting and was it something that you’ve always wanted to do?
A - Acting is a passion of mine. I told my mom at the age of five that acting is what I wanted to do. I really enjoy being able to turn into somebody else; it’s a creative thing.
Q - You’ve appeared in films such as “Walking Tall” with The Rock and Disney’s “Holes” with Shia LaBeouf and Sigourney Weaver. What did you learn from working with these big named stars?
A - I learned that being a humble kid, no matter what, was going to get me a long way. They all respected that I understood I was on the set to work. Because of that, I was looked at as a fellow actor, and not just a kid on set.
Q - Other projects you’ve been a part of were the hit series, “Sons of Anarchy” and “Hurricane Season,” where you starred opposite acting legend, Forest Whitaker. Of all the big names and projects you’ve been a part of, which one stood out the most to you and why?
A - Definitely Forest. He's an incredible actor who has perfected his craft in more ways than one. It is great to analyze legends.
Q - Like many actors, you’ve segued into a career in music. Describe your music for those who aren’t familiar with it.
A - Music has always been a passion as well. I wrote the theme song for the movie “Holes” when I was 13. My music is something that grabs you no matter what. It is the overall sound of having something you won’t expect from me.
Q - The new single is called, “So Many Girls” and the upcoming EP is called, “Call Back.” What can fans expect from the upcoming album?
Q - Will there be a tour as well?
A - Yes, I’m actually working on that right now. |
[WM]The May 20-22 American Renaissance conference in Tennessee (registration details here) is reportedly rapidly selling out, so I should probably have said earlier that Lydia and I will be attending and look forward to meeting VDARE.com readers there.
Speaking last year on "Immigration: Is This The Breaking Point" when it looked like the GOP was irreversibly surrendering to Obamnesty, I made my celebrated (at least by me!) observation that "all it would take to get this issue into politics is one speech." This was before Donald Trump had even declared and certainly before anyone (except our Mathew Richer) thought he would run on immigration. In the event, it just took one soundbite.
AmRen's Jared Taylor like to get things organized, so this year I'm already committed to speaking on “The Trump Tsunami and the Future of the Historic American Nation.” Jared probably thinks I've written my speech, but in fact I have no idea what I'll say.
But I know something will turn up! |
[WM]"I intend to make Rocky the happiest man in the world for the rest of his life," the model said.
Janice Dickinson, pictured here at the American Idol Finale in Los Angeles, is ready to walk down the aisle for the fourth time.
The "first supermodel" and famous former Top Model judge Janice Dickinson has announced that she'll be putting all those years of strutting the runway to use when walking down the aisle.
Yes, that's correct--Dickinson is engaged.
Take a look at Kelly Clarkson's massive engagement ring!
The outspoken brunette revealed to Us Weekly that she'll be tying the knot to her boyfriend of three months, Robert Gerner.
"I intend to make Rocky the happiest man in the world for the rest of his life," the 57-year-old told the mag of her fiance whose nickname is Rocky. "I couldn't be happier right now. Oh! And our wedding is going to make Brad and Angelina's look like a trip to city hall!"
Oh, those are fighting words (but then again, it's Janice).
"My children, Nathan and Savvy, are over the moon and so happy their mother is so in love."
Gerner reportedly proposed to Dickinson en route to LAX, where the model was dropping the doctor off to attend a conference, and the two later went ring shopping together. The lovebirds celebrated their engagement Saturday night with friends.
"I had a great time last night and all my friends did too," Gerner told the mag. "We complete each other--our personalities really compliment each other."
Now let us see that sparkler! |
[WM]MUMBAI (Reuters) - Foxconn Technology is in talks to manufacture Apple’s iPhone in India, government officials said, in a move that could lower prices in the world’s No.3 smartphone market where the U.S. firm trails Samsung Electronics and local players.
India could help Foxconn mitigate accelerating wage inflation in China, where it makes the majority of iPhones, and base production sites closer to markets where its key clients want to grow.
Lower production costs could also help Foxconn keep hold of Apple orders amid intensifying competition with nimble manufacturing rivals such as Quanta Computer Inc.
“Foxconn is sending a delegation of their officers to scout for locations in a month’s time,” Subhash Desai, Industries Minister of India’s western state Maharashtra, told Reuters.
Foxconn has said it is aiming to develop 10-12 facilities in India, including factories and data centers, by 2020, but had given no detail.
The Taiwan-based tech giant, the world’s largest contract maker of electronic products, declined to comment on detailed plans on Thursday, citing commercial sensitivity.
Desai said Foxconn had yet to make any firm commitment, but he said the group was looking to manufacture iPhones, iPads and iPods, both for domestic as well as global sales.
Apple representatives in India did not respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
Apple’s iPhone 6 with 16 GB sells for around 44,000 rupees ($687.82) in India, versus Samsung’s Galaxy S6 with 32 GB which sells for around 40,000 rupees ($625.29).
It has 10 percent market share in India, trailing Samsung and local manufacturers such as Micromax, which dominate the market, according to Counterpoint Research Market Monitor.
A return of Foxconn — which was forced to shut up shop in India last year after client Nokia closed — would be a major victory for India, which badly needs to turn its tech boom into a manufacturing and employment boost.
India, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has sought to reboot manufacturing, but the country is yet to rival China, particularly in technology where most factories will likely be assembly units to begin with.
But local businessmen are betting that as global companies invest in the country, suppliers will follow.
A lack of good infrastructure and suppliers are the biggest hurdles to making technology products in the country, forcing most of India’s more than 100 different phone companies to get their products from the mature markets of China and Taiwan.
Apple is among the biggest clients for Foxconn — the trade name for Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd — which also makes components for companies such as Xiaomi, Acer and Sony.
“The smartphone boom in India indicates the time is just right to focus on expansion plans and increasing volume in India to a comparable level with the China market in the next five years,” said Sky Li, vice president of phone manufacturer OPPO.
India has the second-highest number of mobile phone accounts behind China. According to networking solutions company Cisco Systems, there will be 650 million smartphones in the country by 2019. The number of tablets will rise 9 percent to 18.7 million by then. |
[WM]On Jan. 12, detectives in Montgomery County received a video depicting a 65-year-old day-care operator interacting with a 2-year-old girl. By the end of the day, the operator, Christina Dhanaraj, was under arrest and charged with second-degree child abuse, officials said Tuesday.
In arrest records, detectives described what they saw.
"The video starts with the victim sitting quietly in a room inside a residence," they wrote, relating then that the suspect walked up and scolded the child. "Dhanaraj then proceeds to deliver approximately eight open-hand slaps to the victim's face. While she was being repeatedly and violently slapped, the victim was loudly crying."
Dhanaraj, who is free on bond, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. Her attorney, Patrick Hanifin, declined to discuss the specific police allegations. "Our team is still investigating the matter in its entirety," Hanifin said. "Ms. Dhanaraj has the full support of her husband and two adult children."
Dhanaraj has been operating the day-care facility out of her Silver Spring home for about 10 years and was licensed to have up to eight children there, according to county and state records.
Police said they are not identifying the person who shot the video, which may have been taken in November or December, because the person is a witness.
Detectives spoke with the girl's parents after receiving the video. "There were no apparent injuries that the parents remembered seeing," said Sgt. Rebecca Innocenti, a county police spokeswoman.
In the video, according to arrest records, Dhanaraj also can be seen shoving the victim to the floor while she was still crying, grabbing her by the head and jerking her body.
Officials at the Maryland Office of Child Care (OCC), who were shown the video by police, issued an emergency suspension of the facility. In a letter to Dhanaraj, an OCC official wrote that "you seemed to be upset that the child soiled her diaper" and yelled at the child for doing so.
The Office of Child Care had no history of complaints or reported problems with the day care before this case, according to regulators.
On Aug. 23, 2006, Dhanaraj was issued an "initial family child care registration certificate to operate" out of the Winding Waye Lane home. Of the capacity for eight children, she was authorized to have two under the age of 2. Eventually, the operation was permitted to accommodate four under the age of 2.
In their suspension letter to Dhanaraj, regulators reviewed her licensing history and listed several recent problems.
On Jan. 12, according to the letter, two day-care licensing specialists went to Dhanaraj's home with Montgomery detectives. They noted 14 compliance issues, including a lack of attendance records before January, missing barriers on several stairs, and cleaning agents and kitchen knives in drawers and cabinets children could reach.
The letter also cited the video and Dhanaraj's arrest.
"You must close your family child care home immediately," the letter stated. |
[WM]Turkey on Friday said Syrian government forces should not be allowed in Manbij as US troops withdraw, as proposed by a US-backed Kurdish militia which is viewed as a terror group by Ankara. “The YPG’s efforts to stick the regime in Manbij must absolutely not be allowed,” Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said during a press conference in Ankara. Aksoy said Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu would go to Washington for a meeting of the US-led coalition against Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) on February 6, AFP reported. One day before Cavusoglu’s visit, a Turkish delegation led by Deputy Foreign Minister Sedat Onal will go to the US for discussions on Syria. |
[WM]Following in her mother’s footsteps, 23-year-old Shakisa Olinda Harvey is among the newest admissions to the bar after graduating last Saturday from the Hugh Wooding Law School as an Attorney-at-Law.
The bubbly Harvey is the daughter of recently-appointed High Court Judge Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall.
Always certain of the career path she wanted to pursue, Harvey, who was called to the bar on Monday, said she has proven that determination, hard work and dedication truly pays off.
Presenting her petition before Madame Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, attorney Abiola Wong-Inniss, to whose chambers Harvey is attached as an associate, described her as industrious.
Recalling Harvey’s in-service stints spent at her chambers during her vacations home from law school, Wong-Inniss said her performance was always exemplary.
The lawyer said that she was honoured not only to have been presenting Harvey’s petition, but more importantly to have her within the employ of her chambers, where her knowledge and expertise will make her an asset.
In her charge, the Chief Justice reminded the young attorney that she has “human precedents” to follow and admonished her to strive always for excellence. “Never settle for mediocrity,” the Chief Justice warned.
Harvey was encouraged to “be a lawyer’s, lawyer,” and to truly advocate for her clients, providing to them the best counsel always. Justice George cautioned that the sleepless nights will continue, and that the word “research” must always be her mantra.
Looking intently at the Chief Justice as she counseled her, the new lawyer heard that “service” to others and being a voice for the voiceless will be key to upholding the rule of law.
“You’re not aiming to be any lawyer or some lawyer, you are aiming for excellence,” Justice George said, “Be a leader… Aim to be famous and not infamous,” she added.
A former student of the Bishops’ High School like Harvey, Justice George said it is always an honour to admit students of her alma mater to the legal profession. She, however, noted that in Harvey’s case it was particularly memorable as it is the same date that she herself was admitted to the bar.
In her speech thanking the court for accepting her petition, Harvey, who became emotional and was moved to tears, also expressed gratitude for her mother’s unwavering support throughout her studies.
From a lengthy list which she said was by no means exhaustive, the young woman said she owes a debt of gratitude to everyone who played a part in her attaining her dream and noted that she shares her achievement with them all.
Recalling her stint as a reporter with the Stabroek News some years ago, Harvey said she was grateful for the opportunity of exposure to the courtroom, which she noted will no doubt be an asset for her career.
Harvey’s call to the Bar was witnessed by loved ones, friends and other well-wishers.
After attending the Bishops’ High School from 2010 to 2012, where she completed Sixth Form studies, Harvey moved on to the University of Guyana, where she read for, and attained her Bachelor of Law Degree in 2015. Thereafter, she attended the Trinidad-based Hugh Wooding Law School, where she was awarded her Legal Education Certificate (LEC). |
[WM]For her visit to Greece, Angela Merkel's soft green jacket should have been just the right colour choice to convey a sense of calm. That is, if it wasn't the very same one the German chancellor wore to celebrate Germany's victory over Greece during Euro 2012. But with fashion not coming to her as naturally as economics, Merkel has got her formula and she's sticking with it. Her signature look comprises three-button blazers, often from German designer Bettina Schoenbach, in a huge range of colours. Dutch graphic designer Noortje van Eekelen even created a Pantone chart of the look for her website The Spectacle of Tragedy. From black to beige to a very on-trend purple, it runs to an impressive 90 shades. That's one for every situation Europe's most powerful woman might find herself in. |
[WM]Fans, coaches and players -- not just officials -- need to step up their games before disaster strikes.
If you follow me on social media (the math involving my modest number of followers says it’s unlikely) you know I’ve been consistent in my bewilderment at the officiating of area high school football games this season.
Officiating has affected, and perhaps determined, the outcome of several games. My beef hasn’t simply been about judgment calls that appeared to be judged incorrectly (those happen), but rather with the mechanics.
Crews have often bumbled yardage mark offs, spots (the ball can’t be exactly on the yard line EVERY time – that’s lazy), downs and rules. The common occurrences expose inexperienced, perhaps undertrained officials.
However, there are reasons for the above. Who in the heck would want to be an official today? One hundred bucks a game isn’t terrible, but do you want to be the subject of nonstop verbal abuse for three hours?
Shreveport football officiating 101: Why take the abuse?
The officiating hasn't been the only embarrassing factor in games I’ve attended, or received reports from. I’m not sure if some coaches spent more time calling plays and schemes or crawling in the ear holes of the folks in stripes.
The actions in the stands isn’t any better. If the right team wins or executes a terrific play, fans are happy. If not, it’s the officials’ fault. The mind-set is completely out of control.
I covered the North Webster-Loyola game last week and witnessed the cops called to the field twice. One instance involved a disruptive member of the chain gang, the second sent a handful of officers to track down an unruly, profanity-loving fan.
Young athletes aren’t winning in life if parents and coaches conjure excuses to blame everyone else for a lack of execution or the fact another team/player is simply better. Winning is terrific; I’m as competitive as they come. However, losing can teach us all just as much, and, in the long run, produce victories.
I’ve never heard of a college coach or NFL scout pass on a kid because the referee made a bad call. If your kid is good enough, he or she will get there. And it’s better off if they’re tough and able to self-evaluate. If they look the other way and point fingers amid adversity, good luck, the road will be much bumpier.
It’s not good for anyone to look into the stands and see parents literally fighting (not at the Week 10 game I attended), or throwing food on the field because of a perceived bad call. It’s also not good to see officials (barely) escape a mob of hysterical fans – despite the help of policemen -- at a local game.
One local coach called the referee at the center of the Loyola-North Webster game “the one guy I’d choose to referee my games.” The point: Officials, like your favorite team, can struggle. They’re human. But they didn’t put your boys in a three-touchdown hole.
Amazingly, fans don’t credit officials after victories. How is that possible?
I'm more incensed by the aftermath of such incidents like the ones I witnessed at Loyola. Adult rarely (at best) take responsibility for their – or fellow fans’ – actions. A bad call doesn’t give the rest of us carte blanche. Imagine if everyone around you lost their marbles and you became a bull's-eye for vitriol after you dub a coach’s decision “idiotic” moments before it works and you’re on your feet cheering.
No one gets it all right.
As Friday’s game developed, some of the Loyola players popped off in frustration, and that’s not to be excused, but they, along with Loyola coaches, were ultimately forced to turn from the field of play and tell their fan base to cool it as things got heated at Messmer Stadium.
The kids had to tell the parents to act like adults.
By no stretch are the officials or fans present at the Loyola game the only problem. I’ve seen it – on and off the field -- all season. However, it was Week 10. We’re now in the postseason. If we don’t compose ourselves, playoff implications could take rage to another level and that’s when national headlines – not good ones -- could be made.
“Johnny” doesn’t want to carry the burden of watching his parents punching (or worse) a fan or official on YouTube for the rest of his life.
Boo the officials or opposing fans all you want, it’s tradition. However, verbal and physical abuse is sometimes illegal and always completely embarrassing. The actions, the threats toward officials are getting worse.
I know social media, and the current climate, has made it OK to call each other names, disrespect one another and demean opinions without merit, but for crying out loud think about your actions when you’re in public. At least spam-like usernames and accounts can help hide your identity on social media.
But Friday nights are real life. With real-life implications. Coach the games, watch the games, officiate the games. Stop deflecting blame and embrace the teachable moments in wins and losses. And more importantly, remember those are fellow human beings who drop passes, miss blocks and butcher pass interference calls.
We can all be better. We must be better. |
[WM]A county council by-election for Northgate and West Green will be held on the same day as Crawley Borough Council elections next month.
A ‘widely respected’ Labour county councillor has submitted her resignation due to a change in personal circumstances.
A brand new mobile app has launched to help members of the armed forces community in West Sussex and the South East access support.
West Sussex meals on wheels delivery drivers have a little something extra special to deliver as part of their rounds this month.
A developer is looking to build 34 new flats in the centre of Crawley.
Elderly residents are being invited to trade in their old slippers for a brand new pair free of charge across West Sussex. |
[WM]Entries are now open for the well loved and much anticipated Helen’s Trust 10k and 3k fun run at Chatsworth.
The event takes place this year on Sunday, May 3, with the 10k starting at 9.30am and the 3k starting at 11.30am.
There’s a lot to see and do in the family friendly race arena including face painting, bouncy castle, lucky dip, splat the rat, food and drink.
“This is the biggest event in our calendar and we look forward to it every year. Said Helen’s Trust Chief Executive, Heidi Hawkins. |
[WM]Students have long applied to colleges and universities with applications that are heavy on test scores and grades. While that's not necessarily wrong, the founders of ZeeMee believe it doesn't tell the whole story. This Redwood City, California-based company has created a platform that lets students bring their stories to life by uploading images, videos and photos of themselves to their ZeeMee profile. Colleges and universities that partner with ZeeMee — and there are more than 200, including Tulane, University of Delaware and Carnegie Mellon University — provide a space on their application for the ZeeMee link, or students can simply email their profile to the college they're applying to if it's not a partner school. The profiles can be uploaded online or on Android and iOS devices. So far, the company claims 13,000 high schools in 150 countries have used the platform.
Co-founder and CEO Juan Jaysingh, an Indian immigrant who won scholarships to Georgetown Prep and the American University, has called the current generation the Snapchat generation, meaning they're comfortable using images and videos to tell people about themselves. He built the platform with the help of college admissions leaders so that it is focused on the mission of getting into college and doesn't become just another social media outlet.
Right now the admission service for students is free, but as the company grows — and students potentially stay on it throughout college — it plans to provide career and alumni services for a fee. ZeeMee has raised $6.8 million from BlueRun Ventures and Nima Capital. |
[WM]Against Michigan State last season, McSorley threw an uncharacteristic three interceptions — but the number is misleading, as two were no fault of McSorley’s. One came when the intended target got a hand on the ball and deflected it to a defender, and the other occurred when the intended receiver fell down while running his route.
