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[WM]INDIANAPOLIS — Eli Lilly will get more than $7 million in tax relief from the City of Indianapolis over the next decade.
The Indianapolis City-County Council approved Monday night about $7.1 million in tax abatements to the pharmaceutical company over the next 10 years. The abatements come as part of a multimillion-dollar investment into a building on Eli Lilly’s campus near Kentucky Avenue.
The investment is a $91 million expansion to the Lilly Technology Center – South first announced in 2017. It includes more than 22,000 square feet of building retrofit and 12,000 square feet of new building construction.
The proposal for the abatements passed the full council 19-6. Those who voted no were Democrats Zach Adamson, Stephen Clay, Jared Evans and Christina Scales. The Republicans who voted no were Marilyn Pfisterer and Susie Cordi.
Adamson was the lone councilor who voted no on the proposal when it was in committee a week ago. At the time, there was still confusion on how much the Eli Lilly custodial staff is being paid. Eli Lilly has said that the custodial staff is contracted out to another company, and the pharmaceutical company isn’t in charge of determining the custodians’ pay.
Adamson said the contracting company has maintained that they are paying the custodians as much as they can with the agreement with Eli Lilly. His questions about the pay didn’t get answered.
“[Eli Lilly] still maintains they don’t have any role in that, and that’s disappointing,” Adamson said.
Adamson participated in a protest with custodial staff in October 2018 for higher pay.
He also voted no because Eli Lilly has not committed any new jobs with the expansion. He warned against the trend of companies asking for tax relief to develop or even stay in the area.
The building’s improvements will allow Eli Lilly to better produce insulin products, a company representative said. The last tax abatements Eli Lilly received were in 2017, which totaled about $9.3 million over 10 years. |
[WM]WASHINGTON (AP) - Donald Trump holds the most powerful office in the world. But he's dogged by insecurity over his loss of the popular vote in the election and a persistent frustration that the legitimacy of his presidency is being challenged by Democrats and the media, aides and associates say.
Trump's fixation has been a drag on the momentum of his opening days in office, with his exaggerations about inauguration crowds and false assertions about illegal balloting intruding on advisers' plans to launch his presidency with a flurry of actions on the economy. His spokesman Sean Spicer has twice stepped into the fray himself, including on Tuesday, when he doubled down on Trump's false claim that he lost the popular vote because 3 million to 5 million people living in the U.S. illegally cast ballots.
"He believes what he believes based on the information he was provided," said Spicer, who provided no evidence to back up the president's statements. All 50 states and the District of Columbia have finalized their election results with no reports of the kind of widespread fraud that Trump is alleging.
If the president's claim were true it would mark the most significant election fraud in U.S. history - and ironically, would raise the same questions about Trump's legitimacy that he's trying to avoid. Yet Spicer repeatedly sidestepped questions about whether the Trump administration would investigate the allegations pushed by the president.
Some Trump allies say Trump is justified in using his platform to defend his standing. They point to Georgia Democratic Rep. John Lewis' pre-inauguration statement that he did not see Trump as a legitimate president, as well as U.S. intelligence agencies' assessment that Russia meddled in the election in order to help Trump win.
"Segments of his own government keep driving this narrative," said Roger Stone, a longtime confidant. "I don't think it hurts to point it out."
Key advisers in Trump's inner circle concede the focus on crowd claims and alleged voter fraud have been a distraction. But who's going to stop him from airing his complaints?
After relishing in Friday's inaugural festivities, the new president grew increasingly upset the next day by what he felt was "biased" media coverage of women's marches across the globe protesting his election, according to a person familiar with his thinking. Trump was particularly enraged with CNN, which he thought was "gloating" by continually running photos of the women's march alongside the smaller crowds that attended his inauguration the day before, according to this person, one of several White House aides and associates who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.
Tuesday night on Twitter, Trump slammed CNN again, referring to the network as "FAKE NEWS @CNN" while praising rival Fox News Channel.
Trump has had a tumultuous relationship with the press, frequently calling the media dishonest and insulting individual reporters by name at his rallies and on Twitter. Still, two people close to Trump said he expected his coverage to turn more favorable once he took office. Instead, he's told people he believes it's gotten worse.
The bad press over the weekend has not allowed Trump to "enjoy" the White House as he feels he deserves, according to one person who has spoken with him.
The result has been a full display of Trump's propensity for exaggeration and more. During an appearance at the CIA Saturday, he wrongly said the inaugural crowds gathered on the National Mall stretched to the Washington Monument, despite clear photo evidence to the contrary. And during a reception with lawmakers from both parties Monday night, he repeated his false assertion that millions of illegal immigrants provided Hillary Clinton's margin in the popular vote.
It's not the first time that Trump, who is known to be both thin-skinned and dedicated to polishing his public image, has become fixated on details that challenge his success. When journalist Timothy O'Brien wrote in a 2005 book that Trump was a multimillionaire, not a billionaire, the real estate mogul sued him for $5 billion. The case was dismissed. Trump appealed, accusing the journalist of libel. He lost that, too.
Spicer hinted at Trump's feelings during his maiden press briefing on Monday.
"There is this constant theme to undercut the enormous support that he has," Spicer said. "And I think that it's just unbelievably frustrating when you're continually told it's not big enough, it's not good enough, you can't win."
Less than one week into the administration, Spicer has twice been sent to the White House briefing room to reiterate his boss' message. Trump is said to have approved of Spicer's angry tirade against the media on Saturday, which included false statements about the size of inaugural crowds. But the president, who is intensely focused on optics, was said to be critical of Spicer's on-camera image.
By Monday, Spicer was donning a darker suit and his lectern in the briefing room had been lowered somewhat.
Underscoring Trump's habit of stoking rivalries among his staff, he has told people he wants his counselor, Kellyanne Conway, to be on television more. He cheered her use of the phrase "alternative facts" in a recent interview as a way to counteract what he believes is the media's inherent bias.
Those around Trump are trying to get the cable news consumer-in-chief to be near a television less often, according to one person who has spoken with him. |
[WM]The reinstatement of the “Global Gag Rule” means poor women in foreign countries will have narrower access to contraception and other health-care services.
Two days after millions of women and their allies throughout the world took to the streets to protest the bigotry and misogyny of Donald Trump, the president sat in the Oval Office, surrounded by other men, and signed an executive order that could have dire consequences for women living abroad.
The United States provides more funding for women’s health services than any other country. For health providers that receive that aid, the gag rule forces them to limit their services, or face a major budget gap. In other words, health organizations that provide a whole range of essential services besides abortion get punished. For women, it means narrower access not just to abortion but also to contraception, which in many poor countries is largely funded by foreign donors. Disruptions in aid put women at greater risk for HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, and make them more likely to resort to unsafe abortions. More than 1,327 communities in Ghana, for instance, were affected after George W. Bush reinstated the rule in 2001, forcing Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana to forgo $200,000 in USAID funding and cut its nursing staff by 44 percent, according to Population Action International. In Kenya, two leading reproductive health–care providers were forced to close a total of 17 clinics. Contraceptive shipments from the US to 16 countries—primarily in Africa—stopped completely.
Given the history of the gag rule, Trump’s rush to reinstate it is not a surprise. But that doesn’t diminish the significance of the order for millions of women and their families. The two largest recipients of family-planning funding from USAID, Marie Stopes International and the International Planned Parenthood Federation, announced Monday that they won’t comply with the reinstated policy. IPPF, which will lose $100 million as a result, promised to “work with governments and donors to bridge the funding and service gaps the Global Gag Rule creates.” But even if the money materializes from another source, it will take time, leaving women—particularly poor and rural women—at risk to disruptions in access to care. MSI (which often works in unstable and emergency settings, such as in Nepal after the deadly 2015 earthquake) will lose $30 million, or about 20 percent of its annual budget. The organization estimates the shortfall could, during Trump’s first term, lead to 6.5 million unintended pregnancies, 2.2 million abortions, 2.1 million unsafe abortions, and the deaths of 21,700 pregnant women. |
[WM]WESTFIELD, Ind. -- The Indianapolis Colts are kicking off their training camp on Wednesday at their new summer home, Grand Park.
The team will practice there for about a month, until Aug. 18. This is the first year of their 10-year agreement with the park.
Organizers say there’s a large area for watching practices, "Colts City" with drills and inflatables for the kids and several events where fans can meet players.
Admission is free, but you have to download a free ticket first to get in.
If you'd like to see the 2018 training schedule and theme days, click here. |
[WM]MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- On Memorial Day, Monday, May 26th at Wood National Cemetery -- was a powerful tribute from veterans still with us -- in honor of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Wood National Cemetery on West National Avenue played host to the annual Milwaukee Veterans Affairs Memorial Day ceremony.
Memorial Day is a day meant for remembering the servicemen and servicewomen who have died while serving the country.
It is a day meant for reverence, reflection, and a heartfelt "thank you" to our veterans.
It is a federal holiday that inspires those who haven't served -- and conjures vivid memories for those who have.
"The buddies that I lost in Vietnam, that were killed next to me -- I`ll always think about them every year, all the time," Vietnam veteran Fred Masarik said.
Masarik was in awe at the respect he was shown during the ceremony at Wood National Cemetery on Monday.
He knows first-hand -- it wasn't always like this.
"It was different times. The country was very divided, and when we came through San Francisco, they threw stuff at our jet in `67. We just sort of shook our heads," Marasik said.
In speaking with veterans on this Memorial Day who have sacrificed to serve our country -- one common call was for us to appreciate our freedom.
"You don`t know what we have here. When I went to the embassy and saw our flag every day, that just filled me with so much pride," Navy veteran Marcia Cunningham said.
Of course, those freedoms have come at a tremendous cost. A cost so great, some veterans say they need ceremonies like Monday's for a reminder.
"It's real important for me to just visualize this and go through it. Just keep it in my mind. Once you're a vet -- you're a vet," Vietnam veteran Earl Milan said.
"People should never, ever forget what they gave and sacrificed for this country. The ultimate sacrifice," Marasik said.
The least we can all do is reflect on that sacrifice.
Wood National Cemetery is actually CLOSED to new interments.
The only interments that are being accepted are subsequent interments for veterans or eligible family members in an existing gravesite.
Periodically however, burial space may become available due to a canceled reservation or when a disinterment has been completed.
When either of these two scenarios occurs, the gravesite is made available to another eligible veteran on a first-come, first-served basis.
The cemetery is co-located with the VA Medical Center and the VA Regional Office in Milwaukee.
It is the only cemetery in the National Cemetery Administration that is co-located with both a Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a Veterans Affairs Regional Office.
The cemetery is located on the grounds of a former Soldiers Home that today is called the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wis.
From 1867 until 1871, the home buried its soldiers in private cemeteries in the Milwaukee area.
In 1871, a cemetery opened on the grounds.
Originally known only as Soldiers Home Cemetery, it wasn’t until 1937 the name was changed to honor Gen. George Wood, a longtime member of the Soldiers’ Home’s Board of Managers.
It became a national cemetery in 1973.
The cemetery is part of the Northwestern Branch-National Home for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers National Historic Landmark district, designated on June 6, 2011.
The 60-foot-tall granite Civil War Soldiers and Sailors monument was erected in 1903 when the cemetery was part of the Northwest Branch Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers.
The monument was sponsored by the Soldiers and Sailors Association and was sculpted by Joseph Shaver Granite and Marble Co. of Milwaukee.
A memorial pathway is lined with a variety of memorials that honor America’s veterans.
As of 2003, there were seven memorials along there —most commemorating soldiers of 20th-century wars.
Ordinary Seaman James K. Duncan (Civil War), U. S. Navy, USS Fort Hindman. Harrisonburg, La., April 16, 1864 (Section 19, Grave 41).
Private Milton Matthews (Civil War), U.S. Army, Company C, 61st Pennsylvania Infantry. Petersburg, Va., April 2, 1865 (Section 11, Grave 61).
Corporal Winthrop D. Putnam (Civil War), U.S. Army, Company A, 77th, Illinois Infantry. Vicksburg, Miss., May 22, 1863 (Section 16, Grave 109).
Private Lewis A. Rounds (Civil War), U.S. Army, Company D, 8th Ohio Infantry. Spotsylvania, Va., May 12, 1864 (Section 20, Grave 256).
Boatswain’s Mate Michael McCormick (Civil War), U.S. Navy, USS Signal. Red River, May 19, 1865 (Section MA, Grave 10A).
CLICK HERE to view FOX6Now.com’s online Memorial Day photo gallery of veterans — and submit your pictures!
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[WM]What happens when the world's best-performing emerging market meets the world's fastest-developing continent? This week, India and Africa are hoping to find out. Over 50 African leaders are currently in New Delhi looking for new partnerships in trade, education and investment. Some ties already exist in telecoms, IT, health and - as featured in this report - higher education. |
[WM]Meet Newsday's All-Long Island boys tennis first team for the 2017 spring season.
Long Island Player of the Year: Yuval Solomon, Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK, Sr.
Solomon capped a historic varsity run with a second straight state championship. Only six other Nassau County boys tennis players have won multiple state titles. The Wake Forest commit rolled over every opponent in his path, never losing a set or more than four games during the state tournament.
"When he came here the first day, he was hitting the ball four times in a game," coach Nick Ventimiglia said. "It was ace, ace, ace ace." Solomon, who was the state runner-up as a sophomore and the consolation runner-up as a freshman, went 73-2 over his last three seasons. He also reached the state tournament as part of a doubles team in eighth grade.
"It's been a pleasure playing high school tennis," Solomon said. "Five years at the state tournament, six years on varsity tennis, and it's just great."
Suffolk Player of the Year: Jack Flores, Huntington, Fr.
With three more years of high school tennis, Flores has plenty more he can accomplish.His freshman season was special enough to indicate the future is extremely bright.
Flores impressively defeated Half Hollow Hills West's Jackson Weisbrot, who had beaten him twice already this season, in the Suffolk singles championship final. He dominated his first-round match in the state tournament before putting up a strong fight but falling short in the second round.
Alvaro Bezos, St. John the Baptist, Sr.
Bezos won the CHSAA singles championship in his only season on the varsity.
Peter Siozios, New Hyde Park, Sr.
He was runner-up at the county tournament and reached the state quarterfinals.
Jackson Weisbrot, Half Hollow Hills West, Sr.
Weisbrot led his team back to Suffolk team championship. He followed that by placing second in the county tournament and winning an epic three-and-a-half hour match in the first round of the state tournament.
Rajpal and Eli Grossman played doubles for the county tournament and won the whole thing. Then they went on a run to finish third in the state.
Grossman and Preet Rajpal played doubles for the county tournament and won the whole thing. Then they went on a run to finish third in the state.
Tyler Nierman, Half Hollow Hills West, Sr.
Nierman and Cameron Klepper, a junior, won the county doubles tournament. They also dominated on their way to the state quarterfinals before falling to eventual champions James Wei and Dylan Glickman.
Cameron Klepper, Half Holow Hills West, Jr.
Klepper and Tyler Nierman won the county doubles tournament. They also dominated on their way to the state quarterfinals before falling to eventual champions James Wei and Dylan Glickman.
Fisher's Braves went 18-0 and have won 52 consecutive matches.
Newsday All-Long Island boys tennis team 2017Kieran Lynch reveals the Newsday All-Long Island boys tennis team for 2017. Newsday's All-Long Island history databaseMore than 6,000 players and coaches have earned Newsday's top high school honors. |
[WM]The Oscar-nominated makeup team takes us behind the scenes of the D.C. Comics movie.
From left, from Warner Bros./Everett Collection, Warner Bros/DC Comics/Rex/Shutterstock, courtesy of Warner Bros.
In 2015, Warner Bros. hired makeup artist Alessandro Bertolazzi for the most intimidating challenge of his three-decade career: making over the Joker, a pop culture icon, for Suicide Squad. Granted, the supervillain (played this time by Jared Leto) did not get as much screen time as the film’s titular team. But as the most-famous character featured in Suicide Squad, the 67-year-old, green-haired villain, who has appeared in thousands of comic books and been famously portrayed onscreen by Jack Nicholson and Heath Ledger, was the speculative fixation of many comic fans. (Bertolazzi was startled to discover that the Internet was already guessing how his Suicide Squad Joker would look before he started work on the film.) So, how did Bertolazzi prep for the much-anticipated makeover?
Bertolazzi gathered other inspirational materials, including everyday items—sawdust, wood, stone—photos, newspaper clippings, Internet images, and anything else that inspired him.
When it came time to put makeup brush to skin, Bertolazzi and the filmmakers made the decision to keep the Joker separate from the rest of the Suicide Squad cast by putting everyone in separate makeup trailers.
It was David Ayer’s idea to give the Joker a scar. Bertolazzi expanded on that idea by giving him seven.
Despite the intimidating challenge he faced, Bertolazzi was satisfied with how the studio trusted him to experiment and take the movie’s most prized character into his literal hands. |
[WM]By Kathie Klarreich Kathie Klarreich, a journalist who lives in Haiti, is cofounder of Caribbean Exchange, a San Francisco-based education and action group.
HAITIAN President General Prosper Avril completed a year in office Sept. 17. He has managed to survive several coup attempts, a crippling economic decline, and an increase in the random violence that drains the country morally and materially. The same hope that sprang up in February 1986 when Jean Claude Duvalier fled the country reappeared when Mr. Avril took office. There was some general housecleaning, as low-ranking soldiers ousted superiors with Duvalierist ties. But Avril himself, with 30 years of service to the Duvalier regime, was suspect. People took a wait-and-see attitude.
Now even Avril's most vocal critics acknowledge certain improvements. Most recently, the president agreed to substantially cut official salaries, and halve his own, to help fight the country's huge deficit. But many promises have yet to be realized. The result is widespread discontent, increased repression, and political instability.
Already the poorest country in the Western hemisphere, Haiti's economic situation continues to deteriorate. Coffee, one of Haiti's main exports, can no longer compete on the world market. Currently, Haiti imports nearly twice as much as it exports in order to feed its people. The market is flooded with free or low-cost staple foods that have undercut an already unstable local market.
