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[WM]The bonkers projector-packing Samsung Galaxy Beam is coming this summer, and will cost just shy of £400 SIM-free.
Samsung's Galaxy Beam -- the phone with a projector built-in for no reason other than "hey, why not?" -- will cost just short of £400 when it goes on sale this summer.
Unlocked Mobiles has priced it up at £385 including VAT. The handset will go on sale in July -- not an ideal time of year to use a projector, with all that pesky daylight about, but there you are. At least it'll be a good test for Samsung's 15 lumens projector-in-a-phone.
Luke went hands-on with the Beam out at MWC, so have a read of what he thought here, or watch his preview video below.
The Beam shoots out images at up to 50 inches across, so you can have the equivalent of a very large telly in your pocket wherever you go. It's HD too. You control the projector through a dedicated app on the 4-inch, 480x800-pixel screen. On the back is a 5-megapixel camera, and it'll record and playback movies in 720p HD at 30fps.
Software-wise, we're looking at Android 2.3 Gingerbread as opposed to Ice Cream Sandwich, so you won't be able to unlock it with facial recognition, or resize your widgets. On board storage is 8GB, but you can add another 32GB via microSD. And a 1GHz dual-core processor powers the phone.
The projector makes the handset a little fatter than most, and has undoubtedly bumped up the price as well. It's cheaper than the HTC One X, for example, but a lot less powerful.
Though it may seem quite innovative, Samsung actually demoed the Beam back in 2010, when it was just a protoype.
We're still pounding the halls at Mobile World Congress, so for everything mobile check out mwc.cnet.co.uk. Let me know if you'll be buying the Galaxy Beam over on our Facebook page, or in the comments below. |
[WM]"We are going (to Michigan) with a lot more confidence, because we ran well there last year," Earnhardt said. "I looked through the notes from last year, and we didn't unload perfect. We had to work to get it right. You don't go in with confidence that you are going to go there, and it will be perfect. You have the confidence to know that we will get it dialed in."
When the series competed at Michigan in June 2012, it was the first time on the track's new pavement. The repaving began after the August 2011 race and concluded in November, giving the asphalt enough time to settle and cure during the winter months. The new surface on this 2-mile track produced record speeds. Marcos Ambrose won the pole at Michigan one year ago when he easily shattered the track qualifying record with a lap at 203.241 mph. Forty drivers in that qualifying session posted a faster speed than the previous track record of 194.232 mph, set by Ryan Newman in 2005. Nineteen drivers topped 200 mph.
However, teams were faced with a huge tire issue in the days leading up to the race. Several teams experienced tire blistering during Friday's practice session as well as on the extra day of practice on Thursday. NASCAR and Goodyear made the decision to use a tougher left-side tire for the race. The higher than expected speeds at Michigan caused significantly higher left-side tire temperatures and therefore blistering.
An additional practice was held the day before the race. Teams had 75 minutes to familiarize themselves with the new tires and make further adjustments to their race setups. Earnhardt Jr. was one of those drivers who was limited on his practice time due to engine concerns. He complained that his car wasn't as good as he wanted it to be after completing just 26 laps in the last practice.
But Earnhardt put on a dominating performance in the 400-mile event. He led a total of 95 laps and crossed the finish line ahead of his closest competitor, Tony Stewart, by more than 5 seconds for his 19th career Sprint Cup victory.
Right now, Earnhardt sits fourth in the point standings. He moved up two positions after his top-five run at Pocono.
"We have been carrying momentum for a good solid year now," he said. "We are alright, and we know what we need to do."
Earnhardt trails leader and Hendrick teammate Jimmie Johnson by 82 points. Johnson claimed his third win of the season at Pocono, placing him in a tie with Matt Kenseth for most victories in the series this year.
Michigan is one of five tracks on the current Sprint Cup schedule where Johnson has yet to win. Chicagoland, Homestead, Kentucky and Watkins Glen are the others.
Last June at Michigan, Johnson nearly ran out of gas but managed to pull off a fifth-place finish. But that was followed by a 27th-place result in August due to engine failure just before the finish.
"The Michigan track surface has had summer and winter on it, and we'll see how much grip is just in the surface," Johnson said. "I would assume we'll go as fast as we did (last year) if not faster, and with the flatter track, I think the Gen-6 (new Sprint Cup race car) will outperform the Gen-5. The question really comes down to how much grip is still in the asphalt. I would assume it's going to be high.
"On fresh repaves, the grip is always at its highest. I'm not exactly sure how that will play out, but I'm happy that a summer and a winter have been on the track. It will make the racing wider for us, and that's what we're all hoping for. We've had weird things happen at Michigan, but one of these times it (a win) will happen for us. I hope it's this year."
Greg Biffle won the most recent Sprint Cup race at Michigan last August. Biffle is coming off a season-best second-place finish at Pocono. He is now 10th in points.
"I couldn't be happier coming off the run at Pocono going into Michigan," Biffle said. "We finished fourth the first race and got a win there last year at Michigan. We are working hard on our cars, trying to get them better, but we still have a little work to do.
"Michigan is one of my favorite tracks. It's a big fast place and has lots of room to race. We can get strung out a bit, but there is always something going on, someone is always catching someone else. There is always a lot of strategy going on. Fuel mileage and pit stops are very important. I've had a lot of success at Michigan in the past, and I think this will be a good weekend for us."
Forty-four teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Quicken Loans 400. A.J. Allmendinger and Bobby Labonte will switch rides for this race. Allmendinger is scheduled to drive the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing Toyota, while Labonte is slated for a ride in the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet.
2012 Winner: Dale Earnhardt Jr. |
[WM]THUMBS UP to Frank Kelly, president and chief executive officer of Danbury Hospital, for receiving the prestigious Cecil Previdi Award this year in recognition of his many contributions to the Greater Danbury community. Kelly's heartwarming acceptance speech Friday at the annual Leaders Luncheon of the Greater Danbury Chamber of Commerce brought a standing ovation from the hundreds of people in attendance.
THUMBS DOWN to the acts of thievery in which a person or persons last week raided an untold number of mailboxes along at least a half-dozen streets and outside a pharmacy in New Milford. Opened and discarded mail was found and police say it indicates cash presents and other goods were looted. The frustration for residents of losing items is heightened by the fact that it is difficult to know exactly what was never received.
THUMBS UP to the Crouch quadruplets -- Ray, Ken, Carol and Martina -- who all have been accepted for admission to Yale University. It is a remarkable achievement, and perhaps a first for Yale. The Danbury High School seniors have made their family, school, and community proud of their accomplishments. We look forward to seeing what the talented quads will achieve in their pursuits, no matter which university they ultimately choose. |
[WM]Insight: Did Conficker help sabotage Iran's nuke program?
(Reuters) - A cyber warfare expert claims he has linked the Stuxnet computer virus that attacked Iran’s nuclear program in 2010 to Conficker, a mysterious “worm” that surfaced in late 2008 and infected millions of PCs.
Conficker was used to open back doors into computers in Iran, then infect them with Stuxnet, according to research from John Bumgarner, a retired U.S. Army special-operations veteran and former intelligence officer.
While it is widely believed that the United States and Israel were behind Stuxnet, Bumgarner wouldn’t comment on whether he believes the Americans and Israelis also unleashed Conficker, one of the most virulent pieces of so-called malware ever detected. He wouldn’t name the attackers he believes were behind the two programs, saying the matter was too sensitive to discuss.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, which oversees Israel’s intelligence agencies, also declined comment.
If Bumgarner’s findings, which couldn’t immediately be independently confirmed, are correct then it shows that the United States and Israel may have a far more sophisticated cyber-warfare program than previously thought. It could also be a warning to countries other than Iran that they might be vulnerable to attacks.
His account leaves unresolved several mysteries. These include the severity of the damage that the program inflicted on Iran’s uranium enrichment facility, whether other facilities in Iran were targeted and the possibility that there were other as yet unidentified pieces of malware used in the same program.
Bumgarner - who wrote a highly praised analysis of Russia’s 2008 cyber assault on Republic of Georgia - says he identified Conficker’s link to Stuxnet only after spending more than a year researching the attack on Iran and dissecting hundreds of samples of malicious code.
He is well regarded by some in the security community. “He is a smart man,” said Tom Kellermann, an advisor to the Obama Administration on cyber security policy and the chief technology officer of a company called AirPatrol.
The worm’s latent state had been a mystery for some time. It appears never to have been activated in the computers it infected, and security experts have speculated that the program was abandoned by those who created it because they feared getting caught after Conficker was subjected to intense media scrutiny.
If confirmed, Bumgarner’s work could deepen understanding of how Stuxnet’s commanders ran the cyber operation that last year sabotaged an underground facility at Natanz, where Iranian scientists are enriching uranium using thousands of gas centrifuges.
The view that Stuxnet was built by the United States and Israel was laid out in a January 2011 New York Times report that said it came from a joint program begun around 2004 to undermine Iran’s efforts to build a bomb. That article said the program was originally authorized by U.S. President George W. Bush, and then accelerated by his successor, Barack Obama.
The first reports that the United States and Israel were behind Stuxnet were greeted skeptically. There are still a handful of prominent cyber security experts, including Jeffrey Carr, the author of the book “Inside Cyber Warfare: Mapping the Cyber Underworld,” who dispute the U.S.-Israel idea. He says that circumstantial evidence paints a convincing case that China was behind Stuxnet.
According to Bumgarner’s account, Stuxnet’s operators started doing reconnaissance in 2007, using Duqu, which spied on makers of components used in Iran’s nuclear and critical infrastructure facilities.
In November 2008, Conficker was let loose and it quickly spread, attacking millions of PCs around the world. Its initial task was to infect a machine and “phone home” with its location. If it was at a strategic facility in Iran, the attackers tagged that PC as a target. The release left millions of untagged machines infected with Conficker around the world, but no damage was done to them.
In March 2009, Bumgarner says, the attackers released a new, more powerful version of Conficker that started the next phase of the attack on April 1 by downloading Stuxnet onto the targeted PCs. After it completed that task, Conficker’s mission on those machines was complete.
He did more digging, comparing date and time stamps on different versions of Conficker and Stuxnet, and found a correlation — key dates related to their development and deployment overlapped. That helped him identify April Fool’s Day, April 1, 2009, as the launch date for the attack.
Bumgarner believes the attackers picked that date to send a message to Iran’s leaders. It marked the 30th anniversary of the declaration of an Islamic republic by Ayatollah Khomeini after a national referendum.
Once Conficker had pulled Stuxnet into computers in Iran there was still one big hurdle, he said. Those infected computers weren’t yet in the target - the underground uranium enrichment facility at Natanz.
Stuxnet was programmed to automatically jump from an infected PC to a USB drive as soon as it was put into a computer. That was the easy part. Getting somebody to be a human “mule” by bringing that USB drive to Natanz and plugging it into the right machine was a logistical nightmare.
That was probably delivered by somebody who regularly visited the facility and had reason to share information electronically - an academic affiliated with an engineering program at one of Iran’s universities or a worker at a company that provided technology to the facility, according to Bumgarner. He or she was almost certainly unaware of what was happening, he said.
“It blew their operation wide open,” says Bumgarner. |
[WM]BOSTON – Columbus is up after two road wins in Tampa. St. Louis went into Winnipeg at took two from the Jets.
There are upsets in the making that have Nazem Kadri thinking the Maple Leafs can do the same to Boston.
The Leafs won Game 1 Thursday, essentially stealing home ice advantage, with Game 2 tonight (8 p.m., CBC) and a chance to take a strangehold on the best-of-seven series.
“There’s going to be a big difference from Game 1 to Game 2 in terms of that desperate aspect. We’ve got to be ready.
The Leafs expect no lineup changes.
The Bruins said veteran David Backes will play, after having been a healthy scratch for Game 1. Coach Bruce Cassidy did not say who would come out of the lineup, though Jake DeBrusk is a game-time decision after falling into the boards heavily in Game 1.
Leafs coach Mike Babcock does not make too much of Columbus’s surprising two-game lead over Tampa.
“I don’t get that surprised at playoff time,” said Babcock. “As the league has gotten tighter and tighter, the separation between top and bottom is almost nothing. We know every series is going to be ultra competitive. |
[WM]Plans are gathering pace for Bradford’s new City Library with the arrival of a new temporary children’s library in City Park today.
The opening of the new Park and Read facility coincides with National Bookstart Week, the national initiative supported by Bradford Libraries to encourage children to get into books from an early age.
Park and Read, which will be based at City Park’s pavilion, was officially opened by Councillor Ralph Berry, Bradford Council’s executive member for children's services.
The new City Library is due to open in December following the news that repairs to the old Central Library would take too long and cost too much to stay as the main city centre library.
The children's library will have a wide range of books for babies, children and young people – from birth to 16 years – as well as a programme of story times, rhyme times, events and activities.
Youngsters and their parents from children's centres across the district descended on the park in their rain coats for Bookstart’s Ugly Duckling Splash Event.
There were stories and rhymes, an egg hunt, face painting, balloon modelling and inflatable ducks.
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, executive member for employment, skills and culture, said: “The new Park and Read will be a great facility for children and young people and ensures they still have access to a library service in the city centre.
“We’re really looking forward to the opening of Park and Read in City Park. It's just the right time of year for it to open. It's a great opportunity for families using the park over the summer to join in with the events in Park and Read.
“It all helps foster that love of reading in children and hopefully encourage them to read more over the summer holidays.
“The project plan for the new City Library is on track. We’ve been working with library staff to make sure that the design of the new library fulfils what our library users have told us they want to see. Our new neighbours, Impressions gallery, have also been really helpful in working with us to achieve the deadline.
Park and Read will run from June to December 2013 (when the new City Library opens) and will be open Monday to Saturday from 9am to 5pm.
Books for adults and computer access are available in the mobile library in City Park, open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm until the new library opens. |
[WM]Khairuldeen Makhzoomi, 26, is a senior at University of California Berkeley. Makhzoomi lives with his mother and younger brother in Oakland. His father was an Iraqi diplomat whom Saddam Hussein jailed in Abu Ghraib prison. The dictator’s regime later killed him.
On April 6, Makhzoomi boarded a Southwest Airlines flight at LAX that was headed for Oakland. After boarding, Makhzoomi called an uncle in Baghdad to tell him that he had just heard United Nation Secretary General Ban Ki-moon deliver a speech.
Makhzoomi told his uncle that he asked the secretary general a question about ISIS. The conversation ended with the Arabic phrase, “inshallah” or god willing.
A female passenger in a seat nearby overheard the conversation and told the flight crew she heard him making potentially threatening statements.
The Southwest employee then escorted him off the plane, and Makhzoomi accused the employee of anti-Muslim bias.
Law enforcement officials searched Makhzoomi in the airport terminal in front of a crowd of onlookers, including other officers and a police dog. Three FBI agents then arrived and questioned him in a private room.
Makhzoomi said an FBI agent told him the Southwest Airlines employee said a passenger reported hearing him talk in Arabic about martyrdom, using a phrase often associated with jihadists. Makhzoomi denied the charge and returned to the terminal where the Arabic-speaking employee refunded his ticket.
The Berkeley student booked a new flight on Delta Air Lines and arrived in Oakland eight hours after he had planned. Makhzoomi said he does not plan to pursue legal action, but he wants Southwest Airlines to apologize for the ways its employees treated him.
Zahra Biloo, of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said there have been at least six cases of airlines pulling Muslims off flights so far this year. Southwest Airlines released a statement saying it does not condone or tolerate discrimination of any kind.
Hes a student at Berkeley, where does he get the “refugee” status from? This kid was looking for a reaction and he got it! If I say “bomb” anything close to that on an airplane, I’d assume I’m gonna get some attention and be taken off the plane.
He has to pay for his education and he is smart enough to know that someone will do the dirty work for him. Another stunt for today’s reading.
Southwest Airlines say it was the CONTENT of the conversation, not that he was speaking Arabic, that he was removed. This guy made the mistake of getting on a plane where a passenger and a flight attendant both spoke Arabic.
Can at least one of the people who voted this down, please explain why. Should we allow people who by their actions pose a possible threat to continue on the plane. If so, should we allow the other passengers the choice of deboarding at that point. Should the pilot and flight attendants also be allowed to leave. Or do you hate Southwest Airlines and hope for a crash?
Do you speak Arabic and have a transcript of this student’s conversation? So, you think that he was not a threat or not trying to frighten people so he could get kicked off the plane and sue the airline?
Do you not realize that Southwest Airlines probably flies more Middle Eastern passengers, (connected with the oil industry) than most airlines–all without incident and apparently has flight attendants who speak Arabic. Or do you just want to believe that Southwest is Islamophobic because it has the word South in its name?
More importantly, do you have a transcript? I read the article above, and it did not mention specific language used by the passenger. Therefore, all of the actions you have suggested (passengers and crew leaving) are based on the assumption that this guy said something threatening, without any evidence for it.
It is important to have the evidence before weighing in on either side. You and the poster above have failed to take this crucial step.
Correction. You are the poster above. You have failed this test twice.
Maybe he was talking to that clock-kid, getting advice on how to get his 15 minutes of fame?
This guy knew exactly what he was doing. He’s looking for a payday. |
[WM]The hottest day of 2018 was a bad day for a power failure at The Bridge homeless shelter in downtown Dallas.
A power transformer burst into flames shortly before 4 p.m. in a parking lot near the shelter in the 1800 block of Corsicana Street, authorities said.
There were no injuries, but with temperatures hovering around triple digits, the shelter had to transfer its guests from its suddenly stifling facility to The Stewpot, another downtown shelter.
About 250 occupants and 12 dogs were evacuated from the shelter, Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesman Jason Evans said.
Initial repairs might be completed by late Sunday morning, said Sam Merten, chief operating officer of The Bridge.
"But then there's going to be additional damage to our system, which may take another two to three days," he said.
Merten said the shelter is working with its partners, including the city, to ensure that everyone's needs are met.
"Fortunately no one's going to go without shelter, which is always important but particularly important when it's this hot outside," he said.
The fire never reached the shelter itself, Evans said.
The temperature at Dallas Love Field reached 101 around 6 p.m. Saturday. That's a bit warmer than the 98-degree high at DFW International Airport, the official recording site for Dallas-Fort Worth.
But it's the heat index that really matters, and that reached a scorching 108 for Love Field and 105 at DFW. At Fort Worth's Meacham International Airport, the mercury hit 102 and the heat index was 10 degrees higher.
Despite the sizzling temperatures, a cold front threatened to bring some isolated storms to the area starting Saturday afternoon, but most were forecast to hit around the Denton area and points north.
The good news is that our first big blast of seasonal heat should be followed by a cool-down. But no need to pack a sweater on Sunday when temperatures are expected to dip to 92. Some areas might even top out in the high 80s, according to the National Weather Service.
Extreme heat is nothing new here, and the Salvation Army is prepared, as usual, opening 13 cooling stations across North Texas to provide cold water and air conditioning to anybody at risk of heat exposure.
The Harry Hines Boulevard and East Lancaster Avenue locations will be open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eleven other stations will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m. weekdays.
Temperatures on Sunday and Monday should remain in the lower 90s, with Monday's high reaching 91. Temperatures will quickly rise again the rest of the week, edging up to near 100, though possibly without reaching it.
The best chances for rain come early in the week, with a 30 percent chance on Monday and a 20 percent chance Tuesday. |
[WM]Published: Dec 06, 2018 at 9:19 a.m.
Updated: Dec 06, 2018 at 9:26 a.m.
Prince Andrew Panthers’ Maddi Brown blocks the puck in front of goaltender Hayley Douglas during a metro high school girls’ hockey game against the Sackville Kingfishers on Wednesday at the Dartmouth 4-pad.
Lexi Goodwin, Madi Darragh, Maddie Paul and Mikenna Renard scored in the Kingfishers’ 4-2 victory. Maddi Brown and Morgan Amero replied for the Panthers.
In boys’ action on Wednesday, Josh Spruin scored three goals as the Prince Andrew doubled the Sackville Kingfishers 6-3. Colby Guisti, Bruen Fisher and Griffin Radford also scored for the Panthers.
Connor Wolfe had a goal and two assists for the Kingfishers while Kieran Black and Dylan Hatt had singles. Cameron Stewart assisted on all three goals.
In boys’ basketball action, Jared Talbot had 21 points and Joe Frenette 18 as the C.P. Allen Cheetahs beat the Prince Andrew Panthers 89-64.
Alp Ozgoren added 12 and Kyle Donnelly 10 for the Cheetahs while Dikeim Davis had 10 for Prince Andrew. |
[WM]James Vincent Napoli, 41, of Eltingville and Boca Raton died April 7, 2019, at home in bed of a heart attack.
Born in Brooklyn and raised on Staten Island, James worked both in New York and Florida. He was the owner of Napoli Electric LLC in Florida.
James enjoyed bible study, body building, the beach, N.Y. Yankees, fishing, vacations, fine dining and visits to Atlantic City. He was loved by his family and many friends and was known for his sense of humor.
Family-oriented, Mr. Napoli mostly enjoyed spending time with his six-year-old daughter, Gianna Rosemarie. She was his angel and the apple of his eye.
He was a parishioner at Calvary Chapel and Connected Life Christian Church.
He is survived by is his daughter, Gianna; parents, Michael and Arlene Behar; sisters, Nicole Dibartolomeo, Malorie Behar; brothers, Michael and Blake Behar, as well, and nephews, Nicolas and Vincent.
Funeral is from Bedell-Pizzo Funeral Home on Wednesday at 9:30 a.m. a Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. at St. Thomas Church. Interment is at Moravian Cemetery. Friends may visit from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday.
"So so sad. God, please be with Gianna and help her..."
"My condolences are with you. May he rest in peace." |
[WM]Battery technology has become a hot topic in the green movement because of the last decade's developments to make batteries more environmentally friendly. Lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries are widely used in both consumer and defense applications, such as cellular telephones and notebook computers; they also store energy needed to run power tools, medical equipment and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
They are considered safer, less expensive and more environmentally friendly than most other rechargeable batteries. Research programs are developing new and less costly versions of rechargeable lithium batteries for use in electric and hybrid vehicles. Lithium batteries offer both high energy-storage capacity and an environmentally benign alternative to the harmful lead used in conventional batteries.