Dantonio didn’t sound as if he expected a repeat of that Saturday afternoon. |
[WM]HUNTSVILLE, Alabama – A light breeze passed through The Brew Stooges' quiet seven-barrel brewery Tuesday afternoon in downtown Huntsville.
Tonight, the 2,500-square-foot brewhouse and tap room will come to life with six permanent taps and three portables pouring ice cold beer in the heart of the Rocket City.
"We like to keep it easy going and simple," said co-owner Chris Bramon. "We want people to come here and be incredibly comfortable. When you're here, you're right smack in the middle of it.
The Brew Stooges, a craft beer venture started by business partners Bramon, Tracy Mullins and Jeff Peck, launched a new tasting room and outdoor seating area a few months ago at its facility on 109 Maple Ave.
With help from volunteers and groups like Know Huntsville, Mullins, Peck and Bramon have seen their customer base grow in recent months with the addition of free barbecue on Saturday nights, music events and even a live podcast.
"It's doing a lot better than we originally envisioned to start off with," Bramon said. "And it just keeps getting bigger and bigger."
Down the street from the iconic, now-closed Tip Top Café, the beer makers are working on new signage to attract more brew lovers to the downtown brewery and tap room, which seats up to 25.
Although there are a couple of picnic tables out back, Bramon said the crowds have been so large they "routinely have people standing."
The Brew Stooges isn't the only local craft beer business seeing hefty growth. Rocket Republic Brewing Co. announced in June it will launch a brew house and tap room in Madison, while Huntsville's Straight to Ale recently expanded into the Atlanta market.
The Alabama Brewers Guild reported in April that statewide beer production grew 47 percent last year. The number of taxable removal barrels (the amount of beer sold and taxed) was 28,373 in 2013, up 47 percent from 2012, while the number of breweries nearly doubled from seven in 2012 to 13 in 2013.
You can now find The Brew Stooges' local brews at Huntsville's Bandito Burrito, West End Grill, The Nook, Mellow Mushroom and Pie in the Sky. Their beer is also on tap in Decatur, Athens, Birmingham, Mobile, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa.
Peck, who spends his work days at NASA, feels good about their progress.
"We want to try to grow the business organically with the market," he said. "If the market doesn't grow, then we don't get any bigger ... but I think it will. We think we can grow our market into Alabama, as well as at some point go across state lines."
The brewhouse is located in a building where Mullins ran his side business, Complete Plumbing, for about 10 years. The trio started construction on the property in the spring of 2012 before opening a year later.
During the first 10 months of operation, Peck said they were busy getting their processes down, reaching distribution agreements and landing new markets. When they felt comfortable enough to move forward with the expansion, they assembled the tap room.
The brewhouse is open to the public from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Bramon said they're working with the city of Huntsville to bring a trolley to the downtown brewery.
"If we can get folks to ride the trolley down here, that means we'll be on the normal downtown circuit," he said. "You can come downtown and visit us anytime you want and you don't have to drive."
A beer tasting with The Brew Stooges will take place July 12 and 26 during The Lowry House's Backyard Concert Series. |
[WM]Buy Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. at a price target of Rs 2555.0 and a stop loss at Rs 2430 from entry point.
Chandan Taparia of Motilal Oswal Securities has a buy call on Dr. Reddy's Laboratories with a target price of Rs 2,555.
The current market price of Dr. Reddy's Laboratories is Rs 2,467.35.
Time period given by the analyst is 'Intra Day' when Dr. Reddy's Laboratories price can reach defined target.
Chandan Taparia recommended to keep a stop loss at Rs 2,430.
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories, incorporated in the year 1984, is a Large Cap company (having a market cap of Rs 40,931.79 Crore) operating in Pharmaceuticals and health care sector.
The company’s top management includes Dr.Ashok S Ganguly, Dr.Bruce L A Carter, Dr.Omkar Goswami, Mr.Anupam Puri, Mr.Bharat N Doshi, Mr.G V Prasad, Mr.Hans Peter Hasler, Mr.K Satish Reddy, Mr.Sridar Iyengar, Ms.Kalpana Morparia.
As on 30-09-2017, the company has a total of 165,879,277 shares outstanding. |
[WM]· Saturday, Aug. 30: The royalty helps with the Wagon Days Papoose Club Pancake Breakfast in Ketchum at 9 a.m. and rides in the Big Hitch Wagon Days Parade at 1 p.m. The Intermountain Professional Rodeo Association (ImPRA) rodeo starts at 6 p.m. at Hailey Rodeo Arena.
· Sunday, Aug. 31: The royalty candidates have their coronation at 1 p.m. as part of the pre-rodeo entertainment. The rodeo begins at 2 p.m. with the Grand Entry and playing of the national anthem.
· Mickenlie Baxter, 20, is the daughter of LeRoy and Vicki Baxter of Hansen. A junior at the University of Montana Western in Dillon, Mickenlie is studying to become a veterinarian with a specialty in Equine.
· Zoie Pierce, 14, is a daughter of Jim and Karen Pierce of Jerome. She was the 2013 Teen Queen of Miss Days of the Old West. She was also a horsemanship winner in Hailey in 2011.
· Emma Flolo, 14, is a daughter of Jack and Julie Flolo of Hailey. She is a ninth-grade student at Wood River High School. In July, Emma won the Miss Days of the Old West Junior Queen title. Emma is a sixth-year member of the Hailey Wild Riders 4-H Club. She also competes in horse events at the Blaine County Fair in Carey. This is her third year of raising and showing pigs at the fair.
· Max McCammon, 20, of Rupert is a daughter of Pat McCammon and Liz Stewart. She is a full-time student at the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls, majoring in Equine Business. She is the 2015 Oakley Pioneer Days queen. Her passion is rodeo and training horses. She competes in breakaway roping, barrel racing and team roping (heading and heeling).
· Cara Malone, 16, is a daughter of Ron and Kay Malone. She will be a junior at Jerome High School, where she is president of the rodeo team. Cara is a member of the FFA agricultural education chapter along with being secretary of her 4-H Club and 4-H District 3 Horse Council. She said she is honored to be the 2014 Days of the Old West Teen Queen. She was Freestyle Horsemanship winner, and she swept the Poise and Personality, Photogenics, Speech and Horsemanship categories.
· Karessa Love, 17, is a daughter of Blake and Leigh Anne Love from Malad City. She is a senior at Idaho Virtual Academy and is serving as Senior Queen of Oneida County. She competes in high school rodeo (barrels, poles, goat tying), and enjoys camping, 4-wheeling and cake decorating. Karessa has been a teen leader for three years at Alpine 4-H Camp in Wyoming, and has shown sheep at the county fair since she was 10.
· Kacie Anne Flolo, 9, is a daughter of Jack and Julie Flolo of Hailey. The fourth grader at Hailey Elementary School is the reigning Miss Days of the Old West PeeWee Queen. She won Poise and Personality, Speech and Horsemanship contests. |
[WM]Martin Scorsese and Robert Di Niro will collaborate for the first time in decades.
Martin Scorsese's "Silence" may have been his 28-year-old passion project, but it was mostly ignored by audiences, grossing only $7 million in the U.S. opposite a $40 million budget. Something tells us the same fate won't meet the director's next project, which carries an even bigger budget and bigger stars.
Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio in "The Departed"
Scorsese has built his career on iconic gangster movies, from "Goodfellas" to "Casino," "Mean Streets" and "The Departed," so his return to the genre after more than a decade is cause for celebration.
"The Irishman" is based on the 2003 book "I Heard You Paint Houses" by Charles Brandt, which recounts the years Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran spent as a mob hitman. Brandt interviewed Sheeran over a five-year period, during which the mobster confessed to being involved in more than 25 hits for the mob. Sheeran was allegedly involved in the death of legendary mob boss Jimmy Hoffa, who went missing in July 1975 and was never found.
Anyone hoping for Scorsese to capture the cinematic energy of "Goodfellas" once again may want to lower their expectations. It appears the filmmaker is going to be making a much more elegiac and sobering gangster movie this time around. "The Irishman" picks up with Sheeran as an older man as he looks back on the hits that defined his mob career.
"The people are also older in 'The Irishman,' it's certainly more about looking back, a retrospective so to speak of a man's life and the choices that he's had to make," Scorsese told The Independent in May.
As to whether the movie follows in the tradition of "Goodfellas"? He told the outlet, "I think this is different, I think it is. I admit that there are - you know, 'Goodfellas' and 'Casino' have a certain style that I created for them - it's on the page in the script actually…The style of the picture, the cuts, the freeze-frames, all of this was planned way in advance, but here it's a little different."
Robert De Niro in "Casino"
Scorsese and Robert De Niro's careers are intertwined after making eight movies together, including "Taxi Driver," "Raging Bull" and "The King of Comedy." But the duo haven't made a movie together since "Casino," which was released 22 years ago in November 1995. "The Irishman" will mark their ninth collaboration.
While Scorsese's career in the two decades since has remained strong, De Niro hasn't really had a critically acclaimed lead dramatic role in several years. He earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for "Silver Linings Playbook," but reuniting with Scorsese is just what his big screen career needs most right now.
Joe Pesci, Ray Liotta and Robert De Niro in "Goodfellas"
The supporting cast for "The Irishman" is truly an embarrassment of riches: Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano and Bobby Cannavale. But arguably the most anticipated bit of casting is Joe Pesci, who has only had two credits to his name this century: A cameo in De Niro's 2006 CIA drama "The Good Shepherd" and a lead role in Taylor Hackford's 2010 flop "Love Ranch." Prior to 2006, Pesci hadn't starred in a single movie since 1998's "Lethal Weapon 4." The semi-retired actor is officially coming back to the big screen for a "Goodfellas" reunion with Scorsese and De Niro.
Pesci had been rumored to be joining "The Irishman," but his casting wasn't confirmed until earlier this month. He's reportedly playing Russell Bufalino, a Mafia boss operating out of Pennsylvania who has long been suspected of having a hand in Hoffa's disappearance. The character means we'll most likely be seeing Pesci and De Niro in scenes opposite one another.
Scorsese and Pesci have made three movies together. Pesci won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his turn in "Goodfellas."
"The Irishman" will follow in the footsteps of "Hugo" as a Scorsese movie that depends heavily on visual effects. The director is teaming with George Lucas' VFX company Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) to utilize the same effects used on Brad Pitt in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" so that De Niro can be digitally aged to look younger in the flashback scenes.
"The Irishman" will include flashbacks that span decades, and De Niro is set to play Sheeran in all of them. He'll appear as young as 30 years old.
The visual effects required for "The Irishman" are part of the reason the film's budget is over the $100 million mark. That's a massive price tag for any filmmaker, and it's why Scorsese has taken up shop at Netflix to make the movie despite his love of the theatrical experience over streaming.
"The Irishman" has been in development since 2008 and was originally going to be backed by Paramount Pictures, but the studio couldn't afford to take on such a risky budget. International rights were purchased by STX Entertainment for $50 million at Cannes 2016, but they backed down after Netflix took over for Paramount and bought worldwide streaming rights.
"The Irishman" is officially shooting in New York City this summer, with a production start date set for the middle of August. Principal photography is scheduled until December. The five-month shoot will just a bit longer than the filming of "Silence," which took place in Taiwan from January 30 to May 15, 2015. But it's nothing compared to "Gangs of New York" shoot. That massive production lasted for nearly eight months (August 2000 - April 2001).
Matin Scorsese and Andrew Garfield on the set of "Silence"
A lot of attention surrounding "The Irishman" is being paid to the people appearing in front of the camera, but just as exciting are the collaborators joining Scorsese behind it. Most notable is cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto, who has become a favorite of Scorsese's in recent years after shooting both "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "Silence." The latter earned him his second Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography. His first was for "Brokeback Mountain" in 2005. Prieto first earned attention for his work with Alejandro González Iñárritu ("Amores perros," "21 Grams" and "Babel").
Screenwriter Steve Zallian, meanwhile, adapted the book for the big screen. Zallian, who just earned an Emmy nomination for directing his HBO limited series "The Night Of," wrote the script for Scorsese's "Gangs of New York" and earned an Oscar nomination. He won Best Adapted Screenplay for "Schindler's List" in 1993.
Scorsese's longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker will also return for "The Irishman." She was the editor on the director's 1967 feature debut, "Who's That Knocking at My Door," and has edited all of his films since "Raging Bull" in 1980. Her work with Scorsese has resulted in six Oscar nominations for Best Editing and three wins ("Raging Bull," "The Aviator" and "The Departed").
And now for the bad news: "The Irishman" won't be released until 2019. At the very earliest we could get an Oscar-qualifying run in select theaters in late December 2018, but reports say Netflix is eyeing a day-and-date rollout in 2019. Because of the extensive VFX work required, it makes sense the movie won't open for a year after the cameras stop rolling. Let the long wait for "The Irishman" begin. |
[WM]"Yes but in another 15-20 years time, a well made Swiss watch that has been looked after will still hold its value and may have even increased its worth, unlike a $1000 iPhone which probably won't even switch on in 20 years."
I agree entirely, I have an ancient Tag, purchased about 1995. Despite the fact its been well worn, I could probably sell it for almost what I paid for it.
So much for the Apple watch. |
[WM]Granite Geek: When is a drought not a drought?
Right now in Concord, we are living in a meteorological puzzle: The National Weather Service says this is the wettest August since records began being kept 150 years ago, yet the National Weather Service also says the region is “abnormally dry,” the first stage of its drought-measurement scale.
No, climate change hasn’t driven weather folks crazy. The solution to the puzzle is that there are droughts and then there are droughts.
“There is a time lapse in how different systems respond to current conditions,” is how Richard Kiah, chief of Hydrologic Network Operations for the regional office of the U.S. Geological Survey, puts it.
In laymen’s terms: When wet weather appears, as it did in July, after a long stretch of very dry weather like we had this spring, the grass starts growing pretty quickly but it takes longer to fill up the aquifers that our wells depend on. A drought above ground might end, might even give way to flooding, while drought lingers below ground.
That’s roughly what we’re seeing now, although thankfully the drought and flooding have been minor compared to other parts of the country.
As of Saturday, the official rainfall total in Concord for the month of August is 9.36 inches, breaking the all-time August record of 9 inches, set in 1892. Even so, Concord and the swath of central New Hampshire from Sullivan County to Carroll County are officially “abnormally dry,” the first of five categories on the federal drought-measurement scale.
This discrepancy is a function of the “time lapse” that Kiah mentioned above. As an illustration, he pointed to the town of Warner.
USGS maintains a series of measuring devices around the state that keep track of groundwater levels, meaning how much water is available for wells, and other devices that measure how much is flowing on the surface in rivers. Warner has a stream gauge measuring flow on the Warner River, and also a groundwater well nearby.
At the end of March, which is roughly when the dry spell began, the stream gauge in Warner was measuring water flow above the 95th percentile point for that time of year, meaning more water was flowing in the river than almost late March in history. The groundwater level was almost that high as well: It was in the 90th percentile.
By mid-July, after two months of bone-dry weather, the surface stream gauge had plunged almost to the 10th percentile, meaning that nearly nine out of 10 past Julys had seen more water in the river, definitely a drought signal. Yet at the same time, groundwater gauge was still in the “normal” range, just slightly under the long-term average.
Both gauges are now trending upwards, and I would guess that in the next few weeks central New Hampshire will be out of the drought category entirely, as they are already in southern New Hampshire. It’s not straightforward, though.
The designation of drought requires more than just measuring recent rainfall or water flows. Other factors intrude, notably evapotranspiration, which is the measure of how much of the moisture falling from the ground and existing in the air as humidity is used by plants.
“At this time of year, some of the rainfall is not going to be recharging the groundwater, it’s going to be taken up by the plants and trees,” Kiah said. So even if a wet period is good for plants, fixing the agricultural drought, it may not be all that good for long-term water supplies.
All this makes determining whether we’re in a drought something of an art as well as a science, balancing the needs of plants and people today with the needs of plants and people in the coming weeks and months.
“New Hampshire’s drought management plan takes into account these things,” Kiah said.
The terminology goes from meteorological drought, due to a lack of rain, to agricultural drought, when the soil dries out, to hydrological drought, affecting groundwater and stream flows. Perhaps what should happen is that we give up on the idea of announcing whether we’re in a drought and instead announce whether we’re in any of three possible types of drought.
But probably not. That would confuse people more than enlighten them.
After all, designating a drought is as much a social and political marker as a scientific marker. It gives governments authority to impose watering bans and it motivates people to save water. Even if it isn’t always logically consistent, it’s still useful. |
[WM]Commercial development site on Sharon Avenue and with access off of Evergreen Street. Great exposure as traffic heads east on Sharon Avenue and near other shopping, businesses, banks etc. Excellent opportunity for your new business or investment purposes. Adjacent parcel also available and listed together under MLS 1078935. Some photos are of the general area and adjoining parcel. |
[WM]Activist shareholders in Australia’s largest independent coalminer are expected to vote in record numbers on Thursday to demand Whitehaven Coal aligns its long-term company strategy with the Paris climate agreement.
Guardian Australia understands the group Market Forces has secured support from some superannuation funds and large overseas investors in Whitehaven for three resolutions that will be put to the company’s annual general meeting in Sydney.
Will van der Pol, a legal researcher and campaigner at Market Forces, said investors had been “receptive” in recent discussions.
One non-binding advisory resolution calls on the company to disclose climate change-related risks to shareholders, in line with recommendations of the Financial Stability Board’s taskforce on climate-related financial disclosures.
Another proposal says that shareholders call on the board to make strategy and capital expenditure decisions “consistent with the climate goals of the Paris agreement” in order to safeguard the longer-term success of the company and respond to risks and opportunities posed by climate change.
“We move this resolution in order to ensure our company is protected from stranded asset risks, and poised to take advantage of regulatory and market changes as international action is taken to satisfy the goals established by the Paris climate change agreement,” a supporting statement says.
“Given the higher stranding risk of coal assets over oil and gas, coal producers should be acting more urgently than other fossil fuel producers.
Any substantial level of support would be significant, considering Whitehaven is a pure-play coalminer.
The company released a statement to the ASX on 5 October that indicated it would consider climate risk reporting in 2019, a move interpreted as a concession to activist shareholders. It followed an Australian Securities and Investments Commission report last month critical of the level of climate risk disclosures by companies.
“Whitehaven is committed to playing a role in reducing carbon emissions ... by promoting increased use of Whitehaven’s high-quality, low-emissions coal,” the company said in its statement to the ASX.
Whitehaven’s future planning is based on the “New Policies Scenario” of the International Energy Agency, under which coal demand to Asia would double by 2040. Under that scenario, global warming would increase to about 2.7 degrees above pre-industrial levels by 2100.