In the capital city, nightly murders, robberies, and rapes force people inside when the sun goes down. Both the elite bourgeois and the penniless beggar are victims of this rising insecurity. One facet of the situation is increased banditry, perhaps a desperate response to the decaying economy. Another is the insidious attempt to keep people from organizing for democratic reform. Most of the rural organizations that formed after Duvalier's departure have collapsed.
One significant difference in this current wave of violence is the difficulty of tracing its source. Though there are no fingerprints leading to the National Palace, official passivity and mock investigations suggest some sort of collusion, if not direct involvement.
Ironically, from the beginning Avril has expressed an interest in the transition to a civilian government. He is proud of the Provisional Electoral Council, which this month will announce the electoral calendar. While the government insists on the council's honest intentions and independence, Duvalierist sympathizers and death-squad members have been reported present at several council meetings. These thugs made it clear that, despite a constitutional provision prohibiting anyone linked to Duvalier from participating, they intend to run for office.
The US, meanwhile, continues to praise President Avril. The deputy assistant secretary of state for the Caribbean, Richard Melton, recently said the US fully supports the efforts of Avril to move forward on democratic, social, and economic reforms.
Free and fair elections are a precondition for resumption of US aid, which was cut off after an election-day massacre in November 1987. The US also demands reduced drug trafficking and improved human-rights conditions.
Encouraged by Haiti's cooperation in drug control, the US recently approved $300,000 to help in this effort. The money will be used to expand the government's ability to track down dealers. Critics, however, question how the money will be kept out of the pockets of government employees, who are themselves often part of the drug trafficking.
Human-rights violations are numerous as ever. Illegal arrests average one a day; arbitrary detentions and assassinations are common. In the countryside, the victims are usually members of peasant and church groups and labor unions, and those who participate in political demonstrations.
Whether as a result of politics or economics, more people than ever are fleeing the country by boat. In the first six months of this year, 20,530 Haitians on some 300 boats were stopped by the US Coast Guard.
There is little question that Haiti desperately needs economic assistance to get back on its feet. But if the US blindly doles out dollars it risks perpetuating a system that is doing nothing for its 6 million poor. Given the current situation, Haitians have little reason to feel optimistic that either their economic or political situation is likely to change in the near future. |
[WM]Wife of the President, Mrs Aisha Buhari, has called on women and the youth from the North-East to wait behind at polling units and protect their votes during the general elections.
She made the call in Bauchi on Wednesday at the North-East Zonal Town Hall meeting for women and the youth organised by the Buhari Women and Youth Presidential Campaign Team.
The President’s wife was represented by the wife of the Vice-President, Mrs Dolapo Osinbajo.
Mrs Osinbajo said, “Her Excellency (Mrs Buhari) has asked me to tell you to take care of your PVCs so that on February 16, you can go to the polling units and vote for the APC.
“She has asked me to tell you that after voting, you must not go home. You must vote and wait for your votes to be counted.
“She has asked me to remind you of the children that go to school and get fed there and to remind you of the work done by the government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
She said the President’s wife was happy when she was told of the market women who were beneficiaries of the Trader Moni and the Market Moni as well as the thousands of Nigerian youths who had jobs with the N-Power.
Osinbajo also quoted the President’s wife as calling on the youth to shun violence before, during and after the general elections.
The Chairman, National Working Committee Women and Youth Presidential Campaign, Gen. Buba Marwa (retd.), called on the youth to be law-abiding and peaceful before, during and after the elections. |
[WM]Outside of the ocean floor, there are no empty spots on a map of Earth. At one time, of course, that was not the case. As little as a 150 years ago, most of the western United States and Canada's far north were vast white spaces on maps. It took centuries for explorers to answer the most basic questions about North America: What's there and where is it?
Derek Hayes's "America Discovered" is a fascinating look at the evolution of North America as seen through the eyes of European explorers and mapmakers. He presents approximately 300 maps created over the past five centuries. It is a stunning collection that shows mapmaking not simply as the utilitarian necessity that it was, but also as an art form. In fact, given some of the flights of fancy that mapmakers indulged in when filling those empty spaces, some maps were more art than reality.
Hayes's commentary moves chronologically, beginning with the few maps we have from early Viking exploration of North America. He then moves on to Christopher Columbus, who technically didn't reach North America itself, but rather islands off the continent.
As Hayes illustrates, the next centuries saw a slow process to determine how big the continent was, how it might be traversed, and what resources could be exploited.
Although many have a romantic view of these early explorers, Hayes makes it clear that nearly all exploration was driven by the profit motive. Explorers wanted to know what was over the next hill in hopes of being able to sell it back in Europe or somehow make money from settlers. "Without that investment," he notes, "little exploration would have occurred."
Still, the maps often reflected desire more than reality. After explorers realized that North America wasn't Asia, they searched for a route to China. Rivers, bays, and straits not fully explored were reported back in Europe as paths across the continent. Those searching for riches placed nonexistent cities of gold and silver on their drawings.
Exploration dispelled some myths but propagated others, such as the belief that California was an island, a fantasy that persisted for nearly two centuries. Complicating matters was the fact that some nations hid their maps from the world, causing a few explorers to "discover" parts of North America repeatedly.
Although maps are the stars of this book, Hayes's illuminating commentary is equally good. His training as a geographer and the four previous historical atlases he has edited have prepared him well.
While he concentrates his chronicle on the better-known explorers and mapmakers, he doesn't ignore the unique stories of men unfamiliar to most of us, such as Arctic explorer John Franklin, mapmaker John Barnwell, and fur trader Peter Pond.
Beautifully produced with large color reproductions, "America Discovered" traces the exploration of North America and what its explorers desired as the geography was gradually revealed. It's a wonderful introduction for those interested in learning how humanity filled in those mysterious white spaces. |
[WM]Pep Guardiola believes his brilliant Brazilian midfielder Fernandinho can extend his Manchester City career by moving back to central defense on a permanent basis as he ages.
His versatility has also seen him look increasingly effective on occasion at center-half, a role he performed so effectively in last weekend's comfortable 3-1 win over Arsenal.
Now Guardiola, who extended Javier Mascherano's career at Barcelona with a similar positional switch, reckons Fernandinho could benefit from the same move in England.
"I think he can play in that position, I am pretty sure," said City manager Guardiola ahead of Sunday's match at home to Chelsea, where a win for his side would likely see them leapfrog Liverpool into first place on goal difference, albeit having played one game more, after their title rivals 3-0 victory over Bournemouth on Saturday.
"He is fast, he is strong in the air, good going backwards and when he sees the football in front of him, his vision for the pass inside, switch of play is excellent," the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss explained.
"So he is intelligent to go forward or go backwards, so he understands everything. Of course he has to train more at it. I think he can do it, but his position is as a midfield player."
Guardiola appeared to have gambled last week when he left England center-half John Stones on the bench and played Fernandinho in the heart of City's defense instead.
"I know what is going to happen, we are going to lose when Fernandinho plays in that position," he said. "I am a genius, huh?
"But I discover a surprise for the opponents doing that and I know what is going to happen," the Spaniard added. "‘Why do you take a risk and leave £45 million ($58 million, 51 million euros) on the bench when he can play in that position?’ And I know that."
Fernandinho's contract runs out next year, by which time he will be 35, which has focused Guardiola's attention on finding his successor, although the City boss admits that is not an easy process.
"We have some options and are looking for some options but today it is not easy to find the player and to buy the player so we will see. You know, we spoke many times about that. We are trying to help Fernandinho in that position."
Since 2013, the reigning champions has finished an average 25 points behind the next season's winners and the last three defenses have been hugely unsuccessful.
"I know, in the last five or six years, the position where the champions were the year after," said Guardiola. "All of them were out and didn't have a chance to win the Premier League.
"However, we are there. That is what I like the most in this season," he added.
"I say we are in the League Cup final and you are in all the competitions then we are fighting. In the last two seasons, Leicester and Chelsea had no chance, but we are there at the top.
"That is what I like the most but if we want to be there until the end.
"If we win against Chelsea it will help us and if we win the game, I am sure we will be there again fighting to be champions again." |
[WM]While watching the Stanley Cup match on Saturday, the first period ended and legendary sportscaster Bob Costas appeared on the screen with the Lexus Intermission Report.It made me chuckle seeing an overt corporate placement because the day before, a blogger at the political website Mother Jones named Tom Philpott had asked me on Twitter what I thought of a new EPA paper on the herbicide atrazine.
Well, of course he should ask them, that is why I said it. The weird thing is that he believes it would be legitimate to ask anyone else. The reason is obvious, by way of an analogy; if you want to know about the weaknesses of an Intel processor, you go ask AMD, not Intel, and certainly not me. If there are flaws in the EPA's paper or gaps in the studies they selected for their analysis, the obvious way to find them is to ask is the manufacturer. That is Journalism 101.
Obviously, he did not want to engage in journalism, he wanted to engage in political posturing. But to what avail? Does he really think a small, unrestricted grant (.009 of American Council on Science and Health revenue last year) from a company allows them to buy some special clout with us? It's batty conspiracy talk. I wondered, watching that hockey game and that corporate-sponsored intermission report, if Mother Jones similarly believes Bob Costas is rigging the score of the hockey game to be whatever outcome Lexus wants. Because, you know, the network that pays him proudly lists Lexus right on the screen.
At the Council, we also proudly list our corporate donors, as does the American Heart Association, United Way and numerous prominent non-profits. You know who doesn't? Mother Jones. But they have them. A lot of them. On their last available Form 990, the Foundation for National Progress, the parent of Mother Jones, had ~$13,000,000 in revenue. A subscription to Mother Jones magazine costs $12. They have just under 167,000 subscribers. That's around $2,000,000 in subscription revenue, meaning about $11,000,000, a whopping ~84 percent of their revenue, is dark money. Where does that 84 percent of their revenue come from, then? Obviously corporations and certainly partisan political activists like George Soros.
Anyway, in case it remains unclear; no, Mother Jones employees, Bob Costas is not a shill for Big Lexus, nor is he manipulating the score of hockey games, no matter what Vast Corporate Conspiracy you choose to believe about scientists. And even less believable is that any of us at the American Council on Science and Health manufacture articles that are false because anyone paid us to do so.
Does ‘Excess’ Dietary Salt Cause Cardiovascular Toxicity?
And more to come this year. If only Mother Jones used its millions of dollars so constructively, rather than paying employees to engage in social media smear campaigns. |
[WM]Jordan makes official statement: a Grad rocket hit Aqaba. The rocket appears to have been fired from outside Jordan.
Jordanian Minister of Information Nabil al-Sharif confirmed Thursday evening that a Grad rocket hit the city of Aqaba earlier in the day. Previously, Al-Sharif said only that an explosion had occurred in a warehouse in the city.
Al-Sharif said the missile damaged a warehouse, and did not cause injury. The Grad was fired from outside Jordan, he said. Jordanian authorities plan to investigate the incident.
Israel is investigating the incident as well. Israeli investigators believe there may have been more than one rocket fired; additional rockets, if found, could give clues as to the identity of the attackers.
Two or three explosions were heard in Eilat on Thursday morning, leading to fears that rockets had hit the city. Security forces searched and found that the rockets had apparently struck Aqaba, adjacent to Eilat.
One theory was that the rockets had been fired by terrorists in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, who intended to hit Eilat but missed their mark. Egyptian officials denied that missiles had been fired from Egyptian territory.
Some residents of Eilat expressed anger at the media for reporting that rockets had been fired at Eilat despite the fact that it has not been proven that Eilat was the target. Reports of terrorism targeting Eilat are premature, and are likely to harm the thriving tourist industry in the city, they said. |
[WM]Youths from Nkayi District Wards 22 and 29 attended a two-day camp at Entokozweni Safari Resort. The youth camp is a component of Habakkuk Trust's advocacy initiative aimed at strengthening youth involvement in the mainstream of society.
The youth received training on advocacy, human rights, Constitution, resource tracking and youth participation in decision making processes. The outdoor setting enhanced participation as youth were able to engage in a more relaxed atmosphere. The youth highlighted the relevance of the content stating that as rural youth they felt marginalised when it comes to governance and development issues.
"We have been covered with a two in one blanket as rural youth and now that blanket has been removed, by Habakkuk Trust," Butholezwe Ngwenya.
"We greatly appreciate the knowledge that we received at the camp. As we go back to our areas, we will share the information with other young people so that we collectively influence decisions in our Wards."
The youths exhibited high levels of enthusiasm and preparedness to be advocates for youth inclusion in development in their communities.
The youths lamented lack of access to land and their exclusion from decision making structures.
Precious Dube from Ward 22 proposed that youth should create sub-committees that will feed into Village Development Structures so as to amplify the voices of young people in decision making platforms. "We can identify active youth who will form a youth sub-committee to work with the village development committees and the ward committees so that the interests of the youths can be included in development planning," She said. |
[WM]Gaza authorities shutter Al Arabiya and Maan offices in what critics call an illegal move.
Protesting what they called Hamas' "ongoing assault on journalists", Palestinian journalists held a sit-in near Ramallah last week to protest against the Hamas government's recent closure of two media offices in Gaza.
A week earlier, Hamas authorities in Gaza shut down two media offices used by Al Arabiya satellite channel and Maan News Agency, which they accused of "disseminating false news and publishing fabricated reports" about Hamas and its relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt.
On July 25, police officers arrived at the two media offices in Al-Rimal neighbourhood, west of Gaza City, and ordered their workers to leave immediately, saying they had an order issued by the attorney general to "temporarily" close the offices and seize their contents.
"Police detectives came to our office showing us an order issued by the attorney general to temporarily close our office, but they refused to give us a copy of the order," said Al Arabiya's Gaza office director, Islam Abd al-Kareem.
Hamas government spokesman Ehab el-Ghussein said the government had previously "warned against going too far in fabricating news, spreading rumours, and publishing entirely baseless reports about the government, which served to disseminate hatred and incitement against the Palestinian people in Gaza".
We're not biased, and in all cases this is Gaza's office, not Egypt's. If they tried to send a political message by closing our office in Gaza, it would be absolutely ludicrous.
But, he added, "the two media offices ignored the government's calls and kept on with their unethical and unprofessional behaviour and policies, as they deliberately tried to implicate the government as interfering in Egypt's ongoing internal conflict".
Hamas, which has been in control in Gaza since June 2007 and is an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, has been repeatedly accused of interfering in internal Egyptian affairs.
Al Jazeera recently reported that deposed Egyptian president Mohammed Morsi has been arrested on a number of charges, the most significant of which is his alleged conspiracy with Hamas to carry out "anti-state acts" including attacks on police stations, soldiers and prisons.
Ghussein emphasised that the government's policy is to not interfere in other states' internal affairs. The media outlets, according to Ghussein, "falsely and deliberately" portrayed the Hamas government as interfering in Egypt, thereby provoking resentment against it.
Maan's editor-in-chief Nasser Al-Lahham criticised the decision to close the two offices, saying the move represents "a continuation of Hamas government's crackdown on journalists and press freedoms".
Since coming to power, Hamas has restricted press freedoms in the Gaza Strip. These include an ongoing ban on importing three local newspapers printed in the West Bank, and a ban on Palestinian journalists from working, giving interviews or cooperating with Israeli press and television. Hamas has repeatedly stated it will not lift the ban on the three allegedly pro-Fatah newspapers until the Palestinian Authority in Ramallah lifts a similar ban it has enforced on pro-Hamas newspapers in the West Bank.
Lahham said Hamas' media office has "consistently" interfered with Maan's work over the past years, especially since the July toppling of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. "Some Hamas officials in Gaza have apparently gone mad and started behaving irrationally after the recent events ended Morsi's and the Muslim Brotherhood's rule in Egypt," he commented.
Similarly, Al Arabiya's correspondent dismissed the government's claims of fabricating stories about the government and its relationship with Egypt as "unfounded".
On July 24, Maan News Agency published a news report citing an unnamed Israeli source and stating that "six Muslim Brotherhood officials had smuggled themselves into Gaza to plan an uprising against the military in Cairo, after their Egyptian president was deposed".
When this later proved to be spurious, Maan responded that the story was originally published by an Israeli news site - which it has not named - and that Maan merely translated the report from Hebrew to Arabic, as per its policy.
Although the government filed a complaint against Maan and Al Arabiya more than a month before this incident, Salama Marouf, the head of Hamas' media office, says the news report "was the straw that broke the camel's back".
Marouf explained that the closure order was issued based on "multiple pieces of damning evidence which the government supplied the attorney general with demonstrating unprofessional and unethical behaviour on their [the media outlets'] part.
"We found out their translation fabricated the original news report ... And they could have visited the Beach Hotel where they claim the Brotherhood officials were staying, and which is a few minutes away from their office, to factually confirm the news before they ran it on their site," he added.
Government officials Ghussein and Marouf failed to provide specific complaints about Al Arabiya's coverage, though they vaguely stated that the majority of Palestinians in Gaza were "offended" by the Saudi-owned channel's coverage.
Abd al-Kareem said he found it "ludicrous" to justify the closure of Al Arabiya's office by claiming it provides biased anti-Muslim Brotherhood coverage of the ongoing events in Egypt.
"We're not biased, and in all cases this is Gaza's office, not Egypt's. If they tried to send a political message by closing our office in Gaza, it would be absolutely ludicrous. And it would be telling that the order has come from a supposedly independent and unaffiliated party, i.e. the attorney general," he said.
Human rights groups in Gaza have condemned the office closures, saying the decision constituted a violation of press freedoms and freedom of expression, as well as of Palestinian basic law and international human rights standards.
Samir Zaqout of the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights asserted that "the closure procedures violate Palestinian Basic Amended Law of 2005, which denies any form of monitoring, ban or warning or the imposition of restrictions over the media unless by a judicial decision in conformity". |
[WM]“The theme for all our Business Outlook forums this year has been basically the same—a focus on stimulating economic growth after what seemed to be an entrenched recession, which slowed or put growth on hold in a number of areas,” said Ms Joan Albury, President of TCL Group and chief organiser of the Business Outlook Series.