Local Motors uses tech, crowdsourcing and design contests to create tomorrow's autos today.
Renewable energy is growing rapidly. But recent developments in storage could prove to be a game changer.
Audi’s R8 e-tron sports car is finally a reality — with almost 300 miles on a charge. |
[WM]Serie A leaders Juventus went 11 points clear today after they escaped with a 2-1 victory over Milan, thanks to a last-minute handball penalty called on Milan’s Mattia De Sciglio.
It’s not entirely clear if the ball hit De Sciglio’s chest or part of his elbow, but a few moments later, in the 97th minute, there was no confusion about Paulo Dybala’s top-corner penalty kick.
Dybala’s shot was excellent, but the fact that the game ended on such a squishy penalty—with Juventus protecting a record home win streak, a cynic might raise an eyebrow at the ref’s decision to call the handball—is a shame considering how well 18-year-old Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma played. The youngster made nine saves, including a few breathtaking stops late in the game. |
[WM]In 1992, the acquittal of four LAPD officers in the videotaped beating of Rodney King set off one of the deadliest and most destructive riots in U.S. history. Over the course of five days of looting and violence in Los Angeles, more than 60 people were killed, more than 12,000 others were arrested and $1 billion in property damage was recorded. Here is a look back at some of the city's darkest days. |
[WM]The art of embedding video into a website is a question brought up by a user over at slashdot and the user says there is a lack of information provided by Apple on just how to achieve this with the Apple iPhone.
The user states that the likes of YouTube still fires Flash at the iPhone even though the iPhone lacks Flash support. While he has reviewed some of the Flash code and formulated a hack to he believes he is missing a “trick of the trade,” and wants to know how it’s done.
Well apparently all one needs is a direct link to an Apple compatible MPEG4 video with the correct mediatype on a server that supports the Range HTTP header, and the iPhone will automatically allow seeking in video.
Previous article Previous post: What should the Palm Pre price be? |
[WM]MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) _ D.J. Fluker has quite a tale to share when he talks to young people.
The San Diego Chargers right tackle was left temporarily living with his mother and three siblings out of a car when their home in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.
He attended three high schools, but graduated from Alabama in 31/2 years. The 2013 first-round pick started 17 games for the Chargers as a rookie.
Fluker is a frequent speaker at a San Diego-area juvenile detention facility. He’s hosting his first football camp Friday in Mobile, Alabama.
He says his message is the value of faith and hard work. |
[WM]A social media user who turned to Twitter for help in writing an essay on The Handmaid's Tale has received invaluable insight — from none other than author Margaret Atwood herself.
A Twitter user identified online as Momchil Gavrilov tweeted at the Canlit giant early Thursday morning with the plea: "My crazy English teacher is making us write essays on #TheHandmaidsTale where we are supposed to answer why @MargaretAtwood put the theme of power and control in the book," they write from an account with the handle @GavrilovMomchil.
"Because it's in the world," Atwood says in a tweet posted at about 5 a.m. ET Thursday.
"It's not just women who are controlled in the book. It's everyone except those at the top. Gilead is a theocratic totalitarianism, not simply a men-have-power women-do-not world. Lower-status men are told when and who (to) marry, eg."
The detailed response delighted online onlookers, who had retweeted the exchange hundreds of times and gave it thousands of "likes" within hours.
"I used to teach high school. I'd have totally given points for proven communication with the author. This is not to say that everyone should bother poor @MargaretAtwood with all of their questions. Oh, dear," tweeted Jess Faraday, with the handle @jessfaraday.
She took an extra moment between retweeting comments about U.S. President Donald Trump and a CNN reporter to defend the teacher's assignment as a worthy endeavour.
"Nor does that English teacher sound so crazy. Just sayin. Though it might be the admiring use of crazy, as in 'Crazy, man!"' adds Atwood in a subsequent tweet. |
[WM]Ever since Zillow evolved into.. well, whatever it is now (some sort of real estate search, AVM, mortgage rate and discussion forum Frankenstein Hydra, as far as I can tell), the controversy over Zestimates seems to have quieted down.
Maybe it’s that the novelty of seeing what your home is worth has worn off as housing prices crash.
Perhaps it’s that the PR pros at Zillow have done such a phenomenal job positioning the company in the media as a legitimate data source that the Zestimate has become an accepted statistic.
Or more likely, maybe it’s that the industry has been successfully wooed with the promises of easy, cheap marketing online tools (which are especially seductive in a down market) and any remaining resistance has slipped by the wayside.
In either case, Zestimates just don’t seem to be the point of contention they once were.
But today Zillow launched an iPhone app. One that, I suspect, promises to bring the debate over Zestimates (and their accuracy) back to the forefront.
Upfront – it’s a very slick app. The app’s location awareness (as demonstrated on the video embedded above) is truly a killer feature – fire it up, and the app immediately shows you where you are and then displays all the data on homes nearby. As you move around, the map and associated values update too. Freakin’ cool.
(That said, it was a little sluggish this morning however, not sure if was AT&T’s network or Zillow’s servers struggling to keep up).
Having had a chance to play with it a bit – I can vouch that as a potential buyer it is incredibly cool to be able to walk around my neighborhood and see what each home is worth and gauge what I could get for my money.
Sure, I know. A Zestimate is just a “starting point”. But here’s the thing, seeing that number while standing outside the home is a powerful physical association to price. One that as more and more people have access too (through other mobile platforms, see A House They Found on Zillow…) it’s going to start to have a greater impact; on negotiations and much more.
Having the power of the Zestimate in your hand is a mighty weapon to wield. Personally I can’t wait to walk into a home on a buying tour with my agent and being able to instantly call up how much Zillow says that home is worth and then compare it to the list price.
Given that scenario, I suspect the debate over Zestimates, long dormant – may just have woken up again.
The Zillow app is free and available in the App Store.
More: Read 1000Watt Consulting’s take on the app. |
[WM]GREENCASTLE – Waynesboro can beat you in a lot of ways.
Friday night inside a raucous Greencastle-Antrim High School gymnasium, the Indians did it from beyond the arc, shooting past the rival Blue Devils for a 65-45 Mid-Penn Colonial Division boys' basketball victory.
For the game, the Tribe drained 10 total 3-pointers, transforming a relatively tight contest at the break into a 21-point cushion entering the fourth quarter.
Cole Rhyne and Aidan Campbell headlined Waynesboro's clinic from downtown, as Rhyne hit four 3's en route to a game-high 22 points while Campbell buried a trio of deep attempts during his 17-point performance.
Perhaps most impressive, the Tribe's top offensive threat Jay Alvarez was held to just nine points. And, Waynesboro still won by 20.
"We keep talking about setting a new bar, because I'm not sure we know exactly how good this team can be," Waynesboro coach Tom Hoffman said. "We can win different ways, which is the exciting part. We weren't at our best tonight, but we'll take it, especially in this environment."
Although not prominent in the scoring column, the energy of Derek Buhrman was another decisive difference for the Indians. Showcasing a relentless motor, Buhrman was all over the floor on both ends, finishing with 10 assists and six rebounds to go along with one 3-pointer. His lone field goal in the second half was simply an added bonus to a stellar night.
"He does so many winning things for us, he's just invaluable," Hoffman said of Buhrman. "He's our heartbeat. You're not going to see him in the box score. He just makes winning plays every single game."
Hunter Clever added eight points and 12 rebounds in the victory, helping Waynesboro improve to 8-1 overall.
Despite contrastingly falling to 2-8, G-A showed plenty of promise early against a superior opponent.
Feeding off the crowd, the Blue Devils cut their deficit to 26-21 late in the second quarter, clearly getting the Indians' attention. Ultimately, Waynesboro's wealth of firepower put the game out of reach after the break.
Still, Friday's effort provides something to build on for a Greencastle squad growing on the fly.
"We played our hearts out," G-A coach Rick Lewis said. "We're continuing to improve, and if we play with that kind of effort, I can sleep at night. I was very proud of our effort against a very good basketball team."
Taylor Noblit and Thomas Lewis both finished with nine points for the Blue Devils, who face a quick turnaround as they host McConnellsburg Saturday evening.
"I saw a lot of positives," Rick Lewis said. "That's how we need to play. We can certainly build on this."
The win was Waynesboro's sixth straight after the Tribe suffered its only loss to Northern York on Dec. 14. The Indians return to action Monday night at home against Mechanicsburg. |
[WM]According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, four out of five car seats in the United States are not installed properly.
An important motivation for fostering the growth and development of our community is to make it a better place for our children to grow up. The successes of this community mean nothing if we cannot pay it forward to make a better life for our children. Ultimately, we want to keep them safe as they grow up, and, in today’s world, children are all too often faced with numerous challenges to their safety and health.
With all the potential dangers and risks in the world, it may be a surprise to learn that the leading cause of childhood injury and death in the United States is motor vehicle crashes. Not only that, but the percentage of children killed from a motor-vehicle crash is higher on average in South Carolina than it is in other states across the country. If we are truly trying to protect our children and build them a better future, we must keep them safe on the road.
The best way to prevent childhood injury or death in these accidents is by what you can control: safe car seats. But, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, four out of five car seats in the United States are not installed properly. Infant and toddler car seats are designed with safety in mind, but a seat that is not installed correctly will not protect the child. Correctly installed car seats can reduce the risk of death by as much as 71 percent for infants and 54 percent for toddlers.
Car seat safety is a passion for our family. We have been proud to partner with Safe Kids Upstate, a member of Safe Kids Worldwide, to raise awareness of childhood injury prevention here in the Upstate over the past 20 years. Since 1988, when Safe Kids was founded by Dr. Marty Eichelberger, a pediatric trauma surgeon in Washington, D.C., the organization has helped reduce the U.S. childhood death rate from unintentional injury by 60 percent.
It’s encouraging that so much progress has been made. But as long as there are new babies, and new parents, there is a need for education and support. Today, Safe Kids Upstate is a part of the Bradshaw Institute for Community Child Health & Advocacy and we are leading the charge locally to create inspection stations where parents can have car seats checked by certified technicians to ensure they are installed correctly.
Thanks to support from Kohl’s, nine inspection stations are available across the Upstate, and we have inspected more than 15,000 car seats. There are Upstate families who have had their seats inspected, experienced an auto accident and, because of their correctly installed seat, the children in the seats did not sustain serious injuries. This direct positive outcome is exactly what we are hoping for with the creation of this program. To find a location near you, visit www.safekidsupstate.org/carseat.
Earlier this month, we celebrated the opening of a permanent car seat inspection station at Greenville Memorial Hospital. This is the first hospital-based station in South Carolina and is the result of collaboration with several partners, including Kohl’s and Safe Kids Upstate.
Our hope is that this location will allow new parents to get their car seats inspected before ever leaving the hospital. It will keep children safe from day one, give parents peace of mind and ensure that they begin their parenting journey with knowledge about road safety and injury prevention.
We can’t stop accidents from happening on the road, but we can take steps to prevent serious injuries or even fatalities. A correctly installed car seat is a highly effective vaccine against automotive accident injuries. We sincerely hope that Upstate parents will take the time to protect our children.
William Bradshaw is president and owner of Bradshaw Automotive Group and a leading advocate of child passenger safety. William and his wife, Annette, are the namesakes for GHS’ Bradshaw Institute for Community Child Health & Advocacy, which aims to improve the well-being of all children in S.C. through innovative education and prevention programs, clinical research and academic partnerships. |
[WM]The other day, Michelle Obama went full Wal-Mart in her outfit on the First Family's taxpayer-funded Grand Canyon excursion, and the journalistic fashionistas are having the vapors. I am almost, but not quite, sympathetic to the First Lady. It seems she wore short shorts and what might be charitably described as a casual top.
Avoiding the appearance of queenly behavior is politically wise. But it does American culture no favors if a first lady tries so hard to be average that she winds up looking common.
If the First Lady had not been sold to the American public as a fashion icon, a woman of elegance and grace, and if she had not willingly catered to this claque with bizarre Spider Woman outfits and queasy-making colors and textures juxtaposed, I would truly pity her plight. We all sometimes head out the door with too little thought to how we look.
But having made well-publicized shopping sprees in Paris, and willingly catered to the fashion idolatry directed her way for purely political reasons, I think that Mrs. Obama has accepted the mantle of clothing exemplar. It is a crown that will not rest easy on her head.
I suppose there must be some people who genuinely regard Michelle Robinson Obama as beautiful, elegant, and tasteful. But I am not among them. I have yet to meet a heterosexual male who finds Michelle a hottie. The media hype portraying her as the heir to Jackie Kennedy may persuade a few, but in most instances I believe that it only reinforces the reputation of such media outlets as purely propagandistic organs, the same folks selling the equally implausible narrative of the town halls as full of Nazis and astroturfers.
Mrs. Obama is the mother of two children, with a million dollars' worth of staff, including, reportedly, a full time makeup artist. Having accepted the mantle of Jackieship, she can do better. |
[WM]In 1964 Jagsonpal started from humble beginnings with Jagmohan S. Kochhar operating a chemists shop in Delhi. Soon he expanded into making formulations. Mr. Kochhar?óÔé¼Ôäós vision was to spread health and healing in India on a larger scale. He was at the helm of the company from its inception, through the startup phase. Even though Jagsonpal was a small business at the time, his vision was to create one of India?óÔé¼Ôäós premiere pharmaceutical companies.
In 1978, Fourteen years later, the company had outgrown the startup phase and was incorporated as a private limited company. Jagsonpal was now a fast growing pharmaceutical company. The firm was committed to healing India with quality pharmaceutical products and had its eyes firmly set on becoming one of the country?óÔé¼Ôäós leading pharmaceutical companies.
In 1986 Jagsonpal went public on the BSE. This was the first time the firm had tapped the capital markets.
In 1994 the company was listed on the NSE. This trait of not being content with the status quo has become a core part of Jagsonpal?óÔé¼Ôäós company culture. Commitment to growth is ingrained in the very soul of the company and this is reflected in the Jagsonpal?óÔé¼Ôäós current aggressive growth strategy.
Jagsonpal is among India?óÔé¼Ôäós premiere pharmaceutical companies. Jagsonpal has substantial research and development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution facilities. An impeccable track record of growth and profitability spanning over 4 decades, makes Jagsonpal an ideal company to partner with. The company specializes in developing and manufacturing bulk drugs and pharmaceutical formulations. The firm is committed to sustainable growth and is aggressively pursuing growth through market penetration, market expansion and multi–national expansion.
The firm?óÔé¼Ôäós objective is to increase market share and become a dominant player in the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry.Jagsonpal has an expanding international portfolio of affiliates, joint ventures and representative offices across the globe making it a truly international operation. |
[WM]L.B. MARINA SPORTFISHING (Alamitos Bay) – 8 anglers on 1 boat caught 2 sand bass, 7 rockfish, 2 whitefish, 9 sheepshead, 1 perch, 5 red snapper.
L.A. HARBOR SPORTFISHING (San Pedro) – 26 anglers on 1 boat caught 59 red snapper, 37 rockfish, 4 sheepshead, 3 sculpin.
L.B. SPORTFISHING (Berth 55) – 29 anglers on 1 boat caught 3 sand bass, 1 calico bass, 15 sculpin, 5 halibut, 6 halibut released. |
[WM]On May 1, the center was once again open for business.
The crisis drew attention to a situation that is far from resolved.
"Forest Service budgets have been coming down because we're not cutting as much timber," said Linda Turner, a spokeswoman for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The monument received just $750,000 from Congress last year, compared with $2.7 million in 1994.
To help deal with budget shortfalls, Congress created the Recreation Fee Demonstration Program in 1996, Turner said, which let Mount St. Helens, along with 100 other federally managed recreation sites, charge fees and keep 80 percent of the proceeds.
The fee system worked well at the monument in 1997, Turner said, but because of bad weather and lower fees, they came up short in 1998 and 1999.
Total fee revenue dropped from $2.3 million in 1998 to $1.4 million last year, according to Forest Service figures.
The Silver Lake center will stay open this summer, but beyond that, its future is uncertain. The Forest Service is looking into the option of privatizing operations, Turner said, possibly through special-use permits and concessionaires.
Rep. Baird says the answer is more federal funding.
In a letter to the heads of the Forest Service and Agriculture Department last month, Baird said, "We shouldn't be cutting back on services to this wonderful national treasure, especially in this significant anniversary year."
Estimated number of people who visited Mount St. Helens last year.
Number of people who visited Mount Rainier.
Number of people who climbed Mount St. Helens last year.
Cost of three federal visitor centers at the mountain.
Miles of roads destroyed in the eruption.
Miles of new roads built since the eruption.
Percentage of visitors to Mount St. Helens from other countries.
Average amount spent per day by each international tourist.
Price of a Blast Burger at the Coldwater Ridge Visitors Center.
Originally published on May 16, 2000. |
[WM]YORK COUNTY, Pa. – The York County Industrial Development Authority (YCIDA) announced today that it has sold the Harley-Davidson West Campus, the original site of the York plant, to NorthPoint Development.
The YCIDA purchased the 58 acre property in 2012 as part of Pennsylvania’s strategy to retain Harley-Davidson in the Commonwealth. The site’s location, accessibility and high profile made it an important redevelopment project for the county.
NorthPoint has submitted Land development plans to Springettsbury Township to develop a 750,000 sf industrial building. The $40 million project will be built as a speculative project as NorthPoint works to site a tenant for the property.
“NorthPoint’s investment in York County was premised on the strong transportation and logistics network, along with a strong skilled workforce in the area. From the beginning, we were impressed with the work of the YCIDA and their ability to make this transaction happen. As an organization we believe that capital goes where it is welcome, and we felt welcomed by the YCIDA and all the other governmental entities in the area. We look forward to a successful project that will provide positive economic development for the community,” stated Larry Lapinski, Vice President of Development for NorthPoint Development.
NorthPoint Development is a Kansas City based real estate development, management and leasing firm that is principally focused on industrial, multi-family, and senior living markets in the central part of the United States.
The YCIDA is a governmental entity that champions redevelopment projects within York County. Projects of note include the creation of three industrial parks, Santander Stadium, Marketview Arts and the Harley-Davidson West Campus redevelopment project. To learn more about the York County Industrial Development Authority, please visit www.ycida.org. |
[WM]Smoking Ban Hurting Small Taverns?
Lawyers for Colorado bar owners say the eight-week-old statewide smoking ban has devastated some smaller taverns, slashing their incomes by up to 80 percent.
In a court filing Friday, the lawyers also said the ban has triggered layoffs and caused fights among patrons who go outside to smoke.
The bar owners are suing in federal court, saying the smoking ban is unconstitutional. They say they're being treated unfairly because they are covered by the ban but casinos are not.
Attorneys for the state also filed motions Friday. They argue that casinos aren't like bars and can be treated differently.
The state also argues the Legislature had valid reasons for exempting casinos, including the 100 million dollars they generate for the state every year.
The ban went into effect July 1. It prohibits smoking in bars and most other public places but exempts casinos, cigar bars that opened before 2006 and the Denver International Airport smoking lounge.
Private workplaces with three or fewer employees are also exempt. |
[WM]The witnesses directed San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies to where parolee Enrique Frausto, 22, of Rialto was leading to his arrest on the afternoon of Saturday, July 7, according to a sheriff’s statement.
A sheriff’s helicopter found Frausto in the 12600 block of Third Street were he was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and violation on the terms of his parole. He was booked into Central Detention Center and is being held without bail.
Just after 2:30 p.m., sheriff’s dispatch received multiple 911 calls about the shooting in the 12300 block of Fourth Street, the news release said.
The victim was shot in the stomach, arms and back. Paramedics took the wounded man to an area hospital where he underwent emergency surgery, the Sheriff’s Department said. The man is in critical condition and is expected to survive.
As the 22-year-old ran from the shooting scene, investigators said Frausto tossed the handgun and despite a search using an evidence detection dog, the gun has not yet been found.
Authorities ask anyone who may have found the firearm or who may have information on the case to call the Yucaipa sheriff’s station at 909-918-2305. |
[WM]Joseph Thornton, a graduate of Eastside Prep, stands outside of the Meyer Library at Stanford University, where he is busy studying for upcoming finals on December 3, 2013. It is Thornton's first semester at the university. Photo by Veronica Weber.
Joseph Thornton could have been another statistic.
As a sixth grader living in San Francisco with a single father who worked nights, he was on his own a lot of the time, cooking dinners and getting himself to bed.
But his public school teacher spotted his unusual work ethic and "through a blessing and good luck" introduced him to a private school in East Palo Alto, where he could live in a dorm and get round-the-clock support.
Thornton today is a Stanford University freshman, working at the tech help desk in the undergraduate library, singing in the Black Men's Chorus a cappella group and preparing to declare a major in computer science.
Though he always aspired to attend college and his father supported the dream, Thornton says without the extraordinary preparation he got in his six years as a student at Eastside College Preparatory School, things might have turned out very differently.
"It definitely wouldn't have been the same -- I would have been on my own in the whole process," he said.
Now in its 18th year, Eastside Prep is a one-of-a-kind institution, combining rigorous academics, an uncommon level of teacher and volunteer support and sustained investment by private donors toward a razor-sharp objective: getting first-generation college students to succeed in four-year colleges and beyond.
"We believe every student who becomes the first member of his or her family to go to college has a profound impact not just on that student but on the whole family," says Principal and co-founder Chris Bischof.
Starting with that conviction and little else, Bischof and Eastside co-founder and Vice-Principal Helen Kim -- friends from their Stanford undergraduate days in the early 1990s -- have built this unusual school from scratch, learning and adapting along the way.
The two teachers had eight students when they launched their startup in 1996 at a park picnic table in East Palo Alto, later moving to borrowed office space and eventually to a few portable classrooms on a donated 1.6-acre parcel on Myrtle Street.
From the picnic-table beginnings, Bischof over the years has corralled donor support to build state-of-the-art classrooms, a computer lab, a theater, a gym, a cafeteria and even a dorm -- all surrounding an open, grassy quad.
Enrollment has grown to 300 from the original eight, with every one of Eastside's 388 alumni so far accepted by a four-year college.
Eighty-two percent of Eastside students come from East Palo Alto or eastern Menlo Park, though some of those are among the one-third of Eastside students who live in the dorm because of the extra structure and support offered there. Bischof himself has resided on campus for nearly the entire history of the school.