Under a Paris baseline scenario modelled by the IEA, international demand for thermal coal would halve by 2040.
Van de Pol said the resolutions at Thursday’s Whitehaven AGM were “an opportunity for investors to make their mark and say this is exactly what we expect companies to be doing”.
“These sorts of resolutions are about the long-term sustainability of these companies,” he said.
Climate activists have increasingly switched from the coalface to the boardroom in recent years, where campaigns for large investors to divest from fossil fuels have gathered pace.
At last week’s AGM for the Queensland-based freight rail company Aurizon, investor proxies asked repeated questions about the company’s role in hauling coal and its potential to support operations in the Galilee Basin.
The Aurizon chairman, Tim Poole, told the meeting the company’s coal freight rail network had a higher risk profile than other utilities and that the company was concerned about “stranded asset risk”.
“At some point in the next 50 years, renewable energy might be such that we might not be hauling as much thermal coal as we are today ... part of our system might not be required,” Poole said. |
[WM]SITIAWAN — The incident where four vernacular school students suffered burns during a school project was attributed to an accident, and not negligence.
Perak Education, Technology, Science, Environment and Information committee chairman Dr Abdul Aziz Bari said investigations so far revealed all standard operating procedures were adhered to during the laboratory session.
The students of SJKT Maha Ganesa Viddysalal were involved in a science project when they were scalded about 10.30am.
“Investigations so far show it was an accident,” Aziz said after visiting one of the victims at hospital yesterday.
Three other victims are currently being treated at Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital in Ipoh.
Abdul Aziz said the state government would provide appropriate assistance to the families of the students and the school to avoid such events recurring.
Abdul Aziz said the poor conditon of laboratories in school should be addressed to prevent undesirable consequences resulting in injuries to students.
“This incident also makes us aware that we need to be committed to providing infrastructure to schools,” he said.
The incident came to light after a recording went viral over social media.
The state education department and district education office commenced an investigation immediately. |
[WM]It's not hard to figure out what the worst part of last night's MTV Movie Awards was: The Pussycat Dolls performance of "AGGGHH! Boom! (Gonna Explode The Senses Out Of You)." Those four minutes seem perfectly tailored for torture—interrogators take note.
The second worst part of the MTV Movie Awards, however, is a little more difficult to pinpoint: The lengthy Verne Troyer sketch that was a commercial for Orbit gum? The mere, baffling presence of Tom Cruise? Adam Sandler's painfully extended version of "Nobody Does It Better (Than The Sandman)"? Adam Sandler's referring to himself as "The Sandman'? Adam Sandler's continued existence? Lindsay Lohan and Diddy's Clinton vs. Obama banter? The fact that the set looked like the inside of a giant, undulating calculator? It all occupied the same tier of terrible.
Still, last night's MTV Movie Awards did make history. The show is now the 2008 record-holder for number of irrelevant pop cultural references used as jokes in a movie or TV show—at least until Aaron Friedberg and Jason Seltzer's new movie comes out later this year. A guy dressed up as Javier Bardem's character in No Country For Old Men? That's hilarious. Transformers jokes? Use them all: They never get old. Wayne's World? Even though the majority of MTV's core audience was around 4 years old the last time those characters had an inkling of relevancy, and even though resurrecting them now is akin to digging up the bones of a horse that died over ten years ago, placing them on stage and beating them, sure. That can't miss.
When the two stars of a series of wholesome Disney musicals about high school are smirking in judgment at you from the audience, that's not a good sign. Maybe Mike Myers should have gone with a rehash of Coffee Talk With Linda Richman instead? |
[WM]COLLEGE: The Newbridge College campus located at 1840 E. 17th St. in Santa Ana.
PENNYSAVER AD: This photo of a Newbridge College ad in PennySaver provided by attorney Scott Schutzman shows the college advertises a "medical laboratory technician" program. Students suing the college claim the program does not qualify them to be medical lab technicians.
ADVERTISING: Attorney Scott Schutzman provided this ad that he says shows Newbridge College changed its advertisement after being sued by students. Previous ads in PennySaver offer a "medical laboratory technician" program, while this ad offers a "medical laboratory technician associate" program.
FILING SUIT: Attorney Scott Schutzman discusses a class-action lawsuit against Newbridge College with two of his clients. A group of students are alleging they were misled about school's medical lab technician program.
CLASS ACTION: Astrid Estrada listens as Ernestine Latimer discusses her complaints against Newbridge College.
COMPLAINTS: Ernestine Latimer, left, and Astrid Estrada, right, discuss their grievances against Newbridge College.
SANTA ANA — Unhappy former students have filed a class-action lawsuit against Newbridge College, alleging they were each defrauded out of $10,000 tuition by promises they could earn good salaries for medical jobs they were ineligible to obtain.
Twelve former students say they were persuaded to enroll on the promise that they needed only training from Newbridge to get lucrative jobs as medical laboratory technicians.
The plaintiffs said they didn’t learn until well into the eight-month program that lab technician positions paying $18-$24 an hour require an accredited associate’s degree that the school does not offer.
Newbridge’s attorney, Keith Zakarin, with the Duane Morris LLP law office in San Diego, said the school makes it clear students will be eligible only for entry-level jobs after they finish their training.
“No one was misled,” Zakarin said.
Newbridge College enrolls about 500 students on campuses in Santa Ana, Long Beach, Monterey Park and Glendale.
The college also reported to the federal government that it was offering a clinical/medical laboratory technician diploma during the 2007-08 academic year for $9,950 to students who completed 36 credit hours over eight months, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
But to become a licensed technician, candidates must have at least an associate’s degree or possess three years’ on-the-job training and pass a tough exam. The jobs pay $30,000 to $47,000 a year, according to state employment figures.
Without the license, students would only qualify for lower-paid jobs as lab assistants, for example, who freeze specimens or prepare blood or urine samples to be tested, said Debbie Wagner of Cupertino-based DeAnza College.
Wagner runs one of only two programs approved by the California Department of Public Health to train medical laboratory technicians.
“Why would they pay $10,000 to be trained for a job that doesn’t pay any more than they earn now?” said the students’ lawyer, Scott Schutzman, who filed the Orange County Superior Court lawsuit in June.
The confusion seems to result from changes in the state law that took place in December, when the Department of Public Health began regulating medical laboratory technician jobs and giving them more authority and pay. Before December, only trained scientists with advanced degrees were allowed to perform blood counts, urinalysis, cholesterol and other laboratory tests in California.
However, because of a lack of a workforce, the state began the process several years ago of changing the job descriptions to allow a newly created breed of trained and licensed medical laboratory technicians to perform those tests.
Wagner said that people in the field had been aware for years that the rules were changing and that, in fact, that’s why she started DeAnza’s program.
Newbridge students said they only learned they were ineligible for the technician jobs during a field trip to a hospital laboratory, when a lab director told them she would only hire them as assistants.
Zakarin said that, prior to the change in the law, medical lab technician programs “did not need DPH approval” except for the aspects that included phlebotomy certification, which involves drawing blood.
The job to which he’s referring, though, is that of a lab associate – essentially an assistant, not a technician who actually performs the tests.
“After the change in the law, the specific MLT job outcome required an associate’s (degree) and because NC’s program is a diploma program; it was not eligible for DPH approval of the entire program,” Zakarin said.
Register news researcher Michael Doss contributed to this report. |
[WM]The Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) has released the notification for the recruitment to posts such as principal, post graduate teacher in jawahar navodaya vidyalayas and assistant commissioner, assistant, computer operator in NVS HQ/ regional office.Candidates interested to apply may submit their registrations at the official website.
Registrations: The application fee for each post must be paid while submitting the online registration, which is Rs.1500 for principal and assistant commissioner, Rs.1000 for PGT, Rs.800 for assistant and computer operator.
The online application links are yet to be made available on the website. Once the links are made active, aspirants can register and complete their submission. |
[WM]Q: My great uncle, born in 1874 was the keeper of this bottle which he kept in a curio cabinet in my childhood. It might have belonged to another relative who worked in the china department of Woolworths from 1910-1930. Is it possible that such an item would be sold at Woolworths? My uncle also inherited items from a friend who was a scholar at the University of Leipzig circa 1898. My wife and I would be interested in learning anything you can tell us about this attractive object.
A: Your attractive figural fish scent bottle is very rare. It is hand-blown green cased glass which has an inner white layer, a middle vibrant green layer and an outer clear layer harboring the applied gilt enamel. The tail is shaped and molded when the glass is molten with a hand tool. The eye is an applied red cabochon set in white enamel. The sterling silver cap was made by the firm of George Edwin Walton & Co. Ltd. in 1881-82 at Hylton Street, Birmingham. It harbors a cork which seals when screwed on. As the bottle can only lay on its side the cork was kept moist, causing it to swell keeping it sealed. These figural scent bottles are usually attributed to Thomas Webb & Sons – one of the most successful glass companies of England operating in the Stourbridge area close to Birmingham. These virtually never come on the market and at auction it will probably swim to $2,500 or more.
Q: My husband’s brother inherited the ancestral home which contained a few antiques. No one knows how old this pitcher and bowl set is or where it came from, but we would like to know if it has any value. The name ‘Walmer’ and ‘E.H.’ are markings on the bottom. It is in very good shape.
A: You have a very early brown transfer wash set dating to the 1850s. The ‘Walmer’ pattern is quite rare in transfer-decorated pottery. This is a romantic interpretation after the defensive castle built by Henry VIII in the 1500s. It is English and likely stands for Elijah Hughes & Co., of the Bleakhill Works, Cobridge in the Staffordshire region of England. The company operated from 1853 to 1867 making earthenwares. The shape of the pitcher and basin is typical for the 1840s and ’50s with the eight-sided panels. It’s a durable ironstone body and was also done in blue and white and an almost black mulberry. It’s in remarkable condition and is worth $250 today.
A: Delos Cline Bell is the artist. He is known mainly for oil paintings of portraits and genre scenes — and they are all rare. Yours extends the known period of his painting career as well as the geographic area he worked in since he is listed as being active from 1850 to 1877 in the areas of Hamilton (being born in Beamsville in 1829) and Ottawa. He died in 1918. His work is crisp with a slightly primitive element to it — a desirable characteristic that is also present in yours. The high detail of the house architecture and the garb of the four figures makes it historically interesting. This small piece of art will have collectors reaching in their pockets for at least $500. |
[WM]Seven years ago the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audited one out of every 90 individual income tax returns. Last year it was one out of every 119. This year it is expected to be just one out of every 143. And for those who don’t include a Schedule C or other special (i.e., tax shelter, farm income) forms, the audit rate drops even further: one out of every 330.
Even high-income earners (over $1 million a year) can breathe easier, at least for the moment. In 2015, the agency audited nearly 10 out of every 100 of those returns while this year it’ll only be able to audit fewer than six. Business audits have also been declining. Four years ago the IRS audited nearly 10,000 businesses while last year that number dropped to just 6,453.
The decline is due to punishment through budget cuts by Congress for the agency’s egregious mismanagement and malpractice behaviors including Commissioner John Koskinen’s lying to Congress last year, which almost got him impeached, and the political profiling of Tea Party groups before that. The IRS now employs fewer than 80,000 people, down from 94,722 in 2010, with the enforcement staff seeing the most drastic declines: more than 30 percent since 2010.
The IRS has a history of overreach and mismanagement. In 2003, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found IRS lawyers Kenneth McWade and William Sims guilty of blackmailing taxpayers in order to obtain testimony against other taxpayers. They consequently were disbarred. In May 2015, the agency announced that its computer systems had been hacked and that, as a result, the private tax information of more than 100,000 citizens had been stolen. In August of that year, the IRS said that the breach was far larger than originally thought: 220,000 additional private files had been compromised. A few months later, in February 2016, the IRS admitted that the previous disclosures were in error: More than 700,000 Social Security numbers and other “sensitive” information had been stolen.
All of that appears to be ancient history with the new sheriff in town, President Donald Trump, and his deputy, Steven Mnuchin, heading up the Treasury Department. Mnuchin knows that for every 35 cents that it spends in collection efforts the IRS brings in $100. He knows that whistleblowers have brought in billions. He knows that the new program to revoke passports of those taxpayers owing more than $50,000 is likely to force them to pay up. He knows that for every $1 it spends on face-to-face audits with taxpayers the agency reaps $4 in return. He knows that for every dollar of new revenue it might receive from Congress it could generate between $4 and $6 dollars in revenue. He knows that Trump is a businessman very familiar with such numbers. Consequently Mnuchin thinks he can make a “return-on-investment” case that could result in a significant increase in the IRS’s current budget of $11 billion.
Despite the new deputy in charge of the Treasury, which runs the IRS, Trump will likely have a tough time getting Congress to approve any more than a modest increase in the agency’s budget. In the meantime taxpayers have a little more time to breathe a little easier. |
[WM]OLD PIKE PLANTATION – COUNTRY LIVING AT ITS FINEST. This remarkable 5 BR / 3 BA home sits on 3.78 tranquil acres. The thoughtfully-designed open floor plan makes for a family-friendly environment and easy entertaining. Watch the hummingbirds feed from the screened-in patio while overlooking the rest of your acreage. The open kitchen is well-equipped with extra counter space, extra storage and an oversized island workstation. Plenty of parking with a circular gravel driveway, an RV sized parking pad as well as a 2-car garage. The heated & cooled workshop makes for a great escape and man cave. The adjoining storage room is perfect for shelving and any size lawn equipment. The easily-maintained pond is stocked with bass & bream. You must see this on in person. Call today to schedule your tour! |
[WM]I ran away from home at the age of 40. It was a home I had wanted for a long time, walked past when I lived a few blocks away. I finally got my wish and was able to buy it. It was shaded by tall, mature trees; a treehouse had been constructed between the branches of a huge avocado tree. An apricot tree groaned with fruit during the summers.
I was married at the time, and my then-husband and I added a new garage to the property, painted the inside of the house, transformed the kitchen. I spent hours in the garden creating flower beds, planting new trees.
The places we live seem to absorb the memories we are making. We turn a corner and collide with the past. I got divorced while living in the house shaded by trees. Newly single, I struggled through a couple of other relationships, both of them turbulent and destructive. I also rescued a baby squirrel and nurtured him into adulthood, turning the treehouse into his home.
His name was Squirmy, and he and my dog, Sadie, chased each other around for hours, bound by a mysterious agreement that neither would ever catch up to the other.
Birds used to wait for me to put food on the bird feeder; they would line up on the wires overhead and descend as soon as I emerged from the house with a bag of seed.
The sweet memories are the ones I have retained, the ones that have bubbled to the surface after nearly six years. But when I abandoned my home, left it as if my life depended on escape, it was because I couldn't find the sweetness. I believed that, in fact, my life did depend on escape.
My career, my personal life, my internal landscapes all seemed war-torn and embattled. Rather than turning inward, I thought moving--changing my physical locale--would magically fix what was wrong. I had conveniently forgotten the wise observation that wherever you go, there you are.
I was so committed to moving to the East Coast that I put my house up for sale in a declining market--a foolish move that proved costly. That's why I think of it as abandonment of something I should have treasured, why I look back on it as running away. So much was lost.
For years, I have punished myself for that decision. Even though living in New York for a few years was a positive, nourishing experience, I took my inner turbulence with me. What is so clear to me now--but wasn't then--is that moving forward in my life meant traveling inward; I could have done it in Manhattan or in Los Angeles, but I had to do it.
I have now moved across the country twice. I have ended up back in Los Angeles, a happier person, a bit wiser, definitely calmer. I had to find in myself the writer I wanted to be, I had to repair the fractures in my family relationships first in my heart, and I had to address the fact that if I was drawn to bad romances, these could be found anywhere.
Geography really had little or nothing to do with it. However, there is the home I lost, ran away from, really; there is the weight of a rash, immature choice, a hard memory.
I don't live too far now from what was once my home, and I would like to live closer; I miss that neighborhood. The property itself has changed. The new owners added on to the house, removed some of the pines that shaded the garden. But two trees that I planted as saplings are now massive. It will never be the same as it was--only in my memory, and I have been dragging my memory behind me like a ball and chain.
My father used to tell me that God will give us an answer to any problem, dilemma or wound we bring him. "If you ask God, he will answer you," my father would tell me. Here's something I've learned: Sometimes God answers us through other people.
A friend of mine who was my neighbor when I lived in my tree-shaded house spoke the words I needed to hear. I confided to her that my decision to sell is still so difficult for me to cope with, to get beyond.
"Wait a minute here," she said. "I was there for all that. I remember everything you were going through. You were unhappy, you were restless, and you felt if you moved, things might get better. You didn't set out to sabotage your life, you were trying to make it better. It's true that the cost was high, but look how you've grown as a person."
I felt chains dropping off; I felt my memory stretching to take in the entire picture. I did what I thought I needed to do at the time. And there will be another home, another garden, which I will be better able to maintain as a peaceful, calm environment.
We lose places in our lives, but we leave things behind also. I planted two skinny saplings on land that I loved, that was my home for five years. They now bend over the lawn and reach to the sky; their trunks are thick and sturdy.
And I learned an invaluable lesson. I learned that no matter how far, how fast I ran, I couldn't run away from myself. I learned it by trying to run, by trying to escape from myself in another city, another state, as if miles and jet streams were the answers. Maybe I couldn't have learned it any other way.
My friend was right, the cost was high. But there will be another home, and it will match the home I have found inside myself. |
[WM](Newser) – For less than two weeks, Shelby Carter got to be what she wanted most to be—a mother. Now her friends and family in Wyoming, Ill., are honoring the sacrifice she made to save her newborn daughter, reports KWQC. Carter, who had just turned 21 on Sunday, was alone with her baby Monday morning when their house went up in flames. The local fire chief says Carter strapped Keana into a car seat and dropped her from an upstairs window, saving her life. "You put yourself in that situation and you know it wouldn't be easy," says Stacy Unhold, a family friend. Carter was found near an upstairs window, and an autopsy determined she died of smoke inhalation.
Very brave of this woman and proves a mother's love and sacrifice! Sadly, many other stories out there are about horrid women that do the most evil to their own children!
It's possible flames from first story kept her from jumping herself. She might have been able to toss her newborn far enough away from the house, but then was scared to jump herself if flames were directly below her. Maybe the windowsill was too hot to climb out of? I don't know, but it was definitely an incredible, selfless act thinking quickly to protect her daughter as best as she could.
Medal of Freedom Award. Meanwhile, millions of mothers kill their babies using vacuums operated by Mengele's in white lab coats following corp orders. |
[WM]Alleged TV scam sees small..
If you own a small business, Ross Greenwood is warning you to listen up.
The Small Business Ombudsman has received a raft over complaints in recent weeks about a company known as Viewble.