Joining Mr Christie on the podium will be Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Sands, Jr, who will update the audience on the developments in Eleuthera since the last Business Outlook.
“We are fortunate to have the support of the Eleuthera Chamber of Commerce again this year and its dynamic president, Thomas Sands, who has a finger on the pulse of business and society on the island, especially in the south. This is a partnership we hold in high regard because it is so necessary to create the kind of cooperate efforts that will continue to energise the Eleuthera economy. It was, in fact, Mr Sands who invited TCL to bring the forum to his home island. He saw the value of the Business Outlook programme in pulling together the right players from key sectors to share the necessary information to drive things forward,” said Mrs Albury.
Completing the slate of speakers for the 2014 Eleuthera Business Outlook are: Christel Sands Feaste, partner, Higgs and Johnson, attorneys-at-law; Scott Gorsline, VP operations, Cape Eleuthera Resort and Marina; James Malcolm, VP and managing director, Sand Piper Inn and Destination Schooner Bay Ltd; Juan Pulido, project manager at Cotton Bay Holding Ltd; Angela Cleare, founder, ABC Tours and Consulting Co; Christopher Maxey, founder and director, Cape Eleuthera Island School; Arinthia Komolafe, managing director, the Bahamas Development Bank, and Edrin Symonette, farmer and entrepreneur.
So instead of managing the country, he is just going around talking crap.
LMAO...this is goodbye tour....BUSH DID IT WHEN HE WAS LEAVING OFFICE. |
[WM]From the outlook of a planet that resides next to a quiet, relatively predictable star, the circumstances that lead to dramatic stellar explosions elsewhere in the universe can sound somewhat improbable. Some such blasts, known as type Ia supernovae, occur when a small, dense star known as a white dwarf—roughly the diameter of Earth, but hundreds of thousands of times more massive—grows too large by siphoning material off a neighboring star, igniting a thermonuclear explosion. Other cataclysms, known as type II supernovae, occur when much heftier stars, some of them dozens of times as massive as the sun, implode under their own weight.
Luckily those circumstances arise infrequently enough to spare humankind the fallout of a nearby supernova. But the universe is a big place, and locally rare events such as type Ia and type II supernovae happen in relatively large numbers across the vast expanse of space. Now a sky survey has turned up a much rarer kind of supernova, one that defies the standard explanations for how such blasts work.
Four new PTF supernovae, along with two events identified in the past several years that defied classification, all share the same unexplained traits: They are extraordinarily bright, and a spectral breakdown of their emitted light shows no trace of common supernova components such as hydrogen, iron and calcium. "If you look at thousands of supernova spectra, as I do, these immediately jump out to you as being peculiar," Quimby says. "They don't have the normal kinds of wiggles that you'd expect to see."
The extreme brightness of the new class of supernovae, some 10 times that of a typical type Ia supernova from an exploding white dwarf, rank them among the most luminous supernovae known. That luminosity enabled Quimby and his colleagues to spot a handful of the new supernovae among the 1,000-plus supernovae of all kinds that have been found by PTF, even though core-collapse supernovae appear to be 10,000 times more common.
But just what produces the brightness of the new class remains unknown. The way the supernovae fade from their peak brightness over time is inconsistent with the decay of radioactive elements, which is what powers the glow of a type Ia supernova. And in core-collapse cataclysms such as type II supernovae, heavy elements such as iron appear in the spectra, usually accompanied by hydrogen from the expanding supernova blast encountering ambient gas in the circumstellar medium.
One possible origin for the superluminous blasts is a very massive star, roughly 100 times the mass of the sun, that ejects a dense shell of hydrogen-depleted material. If it then undergoes core collapse to initiate a supernova, the supernova-driven ejecta would collide with the existing shell to glow brightly. Astronomers have found a precedent of a hydrogen-poor supernova preceded by an eruptive event, says Roger Chevalier, a professor of astronomy at the University of Virginia who did not contribute to the new research. But the scale of that eruption was far too small to explain the luminosity of the PTF group's supernovae.
Alternately, a supernova could have left behind a magnetar, a highly magnetized form of the dense stellar remnants known as neutron stars. The rapid spin of a magnetar could provide an internal power source to light up the supernova ejecta. But that scenario is wanting for observational backup as well; all known magnetars spin far too slowly to account for the glow of the superluminous blasts. "You want it to be formed with a spin rate of one to three milliseconds, and we don't have any evidence to show that magnetars form with those kinds of spin rates," Chevalier says. "So in principle at least you can produce the high luminosity in that way, but again there's a lot we don't understand."
Quimby and his colleagues are continuing to look for new events and to track fading supernovae over time to see how they evolve. They have even marshaled the Hubble Space Telescope to gather their ultraviolet spectra. "By building that whole sequence and incorporating the UV data, we can get a better handle on the physical origins of these things," Quimby says. But for the moment neither mechanism for the newfound supernova class is entirely convincing, Chevalier notes. "They both have their pluses and minuses, and I wouldn't say the community has come to an agreement about what is going on here," he says. |
[WM](EMAILWIRE.COM, October 06, 2018 ) This report presents the worldwide GPS IC market size (value, production and consumption), splits the breakdown (data status 2013-2018 and forecast to 2025), by manufacturers, region, type and application.
The GPS IC market was valued at Million US$ in 2017 and is projected to reach Million US$ by 2025, at a CAGR of during the forecast period. In this study, 2017 has been considered as the base year and 2018 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for GPS IC. |
[WM]Exciting opportunity for an experienced Reservationist to join a beautiful 5 star country hotel, spa and golf club, set in the Buckinghamshire countryside.
Accurately manage bookings for Spa Treatments, Tennis lessons, Classes, Creche, Golf bookings and lessons and Restaurant bookings.
Manage hotel bookings and rates for online reservations through third party websites. |
[WM]RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - A weightlifter who lost his family's house in a cyclone danced off stage at the Rio Olympics on Tuesday to raise awareness of the threat climate change poses to his remote Pacific nation.
David Katoatau got more cheers than any other lifter, including a Brazilian, throughout the men's 105kg B Group.
His dances became a trademark of his victory in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland two years ago. That was the first gold medal in any global sporting event for his island nation of Kiribati.
He was also a social media sensation for his dancing as Kiribati's flag bearer at the Rio Games' opening ceremony.
Kiribati, located in the Central Pacific, is suffering "extreme coastal erosion not just of the beaches but also of the land" according to its government.
Some scientists have predicted a catastrophic effect on Kiribati's 21 inhabited islands.
"Most people don't know where Kiribati is," Katoatau said. "I want people to know more about us so I use weightlifting, and my dancing, to show the world.
"I wrote an open letter to the world last year to tell people about all the homes lost to rising sea levels. I don't know how many years it will be before it sinks."
That letter was distributed at a Commonwealth Games Federation meeting by Katoatau's coach, Paul Coffa.
"We don't have the resources to save ourselves," Katoatau said.
Kiribati also lacks the resources for basic sports facilities.
"There was no gym when I started training as a boy, and there is no gym now," said Katoatau, 32. "I trained on the beach in the open sun. The bar would become too hot to touch so I had to train at six in the morning."
Katoatau moved to the Oceania Weightlifting Institute when he was 16 and has been coached by Coffa since then. He now lives and trains at the Institute in Noumea, New Caledonia in the South Pacific.
He has a coaching certificate and intends to team up with Coffa when his lifting days are over. His next target, though, is defending his Commonwealth title in Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018.
He won a state reward of A$11,000 (S$11,340) for his Commonwealth gold and used it to build a home for his parents on Tarawa atoll, the most populated of Kiribati's more than 30 atolls and islands.
The house was destroyed in a cyclone soon after its construction, he said.
"We have built another one, but it's close to the sea so there is always a worry."
Katoatau, who finished 15th in his 2008 Olympic debut, came in sixth in the B Group with 349kg, 1kg more than his Commonwealth Games effort.
He made his first five lifts but failed with the last one. He kissed the bar and danced off stage regardless, to the cheers of the crowd.
"I'll be dancing again tonight," he said. |
[WM]My particular interest is mainly in World Coins, and without a doubt, this is the place to go in the Pacific Northwest to buy, sell, AND to ask questions. Don is a remarkable resource - courteous, professional and knowledgeable - AND his grading and pricing (1/2 of catalog value!!!) insures that ALL buyers become returning clients.
Posted by David Kangas on November 16, 2011. Brought to you by yellowpages.
Posted by amy e on June 30, 2009. Brought to you by ezlocal.
Salem Coin & Stamp Shop can be found at Center St Ne 3964. The following is offered: Coin Collecting. The entry is present with us since Sep 8, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 14, 2013. In Salem there are 3 other Coin Collecting. An overview can be found here.
Salem Coin Shop buys and sells coins and stamps in Salem, OR. We have been in business since 1962, our experience makes the difference. We buy gold, silver, collectible coins, silver dollar, and older collectible gold pieces, stamp and coin collecting supplies. Contact us today for more information!
Posted on May 25, 2015. Brought to you by yellowise. |
[WM]Garden Walk: Landscaping for Birds, 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 6. $5.
Herb Preservation. Sept. 7. $10/$15.
BREWtanical Series: Westallion Brewing. Sept. 7. $10/$15.
Native Wisconsin Plants. Sept. 9.
Deer Resistant Plants. Sept. 16.
Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory: Ultra Violet Summer Floral Show, open daily (through Sept. 10). Purple plants and flowers on display with a collection of modern and abstract sculpture pieces all created in shades of violet, lavender and purple. 524 S. Layton Blvd. (414) 257-5600.
Orchid Show & Sale. Sept. 16-17.
4th Annual Community Farmraiser, noon-7:30 p.m. Sept. 9. Victory Garden Urban Farm, 220 E. Concordia Ave.
Hawthorne Hill Farm: Vintage Treasures Market features home and garden décor, antique and vintage items, quilts, furniture and accessories, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 8-9; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 10. 16370 W. Small Road, New Berlin. www.hawthornehillfarm.com.
Kenosha County Historical Society guided walking tour of Library Park Historic District. $12. Sept. 9 and Oct. 14.
Wade House Visitor Center: “Frank Lloyd Wright: A Wisconsin Original” lecture, 1 p.m. Sept. 16. W7965 Highway 23, Greenbush. (920) 526-3271.
Antique Clock Repair. Sept. 12-Dec. 5.
Window Treatments. Sept. 13-Oct. 18. |
[WM]Performance Reviews Are Pointless And Insulting -- So Why Do They Still Exist?
I'm the HR Director for a growing manufacturing firm. I started the job in July. I report to the CEO.
I'm putting my 2018 plan together. One thing I told my boss "Jake" when he interviewed me is that I plan to talk him out of the company's annual performance-review process.
I agree with you that making every employee fill out an evaluation form and sit down to talk about it every year is a huge waste of time and energy, and most employees hate performance reviews.
If the relationship is healthy between the manager and the employee, they're having regular conversations anyway — including quarterly and annual planning sessions. If that isn't happening, I can help managers fix that -- but having more conversations doesn't require an evaluation process.
I eliminated performance reviews at my last company and everyone was happy about it.
Of course, employees need to be able to get feedback when they need it. If they can get that feedback without being graded like elementary school students then it's a win-win for everybody.
Jake says he might be open to the idea of abolishing performance reviews but he needs a very good reason to do so. In my last company I polled our managers (37 of them) and 35 were in favor of getting rid of performance reviews.
The other two managers were neutral. We knew the employees were negative about the performance review process because the subject came up regularly in our Town Hall Meetings and survey responses.
Jake wants me to write up a proposal for him. Thanks in advance for any insights you can share!
Performance reviews are artifacts left over from the Industrial Revolution.
They come from an earlier time, when work was designed on the mechanical model I call Godzilla.
If employees stand in front of a conveyor belt all day polishing widgets, you can easily count the widgets as they come down the line and see which employees are hitting their goals and which folks are missing them.
Knowledge Work is is more complex and nuanced than that. Knowledge Worker jobs don't boil down to a number of widgets polished per hour or per quarter.
Somebody on your team might have a breakthrough idea today precisely because they ignored the passing parade of widgets and stared off into space for 45 minutes.
That's the energy you want to inspire and capture in your company — not widget-polishing energy!
Performance reviews are not effective at improving performance. They have never shown their value as leadership tools -- but they make excellent power-and-control mechanisms, and that is one reason some companies have trouble giving up on them.
It doesn't help an employee move forward for a manager to tell them what they did well and did badly last year. If a manager needs to give someone feedback, they should do that in the moment — not months later.
When we are lifted up in the service of a larger goal than to hit our weekly and quarterly numbers, we don't need to waste time rating and grading employees. We only need to reinforce them and give them room to run!
We need every millisecond of our time and energy to be spent inspiring and encouraging our teammates — not to mention moving obstacles out of their way.
1. They take up expensive staff hours for no observable gain. It takes hours and hours of time for employees and managers to complete performance review forms, get them approved, set up performance review meetings and handle the paperwork. The next year, they do it all over again.
Who benefits from that massive time and energy investment? Do your customers benefit? They don't — because if there were customer-benefiting information to be shared it would have happened whenever it came to light, not now.
2. Their purpose is unclear — and always has been. Various people will tell you that performance reviews are essential for letting employees know how they're doing (why?), to justify pay increases (you don't need performance reviews for that), or to create a paper trail if someone should need to be terminated (doesn't work, because managers almost always give struggling employees average-to-good performance reviews. Later they say "I was trying to motivate the employee!").
Anything you might want to accomplish through performance reviews can be accomplished without them.
3. They are unfair. Companies come up with rigid systems (five-point review scales and ten-point scales!) but they never solve the biggest rating challenge — the fact that managers vary dramatically in their assessments of Excellent, Good, Average, Fair and Needs Improvement. Performance reviews are also unfair because they tend to weight more recent events and results more heavily than those from earlier in the year. They are unfair because managers have biases.
4. Performance reviews are insulting. If I hire someone to work for me doing graphic design, marketing strategy or software development I can talk to them about the project and our relationship. I can let them know if I'm unhappy with something they do or don't do, but it's not my place to tell them how to do their job or how to live their life.
Performance reviews cement the bad, old idea that when someone is your supervisor, they sit on a higher plane than you do. That's ridiculous. A supervisor in today's Knowledge Economy is an orchestral conductor. The conductor keeps the orchestra together but doesn't presume to tell the musicians how to play their instruments.
5. Every business process requires a clear objective and desired outcome, to pay its way in your busy operation. Performance reviews lack both a clear objective and a desired outcome. No one in your company can say "Here's the outcome we want when we conduct performance reviews next year."
There is no desired outcome except to remind the employees who's a boss and who isn't — and to keep up a time-honored tradition simply because you've always done it.
Talk to your fellow managers and employees and see what they think about performance reviews.
If you can't find anybody ready to defend performance reviews, tell Jake "I didn't hear from anyone who wanted to keep performance reviews going.
"This is our opportunity to streamline our company, save money, act on our team members' feedback and shift our culture out of old-fashioned command and control management into new-millennium leadership!"
Most managers, like most employees, fear change.
CEOs fear change, too. Tell Jake you'll use 2018 as a test year to see if your organization falls apart when you put the kibosh on performance reviews. I predict that like every other company that has done away with them, you'll be much happier when they're gone! |
[WM]Oscar Preps: Will Rain Spoil the Show?
L.A.'s worst storm in two years is predicted to hit this weekend, but if you think that'll slow the Academy Awards down, you got another thing coming.
ET's Brooke Anderson was at the Dolby Theatre today, where tenting has been erected and plastic sheeting rolled out in anticipation of a possible downpour on Oscar Sunday.
"It's the biggest red carpet for film in the world," said Oscar associate producer Joe Lewis. "[There's] over 25,000 square feet [of red carpet] across the entire compound."
But once the stars walk the red carpet and enter the theater, all that matters is who goes home with the 24-karat gold plated statuette. In the race for Best Actor, Leonardo DiCaprio is in the lead, according to Bing users. The Wolf of Wall Street star is pulling in 60 percent of Bing searches for "best actor."
And be sure to tune in to TVGN Live with ET at the Oscars, on Sunday at 5:00 PM ET/ 2:00 PM PT on TVGN for our live coverage from the Oscars red carpet. To find your channel go to www.TVGN.tv. |
[WM]Changed my mind. Let me say first that I appreciate the jobs and opportunities the Charmed reboot has created. But I will never understand what is fierce, funny or feminist in creating a show that basically says the original actresses are too old to do a job they did 12 years ago. I hope the new show is far better than the marketing so the true legacy does remain. Reboots fair better when they honor the original as opposed to taking shots at the original. Reboots also do better when they listen to a still passionate fan base which is what it's all about, isn't it? That's why we do reboots. The fans are why we all get to do what we do. So we wish them well and hope for success.
The Charmed star's comment on Twitter regarding what is "fierce, funny or feminist" is likely a reference to the reboot's description, which used those adjectives when describing itself. It is one of the things Holly Marie Combs has spoken out on social media about before. In late January, she addressed it in a tweet referencing the new series "feminist storyline." Many fans believe the original series also shared that characteristic.
Why The CW did not want to follows other networks and launch a revival of the original Charmed is anyone's guess. Fans of the original were clearly very open to the idea of continuing the story of "the charmed ones." Charmed has accrued a passionate fan base in the twenty years since it premiered. The original series premiered in 1998 and ran for eight seasons before concluding in 2006. As of 2018, the series has been off the air for twelve years.
Through reruns and the entire series streaming on Netflix, it has been able to reach an even wider audience through the years. While television has been in the habit of bringing shows from the past back to life with a new cast and a similar storyline, it has also found tremendous success with ones that bring the original cast back for a new story. NBC and ABC have both experienced success using the latter formula for sitcoms and a drama should theoretically experience similar results.