It may be only slightly accidental that many amenities available to Eastside students -- hot meals, tutorials, dorm-room inspections -- resemble those at the New England boarding school where Bischof spent his own high school years, Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass.
"There are some common elements, and differences as well," said Bischof when asked about the comparison.
"We've tried to create a school that has high expectations and is really rigorously going to prepare our students for college across the board. Having been in those environments, it helps to know what those expectations are like. And we hope that with the same expectations and the right type of support, our students can be equally successful."
Vice-principal Kim oversees Eastside's faculty and curriculum, including unique features like "Friday Night Homework" and an intensive middle-school reading program.
Receiving no public funds, Eastside is free from the strings and bureaucracy that accompany them, allowing it wide berth to customize teaching to student needs.
The flip side is that Bischof must constantly fundraise -- to the tune of $17,000 per student per year -- to keep the operation afloat, a task he calls "a huge struggle, and a real challenge from year to year."
Parents, most of whom are low-income, are asked to pay $250 a year -- plus an extra $100 if their child lives in the dorm -- and contribute 20 volunteer hours.
With 55 staff members (38 full-time-equivalents), the school's operating budget is $6.4 million, covering the year-round program, the residential program and the alumni support. It costs $10,000 to house a child in the dorm. Ninety percent of Eastside's support comes from individuals, with the balance from foundations and corporations.
In the case of Joseph Thornton and many others who've gone through the school, financial support came from donors who agreed to sponsor an individual student.
While many of his classmates wrote their thank-you letters to anonymous sponsors, Thornton said he felt lucky that his sponsors -- a San Francisco couple with a young daughter who took him on as a seventh-grader -- wanted to get to know him personally.
They met for lunches and visits and, the following year, invited Thornton to an event at their home to speak about his Eastside experiences with prospective donors to the school.
"It went well actually," he said. "I had a lot of fun, met a lot of people, and did more of it. It's a great experience because you learn how to interact with people of different backgrounds, understand their experiences and understand the whole experience of networking."
The San Francisco family kept on sponsoring him every year through high school, Thornton said, and the relationship continues today.
As word about Eastside has spread, admission inevitably has grown more selective.
First and foremost, says Bischof, the school is looking for first-generation college-bound students from low-income families. "Within that subset, we're looking for students who want to be here."
Students must commit to an 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. school day -- plus homework -- and an academic calendar that runs year-round, including summer school or other summer activities deemed worthy. Bischof personally interviews every applicant.
"They're really looking for that spark in kids," said John Jacobs, a retired public school teacher now in his seventh year of volunteering at Eastside.
"Not necessarily the smartest ones, but kids they feel they can keep on a college track. They have a lot of kids -- maybe even a majority of sixth-graders -- who are not working at grade level when they come in."
Academics at Eastside combine rigor with an elaborate support structure.
"There are no shortcuts," Spanish teacher Shaneka Julian said.
But "confidence-building -- defining students as intellectuals and scholars -- is a huge part of the culture," said Marianne Chowning-Dray, who taught calculus at Gunn High School for nine years before joining the Eastside faculty in 2005.
"It's assumed that everyone will participate, everyone can do this, that all students can achieve at a high level. We don't take no for an answer," Chowning-Dray said.
That culture felt strange to Thornton when he first arrived as a student. "Normally students fear seeking help or talking to the teacher because they don't want to seem stupid or dumb for asking questions or not knowing something, but at Eastside we expected ourselves to ask these questions, we expected to meet the teacher outside of the class.
"They give you their email address; they give you their number. They do like sleeping, so they prefer that you contact them earlier, but if you contact them even at 10 p.m. and they're still awake they'll definitely help you out."
Eastside relies on volunteers to staff an intensive middle-school reading program, in which students begin their day with an hour and a half of intensive reading and writing.
Volunteers like John Jacobs make it possible to break the students into small groups of four. "Each morning we read a chapter out loud," Jacobs explained. "We monitor the reading, we do vocabulary and comprehensive exercises and the kids do a writing response every day."
Vice-Principal Kim oversees "Friday Night Homework," a routine that helps ensure no assignment is left undone. Students with incomplete work in any give week are required to stay on campus Friday evening until it is finished.
Since Eastside's early days, Kim has tracked which students are missing which assignments. Now it can be done by computer.
"Friday afternoons we run a report of all missing assignments of all students," she explained. "I do a lot of rounding up and calling parents to tell them not to pick up their student at 5 because they have to stay and complete assignments."
She considers the Friday night routine a "safety net" for kids who otherwise may consider the incomplete assignments "out of sight, out of mind."
"Here, the work doesn't disappear, and if they've turned in all their assignments they're much less likely to do poorly in a class," she said.
Chowning-Dray, the math teacher, made the switch from Gunn to the Eastside faculty after becoming familiar with the school through helping, as a volunteer, to establish its calculus program.
"We built the program for AB calculus, and then they decided to expand to a BC sequence," she recalled, referring to the more advanced course. "At that time I thought that would be a great match for me. It was an opportunity to reapply my skills and the knowledge I'd amassed over the years and put it toward this great mission."
"What might be assumed at another school we're very intentional about here," she said. "If a student isn't doing their homework or outside assignments we notice that and try to figure out what's going on and get that student back on track.
"Students can fall through the cracks in a lot of schools, but I'd say Eastside is sealed really tight.
"I think a lot of efforts are being made in public high schools to create that sort of environment, but it's tough. What works here isn't necessarily scalable, but parts of it are. It's a lot about the people -- the longevity of the leaders, the vision of the people who work here."
Chowning-Dray has a total of about 100 students in her section of BC calculus and three sections of algebra II-trigonometry, as well as an afternoon study hall. At Gunn she might have had five classes with 30 students each.
But while they may have fewer students to keep track of, Eastside teachers and staff wear many hats.
Shaneka Julian, who teaches first-, second- and third-year Spanish to non-native speakers, also advises Eastside's Engineering Club, coaches the girls JV basketball team and fills in as a substitute dorm adviser. Bischof coaches boys basketball.
One of many lessons Bischof and Kim have learned is that, for first-generation students, college admission is only the start of the journey.
"At the beginning I was very naive and just thought if we could get them to college it would be a ticket to a better life and the rest would take care of itself," Bischof said. "But we learned that first-generation college students face challenges that most of us who went to college can't even imagine.
"We saw some students able to be successful but others who did struggle, especially in that first year making the transition from the highly supportive environment here to a larger institution where they really were pioneers in their family and it was very easy to opt out if they didn't get off to a good start. That was eye-opening to us," Bischof said.
These days Eastside grads who are college freshmen, such as Thornton, get weekly or biweeky emails and calls from the school.
"They visit all the freshmen on their campuses," Thornton said. "And they call you and ask 'How's everything going? What's new? Are your classes too demanding? Is everything fine at the dorm? Is anything surprising you?'"
Freshmen and sophomores are a particular focus, says Eastside's Alumni Program Director April Alvarez.
"Those first two years in college are crucial, and once they make it past that they're very likely to finish," she said.
Eastside staffers such as Kate Hiester also work year-round to help grads find summer internships and job leads -- much like a well-connected parent would.
Another post-graduate "stabilizing force" for Eastside alums is the fact that most enter college with some academic credit already under their belts.
Longtime English teacher Amy Reilly recently went through the hiring process at Foothill College and now offers Eastside seniors a year of college-credit English.
The class, recognized by most UC campuses and all California State University campuses, is taught at Eastside but runs on Foothill's calendar. It adheres to Foothill guidelines, which include a 750-word minimum on assessed papers and a requirement that students generate at least 6,000 words per term. The first semester draws on nonfiction to cover different modes of writing -- observational, autobiographical, position papers, speculation about cause and effect and evaluation. The second semester is fiction-based, with students reading and analyzing "Crime and Punishment," "In Cold Blood," "Oedipus Rex" and "Antigone."
"Our students are very well prepared in the humanities and this gives them even more confidence, and also room -- if they make a mistake at the beginning -- not have their financial aid frozen after a quarter or two," Reilly said.
All Eastside seniors also are required to produce a 25-page research paper using peer-reviewed literature and make a 30-minute presentation on the topic.
After three decades of public school teaching -- mostly middle-school math in a tough, East Bay district -- longtime Eastside volunteer Jacobs is in a position to make comparisons.
"I was in a school full of tough kids. We had a good staff, good administration, but we were always plugging up holes in the dike. We couldn't do it fast enough -- you always felt you were a couple of steps behind.
"You have a lot of kids in the school ready to jump at a quality education, but it's very hard to provide it at the level we want to. Ten percent of the kids take up a lot of everybody's time, and you never have enough people."
The small scale of Eastside mitigates many of those factors, Jacobs said.
Cofounders Bischof and Kim are widely revered on campus.
At Eastside, Jacobs said, "Kids can't walk across campus without several people saying hello and meaning it. Chris and Helen will stop and talk to them about whatever, make a connection.
"And they don't sit still. They're always pushing the envelope, trying to level the playing field."
Parent Mimi Pearson said, "Any time Chris or Helen ask me to do anything I'm dropping everything to do it. They gave my daughters a chance, and they didn't have to. I'm never taking that for granted."
At this point the cofounders have no plans to expand or try to replicate their school but, having graduated 14 classes, are starting to see some of the long-term impact of their enterprise come into focus.
"We can see (graduates) advancing in their careers in the short time they've been out of college," Bischof said. "They serve as role models and stay closely connected to the school."
Some have remained in their college communities or moved away for professional opportunities but, he said, a majority return to the area, with many working in education. Some are teaching in East Palo Alto's Ravenswood City School District, and one even moved into the dorm along with his wife to take on the job of resident fellows.
"The feedback from our alumni really informs what we do at the high school level," he said. "We'd be the first to say that this is a work in progress, and we continue to learn."
I volunteer SS a tutor at the Project read Adult Literacy Program. One of my students, who only had 6 years of schooling in her native country, has enrolled her three children at Eastside Prep. Her two oldest are now on full scholarship at UC Riverside-one studying pre-law the other engineering and her youngest is in 9th grade. Her children have traveled the globe and have excelled. Hip Hip Hooray for Eastside Prep.
Wonderful reporting on all the great things East Side Prep is doing!
My husband and I have been tutoring in the middle school reading program (mentioned above) for many years. The program is amazing, and it always welcomes new tutors. If you, reader, found this article even slightly interesting, go visit Eastside and ask for a tour - you'll be glad you did! It's inspirational.
The reading program is very flexible. Most of us tutor just once a week, and we fill in for each other if other tutors need to be away.
And the kids are GREAT!
What a great story! All the best to the teachers, kids and volunteers!
What a wonderful article! I teach 5th grade at EPACS and have many eager Eastside applicants this year. Thank you to all the teachers, administrators, volunteers, and donors that make this incredible work possible.
preparing students to go to a four year university and helping my community.
Why can the administrators at East Side teach our PAUSD administrators to set the expectations high for all Students in PAUSD even if they come from EPA, are Latino, African American, or belong to a minority group?
But "confidence-building � defining students as intellectuals and scholars � is a huge part of the culture," said Marianne Chowning-Dray, who taught calculus at Gunn High School for nine years before joining the Eastside faculty in 2005.
Take that, Radu Toma [portion removed.] I for one have not forgotten that letter nor that this school board did nothing and you are still the Math IS at Paly.
We are a "freshman" Eastside College Prep family who on bended knees thanks God everyday for the blessing that Eastside has been and continues to be. Thank you Chris, Helen, all the faculty (especially residential faculty), and extended staff for your grit, passion, dedication, motivation, encouragement, support. Words alone fail in our families expression of gratitude.
I often leave the Eastside campus awe-struck as a witness of the many tireless education warriors. You guys not only light the torch you continue to carry it very far.
Thank you Eastside students for your continued passion to rise and surpass the bar that Eastside sets for you.
I was a member of Eastside's 7th graduating class in the year 2006. To this day, I can say that Eastside's commitment to my personal growth definitely changed my life for the better. In 2010, I graduated from MIT with a Bachelor of Science in nuclear engineering. This past May, I graduated from UC Berkeley with a Master of City Planning, focusing on economic development. I have dreams that someday my education will prepare me for a high position in energy leadership. These dreams would not be possible without the impact that Eastside had on my confidence and self-awareness. Having grown up in East Palo Alto, nobody ever believed in me as much as my teachers from Eastside did. Someday, I hope to repay them for the wonders they have brought to my small, poor community. Helen and Chris are truly a blessing for East Palo Alto. |
[WM]Final update (1:40 a.m.): Following a first-half scoring barrage, neither team could get on the board in the first ten minutes of the third quarter. Aside from a missed field goal by kicker Trent Domingue, Texas and California traded punts with both teams failing to find the endzone.
Neither squad scored throughout the quarter, entering the fourth quarter at 35-33. While Texas continued to find success on the ground, it struggled through the air. With 15 minutes to play, Buechele was just 13-26 for 142 yards. He had one touchdown and one interception.
Texas struck first in the game’s final quarter, scoring on its first possession. Foreman sprinted 47 yards into the endzone for his second score of the night, giving Texas a 40-35 lead with just over 13 minutes to play.
But California rebounded on its next drive. Webb led the Bears down the field, connecting with sophomore Chad Hansen. The Idaho State transfer hauled in a 28-yard pass on the sideline, preceding an 18-yard touchdown toss from Webb to Veasey. California converted the two-point conversion, giving it a 43-40 lead with just under 11 minutes to play.
The Longhorns answered on their next possession, driving into Bears territory. Texas was stopped short of the endzone, but Domingue connected from 35-yards out to tie the contest at 43-43 with 5:29 to play.
The Bears kept up the pace after Domingue’s field goal. Webb led California down the field once again, connecting with Chad Hansen for the wide receiver's second score of the night. Hansen tallied 12 catches for 196 yards following the score, placing Texas in a seven-point hole with 3:41 to play.
The Longhorns failed to stop California as it attempted to run out the clock. The Bears took three knees to end the game, winning 50-43 in Berkley.
Texas fell to 2–1 on the year with the loss. The burnt orange will have a bye week next Saturday prior to facing Oklahoma State on Oct. 1 in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
Halftime update (11:58 p.m.): Texas dug itself a hole from the first possession, as California drove the ball through the Texas defense en route to a 7-0 lead. Senior quarterback Davis Webb found wide receiver Jordan Veasey from 29 yards out, putting the Bears on top.
The Longhorns wouldn’t trail for long. Texas found the endzone on its first drive of the game, as sophomore Chris Warren scored from four yards out. Warren had five carries for 25 yards on the burnt orange’s opening possession.
The burnt orange defense stepped up in the game’s next possession, stopping the Bears on fourth down. Texas gained the lead upon receiving the ball, as kicker Trent Domingue connected from 38-yards out. With just over seven minutes to go in the first quarter, the Longhorns led 10-7.
But it wasn’t all good news for the Longhorns. Freshman quarterback Shane Buechele headed to the locker room after receiving a hit on third down. He had his chest examined by the Longhorn medical staff as senior quarterback Tyrone Swoopes entered the game.
With Buechele on the mend, Warren shouldered the load for the Longhorn offense. He ran it in from 12-yards out, extending Texas lead to 17-7. Warren compiled nine carries for 49 yards and two touchdowns by the end of the first quarter.
California answered on its next possession. The Bears marched down the field on the Longhorns’ defense, highlighted by a 16-yard pass from Webb to freshman wide receiver Demetris Robertson. The Bears then punched it in from two-yards out, cutting Texas’ lead to 17-14.
Texas’ rushing attack continued to gash the Bears on its next drive. This time, the offense wasn’t led by Warren, but junior running back D’Onta Foreman. He compiled 37 yards on three carries, including a four-yard touchdown carry. Texas led 24-14 with over 13 minutes left in the second quarter.
After forcing a three-and-out, the Longhorns made their first mistake of the evening. Swoopes overthrew freshman Collin Johnson over the middle, resulting in an interception. California promptly moved down the field, scoring on a touchdown run from Vic Enwere. With just under ten minutes to go in the first half, Texas led 24-21.
Buechele took the reigns at quarterback following the Bears touchdown, and quickly answered. The freshman led the Longhorns down the field for another score, connecting with senior Jacorey Warrick from 41-yards out.
The shootout continued as California regained possession. The Longhorn secondary was torched once again, this time surrendering a 29-yard touchdown from Webb to freshman Melquise Stovall. The touchdown cut Texas’ lead to three at 31-28.
There was more scoring to be had near the end of the half. Freshman safety Brandon Jones bursted through the California offensive line to block a punt, resulting in a safety.
But Buechele made his first mistake of the evening upon regaining possession, tossing an interception. The Bears’ capitalized on the freshman's mistake, scoring two plays later. Webb hit junior wide receiver Chad Hansen for a 23-yard touchdown, giving California a 35-33 lead.
Original story: No. 11 Texas heads on the road for the first time this season at California. The Longhorns look to improve to 3–0 on the season for the first time since 2012.
The burnt orange face a potent Bears passing attack, led by senior quarterback Davis Webb. A transfer from Texas Tech, Webb is second in the nation with 963 passing yards through two games.
Stay tuned for live updates on this page and on Twitter: @TexanSports. |
[WM]June Kelly was awarded an MBE for her work coaching children in the local area and starting up football club Abraham Moss Warriors.
The club was born out of frustration at the lack of activities for children in the local area, it has now become a central part of the local community. Abraham Moss Warriors had two teams in the semi-finals of the FA Peoples Cup.
June tells us: "I'm nick named as the Pied Piper of Cheetham Hill. We're much more than a football club, I would say we're like a social project, if we can keep the young people and adults out of Cheetham Hill and give them something positive to do.
We want to be known as the hub of the community. We're like one big massive family really." |
[WM]It might have been different. Fresh off the settlement of the Union Station lawsuit — his initial cause célèbre — Chastain’s focus on light rail might have prompted an important community discussion about the funding and design of mass transit in Kansas City.
Sure, his drawings were wacky and unrealistic, and his funding mechanisms absurdly confused and inadequate. But Kansas City had a chance to use his enthusiasm and focus to engage the community in a workable light-rail approach.
Instead — partly because of his style, partly because of hard-headed and misguided politicians — the discussion became about Chastain, not light rail. Indeed, the merits of light rail turned into a secondary concern, so much so that voters today probably have stronger opinions about him than they do about building commuter transit in the area.
Kansas City’s leaders want votes this year on an expanded streetcar system. Those votes will be difficult. Sales taxes are already high, and the benefits of a streetcar aren’t clear.
But the proposal may also be in trouble because Chastain has soured voters on any plan for rail transit — even though he actively opposes the streetcar in favor of his own plan.
Even if the court orders that plan on the 2014 ballot, Chastain’s general unpopularity may doom it.
There’s a price for this tangled debacle. For example, all three cities competing with Kansas City for the 2016 Republican National Convention have light rail.
You may be OK with that, or not. But Chastain’s crusade has clearly left light rail adrift with little hope of reaching the shore in his lifetime — or ours. |
[WM]Members of Bassa, the British Airways cabin crew section of the Unite union, have voted to be balloted over a new offer from BA management.
The new deal, if agreed, will see staff win serious concessions—but there are also important omissions.
Over 500 union members gathered for a mass meeting about the deal in West London today (Thursday).
The deal offers full reinstatement of staff travel that bosses took from strikers, based on original terms of seniority.
Previous BA chief executive Willie Walsh had said this would happen 'over my dead body'. And workers cheered Walsh's departure as BA boss.
There will also be a pay increase totalling 7.5 percent over two years—4 percent this year, backdated, and 3.5 percent next year. It is unclear whether there are productivity requirements attached.
Management has also agreed that there will be no unilateral imposition of any new terms and conditions without full negotiations with the union.
But a thread of uncertainty ran through the contributions from cabin crew during and after the meeting.
Dozens of cabin crew have been sacked during the dispute.
Unite general secretary Len McCluskey told the meeting the sackings were 'nonsensical'. But the agreement does not include the full reinstatement of the sacked staff.
All it agrees to is binding arbitration. And those who have already been through an employment tribunal and are waiting for results, will be, in McCluskey's words, 'dealt with separately'.
The original cause of the dispute—BA's cutting of jobs and introducing a new mixed fleet with new workers on worse pay and conditions—remains untouched.
Many workers were unhappy with the praise McCluskey and Bassa reps heaped on new BA chief executive Keith Williams.
McCluskey described the new executive as a 'genuine and honest man', saying to cabin crew, 'he values you'.
He said the agreement was 'honourable', although he admitted that the union hadn’t won all of its demands.
He also described a 'change within management psyche'. It is no surprise that this psychobabble left crew feeling unsettled.
McCluskey left early before crew were given the chance to ask questions. And he asked the meeting to vote on putting the agreement out to ballot before the questions.
This angered some workers. One stood up and said she voted against the deal going to ballot because there should have been questions before the vote. 'We need to have our democratic say,' she argued.
Another expressed concern over the way in which the union was trying to 'push a deal' on crew rather than allow an open discussion about pros and cons.
Many asked how Bassa would survive when the mixed fleet remained and new starters were all employed on worse conditions.
After nearly two years of a media witch-hunt and abuse from BA, it is no surprise that many cabin crew feel relieved to have a deal.
But no deal should be agreed without the reinstatement of every sacked worker, and without the issue of new starters being resolved.
Solidarity, something cabin crew have fought hard for, cannot be dropped now. Allowing BA to employ workers on worse terms will weaken the position of the union.
Although the agreement includes concessions from management, cabin crew are right not to trust them.
Bassa members have shown their willingness to fight in five ballots. The latest vote, in March, was more than 83 percent for strikes.
Management are making concessions because they are desperate for things to quieten down. The strikes have hit BA hard.
But Unite has said it will not call more strike dates. Instead the union’s 10,000 members at BA will now be balloted on the deal.
McCluskey said the union would be making a 'strong recommendation' that members accept it, and that he was 'very confident' they would.
But without full reinstatement and an agreement not to undermine pay and conditions of all workers, it should be rejected. |
[WM]A motorcyclist who claimed he was returning the bike to a friend was caught riding without a licence and insurance.
Jason Clarke, 28, of Nether Springs Road, Bolsover, was stopped by police on Moorfield Avenue, Bolsover, according to a Chesterfield magistrates’ court hearing on December 5.