Businesses say they’re approached with an attractive deal.
They would pay $430 a month for a promotional television screen in their business that would play ads, along with ads of other businesses in the area.
In return, shop owners were reportedly told they’d get $430 back a month in advertising revenue.
But the advertising business has closed, allegedly leaving angry shop owners thousands of dollars out of pocket.
Small Business Ombudsman Kate Carnell says they’re investigating the matter.
“What really upset me on this one is a large number of complaints are actually the children of the business people,” she tells Ross.
She says shop owners have also been asked to sign contracts on an iPad and have been told they can cease the agreement at any time, despite it being a “three-year agreement”. |
[WM]This post was written by Hannah Chanpong.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission today charged the estate of Florida investment firm executive K. Wayne McLeod with running a Ponzi scheme that victimized an estimated 260 law enforcement agents.
McLeod reportedly raised at least $34 million since 1988 by luring active and retired government employees to invest in the "FEBG Bond Fund" with false promises of annual returns between eight and 10 percent. McLeod operated the fund through the Federal Employee Benefits Group, Inc.
According to the SEC's complaint, McLeod wrote to investors, "With all of the Ponzi Scams going on around the world I wanted to insure you that this account is 100% secured by US Gov't Securities and the principal is never touched until liquidated."
The SEC alleges that the "FEBG Bond Fund" did not exist.
"McLeod victimized law enforcement agents and other government employees who dedicated their lives to the service of this country," said Eric I. Bustillo, Director of the SEC Miami Regional Office. "The victims gave years of public service and McLeod stole their futures."
McLeod allegedly solicited his clients' investments through financial planning seminars that he presented to federal and state agencies across the country. He then used his investors' money to "pay himself" and for "lavish entertainment" and "promotional expenses to bolster his image." The SEC has frozen McLeod's assets and the assets of his firms, FEBG, Inc. and F&S Asset Management Group, Inc. FSAMG has approximately $43 million under management.
McLeod was found shot to death in his car in Jacksonville, Fla. Tuesday morning, four days after he sent an e-mail that notified his clients that he was closing the fund.
The SEC's investigation is ongoing. |
[WM]Ljubljana, 9 January - Leader of the opposition Positive Slovenia (PS) Zoran Janković again rebuffed corruption allegations against him on Wednesday, telling a press conference that the assets he supposedly failed to account for have always been there in the form of a loan to his former company.
Ljubljana Mayor and head of the opposition Positive Slovenia (PS) commenting on a Corruption Prevention Commission report, accusing him of failing to report EUR 2.4m in assets.
The news item consists of 1.910 characters (without spaces) or 413 words words. |
[WM]The best way to save money on food is to quit throwing it away. Find ways to recycle “old” food rather than the garbage pail.
When vegetables lose their crunch in the crisper, use them in stews or stocks. Stale bread really isn’t — it makes excellent bread crumbs, croutons and French toast.
Fried rice actually is better with leftover rice. Brown bananas flavor better than fresh in dessert breads. Pureé past-prime tomatoes into sauce or salsa. Save leftover wine in the fridge for use in sauces — red for beef, white for seafood and poultry. |
[WM]An Upper East Side woman who loves birds so much that she changed her name to Dove claims she was attacked by a neighbor who flew into a rage when he caught her feeding pigeons.
But retired teacher Arthur Schwartz says the woman is a known birdbrain whose scattered seed attracts rats.
The feathers started flying Saturday when Schwartz caught Anna Dove — formerly known as Augusta Kugelmas — tossing seeds to pigeons near his apartment on East 93rd Street.
“It’s disgusting,” said Schwartz, 61. “There are rats every day. They eat this stuff.
Schwartz admitted that he got so angry, he grabbed her bag of birdseed and tossed it over a fence. A passer-by saw the confrontation and called 911. But Schwartz and his wife took wing and drove off before the cops showed up.
Dove, 63, insists she’s the victim. “The guy was violent. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a weapon the next time,” she said.
Dove filed a police report charging Schwartz with poking and shoving her.
Her hobby has led to trouble before. In 2003, Dove was accused of assaulting Parks Department volunteer Carol McCabe, who had pointed out to her that feeding pigeons violates city rules.
“She got angry. She threw birdseed at my face,” McCabe recounted yesterday, adding she obtained a restraining order against Dove.
Dove believes she has a right to feed birds.
“People feeding birds are being victimized,” she said.
On its Web site, the club expresses support for the Animal Liberation Front, which the Department of Homeland Security in 2005 named as a terrorist threat.
Outside of parks, the city has no rules against pigeon feeding. But under the sanitation code, spreading seed on a sidewalk can be deemed littering. |
[WM]What can poetry do when faced with the daily realities of war and hatred, violence and terror, the crimes that humans enact upon each other and on the Earth? A cynic would answer nothing, would condemn the personal lyric as pure solipsism, an indulgence for the privileged few. But many 21st century poets are wrestling with questions of justice, writing at the intersection of history and intimacy, weaving political and social truth-telling into their private experiences.
Robert Pinsky defended his art while serving as poet laureate: “I think poetry is a vital part of our intelligence, our ability to learn, our ability to remember, the relationship between our bodies and minds,” he told the Christian Science Monitor. Bay Area poets Solmaz Sharif and Tess Taylor prove this claim, help us learn and remember with their vital new collections.
Sharif’s astonishing debut Look (Graywolf Press; $16) examines an endless cycle of war and violence, using a myriad of voices and forms. A formidable poetic talent, Sharif was born in Istanbul to Iranian parents, activists who fled their home country after the Iranian Revolution.
The phrases in all caps are taken from the U.S. Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, a sinister document that Sharif has studied in depth. “Look’s” central project is to interrogate the words themselves, to reveal how the terminology of war is entrenched in our language. She cites some of the Dictionary’s nearly 6,000 definitions and then remakes her own, splicing them into longer poems: “PINPOINT TARGET one lit desk lamp/ and a nightgown walking past the window,” “DAMAGE AREA does not include night sweats/ or retching at the smell of barbeque.” For the reader, these capitalized words and their visceral new meanings enact a series of small shocks, felt in the body and the mind.
Far from the sites of violence, Bay Area native Tess Taylor chronicles a farming year in her radiant second collection, Work & Days (Red Hen Press; $11.95). Awarded the prestigious Amy Clampitt Fellowship, Taylor balances solitary poem making in “an old lady’s cottage” with intensive physical work at a local veggie farm. Taylor led youth garden programs in Berkeley and interned in the kitchen at Chez Panisse before digging into poetry, and her keen sense of place and love of food pervade these poems.
holds code, waiting warmth to speak it.
Despite global warming, famine and flood, Taylor captures delight and seeks hope, observes “a thumb-sized frog” singing its “short springtime song.” She celebrates the summer solstice, the apex of the year when “light is monument to its own passing” and turns her fine powers of description to mulching garlic, planting leeks, digging potatoes, making apple butter.
May those who are hungry be fed.
May those who have food also hunger for justice. |
[WM]Following the successfully, massively and expertly organised coronation event of the Mthwakazi King on the 3rd February 2018 which was unfortunately aborted due to the court order and government ban which alluded to the coronation of a Mthwakazi King as unconstitutional, the Mthwakazi Chiefs are embarking on an outreach to explain to the masses about what happened and what will happen next.
The Mthwakazi Paramount Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni will be in the United Kingdom to interface with Mthwakazi nationals in that country this very coming Saturday on the 7th April 2018 in Northampton. "All Mthwakazi people are invited to this most important meeting, where they will have an opportunity to hear about the wayforward but also have an opportunity to engage Chief Ndiweni on the issue of the coronation of the King” said one of the organisers of the meeting.
Chief Nhlanhlayamangwe Ndiweni is the son of Chief Khayisa Ndiweni, a man who had an unparalleled wisdom and vision regarding the Mthwakazi nation.
Chief Khayisa Ndiweni today is greatly known for his wise counsel to Dr Joshua Nkomo during the Lancaster House negotiations, where he advised Nkomo to negotiate for Mthwakazi's autonomy.
Chief Nhlanhla Ndiweni has proven to be the chip of the old block when it comes to the national affairs, together with other chiefs such as the evergreen and incorrigible Chief Vezi Maduma Mafu have firmly stepped on the plate and fearlessly demanded the coronation of the Crown Prince Bulelani Khumalo as the Mthwakazi King.
On the 7th of April 2018 the Mthwakazi community resident in the UK will have a rare opportunity to engage the chief on this hot issue which has awaken Mthwakazi citizenry in general.
People are requested to arrive on time to allow for full and robust engagement with the chief.
For more information about the event people can call the following numbers: 0745693793; 07452716167; 07476308049; 07886274062; 07904094129; 07961487271; or 07940768047. |
[WM]The Cats have wrapped up on the field for the day--and a sweltering one it was----and here are a couple of observations that my pal Drew probably would have had out there a lot earlier, but he's enjoying a well-deserved day off.
* The Cats are fast. Flat out, no modifiers.
*The defence is so far ahead of last year at this point that it's useless to even try to compare. Huge defensive plays made several times by both Rico Murray and Pawel Kruba at linebacker. Some guys who made starts last year will not make this team, is our guess.
*The Canadian depth of this team is ridiculously good, and we'll address that a bit in the main column today (which is about Ted Laurent).
* Obviously, as the top of the five-man quarterback pyramid, Zach Collaros got the A reps in team and "skelly" sessions in Monday's second day of Tiger-Cat training camp. The bulk of the rest of the reps went to Jeremiah Masoli, No. 3 on the depth chart last year.
"The quarterbacks understand that there isn't enough time to get reps for them each day," explained head coach Ken Austin of the way pivot assignments will be handled in training camp. "We don't have enough reps to distribute five deep, or even four deep.
"Sometimes there is a modification, though, because we do things by concept. So if a quarterback is short of reps on a certain concept, then we have to rotate it differently to make sure that he comes up to curve in some learning, where he didn't have enough reps.
"There is a lot that goes into it each night as we plan reps."
Here's part of the plan, we'll guess: Collaros gets every rep he needs, especially with the prospect of a strike/lockout which could cost precious development time for a guy trying to go from a seven-game No. 2, to an 18-game No. 1.
*Andy Fantuz has never held for a left-footed kicker. Justin Medlock returns to the team after a two-year NFL absence and, apparently, is still kicking with his left foot.
Fantuz said it's an adjustment because Medlock is not only left-footed, he does not use a kicking tee---Medlock says that's actually easier for a holder once he gets used to it---and because unlike other kickers Medlock does not like the ball held down from the top with one or two fingers or the whole hand, but likes the tip of the ball pinched between forefinger and thumb to make it easier to rotate, if necessary.
Medlock says it'll take 200 practice snaps to get it right but will he have that with Fantuz, who's a first-stringer on offence?
No, it says here. That's one reason why Jason Boltus, third-string quarterback, was his holder here before. Receivers Luke Tasker and Corey Koch both with reliable, and big, hands like Fantuz are also asking for practice time as holder.
*Austin was asked whether he'd like to carry five quarterbacks as he did last year.
"We're trying to push to about eight or nine," he quipped before adding. "I don't know. if there's a ned to do that we will."
* And how is Collaros making out in his adaptation to the Austin Way, which requires an awful lot of conceptual knowledge and reaction to what's playing out in front of him?
"He's improving a lot," Austin said. " It doesn't matter what new system you go into, there's new terminology. It's like Greek af first. First you have to get comfortable with the terminology then you have to understand WHY we're doing what we're doing, and not just what. You can't have a robotic memory, coming out on this football field, you have to learn conceptually because of our adjustments. That takes time to sink in, but Zach's doing agreat job right now in his understanding and progression of learning."
Ted doesn't only look big he plays big.
Masoli (well, Austin's brilliance) got us home field advantage last year.
What a difference a gm makes. Old picked up other teams castoffs. Even Glenn was cut even before training camp in Peg. Before comming here as saviour. New: even last years starters might not make team ?! Wow. From replacing garbage with garbage to replacing starters with stars!!
And fast! I was wondering how our new QB was doing myself, even after only 2 days so thanks for addressing it, Mr Steve!
2014: the Year of the Cats!
It is truly great to hear (but I'm not really surprised) that the Ticats are way ahead of where they were last season. Continuity of coaching staff and keeping the core of players together will do that. With a new QB, offense could take a bit longer to come together but then that was true last year when EVERYONE was learning a new system. Great to hear too that there is lots of speed, some of which was evident at times last season.
As for Medlock's holder - I would think that they might try out someone who is NOT a first string player. Last year when Fantuz was injured Congi had to adjust to a different holder (Bartel). Of course any player could be injured during the season, but using a backup (like they did with Boltus - maybe Lauther would work?) might avoid the possibility of having to substitute someone less familiar (or completely unfamiliar) with Medlock's style in case of injury.
The man just known as Ted.
@Ryan y - How well he's coming along? It's Day 2 of camp... isn't it a little early to be asking that? We heard a bit of feedback after the OTA, but still, what else is a coach supposed to say at this point? And what are reporters supposed to be noticing when the drills have just been getting under way?
Re: holders for placekicking, I'm curious about the thinking behind continuing to use a receiver to do the job, versus one of the backup QBs - they can certainly run the ball if the snap is botched, but you'd think having someone like Masoli or LeFevour doing it would open up more options on a broken placekick.
Is it just me or are the ticats and reporters Being VERY careful about raising the fans expectations about how well Collaros is coming along? There have no articles about how great he is doing and Kent Austin gives the same cookie cutter responses whenever a reporter asks. I don't know maybe I've gotten used to the nfls reporters and their hyperbole over the off season but it scares me. This guy played one very bad preseason game last year I remember thinking wow he's terrible and lost the backup job to the argos Harris. I'm not sure how he ended up being second string again when Ricky went down but this kid is a HUGE gamble. And I think people should start to gear back the expectations a bit about a return to and winning the grey cup this year I think this kid might need a year or two to learn the game and become what all his potential says he could be.
Could have used Laurent last year! Should have used the Gaydosh pick to get him! Oh well, better late than never.
Also agree that speed is good... Just look at how dangerous our STs were when Thigpen or Williams were returning the kicks for TDs.
I haven't had a chance to get to camp yet... So will rely on others... How does Plesius look at MLB?
Glad to hear team is fast; as many coaches have said "you can't coach/teach speed".
Not surprised Masoli is 2nd QB (so far). I think he adds a quite different dimension to Ticat offence, whereas Lefevour is very similar in skills to Collaros.
Signing of Laurent is huge, Ticats will have so many ratio options this year. |
[WM]The formation of the new federation would result in a major Cosatu split as affiliates would have to choose between the two.
Zwelinzima Vavi, the former Cosatu secretary general who was fired by Africa’s largest labour federation in 2014 for allegedly failing to carry out his duties, will lead the new federation to be unveiled on May 1.
One of Cosatu’s major affiliates – the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa (Numsa) – would be one of the biggest members of the federation. Numsa’s Cosatu membership was nullified in 2014 following disagreements with the federation.
Vavi said the South African trade union movement had become fragmented and weakened, with only 24 percent of workers being members of any union.
“That is why there is such a groundswell of support for a workers summit and not just a new union federation but a fundamentally different one, based on worker control, internal democracy, non-racialism, gender equality, international solidarity and political independence,” he said.
Vavi said the new federation would shy away from politics and concentrate on representing interests of workers. Cosatu is part of South Africa’s ruling alliance with the African National Congress.
“Workers are crying out for an independent, fighting of organisation that works with the civil society that have ties with other trade unions fighting the same course all over the world that are not just politically independent,” he said.
A number of Cosatu affiliates including the Food and Allied Workers Union, South African Football Players Union, South African Commercial Catering and Allied Workers Union, and Public and Allied Workers Union of South Africa are some of the unions that have been linked to Vavi’s initiative.
Solidarity’s Gideon du Plesssis said the new federation had been trying to lure his union but they had ideological differences.
“The founders have already been flirting with Solidarity for quite a while to win the union’s support and cooperation but on account of ideological and other differences, Solidarity will not join the federation; yet, in areas where we could share interests such as campaigns against corruption, electricity crises and service delivery, the new federation may certainly count on our support,” he wrote for Biznews. |
[WM]Air strikes conducted near Erbil and the Mosul dam amid reports of mass killings by Sunni fighters in Syria.
The United States has conducted air strikes in Iraq against the Islamic State goup amid reports of more atrocities carried out by its fighters in neighbouring Syria.
Air strikes on Saturday targeted Islamic State fighters near the Kurdish capital of Erbil and the Mosul dam.
"The nine air strikes conducted thus far destroyed or damaged four armoured personnel carriers, seven armed vehicles, two Humvees and an armoured vehicle," the US Central Command said in a statement.
The Central Command said the strikes were aimed at supporting humanitarian efforts in Iraq and protecting US personnel and facilities there.
The Mosul dam, Iraq's biggest, fell under control of Islamic State fighters earlier this month. Control of the dam could give the Sunni fighters the ability to flood cities and cut off vital water and electricity supplies.
After the Islamic State's capture of the northern city of Mosul in June, its swift push to the borders of Iraqi Kurdistan alarmed Baghdad and last week drew the first US air strikes on Iraq since the withdrawal of US troops in 2011.
Iraq has been plunged into its worst violence since the peak of sectarian bloodshed in 2006-2007, with Sunni fighters led by the Islamic State overrunning large parts of the west and north, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee for their lives and threatening ethnic Kurds in their autonomous province.
The Islamic State has also seized large parts of Syria as it tries to build a caliphate across several countries.
On Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Islamic State fighters had killed about 700 members of a tribe in eastern Syria.
The monitoring group said the killings took place in several villages inhabitated by the al-Sheitat tribe in Deir Ezzor province. The Observatory said many of the victims were beheaded after being captured. |
[WM]"Samantha Who?" has emerged as one of the breakout hits of this troubled TV season, and a major component of the ABC sitcom's success is Melissa McCarthy's hilarious work as Dena, a childhood friend of Christina Applegate's title character.
"Dena is so sweet and bubbly, but at the same time there was that scene in the pilot where she confessed that she and Sam were not really friends and she had been fooling everyone," McCarthy says. "That made her much more interesting to me. She just wanted to be friends with these girls so desperately that she went outside her normal behavior. But if she's crazy enough to do that, what else might she do? Dena is just a little 'off,' which is always more interesting than someone who is just straight up."
McCarthy broke into comedy at New York clubs, then made her TV debut on her cousin Jenny McCarthy's 1997 MTV comedy-variety show.
Her big break came in 2000 as sweet-natured chef Sookie St. James on "Gilmore Girls," a show that required her to master huge chunks of dialogue.