The CW could have brought Charmed back and then done the reboot as a spinoff, maintaining both shows and expanding the franchise. The network gave the go-ahead for the reboot in January and this May, The CW picked up the series. The Charmed reboot will air after Supergirl on Sundays, as part of The CW's newly launched lineup for the night. The first trailer for the series has already been released, which led to a passionate response from fans. An exact premiere date for the reboot has not been announced yet.
The Charmed reboot will air Sunday at 9 p.m. ET on The CW, this fall. For the new and returning shows set to arrive over the next couple of months, check out our guide to TV's summer premieres. To gain better insight into what to expect when summer draws to a close, check out CinemaBlend's 2018 network TV rundown to find out which shows have been cancelled and renewed. |
[WM](Illinois News Network) -- A new Illinois law will soon allow schools to use recruitment agencies to find substitute teachers.
The program opens the door for school districts to work with temp agencies to supplement the search for substitute teachers for elementary and secondary schools. It will be available Jan. 1.
Most school administrators will pull from the surrounding school districts to fill an open substitute teaching position, Ford said. But when that pool of teachers is tapped out, they are stuck. The new law will change that by allowing schools to pull from a larger group.
Rural schools especially are struggling to find teachers for “more technical areas” like sciences or foreign languages, said Ben Schwarm, the deputy executive director of the Illinois Association of School Boards.
A 2018 survey from the Illinois Board of Education showed nearly 3,000 unfilled positions – including administrators, educators, and other school personnel – across the state. |
[WM]You might want to start brushing up on your Iranian rap. Or Palestinian trance. Jordanian Punk will be important too. And don't forget Bahraini R&B. This is the music of the new revolution sweeping the Middle East. In Tahrir Square Egyptians rocked to a catchy number by rocker Mohammad Munir, who asked, "How can I love you [Egypt] if you don't give that love back?" If you want to know what the anthem of change in Yemen will be, check out mideastunes.com, where the region's revolutionary playlist is ready for download. This is no sugarcoated pop site. The music is about social change, human rights and freedom of expression, and it's manned (rather, womanned) by Esra'a Al Shafei, 24, a Bahraini activist whose social consciousness was raised not by western rock, but by the passioned rhymes of Kurdish Hip-Hop. "My inspiration comes from music," says Shafei, who cut her activist teeth campaigning for the rights of Kurds at the age of 18. "Sure, people like Gandhi give me hope, but what makes me want to go out and make change is people's stories, and that comes through their music."
But Mideasttunes is only a small part of Shafei's campaign for change. She also founded mideastyouth.com, a multi-media web platform that uses tweets, blogs, stories, links, videos and discussion forums to promote tolerance, human rights, freedom of speech and democracy not just in her native Bahrain, but around the Middle East. The site focuses on campaigns for the rights of migrant workers, persecuted religious groups, Kurds, and other minority issues. "These are issues that are not limited to one country, they affect all of us in the Middle East," she says, in rapid-fire English. "I wanted to use the pan-Arab movement to build relations between activists throughout the region."
It's working. The site has become the go-to place for young Arab activists. It's where people get ideas, and learn about new issues. And, most important, it's where they go for support. As a Bahraini, Shafei has to be cautious about pushing for change in her own country. At least two protesters were killed in an uprising that brought thousands to the capital's central square on Sunday and Tuesday. She has a family to protect, and, as she points out, "If something happens to me, what happens to my work?" Instead she helps activists in other countries, who in turn help her. It's like an online activism co-op. As an example, she is helping activists push for Kurdish rights in Syria, something she couldn't do if she were actually in Syria. "It's a way for us to help each other out," she says. "I tell people to practice caution if you live in those [repressive] countries, and focus on social rights activism elsewhere. It's a way to come together over the things we have in common a desire for rights and freedoms."
Mideastyouth is about forging connections. It's also about producing content that raises awareness. The site produces cartoons and comics for distribution. A cartoon about the abuse of domestic workers, for example, or an engaging ad for Kurdish rights. The messages are clear, the production values high and the medium engaging. The result, she hopes, is getting people to think, and act. One promotional spot, a jazzy ad done in the style of a tourism commercial about the persecution of the Baha'i' minority in Egypt got thousands of hits within the first few days. "People were talking about it because Muslims were doing it. Even the Baha'is were surprised," says Shafei, explaining that it was the first time a Muslim organization had been formed to fight specifically for Baha'i rights. To her, generating buzz is almost as important as getting the message across. "This is what we do to get traditional media to talk about these issues," she says. "And that is how you get the attention we really want." Of course the Internet is huge in the Middle East, she says. But your average Saudi isn't going to Google human rights. "We can't wait for them to come to us. So we create new ways to find them." Once they connect, "we can find more people wanting to work with the cause."
Shafei focuses on minority rights, she says, "because we cannot have human rights for ourselves if the minorities in our countries don't either." Many rights-based organizations in the Middle East have traditionally been self-centered for example, women supporting women. That kind of silo mentality is ultimately destructive, says Shafei. It keeps organizations isolated, and it also enables authoritarian regimes to play one group against another. "As a Bahraini woman, yes, I would like my rights," she says. "But in comparison to religious minorities or migrant workers, I have a lot more rights. I'm Muslim, Arab, a member of the mainstream that has more freedom of speech and a more comfortable life. We can't progress as a society if we leave the most vulnerable behind."
The hard work of overthrowing dictators, of course, is better left to locals. "There are plenty of groups working on regime change, so we focus on the people who don't have a voice." That doesn't mean that she turns her back on calls for change she pumps up the volume. She just launched crowdvoice.org, a user-powered service that tracks voices of protest from around the world through crowdsourcing. "People can use it to collect or view collections of videos, photos, news stories, blogs, tweets and other media sources on current events," she says. "It's used to amplify voices of dissent."
Shafei makes it very clear that her push for democracy and human rights has nothing to do with an American agenda for the Middle East. If anything, she says, the U.S. has demonstrated that its principal value in the region, at least, is self-interest. "The United States continues to support repressive and anti-democratic regimes. The U.S. Government was aware of the injustices in Egypt, but continued supporting Mubarak because of self-interest. No one can argue that Saudi Arabia is the home of human rights or democracy, yet America continues to support the regime."
The credibility of the U.S. among the young in the Middle East, Shafei says, "is in negative numbers." She says that neither she, nor other members of the Arab youth movement, are against Americans. When you see Arabs burning the flag, "It's not Anti-American, it's anti-American foreign policy hypocrisy." |
[WM]The CW’s The Messengers wrapped its one-and-done run on Friday night with 950,000 total viewers and a 0.2 demo rating, adding a few eyeballs while flat in the demo.
Of note, the supernatural drama only rose above a 0.2 rating twice during its 13 episodes, hitting a 0.3.
Opening The CW’s night, Masters of Illusion (1.5 mil/0.3) was flat in the demo.
NBC’s Dateline (4.8 mil/0.9) edged out CBS’ Hawaii Five-0 rerun (4.7 mil/0.5) to deliver Friday’s largest audience, while ABC’s What Would You Do? (4 mil/1.0) led the night in the demo, as the only show to hit 1.0. |
[WM]Exit polls show voters overwhelmingly favored Republican candidate. 80,000 Americans from Israel have already submitted their ballots.
iVoteIsrael, the leading organization facilitating the ability of Americans in Israel to vote in the US elections, has successfully completed its campaign to make voting from Israel more accessible to as many Americans in Israel as possible.
Internationally, American expats typically have a 5% turnout rate. If those trends continue, the American vote from Israel will represent 20-25% of the total expat community from around the world, further solidifying proof of the unique nature of the relationship between the U.S. and Israel, which is not limited to the diplomatic and strategic levels but also exists at the grassroots and electoral level.
“This connection demonstrates the breadth of the unique relationship between the two countries, and iVoteIsrael is proud to have played a role in illustrating this connection to the public,” commented Pieprz.
· 61% of voters from Israel cited Jerusalem and "peace process" negotiations as a primary motivating factor for voting.
IVoteIsrael calls itself "a diverse group of Americans who currently reside in Israel, from all over Israel, and all over the US. "
"We are deeply concerned about the safety, security and future of Israel," the group says. "Most importantly, we want to see a president in the White House who will support and stand by the American citizens living in Israel in absolute commitment to their safety, security and right to self-defense. |
[WM]Pauley Perrette is leaving "NCIS" after 16 years and 15 seasons. The actress, who played forensic specialist Abby Sciuto, will sign off after the current season wraps.
On Wednesday, she cleared the air about her departure on Twitter and emphasized that there is no drama behind her decision.
She wrote: "There has been all kinds of false stories as to why (NO I DON'T HAVE A SKIN CARE LINE AND NO MY NETWORK AND SHOW ARE NOT MAD AT ME!) It was a decision made last year. I hope everyone will love and enjoy EVERYTHING ABBY not only for the rest of this season but for everything she has given all of us for 16 years. All the love, all the laughter, all the inspiration…I love her as much as you do."
Former "NCIS" cast member Lauren Holly tweeted, "You will be missed," while former cast member Sasha Alexander said, "I [love] you @PauleyP! What joy you brought to the world playing #AbbySciuto can't wait to see what's next! #ncis."
"Pauley has been a valued member of both 'NCIS' and the CBS family for over 15 years," said CBS in a statement. "While it's never easy saying goodbye to a beloved actress and character, we respect her decision to leave at the end of the season. We are grateful to Pauley for all her contributions to the series and making Abby one of the most unique characters on television."
"NCIS" executive producers George Schenck and Frank Cardea also released a statement, saying they were working on a special send-off. They added, "From day one, she has brought incredible passion and specificity to the role. Abby is a character that inspires millions of fans around the world, and all of us at 'NCIS' are appreciative of Pauley for portraying her."
Perrette has been a vocal advocate for victims of stalking. She has been working with other victims to change stalking law and to give police more ways to stop the harassment. She talked to "48 Hours" about her experience with a stalker.
"NCIS" airs Tuesdays, 8 p.m. on CBS. |
[WM]Tenders to redevelop Union Terrace Gardens will close in the middle of this month, it has been revealed.
Aberdeen City Council has still to appoint a contractor for the multi-million-pound revamp of the Victorian gardens and is accepting bids to carry out the work until later in the month.
Douglas Lumsden, co-leader of the local authority, has not been able to give assurances the work – due to be completed in 2020 – will kick off this year, but has said it “hopes” to appoint a contractor by the end of the year.
SNP group leader Stephen Flynn has raised concerns over perceived delays to the work.
He said: “We’re all well aware that Union Terrace Gardens is behind schedule and the key thing at this stage is the administration ensure their revised timetable is kept to.
Construction has yet to start, but without a spade yet hitting the ground it is feared it may be impossible for the ambitious project to be completed within the estimated 18- to 24-month timeframe.
A number of high-profile council projects have been delayed in recent years, including revamps of Broad Street, the art gallery, Provost Skene’s House and the Central Library.
London Olympic Park architects LDA Design won planning permission for its Union Terrace Gardens plan in March.
The proposals include new walkways, an amphitheatre and a cafe.
They aim to conserve the Victorian park’s heritage and to “sustain Aberdeen’s performance in times of economic difficulty”, according to a design statement.
Other features of the scheme include a new accessible walkway route into the gardens from Union Street.
Lift access from Union Street into the upper level of the gardens will also be provided through a new entrance building on Union Terrace at the existing Burns Monument.
The central lawn space would be retained as a flexible space for large-scale gatherings and events and there would be a new entrance opposite His Majesty’s Theatre.
The plans mark the latest development in the future of the city park. Councillors rejected proposals for a £140 million transformation of the gardens in 2012.
Businessman Sir Ian Wood had offered £50m towards the cost and earlier this year claimed it was a “tragedy” Aberdeen City Council decided to reject his multi-million-pound plan for the renovation of the gardens. |
[WM]A Turkish Airlines pilot managed to smoothly land an Istanbul-İzmir passenger plane as one of the engines caught fire after being hit by lightning during a flight on the night of Jan. 24.
Turkish newspaper Hurriyet reported that the plane took off from Istanbul around 11 pm and was airborne when lightning struck. One of the engines caught fire and passengers began panicking onboard.
The pilot, however, managed to land the plane at İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport with no further problems. Firefighters immediately rushed to the scene.
One of the passengers onboard, who captured the entire event on his camera, said nothing else abnormal occurred during the flight and the lights remained on.
See all talkbacks "Watch: Lightening hits Turkish plane, engine catches fire" |
[WM]There’s a familiar face in the Beaufort West mayor’s office. Above the wood-grained desk, a Vincent van Goghesque painting has been returned to the wall and his “Vuna municipality of the year” awards are back on the shelf. But the mayor is not reclining in the luxury chair.
It’s his deputy, the controversial Truman Prince.
“Sometimes you have to lead from the back,” Prince tells the Mail & Guardian on Tuesday, explaining why he’s in the mayor’s office while the actual mayor — Noel Constable — occupies the deputy mayor’s quarters in the building next door.
“People like to use this word, that I am controversial. But you know, controversial means most hated but also most loved,” he says.
Prince returned to the driver’s seat of the municipality through Constable, the leader of the Karoo Democratic Force (KDF), who was elected mayor after breaking his coalition agreement with the Democratic Alliance and joining forces with the ANC.
In the 2016 local government elections, the KDF secured one seat in the local council and the DA and ANC won six each, making the new party the kingmaker.
Constable sits in the much smaller deputy mayor’s office next door, preparing for a mayoral council meeting. “The meeting is meant to happen now but we can move it to 11.30am; I just have to check if it’s okay with Truman,” he says.
Truman is in between taking meetings with disgruntled residents, some of whom have come to query municipal accounts.
“If your door isn’t being trampled down, there is dysfunctionality in your office,” Prince explains with gusto, flattered by the hope residents have in his return to office and the number of people who visit him daily.
Prince holds a master’s degree in public administration from the University of the Western Cape and was “born and bred” in Beaufort West. He describes himself as a grass-roots activist, connected to the most underprivileged communities.
When there’s a funeral, he pitches up in his silver Mercedes-Benz to grieve with the family, says Oortman Okkers (55), a lifelong resident of Beaufort West.
“He is one person who will never turn you away from his door. He got my son a job, and sometimes when we don’t have electricity or food we say: ‘Meneer, come and look at our food cupboards; they are empty.’ Then he will come with food hampers,” Okkers says.
Although Prince styles himself as the people’s mayor — with his designer clothes, Italian leather shoes and a chicken-foot necklace around his neck — his chequered track record still haunts his tenure in government.
Before the 2016 local elections, he was reprimanded by the ANC for writing a letter to the council, asking that a construction tender be awarded to a company sympathetic to the governing party.
After the polls, Prince literally shed tears: the results showed that the ANC would lose power to a coalition formed by the DA and the KDF.
Entering the ranks of the opposition meant Prince would lose his mayor’s salary. A few months later, he also lost his position on the South African Football Association’s executive and its generous salary.
Since returning to power after ousting DA mayor Japie van der Linde during a council meeting in February, Prince has again raised suspicions because of his management of municipal finances and a dubious toilet construction deal.
A R1.9-million contract started in February to build 21 toilets connected to old council houses, most of which have an outside toilet in the corner of the yard, is the latest scandal hanging over his head.
Constable admits the municipality spent all the money but not a single toilet has been finished. Instead, workers built two walls and installed the toilet pot, then dug a trench to lay piping towards the sewage point at the outside toilet — and left.
The piping was never connected, the trenches were left open and the toilet doors were never installed, rendering the lavatories useless.
“I had to fill up this deep hole they just left in the back yard because it’s dangerous for the old people and kids,” beneficiary Alfred Louw explains outside his two-bedroom council house in Rusdene, opposite the Beaufort West football stadium.
“They would start building a little bit here, then go next door to build a little bit, then come back and continue. Then in January, they left it like this. But if there’s just a hole in the fence of the stadium, it gets fixed now-now,” Louw says.
Constable says the council budgeted R8-million for the project and intended to build 80 toilets costing about R30 000 each. The high cost is owed to a “labour-intensive approach”.
“We said we could give the project to a big contractor to bring in machines and do it quickly, but our intention was to create jobs. So when you create jobs, you have to go with the labour-intensive approach. That’s why we are still waiting for the rest of the R8-million and that project will be completed,” he said.
Then there’s the municipal accounts. When Van der Linde was ousted, he is said to have left the municipality with R2-million in its current account. In the five months since Prince and Constable have been in charge, the account has sunk into a R7-million overdraft, and Eskom and South African Revenue Service bills have not been settled.
“The reason we are sitting with this problem … You see, Japie is a bit confused … He continued with a tender without having a letter of assurance from national treasury that they can roll over the money, and that put us in a very awkward financial position,” Prince says.
Other residents, however, are not fooled by Prince’s charms. The town’s informal settlements have doubled in size over the past 10 years, residents say, and Prince has done very little to alleviate their suffering.
The N1 highway cuts through the town’s business district, bypassing B&Bs, colonial-era churches and the popular Chris Barnard Museum, and is usually packed with trucks and taxis making their final stopover before heading to Cape Town.
In Mandlenkosi, the worn-out streets are littered with rubbish and turn into dusty gravel roads passing by the asbestos council houses, where children compete with cattle and goat herders for space on the open fields to play football. Unemployed men and women sit in their front yards while others loiter in front of spaza shops owned by foreign nationals.
Beaufort West has an unemployment rate of more than 60%, according to the latest figures from Statistics South Africa (2017). Many believe Prince has failed to deliver on his promises to bring about change.
“We need to put food on the table and get jobs — we are not here to take pictures!” a young man in a KDF T-shirt exclaims angrily as Constable emerges from his office.
He is part of a large group of people who came to the office to inquire about when the toilet project, on which they earned R2 200 a month as temporary workers, would resume.
“At the end of the day, he is just a politician. If you’re not his supporter, he won’t help you. And most people here don’t like to kiss people’s asses. We are really struggling,” says resident Angie Stuurman, who hopes to get her first job in two years.