Clarke pleaded guilty to driving without a licence and without insurance after the incident on November 25.
He told police he was returning the bike to a friend. Clarke also told the court his “missus” wanted the bike moving from their garden.
Magistrates fined Clarke £120 and he must pay £85 costs and a £30 victim surcharge. His licence was endorsed with eight points. |
[WM]CHICAGO: When a team is losing, its closer can be the forgotten man.
But he can�t forget how to save a game. If he did, he wouldn�t be the closer for long. So Chris Perez entered to pitch the ninth Tuesday afternoon and preserve the Indians� 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox.
On his first pitch, Paul Konerko rocketed a fly ball over the fence in left for his 25th home run of the season, erasing half of the Tribe�s two-run advantage. Two outs later, Perez walked two batters before inducing Alexei Ramirez to bounce into a force play on the first pitch.
A reporter asked Perez about the excitement level of closing out a game.
But Perez hasn�t had many opportunities to do his job since the end of July, when Tribe leads have been few and far between. So how does he stay sharp between outings? Relief pitchers seldom throw on the side.
Perez emphasized that there is no way to keep relievers on a regulated schedule.
By contrast, members of the rotation pitch on a strict schedule and throw bullpen sessions between starts.
�I�m not a pampered starter,� Perez said.
In retiring the White Sox in the ninth Tuesday, Perez earned his 37th save of the season, establishing a personal best.
Perez has been the subject of controversy all season, because when someone asks for his opinion, he lets fly. He seemed wary Tuesday of being caught up in another firestorm when he was asked an innocuous question about what can be learned from a disappointing season. |
[WM]A New Hampshire man yelled profanities as he faced charges in a courtroom Tuesday after police say he tried to take down a building with an excavator.
Jordan Ingram, 28, of Franklin was arrested Monday after he was found in a vehicle on I-89 in New London.
Authorities had previously responded to 15 Tannery St. for a report of a subject damaging the property.
Ingram's mother, who would not go on camera, told necn she was in the process of buying the building before her son, who has a history of mental illness, decided to take an excavator, which she owned, and attack the building, leaving a large portion of it in rubble.
After attempting to take down a building in Franklin, New Hampshire, Jordan Ingram appeared in court Tuesday and began yelling obscenities at the judge and lawyer.
Ingram, who is well-known to Franklin Police Department, was arraigned felony reckless conduct and felony criminal mischief.
It's unclear if Ingram has an attorney. |
[WM]At least 14 people were killed after a suicide bomber detonated explosives inside a mosque in the town of Gamboru in Borno state, near Nigeria's border with Cameroon, civilian vigilantes told AFP. The incident reportedly took place shortly before morning prayers. "Fourteen bodies have been pulled out of the rubble,” said Umar Kachalla, a civilian militiaman, adding that the death toll may rise. The mosque was completely destroyed, Kachalla said. |
[WM]"Cabin Fever" is a virtual conversation between two friends who come from the opposite ends of the political spectrum but share a belief in the power of public education to improve lives and brighten our collective future. The focus of the conversation is the federal K-12 education law known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (No Child Left Behind), which is in progress in Congress. Our initial post on February 4 reflected areas of agreement around annual testing and transparency. Additional posts focus on areas of disagreement and will run simultaneously through February 19 every other day on Rick's blog at Education Week and on Education Post.
Should Congress require that state goals for adequate school performance be approved by the U.S. Department of Education?
Peter Cunningham is the Executive Director of Education Post, a Chicago-based nonprofit supporting efforts to improve public education. He previously served as Assistant Secretary for Education in the Obama administration from 2009 to 2012.
Given our history of unintended consequences stemming from education policy decisions, let's ask how the incentives would play out if the federal government stopped approving performance goals for states. Would states do the right thing and set responsible, achievable, and ambitious targets? History suggests otherwise.
A state that wants to look good and protect the status quo might set easily achievable targets to weaken the case for change. A state that wants to make the case for choice might set impossible targets so schools consistently fall short.
America cannot leave educational outcomes to chance, politics, or ideology. High expectations for all kids—low-income, minorities, students with disabilities, English language learners, and every other child at risk—should not be optional for states or subject to the whims of the political leadership in power at the time.
Our job is to protect every child and give him or her the best education possible. That's a national imperative that warrants a meaningful federal role to ensure that all children are making progress every year.
The challenge, however, is for performance targets to reflect the aspirations and realities on the ground—to be more "bottom-up" than "top down." To that end, and recognizing that NCLB's one-size-fits-all goals were unrealistic and led to a variety of unintended consequences, we should build on the work of the current administration and negotiate performance targets at the state level.
Any state or district that believes lower or higher performance targets are in the best interests of kids should be required to make the case to parents, educators, taxpayers, and the federal government. That way, everyone will own it.
It's a good thing for every state to be clear and public about how it gauges adequate school performance. However, while Congress should require this transparency, Congress should not require that the U.S. Department of Education play any role in approving these state decisions. As I see it, there are four key problems with that kind of prescriptive federal role.
First, performance targets can be powerful motivators when they are concrete, when they are shared, and when the goal-setters are accountable for the results. The problem with federal involvement is that federal officials have no responsibility for meeting the goals they insist upon and no accountability if schools fail to do so. All the blame falls on local educators and on local and state officials. The result is that it's all too easy for D.C. officials to insist upon ridiculous goals. In fact, the inclination to aim high (as with NCLB's 100% proficiency targets) yields aspirational goals that are more a symbolic statement than a serious tool for improving schools or systems.
Second, when federal officials promulgate grand goals, real people are then required to treat these as a practical gauge of success. The Soviet Union showed where this tends to lead, as decades of ludicrous five-year plans that promised heroic increases in agricultural production produced little grain, but lots of cynicism, deception, and lies.
Third, a federal sign-off inevitably means federal guidelines or requirements. Given the need to fit fifty states with 100,000 schools, any meaningful parameters will be too rigid to be a good fit for many systems and schools (as with NCLB's requirement that any school was failing to make AYP if any single subgroup failed to hit a proficiency bar).
Finally, giving the feds a role in approving state targets presumes a false certainty and science when it comes to determining adequate performance. There's simply no rational basis for federal officials to insist there is a best-practice system or set of expectations. These are open questions, and we're best served by states exploring a diverse array of systems.
Let me put it this way. The NFL season just ended. Over the next couple months, coaches should sit with their executives and owners in order to set goals regarding the kind of performance they expect to see. That process is valuable and I heartily endorse it. At the same time, I don't think it would be constructive for the Pennsylvania legislature to declare that the Eagles and Steelers need to go at least 11-5 next year. |
[WM]The members of this polygamous cult, located in the foothills of the Indian Himalayas, are in no doubt that God exists – he lives right next door to them.
Ziona Chana is famous for having the largest family in the world. It totals 163 members, including 38 wives. His polygamous family is not unique, however, as Ziona also leads a polygamous cult of over 1000 people, where male members can have as many wives as they please.
Known as the “New Generation”, the cult was founded by Ziona’s father and uncle when they had an epiphany, and came to believe that the human body is immortal. Both are now dead, but the cult’s followers believe Ziona will live forever and worship him as their God.
Related: One woman's account of leaving a Siberian religious cult led by the infamous self-proclaimed messiah "Vissarion"
The “New Generation” community was once a part of the neighbouring village of Baktwang, but the villagers decided to distance themselves from the cult members. Baktwang’s residents are wary of the cult’s ideology but envy its organisation and economic success. The latter is explained by tough discipline within the commune, where every member is expected to contribute to its prosperity. Besides, the unusual community with the record-breaking family is a honey pot for tourists, who give money to the cult.
Related: Russia's "Old Believers" escape modernity by living according to the religious rules of the pre-reform Orthodox church .
RT Doc visits the “New Generation” cult to find out whether its followers really believe in immortality, how life in the commune is organised and what a man does to become God. |
[WM]SAN JOSE — Nestled in a back corner of Kelley Park off Phelan Avenue and Senter Road, Allan Greenberg squinted at a radiator on a Ford Model TT belonging to the Santa Clara Fire Department while his colleague, Bob Meneely, munched on a Snicker’s bar. The radiator had been overheating, and despite weeks of tweaking, nothing worked.
But Greenberg, and a random assortment of other retired men who meet every Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the shop, refused to give up. The group, who work in a cavernous metal garage filled with electric saws and paint cans, restore antique vehicles for historical groups and law enforcement agencies, from an 1887 Studebaker Wagon and a 1905 Fire Chief’s Cadillac for the San Jose Fire Museum to a horse cart for the Saratoga Historic Museum. Some of the guys even own Model Ts.
And despite their extensive work on restoring vehicles, none of them came from such a background.
Meneely was an engineer at NASA, Frank Dorr worked in construction, Ed Del Prete, who is often found doodling sketches of project designs on pieces of paper at a bench in the middle of the shop, was a graphic designer. Greenberg worked at IBM for 30 years as an engineer.
But each man’s hobbies or their unique talents bring something crucial to their weekly meetings. Be it woodwork, carpentry or painting, somehow everybody’s abilities weld together to help restore beautiful pieces that would otherwise have been left to rot in scrap yards.
Each project that the group works on can take months, sometimes years to complete, and none of the men are paid. The projects they work on aren’t funded either, and most of the time, the group will find discarded pieces of wood or metal or brings tools, nails and screws from home to help complete a piece that would have otherwise languished until some amount of money was donated.
“Beg, borrow, steal. That’s how we get things done,” Dorr joked.
While the group waits their next project to arrive — a 1932 Twin Coach Model 15 bus, which is set to get to San Jose sometime in April — the men will continue to tinker on the pesky radiator on the Model TT and dabble in other projects that may come along. |
[WM]Mortar entrepreneurial graduates will serve Cambodian tacos and soul food on the patio.
When the bar with the big courtyard at 208 E.12th St. was Neon's, there was a succession of ways to give patrons something to eat. Be it cookouts or tacos or crawfish boils. It was one of the ways of to make the neighborhood bar a good place to hang out for a whole evening.
MaHope will make their Cambodian tacos with green papaya sauce on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On Wednesday and Thursday, Paityn's Place Soul Food will sell snacks like nachos with pork or chicken or vegetables and macaroni and cheese on Wednesday and Thursday.
There's a public introduction to both food stands on Saturday, March 31 from 4-8 p.m. Thereafter, they'll operate from 4-10 p.m. and when the weather is warmer, start earlier in the day.
MORTAR is a business incubator focused on helping non-traditional entrepreneurs, primarily in Over-the-Rhine and Walnut Hills.
"When I first heard about Mortar, I thought this could be really cool, " said Bob Deck, one of the owners of 3EG. "We're not taking any money from this, there's no lease. It's a way for us to give a hand-up to somebody who needs it."
They have refurbished the outdoor bar and included a permanent grill. They've also fixed up the bocce courts and added some antique cast-iron lights from Music Hall.
It's not easy taking over a bar like Neon's that was such a fixture in the neighborhood and pivotal in the redevelopment of Main Street.
"Some people have told me they appreciate what we've done," Deck said. "Others are happy with what he haven't done." |
[WM]Nashville clothing designers will have some stiff competition this year. Children from Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt can give them a run for their money! Several kids decorated squares of hospital uniforms with glitter, ribbons, and paint for their new Haute for the Hospital couture line for Nashville Fashion Week. |
[WM]Dallas Cowboys legend Tony Dorsett is starring in a new Dallas Police Association campaign that aims to thank police officers.
The Hall-of-Fame running back is featured in a public service announcement alongside much less famous local business people (and a kid). The 30-second spot (posted below) and the website 33thanks.com directs people to the Assist the Officer Foundation, which aids cops and former cops in need, and the families of officers killed in the line of duty.
"I'm a real stickler about little things make big things happen," Dorsett said Tuesday. "And just for a little thing like that to say, 'hey, thank you' -- that goes a long way."
Dallas Police Association President Ron Pinkston said he was "incredibly grateful" to have Dorsett's help.
Dorsett spoke Tuesday to The Dallas Morning News about the campaign.
DMN: What made you want to get involved in this campaign?
Dorsett: I thought it was a great idea just to say thank you. I also want to help people feel a little more comfortable when they see a police car or police officer, and to understand that these guys -- they have families as well. They're out here protecting our families, putting their lives on the line. So, just to create more awareness about what they do and for people to appreciate what they do.
DMN: Have you had a long relationship with law enforcement?
Dorsett: (Laughing) Man, I've been in and out of jail a few times. I've had a long rap sheet. No, but when I was approached about the whole scenario, I said, 'man, this is great.' People talk about heroes and I said, man, these are our real heroes ... There is a certain comfort level in knowing that when I leave town and something goes wrong and my wife calls 911, they're going to show up and help protect my family.
DMN: Have you done anything like this before?
Dorsett: I can't say I have. But this is long overdue ... I'm just hoping this takes off all over the country. We've lost a lot of good men over the years -- fathers, husbands who have been policemen.
DMN: Is there any reason why you're doing this now, specifically with all the negativity nationally toward policing and their tactics?
Dorsett: I don't know why it's now. All I know is that it is now. Obviously, this could come back with the negative things that are going on with police departments. But I've always felt that -- even myself, personally, I'm an old guy -- if a police car pulls up beside them I think, 'what have I done?' But for young people at an early age, it's about telling them, police officers are your friends. They're not your enemies. And the young kids today, if they can learn that and appreciate that ... it takes the stigma off police officers.
DMN: Do you think there is a lot of distrust, maybe more than normal, in police right now?
Dorsett: I haven't been paying attention to who is trustworthy as far as police are concerned. But we as a society need to understand what the big picture is with police officers. Every time you see a policeman, you think 'it's bad, it's bad, it's bad.' We need to get away from that thought process. They're not bad people. These are good people. They're here to run the bad folks away. There is good and bad in just about everything. But for the most part, the good outweighs the bad by a tremendous amount. So you get a couple bad apples, and the bad apples make it bad for everybody. We just need to let some of that go and appreciate these guys. |
[WM]In the wake of mass digitisation, market consolidation and the launch of ambitious new trading platforms, experts in the out-of-home sector are calling for a boost to standards to ensure a smooth evolution away from static posters.
Speaking at the 2018 Automated Trading Debate, hosted by Mediatel, a gathering of traders and industry bosses were told without agreed standards out-of-home would be bogged down by needless complexity at a time when it was seeking to grow its share of market through investment in digital screens.
"Out-of-home has always been a complex medium to navigate, even when it was just billboards and posters," said Gavin Lee, the chief technology officer of Posterscope and the co-chair of the OOH Standards Committee - the body which is helping in the transition to a more automated future.
"With the rise of digital and an abundance of location data, the complexity is even greater. It is now critical to manage this."
Lee said settling on agreed standards for audience measurement, the meaning of an 'impact' or 'impression', and the terminology used for transacting is now vital if the sector is to reap the benefits of its recent investments, which globally now includes more than 300,000 digital screens, led by more advanced UK and US markets.
"The whole point of technology is to unblock barriers advertisers may have to buy in a different medium...for this to move forward, standardisation is critical."
The industry already has different automated or programmatic trading systems in place to deal with the influx of data and digital tech - including Posterscope's ECOS platform, and VIOOH, a new company set up by market leader JCDecaux, amongst others.
Arguing that it is good for the market to have use of an assortment of competing platforms, Lee said this will nevertheless be hindered without agreement across the sector on standards.
"We've made huge investments in physical infrastructure, but now we need to manage that technology," he said. "Agreed definitions will allow competition to flourish and different systems to connect and talk the same language."
According to Warc, spend on digital out of home advertising is expected to grow 10.1% each year between 2018 and 2021, accounting for the entirety of growth in the OOH market as spend on traditional sites begins to decline from next year. |
[WM]"Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt" has hit the shelves. But what if ALL the 30 rock characters had their own flavor?
"Jenna Maroney's Marshmellow Muffin Tops"
"Jack Donaghy's Top Notch ButterSCOTCH"
"Kenneth Parcell's Clean Cut Custard"
"Cerie's Chocolate and Cherry Bon Bons"
"Dennis' Yummy Dummy De Leche"
Try Ben and Jerry's Liz Lemon Greek Frozen Yogurt Today! |
[WM]ANTONIO CONTE will decide if John Terry has a future at Stamford Bridge after a face-to-face meeting with the Chelsea captain.
Conte was officially declared as Chelsea’s next permanent manager on Monday.
The current Italy boss will begin a three-year contract in west London after Euro 2016.
And one of his first jobs will be to make a decision on the future of Terry.
The long-serving defender’s contract expires at the end of the season and he is yet to be offered a new deal.
But according to The Sun, that could change after Conte holds showdown talks with the 35-year-old.
It is claimed that the new boss will have the final say on whether Terry will be offered the chance to extend his stay with the Blues into a 19th season.
Former assistant manager Ray Wilkins believes Conte will be keen to keep Terry around for his debut season at Stamford Bridge. |
[WM]Both victims died at the scene at a Kroger grocery store on the outskirts of Louisville, Kentucky.
The police chief did not say whether police had determined a motive in Wednesday's shooting.
The suspect fired multiple rounds at a man inside the store, and shot a woman multiple times in the parking lot. |
[WM]But it's worth stepping back from Romney's specific remarks and looking at President Obama's clean-energy track record more broadly. What sorts of green jobs programs has the Obama administration spent $90 billion on? Where does it all go? How much of the funds have been wasted? And what are we actually getting in return for all this cash?
1) The stimulus provided some $90 billion in financing for a wide array of clean energy programs. Here’s the breakdown: There's $29 billion for improving energy efficiency, including home retrofits; $21 billion in incentives for renewable generation, such as solar and wind; $10 billion for modernizing the electric grid; $6 billion to promote advanced vehicles and a domestic battery industry; $18 billion for high-speed rail and other trains; $3 billion for research into carbon capture for coal plants; $3 billion for job training; and $3 billion for clean manufacturing tax credits.
A few caveats. Not all of these programs are strictly Obama programs. Some of them were signed into law by President Bush, but didn't get funding until the stimulus was enacted. An example is ARPA-E, which conducts research into long-shot energy technologies and was first created in 2007. What's more, some programs involve loans or loan guarantees, which means the money will be repaid so long as the companies survive.
2) The vast majority of these projects are still up and running, though there have been a few notable failures. It is not even close to true that "half" of the energy companies funded by the stimulus have "gone out of business," as Romney said. Many of the programs, such as the tax credits and grants for wind and solar production, only pay out when the turbines and solar panels churn out electricity.
Romney's campaign later clarified that he was solely referring to the Energy Department's 1705 loan program, which provides about $16.1 billion to clean-energy companies. Yet of the 33 companies that have received loan guarantees, just three are in bankruptcy—including Solyndra, which could cost the government up to $535 million. (The other two firms are Abound Solar and Beacon Power, which is still operating and has largely repaid its federal loan.) Additional companies could eventually fail, but for now, the default rate is just 2.6 percent for one program in the stimulus.
It's worth noting that Congress created the 1705 loan program with the expectation that some companies would fail. The government was supposed to take risks. And, as energy analyst Gregory Kats has testified (pdf), the loan program's final cost will likely end up well below the $2.47 billion Congress set aside to cover losses.
3) The stimulus appears to have boosted U.S. wind and solar generation. Here's Mike Grunwald with a top-line summary: "Before President Obama took office, the U.S. had 25 gigawatts of wind power, and the government’s 'base case' energy forecast expected 40 GW by 2030. Well, it’s not quite 2030 yet, but we’ve already got 50 GW of wind. We’ve also got about 5 GW of solar, which isn’t much but is over six times as much as we had before Obama."
Costs are dropping, too. The price of photovoltaic systems has fallen in half, from $7.20 per watt in 2007 to $3.47 per watt in 2011, although solar is still more expensive than conventional electricity. And the cost of new wind turbines fell 27 percent from 2008 to 2011. It's difficult, however, to sort out how much of the decline was due to the stimulus and how much due to China's massive foray into wind and solar manufacturing.
Let's also put these advances in perspective: Solar and wind still generate a small fraction of U.S. electricity—just 3 percent in 2011. And it's not clear that either industry can maintain its rapid growth without further subsidies. For instance, a key tax credit for wind generation is set to sunset at the end of this year, which would slow down turbine construction dramatically, especially since wind has to compete against cheap natural gas.
4) Other green programs in the stimulus have a murkier track record, though it could take years to see results. The Obama administration spent $2.4 billion to create a new battery industry in the United States, yet many of those factories are now running idle, thanks to weak demand for electric cars. A modern "smart grid" could one day enable the country to juggle intermittent power from solar and wind, but the technologies have been slow to gain a foothold. Likewise, the federal government is chipping in $3.2 billion for high-speed passenger rail between San Francisco and Los Angeles—but it's uncertain if the line will ever get finished.
Advocates of the energy programs argue that it will take time for some investments to pan out. Electric cars, for instance, could eventually catch on. And ARPA-E is bankrolling research into novel ideas like laser drilling for geothermal energy and advanced lithium-ion batteries. Will these inventions transform the energy industry? It may take years to find out.
Other stimulus efforts are showing signs of progress after early missteps. Back in 2009, the $5 billion home weatherization program looked like an outright disaster; in Delaware, state officials were grappling with contractors doing "shoddy, unnecessarily expensive work." Since then, however, the Energy Department has managed to weatherize one million homes, saving consumers an estimated average of $400 per year on energy bills.
5) Clean energy has received the vast bulk of government since 2009, but it hasn't always been this way. Ever since the first tariffs to protect Pennsylvania coal in the late 1700s, the U.S. government has always nurtured new energy sources. And, over the decades, fossil fuels and nuclear power have received the bulk of that support, as a report last year from the venture-capital firm DBL investors showed.
A raw subsidy count, however, can be misleading. Government support for energy can manifest itself in all sorts of ways. Take the drilling technique known as "fracking," which has led to a recent surge in U.S. oil and gas production from shale rock. That was developed by private industry with vital aid from the federal government, which contributed research, key pilot projects, and mapping assistance. Fracking took 25 years to develop and fine-tune, a product of a number of programs and collaborations—a reminder that energy technology rarely develops in a straightforward, predictable fashion.
— The stimulus isn't all that Obama has done on energy. He has also ratcheted up fuel-economy standards for automobiles to 54 miles per gallon by 2025 and enacted a number of EPA regulations on carbon and mercury that will likely hamper coal plants.