"It was never not in my mind that I couldn't really complain about what I had to do when Lauren (Graham) had, like, 700 pages a week," McCarthy recalls. "She has close to a photographic memory, and I don't know if they ever realized that, if she hadn't had that memory, (the show) would have been literally impossible."
Off-camera, she's raising infant daughter Vivian without a nanny. "My husband is an actor, too, and between our two schedules, we're able to do it ourselves 95 percent of the time. And to me, that means everything," she says.
Born: Aug. 26, 1970, in Plainfield, Ill.
Family ties: Married to actor Ben Falcone ("Joey") since 2005; one daughter, Vivian. Melissa also is a cousin of Jenny McCarthy.
Professional training: Studied with The Actors Studio in New York; she also is a member of The Groundlings Main Company, a world-famous improvisational comedy and sketch troupe.
Film credits: "Go," "Drowning Mona," "Auto Motives," "The Kid," "Charlie's Angels," "Pumpkin," "White Oleander," "The Life of David Gale," "Cook-Off!" and "The Nines." |
[WM]Courtesy Redwood City. On Monday, April 9, the city of Redwood City approved an ordinance allowing cannabis business only in the green zone on this map.
Redwood City is open for cannabis business, but marijuana operators aren’t particularly high about the terms.
As far as they’re concerned, the city is banishing them to the industrial side of town and imposing overly restrictive rules.
At its Monday night meeting, the City Council voted 5-2 — with Jeffrey Gee and Vice Mayor Diane Howard dissenting — to approve an ordinance that establishes a zone where recreational marijuana wholesale businesses and indoor commercial-use nurseries can operate. That zone encompasses Seaport Boulevard east of Highway 101 and some areas west of the freeway on Veterans Boulevard. That’s where medical marijuana businesses before them primarily were relegated to.
City planners say those areas have a 3.89 percent vacancy rate, a fact they considered to be enticing to businesses.
Under the ordinance, the nurseries can only grow marijuana seeds, clones and immature plants and sell them just to wholesalers or commercial businesses, not individuals. They must provide 24-hour security and cannot operate within 1,000 feet of schools, youth centers, public parks and libraries. The state only requires them to be a minimum of 600 feet from schools.
In addition to medical marijuana deliveries that began in 2012, the ordinance allows recreational marijuana deliveries to businesses that obtain a business license in the city.
Kali-Rai, who also is a paid consultant for Harvest Bloom, one of the medical marijuana companies established in San Carlos with an administrative office in Redwood City. He said the company is worried it’ll have to comply with the new zoning rules if it expands into the recreational marijuana business.
Harvest Bloom owner/operator Alex Gillis explained the concern.
He asked if a business like his could be grandfathered in.
Also at issue for local cannabis proprietors was the rule in the ordinance requiring 24-hour security for businesses.
Business permits should begin to be issued this summer. |
[WM]Best lines of the night from the CNN News Democratic debate.
“When I finish, you will have your turn.” Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders debate in Flint, Michigan on March 6, 2016.
For those of you who have managed to defeat PDF (Presidential Debate Fatigue) and stick around this long: Pat yourself on the back! Tonight we’re following Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders as they face off on the CNN debate stage in Flint, Michigan. Check back here to see who gets vindicated and who gets Berned when moderator Anderson Cooper questions the Dems on Flint’s water crisis, mass incarceration, and the state of the auto industry. But really, can we just have a moment of thanks for a debate where neither candidate references the size of his or her junk?
I suppose they can trust the corporations who have destroyed Flint by a disastrous trade policy which have allowed them to shut down plants in Flint and move to China and Mexico. We can trust them, I’m sure. Or maybe, Anderson, maybe we should let Wall Street come in and run the city of Flint. We know their honesty and integrity has done so much for the American people.
They should be relieved. They failed this city.
I am also going to go after companies. When a company decides to leave like Nabisco is leaving, [and] they have gotten tax benefits from Chicago and Illinois to stay there, I will claw back the benefits.
I am very glad, Anderson, that secretary Clinton discovered religion on this issue. But it’s a little bit too late. Secretary Clinton supported virtually every one of the disastrous trade agreements written by corporate America.
I have said and I will say again, I will be happy to release anything I have as long as everybody else does too.
When I was a young man at the University of Chicago, I worked with students trying to desegregate University of Chicago-owned housing. Most candidates don’t put this on their resume, but I was arrested for trying to desegregate the Chicago school system.
Being a white person in the United States of America, I know that I have never had the experience that so many people in this audience have had … I have spent a lot of time with the mothers of African-American children who lost them, [like] Trayvon Martin’s mother. I got to know them. I listened to them. It has been incredibly humbling, because I can’t pretend to have had the experience you and others have had.
No. I do not support fracking.
We have our differences and we get into vigorous debate about issues. But compare the substance of this debate with what you saw on the Republican stage last week.
Let me pick up on the last point the secretary made. We [the Democrats] are, if elected president, going to invest a lot of money into mental health. When you watch these Republican debates, you know why.
My father’s family was wiped out by Hitler in the Holocaust. I know about what crazy and radical and extremist politics mean. I learned that lesson as a tiny, tiny child when my mother would take me shopping, and we would see people working in stores who had numbers on their arms because they were in Hitler’s concentration camps. I’m very proud of being Jewish, and that’s an essential part of who I am.
I am a praying person. And if I hadn’t been during the time I was in the White House, I would have become one—because it’s very hard to imagine living under that kind of pressure without being able to fall back on prayer and on my faith.
This post will be updated throughout the night. |
[WM]Center-right parties have won a majority of seats in Europe's Parliamentary elections, the results of which were released today. If you thought the financial crisis had given capitalism a bad name, election results show E.U. politicians have done their part as well.
In Spain, the standing socialist government lost seats to its conservative opposition and acknowledged "the warning" sent to them by voters concerned about the economy. At 18.1 percent, Spain has the highest unemployment rate in Europe.
Though the next presidential election in Spain is three years away, La Vanguardia reports that Rafael Rajoy, the leader of the conservative party and a presidential hopeful, is calling for a vote of no confidence against President José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.
The Right made its mark in other national contests as well.
Britain's Conservative party outperformed Labour making it even more difficult for the embattled Gordon Brown to reassure supporters he can survive the calls for his resignation. Labour took third in the E.U. election behind Ukip whose platform calls for the U.K.'s withdrawal from the E.U.
Since the rejection of the E.U. Constitution four years ago, Europe has been searching for a way forward. The elections, however, show that the popular attitude toward the E.U. is more skeptical than ever with only a 43 percent turnout, the lowest in the history of the Parliament.
In an interview for Le Monde Denish MacShane, Minister of European Affairs under Tony Blair, said that we are witnessing a "renationalisation of Europe."
"Europeans are afraid, afraid for their work, their salary, their standard of living, the future for their children. In this anxious atmosphere, the electorate was put on the defensive."
Still, center-right parties did not gain all the new ground.
Green parties won more seats than expected in what is seen as one of the E.U.'s primary responsibilities: environmental policy. Global warming is the most daunting political and moral challenge today and the one policy issue that most clearly extends beyond national boundaries.
If liberals are looking for solace in Europe's right-hand turn toward nationalism, they can congratulate Sweden's Pirate Party which will fight for shorter copyright terms and non-commercial file sharing between individuals.
Winning 7.1 percent of Sweden's electorate, they now occupy their first seat in Brussels. |
[WM]Whopper of the Week: Remembering Strom.
“Though his opposition to integration was a hallmark of [former South Carolina Senator Strom] Thurmond’s early career, his segregationist past seems all but forgotten.”—Lee Bandy, “There’ll Never Be Another Like Strom Thurmond,” in the State of Columbia, South Carolina, June 27, 2003.
“In the interest of pursuing the best possible agenda for the future of our country, I will not seek to remain as majority leader of the United States Senate for the 108th Congress, effective January 6, 2003.”—Trent Lott, Dec. 20, 2002. Lott’s resignation came after he stirred a hornet’s nest by speaking warmly, at a 100th birthday party for Thurmond, about Thurmond’s segregationist third-party presidential campaign of 1948.
Strom Thurmond was a dear friend, and I shall miss him.For American politics, the death of Senator Strom Thurmond brings to a close the Twentieth Century.Last September when the Senate paid homage to our longest-serving colleague, I dubbed Strom Thurmond “our Centennial Senator” whose life was part of the tapestry that is America. A school teacher, a judge, a governor, a philanthropist, he was, above all else, a patriot. Even in oldest age, he still had the spirit of the man who parachuted into Normandy to do his part in the fight to save Western Civilization.Strom has passed into history. His work here is done, but ours is just beginning. The rest of us can learn from his experience, build upon his accomplishments, and emulate his decency and his dedication to the land he dearly loved.
Love to say more, but I gotta catch a plane to Pascagoula. Kiss-kiss. |
[WM]CFO, Secretary, Treasurer, Director & Executive VP, BigString Corp.
Mr. Robert S. DeMeulemeester is CFO, Secretary, Treasurer, Director & Executive VP at BigString Corp. He is on the Board of Directors at BigString Corp.
Mr. DeMeulemeester was previously employed as CFO, Treasurer, Director & Executive VP by PeopleString Corp., Treasurer & Managing Director by Securities Industry Automation Corp., and CFO, Managing Director & Controller by Sector, Inc.
He received his undergraduate degree from Lehigh University and an MBA from Columbia University.
No news for BSGC in the past two years.
All Company Executives BigString Corp. |
[WM]COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - James Robert Thomason has owned his liquor store since 2002.
Right now, Thomason’s Wine and Liquor, just like any other liquor store in the state, keeps their doors closed on Sundays. He believes liquor sales should be allowed on Sundays in South Carolina.
“If a bar or restaurant can sell it after 7 p.m. and on Sundays, then a liquor store should be able to,” Thomason said.
In South Carolina, liquor can be sold Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. A bill filed in the House wants to give voters the option to allow the sale of liquor in some counties.
The bill would let local municipalities in certain counties create an ordinance or referendum to allow liquor to be sold on Sundays from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The counties impacted by the bill must generate $1.5 million in accommodation taxes revenue. A House Judiciary Committee voted to amend the bill, which was originally set at $1 million.
The House Judiciary Committee debated the bill Tuesday afternoon. Some lawmakers say small liquor stores have contacted them and told them they had concerns about the bill. The stores said they are worried about competing with bigger retailers on Sundays and they enjoy having the day off.
Thomason said he would like to see a few changes made to the bill.
During the committee, amendments were proposed by lawmakers. Ultimately, the committee voted to send the bill back to subcommittee. |
[WM]Who says college doesn’t prepare you for the real world? Sometimes they do, right down to the final moment when the tassel is turned from right to left. I’m talking about commencement speeches, which prepare students for the many dull speeches pushing shaky political ideas they will be subjected to for the rest of their lives. Jenna Ashley Robinson discusses how, in this most political of years, political speakers dominated the commencement landscape in North Carolina. |
[WM]A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Daily Star on April 16, 2019, on page 9.
Rep. Ilhan Omar says she's faced increased death threats since President Donald Trump spread around a video that purports to show her being dismissive of the 2001 terrorist attacks.
Pelosi was among Democrats who had criticized Trump over the tweet, with some accusing him of trying to incite violence against the Muslim lawmaker.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended Trump earlier Sunday, saying the president had a duty to highlight Omar's history of making comments that others deem anti-Semitic or otherwise offensive and that he wished no "ill will" upon the first-term lawmaker.
But Omar said that since Trump retweeted the video Friday night, she'd received many threats on her life that referred or replied to the posted video.
Pelosi said officials would continue to monitor and assess threats against Omar and called on Trump to discourage such behavior.
Huckabee Sanders questioned why Democrats weren't following Trump's example and calling out Omar, too. |
[WM]ARIES (March 21-April 19): "Everything is complicated," wrote poet Wallace Stevens. "If that were not so, life and poetry and everything else would be a bore." I hope you will choose his wisdom to serve as your guiding light in the coming weeks. It is high time, in my astrological opinion, for you to shed any resentment you might feel for the fact that life is a crazy tangle of mystifying and interesting stories. Celebrate it, Aries! Revel in it. Fall down on your knees and give holy thanks for it. And by the way, here's a big secret: To the extent that you do glory in the complications, the complications will enlighten you, amuse you and enrich you. |
[WM]WASHINGTON-(ENEWSPF)–December 1, 2016 — The invasion of Islamic State of Iraq and The Levant forces into Iraq two years ago has met with a “remarkable turn-around,” British Army Maj. Gen. Rupert Jones, deputy commander, Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve told reporters yesterday.
In a teleconferenced feed from Baghdad, Jones said the coalition’s training of Iraqi forces has been key in the campaign to defeat ISIL. “It’s been well over a year since [ISIL] last defeated an Iraqi force, although they continue to resist,” he said, noting that more than 4,500 forces are training now to sustain the Iraqi forces and establish wide-area security and holding forces when Mosul has been retaken.
“We’re a coalition of more than 60 nations, united against [ISIL]. And we’re very proud that so many have offered contributions to fight against [ISIL’s] twisted ideology here in Iraq, in Syria, and other locations around the world,” he said.
The coalition has trained more than 63,000 fighters and many are in combat operations in Mosul and other locations around Iraq, he said.
The OIR deputy commander said the Iraqi forces continue to progress in their advance on Mosul, and while ISIL has lost significant amounts of territory in the city’s eastern sector, the enemy has used snipers and indirect fire, mortars and rockets “to terrorize civilians in areas that have been ripped away from their control. They’ve also used suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices to attack the advancing Iraqi security forces,” he said.
In response, and at the Iraqi government’s request, U.S.-led coalition forces struck and disabled four of the five bridges connecting east and west Mosul, and increased terrain-denial missions, Jones said.
“The intent of these operations is to reduce the effectiveness of the vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices. This combination of the two tactics seems to be reducing the number of VBIEDs the enemy has been able to use,” he said.
Surrounded by a superior coalition force, the enemy has little ability to resupply or reinforce their fighters, he said, adding since the counterattack to liberate Mosul began Oct. 17, the coalition has relentlessly bombarded the enemy.
“The coalition has supported the Iraqi advance with more than 4,800 precision bombs, artillery shells, missiles and rockets against [ISIL] fighters and resources,” he added.
In Syria, the Syrian Democratic Forces having recaptured more than 270 square miles of terrain from ISIL, and are planning the next phase of isolation of Raqqa, Jones said.
“They’re now less than [18 miles] from the city and have encountered light to moderate resistance as they continue clearing villages along the axis of advance,” Jones said.
The SDF is also back-clearing the areas they control to reduce ISIL’s ability to reinfiltrate or attack using sleeper cells. “The coalition continues supporting their operations with air strikes, having delivered more than 600 munitions onto enemy targets,” he said. |
[WM]The Jeep Grand Cherokee is one of the brightest stars among the cars that propelled Chrysler--now controlled by Fiat--to a 26-percent sales increase in 2011, raising its share of the U.S. market 1.3 points to 10.7 percent.
Yesterday, the company said it would start building a diesel version of the Grand Cherokee next year, its first diesel passenger vehicle in several years.
That confirms a statement by Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne from last April that the popular Jeep crossover would get a diesel option, which he reiterated in October.
The new clean-diesel sport-utility vehicle was buried in an announcement that Chrysler would add a third production shift at its Jefferson North assembly plant in Detroit next year, hiring 1,100 new workers in the process.
That plant now builds the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango, and will eventually add low-volume production of a Maserati sport-utility vehicle previewed by the Kubang concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show last fall.
There's already a diesel version of the Grand Cherokee built in the plant, mind you, but it's sold only in Europe, where diesel vehicles make up roughly 50 percent of new-car sales. It was unveiled last spring at the Geneva Motor Show, using a turbodiesel engine from VM Motori.
The European version has a 3.0-liter V-6 diesel offered in two different states of tune. The more powerful has 241 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque, the lesser version is rated at 190 horsepower and 325 pound-feet.
The more powerful version accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 8.2 seconds, and is rated at 28.4 mpg on the European test cycle. That testing procedure usually returns fuel efficiency figures about 20 percent higher than the U.S. test, so we might expect combined fuel economy of 23 or 24 mpg.
The most economical current version of the 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, fitted with the brand's Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 gasoline engine and a five-speed automatic transmission, is rated by the EPA at 19 mpg combined for its rear-wheel drive model.
And the Grand Cherokee is likely to be the first of many clean diesel models sold across the Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge brands. A turbodiesel Dodge Durango crossover, built on the same underpinnings as the Jeep crossover, would be easy. Analysts say that the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger large sedans will also get oil burners.
Clean-diesel vehicles are now sold in the U.S. only by four European brands: Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen, with the bulk of those sales coming from the mass-market VW Jetta TDI and Golf TDI models.
But Porsche just announced it would sell its Cayenne Diesel luxury sport-utility vehicle this year in the States.
The first U.S. brand to offer a new diesel passenger car may be Chevrolet, which will sell a Cruze diesel compact sedan for the 2013 model year. |
[WM]Taking a deeper look into the list of recipients of political parties' protection money* in 2019, it appears as though a significant portion thereof will be going to nonprofits connected to party members.
The list of recipients of the protection money being distributed by the three coalition parties includes sports associations, village societies, schools, kindergartens and churches. Of the three parties, Centre and Pro Patria are the most generous toward churches, earmarking funds for the renovation of a whole host of houses of worship; the Social Democratic Party (SDE), meanwhile, will be supporting the renovation of just a few.
It stands out, however, that parties are not planning on missing the opportunity to use allotted protection money to give a boost to their members' nonprofits.
For example, one of the Centre Party's largest planned financial contributions, totalling €100,000, is to go to the nonprofit Tööstuspark Intec-Nakro, one of the two board members of which is a member of the Centre Party — Narva city councilmember Fjodor Ovsjannikov, who has been convicted of corruption.
Centre's contribution of €50,000 to the nonprofit Voore made the news last year as Voore board member Kristjan Sakk is partners with Centre Party member Ekri Savisaar. The nonprofit is slated to receive another cash injection from the ruling party, which has earmarked €17,000 for the development of a 3D marketing platform for manors.
Another €50,000 in operational support has been earmarked for the Estonian Tenants' Union, on the board of which serve Centre Party members Urmi Reinde and Heimar Lenk.
€12,000 is to go to the nonprofit Talendipank, the board of which includes Centre members Sten-Erik Jantson and Tiina Jantson. According to its annual report, the nonprofit organises beauty pageants.
The Viisu Village Society, on which serves Centre Party member and Paide City Council chairman Aivar Tubli, is to receive €20,000 for the reconstruction of a park.
The Centre Party has also earmarked €5,000 for Jõgeva Hospital, whose director, Peep Põdder, is not only a member of the party himself, but the personal doctor of former longtime Centre Party chairman Edgar Savisaar.