Prince supporters call him “Beaufort se baas” — someone who can tend to their immediate needs, usually by channelling government money into football projects.
“I’m a soccer lover and I started football in the area ... If our sports structures are functional, then it will get the youngsters away from crime and drugs,” Prince says.
Prince is not shy about Beaufort West’s heavy investment in football. The Fifa stadium cost R30‑million to build — R6.3-million was spent on astroturf alone — and this was money well spent, according to him. A former local football star, Prince now owns and partially manages the Beaufort West City football club.
But if Van der Linde and his DA colleagues have their way, Prince’s return to the deputy mayorship will be short-lived. Among the strategies being considered to remove him from office is a case opened against Prince for allegedly stealing water from the drought-stricken town.
After his interview with the M&G, there’s a large group of people still waiting outside to see him. Prince speeds past them on his way to the mayoral committee meeting, infuriating them even more. |
[WM]Image caption Lemn Sissay says he wants to show young people who have left care they are wanted by society and are "worth something"
Young people who have spent part of their childhood in care have been invited to special Christmas dinners by Manchester poet Lemn Sissay.
The Christmas Day meals will take place in Manchester, Leeds and London after Mr Sissay, who is Chancellor of Manchester University, raised £38,000.
The poet, who was in a Wigan children's home from the age of 12 to 18, said he wanted to create happy memories.
A group of volunteers has sourced the venues, transport, food and presents.
The dinners are being provided for care leavers in the three cities who are aged between 18 and 30.
"At its most simple the Christmas dinner offers a memory so next year the person can look back and think I was worth something then," Mr Sissay said.
"Christmas Day actually exposes the inadequacies of a system which treats children as if they are a problem because that day the child stands alone thinking 'I must be a problem, I'm obviously not worth anything because there is nobody here'."
The 48-year-old said his own early Christmas memories were "without family in virtually empty children's homes with staff who didn't want to be there".
"You have this secret room inside yourself and as Christmas approaches you draw back to that room. Each time you hear or feel the nature of family you are reminded of what you just do not have."
Mr Sissay said he believes people continue to feel isolated at Christmas after leaving care.
The first Christmas dinner took place in Manchester in 2013 and was extended to a second city, London, in 2014.
The money has been raised through crowd funding. |
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[WM]The concept Police -- New York (State) | New York represents the subject, aboutness, idea or notion of resources found in Boston University Libraries.
Administration. : Civil service;, by Theodore Roosevelt ..
Police trials : report of a special committee of the City Club of New York, April 7, 1905.
Report and proceedings of the Senate committee : appointed to investigate the Police department of the city of New York. |
[WM]Research interests: architectures, protocols and algorithms for hybrid optical access networks, subscriber traffic modeling for video-based applications, and Software-Defined Networking (SDN).
Research interests: Optical access networks, Statistical modeling, and Data Center Networking.
Research interests: MLR networks, Wavebanding, Cloud Networks, Disaster-resilient network modeling and optimization, Data center and content placement schemes, and Virtual machine migration.
Research interests: Cloud Networks, Energy-Efficienct Networks, Network Function Virtualization, Virtual Machine Migration, and Green Computing.
Research interests: Interdependent Networks, Disaster-resilient Network Modeling and Optimization, Software Defined Networking, and Space Division Multiplexing (SDM).
Research interests: Network virtualization robustness and measurement, software defined networks design and optimization over optical networks, nature-inspired metaheuristics, multi-objective optimization, and next generation Internet design and optimization.
Research interests: Mathematical Modeling, Interdependent Networks, Disaster Resiliency in Networks.
Research interests: Adaptability and survivability of communication networks against disasters, QoS-aware service provisioning schemes, and Software-Defined Networking (SDN).
Research interests: Elastic optical networks, Software-Defined Networking(SDN), and Data center Networking.
Research interests: Network Virtualization and Automation, Machine Learning and Data-driven Solutions for Cost-Efficienct Networking. Details at Google Scholar profile and LinkedIn profile. |
[WM]Jay Leno checked himself into a hospital in Burbank after canceling Thursday's show last minute. No word on what ails Leno, but an NBC rep says he's doing fine: "He was kidding around with the hospital staff and running his monologue jokes by the doctors and the nurses." Leno, who is famous for his work ethic and never calls in sick, also cancelled his Friday show. Ryan Reynolds—and an animal handler and small menagerie of reptiles—were expected to appear on Thursday's show. It was the first time Leno canceled a taping since he took over the show in 1992. |
[WM]Tim Russert discusses his childhood, faith, the catholic church, religion mixing with politics, and a life of service with On Faith's Sally Quinn.
Tim Russert, the NBC commentator who revolutionized Sunday morning television and infused journalism with an unrelenting passion for politics, died of a heart attack yesterday.
Russert was recording a "Meet the Press" introduction in an NBC sound booth in Northwest Washington when he collapsed and was taken by ambulance, accompanied by his longtime producer Betsy Fischer, to Sibley Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead soon afterward. He was 58.
The news swept the capital like a shock wave, with colleagues, rivals, President Bush and those vying to succeed him remembering Russert as a superb practitioner of political analysis and an irrepressible son of blue-collar Buffalo who, quite simply, loved the game. His influence was such that an appearance on the top-rated "Meet the Press" could boost or sink a candidate, and when he declared after midnight on May 6 that Barack Obama had wrapped up the Democratic nomination, that was treated as a news event in itself.
Russert wore many hats -- onetime Democratic operative, Washington insider, NBC bureau chief, MSNBC commentator, sports fanatic, committed Roman Catholic, biographer of his father, dubbed "Big Russ" -- but his greatest legacy was his sustained style of interrogation. Grounded in prodigious research, Russert would press his guests on past statements and contradictions, often for a full hour, spawning legions of imitators.
Friends were stunned by the news. "I just loved him," said Bob Schieffer, host of CBS's "Face the Nation." "When I scooped old Tim, I felt like I'd hit a home run off the best pitcher in the league."
"He was made for Washington because he lived and breathed politics," said Judy Woodruff, a former NBC correspondent now with PBS. "When our son was sick about 10 years ago, he was right there, calling, coming over, bringing him back gifts from trips."
Russert's internist, Michael A. Newman, told MSNBC that an autopsy showed the journalist had an enlarged heart and that cholesterol plaque ruptured an artery, causing coronary thrombosis. He said Russert had been diagnosed earlier with coronary artery disease, but that it was controlled with medication and exercise and Russert had performed well on a stress test in late April.
The thread of Russert's career is laced through recent political history. His whiteboard from Election Night 2000 -- on which, early in the evening, he scribbled "Florida, Florida, Florida" -- became an iconic symbol of the disputed tally. Days after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, Vice President Cheney chose to appear on "Meet the Press." In late 2006, Sen. Obama used the Russert program to say he was considering a White House run.
Russert moved his father, a former sanitation worker, to a nursing facility last week and had escaped for a brief vacation in Italy with his wife, Vanity Fair writer Maureen Orth, and their son, Luke, before returning to Washington Thursday. Luke Russert, a radio sports commentator, had just graduated from college.
Former anchor Tom Brokaw gave MSNBC viewers the news at 3:40 p.m. "He worked to the point of exhaustion so many weeks," Brokaw said, adding: "This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice."
Within minutes, all the cable networks were airing nonstop remembrances of Russert, as if a head of state had died, and tributes poured in. Bush called him "an institution," "tough and hardworking," and "as gregarious off the set as he was prepared on it."
Obama told reporters he considered Russert "not only a journalist but a friend. There wasn't a better interviewer on television, a more thoughtful analyst about politics. . . . I am grief-stricken with loss." Sen. John McCain, the presumed Republican nominee, called Russert "the preeminent political journalist of his generation." |
[WM]Military Times Forums > Hot Topics > In the News > You guys think this guy will hire Mark O'Mara as his attorney?
View Full Version : You guys think this guy will hire Mark O'Mara as his attorney?
In Florida when things go bad during an altercation and you kill the other guy you gotta hire Mark O'Mara right? |
[WM]Mikayla Minton pitched a pair of complete-game wins as the train that is McKinleyville High softball kept rolling Tuesday afternoon, picking up a pair of Big 5 Conference wins over visiting Fortuna, at McKinleyville High.
McKinleyville 10-run-ruled Fortuna in both games by scores of 13-2 (5) in game one and 15-5 (6) in game two.
Minton, McKinleyville’s second pitcher behind McKenzie Gonsalves, got the start in both games and performed admirably in each. In game one the junior allowed two runs, none earned, on five hits and six strikeouts and in game two, five runs, one earned, on four hits and two strikeouts. Minton gave up just four walks on the day, two in each game, as she showed that her still-undefeated Panthers (9-0, 14-0) are not solely reliant upon Gonsalves and can get wins on days when she doesn’t take the circle.
McKenna Turner had an extremely proficient day at the plate for McKinleyville, going 6-for-8, including a 3-for-3 performance in game one, with a pair of RBIs on the afternoon.
Jaycee Morais went 2-for-4 with a trio of RBIs in game one and in game two, recorded another two hits for McKinleyville and scored three runs as well.
Ashley Ballew had a memorable game two for McKinleyville, batting 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored.
Renee Metz put together a quality opening-game performance for Fortuna, going 3-for-3 with a run scored while Paige Johnson and Lexi Roby each had a double in the loss. Morgan Murray and Roby both hit well in game two as each went 2-for-3 at the plate with an RBI.
McKinleyville will take a step back from conference play for the rest of the month before concluding its regular season with a 3-game series against Eureka (1-0, 7-2). Eureka, its season slowed by all-too-frequent cancellations due to rain, has yet to really break into its Big 5 schedule. It will need to win at least six of its next eight conference games before seeing McKinleyville at the end of the season if it wants to have a shot at passing the Panthers up in the Big 5 standings — otherwise, McKinleyville may have its first conference championship since 2011 locked up before it even plays its final conference series of the season.
Fortuna (0-6, 3-10) will look to snap its current eight-game losing streak today when it takes on Eureka. |
[WM]Democrats who lead the New Jersey Assembly have introduced legislation that would provide sales tax rebates to property owners and small businesses rebuilding after Sandy.
Assembly Speaker Sheila Oliver and Majority Leader Lou Greenwald introduced the bill Monday to provide sales tax rebates on construction supplies and services bought between Oct. 30, 2012 and Jan. 1, 2014.
Oliver says the Legislature's top priority is finding ways to help New Jerseyans affected by Sandy and the bill would help move the recovery forward.
The legislators say a similar rebate bill became law after Tropical Storm Floyd in 1999.
The measure allows for sales tax rebates with receipts on construction materials, carpeting, appliances, vehicles, contracting services and more.
Rebates would be offered only on goods and services for primary residences. |
[WM]Outnumbered on Fox News to feature four female hosts, one man. We’re gonna need a bigger glass desk.
New Fox News Show Outnumbered Will Have Four Female Hosts and One Man. Get It?
Kimberly Guilfoyle and Andrea Tantaros will host a new show on Fox News, in which they and two other women will gang up on one man.
Roger Ailes is an evil genius. In the midst of a nationwide debate over whether Republicans are waging a war on women, Fox News is launching a new show called Outnumbered at the end of April. Outnumbered because the show will feature four female and one male host. The man will be “outnumbered,” meaning that even though Outnumbered is supposedly a female-centric show, the male point of view is still so central that it gives the show its title.
Really, the word outnumbered should apply to the rest of Fox’s programming, where only 36 percent of anchors and correspondents are women. But you know, that’s the natural order of things. (Except on MSNBC and CNN, where women make up 48 percent and 58 percent, respectively, of anchors and correspondents.) Gender imbalance is only noteworthy when women outnumber men.
Still, you have to hand it to Ailes for mastering the art of having it both ways. On the one hand, there’s no reason to think this show will be anything but excruciatingly sexist, starting with that condescending title that treats female anchors like a novelty. Mediaite reports that the show will feature Kimberly Guilfoyle and Andrea Tantaros, two women who have built careers out of reassuring cranky old misogynists that there are hot young women out there who agree with them.* On the other hand, the very setup of the show inoculates it against this accusation, since hey, Fox is giving women jobs on TV. It’s the same trick Republicans pull by putting female faces out front when pushing abortion restrictions or undermining equal-pay efforts.
So, will I tune in for Outnumbered? Absolutely, if only to see how the set designers create a desk that can show off four pairs of legs at once. Maybe, once given a show of their own, the second-tier ladies of Fox will start throwing their weight around like Megyn Kelly does. Kelly, who actually kicked Sean Hannity out of his time slot, has enough power to occasionally push back a little against the overwhelming tide of sexism spewing forth from her network. Then again, Kelly has a unique presence on the network, and she knows it, whereas many of the other women likely understand that someone else open to wearing 6-inch heels and shellacking on the makeup can probably replace them. For now, I’m just training for the Outnumbered drinking game: Every time the male host faux-complains about how disempowered he is around all these ladies, take a shot.
Correction, April 17, 2014: This post originally misspelled Mediaite. |
[WM]Princess Leia, played by Lily Grisafi, left, Will Bangs, Sam Cast, and a generic stormtrooper, get photographed together at the gala. The Boulder International Film Festival kicked off it's 10th anniversary year with an it's traditional opening night gala Thursday. There were bands, food, drinks and costumed movie characters, as people celebrated the opening of the festival.
For more photos and a video of opening night, go to http://www.dailycamera.com. |
[WM]Every year, people count down the days until Starbucks unveils one of their most-popular offerings, the Pumpkin Spice Latte. The espresso-based concoction of pumpkin flavorings, spices, and sweet cream signals the coming of fall, and to some, there is a McRib-like fascination that only comes with products that aren’t available year-round.
And you can help make sure that the Pumpkin Spice Latte debuts in your city first. All you have to do is interact with Starbucks on Facebook.
For the second year in a row, Starbucks is holding the Pumpkin Spice Latte Challenge on Facebook. Beginning today, the challenge sees Starbucks fans competing to earn points for their city through shares on Facebook and Twitter, and various mini-games including word searches, trivia, and artistic contests.
Starbucks currently has over 31.4 million likes on Facebook.
Get your game face on, #pslchallenge starts tomorrow!
The city with the most points will be the first to receive Starbucks’ famous beverage. The company picks one U.S. and one Canadian city as winners. Last year Chicago and Calgary were the lucky locations, with Chicago garnering 7.3% of all the points in the U.S. and Calgary taking 16% of the Canadian points. |
[WM]With prom season underway, it's time for some pampering.
Local makeup artists and hairstylists gathered inside Foster Kinship in North Las Vegas to give underprivileged girls a free makeover for prom.
Organizer Paz Ramirez says it's all about using her craft to give back.
"I want them to feel loved, I want them to feel fabulous," she said. "It's just a loving experience on both sides."
The event ran from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on April 7 at Foster Kinship at 4344 West Cheyenne Avenue. More events are planned for April 14, 21, and 28. Click here for more details . |
[WM]All Greater Farmington Founders Day Festival activities, except for the parade, will be held at Shiawassee Park in 2019.
Dennis Page is banking on bands, dinner specials and his famed ox roast sandwiches to help draw patrons to his restaurant during Greater Farmington Founders Day Festival, July 18-21.
Drumming up business for Page’s Food & Spirits always has been a breeze during the event in previous years since it sits right downtown. But with nearly all of the festival action — from the beer tent to entertainment — moving to Shiawassee Park in 2019, Page is brainstorming ways to keep up momentum.
“In the past years it’s been the busiest week of the year for my business,” said Page, from his seat at the bar on a recent afternoon. “People would come here to eat before going to the beer tent, after going to the beer tent. If you’re going to take it to the park it’s obviously not going to help businesses here if it’s a mile away in the park.
Page, whose restaurant is located on Farmington Road approximately a half-mile to the park, is among business owners who oppose the decision to move the festival from downtown. The Greater Farmington Chamber of Commerce, which runs the festival, held children’s events and Fido Fest dog activities at Shiawassee Park last year, while maintaining musical entertainment and a beer tent in the parking lot at the Downtown Farmington Center on Grand River Avenue and Farmington Road. Art and crafts vendor booths were stationed on Farmington Road, south of State Street.
Next year all but the parade on Grand River will be held in the park. A section of Shiawassee Road from Power to Farmington Road will be closed.
Farmington City Council unanimously approved the Chamber’s special event application earlier this month.
Mary Martin, Chamber president, said the park is “logistically good” for a full festival, including entertainment and a beer tent. She told city officials that the children’s activities and canine events were successful last year and that sponsors were interested in concentrating all activities at one site, strengthening the festival’s exposure. She also noted that public safety costs would decrease with all activities in one place and parking would be freed up in the downtown shopping center. Farmington Road downtown also would remain open.
“Certainly, the beer tent is a draw in the evening, but in the day people are looking for entertainment. People are looking for things to do, not necessarily to buy things,” she said, during a recent phone interview.
At Joe’s Headquarters on Farmington Road north of State Street, hairstylist Brandy Gregg voiced her support for moving the festival to Shiawassee Park. She said some of her clients cancelled appointments during the event when it was held downtown because they couldn’t find parking in the area.
Joe and Kendra Mantey, owners of The Cheese Lady, located on the east side of the Downtown Farmington Center, said the festival neither helped nor hurt their business.
“One the one hand you hopefully have some new people come in and that theoretically leads to more business later. But on the other hand there was no place to park. They used up an awful lot of the parking lot to hold the festival,” Joe Mantey said.
Kristy Libby has worked festival weekends at Farmington Center Florist, which is located on the west end of the shopping center. She said the event generated new customers for the store.
“We get a lot of people coming in that didn’t know we were here,” she said,.
Greg Cowley, a former DDA member, former councilman, and owner of John Cowley & Sons Irish Pub & Restaurant, criticized the move in a statement posted on the restaurant website. He wrote that holding the festival in Shiawassee Park would cost downtown businesses revenue and over time would downgrade the event.