— Here's a look at Romney's plan for North American oil independence by 2020. Also note that Romney supports ARPA-E, the $400 million program for long-shot energy research. |
[WM]Hello Marvel movie fans! Today we have new bits to offer about two upcoming superhero films. Fox's newest installment in X-Men movie franchise, The Wolverine, now has an official synopsis - and it (in no uncertain terms) hints a truly epic movie experience.
We also have word on the shortlist of actors that Sony is eyeing to star in The Amazing Spider-Man 2, as Peter Parker's friend (turned enemy) Harry Osborn, a role made famous by James Franco in the original Spider-Man movie trilogy.
Fox has been doing a good deal of PR as of late, trying hard to establish The Wolverine as a standalone film experience. Director James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma) and star Hugh Jackman recently did an online Q&A session, where it was firmly established that the film is NOT "Wolverine 2" by any means; it does take place after X-Men 3 and will be a sort of new starting point for the character; and the story will go deeper and the action will be more grounded (but fiercer) than any other depiction of the character, to date.
A few gems in the synopsis would be the reference to Silver Samurai, the film's big mutant antagonist, and clues to the oft-mentioned thematic arc of the film, which finds Wolverine having to deal with his own immortality after having watched so many friends and loved ones (like those in X3) die. The only lingering question I personally have is whether or not that last part, about the "new Wolverine" we'll get by the end of the film, will have any bearing on the events of Bryan Singer's X-Men: Days of Future Past. With Fox now building their own Marvel Movie Universe, it's certainly possible. |
[WM]Greece is conducting dialogue with the EU on the extension of the TurkStream, a natural gas pipeline running from Russia to Turkey, across Greek territory to other EU countries, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said in an interview with Russian news agency TASS on Dec. 6.
Tsipras said Athens and other European countries are convinced that the EU has to move to cooperation with Russia on the TurkStream pipeline, which, according to Greece, should become not only TurkStream, but “EuroStream” as well as part of the multifaceted policy in the energy sphere.
“We are negotiating [it] in the European Union. I believe that our arguments are strong. We have persistence and patience, and I believe that we will possibly have positive results in the future,” the prime minister said.
Gazprom began the construction of the offshore section of the TurkStream in May 2017. The project envisages the construction of two pipelines, each 939 kilometers long.
The first line will be designed for the Turkish market and will meet 35 percent of Turkey’s natural gas consumption alone. The second is for gas supply to countries in southern and southeastern Europe.
The capacity of each line is 15.75 billion cubic meters of gas per year. The first deliveries are scheduled for the end of 2019.
The launch of the second branch of the TurkStream to deliver gas to southern and southeast Europe was scheduled for 2019. In November, Tsipras stated that Greece is actively agitating for this gas pipeline to pass through Greek territory to Europe. |
[WM]Upon admission to the graduate program at the MSE department, you will be assigned one or more advisors. Your advisor is your best resource for academic planning and research supervision. It is important to build a strong relationship with your advisor during your time at Stanford. If at any time you feel that your advisor assignment is no longer appropriate, please come to the Student Services Office. You may change advisors at any time.
The MSE student handbook has been prepared in the hope that it will be of continuing help to you during your study at Stanford. It discusses the various requirements, rules, practices and procedures that are necessary for you to navigate the university, school and department bureaucracy toward your degree. It is the responsibility of both the faculty and the Student Services Staff to make sure that a Stanford graduate degree is meaningful and significant. These rules and procedures are designed to facilitate that goal as well as meet the various university rules that apply to students at Stanford and in this department. |
[WM]Citing a need to have something to thumb through while on the phone with casting or occasionally toss at an assistant in a dramatic manner, Relativity and Paramount have commissioned new scripts for their respective Stretch Armstrong and Ringling Bros. projects, which have yet to become fully completed films with merchandising back-ends despite their recognizable titles. "They're just sitting there, after I already had the posters mocked up. What more does it take?" an executive from each studio thought bitterly to themselves, before giving up and contracting writers to begin assembling enough clichés for them to start selling toys already.
Smurfs writing team David Stem and David Weiss have been drafted to handle Paramount's Ringling Bros. project, which will take a "Night At The Museum and Charlie And The Chocolate Factory" approach to using the legendary circus as a backdrop for various formulaic family comedy vignettes, potentially involving elephant dung and a dance number set to an old-school rap song, depending on the dictations of their flowchart. Meanwhile, Relativity and Hasbro have hired Dean Georgaris, writer of The Manchurian Candidate remake, to fashion vintage rubber toy Stretch Armstrong into a "plausible, action-oriented family picture," possibly out of spite. Both scripts have been asked to meet the demanding expectations that they will be written legibly on paper or, at the very least, emailed in a file that can then be printed out. |
[WM]Emma Smith is an analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations' Center for Geoeconomic Studies. She co-writes the Council’s Geo-Graphics economics blog.
Trade deficits, you see, do not just disappear and tax revenues soar because you block imports. Donald Trump needs a new big idea.
The yen is rising. What happens if Japan tries to push its currency down?
Faced with a strong yen, Japan might look to manipulate its currency. Here's what might happen if the country decides to do so.
Going back to 1952, consumer confidence has been a fair guide to presidential election outcomes.
Global growth is stalling, and central banks are running out of options. |
[WM]The Boston Celtics have an embarrassment of riches. Even with arguably the team's two best players, Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, watching from the bench, the Celtics nearly qualified for the NBA Finals this past season.
Heading into the 2018-19 campaign, coach Brad Stevens has a beautiful quandary on his hands: he has too many good players. How is Stevens, perhaps the league's best coach, supposed to divvy up minutes? Inevitably, someone will probably end up upset.
Stevens is well aware of the difficult dynamics he has to manage. In a recent appearance on Chris Mannix's Yahoo Sports NBA podcast, Stevens acknowledged that his team is loaded—in fact, he thinks he may have as many as 10 starters on his roster.
"We'll just do it like we've always done it," Stevens said of allocating playing time. "Marcus Smart has come off the bench for two years, and I've never considered Marcus Smart to be a non-starter. I just think that you—we're fortunate enough on our team that we've got eight, nine, maybe 10 guys that are starters. So, we'll figure that out as the time comes."
Nine of those "maybe 10 guys": Hayward, Irving, Smart, Al Horford, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Morris, Terry Rozier, and Aron Baynes. The 10th spot is likely up for grabs between Semi Ojeleye, Robert Williams, and Daniel Theis.
Stevens had a very political perspective—as you'd expect.
"For me, it's more about, we have a unique thing, and I think we all have to recognize that," Stevens said. "The starting thing, the finishing and everything else—we're going to have different lineups out there, and everybody's going to get an opportunity and lots of opportunities to make an impact."
The NBA regular season will begin on Oct. 16. |
[WM]Mrs Judith Adomako-Ofosua, the Mfantseman Municipal Director of the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE), has urged Metropolitan Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDSs) to be more transparent and accountable to people.
She said Assemblies must open up to the citizenry and their stakeholders on the processes of developmental projects to erase misconceptions and possible accusations of corruption with their work.
Transparency, accountability and participation, were key tenets of good governance, especially at the local level, where the people were affected directly by government policies, programmes and decisions, she explained.
Mrs Adomako-Ofosua, gave the advice at a town hall meeting organised by the Anomabo Parish Justice for Peace Committee (PJPC) in collaboration with the Municipal Assembly at Anomabo-Taido on Thursday.
Themed, “Community participation in local governance for rapid development”, various speakers at the forum educated the participants on the Assembly’s interventions to speed-up development and in turn, received suggestions and answered questions from the people.
The engagement among others brought together traditional and religious leaders, Assembly members, youth and women groups, professional bodies, media.
Mrs Adomako-Ofosua, said all the necessary information on the execution of any developmental project should be made available to the public, particularly the beneficiary communities right from the onset to ensure transparency and build trust between the public and the Assemblies.
The Assemblies must endeavour to account for every contract awarded so that the citizens know what their taxes were being use for to motivate them to honour their tax obligations.
She observed that lots of people often felt cheated for the lack of provision of the right and quality developmental projects and also did not understand the developmental processes because the Assemblies failed to make information available and accessible to them.
That notwithstanding, she encouraged them to be bold to report people for their corrupt and illicit deeds as part of their constitutionally mandated obligations to protect and safeguard national interest at all times.
“Don’t be intimidated by their political affiliation, financial status or fear of being terrorised and victimised. The NCCE, and it’s allied institutions are ready and determined to protect and reward to encourage and motivate others to emulate it,” she assured.
Mr Samuel Kittah, the Municipal Planning Officer, who represented the Municipal Chief Executive expressed the Assembly’s determined to go the extra mile to significantly improve the infrastructural development in the Municipality.
He outlined some infrastructural projects the Assembly had embarked on, especially; roads and schools and assured that all abandoned projects would be continued. |
[WM]An European International School in Dubai (French and German bilingual) is seeking Native French, German and English Teachers to work in a co-educational environment. Candidates must have IBDP or MYP experience. Being Bilingual in French or German is an advantage. |
[WM]Pilar Goncalves, 22, with her husband, was told she had Zika virus, which health authorities suspect may be linked to a rare birth defect. After a blood test, she was "desperately relieved" to be given the all-clear.
Brazil's Ministry of Health made an unprecedented announcement this month: It told women in the northeast of the country not to get pregnant for the foreseeable future.
And it's all because of a mosquito — the Aedes aegypti species, which can spread a variety of diseases, including Zika virus. Health experts in Brazil are concerned that the virus, whose symptoms are typically a low-grade fever and bright red rash, might be having a devastating impact on newborns.
"Normally in a year you'd have maybe three or four cases," he says by phone from his home city of Natal in Brazil's north. "In 24 hours when we asked around, there had been 11 in the city. And that was a shocking enough number that we realized something very serious was happening."
It's not clear when Zika arrived in Brazil, though some doctors speculate it could have come with African visitors during the World Cup.
Initially, it wasn't a concern. Normally, Zika is not a serious infection, unlike malaria and dengue, for example. People are ill for a few days and generally recover.
Brazil's Ministry of Health says there is now a suspected link between Zika and the cases of microcephaly in infants.
"Everyone involved in this is extremely concerned about what could happen," says Luz. "We don't yet understand this illness."
The Health Ministry is now working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and an arm of the World Health Organization to figure out what is going on. In the meantime, six states in Brazil have announced a state of emergency. There are 1,761 cases of microcephaly; many more are expected as Brazil's Health Ministry says more than 1 million people could have contracted the virus.
"It's an enormous concern because of the children," she said.
But experts say the mosquito came back after those measures were relaxed. These days it's everywhere. Beyond Zika, Brazil is actually suffering a dengue epidemic right now as well, with over 1.5 million cases in the country.
But it's not clear why Zika virus could be having this effect on fetuses.
"It's a mystery for everyone. We only just started looking into this a month ago," says Denise Valle, a researcher and entomologist at Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz, a leading scientific research center in Rio de Janeiro, who studies the Aedes aegypti.
"I've been an infection specialist for more than 40 years and I've never been through such a period of stress. If we don't get a handle on this, we are going to have a generation of damaged babies," she warns. |
[WM]Mary Pezzulo over at Steel Magnificat has written an excellent piece about the problem with name-calling, contentiousness, and point-scoring in the name of “apologetics.” I agree completely with what she says, and I recommend reading her post.
I also want to offer a few thoughts from the other side of the aisle, as it were. If you spend a lot of time in ideologically motivated communities, you’re going to encounter a lot of sanctimony and self-righteousness. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a member of 300 different Catholic FaceBook groups, or you are deeply involved in the vegan community, or you made the mistake of going to a mom’s group in an upscale neighbourhood; the basic practices are the same.
A group of people gather together and someone makes an assertion that is basically intended to signal how virtuous, well-informed, intelligent, hip, woke, or generally awesome they are. Others jump in. Some just ante-up by agreeing with the original statement and affirming it’s sagacity. Others up the stakes by making a claim that builds on the original assertion, showing that they not only equal the first speaker but actually exceed them. And so it goes around the table until suddenly somebody calls.
This could take the form of a direct call-out – accusing one of the speakers of hypocrisy or bad behaviour, or showing that actually they’re exaggerating their accomplishments or commitments. It could involve pointing out a contradiction in one of the statements. It could be a flat denial of some dubious truth claim. Or it might be a pointed ‘Socratic’ question designed to expose the flaws in someone’s thinking without openly telling them that they’re an idiot.
More commonly, though, it turns out that a certain amount of bluffing was involved. And this is where things have the capacity to get ugly, because in social situations there aren’t the same kind of clear hierarchies as in poker: there’s not a rule-book that you can appeal to determine whether hearing Jesus speaking to you in your heart carries more, or less, weight than having discussed the question in a private audience with the Archbishop.
So it descends into bickering, and depending on how high the stakes are the arguments can go on for hours, or days, or months… or years… or decades. If institutional bodies get involved, a good squabble can last for centuries. The pretext is always the same: both sides insist that they are actually concerned with truth, or justice, the correction of error, or the protection of the weak. But to any onlooker with even a shred of objectivity, it’s clear that actually what’s at stake is the need to win back whatever social currency was put on the table. People’s pride, prestige, honour or reputations are at stake and so they feel that they can’t just walk away.
The more hurtful the situation becomes, the more invested people are. So they’ll stay, even if they are being bullied, name-called, shamed, or directly threatened – because all of these things cause the stakes to go further up, and up, and up. Backing down means walking away and leaving your winnings behind (you always think of the winnings as yours, even if it’s far from clear that they rightfully belong to you).
Okay, so it’s very easy to point and laugh at people who are behaving this way – and I’m not even going to argue that it’s wrong to do so. Part of the social process by which we learn that ridiculous behaviours are ridiculous is by finding that we have become an object of ridicule. When you’ve been wounded in some com-box dust-up, and instead of rushing around to sympathize, people laugh and start singing “Let it Go!” it’s unpleasant for sure…but in retrospect, these are often the moments when we learn humility.
Besides, if everybody behaved as if these absurd exchanges were actually legitimate contests being fought for important reasons, we would end up like the nobility of the 17th century: monumentally stupid slights would result in actual bloodshed, and there would be real debates over questions like whether a monk’s “right” to defend his honour justified his participation in duels.
However, it’s important to lace our laughter with at least a touch of self-derision. Whether your response is to roll your eyes and scroll past, or grab a bag of popcorn and sit back to watch the fur fly, maybe also take a moment to say a little mea culpa. Because in one way or another, this is something we all do. |
[WM]In recent times music has gradually climbed higher on the entertainment ladder. Musicians always receive the applaud leaving the technical producers or sound engineers out. Little does one know or hear about them.
One of such sound engineers who have helped immensely in the music industry although the youngest among them is Sugar Tone also known in private life as Kofi Ampem Darko (a name unknown to many) of Options Digital Studio sited at Osekua estate located in-between Santa Maria and the Anyaa market.
Sugar Tone?s love for music was wonderful and can be described as an inheritance because his father is Okyeame Bediako secretary to MUSIGA, Onyina his uncle and relates to Agya Koo Nimo from his mothers side.
Sugar Tone at a very tender age joined a lot of gospel bands where he played the drums, keyboard, guitar and actually played the entire musical instrument except the base guitar.
He was a student of Labone Secondary and later to Ghana Films where he studied how to arrange songs, mix, program and in all how to package music in an appealing way. He first did his attachment at Despite Studios where he studied under Mr. Ebenezer Agyekum who is currently in Canada. He proceeded to TNT studios at Tema after his attachment.
Sugar relocated himself at West Wise Digital Studio at Spintex Road where he worked on Bandana?s maiden album ?Moko hoo?. He then moved to the giant in the engineering sector that is Zapp Mallet of TLC studio located at Mile Eleven (11) for some finishing touch to his carrier. Some where along the line he passed through Freddima studios at Nkrumah circle one of the oldest recording studios in the capital where most of the sound engineers started their training.
He established his own recording studio three years ago and the first artiste he recorded in his studio was Daasebre Dwamena and has produced hit after hit for different artiste till date. He can boast of working with artiste like Tinny, Etuo Aboba, King B, Absorber, Bandana, Reggie Zippy, Lucky Mensah, Sydney, Lenny Akpadi and the list is endless.
Sugar?s aspirations for the future are; ?to gain international recognition in his carrier, to come out with a mega compilation project very soon this year and also to produce hit songs as he goes on?.
Also asked about his man Daasebre; in a remorseful way he said ?God has his own way of doing things but I cannot say if he is guilty or not guilty?. He says to him he does not think this will affect his image negatively but rather positively because nobody knows the change his situation will impact on him when he comes back.
?Daasebre is the best artiste I have worked with so far and was like a senior brother to me he added?. He concluded this interview by telling all those who says he deals in drug to stop spreading false information to the public. |
[WM]The first big primary night of 2018 is in the books.
It was tough going for some Republican House members looking for a promotion. But it also might cause a little heartburn for Republicans who are hoping to return to the chamber, or join it for the first time.
Based on Tuesday's results, CNN is moving four races to a more competitive ranking -- all in favor of the Democrats. In three of those contests, Republicans remain strong favorites to hold the seat, but Democrats landed candidates they feel are good fits for the districts. That also is true in the fourth race on the list, which moves to the Toss-Up column. Of the 22 races now rated as Toss-Ups, 20 are currently held by Republicans.
As a reminder, Democrats need a net gain of 23 seats in order to win control of the House.
NC-09: GOP Rep. Robert Pittenger became the first incumbent to lose a renomination contest this cycle, creating an open seat opportunity for Democrats where the party had already landed a strong challenger. Democrat Dan McCready, a Marine Corps veteran and clean energy entrepreneur, received nearly 38,000 votes Tuesday -- roughly 4,000 more than Pittenger and GOP primary winner Mark Harris combined. McCready heads into the general election with $1.2 million in the bank compared to about $70,000 for Harris, a former pastor. This district went for Donald Trump by 12 points in 2016, but Democrats hold a clear edge in enthusiasm at this stage of the race. Race moves from Lean Republican to Toss-Up.
WV-03: State Sen. Richard Ojeda scored a convincing victory in the Democratic primary Tuesday night, receiving 52% of the vote against three challengers. Ojeda received nearly 30,000 votes in the primary, which came close to matching the total combined votes for the top four vote-getters in the GOP primary. State Del. Carol Miller won that seven-person contest with 24% of the vote. Democrats will face an uphill climb is this southern West Virginia seat. Donald Trump carried the 3rd District by 50 points in 2016 while Mitt Romney carried it by 32 points. But Ojeda's populist platform combined with his background as a decorated Army veteran who voted for Trump could appeal in a district that was represented by former Democratic Rep. Nick Rahall until he lost his 2014 re-election bid. Race moves from Solid Republican to Likely Republican.
IN-02: Three-term GOP Rep. Jackie Walorski will face off against Democrat Mel Hall in November. Hall, a former minister, received 42% of the vote in Tuesday's crowded six-candidate Democratic primary. Walorski won her last two races with comfortable margins after earning a narrow victory in 2012 to the seat vacated by current Democratic Sen. Joe Donnelly. Donald Trump won this district, home to South Bend and Elkhart, by 22 points. That was a dramatic swing from 2008, when Barack Obama and John McCain were separated by about 700 votes. Walorski enters the general election as a clear favorite, with a little more than $1 million in the bank as of mid-April. Hall starts off with $236,000 cash on hand, but he's shown an ability to stay competitive in fundraising the last two quarters. Race moves from Solid Republican to Likely Republican.
IN-09: This is another Hoosier State race with a heavily-favored GOP incumbent and a Democratic nominee who could pose a challenge. Democrat Liz Watson, a former congressional staffer, eclipsed two other candidates with 66% of the vote in Tuesday's primary. She'll face off against first-term Rep. Trey Hollingsworth in November. Watson has outraised Hollingsworth the past two fundraising quarters, although the Republican holds a cash-on-hand advantage of $432,000 to $297,000. Hollingsworth, whose net worth is in excess of $50 million, has the ability to help his own cause if necessary. In 2016, he spent $3.1 million of his own money on his campaign. The district includes some Indianapolis and Louisville suburbs, as well as Bloomington, home to Indiana University. Hillary Clinton won Monroe County, where the school is based, by 23 points in 2016. Race moves from Solid Republican to Likely Republican. |
[WM]Beautiful Like New home without the new home price. This home has been completely remodeled. EVERYTHING IS NEW !!! Absolutely Immaculate. 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths. Fenced back yard. New flooring, paint, kitchen, bathrooms, lights, toilets, central ac/heat, water heater. EVERYTHING IS NEW !!! Call TODAY or text 564307 to 35620 for more information! |
[WM]Wild Beasts return to Prague for a show at Lucerna Music Bar. The British indie rock band is currently promoting Smother, their third studio album.
The punk rock goddess of glam returns to Prague as part of Prague Pride 2011.
From Wednesday, 10 August until Sunday, 14 August, the Czech capital hosts the inaugural Prague Pride festival, centered around a street parade on Saturday afternoon.
Honor who you are not what you are at Roxy this Sunday.
Possibly the world's most famous rhythm section, Sly & Robbie return to Prague on Tuesday, accompanied by another Jamaican reggae star, singer Junior Reid.
From Thursday, 4 August: Two cinemas have undubbed versions of Captain America: The First Avenger (see City Beat for movie times); and three friends plot to kill their managers in the comedy Horrible Bosses.
For one night only, fans of classic ballet and new dance forms of the 21st century, will have an opportunity to experience world-class dance event. |
[WM]Great opportunity ! Home has 3 bdrms,a bonus room or 2nd living area,office or 4th bdrm, recently added new metal roof and siding, open kitchen area, lots of storage,plus front is a nail/hair salon fully equipped and all inventory remains, work from home ! Nail saloon has major road frontage, and home is in the back,connected to salon. A wonderful work at home opportunity. |
[WM]About Us Grace & Co Contemporary Jewellers was set up in 2010 by two jewellery professionals with over 20 years experience between them.
Since the doors of the Ashby de la Zouch Grace & Co first opened in April 2010, Grace & Co has continued to grow and now stocks world renowned, contemporary jewellery and accessories in five locations across the Midlands. Under Grace & Co's title are also two PANDORA Concept Stores.