Of Pro Patria's protection money, €100,000 is to go to the nonprofit Konstantin Päts Museum with the aim of erecting a monument to Päts. Three of the nonprofit's five board members are members of Pro Patria, including Trivimi Velliste.
€50,000 is going toward the development of the cooperation network of the Society of Villages of Taheva Municipality. This nonprofit's sole board member, Monika Rogenbaum, is a member of Pro Patria. Another €50,000 is to go to the nonprofit Rõuge Sports Club, two board members of which, Jaak Pächter and Oliver Ossipov, are likewise members of Pro Patria.
The nonprofit Kalev Yacht Club, whose board includes Pro Patria member Kalev Vapper is to receive €25,000 for the renovation of its port infrastructure. The Jaan Tõnisson Institute, whose sole board member Andrus Villem is likewise a member of the party, is to receive the same amount.
Pro Patria member Tiit Salvan serves on the board of the nonprofit Toila-Ontika Merekuurort, which is to receive €23,000 for community facilities and €10,000 for solar-powered bus station lighting.
The Hiiumaa Heritage Society, on the board of which serves Pro Patria member and local municipal council member Tiit Harjak, is to receive €15,000 for the planning of a local War of Independence monument.
The Social Democratic Party (SDE), meanwhile, has earmarked €36,000 for the Tartu County Farmers' Union, whose director is SDE member Jaan Sõrra. Another €45,000 is to go to the Tilsi Stadium Foundation, whose board includes SDE member Sirje Tobreluts.
The Tartu County Central Folklore Association, whose board includes Social Democrat Ants Johanson, is to receive €10,000 for the renovation and purchase of premises. The nonprofit Väike Väin Society, on whose board serve SDE members Andres Hanso and Heiki Hanso, is likewise to receive €10,000, which is to pay for an environmental analysis.
Also to receive €10,000 each are the Vaiatu Village Society, whose board includes SDE member Mati Kepp, Sõmerpalu Care Home, whose sole board member is Social Democrat Lenhard Ermel, and the Estonian Nordic Walking Union, whose board includes SDE member Rein Randver.
No such striking ties were detected in the recipients of the opposition parties' financial contributions. The Conservative People's Party of Estonia (EKRE) divided its total of €300,000 evenly between the Hille Tänavsuu Cancer Treatment Foundation, the Estonian Women's Shelters Union and the Tartu University Hospital Children's Foundation.
The Free Party had a total of €227,000 in protection money to distribute, and only one recipient, the nonprofit Pelgulinn Society, had party members also serving on its board. The neighbourhood society is to receive €8,000 in support for the purchase of inventory as well as operational subsidies.
The Reform Party rejected its portion of protection money.
*This distribution of funds referred to in Estonian as katuseraha — protection money — goes back to the 1990s. A certain amount of money was reserved to be allocated at the discretion of the Riigikogu's members to satisfy different parties' interests. The arrangement is still in place, discussed towards the end of every year, and acts as a sort of grease in the process of getting a majority for the state budget bill.
Party protection money: storm in a teacup or embarrassing anachronism? |
[WM]LONDON, May 16 (Reuters) - The pesticide glyphosate, sold by Monsanto in its Roundup weed killer product and widely used in agriculture and by gardeners, is unlikely to cause cancer in people, according to a new safety review by United Nations health, agriculture and food experts.
In a statement likely to intensify a row over its potential health impact, experts from the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and World Health Organization (WHO) said glyphosate is “unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans” exposed to it through food. It is mostly used on crops.
Having reviewed the scientific evidence, the joint WHO/FAO committee also said glyphosate is unlikely to be genotoxic in humans. In other words, it is not likely to have a destructive effect on cells’ genetic material.
Diazinon and malathion, two other pesticides reviewed by the committee, which met last week and published its conclusions on Monday, were also found to be unlikely to be carcinogenic.
“In view of the absence of carcinogenic potential in rodents at human-relevant doses and the absence of genotoxicity by the oral route in mammals, and considering the epidemiological evidence from occupational exposures, the meeting concluded that glyphosate is unlikely to pose a carcinogenic risk to humans from exposure through the diet,” the committee said.
Glyphosate is also “unlikely to be genotoxic at anticipated dietary exposures”, it added.
The group reaffirmed an acceptable daily intake (ADI) of up to 1 milligram of glyphosate for every kilogram of body weight.
The conclusions appear to contradict a finding by the WHO’s Lyon-based International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which in March 2015 said glyphosate is “probably” able to cause cancer in humans and classified it as a ‘Group 2A’ carcinogen.
Seven months after the IARC review, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), an independent agency funded by the European Union, published a different assessment, saying glyphosate is “unlikely to pose a carcinogenic hazard to humans”.
The United States’ Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which first assessed glyphosate in 1986 and has reviewed it several times since then, had also previously concluded it has “low toxicity for humans”.
The differing findings thrust glyphosate into the centre of a row involving EU and U.S. politicians and regulators, the IARC experts, the WHO and environmental and agricultural scientists.
The EU’s pesticides committee is due to meet later this week to decide whether to re-license glyphosate. The U.S. EPA is being investigated for withdrawing a report saying the chemical is probably not carcinogenic.
In a question-and-answer document issued alongside the joint FAO/WHO statement, the WHO denied that the conclusions by the joint group and by IARC were contradictory. It said they were “different, yet complementary”, with the IARC assessment focussed on hazard while the other looked at risk.
In contrast, it said, the joint FAO/WHO committee looks at published and unpublished studies to assess the health risk to consumers from dietary exposure to pesticide residues in food. |
[WM]APPLETON – Ed Berthiaume, news director at The Post-Crescent, will step down from his post early next year after 29 years with the news organization.
Berthiaume, 56, voluntarily accepted an early retirement package from Gannett Co. Inc., which operates the USA TODAY Network and owns the Fox Valley news operation.
“I’ve shared the newsroom with colleagues who had a passion for journalism and a desire to pursue their work with integrity. That was true when I arrived in 1989 and it’s true today. I’ve been blessed,” Berthiaume said.
Berthiaume worked as a reporter from 1989 to 1994 before being named features editor. He served in multiple newsroom management roles over the next 24 years.
He has been leading The Post-Crescent newsroom and serving on the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin leadership team since February 2015, first as content director and interim news director before being named news director in April 2017.
Jim Fitzhenry, vice president of News for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin, will oversee the newsroom until a successor is named.
"This is a bittersweet moment for us," Fitzhenry said. "The early retirement package will allow Ed to pursue his next great adventure, but we will miss his vast knowledge of the Fox Cities and Wisconsin. I don't think I've worked with a more complete journalist. He handles so many things so well."
He cited the 2002 opening of the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center and the early coverage of the Mile of Music festival in Appleton as two highlights of his career.
Former Post-Crescent editor Dan Flannery said Berthiaume made a positive impact on the community and will be missed.
"Over the course of 28-plus years at The Post-Crescent, it was my honor to work with some exceptional journalists — people who were committed to doing their best work every time they were called on to tell the stories of our community.
Flannery said Berthiaume has a strong commitment to the community and has shown his passion for the Fox Cities and its people.
“The Post-Crescent has been far better for this community with Ed Berthiaume in its newsroom, he said. |
[WM]Free Shipping On All Beauty Products or Supplies Orders Over $34.00 at Planet Beauty in Santa Barbara. One coupon per customer per week. Excludes: Moroccan Oil, Natura Bisse, Kerastase, Bumble, Hair Color, Bare Escentuals, TRIA & Tata Harper. Other exclusions may apply. Valid on products only. Valid on Planetbeauty.com. |
[WM]Too many potions muddle the alchemy in "The Great Magician," a picaresque romance set around the rivalry between a warlord and a conjurer in 1920s China.
Too many potions muddle the alchemy in “The Great Magician,” a picaresque romance set around the rivalry between a warlord and a conjurer in 1920s China. Absent the psychological tension, technical showmanship and stylistic sleight-of-hand of “The Prestige,” this yarn from Hong Kong writer-helmer Derek Yee is unable to harmonize a mix of political intrigue and vaudevillian humor, while an excess of magic acts keeps the sterling cast too physically busy to breathe feeling into their roles. Out of touch with contempo urban tastes, the pic is unlikely to conjure dazzling B.O. in China or satisfy overseas cravings for martial arts-centric titles.
Northern China in the ’20s is embroiled in territorial feuds between warlords, one of whom is is Lei Daniu, aka Bully (Sean Lau Ching-wan), who uses the mentalist skills of his butler, Liu Kunshan (Wu Gang), to recruit soldiers. Bully is besotted with pretty acrobat Yin (Zhou Xun), whom he captured and forcibly made his seventh concubine while her fiance was in Europe. Meanwhile, Yin’s magician father, Liu Wanyao (the helmer’s brother, Paul Chun), has disappeared.
When the mysterious Zhang Xian (Tony Leung Chiu-wai) arrives in Beijing to stage spectacular magic shows, Bully seeks his help to impress the frosty Yin. To his consternation, the suave and Westernized Zhang is more beguiling than he bargained for.
ased on Zhang Haifan’s novel of the same title, the screenplay by Yee, Chun Tin-nam and Lau Ho-leung plays down the book’s dramatization of the cultural encounter between Western and Eastern magic. In fact, more plot similarities can be found with Neil Burger’s “The Illusionist,” though without that film’s sustained mystique and ingenious plotting. Yin’s divided affections never build to a full-blown romantic triangle; the main trio’s first encounter arrives a leisurely half-hour after the scene is set and periphery characters are introduced. The midsection, in which Bully and Zhang try to suss each other out, coasts on the playful charm of the two actors, but delivers no high-concept feats. Eventually, the lead story is overtaken by inane subplots involving a lost alchemy formula, Japanese spies masquerading as filmmakers, and a Manchurian monarchist conspiracy.
The pic attempts to re-create the rapture of spectatorship in an era when magic appears as powerful as sorcery to a more gullible public. It works initially, such as when Zhang plays with fire or nimbly manipulates silk-screen paintings to re-enact his romantic past. However, rather than focusing on a few grand setpieces, the film features wall-to-wall magic, some of which is purely gimmicky, which inevitably strips it of mystery.
An exploration of magic and cinema as parallel mediums, capable of enchanting as well as deluding the masses, has as much relevance now as it did in ’20s China, which also featured a burgeoning economy that bred unprecedented avarice and, with it, new levels of con artistry. Yee tentatively reflects on this phenomenon, but his tendency to moralize (obvious also in his “Protege” and “Shinjuku Incident”) brings the film to a banal conclusion.
Perfs are sound but not exceptional. Leung, who last graced the screen in 2009’s “Red Cliff II,” looks a bit old for the Casanova role, and is initially rather wooden; he doesn’t warm up until he’s left alone to banter with Lau. Gamine Zhou easily convinces as a femme to die for, but doesn’t invite deeper examination of her character or thoughts. Lau offers the most consistent turn as a wild card who keeps one guessing about his true nature until the end. Supporting turns by Wu (who had so much more presence in “Ip Man”) and Yan (brassy as usual), plus cameos by Daniel Wu, Alex Fong and Tsui Hark, only mildly enhance the mix.
Visual effects are refined without being tastelessly showy, and Yee Chung-man’s costumes are stylishly color-coordinated with the lush decor. Production design and lighting look particularly rich and luminous, paying loving homage to the folksy northern ambience and studio-set look of Li Han-hsiang’s 1970s warlord comedy-satires and trickster capers.
Stephen Tung Wai’s action choreography serviceably integrates magic into martial arts, but larger-scale street fights are pedestrian.
Production: An Emperor Motion Picture (in Hong Kong), Bona Entertainment Co. (in China) release of an Emperor Motion Picture, Bona Film Group Co. and Bona Entertainment Co. presentation of a Film Unlimited production. (International sales: Emperor Motion Picture, Hong Kong.) Executive producers, Albert Yeung, Yu Dong, Jeffrey Chan. Directed by Derek Yee. Screenplay, Chun Tin-nam, Lau Ho-leung, Yee, based on the novel by Zhang Haifan.
Crew: Camera (color, widescreen), Nobuyasu Kita; editor, Kong Chi-leung; music, Leon Ko; art director, Zhen. W; costume designers, Yee Chung-man, Jessie Dai Mei-ling; re-recording mixers (Dolby SRD 5.1), Traithep Wongpaiboon, Nopawat Likitwong; visual effects supervisor, Clement Cheng; visual effects, 3 Plus Animation Prod., Cinedigit; action choreographer, Stephen Tung Wai; magic advisor, Kong Tao-hoi; line producers, Jamie Luk, Man Cheuk-kau; associate producers, Shirley Kao, Catherine Hun; assistant director, Liu Xiao; second unit director, Jamie Luk; second unit camera, Shinichi Chiba. Reviewed at the Grand, Hong Kong, Jan 5, 2012. Running time: 130 MIN. |
[WM]REPORTER (Jeff Mason from Reuters): For President Putin if I could follow up as well. Why should Americans and why should President Trump believe your statement that Russia did not intervene in the 2016 election given the evidence that US Intelligence agencies have provided? Will you consider extraditing the 12 Russian officials that were indicted last week by a US Grand jury.
TRUMP: Well I’m going to let the president [meaning Putin] answer the second part of that question.
As you know, the concept of that came up perhaps a little before, but it came out as a reason why the Democrats lost an election, which frankly, they should have been able to win, because the electoral college is much more advantageous for Democrats, as you know, than it is to Republicans. [That allegation from Trump is unsupported, and could well be false.] We won the electoral college by a lot. 306 to 223, I believe. [It was actually 304 to 227.] That was a well-fought battle. We did a great job.
Frankly, I’m going to let the president speak to the second part of your question. But, just to say it one time again and I say it all the time, there was no collusion. I didn’t know the president. There was nobody to collude with. There was no collusion with the campaign. Every time you hear all of these 12 and 14 — it’s stuff that has nothing to do — and frankly, they admit, these are not people involved in the campaign. But to the average reader out there, they are saying, well maybe that does. It doesn’t. Even the people involved, some perhaps told mis-stories. In one case the FBI said there was no lie. There was no lie. Somebody else said there was. We ran a brilliant campaign. And that’s why I’m president. Thank you.
PUTIN: As to who is to be believed, who is not to be believed: you can trust no one. Where did you get this idea that President Trump trusts me or I trust him? He defends the interests of the United States of America and I do defend the interests of the Russian Federation. We do have interests that are common. We are looking for points of contact.
There are issues where our postures diverge and we are looking for ways to reconcile our differences, how to make our effort more meaningful. We should not proceed from the immediate political interests that guide certain political powers in our countries. We should be guided by facts. Could you name a single fact that would definitively prove the collusion? This is utter nonsense — just like the president recently mentioned. Yes, the public at large in the United States had a certain perceived opinion of the candidates during the campaign. But there’s nothing particularly extraordinary about it. That’s the normal thing.
President Trump, when he was a candidate, he mentioned the need to restore the Russia/US relationship, and it’s clear that certain parts of American society felt sympathetic about it and different people could express their sympathy in different ways. Isn’t that natural? Isn’t it natural to be sympathetic towards a person who is willing to restore the relationship with our country, who wants to work with us?
We heard the accusations about it. As far as I know, this company hired American lawyers and the accusations doesn’t have a fighting chance in the American courts. There’s no evidence when it comes to the actual facts. So we have to be guided by facts, not by rumors.
Now, let’s get back to the issue of this 12 alleged intelligence officers of Russia. I don’t know the full extent of the situation. But President Trump mentioned this issue. I will look into it.
So far, I can say the following. Things that are off the top of my head. We have an existing agreement between the United States of America and the Russian Federation, an existing treaty that dates back to 1999. The mutual assistance on criminal cases. This treaty is in full effect. It works quite efficiently. On average, we initiate about 100, 150 criminal cases upon request from foreign states.
For instance, the last year, there was one extradition case upon the request sent by the United States. This treaty has specific legal procedures we can offer. The appropriate commission headed by Special Attorney Mueller, he can use this treaty as a solid foundation and send a formal, official request to us so that we could interrogate, hold questioning of these individuals who he believes are privy to some crimes. Our enforcement are perfectly able to do this questioning and send the appropriate materials to the United States. Moreover, we can meet you halfway. We can make another step. We can actually permit representatives of the United States, including the members of this very commission headed by Mr. Mueller, we can let them into the country. They can be present at questioning.
In this case, there’s another condition. This kind of effort should be mutual one. Then we would expect that the Americans would reciprocate. They would question officials, including the officers of law enforcement and intelligence services of the United States whom we believe have something to do with illegal actions on the territory of Russia. And we have to request the presence of our law enforcement.
For instance, we can bring up Mr. Browder in this particular case. Business associates of Mr. Browder have earned over $1.5 billion in Russia. They never paid any taxes. Neither in Russia nor in the United States. Yet, the money escapes the country. They were transferred to the United States. They sent huge amount of money, $400 million as a contribution to the campaign of Hillary Clinton. [He presents no evidence to back up that $400 million claim.] Well, that’s their personal case. It might have been legal, the contribution itself. But the way the money was earned was illegal. We have solid reason to believe that some intelligence officers guided these transactions. [This allegation, too, is merely an unsupported assertion here.] So we have an interest of questioning them. That could be a first step. We can also extend it. There are many options. They all can be found in an appropriate legal framework.
REPORTER (Jeff Mason from Reuters): Did you direct any of your officials to help him [Trump] do that [find those ‘options’]?
PUTIN: Yes, I did. Yes, I did. Because he talked about bringing the US/Russia relationship back to normal.
The evidence regarding that entire matter, of Bill Browder and the Magnitsky Act, can be seen in the links and the other evidences that are presented in two articles that I published on that very subject, earlier this year. One, titled “Private Investigations Find America’s Magnitsky Act to Be Based on Frauds”, summarizes the independently done private investigations into the evidence that is publicly available online regarding Bill Browder and the Magnitsky Act. The Magnitsky Act was the basis for the first set of economic sanctions against Russia, and were instituted in 2012; so, this concerns the start of the restoration of the Cold War (without the communism etc. that were allegedly the basis of Cold War I). The other article, “Russiagate-Trump Gets Solved by Giant of American Investigative Journalism”, provides further details in the evidence, and connects both the Magnitsky Act and Bill Browder to the reason why, on 9 June 2016, the Russian lawyer Nataliya Veselnitskaya, met privately at Trump Tower, with Donald Trump Jr., Paul Manafort, and Jared Kushner — the reason was specifically in order to inform them about the documentation on this case, so that Trump, if elected, would be aware of the contents of those documents. She had used the promise of dirt on Hillary so as to enable Trump, who effectively became the Republican nominee on 26 May 2016, to learn about the actual documents in this crucial case.