“My biggest objection is restaurants are going to pay the price for the moving of the beer tent to the park. They’ll fill the place with food trucks. All that revenue going to food trucks. That is not economic development," he said.
He accused the city council and Downtown Development Authority of abdicating their responsibility by allowing the Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with an events production company, to produce the festival.
According to DDA Director Kate Knight, a nonprofit organization ran the festival before the DDA took it on in 2009, handing management to the Chamber in 2014. She said the event became “overwhelming” for her predecessor and DDA staff.
“There are no downtown development authorities that run big events. That’s not the way it works any more. It’s not part of what DDAs do. Either you’re going to do economic development and downtown development, capital projects or you’re going to be a party planner,” she said.
Knight said the festival is a perfect time for downtown businesses to create their own special activities, such as a sidewalk sale or party tent. Miller encourages restaurants to participate in the park or run shuttle buses from the park to downtown.
Miller said the Chamber is in discussion with Our Lady of Sorrows and Farmington Public Schools for use of parking lots at the church and Farmington High School. Final plans will be announced closer to the event. |
[WM]“Iran’s Alvand and Bushehr warships have been dispatched to the Gulf of Aden to protect trade vessels from piracy,” Tasnim reported.
The US military strikes were in response to failed missile attacks this week on a US Navy destroyer, officials said.
Iran’s 44th flotilla, comprising Alvand destroyer and Bushehr logistic warship, has been dispatched to the Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to protect the country’s trade vessels against piracy in the unsafe zone, the agency said.
It added that the Iranian fleet would head to waters near Somalia and Tanzania and through the Indian Ocean.
After making a port call in Tanzania, the 44th fleet will sail along the eastern coasts of Africa if the weather holds out, and is scheduled to sail for the western coasts of South Africa, in the South Atlantic Ocean.
The presence of the Iranian fleet in the Gulf of Aden comes after with the Pentagon announced late on Wednesday that it struck and destroyed three radar sites controlled by the Houthi militias in Yemen.
On Thursday, the US military launched cruise missile strikes to destroy coastal radar sites in Yemen in retaliation for an attacks on a US Navy destroyer launched from territories controlled by Houthis. Iran's key neighbors accuse Tehran of providing support to the Houthis. |
[WM]Yes, that price is CORRECT! Three Bedroom, Two Bath home, with a laundry room, an additional living area, and a LARGE, FLAT, FENCED, AND PRIVATE BACKYARD! Believe it or not, there is more! An additional space off the laundry area currently used as a workshop. A great space with windows which could easily be transformed into a wonderful sun-room that looks out to the back yard. This home features some wonderful updates and is located in a wonderful established neighborhood….You will love continuing your story at 102 Story Street! |
[WM]Whether considering our highly educated workforce, robust payroll numbers, jobs, or employers, the 495/MetroWest region continues to offer a high return on investment for the commonwealth, employers, and residents; a vibrant and diverse employment base; and an excellent quality of life," the report concludes.
BOSTON - Communities west of Boston and near Interstate 495 continue to enjoy commercial rents and home prices well below averages in the metropolitan Boston area despite steady population growth, according to a new report.
The 495/MetroWest Partnership's Economic and Commercial Real Estate Report, released Tuesday at the Statehouse, found an increasing gap in affordability between properties in Boston and those in the partnership's region. Lower costs, coupled with availability of real estate and below-average unemployment, indicate a strong economic climate in the MetroWest area, the report concluded.
Municipal officials, business executives and legislators from the region — which encompasses 35 communities along Interstate 495, as far north as Westford and as far south as Foxborough — gathered Tuesday for the group's annual advocacy day. Senate President Karen Spilka of Ashland, who delivered the keynote address, said the report reflects significant changes to an area that was once agrarian and spread out.
"So much has happened over these last 10 years to help make this region of the state — which I think is not only the best in the commonwealth but the best in the country — a truly wonderful place to live, work and raise a family," Spilka said.
Mean class A rents in the 495 belt were less than one-third the comparable rents in Boston in the fourth quarter of 2018, the largest disparity between the two metrics since at least 2010. Single-family homes are competitively priced, too: since 2008, the median price for a single-family home increased 23 percent in MetroWest and 92 percent in Boston and Cambridge.
The region continues to have hundreds of thousands of square feet available for businesses to lease at multiple locations, but job numbers appear strong in the report, too. MetroWest's unemployment rate of 2.6 percent is about half a percentage point lower than the statewide rate, and the lowest it has been since 2000.
"Whether considering our highly educated workforce, robust payroll numbers, jobs, or employers, the 495/MetroWest region continues to offer a high return on investment for the commonwealth, employers, and residents; a vibrant and diverse employment base; and an excellent quality of life," the report concludes.
Spilka pointed to significant growth in recent decades. The region's population increased about 50 percent between 1970 and present day, and the total annual payroll jumped from $2.6 billion in 1980 to $24.5 billion in 2018, she said.
"The data shows the growing importance of the 495 and MetroWest region, from the $24.5 billion in regional payroll to the growth in commercial real estate and lab space," said Paul Matthews, executive director of the Westborough-based 495/MetroWest Partnership, in a brief phone interview with the Daily News.
Despite the positive indicators, Spilka stressed in her remarks that the burgeoning region still faces numerous challenges, many of which are similar to those experienced across the state. Traffic can be suffocating. Affordable housing, even if better than Boston, is not as widely available as is needed.
"In MetroWest, we are clearly open to embracing and managing change, but our greatest challenge will be continuing to manage the growth," Spilka said. "We must be really careful to continue to carefully steward our growth."
She outlined several priorities she hopes to see taken up in the Legislature to improve quality of life in MetroWest and elsewhere. Lawmakers need to find consensus on addressing climate change, lowering prescription drug costs, and improving mental health services, she said.
The Senate President voiced hope that this session would finally see education reforms enacted, almost four years after the Foundation Budget Review Commission outlined crucial gaps in the existing formula that leave schools underfunded by as much as $1 billion. She also echoed House Speaker Robert DeLeo's interest in considering various options to raise new transportation revenues.
"We know what the problems are. We know roughly what the price tag is. We know the longer we wait to fix, the higher the price tag goes up," Spilka said. "Everything should be on the table." |
[WM]In an interview, Kuldeep Yadav talked about the incident when the then skipper MS Dhoni got angry with him during a match.
Former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has gained the reputation of being “Captain Cool” because of his calm and composed behaviour on the field, even in tense situations. The 37-year old had led India to three ICC trophies over the years as captain and his ability to keep things cool has been regarded as the reason for the success. But, chinaman Kuldeep Yadav, in an interview, revealed that the wicketkeeper-batsman has an angry side as well.
Speaking to Vikram Sathaye in the web series What The Duck, the left-arm spinner revealed an incident when Dhoni lost his cool with him in the middle of the match. Yadav, who attended the show with fellow spinner Yuzvendra Chahal, narrated the incident which took place during the second T20I between India and Sri Lanka in Indore in December 2017.
“Wherever I pitched the ball, it went for six. The ground was so small. After every six, I would look at Mahi (Dhoni). He would say, ‘it wasn’t that far, you should keep it further’,” the 24-year old said.
“After hearing this, Mahi bhai got angry and said, “Kya main pagal hoon yaha pe, mai 300 ODI khela hoon (You think I’m mad? I’ve played 300 ODIs)’,” he said.
Coincidentally, Yadav managed to pick up the wicket soon after adjusting the field as per Dhoni’s instructions. In the match, the bowler gave away 52 runs with 3 wickets in his 4 overs. India managed to win the match by 88 runs with Rohit Sharma slamming a 35-ball hundred.
1 India vs England Live Cricket Streaming, IND vs ENG 1st ODI Live Streaming Online: When and where to watch IND vs ENG 1st ODI? |
[WM]"The student left an In-School Suspension room without permission and entered the cafeteria yelling comments toward the other students," police wrote.
The words and actions of a 14-year-old Cedar Crest High School Student caused "great alarm" and an evacuation of the school's cafeteria during school hours on Feb. 20.
"School Officials contacted the police department after the student left an In-School Suspension room without permission and entered the cafeteria yelling comments toward the other students," South Lebanon Township Police wrote. "The student's actions caused great alarm to the students, staff and parents."
The unnamed boy was charged with terroristic threats and disorderly conduct, police said.
Amy Wissinger, the Cornwall Lebanon School District's community relations coordinator, clarified that some students evacuated the cafeteria but the building was not evacuated.
"The situation was quickly brought under control by high school administration and law enforcement. Some students left the cafeteria/evacuated the area (not the building) because people were in a highly anxious state following the events at the high school in Parkland (Florida)," Wissinger wrote in an email.
Also last Tuesday, Ceder Crest Superintendent Philip Domencic has posted a message to the district's website explaining that the school was working with police to investigate "reports of a social media post suggesting rumors of a possible threat." School continued as usual because the threat was not considered credible, but the district took additional security measures.
The two incidents do not appear to have been related. |
[WM]The defendant and the victim were both in jail and available for trial, but five prosecution witnesses failed to show Tuesday in Washington County Circuit Court, delaying for two months the trial of a 16-year-old city teen charged with attempted murder.
Maurice Davoughn McMillan, of 623 N. Locust St. in Hagerstown is charged with second-degree attempted murder, first- and second-degree assault and reckless endangerment in the Oct. 9, 2011, stabbing of Jarvel Fostion.
Fostion, 18, of 106 W. Bethel St., Apt. B, Hagerstown, was stabbed five times in the torso, according to city police charging documents.
Fostion was jailed April 20, 2012, for allegedly pulling a handgun on a Hagerstown police officer.
Assistant State’s Attorney Michele Hansen requested a continuance from Judge Donald E. Beachley because five state witnesses, all of whom had been subpoenaed, were not in court.
Beachley granted the motion and rescheduled the trial for July 5.
The missing people were all witnesses to the assault McMillan is alleged to have committed on Fostion, Hansen said after the hearing.
One of the witnesses apparently did not appear because she had not been transported from a state Department of Juvenile Services facility, Hansen said.
Beachley ordered “body attachments” against the missing witnesses — a court order that they be brought before a judge promptly to determine why they did not appear in court as required under the subpoenas.
The subpoenas will remain in effect, he said.
“This is really unusual,” said Beachley, who also granted a continuance in an unrelated case Tuesday morning because four prosecution witnesses, including two victims, did not appear to testify in the case of a man charged with assault with a handgun.
McMillan’s attorney, Robin Ficker, objected to the continuance, asking that the jury trial proceed.
He also complained to Beachley that another judge had quashed his subpoena for Assistant State’s Attorney Gina Cirincion to appear as a defense witness.
Police charging documents said that Fostion approached McMillan in front of McMillan’s home on Oct. 9.
The two had been arguing through text messages that night over McMillan allegedly stealing property from Fostion’s friends, the documents said.
An argument broke out that escalated into a fight, and Fostion was stabbed, the documents said. |
[WM]Idealists like to say that money doesn’t decide elections, but the truth is, it usually does, said Don Dugi, a political scientist at Transylvania University in Lexington.
This isn’t news to Sellus Wilder, a Frankfort Democrat clobbered in this year’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary by millionaire Lexington Mayor Jim Gray, who was much better-financed. Wilder is now managing Kemper’s 6th District House campaign.
Money allows a candidate to hire campaign staff to reach voters on a personal basis across a large area, and it lets her promote her ideas through broadcast and digital advertising and social media, he said.
“And it’s the metric by which you’re deemed credible, or not, by everyone else — the news media, the party, other politicians, the donors. If you have some money, it’s easier to be taken seriously so that you can raise more money. But the reverse also is true if you don’t have very much,” Wilder said.
For all of the public debate over Congress — and its pitiful 13 percent job-approval rating as of last month — Kentuckians don’t show a great deal of interest in who speaks for them in the House of Representatives.
Only 44 percent of the state’s registered voters cast a ballot in a House race during the 2014 general election, when all six seats were contested, however weakly. Every incumbent was re-elected to another two-year term, including some, like Rogers and Ed Whitfield, R-Hopkinsville, who have spent decades in Washington.
Few vigorous House races are expected anytime soon. For one thing, the two-party system has eroded. Faced with Kentucky’s status as a deeply conservative red state, Democrats essentially have surrendered the congressional delegation, said Tres Watson, spokesman for the Kentucky Republican Party.
The focus of the Kentucky Democratic Party on Nov. 8 will be preserving the narrow Democratic majority in the state House of Representatives, a crucial check on the power of Republican Gov. Matt Bevin, said party spokesman Daniel Lowry. It’s not clear what help, if any, the party will be able to offer its congressional candidates who face an uphill climb, Lowry said.
However, in 2014, the Kentucky Democratic Party and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in Washington did not provide much assistance to Elisabeth Jensen, the Democrat challenging Barr that year. Barr outspent Jensen by $3-to-$1 and beat her by 20 points.
Once they are entrenched in Washington, congressmen enjoy a huge fundraising advantage that discourages most people from challenging them. Wealthy donors with an interest in favorable legislation and government spending line up to write them checks “because they’re a sure thing and a known quantity,” Dugi said.
For example, Barr, a member of the House Financial Services Committee, collects hundreds of thousands of dollars from banks, payday lenders, investment firms and other businesses affected by his work. Roughly two-thirds of Barr’s campaign money so far this election cycle comes from outside Kentucky, including more than $600,000 from lobbyist-rich Washington and its suburbs.
Rogers, first elected in 1980, enjoys even greater fundraising clout as chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, which decides how the government spends its money. Rogers’ campaigns have raised nearly $11 million over the last 25 years, although he seldom faces much opposition in his Southeastern Kentucky district.
Voters choose the names they recognize and feel good about, Dugi said.
“When you’ve got someone like Hal Rogers, who has been there forever and who has brought so much pork back home … the chances of anyone coming in and beating him are slim to none. You’re not even really holding elections anymore,” Dugi said. |
[WM]Singers Akiva Schaffer, Andy Samberg, Jorma Taccone of The Lonely Island perform onstage during the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre in L.A. Sunday night.
Jane Lynch became only the third woman to fly solo as host of the Emmys, serving with distinction as the MC of what was a mostly successful broadcast loaded with great bits, some potential drama that failed to heat up and, inevitably some low points. Here's a quick recap of the 2011 Emmys hits, misses and WTFs.
She was great. From her bit in the opening number when she discovered the joys of laugh tracks to her "gay agenda"—involving calling Rachel Maddow and changing her oil--to her skit as Donatella the Jersey housewife behind "The Jersey Shore" and 113 other TV shows, Lynch's jokes were tight and her timing was on point. But having the show's host be a nominee in the show's first category felt really awkward. Not her fault, but someone should've said something.
Baldwin had a joke about the News Corp phone hacking scandal cut from his opening bit. Baldwin asked that the bit be cut, allegedly not over it being censored, but because he felt the bit didn’t flow without the line. So Fox reshot the bit with Leonard Nimoy in his stead. With the knowledge that the bit had been edited and then lost Baldwin, there was no hope that it would work, and it didn't—fortunately, it was short and merely an intro to Lynch's opening number. It turned out to be a classic case of not being able to enjoy the sausage once you knew how it was made—kinda wish Baldwin hadn’t given a play-by-lay via Twitter.
In a year when women seemed to have made a great leap forward in the world of comedy, with films like "Bad Teacher" and "Bridesmaids" letting the ladyfolk take the lead, to see Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Edie Falco, Laura Linney, Martha Plimpton and eventual winner Melissa McCarthy brought up on stage for a faux beauty pageant was gross, and made grosser still when McCarthy was handed a tiara and a bouquet of roses. Watching it, we were hoping against hope that it was a set-up for making the men go through the same shtick, but alas… And then there was a bizarre echo to the moment when McCarthy and Poehler came out to present Best Actor in a Miniseries or Movie, making jokes about how men had to show a little skin to keep audiences interested.
Throughout the evening the action was thrown to a chorus comprised of Joel McHale, Wilmer Valderama, Zach Levi, Cobie Smulders, Tajari P. Henson and Kate Flannery singing introductions to different segments of the show. It was forced, incomprehensible and pointless, serving only to slow down the action. The highlight from the chorus was Zach picking his nose and trying to wipe it on Wilmer's coat, or maybe LL Cool J's cameo.
A mini-episode of the acclaimed show featured guest stars like Kim Kardashian ("'Work'? Am I pronouncing that right?") and "Breaking Bad" star Aaron Paul as Creed's meth dealer was hilarious and topped of with the perfect ending, as Ed Helms went in to confront the new boss, Ashton Kutcher, suggesting that maybe he was in the wrong place. It was our first look at the newly minted "Two and a Half Men" star in action, and he nailed it.
The rap trio Lonely Island ("Saturday Night Live's" Akiva Schaffer, Jorma Taccone, and Andy Samberg) sort of popped up out of nowhere, with Michael Bolton, Akon, Maya Rudolph and Bill Macy in tow. We're not sure what they were doing there, but they crushed it.
The will-he/won’t-he drama surrounding Sheen's rumored appearance made for some good gossip, but when the moment finally came, he was almost disappointingly gracious, wishing his former "Two and a Half Men" colleagues the best of luck. It was a bit of a letdown after all the shenanigans Sheen has perpetrated this past year, but it was the right thing to do.
Why were the comedy awards handed out, and then the reality and variety awards followed by the drama prizes? Awards bodies have dissed comedy forever, why implicitly enforce the impression that they're something lesser? Especially on a night when a sitcom, "Modern Family," won more awards than any other show. And any time you structure a show that invites viewers to tune out for 10, 20 or 30 minutes, you've done something wrong.
Any awards show that ends a minute early automatically scores at least a 6, and this show was decidedly stronger than that even. |
[WM]I find it interesting that history has made it necessary for governments to bind their mouths shut during an election so as not to influence the course of the election while the politicians themselves make all sorts of promises.
What it does is stop the politicians from making use of public servants to help with their campaigns – once the writ has been dropped. Of course up until that moment, they can do just about whatever they want that looks like something the government might have done anyway – announce grants mostly.