In 2014 Grace & Co's Managing Directors were shortlisted for the Professional Jewellers 'Top Retail Stars'. Their knowledge and expertise in the jewellery world has resulted in a team of staff that provide excellent customer service and a fabulous shopping experience, whether it be in store or online.
Don't just take our word for it. Come in and visit one of our stunning stores or visit our website. |
[WM]John F Kennedy International Airport, one of the busiest in the United States, will be getting a US$10 billion upgrade, New York's state governor said Wednesday.
[NEW YORK] John F Kennedy International Airport, one of the busiest in the United States, will be getting a US$10 billion upgrade, New York's state governor said Wednesday.
Governor Andrew Cuomo said the plan calls for creating "a unified, interconnected airport that changes the passenger experience and makes the airport much easier to access and navigate".
In a city that considers itself the centre of the universe, JFK airport is considered a modest 59th in the world in terms of passenger experience behind London Heathrow and Seoul, among many others.
It is famed for overcrowding, flights being late; critics also bemoan the fact that getting to JFK from Manhattan is not fast, smooth or easy.
"John F Kennedy airport was once a world-class transportation hub, envied by the entire nation. Today, it is choked with traffic and burdened with outdated systems and decaying infrastructure," said Pat Foye, Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
With better amenities and security, the goal is for JFK not to lose out to the competition as a source of money, jobs and pride. JFK welcomed 60 million passengers in 2016, and hopes to hit 75 million in 2030, and 100 million by 2050.
"For each million passengers that JFK fails to accommodate, the region loses approximately US$140 million in wages, US$400 million in sales, and 2,500 jobs. JFK is one of the only major airports in the world that does not offer travelers a one seat ride from its city center," Mr Foye stressed.
Of the almost US$10 billion budget, 8 billion is for terminals and 1.5 to 2 billion for road and highway improvements. |
[WM]It may be cheaper than driving, but commuting by public transport can still be pretty pricey.
Commuting to work via public transportation is usually cheaper than driving everywhere.
But in these major cities, a monthly pass for public transportation may still be a major expense.
The most expensive cities for commuting to work are in Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States.
Next to housing, transportation is one of the largest recurring expenses people face. In a major metropolis, that likely means a fair amount of time packed into the subway, trolley, or bus getting a little too acquainted with your fellow city dwellers.
The good news: It's better for the environment, and, depending on where you live, it may be cheaper than owning a car.
The bad news: It can still be really expensive.
In London, the most expensive city in the world for public transportation, you'll need to shell out nearly $197 for a month of riding the Tube. In New York City, a monthly transit pass costs $121.
The report sources prices from Expatistan, a site that tracks cost-of-living expenses in over 200 countries, for a "monthly ticket public transport" in nearly 50 cities.
Here are the 16 most expensive cities in the world for commuting via public transportation each month. All prices are in US dollars. |
[WM]When HP spins out its PC division, what will be left in the company? Everything below except for the "Personal Systems Group."
And really, that's not so bad. The Personal Systems Group, which is home to the PC business, has been basically flat for the past four years. Meanwhile, its services business has been growing pretty nicely. It makes sense to focus on that. |
[WM]RABBITOHS coach Anthony Seibold says all the pressure is on the Roosters ahead of next week’s blockbuster preliminary final between the two arch-rivals.
Lighting the fuse immediately after the Bunnies edged the Dragons in a 13-12 thriller at ANZ Stadium, Seibold said his side can go into the game with a nothing-to-lose mentality because of the swag of big-money signings that descended on Moore Park at the start of the season.
“I think before a ball was kicked this year the Roosters were probably everyone’s tip to be in the grand final and minor premiers with the recruits they had,” he said.
He also said the sustained success of the club in recent years should ensure the Tricolours are considered heavy favourites in next Saturday’s local derby.
“They’re the minor premiers and I think they may have been in four of the last six preliminary finals and there’s a fair bit of pressure on them,” he continued.
“So, we’ll go there and give it a red-hot crack.
He also tried to downplay the significance of the unavailability of suspended stars Latrell Mitchell and Dylan Napa.
Souths will be hoping skipper Greg Inglis doesn’t have a case to answer for a potential crusher tackle on Tim Lafai. |
[WM]Danny Rand and Luke Cage won't be the only heroes having a crossover moment in Luke Cage Season 2, and the new clip below reveals that Colleen Wing and Misty Knight will get a chance to team up as well. The video shows Misty and Colleen doing some day drinking and getting rudely interrupted by a guy who has some beef with Misty. And don't go thinking this is all about verbal jabs, because things quickly devolve into a classic bar room brawl led by two of Marvel TV's most badass women.
Misty and Colleen managed to drop their assailants despite Misty not even having her bionic arm just yet. Colleen gave her friend a bit of tough love by at first refusing aid, which nearly inspired Misty enough to handle all those attackers on her own! Of course, the Iron Fist regular soon stepped in as the criminals began to swarm, and she whipped out some of the patented kung fu skills that made her one of the shining stars opposite Finn Jones' Danny Rand. Both women bested the foes pretty easily in the Luke Cage clip, although it's not like anyone should be surprised by that, considering who we're talking about.
This particular Luke Cage moment seems to be more about Colleen helping Misty cope with the loss of her arm, rather than something advancing the main overarching plot. One thing this clip does reveal, however, is that Misty apparently doesn't have her bionic arm at the start of Luke Cage Season 2. This may mean that Rand's company will be involved in granting her the tech for her new arm, as some had theorized after The Defenders. It may also mean the Iron Fist and Luke Cage crossover happens very early on in Season 2, although it's certainly possible that Season 2 will hold off on Misty getting a new arm until much later.
The Misty and Colleen clip is hopefully a small taste of what's in store for the Iron Fist crossover in Season 2, and it better not be the only time Luke Cage pays homage to Daughters of the Dragon. Following The Defenders, rumors swirled that the groundwork was being laid for Simone Missick and Jessica Henwick to team up for comic-inspired heroics, and it looks as though Luke Cage found time to set that up amidst putting Luke and Danny's Heroes For Hire-inspired scenes together.
Luke Cage showrunner Cheo Coker has said he hopes Marvel fans warm up more to Iron Fist after watching Season 2 of Luke Cage. Provided Danny and Luke gel as well as Colleen and Misty did in this scene, and as they did in Defenders, there's a strong possibility that fans will embrace Iron Fist Season 2 with more open arms. But if not, perhaps Marvel can shift focus to bringing Wing and Knight's Daughters of the Dragon arcs to viewers sooner rather than later.
Luke Cage Season 2 premieres on Netflix on Friday, June 22 at 12:01 a.m. PT. For a look at other upcoming superhero shows, visit our superhero premiere guide. For a look at other shows coming to television this summer, visit our summer premiere guide. |
[WM]CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Jan. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM), the leading provider of cloud services for delivering, optimizing and securing online content and business applications, today released its Third Quarter, 2013 State of the Internet Report. Based on data gathered from the Akamai Intelligent Platform™, the report provides insight into key global statistics such as network connectivity and connection speeds, attack traffic, and broadband adoption and availability, among many others.
The Third Quarter, 2013 State of the Internet Report includes insights into the likelihood of repeat DDoS attacks against an individual target, the continued attack activity by a group calling itself the Syrian Electronic Army, as well as observations on Akamai traffic activity related to Internet disruptions in Syria, Myanmar and Sudan. The report also reviews mobile browser usage by network type based on data from Akamai IO.
The global average connection speed continued its upward trend in the third quarter of 2013, climbing 10% over the previous quarter to 3.6 Mbps. A total of 122 countries/regions that qualified for inclusion saw average connection speeds increase during the third quarter, with growth ranging from 0.5 percent in Namibia (to 1.1 Mbps) to a 76 percent increase in Nepal (to 3.6 Mbps).
Average connection speeds saw a 29 percent year-over-year increase, with all of the top 10 countries/regions climbing 27 percent or more. Globally, 133 qualifying countries/regions saw year-over-year increases in average connection speeds, from 0.2 percent in Egypt (to 1.2 Mbps) to 259 percent in Réunion (to 6.8 Mbps).
Global average peak connection speeds showed a slight decline in the third quarter of 2013, dropping 5.2 percent to 17.9 Mbps. Seven of the top 10 countries/regions saw increases in average peak connection speeds during the quarter, ranging from 0.5 percent in Hong Kong (to 65.4 Mbps) to 19 percent in South Korea (to 63.6 Mbps). Meanwhile, Romania, Latvia and Belgium saw declines of 4.4, 3.3 and 3.6 percent to 45.4, 43.1 and 38.5 Mbps, respectively.
Year over year, the global average peak connection speed grew 13 percent over the third quarter of 2012. Yearly increases among the top 10 countries/regions ranged from 15 percent in Latvia to 63 percent in Singapore. Worldwide, 115 qualifying countries/regions showed yearly growth in average connection speeds, with increases ranging from 0.3 percent in South Africa (to 11.9 Mbps) to 111 percent in Palestine (to 19.9 Mbps).
Global high broadband (>10 Mbps) adoption rose 31 percent quarter-over-quarter to reach 19 percent. Global broadband (>4 Mbps) adoption improved 5.8 percent over the quarter to reach 53 percent.
"In the third quarter of 2013, we observed that long-term growth in average and average peak connection speeds remained strong, as did growth in global broadband and high broadband adoption rates. We believe these trends point to continued improvement in the quality and performance of Internet connectivity in countries around the world," said David Belson, the report's editor.
Akamai maintains a distributed set of unadvertised agents deployed across the Internet that log connection attempts, which the company classifies as attack traffic. Based on the data collected by these agents, Akamai is able to identify the top countries from which attack traffic originates, as well as the top ports targeted by these attacks. It is important to note, however, that the originating country as identified by the source IP address may not represent the nation in which an attacker resides. For example, an individual in the United States may be launching attacks from compromised systems anywhere in the world.
Akamai observed attack traffic originating from 185 unique countries/regions during the third quarter of 2013, up 10 over the previous quarter. China, which originated 35 percent of observed attacks, returned to the top spot this quarter after having been unseated by Indonesia in the second quarter. Indonesia, meanwhile, dropped back to second place after originating 20 percent of observed attacks – slightly more than half of the volume seen in the second quarter. The United States remained in third place as it originated 11 percent of observed attacks during the third quarter, up from 6.9 percent in the previous quarter.
Overall, the concentration of attacks declined during the third quarter of 2013, with the top 10 countries originating 83 percent of observed attacks, compared to 89 percent in the second quarter. China and Indonesia, however, continued to originate more than half of all observed attack traffic.
After dropping to third place in the second quarter, Port 445 (Microsoft-DS) returned to its spot as the most targeted port in the third quarter, drawing 23 percent of observed attacks. Port 80 (WWW [HTTP]) and Port 443 (SSL [HTTPS]) dropped to second and third place at 14 and 13 percent, respectively. Port 445 was the most targeted port in eight of the top 10 countries/regions, the only exceptions being China and Indonesia. Port 1433 (Microsoft SQL Server) was the top target for China and Port 443 was the most targeted from Indonesia.
In addition to observations on attack traffic, the State of the Internet Report includes insight into distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks based on reports from Akamai customers. For the first time since the fourth quarter of 2012, when Akamai began reporting on DDoS attacks, fewer attacks were reported than the previous quarter, with 281 observed in the third quarter of 2013 compared to 318 during the second quarter (down 11 percent). Overall, Akamai saw more attacks through the third quarter of 2013 (807) than it did in all of 2012 (768).
The Enterprise sector continued to be the leading target of DDoS attacks with 127 reported in the third quarter; Commerce was next with 80, followed by Media & Entertainment (42), Public Sector (18) and High Tech (14).
Akamai has also started to examine the likelihood that attack targets may be subject to follow-up attacks. Out of the 281 third-quarter attacks, 169 were focused on unique targets. During the quarter, 27 customers were attacked for a second time; five reported three attacks; and seven companies were attacked more than three times. Initial analysis of the data indicates that if a company is the target of a DDoS attack, there is a 25 percent chance that it could be attacked again within three months.
"Although the number of DDoS attacks reported by Akamai customers in the third quarter declined from the previous quarter, we believe that 2013 will ultimately be a significantly more active year for DDoS attacks than 2012," Belson said. "As of the end of the third quarter, customers had already reported more DDoS attacks than they did in all of 2012."
More than 760 million unique IPv4 addresses from 239 unique countries/regions connected to the Akamai Intelligent Platform during the third quarter of 2013, a 1.1 percent increase over the second quarter and an 11 percent increase year over year. Since a single IP address can represent multiple individuals in some cases – such as when users access the Web through a firewall or proxy server – Akamai estimates the total number of unique Web users connecting to its platform during the quarter to be well over one billion.
The number of unique IPv4 address seen by the Akamai Intelligent Platform worldwide rose by more than eight million over the quarter, with growth observed in six of the top 10 countries. Year over year, the number of global unique IPv4 addresses connecting to Akamai grew by more than 123 million, with nine of the top 10 countries/regions showing growth.
For the first time, the State of the Internet Report includes data leveraged directly from the Akamai Intelligent platform to provide insights into IPv6 adoption across numerous vectors. European countries have taken a clear lead in IPv6 adoption, with seven of the top 10 countries. Conversely, only one country in Asia Pacific (Japan) is among the top 10.
Over the course of the third quarter of 2013, IPv6 traffic levels on the Akamai Intelligent Platform grew from just over 176,000 hits/second to more than 277,000 hits/second. IPv6 traffic continued to exhibit a cyclical weekly pattern, with volumes dipping each Saturday, likely indicating a greater level of IPv6 adoption across corporate/enterprise networks than consumer ISPs.
Akamai expects to include this information, as well as insight into IPv6 adoption trends over time, within the State of the Internet Report going forward.
Average connection speeds on surveyed mobile network operators during the third quarter of 2013 ranged from a high of 9.5 Mbps to a low of 0.6 Mbps, while average peak connection speeds ranged from 49.8 Mbps to 2.4 Mbps. Eighteen operators showed average connection speeds in the broadband (>4 Mbps) range. According to data collected by Ericsson, the volume of mobile traffic increased by approximately10 percent during the third quarter and grew by 80 percent year over year.
Analysis of Akamai IO data collected during the third quarter shows that Android Webkit-based browsers accounted for nearly 38 percent of all requests and Apple Mobile Safari slightly less than 24 percent. When accounting for mobile device usage across all networks (not just cellular), Apple Mobile Safari comprised just over 47 percent of requests and Android Webkit made up 33 percent of requests.
To complement the report, Akamai's State of the Internet app was introduced today; a new app that brings the State of the Internet Report to users' iPhones and iPads. The app provides easy access to interactive State of the Internet Report data such as unique IP addresses, attack volume, connection speeds and broadband adoption, along with current and past quarterly reports as well as related news. Akamai's State of the Internet app is available now in the Apple App Store.
Akamai® is the leading provider of cloud services for delivering, optimizing and securing online content and business applications. At the core of the Company's solutions is the Akamai Intelligent Platform™ providing extensive reach, coupled with first class reliability, security, visibility and expertise. Akamai removes the complexities of connecting the increasingly mobile world, supporting 24/7 consumer demand, and enabling enterprises to securely leverage the cloud. To learn more about how Akamai is accelerating the pace of innovation in a hyperconnected world, please visit www.akamai.com or blogs.akamai.com, and follow @Akamai on Twitter. |
[WM]The hype track arrives just in time for Miami Music Week.
The name “Pogo” is not, like so many EDM track names, entirely random. A mouth harp created the track’s “spring” sound, which inspired Majestic to come up with the pogo concept in the lyrics, including the shout-out instructions to “bounce.” According to Luke, its “simple chants that stick to the mind and can hype a crowd” that make for a successful track.
“For instance, having a lyric like 'We hit turbulence!' has done very well for me,” he explains, referencing “Turbulence,” his massive 2011 tune with Steve Aoki and Lil’ Jon. A Miami Music Week favorite, Luke’s Mixmash Records Pool Party, on Thursday March 21 at The National, is already sold out. But with early support from DJs like Hardwell, A-Trak, Bingo Players and Congorock, “Pogo” surely will be heard throughout the city. |
[WM]HARRY KANE reportedly wants to be Real Madrid’s new number nine.
The Tottenham superstar became the leading scorer in the 2017 calendar year after scoring a hat-trick against Southampton on Boxing Day, ending the dominance of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
And his scintillating form has increased speculation the Englishman could quit Spurs for a big-money move to the Bernabeu.
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez reportedly considers Kane as the perfect replacement for Karim Benzema.
However, according to Spanish news outlet Don Balon, the only way Kane will join Los Blancos is if he is the new number nine meaning Benzema will have to leave.
So if Kane were to join Real Madrid, how could Zinedine Zidane’s side look with the striker?
Take a look through the gallery above to see our predicted Real Madrid team with Harry Kane! |
[WM]CLEVELAND- Faith, family, and future.
Those are the pillars that guide this week's 'Cool School,' Villa-Angela Saint Joseph High School in Cleveland.
Over the past 68 years, the school has produced not only great scholars but great people who go on to do many good things in their communities.
FOX 8's Roosevelt Leftwich takes us there in the video above.
Berea-Midpark Middle School is a Fox 8 Cool School!
Villa Angela-St. Joseph is the next Cool School! |
[WM]The title track dates back eight years, according to Collen, who had forgotten about the song after Manraze first attempted it soon after their 2004 formation. While on tour in 2012, it finally took shape. With backing vocals from Debbi Blackwell-Cook (who also appears on “All I Wanna Do”) and the capable rhythms of Cook and Lafffy, Collen ranks “I Surrender” as Manraze’s finest moment to date.
When Manraze isn’t working together, Collen forges on with his day job with Def Leppard. Meanwhile Cook has been collaborating with both Edwyn Collins and original U.K. punks Subway Sect. As for Laffy, who first played with Collen in Girl more than three decades ago, he has recently penned Red Sunrise and Seed of Satan,two soon-to-be-published historical novels. |
[WM]The information being provided by The Nation about this 2 卧室 别墅 in Hat Yai (SL-3) that is available for 出售 is for the visitor's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective 别墅 visitor may be interested in buying 2 卧室 别墅s. Any information relating to this 出售s 别墅 referenced on this web site comes from the Internet Data Exchange program defined by The Nation. This web site may reference 别墅 listing(s) that are for 出售 and held by a brokerage firm other than the broker and/or agent who owns this web site. Any information relating to a 别墅 that is for 出售, regardless of source, including but not limited to square footages, lot sizes and 出售s price, is deemed reliable but not guaranteed and should be personally verified through personal inspection by and/or with the appropriate professionals. The data contained herein is copyrighted by The Nation and is protected by all applicable copyright laws. Any dissemination of this information is in violation of copyright laws and is strictly prohibited. |
[WM]Most people who support the Bush administration’s generous reinterpretation of the rights of government in the name of fighting terrorism (and many do) do so with the fundamental assumption that they would never be the ones whose civil liberties were yanked out from underneath them. After all, they’re law-abiding citizens who couldn’t possibly be mistaken for terrorist-sympathizers or enemies of the state. Well, the Times‘ article on the far-reaching surveillance conducted by the New York police in the lead-up to the 2004 Republican convention demonstrates how false that assumption is—even for upper-class white heterosexual Christian moderates.
Attend a meeting of a group opposing Bush or the death penalty or other government policies, or supporting the environment (or, or, or) and the government opens a file on you. Engage in email with these groups and your email will be read and stored. Simply walk down the wrong block in Manhattan during the Republican convention—whether or not you were there to protest, and whether or not your protest was held in violation of any rule or regulation, however minor—and you may have been jailed in the huge dragnet arrests that caused more than 1,800 people to be held for up to 2 days. Not only were many innocent of all charges, but virtually all were charged with violations that would not normally be cause for making a trip down to the station. Few detainees were charged within the legal time limit, and the NYPD failed to respond to the writs of habeas corpus filed on their behalf. Why? So they could get fingerprints of every person being held.
This is per the paper of record; it’s no conspiracy theory, though many who have been giving their version of events for more than 2 years have been dismissed as paranoid.
Which brings me to my second point. Without the investigative journalism of a serious local paper, this story would never have come to light. In this era of media consolidation [PDF] and profits-first, it pays to remember that. All national news is local somewhere. Investigative journalism, which is time consuming and doesn’t always strike pay dirt, may not make sense in terms of a simple equation of time in: money out, but knowing what your government is up to—well, that’s priceless. And it could easily be your freedom that depends upon it someday, whoever you are. |
[WM]The US National Security Agency wants a quantum computer – and has dedicated $79.7 million to the technology, according to the latest top secret government documents leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden to the Washington Post.
It is no surprise that the NSA is pursuing such a potentially powerful technology, nor does the revelation pose an immediate privacy threat – the documents suggest that the agency is no closer to perfecting the technology than university researchers around the world. But if the agency does eventually realise its goal, what do citizens need to watch out for? And is there technology that would allow people to stay safe from quantum spooks?
Quantum computers promise to vastly outperform even the best ordinary computers at specific tasks by exploiting the weird properties of quantum mechanics. While a regular PC computes with bits that are either 0s or 1s, quantum machines use quantum bits, or qubits, which can be both simultaneously, and offer a computational speed-up.
One area quantum computers should excel in is factoring numbers into their prime building blocks. That could make them capable of breaking the internet’s most commonly used encryption methods, which depend on the fact that ordinary computers can’t find prime factors quickly. So in principle, the NSA could use a quantum computer to read secret data – without the need to collude with tech firms, which they have done in the past.
The NSA programme, called “Penetrating Hard Targets”, apparently aims to build a quantum computer big enough to outperform the conventional variety. However, the Snowden documents, which are dated 2011, only mention aspirations for a machine consisting of two working qubits – far too small to factorise the large numbers that ordinary computers struggle with. It is also smaller than some of the quantum computers that university researchers are working with.
It is possible that the NSA has made progress since then, or has other technologies not mentioned in the documents. But Scott Aaronson, a quantum computer researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology told the Washington Post that he is doubtful that they could be taking the lead yet. “It seems improbable that the NSA could be that far ahead of the open world without anybody knowing it,” he said.
Another quantum tool that might interest the NSA is Grover’s algorithm, a database search algorithm that is theoretically much faster than any ordinary software. Snowden’s leaks have revealed that the NSA runs vast data collection programmes, so any way to sift through the noise and quickly identify targets would benefit their efforts.