The Russian government has been legally pursuing Mr. Browder, for years, on charges that he evaded paying $232 million taxes that were due to the Russian government. These private investigations into this matter — regarding whether or not the Magnitsky Act was based on fraudulent grounds — have all found that Mr. Browder has clearly falsified and misrepresented the actual documents, which are linked to in those two articles I wrote. These might be the very same documents that she was presenting on June 9th.
So: this is a matter of importance not only to the validity (or not) of the Magnitsky Act economic sanctions against Russia, but to the Russiagate accusations regarding U.S. President Donald Trump. In my two articles, the general public can click right through to the evidence on the Magnitsky case. |
[WM]Last season: 29-6, lost to Florida State in second round of NCAA Tournament.
Who’s gone: Coach Chris Mack (Louisville), guard Trevon Bluiett, guard J.P. Macura, forward Kerem Kanter, forward Kaiser Gates, forward Sean O’Mara.
Who’s back: Junior point guard Quentin Goodin (8.7 point per game) is Xavier’s most experienced returning player and will be one of the team’s leaders, along with sophomore forward Naji Marshall, who started 18 games last season. Marshall averaged 7.7 points and is Xavier’s most diverse offensive player. Forward Tyrique Jones (7 ppg, 4.5 rebounds) is counted on to play a bigger scoring role on the front line. Sophomore guard Paul Scruggs (4.9 ppg) also moves into an expanded role.
Who’s new: Three graduate students. Forward Zach Hankins set school records for blocked shots and field goal percentage at Ferris State. Guard Ryan Welage set the school record for 3-pointers in three seasons at San Jose State. Guard Kyle Castlin is a team captain after coming over from Columbia, where he averaged 10.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
The Skinny: Xavier is in a transition season with a new head coach and a significantly different roster. The Musketeers lost five of their top seven scorers including Bluiett, who averaged 19.3 points per game. Xavier was ranked as high as No. 3 last season, won its first Big East regular season title and got its first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before blowing a 12-point lead and losing in the second round. Steele was Mack’s top assistant and moved up when Mack went to Louisville.
Expectations: Las Vegas oddsmakers have Xavier as a long shot to win the NCAA Tournament at 120-1, on par with Louisville, St. John’s and Butler. Defending national champion Villanova is one of the top favorites at 10-1.
CINCINNATI (AP) — With a senior-laden team, Xavier won its first Big East regular season championship and got its first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. A second-round loss abruptly ended everything and began a transition that’s still in progress entering the new season.
Coach Chris Mack left for Louisville and was replaced by Travis Steele , his top assistant. Five of the top seven scorers are gone, including Trevon Bluiett, who averaged 19.3 point per game. And the Musketeers find themselves with a lot of newness as they open the Steele era.
No matter who was the head coach, the Musketeers would have been expected to take a step back because of the turnover from their 29-6 season. Their top three scorers were seniors Bluitt and J.P. Macura (12.9 points per game) and graduate transfer Kerem Kanter (10.9).
What’s left is a roster with limited experience in Xavier’s system. Three graduate transfers will fill it out, but they have to get used to playing a different style.
NEW LEADER: Goodin was among the players who lobbied for Steele to get the head coaching job, providing stability in the program. Steele is staying with Xavier’s offensive and defensive systems, though tweaking them to account for the significant roster change. Goodin said Steele has kept most things the same.
TRIO OF GRADUATE TRANSFERS: Forward Zach Hankins set school records for blocked shots and field goal percentage at Ferris State. Guard Ryan Welage set the school record for 3-pointers in three seasons at San Jose State. Guard Kyle Castlin is a team captain after coming over from Columbia, where he averaged 10.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. All three are counted upon to play significant roles during their one season at Xavier.
YOUNGER LEADERS: With no seniors who came up through Xavier’s program, the Musketeers are counting on Goodin, junior Tyrique Jones, and sophomores Naji Marshall and Paul Scruggs to provide more leadership as the newcomers learn their way.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Xavier’s defense slipped last season, often allowing teams to go on long runs that got them back into games. The perimeter defense was a problem in particular. Steele has tweaked the Musketeers’ man-to-man defense to try to get more turnovers and transition baskets.
NEW BIG EAST LOOK: The top two teams in the league have undergone significant roster changes — Xavier the regular-season champion and Villanova the national champion. With those two teams in transition, there’s room for others to rise up in the league, especially in the early going. |
[WM]This image from Rethink81 shows what Almond Street might look like without the Interstate 81 viaduct. The CNY Chapter of the American Institute of Architects supports demolition of the highway in favor of a Community Grid plan that would bring life and commerce into spaces now in the shadow of the interstate.
Close your eyes and visualize a mini Park Avenue in New York City, or Millennium Park in Chicago. These urban areas are pedestrian-friendly spaces with a mix of high-rises and street-level mixed-use properties. These locations, home to some of the most valuable real estate in the world, are also critical components of a city street grid.
The I-81 Viaduct Project is an opportunity for our region to think big. Not a big new highway, but grand and innovative ideas on what to do with the (hopefully) soon-to-be former viaduct corridor.
Selecting the Community Grid option over replacing the current Viaduct with a newer, bigger highway should be a "no-brainer." Removing the elevated highway will open up a range of opportunities for our region; to further reinvigorate the city, to reconnect divided communities and to stimulate unprecedented growth.
Syracuse was one of many cities across the country which made the fateful urban planning decision in the 1950s and 1960s to build elevated highways through their urban centers. In every case, the neighborhoods in the shadows of the viaducts suffered a similar fate; abandonment and isolation, reduced property values, pollution and noise. Beyond the socio-economic impacts on neighborhoods, city highways severely limit economic development, and they are not terribly efficient, either. Have you ever been one of the 44,000 people a day who use Exit 18 (Harrison/Adams) during the morning and evening commute?
Today, cities like San Francisco, New Orleans, Boston, Dallas and New Haven have already, or are in the process of, tearing down elevated city highways. In Milwaukee, where the Park East Freeway was razed in 1999, urban development has flourished with property values in the affected area increasing by 45 percent. In 2007, Manpower relocated its 900-employee global headquarters to a site in downtown Milwaukee formerly occupied by elevated the highway.
This can happen in Syracuse.
The economics favor the Community Grid option as well. The Grid costs $400 million less than the Viaduct, which also takes longer to build and requires increasing annual maintenance costs over the next 50-plus years. Equally important, the Community Grid stimulates economic growth. There is a need to re-densify the city, especially in walkable areas like those around Almond Avenue. Walkable zones attract people and development generating sales and property tax revenue. We have an opportunity to revitalize the valuable areas currently shadowed by I-81.
In addition to the community-building and economic development benefits, there are compelling logistics arguments for the Community Grid. Eighty-eight percent of the traffic on the existing viaduct consists of people travelling to the city - most for work. The current highway, however, is designed to help cars bypass the city altogether.
The Community Grid design taps into the existing infrastructure, dispersing traffic throughout the city grid by promoting broader use of the existing underutilized street network. The design provides direct connections to key destinations in the city and adds new exits to ease congestion and further spread traffic. In the grid, instead of one path to their destination, drivers will have multiple access points.
The grid design is also the least disruptive option, requiring the acquisition of just five buildings. The construction of a new Viaduct will condemn and demolish 24 buildings, including at least 12 structures of historical significance.
The American Institute of Architects Central New York chapter created the AIACNY81 Task Force in 2013 to carefully follow this process; to help broaden community knowledge and promote good design and planning practices. Based on our review of the current plans, we strongly recommend the Community Grid alternative, which would knit the city together again and offer unprecedented redevelopment potential.
For this process to be truly successful we must view this as more than just fixing a mistake, or designing a better traffic pattern. The Community Grid presents an urban development opportunity which will have a profound effect on our region for generations.
Syracuse, Central New York and New York state must maximize this opportunity. Let's get this right with big ideas not a big new highway. We look forward to being an integral part of this important planning conversation. |
[WM]More social website jostling, as AOL upgrades and launches a beta version of AOL Pictures as a direct competitor to Flickr.
Flickr, if you’ve been hiding in a cave for the past few years, is the photo-sharing website that pretty much caused the phenomenon of content sharing, and was recently taken over by Yahoo.
Will it work? In the world of social Internet sites, it doesn’t have nearly a silly enough name to be a runaway success. AOL Pictures – yeah, well, it does what it says, and you know who owns it, but it’s not a daft name is it?
For any other cave dwellers out there – etribes is representing the UK in the personal publishing and photo-sharing arena. We’ve got mobile posting and a nifty deskbar that lets you post pictures to secure galleries without opening a browser. We are also doing our level best in the silly names stakes! |
[WM]The Buzz: Palomar clearing land off Hilltop Drive. Here's why.
The Buzz: A piece of land off Hilltop Drive is getting cleared. Here's why.
Dirt, and lots of it, has been moving on a piece of hillside property off Mission De Oro Drive across from the Shasta Creek Apartments east of Interstate 5.
The work is visible from off north Hilltop Drive.
Palomar Builders is grading land to build attached homes, much like its Park Pointe neighborhood just north of this site.
But this project has a twist.
Jeb Allen, Palomar’s co-owner, told me about 10 of the 46 units will have studio apartments where the garage would go. The apartments will have a bathroom and kitchen.
Allen had tried to sell the property. But it's zoned multi-family, so Allen said nobody would buy it because the cost to build apartments didn't pencil out.
So, he came up with the studio apartment idea, which satisfies the requirement to build multi-family housing.
“When I start something, I want to finish it, and to me this finishes Highland Park,” Allen said.
Highland Park is the single-family subdivision next to Park Pointe that Palomar Builders started in 2009. Park Pointe is an extension of Highland Park.
Allen said floorplans for his new development will range from 1,693 square feet to 2,021 square feet. The smallest floor plan will feature the 10 studio apartments.
But while Allen is satisfying the multi-family zoning requirement, the studio space doesn’t have to be an apartment.
The owner could turn it into say a man cave or she shack.
Allen hopes to start construction in the spring.
Lily Toy, the city’s interim planning manager, said accessory units to homes are built throughout the city.
“But as far building these all out as far as a planned development, yes this is probably a first,” Toy said.
If you’ve ever had an idea on how to make Redding a more desirable place to live and believe there are ways to attract more visitors to the area, the Redding City Identity Project wants to hear from you.
The project has posted a survey (https://bit.ly/2yKDi7n) of 16 questions that it will use to come up with 20 ideas by 2020.
How do you describe yourself?
What challenges does Redding face?
What are the three best assets of the city?
What would you do within the next 10 years to affect positive change in Redding?
You have until Nov. 20 to take the survey and the results will be revealed Jan. 10 at the Cascade Theatre. The evening also will feature John O’Leary, who was badly burned when he was 9 years old and is now an inspirational speaker and author of the book, “On Fire.” O’Leary is the father of four and lives in St. Louis.
The chamber announced its $500,000 city pride plan last spring. It has partnered with other businesses and organizations to help fund the project, including the McConnell Foundation, Sierra Pacific Industries Foundation, Dignity Health, Black Bear Diner, Commerce Home Mortgage, Compass and Josh Barker of ReMax Town & Country.
Questions on the survey were based in part from meetings with artists, web designers, the startup business community, and city and Shasta County leaders.
“This is not going to be the chamber of commerce version of the identity of Redding. This is coming from the people of the community, so we want it to be a far and wide reach,” Mangas said.
Ideas to improve Redding should focus on messaging, experiences and aesthetics.
“Maybe one idea is a façade improvement in Redding and maybe funding from the identity project gets leveraged with other dollars to make it happen,” Mangas said.
There were 500 responses about a day after the survey first went up.
“It’s really fun to see how people have engaged for us,” Mangas said.
Three months after its transmitter atop Shasta Bally was destroyed by the Carr Fire, 88.9 FM KFPR in Redding is still off the air.
And North State Public Radio management does not know when the transmitter will be replaced so 88.9 can be back on the air.
Meanwhile, North State Public Radio restored full power to its 91.7 KCHO station in Chico. The station once again can be heard between Yuba City and Redding, though reception in Redding can be spotty depending on where you’re at.
KCHO had been broadcasting at reduced strength on a backup transmitter since April, when the transmitter on Cohasset overheated and failed due to a faulty air conditioning unit. |
[WM]Tricky brainteaser challenges puzzlers to find the dragon egg hiding in the cushions - but can YOU beat the record of 29 seconds?
Record is 29 seconds to hunt it down, but could you do it any quicker?
A new brainteaser has hit the internet in time for Easter, challenging people to hunt for a dragon egg within in a sea of colourful cushions.
This mythical mind-boggler has been created by ScS, as dragon fever takes the nation by storm this spring, thanks to the return of Game of Thrones.
According to the creators, nobody can find the egg in less than 29 seconds - but could you be up to the challenge?
According to the creators, nobody can find the colourful egg in less than 29 seconds - but could you be the one to hunt it down?
Craig Smith, Product Development Co-ordinator from ScS, said: 'Having created our very own dragon sofa, and with Easter on the horizon, we wanted to put a twist on the traditional Easter egg hunt and help refine people's searching skills in the process.
Eagle-eyed viewers should be able to spot the patterned purple egg tucked away in the bottom right hand side of the image, nestled between a pink and orange cushion.
This is just the latest in a long line of seek and find puzzles to leave challenge fans baffled.
Weddings are some of the most joyous occasions of the year, be it with friends and family, or incredible star-studded affairs.
But with wedding season approaching, stationary company Norma & Dorothy have created a fun and lively scene featuring every bride and groom's worst nightmare - a pair of lost rings.
The fun and lively graphic depicts the many wedding guests, along with brides and grooms, waiters and bridal party, hunting for two tiny hidden rings. It's made even trickier with the addition of bustling dogs and wild party decorations.
They've tasked people with thirty seconds to find the tiny rings, and help the brides and grooms finally get to the alter - but how will you fare?
Somewhere in the busy wedding party scene are two tiny wedding rings hidden amongst the chaos - but can you spot them?
The busy party scene shows everything from two brides holding hands to comfort one another, to guests scratching their heads as they hunt for the rings.
To make it even harder, there are also several dogs causing chaos in the wedding scene, as well as stacks of cake.
Hidden amongst all the fun are two tiny rings, but can you find them in the 30 second challenge?
They're tiny gold bands with a huge rock of a jewel on them - the image you're looking for looks a little like the below ring.
You're hunting for the lost rings that look a little like this in the above picture - but remember, they're tiny!
For those eager for the reveal, the answer lies towards the top right of the picture, where the ring is peaking out amongst a bouquet of flowers.
The second is at the centre bottom, right next to a waiter's none-the-wiser hand.
Don't worry if you didn't manage to find it, as there have been plenty of other brainteasers sweeping the web for you to try your hand at.
With the sun starting to make an appearance from behind the clouds, it won't be long until many of us will be jetting off on our holidays.
But with airport parking never a fun task, Holiday Extras are hoping to provide a little escape and light relief for our travels by challenging the nation to the ultimate game of spot the difference.
At first glance the left and right-hand side of the image look identical, but inspect it a little closer and all is not quite as it may seem.
The busy graphic asks the nation to identify the 11 differences between two airport parking images - and, with a time to beat of 52 seconds, it's got many people in a tight spot.
While the left and right hand side of the picture may seem like a mirror image, there are 11 noticeable differences between both - but can you find them?
'When it comes to Meet and Greet parking, we really invest in the little touches that make a big difference to our customers, so we wanted to see if Brits had the same eye for detail,' said Seamus McCauley from Holiday Extras.
If you're struggling and are eager for a few hints, try looking at the colour of the cars and any surrounding details in the parking lot.
But if 52 seconds have long gone and you're still none the wiser, take a look at the answers below - which include red tarmac carpet and a missing windscreen wiper on the top right car.
And this is just the latest in a long line of brainteasers sweeping the web and leaving even the biggest of netizens perplexed.
Another puzzle by Rattan Direct, to mark Great British Spring Clean week, has left the nation stumped.
Hidden amongst the pretty pastel-coloured petals is a feather duster - but can you find it?
The record is an impressive nine seconds, but the team claim if you can find it in 20 or under, you're doing pretty well.
The graphic is filled with a variety of brightly-coloured plants - which have been strategically placed to try and throw you off the scent.
If its been more than 20 seconds and you've had enough of feather duster finding, then scroll down for the reveal.
Only the most eagle-eyed netizens will see the feathers from the duster poking out from behind a leaf.
The answer resides towards the middle, centre of the picture - but don't worry if you didn't manage to find it, as there have been plenty of other brainteasers sweeping the web for you to try your hand at. |
[WM]Tens of thousands of people have been tortured and thousands have died in custody in Syria’s prisons since March 2011, the start of the crisis that has forced so many to flee.
Anyone suspected of opposing the government is at risk. Labourers, business people, students, bloggers, university professors, lawyers, doctors and journalists. People helping their neighbours. Activists standing up for minority groups. Men, women and even children.
Prisoners speak of an endless cycle of beatings. On the journey after arrest. In transit between detention centres. As part of a ‘welcome party’ of abuse on arrival at a prison, used to frighten new arrivals into submission. And then every day for every conceivable minor ‘breaking’ of rules, including talking or not cleaning their cells.
Many of the people we spoke to said they had been beaten with plastic hose pipes, silicone bars and wooden sticks. Some had been scalded with hot water and burnt with cigarettes. Others were forced to stand in water and given electric shocks.
People suffer acute mental health problems due to overcrowding and lack of sunlight. In some cases, people told us there could be more than 50 people in a cell as small as 3m by 3m. They sleep in shifts, and have a tiny space of floor where they can sit and eat.
People die from starvation. From a lack of air in their cells. And from completely treatable diseases. Cuts, ingrown fingernails and rashes become infected, and people die from a desperate lack of medical care.
In most cases, the Syrian government denies the security forces have even arrested these people. Or they refuse to give any information about their whereabouts. It means that many detainees are “disappeared” – outside the protection of the law – making them especially vulnerable to abuse.
This is just part of the reality of life in Syria. And it’s part of the reason why so many people are fleeing for neighbouring countries and beyond. More than 11 million Syrians have fled their country since the start of the crisis.
As the world attempts to resolve the ongoing conflict, the treatment of people in detention must be a priority if Syrians are to have any trust in a lasting peace. Russia has considerable influence over negotiations, in part because of its military involvement in the region. It must ensure that independent monitors are allowed in to fully investigate conditions in these brutal detention centres.
The Syrian government must let in independent monitors to investigate Syria’s brutal detention centres, now.