My mother always told me to disbelieve 99% of what I heard and a percentage of what I saw with my own eyes as well. Doesn’t that just give you a warm fuzzy feeling about how much trust there is in the world?
With all due respect to our MLA, Premier and all those other people out there, I find it difficult to believe anything I hear at all. Reminds me of the old, old, old joke – How can you tell when a politician isn’t lying? His (or her) lips aren’t moving.
It’s enough to make me wish there was a law to force politicians to live up to their campaign promises even if they had to pay for it out of their own pockets. Of course, that would make it difficult when they found that the tax cuts they promised were shown to NOT have the effect desired on the economy or on the actions of industry. Industry mostly does what will help it make more money, though some are more risk averse than others, and thus less likely to try something new because they don’t know how well it might work.
I would try and keep quiet myself and not support either side, but then I might not be doing my job, which is sometimes to express an opinion, but only sometimes and when I do I’m supposed to make it clear that it is only my opinion.
So here is my opinion. The government that is in place is the one that I prefer. They have managed to put more money into the educational system and into the healthcare system, both of which I care about deeply. The previous government did a good job of talking about being fiscally responsible but, in my mind, failed to think far enough ahead into the future. Education is important. It’s not just a way of keeping kids off the street until they are old enough to find a job. The better the education system works, the better our economy will work because the people going into the economy as employees, employers, business people will have a better understanding of how to make life better for themselves and their families without making other peoples’ families suffer.
I don’t believe this has anything to do with any political agenda – in my opinion. People will vote the way they believe will do the most good – for themselves. |
[WM]Saboba (NR), Jan. 13, GNA - Mr Joseph Bukari Nikpe, Member of Parliament (MP) for Saboba, has advised the youth of the National Democrati= c Congress (NDC) to unite and embark on programmes that would win more votes for the party to retain power in 2012.
He expressed regret that vandalism, unnecessary agitations against District Chief Executives (DCEs) and other negative attitudes had become common acts among NDC youth and called for unity, togetherness and the zeal to help achieve the 93Better Ghana Agenda" to win the confidence of Ghanaians.
Mr Nikpe gave the advice at separate functions on Thursday when he toured some communities in his constituency for interactions and to explain the government's agenda to the people, as well as solicit their support t= o retain him and return the NDC to power in the 2012 polls.
Some of the communities the MP visited included Samboli, Kpalba, Nakpando, Labaldo, Nambiri and Tombu. The rest are Nanlindo, Jijado, Konli, Liwalbu, Kunjuli and Wallah, where he also appealed to the chiefs and peopl= e of the area to embrace peace for the development of the district. Mr Nikpe said the NDC was a caring government and would do everything possible to ensure that the people's problems and development of their communities were addressed to justify the confidence reposed in NDC in the 2008 elections.
He explained that the Better Ghana Agenda was to ensure that people'= s lives were improved and expressed fears that the numerous youth agitations within the NDC would derail the development agenda of the government. He also called for respect for the Presidency and the amicable resolution of problems in the local communities.
The MP expressed the conviction that the NDC would win the 2012 elections easily in spite of political distortions from its detractors and appealed to party members to galvanize support and win more souls to ensure a decisive victory.
He thanked the constituents for voting massively for him as MP during the 2008 elections and assured them that their efforts would not be in vain since the area would receive its fair share of the national cake. |
[WM]Thérèse-De Blainville police have seized a truck in connection with a hit and run that injured a cyclist in Lorraine on Nov. 5.
Police have seized a truck in connection with a hit and run that injured a cyclist in Lorraine on Nov. 5.
The white truck was seized by Thérèse-De Blainville police from the driveway of a residence in Rosemère, on Montreal's North Shore.
In early November, the victim suffered serious injuries when he was hit late at night on de la Grande-Côte Road in the town of Lorraine. |
[WM]They were once respected leaders of their towns, men of vision who campaigned on promises to do right by their constituents – but they got greedy.
They were once respected leaders of their communities, men of vision who campaigned on promises to do right by their constituents — but somewhere along the way, they got greedy.
Check out our gallery above to learn more about six of the most corrupt mayors of the Jersey Shore.
Stay on top of what’s happening in your local government. Consider a subscription to our award-winning watchdog journalism at the Asbury Park Press and app.com. There isn’t a better time to support local journalism. We need you and you need us. |
[WM]MARTIN O’NEILL has dismissed any suggestion he does not have the fight to guide Sunderland out of the relegation zone, insisting there is still plenty of fire in his belly.
O’Neill is involved in his first relegation scrap at any level since becoming a manager at non-League Grantham Town in 1987.
It is uncharted territory for the Ulsterman, who has enjoyed almost three decades of success in a management career that has also taken him to Wycombe, Leicester, Celtic and Aston Villa.
But he now finds his team deep in the mire following a run of seven games without a win, and with Manchester United the next visitors to the Stadium of Light tomorrow.
The 61-year-old has been criticised in recent weeks by Sunderland fans, who have suggested his famed leadership powers may be dwindling.
But yesterday O’Neill dismissed any notion that he is on the wane having met supporters at a fans’ forum on Wednesday night.
“Am I still as determined and enthused about the game? I don’t think I analyse this every day but you have to have enthusiasm for the game otherwise don’t do it,” he said.
“If you ask Sir Alex Ferguson what keeps him going at the age he is – obviously going in to work with a brilliant team does help – but it is that incredible enthusiasm he has .
“You can talk about determination and everything else, but they are secondary to enthusiasm.
“I am what I am. If you are expecting me to step into a press conference after performing in the manner we did against Norwich two weeks ago and be jocular, then you would tell me I needed my head examined.
“As a player, I always concerned myself with losing matches, same as a manager. I don’t know who is saying I am downbeat. That’s their opinion but I heard some people saying our performance against Norwich wasn’t a Martin O’Neill team.
Remaining upbeat is part of my nature.
Sunderland supporters are certainly not seeing the funny side at the moment as their team spiral towards the drop zone having won just three points from a possible 21, leaving them just four ahead of third-from-bottom Wigan.
With skipper Lee Cattermole and top-scorer Steven Fletcher sidelined for the rest of the season, these are testing times for O’Neill, who has never been involved in such a desperate struggle before.
“No, I can’t remember one, certainly not in recent times,” he said.
“Last season, I came here with more games to play with, as the team had only played 14 matches and had dropped into the bottom three.
“You always felt you could get something going and we could pull out of trouble – and we did.
“There are tough games ahead but exciting ones to be involved in and we’ve got to get on with it.
“The injuries to Fletcher and Cattermole are a blow to us but that’s the nature of the game. I didn’t expect to get through all of the international matches unscathed but it is now about opportunities for other people.
Without a home league win over Manchester United since 1997 and shorn of their two best players, this is probably not the ideal time to be playing the champions-in-waiting.
Sunderland need O’Neill’s infectious enthusiasm and managerial pedigree to guide the club to safety now more than ever, otherwise their six-year stay in the top flight could come to an abrupt end on May 19 at White Hart Lane. |
[WM]LinkedIn has responded to criticism of its "social ads" feature over its use of members' names and photos in advertisements on its website.
Many LinkedIn members have complained that the use of their details in this way constitutes a violation of privacy, particularly as they have to opt out of the feature rather than opt in.
Ryan Roslansky, director of product marketing at the professional networking site has conceded in a blog post that LinkedIn could have communicated its intentions around social ads more clearly.
While pointing out that members were notified via the official blog and banner ads on the site as early as June, he said the company had since learned that although members are happy to have their actions, such as recommendations, visible to their network as a public action, some of those same members may not be comfortable with the use of their names and photos associated with those actions used in ads served to their network.
Roslansky has promised that LinkedIn will be changing the look of social advertisements so that names and photos of members are not included. Instead, the ads will in future include a link to others in a users' network who follow the advertiser on LinkedIn.
However, the professional networking site has stopped short of switching to an opt-in approach, as Paul Ducklin, head of technology, Asia Pacific at security firm Sophos pointed out. "The company still seems happy with opt-out, though I must admit that it has made opting out of social ads fairly straightforward," he said in a blog post.
A better business standard would be to make this sort of new feature opt-in, he added. "Short-term sales goals might be easier to achieve with opt-out, but we know that opt-in would be safer for users," Ducklin wrote.
He said users with strong opinions about privacy would become strong advocates for a service provider which set this sort of standard, and that privacy regulators would also be impressed.
"So we feel sure that adopting an opt-in model would actually be better for a service provider's business value in the long term," he said.
Ducklin has called on all LinkedIn members to send e-mails encouraging the firm to take the lead on privacy by locking everything down by default and enabling it only if users specifically opt in. |
[WM]The 2019 North American International Auto Show (AKA the Detroit Auto Show) is under way and things are already buzzing from the Motor City. Steve Grzanich checked in with Dale Buss (Contributor at Chief Executive Magazine, Forbes and Wall Street Journal) to talk about the EV movement, a new Volkswagen/Ford partnership, all with a lingering concern around the government shutdown impacting the auto industry. Steve then turned to Calvin Flowers (Executive Director at Chicago Inventors Organization) to dive into the state of inventions from around the world after the National Inventions Hall of Fame announced their inductees class for the 2019 Hall of Fame. |
[WM](CNN) – The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines for the first time on treating children with concussions, saying they will provide doctors with the “tools they need to ensure the best outcomes for their young patients” with mild traumatic brain injury.
More than 800,000 children seek treatment for traumatic brain injury every year, according to Dr. Debra Houry, director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. The issue has become more pressing as youth sports have grown in popularity and because research has shown that repeated blows to the head, such as from playing football or heading a soccer ball, can lead to long-term memory loss, dementia and other serious health issues.
The CDC said its guidelines were based on the “most comprehensive review of the science” over the past 25 years related concussions, which doctors and researchers refer to as mild traumatic brain injury, or mTBI.
Do not routinely image pediatric patients to diagnose a mild traumatic brain injury.
Use validated, age-appropriate symptom scales to diagnose a concussion.
Assess for risk factors for prolonged recovery, including history of concussions or other brain injury, severe symptom presentation immediately after the injury, and personal characteristics and family history.
Provide patients and their parents/caregivers with instructions on returning to activity customized to their symptoms.
Counsel patients and their parents/caregivers to return gradually to non-sports activities after no more than two to three days of rest.
The CDC published the guidelines Tuesday in the medical journal JAMA Pediatrics.
In an accompanying editorial, Michael McCrea, a professor of neurosurgery and neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and Dr. Geoff Manley, vice chairman of neurological surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, praised the CDC for issuing the guidelines, saying that “clinicians have been hampered for years by the lack of an evidence base to inform diagnosis, prognosis, and management” of youth concussions.
“We applaud the CDC guideline’s recommendation for clinicians to counsel children and their parents as to the known acute effects of injury, expected course of recovery, and factors that may positively or negatively affect recovery and outcome after mTBI,” McCrea and Manley wrote. |
[WM]Samsung Electronics reported its lowest annual profit since 2011 during its earnings call today as its smartphone sales continue to suffer from increasing competition. In 2014, the company’s profit was 25 trillion won, a 32 percent drop from a high of 36.8 trillion won in 2013.
Its 4Q2014 net profit fell 27 percent to 5.3 trillion won year-over-year, in-line with Samsung’s earning guidance earlier this month.
The Korean tech giant reported that its mobile unit’s earnings dropped 64 percent year-over-year to 1.96 trillion won, marketing its fifth quarterly decline in a row. Mobile sales accounted for just 58 percent of Samsung’s total operating profit last year, a significant decrease from 70 percent in 2013. The company said smartphone shipments fell in 4Q2014 and will continue to decline this quarter.
Samsung’s semiconductor business helped buoy up its profits, even though it didn’t make up for shortfalls in its mobile unit’s performance. The unit posted 4Q2014 operating profit of 5.3 trillion won and said its performance will continue to improve as more smartphone and tablet manufacturers order chips from Samsung, especially for high-end devices.
The performance of Samsung’s mobile unit stands in contrast to its arch-rival Apple, which yesterday reported that it had sold a record-breaking 74.5 million iPhones during the first quarter of its fiscal 2015 year. Apple gained ground thanks to the popularity of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, especially in China, where it competes with Samsung as well as domestic smartphone makers like Xiaomi and Lenovo.
In fact, research firm Canalys reported that Apple topped smartphone shipments in China for the first time last quarter. This means that Samsung is now in third place, behind Apple and Xiaomi.
During the earnings call, Robert M. Yi, the senior vice president of Samsung Electronic’s investor relations, said that he expected “the business environment in 2015 to be as challenging as in 2014,” due to economic recession as well as intensifying product and price competition and the increasing cost of developing new technologies. |
[WM]Mariemont has won a $400,000 matching-funds state grant to build an addition to village hall that will include a Native American Cultural Center.
MARIEMONT – Construction has begun on an $800,000 addition to Mariemont Village Hall that will include a cultural center displaying Native American artifacts unearthed in the town.
The Mariemont Native American Cultural Center initially will exhibit artifacts it has on hand from digs at the Madisonville Site in Dogwood Park and the Wynema Village Site in the South 80 Gardens and Walking Trails Park.
But Mariemont officials later will ask organizations that have artifacts from the village – such as the Cincinnati Museum Center, Harvard University‘s Peabody Museum and the Smithsonian Institution – to return them.
“We will try to get some of the Madisonville Site artifacts back from those other places as soon as the cultural center is completely set up here,” Mariemont Mayor Dan Policastro said.
Mariemont is building a two-floor, 2,200-square-foot addition to the northeast side of its village hall at 6907 Wooster Pike.
The first floor will house Mariemont’s tax office, which currently is in leased space at the Mariemont Executive Building at 3814 West St.
“The second floor will become part of the council chambers and include the cultural center,” Policastro said.
The Madisonville Site was home to Native Americans from about 1400 to 1650. It’s near Mariemont’s community swimming pool at 6000 Mariemont Ave. in Dogwood Park, which is at 3721 Pleasant St.
The site’s name is a nod to Madisonville archaeologist Charles Metz, who worked at The Madisonville Site at the turn of the 20th century.
The Wynema Village Site is south of 6000 Mariemont Ave. in the South 80 Gardens and Walking Trails Park, which adjoins Dogwood Park.
“The new Mariemont Native American Cultural Center will include artifacts from the Madisonville Site, including those obtained from the late Dr. Charles Louis Metz who is responsible for the site’s scientific discovery and excavation as well as the involvement of Harvard University,” said Ken Tankersley, associate professor of anthropology and geology and curator of the Court Archaeological Research Facility – all at the University of Cincinnati.
“The cultural center will also include artifacts excavated by the University of Cincinnati from the recently discovered historic contact period Wynema Village Site located in the (South 80 Gardens and Walking Trails Park),” Tankersley said.
Artifacts will include, pottery, flaked-stone tools and weapons, plant and animal remains and European trade goods. “Additionally, items that were owned and used by Dr. Metz during his excavations in Mariemont will also be on display,” Tankersley said.
The Madisonville Site is the largest and most thoroughly studied village of the late Fort Ancient culture (A.D. 1450 to 1670), according to the website of the Ohio History Connection, a nonprofit organization formerly known as the Ohio Historical Society.
“Artifacts were so abundant here that local residents called this site the ‘pottery field’,” the website says.
Policastro said it has long been a dream of his to open a Native American cultural center in Mariemont without having to ask residents to approve a tax specifically for the center.
‘“I have been working on this project for about 10-plus years, trying to find sources of funding for the building,” Policastro said.
The mayor said the village has won a $400,000 matching-funds state grant to build the addition.
He credited Tankersley, state Rep. Tom Brinkman, R-Mount Lookout, and architects Dennis Malone, of Anderson Township, and Bob Rich, of Fairfax, with helping to make that happen.
“For a municipality to be able to fund this type of building addition without having to raise taxes is unheard of, but we did it,” Policastro said.
Tankersley, who has been documenting archaeological sites in Mariemont since the early 1970s, will serve as curator of the Mariemont Native American Cultural Center.
“Unlike other culture centers, which use casts and replicas, the new Mariemont Native American Cultural Center will have on display the actual artifacts from Mariemont’s rich historic past,” Tankersley said.
Want to know more about what is happening in Mariemont? Follow me on Twitter @jeannehouck. |
[WM]Fans of Latin sounds will have plenty of reasons to mambo, samba and smile this week and beyond, as a season of music festivities gets under way with two noteworthy events.
In Grant Park this weekend, the Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival kicks off its 18th year, with 14 hours of live entertainment ready to go Saturday and Sunday at the Petrillo Music Shell--and more music slated for a side stage.
Alacranes Musical (the Musical Scorpions) closes Viva! Chicago Sunday. Hailing from the Mexican state of Durango, the members ply a frenetic style known as Duranguense--which, despite its name, has roots right here. Think polka gone mad with synthesized tubas, techno beats and electronically altered vocals, and you'll get an idea what's in store.
- Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival, 2:15 to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Grant Park (Petrillo Band Shell), 300 S. Columbus Drive. Charanga America is 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Alacranes Musical is 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Free; 312-744-3370.
The series kicks off Wednesday with Havana, the Latin jazz group founded by Chicago bassist Richard Pillot. On Sept. 6, the wildly popular Chicago Samba takes over; the city's most sought-after Brazilian dance band will be joined by Shirley Vieira's Samba 1, which features Old Town Brazilian dance instructor Dill Costa.
La Pena starts at 8:30 p.m., but it's smart to arrive early, as it often draws capacity crowds.
- La Pena, 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Nov. 1, Old Town School of Folk Music, 4544 N. Lincoln Ave. Free (suggested donation $5); 773-728-6000. |
[WM]Issues of cooperation in the fight against terrorism, separatism and extremism discussed at a meeting of Regional Anti-Terrorist Structures of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO RATS), on Friday in Tashkent.
At the meeting of the RATS, which was represented by China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, were approved the joint action of the competent authorities of SCO member states to counter recruitment in terrorist and extremist organizations of persons serving sentences in prisons member states, said in the announcement issued by the end of the meeting.