However, the biggest Grover implementation so far, on a system of three qubits, can only search through eight database elements – in other words, this algorithm is nowhere near outperforming ordinary computers given existing, known quantum hardware.
However, if the NSA does ever manage to build a much bigger quantum computer, there is still one technology that could help keep data secure, and it also relies on quantum mechanics. Quantum key distribution uses photons to generate a sequence of 0s and 1s that serve as an encryption key. Anyone attempting to intercept the key will unavoidably disturb the photons, revealing that the data has been tampered with – the laws of physics keep you safe.
This ultra-secure cryptography is already commercially available, and was even used to secure a Swiss election in 2007. But there are limits – building a global quantum network to rival the internet, rather than a small local network, would require technologies that do not exist yet.
Even if we end up with a secure quantum internet, it is still possible that the NSA might find a way to snoop. Although the underlying physics is secure, physical systems might not be. Quantum hacking is possible by predicting and exploiting flaws that are likely to exist in the way the hardware implements the physics – and the NSA knows it. According to the Snowden documents, one of its research goals is to “support the development of novel Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) attacks and assess the security of new QKD system designs”. |
[WM]Dhawan batted through the innings to guide Delhi Capitals to a seven-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL.
It will be remembered as one of Kerala cricket’s finest first-class victories against the two-time winners of the Trophy.
The left-arm chinaman scalped 3 wickets to set up India's 5-wicket win against West Indies in Kolkata.
Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium will play host to the Qualifier 1 and the Final on May 22 and 27 respectively.
The wicket at the Kotla set aside for the Test is the one on which India beat New Zealand by 53 runs in a T20 on November 1.
The first Test match between India and Sri Lanka ended in a dramatic draw.
With excitement buzzing as Test cricket returns to the country after a six-month period, the Eden Gardens Test could witness rain.
Sri Lanka would want to forget the annihilation suffered at home and chase what has been an improbable dream of winning a Test in India.
The incident happened during Indian cricket team’s practice session on Tuesday ahead of the Eden Gardens Test against Sri Lanka.
Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja, who played in the last round Ranji tie vs Gujarat that ended on Sunday, opted to rest on Monday.
Dhoni was in the city for a commercial shoot with another former skipper Kapil Dev.
Team India leapfroged South Africa, by decimal points, to emerge as the top-ranked team in the format.
The world champions trail the hosts 2-0 in the series and have now notched up their 10th ODI loss in succession on foreign pitches.
Pandya was caught by Steve Smith at cover after mistiming a waist height full-toss.
The Left-arm spinner became only the third Indian to take a hat-trick as the hosts demolished Australia by 50 runs here.
Check out why one of India's most favourite cricketers, MS Dhoni, decided to take up the gun.
Smith said his most memorable ODI innings was century in the 2015 World Cup semifinal against India.
With rain threat looming large, the Eden Gardens remained under cover ahead of the second ODI. |
[WM]Growing up on Chicago’s North Side, “Rocky” Yamanaka recalled few incidents of racism. “Me and my sister were the only Japanese. But we were curiosities to most of the Caucasians there,” he said.
Follow the story of “Rocky” Yamanaka, one of the few remaining Nisei who remembers life in Chicago before Japanese American resettlement, from his family’s difficulties in the Great Depression, his experiences in being drafted on V-J Day at the end of World War II, and his return to a Chicago that had drastically changed.
Still sharp of mind and looking rather spry for an 86-year-old, Yamanaka, with his thin frame and graying hair, remembers a time before World War II when fewer than 400 Japanese Americans called Chicago their home. Currently, there are only a handful of Chicago Nisei from before the war that are still alive today.
He was born in 1927 in the U.S. to parents who hailed from near Tokyo. His father first arrived in Chicago as a houseboy living with an American family in the early 1900s. Eventually obtaining an education and opening up a restaurant in the downtown area of Chicago, his father later married his mother and brought her back to the U.S. They would have two sons and two daughters, and Rocky was the third-oldest of his siblings.
The diner owned by his father was on Clark Street near Chicago Avenue, and served American fare typical of the many restaurants run by Nisei at the time, since an American audience for Japanese food had not developed in the 1920s and 1930s. But following the Great Depression, his father would eventually lose the restaurant, though he ended up working for another Nikkei restaurateur.
By this time his family had moved from the south end of downtown and settled in a crowded, coal-heated two-flat in the Geneva Terrace neighborhood on the North Side of Chicago. Walking a block and a half to Lincoln Elementary School, he went to classes in a predominantly Caucasian community.
His childhood memories included playing “kitten ball” (also known as “mushball,” a form of 16-inch softball popular in Chicago) with Caucasian neighborhood kids. Early on he evinced a talent for drawing, and even received a summer scholarship to take a class at the Art Institute of Chicago.
Yet through his childhood, experiences of racism on the basis of his Japanese ancestry seemed rare, perhaps owing to the fact that the small Nikkei community was not seen as much of a threat in Chicago compared to areas on the West Coast, where virulent anti-Japanese sentiment had been the norm.
Though his childhood friends tended to be Caucasian, he does remember attending Japanese American events, including community picnics with his family, as well as annual ceremonies honoring the Japanese emperor’s birthday held on the South Side of Chicago. Another important memory involved going with a large group of Japanese to the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair to see the Japanese Pavilion there, and having iced green tea for the first time, a relative novelty at the time.
When Rocky turned ten years old, his older brother developed rheumatic fever, a common childhood illness of the period. His brother ended up being treated at the La Rabida Sanitarium in Jackson Park (now the La Rabida Children’s Hospital), and since his family didn’t have a car, it would take them hours by streetcars to go that far south. Later his brother returned home and though bedridden for a while, recovered enough to go to school. Despite his seeming recovery, his condition worsened and he passed away in May 1938.
Following the passing of his brother, his mother got ill for a long time, and then when she recovered, his father also got sick, due to an ulcer exacerbated by these family stresses. Rocky’s father would eventually pass away in December 1939. Both his father and brother were interred at Montrose Cemetery, one of the few cemeteries that accepted Japanese American remains for interment.
Through assistance from the Japanese Mutual Aid Society of Chicago, his family eventually stayed in an apartment on Oak Street that the association ran. This experience provided his first significant exposure to the Nikkei community and through his time there he met other Nisei like himself.
He would eventually learn a little of the Japanese alphabet there but never learned to speak Japanese like some of his Nisei friends. They stayed at the association from about 1939 through 1941, before his mother finally found employment.
When Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, his family still lived at the association. Though he was only 14 years old at the time, he can still recall his thoughts today.
Lacking a strong family connection to Japan and being situated in the Midwest, the unfolding of the war seemed somewhat far away to Rocky as he went to high school.
After his mother got a job they were able to rent a place on nearby Wells Street. His mother faced a great deal of difficulty in picking up after his father passed away, but she eventually worked in the restaurant business and ended up managing a restaurant after a couple of years, demonstrating her tenacity in the face of their family struggles.
During this time he attended Waller High School (now called Lincoln Park High School), first at the Waller branch before transferring to the main school for his last two years. At this school he met a number of other Nisei who attended as well.
By the time that he graduated high school in the spring of 1944, he fully expected that he would be drafted into the war effort.
Despite the war ending, Rocky still had to get inducted to fulfill his Selective Service duties. As he noted, he and his fellow enlistees were supposed to be sent to nearby Fort Sheridan by noon of that day.
Following this, the Army sent him to Camp Fannin in Tyler, Texas, where supplies ran low due to the consolidation of the armed forces at the end of the war. Three months later the Army transferred him to Fort Snelling in Minnesota, but since he couldn’t speak Japanese he couldn’t join the Military Intelligence Service (MIS) program. By the end of his service he ended up at the Counter Intelligence Corps (CIC) school at Camp Holabird in Maryland and joined the art department, becoming a staff sergeant, and the head non-commissioned officer there.
In 1947 he finished his military service. Still only 20 years old, he found that his hometown had drastically changed.
In speaking about the Nikkei that ended up resettling in Chicago from the Japanese American concentration camps, “Even before I got drafted they started coming into this area out of the camps. A lot of them moved to the South Side, like the Hyde Park area.” By 1947, the number of Nikkei in Chicago had rocketed to some 20,000 people.
Later he went to art school on the G.I. Bill and started a career as an illustrator at an art studio run by a former Disney animator.
All told, however, the Nikkei community had changed drastically from what he had known before. “The pre-war community no longer existed when I came back,” he said. “I never did have a community, because I lived in a Caucasian neighborhood, but I had to move into a Nisei group. Then I went in the Army and came back and the Nisei group was completely changed from what I remembered from two years before.
Despite the changes that have taken place in the Nikkei community of Chicago, Rocky continues to live as an embodiment of an era now gone, but for him, and thankfully because of him, it will not be forgotten.
Ryan Masaaki Yokota is editor of Nikkei Chicago, a website devoted to telling the untold stories of Japanese Americans in the Windy City. For more information, visit http://nikkeichicago.wordpress.com. |
[WM]Computer scientists have developed FitRec, a recommendation tool powered by deep learning, that is able to better estimate runners' heart rates during a workout and predict and recommend routes.
UFC fighter Rodrigo de Lima is dead after allegedly being run over by a car following an argument with a ride-share driver in Belem, Brazil.
Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe said he is invested in the Ligue 1 club and doesn't plan to go to La Liga power Real Madrid.
The Social Security Administration's annual trustees report issued a stern warning Monday -- costs will exceed revenues next year for the first time in nearly 40 years.
More than 100 university students in Vietnam are accused of manipulating their test scores.
A novice lottery player in Oregon who ended up confused while trying to buy a Powerball ticket had his inexperience pay off when he won $150,000.
As the race for the 2020 presidential election ramps up, so too will questions about voter attitudes in states that switched from blue to red in 2016.
The USS Charleston, a littoral combat ship, has arrived at its San Diego home port after completing a maiden voyage that began at the shipyard in Alabama.
Seventy-one new measles cases were reported in the United States last week, bringing the total near a record for a year, federal health officials said Monday.
Kraft Heinz is replacing CEO Bernard Hees with former AB InBev executive Miguel Patricio, the company announced Monday.
Smartphone maker Samsung has postponed the China launch of its new Galaxy Fold after reports of problems with the revolutionary folding display.
A Texas ranch said unexpectedly high demand led them to turn 1,000 people away from an unusual event: wine with alpacas.
The slime mold Physarum polycephalum doesn't have a nervous system, yet the single-celled organism is capable of learning and communicating. |
[WM]Federal budget shows big support for Boys & Girls Clubs in Memphis and across the country, which are helping more at-risk youth stay out of trouble and in school.
For more than 56 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis have worked to address inequities for young people, with a commitment to provide every child with the opportunity for a better future, no matter their background.
Our mission has been to enable all young people, especially those who need us most, to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
We provide a world class club experience that assures success is within reach of every young person who enters our doors, with all members on track to graduate high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship and living a healthy lifestyle.
Today, 4,300 clubs serve 4 million kids and teens in our country, providing life-changing opportunities.
During the summer, Boys & Girls Clubs help close the summer learning gap that significantly impacts low-income youth.
Club members ages 12-17 from low-income families outperform their peers academically, with 74% reporting getting A’s and B’s in school, more than 10% higher than their peers nationally.
68% of club 12th-graders volunteer in their communities, compared to 39% of their peers nationally.
84% of club 12th-graders abstain from alcohol use, compared to 58% of their peers nationally.
Recently I joined other Boys & Girls Clubs in Washington to talk with our members of Congress about the issues that matter most to our kids.
•The National Youth Mentoring program received an unprecedented $14 million increase to $94 million. The additional funding is specifically geared towards at-risk youth impacted by the opioid crisis.
•21st Century Community Learning Center funding increased $20 million to $1.211 billion. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis currently does not receive 21st Century funding, but we hope to apply next year.
•The Department of Defense youth activity program doubled to $10 million. We worked with Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran to support our military partnership (Better Together) and reach the 250,000 military-connected youth who reside off-installation.
•Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants increased to $1 billion.
We know investment in after-school opportunities impacts local communities, especially working families that rely on Boys & Girls Clubs for full-time employment. Every $1 invested in a Boys & Girls Clubs returns $9.60 in current and future earnings and cost-savings to communities.
Clubs in your district serve 4,500 children and teens, offer 21 different word-class programs, and employee over 150 people.
Our community depends on federal resources to bring vital, life-changing programming for our kids and teens.While we recognize the challenges our nation’s leaders face, a commitment to our kids and teens today can be the common ground to ensure our country’s future.
Prioritizing and investing in after-school time not only leads to better outcomes for our kids, but also to a healthier, safer and more prosperous nation.
Keith Blanchard is president and C.E.O. of Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis. |
[WM]Regular listeners to our weekly TechRadio podcast will know all about 3D in the home – for simplicity let’s call it H3D. Over the past five years we discussed it as an emerging technology, a mature technology and, this year, an industry folly. It’s not that we’re modish, it’s that H3D’s stakeholders in manufacturing and media failed to address the three ‘c’s of cost, convenience and content that have defined the format wars of the last 30 years. Where 3D in the cinema – C3D for our purposes – has proven popular as a premium offering for multiplexes, the same enthusiasm has not crossed over to H3D where consumers don’t have massive screens with digital projection, cutting-edge sound systems and a, most import, a communal viewing experience. C3D is popular because it delivers on all those fronts and viewers haven’t grown tired of paying the extra €2 or €3 to catch a summer blockbuster in a prime time slot. Would anyone care tomorrow if C3D disappeared? I have yet to meet anyone who said it enhanced their enjoyment of a story.
Although we’re stuck with C3D for the foreseeable future, the rules for home entertainment have always been different, the assumption H3D would follow the same path as C3D has proven disastrous. In the video format war of the early 1980s, VHS (developed by JVC) smashed (Sony’s) Betamax as it was cheaper to produce and better manufacturer support. In the 90s, DVD beat VHS without resistance by delivering superior quality at comparable prices at a fraction of the size of a video cassette with broad manufacturer support.
In the noughties, Sony’s Blu-ray and Toshiba’s HD DVD echoed the struggle of 20 years previous, only this time around it was content deals via Sony’s industry partnerships, not demand and price, that carried the day. However, consumers haven’t taken to Blu-ray owing to higher prices, limited selection and changing viewing patterns in favour of on-demand services delivering mostly standard definition content. With home H3D dependent on Blu-ray adoption its best is a subset of a minority interest format. And that’s before we get to the hardware.
Manufacturers have spent the past four years extolling the virtues of H3D, treating it as an inevitable evolution of home cinema systems, however the sales of 3D TVs have proved unconvincing. Studios are apparently reluctant to support H3D as it would detract from C3D revenue and Internet-connected TVs with direct access to catch-up and on-demand services are proving far more popular and cost-effective. And, of course, there is the issue of having to wear expensive active shutter glasses to get the best H3D picture.
Panasonic, Samsung, Sony and LG still promote 3D sets on their websites but the current slate of offline advertising campaigns has put the focus on picture quality and better user experience through gesture control and Internet connectivity. Sony, however, is looking beyond H3D to refocus on picture quality: ultra-HD – or 4K – TVs.
However, the final blow to H3D was delivered last week when broadcasters ESPN and BBC decided they would no longer be producing 3D content. Sky’s commitment remains but with no further players committing to broadcast the content end of the argument seems to be wrapped up.
Overpriced and underserved, H3D will be seen as a failure driven by industry hype over consumer demand. Will we see the same pattern with HD and 4K over the next few years? Let’s see how many lessons have been learned this time around. |
[WM]In the Wednesday morning quarterbacking after Hillary Clinton’s unexpected loss to Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race, one criticism was that she had not employed that consummate politician former President Bill Clinton enough in her campaign, to speak to “the people” he could connect with and she could not.
But for all the mistakes the Clinton 2016 campaign operation and the candidate herself made — and there were plenty — sidelining Bill was not one of them.
The star of the presidential wunderkind of the 1990s already had become tarnished, his political mojo faded in the new century. Hillary perhaps had remembered how he stole the show — and not in a good way — during her 2008 presidential run, when he wore his joking “first black president” moniker into the ground with the Democratic Party’s most loyal base and his antics in the South Carolina primary ennobled rather than diminished the first-term African-American senator named Barack Obama.
When she did employ her husband during her competitive 2016 primary fight with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, perhaps in search of that old Clinton magic, rather than feel potential voters’ pain, he wagged a defensive finger as he lectured young activists protesting his 1994 crime bill and its consequences of mass incarceration that haunt the country still.
Since Hillary Clinton had already apologized for her 1996 sound bite calling young offenders “super predators,” finding other tasks for her scene-stealing husband was probably a wise call.
Even when Bill was not front and center, his presence at a debate loomed even larger than a hovering Donald Trump, whose campaign sat his accusers of sexual misconduct (Bill’s not Donald’s) in the audience.
After Bill Clinton’s latest return to the media spotlight, competitive Democrats hoping to capture the House and praying for a chance at a Senate majority might be wishing he had not picked this moment to embark on a book tour and find a way to land smack in the middle of a #MeToo movement — and not in a good way.
In an NBC interview that, like a wreck on the side of the road, was difficult to turn away from, it was clear that the times — and on reflection, Bill Clinton’s place in them — have changed. It’s not just some policies, such as maximum-minimum sentencing, that have curdled.
Surprisingly for someone once judged so astute, Clinton seemingly had not anticipated Craig Melvin’s questions on Monica Lewinsky. Instead of saying he apologized then and remains sorry today, a reasonable outreach even if he felt unfairly blindsided, the former president leaned in to defend himself, note his $16 million in legal fee debt and compare the media circus surrounding his personal scandals to the attention paid to the transgressions of the current White House occupant.
That Clinton charm was nowhere to be found.
It’s true that Donald Trump faces his own litany of accusers, including former Apprentice contestant Summer Zervos, now suing the president for defamation (a judge has ruled Trump can be deposed), a profane “Access Hollywood” tape, and a Cabinet and staff marked by accusations of incompetence and corruption — with EPA chief Scott Pruitt and the Russia investigation making daily headlines.
Clinton’s supporters would take his flaws over Trump’s mountain of political and personal indignities, especially if you throw in more judges such as Clinton Supreme Court pick Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
But a game of “whataboutism” and a reminder from Bill Clinton of all the women he hired and promoted does not excuse Clinton’s reckless behavior with a White House intern in her 20s when he was the president of the United States. Saying that two-thirds of the American people were on your side makes you sound a little too much like another president who measures success by crowd size and ratings.
Lewinsky has found her public voice in recent years, in a TED Talk on shame and bullying, and a Vanity Fair article recognizing the power imbalance in a relationship she nevertheless and forthrightly has owned as consensual. She has earned it after a life upended and then reclaimed, for the years in which she certainly paid a higher price than the adult president in the room.
Her words resonate with a generation of women and men who are discussing relationships — healthy, toxic and in-between — and finding their way on what is and is not acceptable at work and in life. And they vote. Few of these voters have any nostalgia or patience for Bill Clinton and have moved on to craving new voices and politicians.
On CNN, Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell of California, when asked about Clinton’s TV appearance, said the former president should make things right with Lewinsky: “I was raised that when you screw up and you make a mistake, you say sorry, and if it’s not good enough for the person you are apologizing to, you keep saying sorry until they feel comfortable and you are recognizing that you made a mistake.” Clinton has followed his initial words with versions of a walk-back — on CNN and in a visit with Stephen Colbert — but if he thought he would get a pass, he was mistaken.
Any hope for a Democratic wave in the fall depends on enthusiasm from women and young voters who are looking to the future rather than the past. The result of Tuesday’s primaries in California and other states show tough races across the country. So expect Bill Clinton to be the invisible man on the campaign trail, as nervous Democrats who want to offer fresh ideas show little interest in half-hearted apologies from a tainted surrogate.
Bill Clinton himself has acknowledged that much has changed in 20 years — in a good way. |
[WM]A small VoIP company has had to change its name after being threatened with legal action over its use of the word ‘cloud’ in its name by European Wi-Fi network The Cloud.
Facing a High Court case, Cloudnet Telecommunications decided to avoid potentially heavy legal costs and give itself the new name by which it is now known, Birchills Telecom.
The two companies don’t compete directly but had vaguely similar registered names, Cloudnet Telecommunications Ltd, founded in 2009, and The Cloud Networks Ltd, founded in 2003.
“We were told by The Cloud’s legal team to simply change our name in case The Cloud decided, at a later date, to sell telephone systems,” said Birchills Telecom founder, Dave Hill.
Despite the name similarity, a check on Companies House register reveals many dozens of companies using the word ‘cloud’ in their names, including some that operate in the computing sphere, so Birchills now believes there could be a less obvious motive for the threat – bad SEO on Google.
Hill’s company was first contacted by The Cloud in August 2010, days after he noticed the latter suffering in Google search returns.
“We provide business phone systems and cannot be simply mistaken for the Wi-Fi hotspot provider, and were in no way trying to pass ourselves off as them. We have now had to invest in changing our branding, marketing materials, emails and more, while keeping our customers happy and informed of the changes,” adds a miffed Hill.
The company would have fought the demand had it been able to afford the legal costs, which Hill believes would have run to a six-figure sum for each day at the High Court.
The SEO theory is hard to assess retrospectively. Running a Google UK search today will overwhelmingly return Wi-Fi giant ‘The Cloud’ depending on the precise cloud-related term entered. If the company found itself usurped by a separate company finessing Google’s algorithms to get a higher entry that could easily have caused pique. The term ‘cloud’ is generic which makes standing out in search returns that much harder to begin with.
What Birchills, formerly Cloudnet Telecommunications, has been canny about is generating publicity out of its enforced name change.
The Cloud was asked to comment on the story but had not replied at press time. |
[WM]TRENDY SMALL KEY WEST STYLE CONDO LOCATED BLOCKS FROM 7TH AVE IN YBOR CITY. GROUND FLOOR UNIT WITH PORCH AND TWO ENTRANCES. GLEAMING WOOD FLOORS THROUGHOUT. INDOOR LAUNDRY AND ALL APPLIANCES. WHITE CABINETS IN KITCHEN. OFF STREET PARKING AVAILABLE. OPEN FLOOR PLAN. EACH BEDROOM WITH ON SUITE. CONVENIENT TO CABLE CAR, DOWNTOWN, CHANNELSIDE, YBOR'S 7TH AVE SHOPPES AND EATERIES. GREAT LOCATION BUILT IN 2001. |
[WM]Mike Huckabee reacted Sunday on "Fox & Friends" to former Secretary of State John Kerry holding private meetings with Iranian officials.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry is being slammed for conducting shadow diplomacy with Iran after admitting to multiple meetings with Iranian officials behind the backs of Trump administration officials -- including over the scrapped nuclear deal.