Since 2011, thousands of people have died in custody in Syria’s torture prisons. Tens of thousands more have experienced shocking torture. People have been brutally beaten, raped, given electric shocks and more, often to extract forced “confessions”. Anyone suspected of opposing the Syrian government is at risk. Conditions in these brutal detention centres are sub-human. People are dying from starvation. They’re not getting even the most basic health care, and are dying from infected cuts and ingrown fingernails. They suffer acute mental health problems because of the overcrowding and lack of sunlight.
Send the message below and tell Russia and the U.S. to use their global influence to ensure that independent monitors are allowed in to investigate conditions in Syria’s torture prisons.
I am writing about the ongoing reports by human rights monitoring groups, in particular Amnesty International, that document the widespread use of torture and other ill-treatment and lethal conditions in Syrian detention facilities.
Since the beginning of the crisis in 2011 the Syrian authorities have subjected tens of thousands of people in Syria to arbitrary detention or enforced disappearance. Many of them have been subjected to torture or other ill-treatment in Syria’s detention centres and thousands are reported to have died in custody as a result.
These practices clearly violate international law as well as the provisions of UN Security Council resolution 2139 and in many cases constitute war crimes. Insofar as they are carried out as part of a widespread, as well as systematic attack directed against the civilian population, they also amount to crimes against humanity.
I therefore call on you to use your influence in the International Syria Support Group to urgently ensure that independent detention monitors are allowed to investigate conditions in all detention facilities run by the Syrian government or its security forces. They must also be allowed to speak freely to all people who have been deprived of their liberty.
I urge you also to use your influence to ensure that the Syrian authorities provide detailed information on all those who are held in their custody, and inform the families of those detained about their legal status and whereabouts.
Since 2011, thousands of people have died in custody in Syria’s prisons. Tens of thousands more have experienced shocking torture. Amnesty International spoke to survivors to document the brutal conditions.
يجب على الحكومة السورية أن تسمح لمراقبين مستقلين بالتحقيق الآن في الفظاعات التي تشهدها مراكز الاعتقال.
منذ عام 2011، لقي آلاف من المعتقلين حتفهم في السجون السورية بسبب التعذيب، كما عانى عشرات الآلاف تعذيباً مروعاً. لقد تعرض المحتجزون إلى ضرب مبرح، واغتصاب، وصدمات كهربائية، والكثير من أنواع التعذيب؛ بهدف انتزاع "اعترافات" قسرية منهم. فكل شخص يُشتبه في أنه معارض للحكومة السورية، يكون عرضة للخطر.
الأوضاع الوحشية السائدة في مراكز الاحتجاز تفتقر إلى أبسط الشروط الإنسانية اللائقة. فالمحتجزون يتعرضون للموت بسبب الجوع، ولا يحصلون على الخدمات الصحية الأساسية. كما يموتون بسبب الالتهابات الناجمة عن الجراح التي يُصابون بها، وبسبب الأظافر الطويلة التي تنمو في أصابعهم. إنهم يعانون مشكلات صحية عقلية حادة بسبب الاكتظاظ ونقص التعرض لأشعة الشمس.
ابعثوا برسالة إلكترونية تحثوا فيها روسيا والولايات المتحدة على استخدام نفوذهما في العالم، وضمان السماح لمراقبين مستقلين بالتحقيق في طبيعة الأوضاع السائدة في السجون السورية، والتي يتعرض فيها المعتقلون إلى التعذيب.
أكتب إليكم استجابة للتقارير المتواترة التي تصدرها المنظمات المعنية بحقوق الإنسان بشأن أوضاع السجون والمعتقلات في سوريا، ولاسيما منظمة العفو الدولية، والتي تُوَّثق استخدام التعذيب على نطاق واسع وأنواع أخرى من سوء المعاملة والأوضاع السيئة التي تقود إلى موت المعتقلين.
منذ بدء الأزمة في عام 2011، تعرض عشرات الآلاف من السوريين إلى الاعتقال التعسفي والاختفاء القسري على يد السلطات. وذكرت التقارير بأن آلافاً من المعتقلين ماتوا خلال الاحتجاز نتيجة لذلك.
هذه الممارسات تنتهك بكل وضوح القانون الدولي، وبنود قرار مجلس الأمن التابع للأمم المتحدة رقم 2139. وفي عدة حالات، تشكل جرائم حرب. وترقى هذه الممارسات أيضاً إلى جرائم ضد الإنسانية بسبب اتساع نطاقها، واعتدائها الممنهج على السكان المدنيين.
ولهذا السبب، أدعوكم لاستخدام نفوذكم في المجموعة الدولية لدعم سوريا من أجل السماح لمراقبين مستقلين، بشكل عاجل، بالتحقيق في الأوضاع السائدة في مراكز الاعتقال التي تديرها الحكومة السورية أو أجهزتها الأمنية. ويجب أيضا أن يسمح لهم بالاتصال، بدون قيد أو شرط، بالمعتقلين الذين حُرموا من حرياتهم.
أحثكم أيضاً على استخدام نفوذكم لضمان تقديم السلطات السورية معلومات مفصلة بشأن جميع المعتقلين لديها، وإخبار عائلاتهم بخصوص أوضاعهم القانونية وأماكن احتجازهم. |
[WM]The holidays are here, which means it’s time for you to make your annual charitable donations in a desperate attempt to cleanse the stains your dark soul has accumulated this year. Below is a thoroughly vetted list of the most effective life-saving charities in the world.
Here is the list of 18 charities dubbed “2017's Best” by The Life You Can Save, a respected site that encourages effective philanthropy—meaning that these charities accomplish the most for the people with the greatest need per dollar donated.
And here is the new list of the year’s seven top charities from GiveWell, another respected charity evaluation site that focuses on effective giving.
Against Malaria Foundation, which provides malaria nets that save lives.
Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, which fights disease in sub-Saharan Africa.
Evidence Action, which provides clean water and deworming programs.
GiveDirectly, which sends money to the extreme poor.
You are likely not a superhero who saves lives very often, but you can legitimately save lives by donating to these charities.
The election of Donald Trump has had a chilling effect on many of our subscribers, our recommended charities, our Team at The Life You Can Save, and people throughout the United States and the World. There is an understandable desire to do something to mitigate the damage that a Trump presidency can do to the environment, the social safety net, and to civil liberties. At a time when many people wanted to advance in these areas beyond what the Obama administration has done, there is concern that we are about to take a dramatic step backwards. How does this impact effective giving?
I would suggest that we continue to support the recommended charities on our new list at the same level we have in the past, or even at an increased level. The value of $1 given to a recommended charity still trumps (forgive the pun) the value of a dollar given domestically — even under the current political environment. However, as citizens I urge everyone to get involved in social movements to which they resonate whether the movement targets the environment, civil rights, or protecting our social safety net. If one feels the understandable urge to give to political movements or organizations fighting the Trump agenda then please consider giving more money over the next four years so that you don’t diminish your gifts to fight global poverty.
So don’t let Donald Trump make you forget the world’s poorest people. Santa Claus is watching. |
[WM]FLAGGED. A man who drives his wife to work on their motorcycle says he often gets stopped by enforcers because they think he drives for Angkas. This was because he and his wife have matching helmets that also look like the official Angkas helmets.
The man said he thought it was cute to have matching helmets, now they want to get different ones to stop being flagged down. |
[WM]Published: Jan. 29, 2015 at 01:14 p.m.
Updated: Jan. 29, 2015 at 01:35 p.m.
PHOENIX -- Richard Sherman might hold more than the Lombardi Trophy come Sunday.
The Seattle Seahawks cornerback is on baby watch, with his girlfriend, Ashley Moss, expected to give birth to their son over the next week.
Asked Thursday if he would consider missing Super Bowl XLIX to attend the birth, Sherman expressed confidence that his new addition will arrive at the right time.
"He's not supposed to come Sunday," Sherman said. "Obviously that'd change some things, but I think he's going to be a disciplined young man and stay in there until after the game."
Said Sherman: "He's gonna do his father his first favor and stay in there for another week or two, but I've thought about the possibility of him coming during the game and coming before the game and we have things in place in case that happens. And, you know, we'll cross that bridge when we get there, but, you know, I obviously did not know it was a topic of national debate, honestly. You know, I'd not like to miss the birth of my first son, my first kid, but, you know, thankfully and hopefully and God willing we won't have to cross that bridge."
The All-Pro cover man on Wednesday said that Moss is here with him in Arizona and would give birth at a local hospital if she goes into labor before the big game.
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Sherman said. "We're not thinking about the possibility." |
[WM]Concrete is made ready for acclaimed director Ridley Scott who was immortalized in concrete when he placed his hand and foot prints in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.
Acclaimed director Ridley Scott shows off the concrete on his hands. Scott was immortalized in concrete when he placed his hand and foot prints in front of the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California on Wednesday, May 17, 2017.
On Hollywood Boulevard, just past the man with the albino python wrapped around his neck, lies the TCL Chinese Theatre. Four years ago, the iconic landmark received a multimillion dollar makeover to revive its faded beauty, not unlike some of the aging actors who’ve placed their hands and feet in the theater’s cement courtyard.
But Thursday , the majestic movie theater will mark 90 years as the Grand Dame of Hollywood Boulevard, playing host to 20,000 visitors a day from around the globe.
“It’s just like it looks on TV,” marveled Jay and Nazira Momin, who were visiting from Atlanta.
These days it hosts more than 40 movie premieres a year, and it screens the blockbusters moviegoers can’t wait to see each weekend.
On Wednesday — a day before the theater’s birthday — Harrison Ford stopped by to watch his friend Ridley Scott, who directed him in the 1982 blockbuster “Blade Runner,” press his hands into wet cement. The filmmaker will be immortalized on the walk in front of the Chinese, along with the likes of Groucho Marx, Betty Grable and George Burns, who left an imprint of his famous cigar.
Scott noted how much the somewhat-seedy neighborhood has changed.
Built during the silent- film era, the movie house opened in 1927 as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, named after its founder, Sid Grauman. It became Mann’s Chinese Theatre in 1973, reverted back to its original name in 2001, then took on the moniker TCL Chinese Theatre after naming rights were purchased by the Chinese electronics firm, TCL Corp. in 2013.
Outside the theater Wednesday, tourists were excited to get a glimpse of the landmark and a few real-life movie stars.
“It’s incredible. I saw Harrison Ford just now,” said 14-year-old Eileen Befeler of Costa Rica as her father smiled.
She added that the movie palace was everything she imagined.
Now, Kushner, 35, reports that the TCL Chinese is the largest IMAX theater in the world.
She said she thinks founder Sid Grauman would appreciate the transformation. |
[WM]Les Beaucamps school in Guernsey is currently being considered as one of the potential sites for the States' two-school model of secondary education.
The island's new President of Education, Deputy Matt Fallaize, said that with the purchase of additional land, it's being looked at as an option.
He also said Le Mare De Carteret and St Sampson's High School could be used.
His comments came in response to a question put to him by a sixth form student from Guernsey Grammar School.
Earlier this week, pupils quizzed politicians in a forum designed to engage young people about the workings of the government. |
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January 23, 2018 (Spring Valley) - ECM traveled to Granite Hills on Tuesday night for a clash between the lady Eagles and the lady Wolf Pack on the court. Granite Hills has started their season a little lackluster, going 7-10 overall and 1-1 in league. The Wolf Pack sport the same 7-10 record, but are undefeated so far in league, going 2-0.
The Wolf Pack set the tone in the first quarter, but were held back in the second by a hungry Eagles offense who crept back into the game. West Hills managed to keep their lead going into the half by eight points, 18-10.
Not very many points were scored in the third, but West Hills senior Kerrie Daniels got the Pack to a double digit lead with a nice putback on the offensive board and the Pack led 23-13 after three.
There were only four points scored in the fourth, but one dagger bucket from junior Savanna Rinder was all the Wolf Pack needed to win this one 25-15 and remain undefeated in league play and move to 8-10 overall. The Eagles move to 1-2 in league and to 7-11 on the season.
The lady Eagles will next travel to Grossmont on Friday night. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m. The Wolf Pack stay in the area and head to La Mesa to face Helix, also on Friday night at 5:30 p.m. |
[WM]There have been a lot of mentions about this stock on social media and in the media in general such as CNBC etc. I am not surprised as it’s been on a mission the last few weeks; however the recent peak could well have put in a significant peak, especially considering the media attention this stock has got recently.
Whenever a stock or market gets highlighted, it’s generally very close to a turn and usually close to high or low; in this case I can make a solid claim that there are enough gyrations to suggest the advance from the April 2018 lows has ended an impulse wave (5 wave rally).
To support the more bearish idea (Idea 1) and a large move lower to at least correct the advance from the April 2018 lows, then I would want to see a move below 24.90. The alternative idea that I am tracking (Idea 2), suggests the recent high is only that of a 3rd of 3rd wave and a few more gyrations as shown would be seen to extend the advance.
However if we see a big move below 24.90, then I feel the depth of the decline would not be fitting with the prior gyrations and is likely part of a move lower for Idea 1.
If you own the stock you might want to pay attention to the area around 25.90 – 26.00, in my opinion, any weakness should really find buyers if further upside is going to be seen for the alternative idea (Idea 2).
If history is a guide, then the recent high could be as significant as the prior 2 peaks.
Have a profitable week ahead.
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[WM]Those who never have done it can have no concept of what it`s like, and those who have done it can`t begin to describe it.
For those who do choose to travel in a car full of kids-and their numbers are growing at equal pace with two-career parenthood-the Embassy Suites hotel chain is offering a haven, at least on weekends.
Embassy Suites, which has acquired the Park Suites chain to raise the number of its hotels to 100, earlier this month unveiled a national ''family friendly'' program named after cartoon character Garfield, the company`s promotional ''spokescat'' since 1986.
Under terms of ''Garfield`s American Adventure,'' children checking into 1 of the 72 participating Embassy Suites hotels for weekends with their parents get a royal welcomed.
Gift packs at check-in time include T-shirts, ''Garfield'' magazines, playing cards, postcards, bookmarks, maps of area attractions, discount coupons on everything from toys to cruises and entertainment and a game card giving each child a shot at a $10,000 college scholarship.
Embassy Suites will publicize its program by distributing teaching guides for history and geography to 10,000 elementary schools nationwide, and next year with Garfield shows in more than 100 shopping malls.
At 25 of the hotels, including the Embassy Suites, 600 N. State St., Chicago, parents also are given a discount rental on a video camera with free tape to record their trip. As standard policy, made-to-order breakfasts are free for the whole family (as are evening cocktails for parents).
The ultimate service to the childbound is to be found at only three hotels-in New York, Palm Beach Shores, Fla. and on the Hawaiian island of Maui.
For children 3 to 13, New York, Palm Beach Shores and Maui also boast Kids Clubs, day-care centers equipped with arcade-caliber video games, indoor basketball, VCRs with tapes and activities designed to keep the children busy while Mom and Dad go shopping or to the theater. Rates are $5 an hour, capped at $20 for the whole day. The New York hotel rents cellular phones to parents so they can keep in touch with their children through the day.
Hotels in the chain are essentially autonomous and cannot be required to offer the Kids Club. But Mary Lee Broder, manager of program development for Embassy Suites, said at an press conference in New York Oct. 15 that the corporation will attempt to get all of them involved.
- The U.S. Travel Data Center in Washington, D.C., said the number of business trips-155.4 million-was down last year from 1989, but that the number of travelers was up, to more than 35 million adults.
Broder said travelers ''increasingly are taking their children along,'' a lifestyle change that makes the Kids Club concept a natural.
''Eighty percent of all vacations today involve at least one child, and last year as many as 6 million children went along on business trips,'' Broder said.
''Women business travelers now make up one-third of all business travelers, and (some) parents today take their children everywhere with them- in business, pleasure or both.
But will notoriously independent hotels in the chain have the will or the heart to take the plunge on childproof rooms and lavish day-care centers for their guests?
''We`re probably not going to get into that, at least for the next year,'' said Collette Radcliffe, general manager at Denver`s downtown Embassy Suites, which is participating in the ''American Adventure'' promotion.
An Arizona Embassy Suites executive, who asked not to be identified, declined to go that far.
''Families that come here on weekends are coming because we offer a much lower weekend rate than we do during the week, and `Garfield`s American Adventure` is priced so that to give away some of the things they`re giving away, you have to have a higher weekend rate,'' the executive said.
Travel Editor Alfred Borcover, whose column normally appears on this page, is on vacation. |
[WM]St Georges Cathedral of First African Church, Ipaja Town has concluded plans to stage her centenary celebration from April 8-13 at the church cathedral in Ipaja, Lagos.
The chairman, planning committee and award, Prince Owen Adeniran, told reporters the event with the theme This God is our God features revival service, colloquium, bible teachings, drama, thanksgiving and award ceremony to individuals with immense contributions in the private and public sector.
The cathedral vicar, Venerable Moses Adeniran, urged the church to remain steadfast in all good works and the teaching of the scriptures so that the glory of this present age will be greater than that of the former.
Guests expected at the celebration include the Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Princess Adejoke Orelope Adefulire, Executive Chairman, Ayobo-Ipaja, Local Council Development Area, Hon Yusuf; traditional rulers, Primate of the Mission, Most Rev E. Koya, the Archbishop, Rev Paul Onanuga, and others. |
[WM]RICHMOND, Va. -- Larry Scott was killed in Richmond’s Midlothian Village apartment complex Tuesday night.
A year earlier, Scott had been charged with conspiracy in a killing in that same complex.
A vicious cycle of violence appears to have caught up with Scott. Crime Insider sources say he was found inside an apartment, shot execution-style.
Taylor knows a lot about the confines of prison walls.
“I was locked up for 23 years."
He's a convicted killer who's now trying to right his wrongdoing, hoping to inject his community with some common sense.
"It's a trend across the country, especially in urban communities. Black-on-black crime or violence period is at an all-time level,” said Taylor. “For me, someone who was once a part of it, I believe that I am one of the people, or people like myself who are returning home, it is incumbent upon us to get back out here and try to eradicate what we helped start."
Unfortunately, his wisdom wasn't passed on in time to Scott. When he was killed, he was facing a charge of conspiracy to commit the murder of 23-year-old Rashawn Brathwaite.
Scott becomes the city's 52nd murder in 2017.
On the streets where the mantra is “kill or be killed,” Paul Taylor says it's not too late to get into the middle, and stir things up and break the cycle of violence that's plagued his Southside community for years.
"My children followed me to prison, because I wasn’t there. Although I thought I was a great father. I wasn’t,” said Taylor.
for me is when my children followed me to prison,” Taylor said. “I knew I had to change it."
Both of Taylor's sons are serving time for murder.
This becomes the third homicide in the Midlothian Village Apartments. Two adults males were killed in April.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Major Crimes Detective J. Crewell at (804) 646-5324 or contact Crime Stoppers at 780-1000 or at http://www.7801000.com. |
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