An administration official on Thursday told Fox News Kerry’s meetings are "shameful," pointing out what Iranian-backed militias are doing to kill and injure people in Syria, Iraq and Yemen.
Other Republicans suggested it may not even be legal.
"John Kerry is the only guy I know who wants to bring back the Edsel, MySpace and other failed enterprises," Huckabee (R-Ark.) remarked. "What he is doing is not funny."
Huckabee said Kerry could be suited for the first successful prosecution of the Logan Act of 1799, which prohibits conducting unauthorized diplomacy with governments in dispute with the United States.
The act's name refers to a 1798 incident in which Philadelphia farmer George Logan traveled to France, outside the purview of President John Adams, to try to avoid war during a time of tension over merchant shipping.
Huckabee said Kerry is violating the "sense of protocol" for former U.S. diplomats, and that he is effectively "negotiating secretly with a foreign government [and] the largest terror sponsor in the world."
Kerry responded to previous criticism from President Trump, comparing his demeanor to a teenage girl.
Some Democrats floated the idea of prosecuting former Trump National Security Adviser Gen. Michael Flynn [Ret.] under the Logan Act, in regard to allegations surrounding his contact with Russians. |
[WM]It's no surprise why the keto diet has grown in popularity over the last few years; it's helped people lose weight, can fight inflammation, and may even be good for those with diabetes. But with the diet's focus on eating high-fat, moderate-protein, and low-carb meals, some people are concerned with how it will affect their blood pressure. After all, foods such as bacon, pastrami, and other deli meats that are allowed on the diet aren't recommended for people with high blood pressure.
Turns out the keto diet can actually be beneficial for those with high blood pressure. However, it's not because of the diet itself; weight loss, which results from the keto diet, will improve blood pressure.
"Being overweight or obese is one of the major triggers for an increase in blood pressure," cardiologist and weight-management specialist Luiza Petre, MD, told POPSUGAR. One study from 2011 found that up to 80 percent of hypertension cases in Poland are related to being overweight or obese. Dr. Petre added that overweight and obese people who lose weight have a 50 percent chance of reversing their blood pressure without medication.
And a keto diet can be an effective way to lose weight; a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition found that people who followed a low-carb ketogenic diet lost more weight compared to those who followed a low-fat diet.
"The bottom line is the ketogenic diet will improve blood pressure, but not as a direct effect. It's through its indirect weight-loss benefits," she said. "If the keto diet is done without a weight-loss goal, it might not impact blood pressure at all. Losing weight remains the number one intervention, followed by lowering salt and exercising to improve blood pressure." Dr. Petre added that the keto diet will lower blood pressure thanks to the weight loss, not because of the ketones in the blood as a result of being in ketosis.
However, the keto diet may not be the best one for weight loss for those with high blood pressure. Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center For Women's Health at NYU Langone Medical Center, recommends the DASH diet instead. The DASH diet stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, which is a Mediterranean-style diet that's rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean meat and low in salt. She also said to avoid processed foods for blood pressure, since they can be high in salt, and instead to eat antioxidant-rich produce.
If you are thinking about trying the keto diet, be sure to consult with a doctor or dietitian before making any drastic dietary changes. |
[WM]MANCHESTER UNITED star Michael Carrick has revealed a heart scare has limited his game time this season.
The Old Trafford skipper has not featured for the Red Devils since September and has released a statement to explain his absence.
"I just want to clear up my situation as I've had quite a few people asking if I'm ok and why I haven't been fit over the last couple of months," said Carrick.
"After feeling strange during the 2nd half of the Burton game in September I underwent a series of tests.
"It turned out to be due to an irregular heart rhythm which has been fully investigated and I had a procedure called a Cardiac Ablation.
"I had to build up training steadily whilst being monitored closely but I feel fine now.
"I would like to reassure everyone that I'm healthy and back training hard with the team.
"I'm building up my fitness and aiming to be back in contention for selection soon.
"Thanks for your support, Michael."
United's Carabao Cup win over Burton is the only first-team game Carrick has featured in this season.
The veteran midfielder will miss Saturday's Premier League showdown with Brighton.
United are second in the table ahead of the Seagulls' visit to Manchester.
Jose Mourinho's men are already eight points adrift of leaders Manchester City though. |
[WM]Low on cash, low on gas or low on ideas this summer? There’s still hope for you and your family, to make the most of the season without losing much out of your wallet. The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism is full of places to go, people to see, things to do – 50 of them, in fact, all costing less than $50 for a family of four.
Low on cash, low on gas or low on ideas this summer? There’s still hope for you and your family: You can make the most of the season without losing much out of your wallet.
The Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism has lots of places-to-go and things-to-see suggestions, and it says 50 of them should cost a family of four less than $50.
If you’d rather not pay anything at all, Fridays may be your lucky day. The Highland Street Foundation is sponsoring “Free Fridays” at the following locales all summer long, meaning it won’t cost you or anyone anything to get in. And the first Friday and Saturday of September will have even more deals. |
[WM]When RZA is directing a movie, it’s a safe bet that the soundtrack is going to play a major role. Not surprisingly, the musical accompaniment to his directorial debut, The Man with the Iron Fists, has been a major topic of discussion leading up to the film’s release date.
We recently heard a taste of what to expect with a track called “The Baddest Man Alive” by The Black Keys and the RZA himself, and now the entire soundtrack has been made available to stream. Listen and check out the full tracklist below.
The Man with the Iron Fists will be released in theaters Nov. 2. |
[WM]As Felipe Anderson bore down on Joe Hart's goal, he hardly had the look of your stereotypical record signing shorn of confidence.
West Ham's £40million summer buy from Lazio had his form critiqued by his manager in public last week, was hauled off at half-time against Tottenham and has had a small section of critics in the crowd on his back.
No bother. Anderson gave Hart the eyes, poked the ball through his legs to make it 2-1 and then went on to score a second in the thrilling victory over Burnley on Saturday.
If Pellegrini's talk of not being 'happy' with the Brazilian's performances was viewed from outside as a form of tough love, Anderson probably thought otherwise.
He has been through worse: as recently as February Lazio boss Simone Inzaghi dumped the 25-year-old into the reserves after a dressing-room row.
Privately, Pellegrini has been trying to coax the best out of the player they called 'Neymar's younger brother' back in Brazil.
The Chilean coach had told Anderson there was no chance he would be dropped, despite a slow start to life in the Premier League.
Now, West Ham are reaping the rewards. Their most talented playmaker since Dimitri Payet tore Burnley apart with the help of 20-year-old Grady Diangana on the opposite flank.
Watching Anderson in full flow was a real joy: two goals, a shot cleared off the line, another off the post, deft touches and turns galore.
His talent is obvious but needs to be nurtured and Pellegrini seems to have found a way to do so. If this sort of showing can be replicated more regularly, West Ham can boast two of the best forward talents outside the top six in Anderson and Marko Arnautovic.
That makes it all the more impressive that Diangana, in only his second start, did not look out of place alongside them in Pellegrini's front three.
Born in Congo but raised in London, the latest talent off West Ham's production line looks the part and is not short of confidence.
'I've always liked to beat players and tried to entertain people,' Diangana said afterwards. His idol is Ronaldinho and there is little fear in a player who never stopped running at defenders.
That was key to this victory, with the youngster having a hand in both of Anderson's goals, sandwiched by Arnautovic's opener and Javier Hernandez's stoppage-time clincher.
Burnley were comfortably second best and their two levellers, scored by Johann Berg Gudmundsson and Chris Wood, were both against the run of play.
Manager Sean Dyche is convinced their dip compared to last season's seventh-place finish comes down to the small margins. 'I told you we weren't the real deal then,' Dyche said. There is still plenty of time for Burnley to turn things around.
But for West Ham the upward momentum is on. As stand-in captain Pablo Zabaleta put it: 'This is the only way for the manager to play.' Anderson and Diangana are just two beneficiaries. |
[WM]September 3, 2014: The ferocity with which some Western (and nearly all Arab) military analysts attack Israeli efforts to defend themselves is remarkable, and often spectacularly wrong. Even Israeli systems that are purely defensive are subject to ferocious, and usually false, criticism. One of the worst recent examples were the critics who claimed that it was technically impossible for the Israeli Iron Dome anti-rocket system to shoot down Palestinian rockets aimed at populated areas. Even after other technical experts pointed out the technical and statistical flaws in these criticisms the claims kept coming. Israelis didn’t much care since each day (and night) of the recent war with Hamas anyone in southern Israel could see Iron Dome in action and doing what it was designed to do. Despite all the long range rockets fired at distant (but much larger) cities, none hit and many were spectacularly destroyed before many witnesses by Iron Dome.
The Israelis believe in Iron Dome, so much so that because of some decisions earlier in the year Israel was, in the week after the war began, to increase the number of Iron Dome anti-rocket missile batteries by 43 percent (from seven to ten). Israel has long wanted fifteen batteries of Iron Dome but that was going to cost more than Israel could afford. Earlier this year the U.S. agreed to help out and Iron Dome production was immediately increased. Earlier, between 2009 and July 2014, Israel received eight Iron Dome batteries and about two thousand Tamir missiles. Even so over a thousand Tamir missiles had been used (the end of June 2013) since the system entered regular service in 2011. The latest war with Hamas began on July 8th as Hamas ceased even pretending to halt the rocket attacks (by non-Hamas Islamic terrorists) on Israel coming out of Gaza. Hamas began firing a lot more rockets and the seven Iron Dome batteries in service were the primary defense against a rocket hitting an inhabited area. One additional battery had already been delivered but was not activated yet.
At that point Israelis really, really wanted more Iron Domes batteries. So the air force and the manufacturers went to work. Inventory was checked and it was found that there was enough equipment in stock (newly manufactured, used for development work or almost completed) to quickly equip two more batteries. Because there were already seven batteries active and personnel had been selected, trained and assembled for the new eighth battery it was calculated that by prying away a few key people from each of the eight existing batteries, activating reservists with Iron Dome experience, using some contractor personnel (civilians who had worked on Iron Dome even if they had not done so while in the military) and calling in some military personnel with similar skills (maintenance, operations) to those used by Iran Dome crews the new batteries could be staffed. By speeding up the training and certification of the eighth battery as well as the newly formed two batteries all were in action in a week or less. The eighth and ninth batteries went online by the 11th and the tenth battery was active by the 15th. Military and contractor personnel. Instructors and the new crews had to work round the clock for over a week to make it happen. More manufacturing personnel were brought in to speed up production of the Tamir missiles and components for the radars and fire control systems. Iron Dome is nearly 90 percent effective in destroying rockets headed for inhabited areas. |
[WM]“We have to get the word out to parents and friends that we have an issue that needs addressed,” Dershem said.
Taking questions from the crowd, the panel of six, moderated by Penn State Evidence-Based Prevention and Intervention Support Center Managing Director Stephanie Bradley, spoke on subjects ranging from the definition of addiction to the stigma of addiction to mental health.
MNMC Emergency Medical Services Director Dr. Kassandra Botti said addiction to heroin or opiates has been proven to be an addiction and not a lifestyle choice — a belief that continues to circulate. This lifestyle belief helps fuel the stigma of addiction, preventing many from seeking help for fear of judgment.
County Drug and Alcohol Services Assistant Director Cathy Arbogast echoed this, saying that when a person abuses a substance, it works in the same areas of the brain where base activities like breathing and eating are. The addiction takes over so much of the brain that it becomes difficult to make other choices.
Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs communications Director Jason Snyder, himself a recovering addict who lost both his brothers to their own addictions, said peer-to-peer testimonial is the best way to overcome the stigma of addiction. Addiction affects everyone, he said, and the mission is to step forward.
Addressing myths surrounding heroin, Crossroads Counseling recovery specialist Katie Hugo — herself a recovered addict — said people have to stop thinking that addiction or an addict looks a certain way. She said she’s helped treat everyone from teens to professional-aged adults.
State College police Officer Adam Salyards dispelled the notion that if the police receive a tip about someone dealing or taking heroin, that the person will be arrested immediately. Police must establish evidence before an arrest, and will work with detectives or the county drug task force before approaching someone with charges, he said.
Rep. Kerry Benninghoff, R-Bellefonte, said the issue must be looked at as a health issue and not just a crime issue.
“In society, if you have heart pains, you go to the hospital and they don’t send you home,” he said. “But when it comes to addiction problems, they treat you and send you out.
“We have to look at the underlying issue — why do people keep doing this?” he said.
The panel also touched on the use of naloxone — also called Narcan — and its use in battling overdoses. It counters the opioid, Botti said, stopping the effects of the drugs, and is carried by police, EMS and is readily available to residents who seek it through most drug stores.
Salyards said he personally administered a dose of naloxone to an individual about two weeks ago, saving the person’s life.
“It’s a good collaboration between law enforcement and health care,” he said.
County Commissioners provided closing comments, noting that the panel discussion is a great first step but the epidemic will only slow if everyone participates. A second panel discussion focusing on treatment and recovery is slated for September. |
[WM]If you have an Instagram and you live in Tucson, chances are you have seen a picture (or a dozen) of Miss Saigon's delicious pho. If you haven't tried one of these soups, then shame on you! Located at five different spots across town, Miss Saigon is known for more than the soup, and boasts an impressive menu of Vietnamese staples. Once you try the food, you'll know why this joint is a Best of Tucson regular. |
[WM]The Rev. Roberta Lahapa Kama, 68, of Honolulu, a retired telephone communications operator at the Queen’s Medical Center and a Hawaii Fellowship minister, died in Honolulu. She was born in Hilo. She is survived by brothers Charles Sr., William, John, Archie and Harold Sr.; and hanai sister Healani Gomes. Scattering of ashes in Hilo. |
[WM]July 24, 2018 at 3:05p.m.
YOUNGSTOWN — Police said a man listed as homeless arrested Monday afternoon was in possession of $1,126 cash and a handgun.
Jumal McQueen, 24, is due in municipal court Wednesday to be arraigned on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm, improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, trafficking in drugs, possession of drug paraphernalia and obstructing official business.
Officers from the Community Police Unit investigating suspicious activity about 1:30 p.m. at a vacant home in the 2600 block of Shady Run Road while he was in the drive with another man examining a car.
Reports said McQueen has a warrant and he also smelled heavily of marijuana. Officers searched him and found a marijuana cigar in his pants, and inside the car police found more suspected marijuana and a handgun underneath the driver’s seat that had the serial number scratched off. The money was found in a satchel McQueen had, reports said.
July 25, 2018 12:02 a.m.
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[WM]NEW YORK — For a second year in a row, the NFL will air a dramatic PSA during the Super Bowl addressing the issue of domestic violence.
This year’s video shows a succession of text messages between two friends. One friend is encouraging another named Jess to attend a Super Bowl party, but Jess says she can’t come because “Jake is in one of his moods. I should prob not go out.” The alarmed friend asks if Jess is okay. Jess never answers.
The video, like the one aired during Super Bowl 49, was created by NoMore.org, an educational campaign raising awareness about domestic violence.
Last year’s video featured footage of a home that had clearly been the scene of an attack. A woman’s 911 call, discretely asking for help, can be heard as the rooms of the partially destroyed home are shown.
That group’s PSA came on the heels of embarrassing domestic violence cases involving NFL stars and criticism of the way the league handled them. The most notorious case involved Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice, seen in a hotel video knocking out his girlfriend, who later became his wife. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell came under fire for the way in which Rice’s situation was handled: the player was only required to sit out two games. After film of Rice hitting the woman surfaced, Goodell said that the two game suspension had been a mistake, and he made the suspension indefinite.
During the 2015 season, photos emerged of bruises on the ex-girlfriend of Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy following a 2014 incident. Hardy was convicted of assault, but those charges were dropped on appeal when the ex-girlfriend stopped cooperating with prosecutors.
The Cowboys rejected suggestions that Hardy be cut from the team.
The 30 second NoMore commercial will air during the third quarter of Super Bowl 50. |
[WM]Where do you buy a "Keep Fire In Your Life" shirt?
I am sorry if their was a previous post asking for these, but I could not found any about this. I am looking for a link or where to find the "Keep fire in your life" t shirts. I know it has something to do with Urban Firefighter Magazine; but are not on their website for sale. If anyone can help it would be greatly appreciated.
From what I have understood, if you aren't one of the UFF instructors, you can't get one. Contact a local t-shirt printing company and make your own, as far as I know it's not copyrighted. |
[WM]“For far too long, progressive politicians have backed interventions in the housing marketplace — such as restrictive zoning rules or rent control initiatives like Proposition 10 … that do nothing but limit the supply of affordable housing and drive up prices for the poor and middle-income residents of our state,” said Hoover Institute Fellow Lanhee Chen, policy director for Mitt Romney’s 2012 presidential campaign.
“(Proposition 10) will result in a housing freeze, already developers are waiting to see if it will pass before investing in new projects. Smaller landlords will likely leave the rental business completely,” agreed Adama Iwu, lobbyist and co-founder of We Said Enough.
Former U.S. Rep. Tom Campbell, a Republican who represented parts of Silicon Valley and now is a professor of Law and Economics at Chapman University, acknowledged the potential impact on low-income renters. He proposed a potential solution.
Other Influencers acknowledged benefits of rent control, but still expressed reservations about its pitfalls.
“The judicious use and expansion of rent control can and will hold rents down, but unfortunately it will also reduce the number of new rental units built as investors fear they will not be able to gain from their dollars,” said California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman.
But Manuel Pastor, Director of USC’s Program for Environmental and Regional Equity, pointed to potential economic advantages of rent control.
Michele Siquieros, president of the Campaign for College Opportunity, attempted to reconcile the two perspectives, advocating for rent control but pointing out it is only one aspect of an comprehensive affordable housing strategy.
“The reality is that California needs both limits on rent increases that allow low-income and middle-income families the ability to stay housed AND we need major investments in building (denser) housing to address challenges by both public and private investors,” she said.
The attorney for the adult children who were tortured and abused by their California parents for years says they're trying to live their lives as normally as possible and each is grappling with how much they're willing to forgive. |
[WM]The power of the internet: Talk radio knows the bill better than the Senators do, says Jeff Sessions.
I'd think that bloggers know it better as well. For one thing, I suspect that if the Senators have copies of it, they have paper copies, printed out at Federal expense. We have the annotated web version, and 300 pages of amendments.
1. Are you part of the elites or establishment in your community?
2. Have you given any donations to either of your Senators' campaigns in the past?
3. Do you have any kind of relationship with the Senators, members of theirstaff, local leaders of his/her political party, or somebody who does?
Although most of us are part of the broad public (that tends to be overlooked by Senators), I know that out of 437,000 activist NumbersUSA members, some of you in every state have some special connections.
For those of you who do, I appeal with greatest urgency for you to use every means at your disposal to call your Senator or staff person or political party leader — this afternoon, tonight, tomorrow morning.
We are already hearing from a number of you with these kinds of connections who are making contact. And the effect is powerful.
You cannot overestimate the power of your calling and saying, "I've been a friend for years .... " or "I'm a financial supporter" or something of that kind and then talk about your great concern for the political future of this Senator, as well as for your state, if S. 1639 goes through.
The late Robert A. Heinlein talked about the importance of that kind of contact in his non-fiction book Take Back Your Government , written in 1947, but he was talking about 3 by 5 index cards, 2 cent postcards, and 5 cent telephone calls.
Please make arrangements to be at the closest "Main State Office" of each Senator that voted YES on CLOTURE.
Tell the office staff "I am a taxpayer and a constituent. I am opposed to this Amnesty bill and want Senator _____ to VOTE NO ON CLOTURE today! I am here to await the results of his/her vote and get that information when it comes in."
Do not take signs, stickers, or any items. You are merely a voter and a taxpayer, in a taxpayer supported office, seeking information about the Cloture vote. You can continue your calls to DC on your cell phone. Call all local media if you can, tell them who you are, where you are and what you are doing.
OUR GOAL: Word must reach the Senator's ear, before they vote on Cloture, that there is a group of anti-amnesty concerned constituents talking to press and awaiting their vote on cloture at their main state offices.
Again, that's the kind of thing that couldn't be organized on a national basis in the 1940's, when Heinlein was writing. It's another example of what can be done by ordinary citizens, with ordinary computers, and one ordinary vote each. |
[WM]* Even with the proliferation of antiviolence curricula, sometimes teachers may decide to simply take matters into their own hands. Arnold Pakula, a fifth-grade teacher at the Highland Oaks Elementary School in Dade County, Fla., reached that point after a number of shootings of teenagers in his area.
At the time, he was serving on the board of the local parent-teacher association. The group's discussion turned to the problems of kids with guns, ``and I said, I really need to do something in my fifth-grade class,'' Mr. Pakula says.
So he wrote a play about the accidental death, by gunshot, of a young student. The play has six characters, each of whom sees the sad incident through a different lens - a friend, a parent, a teacher, for instance.
The play was originally intended for an elementary-school audience, but Pakula developed another version for older kids, in which the characters include coaches and boy- or girlfriends.
The teacher and his student-actors are regularly invited to take their play to schools in the Miami area. The short performance is usually followed by ``lots of questions and answers about guns and gun possession,'' Pakula says. His own school is suburban and mainly white, but the audiences are typically black or Hispanic.
``Race doesn't matter,'' Pakula says. He has seen all kinds of kids come up after the play to talk about its connection to events in their own lives, whether injuries, murders, or suicides. |
[WM]Location, location, location! This home is just a short walk to Coralville Lake & surrounded by nature, creating the perfect country retreat! This 4 BR, 2 BA walkout ranch has newer flooring throughout, fresh paint, a nicely remodeled bathroom, & a spacious lower level. Outside you will find a large, freshly painted deck overlooking the tree tops, perfect for the summer nights to come. The garage is plumbed for heating & wired for 220V, plus there's an extra concrete pad off the driveway. Don't miss out! |
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