A single register of measures to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism, regulations, training materials and literature in the field of counter-terrorism was approved, as well as the accounting of explosives, arms, ammunition, and other toxic substances used by terrorist organizations.
In addition, plans of the experts on border issues and coordinate joint action against international terrorist organizations were approved.
The draft of the protocol between the RATS SCO and CIS Anti-Terrorist Centre of the organization of cooperation in the security of major international events held in the territories of the SCO and the CIS was approved to strengthen international cooperation in the fight against terrorism.
The meeting also decided to hold an international conference on strengthening cooperation in the field of information security.
At the meeting, a newly appointed director of the Executive Committee of the SCO RATS Zhang Sinfena's inauguration ceremony was held.
The meeting of the Council of SCO RATS was attended by SCO Secretary-General Dmitry Mezentsev, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan Eldor Aripov and ambassadors of SCO member states in Tashkent.
The next meeting of the SCO RATS Council to be held in September 2013 in Russia. |
[WM]Asparagus doesn’t have to be treated as a delicate, fragile thing, napped only with butter or creamy sauces, or served plain with olive oil and salt. That’s fine for the first week or two of the season, but then it’s time to dial up the interest factor and add some spice. Asparagus actually stands up quite well to aggressive flavors. A quick toss in a hot wok with garlic, ginger and chiles doesn’t overwhelm it at all, at least if you don’t overcook the spears. Instead, the vegetable’s sweetness becomes accentuated by contrast.
Featured in: Treated Well, Asparagus Will Stand Tall.
Snap off and discard bottoms of asparagus, then cut into 2-inch pieces (halve thicker pieces lengthwise first).
Mound asparagus on a serving platter and drizzle with sesame oil. Sprinkle cilantro, green onion and sesame seeds over the top. |
[WM]Feb. 26 (UPI) -- Jimmy Fallon's Tonight Show took a turn for the worst during its scripted, fifth anniversary special that featured guests such as Tina Fey and Robert Irwin.
The special featured a new format that was inspired by The Larry Sanders Show which starred late comedian Garry Shandling.
Fallon was featured as a disgruntled late-night host who grows frustrated with constant production issues and guests that hate him. Normal Tonight Show segments were intersected with behind-the-scenes moments and private conversations Fallon has with his guests and production crew when cameras are not rolling.
Fallon was first joined by Ben Stiller, who was unhappy about dressing up as Hashtag the Panda and who had trouble finding the exit backstage.
Tina Fey then appeared and whispered into Fallon's ear that he is a terrible person before she sat down for her interview. Fey and Fallon kept it professional until they given a private moment while a clip from her new Netflix comedy Wine Country played for the live audience.
"You know what you did," Fey says when Fallon asks what's wrong. "Trump got elected because of you," she says to him as they say their goodbyes.
Backstage, Fallon gets into an argument with Irwin when he is summoned to choose which animal he wants featured on the show. The host didn't realize, however, that his microphone was on, allowing the audience to hear him yell at Irwin.
Irwin's then has a tense interview with Fallon with the pair making light jokes about each other.
Robert De Niro also appears but quickly leaves the Tonight Show studio due to spotting cockroaches. |
[WM]I read with amusement the concerns the Catholic bishop expressed over proposed health-care mandates requiring all employers to provide contraceptives and sterilization benefits in their insurance coverage. These mandates would include nonprofits as well as religious organizations. The bishop states such action would be against the church's teaching citing freedom of religion and freedom of conscience.
This same bishop had no problem suspending religious conscience when in 2008 he told his congregations that you can be pro-life and still vote for a pro-abortion president because "as Catholics, we are not single issue voters." This convoluted reasoning was in part responsible for a majority of Catholics voting for Obama. So if Catholics are truly upset with the Obama health-care mandates, they have no one to blame but themselves. |
[WM]Remember when you were a kid and your dad deliberately drove over one your favourite toys because “you never let me play with it!” Well, that’s not the only way toys can inflict pain. Shares of toy maker Spin Master skidded after the company unveiled fourth-quarter results well below estimates, hit by the U.S. bankruptcy of Toys "R" Us and a big drop in sales of Hatchimals. With Spin Master expecting weakness to continue into 2019, investors are finished playing with this stock.
Current events quiz! The Canadian dollar tumbled this week after: a) China issued a news release mocking the currency as “the overvalued loonie poonie woonie”; b) Former attorney-general Jody Wilson-Raybould testified that she had been under pressure to talk up the dollar to cut SNC-Lavalin’s costs on foreign purchases; c) Citing a “more pronounced and widespread” slowdown in the global economy and expectations for a weak first half in Canada, the Bank of Canada held interest rates steady. Answer: c.
You want predictable returns? Buy a GIC. You want massive gains one minute and gut-wrenching losses the next? Try palladium stocks. Buoyed by soaring prices for the precious metal that’s used to make catalytic converters for automobiles, shares of North American Palladium had surged more than 130 per cent in the first two months of the year. But with some investors locking in their fat profits on the palladium miner, the thinly traded shares collapsed this week. It’s almost as much fun as investing in bitcoin.
The ticker symbol is HOT.UN, but American Hotel Income Properties’ units are suddenly very cold. Hit by higher operating costs and renovations that took longer than expected, the operator of hotels across the U.S. reported fourth-quarter results below expectations. With Industrial Alliance Securities cutting the units to sell from hold – citing the REIT’s elevated payout ratio, above-average leverage and expectations for cost headwinds in 2019 – investors should take a hard look at the 12-per-cent yield before they reserve a room.
Those smiling, clean-cut kids in the Abercrombie & Fitch ads? They must own a bunch of the company’s stock. Even as other bricks-and-mortar stores are struggling, the clothing retailer posted earnings above expectations as same-store sales rose for a sixth consecutive quarter, driven by a 6-per-cent increase at its Hollister brand that more than made up for a 2-per-cent decline at its namesake A&F chain. Seriously, though. A lot of their jeans have holes in them. Why would anyone buy such a defective product? |
[WM]The US has to stand up to China's abusive trade practices like intellectual property theft. And we won't leave farmers to face Chinese bullying alone.
In 2011, a group of Chinese nationals dug up genetically engineered seeds from an Iowa corn field and planned to steal and send them back to China, so they could be reverse engineered. Those seeds, the result of years of research and millions of dollars of American investment, now stand as one of countless pieces of evidence in the case against China for intellectual property theft and unfair trade practices.
Now, President Donald Trump is standing up to China, which wrongly believes it can bully our farmers to get America to back away from defending our national interests. The president understands that our farmers feed, fuel and clothe this nation and the world, and he will not allow U.S. agriculture to bear the brunt of China’s retaliatory tactics.
American producers have benefited from the policies of the Trump administration, including historic tax reforms and reduced regulations. And farmers know that 20 cents of every dollar of their income relies on trade, which is why they are watching the situation with China closely. The simple truth is that when trading partners break the rules, there must be consequences.
To stop China’s predatory attacks on America’s innovation base, President Trump is instituting a program of tariffs and is considering investment restrictions and strengthened export controls. These tariffs will help pressure the Chinese to stop engaging in unfair practices and fully open up its markets to U.S. products, including U.S. technologies. The correct response from China would be to stop stealing from Americans and give American products a level playing field to compete in China, not to retaliate and reinforce its own position.
More: Donald Trump promised a trade war. Should we let his voters get what they asked for?
There is no denying that the disruption in trade relations with China is unsettling to many in agriculture, but if the president succeeds in changing China’s behavior, America’s farmers will reap the benefits.
In the meantime, the president has instructed me to craft a strategy to support our farmers in the face of retaliatory tariffs. At the U.S. Department of Agriculture, we have tools at our disposal to support farmers faced with losses that might occur due to downturns in commodities markets. To this point, we have not unveiled our strategy, as it is not good practice to open our playbook while the opposing team is watching.
But farmers should know this: They have stood with President Trump and his policies, and we will make good on our promise to stand with them as well. If China does not soon mend its ways, we will quickly begin fulfilling our promise to support producers, who have become casualties of these disputes.
Without question, there is much at stake for this nation in trade disagreements. A bullying and predatory China has made no secret of the fact that it seeks to acquire America’s technological crown jewels by any means necessary — through physical and cybertheft, forced technology transfer, evasion of our export controls, and state-directed and -funded investment in sensitive technology. And while it may seem outrageous, China has rejected American genetically engineered products, while sending agents crawling in corn fields to pilfer samples of our technology and even purchasing a company that provides U.S. farmers with key genetically engineered seeds.
President Trump has said correctly that if China captures the industries of tomorrow, America will not have an economic future to look forward to — and our national security will be severely compromised. Cutting-edge technologies — from artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and biotechnology to aerospace, high-tech shipping and robotics — are critical to our defense. We are faced with a decision: Will others determine our destiny, or will we control our own future?
China began raiding our economy long before a team of thieves infiltrated that Iowa corn field, but President Trump aims to stop the larceny now. The president is a tough negotiator, and I am confident that American agriculture will flourish because of trade relationships that are smarter, stronger and better than before. China might underestimate the strength and resolve of American farmers, but the president does not. And he will not allow our agricultural producers to suffer because of China’s continued bad actions. |
[WM]Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka starring Drashti Dhami, Shakti Arora and Aditi Sharma is a Hindi TV series is about infidelity. Kunal and Mauli are leading a happy and love filled life when her best friend Nandini re-enters her life. Nandini and Kunal fall in love with each other leaving Mauli betrayed and hurt. The show also focussed on domestic violence but the focus has shifted to the love triangle.
Participating in dance reality show to hosting a cookery show, with a lot of daily soaps thrown in for good measure, Shakti Arora has been there, done that.
The recent episode of Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka starts with Ishaan delaying the engagement ceremony and waiting for a special person who is most important to him.
In the latest episode of Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka, Kunal is waiting for the lift and it is shown that Mauli and her family are leaving for her engagement.
The episode of Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka starts with Pari crying over the phone and calling Kunal home.
The episode of Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka starts with Dida noticing Mauli worried about Nandini's death.
Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka written update, November 16, 2018: Mauli and Ishaan to get engaged.
The episode of Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka starts with Mamma and Dida waiting for Mauli as they are tensed about her.
The episode of Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka starts with Kunal and Mauli having a face-off.
The latest episode of Silsila Badalte Rishton Ka starts with Mauli and Ishaan trying to give medicine to Mishti who is reluctant to have it. |
[WM]TAKOMA PARK, Md. (WUSA9) -- A fifteen-year-old male from Takoma Park, Md. is being charged with possession of a stun gun by a person under the age of 18, Takoma Park Police Department said.
Police responded to the area of Houston Avenue at Brighton Avenue around 1 a.m. Sunday for the report of shots being fired.
The teenager was found with a stun gun, according to police. |
[WM]We heard about National Cheesecake Day -- that would be July 30th -- not only from the Cheesecake Factory -- this must be like the company's national holiday -- but from the OC Super Fair and other sweet-minded sources around Web World. Which says to us that this thing has gone wide, gone big, is larger than most official "let's-celebrate-a-particular-food" days.
With frosting and whipped cream on top, to boot. We could spend the next six months writing a three-part study on why National Cheesecake Day has come up several times throughout our morning, or we could say this in two seconds: people love the stuff. Phew. Time saved.
The Cheesecake Factory is marking the grand occasion with a "Any Slice, Half Price" deal. Find a Cheesecake Factory -- there are 146 of 'em -- who knew? -- we suppose they knew -- and dine there (no taking-away-ing) on Thursday, July 30th. Any slice you'd like will be half off.
Any slice. Strawberry? Something veined, like an expensive slab of marble, with rivulets of chocolate-y scrumptiousness? Oh, and the dulce de leche caramel. You've been there. You know the choosing is hard. Good luck. |
[WM]The Ippolito 1845 winery comes by its name honestly: Vincenzo Ippolito stamped his initials on the country house nestled in these vineyards back in 1845. The wines are honest as well, boasting purity and precision. Especially the Ippolito 1845 Mare Chiaro “Cirò” 2017 ($18), which is also seriously delicious, with a fruit cocktail of flavors. The aromas on this white gem are floral and fruity, the finish surprisingly brisk. The Calabria region in southern Italy is not renowned as a major wine source, but with stellar offerings such as this, made with the greco bianco grape, maybe it soon will be. Anything from the ocean, lake or stream will sing with this, and seasonally it’s a nice match for tomatoes and corn.
Available at Vinfera, Thomas, North Loop, Lake Aire (Duluth), Mount Royal (Duluth) and Tessa’s Office (Rochester). |
[WM]63, of Hilo, died in Hilo on January 17, 2019. She was born in Waialua. Private services to be held. |
[WM]It is distressing to realize that The Times has descended into tabloid sleaze in Mike Penner's March 11 story on skater Nicole Bobek. Characterizing a 17-year-old girl as having a "voracious sexual appetite" who is said to have "entertained" male skiers is rather putrid journalism unworthy of The Times. Would such unsubstantiated claims be published about a 17-year-old male athlete? |
[WM]ANKARA (AFP) - Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan could meet with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Argentina next week, a spokesman said on Thursday (Nov 22), amid tensions over journalist Jamal Khashoggi's murder.
Such a meeting would be the first face-to-face encounter between Erdogan and the crown prince since the grisly killing in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul last month, which has tainted the image of the kingdom's de facto ruler.
"There could be" a meeting, Turkish presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin said.
"We're looking at the programme," Kalin said, according to state news agency Anadolu.
Seeking to rally support from Arab allies ahead of the summit, Prince Mohammed on Thursday embarked on a regional tour starting with the United Arab Emirates, his first official trip abroad since Khashoggi's murder tipped the kingdom into crisis.
The former court insider and Washington Post contributor was killed and dismembered in what Saudi Arabia said was a "rogue" operation, but CIA analysis leaked to the US media pointed the finger at Prince Mohammed.
Saudi Arabia has said that 21 people are in custody, with death penalties sought against five men, but attention remains focused on whether the crown prince ordered the murder despite the kingdom's denials.
The European Union on Thursday called for those "really responsible" to be held to account.
Calling for a "completely transparent and credible investigation", the EU's top diplomat Federica Mogherini said: "For us accountability does not mean revenge."
Erdogan has said the order to murder Khashoggi came from "the highest levels" of the Saudi government but has stopped short of directly blaming Prince Mohammed.
Erdogan and the crown prince spoke for the first time on the phone on Oct 24 about the case, discussing the joint efforts needed to shed light on the murder.
But Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu has criticised Saudi officials over their lack of cooperation.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday glossed over the CIA's reported conclusion that the crown prince had authorised the killing, saying Washington would not slacken its support for the kingdom.
Trump has admitted that the prince may have been behind the murder.
Prince Mohammed, meanwhile, set off on a visit to a "number of brotherly" Arab states at the request of his father, King Salman, the royal court said in a statement carried by the official Saudi Press Agency, without naming the countries.
Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed welcomed him on his first stop in the UAE, a close ally that is part of a Saudi-led coalition battling Iran-aligned Huthi rebels in Yemen, according to the Emirati state news agency WAM.
The prince is also set to travel to the Tunisian capital on Tuesday, a presidential source in Tunis told AFP.
"It's hard not to see this regional tour as a victory lap" after winning Trump's support, said Kristin Diwan, of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
"Travelling to friendly countries effectively compels them to demonstrate their support for the crown prince, and rallies regional support ahead of the G-20," Diwan told AFP.
The Saudi prosecutor last week absolved the crown prince of blame for the murder of Khashoggi, a US resident since 2017 who had written critical articles and once compared Prince Mohammed to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
A spokesman for the Saudi public prosecutor said Khashoggi was drugged and his body dismembered, but Turkish officials say he was strangled. The whereabouts of the body remain unknown.
Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir on Wednesday said criticism of the crown prince is a "red line", and that calls for him to be held accountable for the murder would not be tolerated.
"In Saudi Arabia our leadership is a red line. The custodian of the two holy mosques (King Salman) and the crown prince are a red line," Jubeir told the BBC.
"And we will not tolerate any discussion of anything that is disparaging towards our monarch or our crown prince."
But keeping up the international pressure on Riyadh, Denmark on Thursday suspended arms sales to Saudi Arabia over the murder, the second country to do so after Germany.
"I hope that the Danish decision can create additional momentum," Denmark's Foreign Minister Anders Samuelsen said.
Separately, the French foreign ministry said Thursday that it would impose sanctions against 18 Saudi citizens over Khashoggi's murder.
"These measures... aim to prohibit these individuals from entering national territory and the entire Schengen area" of Europe, the ministry said in a statement. |
[WM]Beijing Jury President Rob Minkoff: "Film Brings Us Together"
With the U.S.-China trade war looming in the background, the Beijing festival's international jury members emphasized the value of cross-border ties and collaboration in today's film industry.
The U.S.-China trade war may be raging unabated, but the international jury at the 9th Beijing Film Festival struck a distinctly globalist tone Thursday when meeting the media for the first time.
Jury president Rob Minkoff, best known for co-directing Disney's The Lion King, noted that the fest was established a decade ago with the primary goal of bringing attention to China's growing film industry, but that the event has "a very global vision."
"What's interesting is that this is an international competition with films from all over the world, from filmmakers with very different concerns and sensibilities," said Minkoff. "Film is something that ties all of us together, and to have the opportunity to celebrate that here in this city, which is the heart of the Chinese film industry, is a wonderful opportunity."
A total of 261 films are set to be screened over the course of the festival, which is set to kick off Saturday night with the world premiere of the Chinese-Kazak period drama The Composer.
Joining Minkoff on the six-person jury, which will decide this year's winners of Beijing's Tianjin Awards, is Russian filmmaker Sergei Dvortsevoy, whose most recent film Ayka earned the best actress award at Cannes last year for Samal Yeslyamova.
Dvortsevoy used his remarks to further emphasize the value of cross-border collaboration. "Now, it's almost impossible to make films with financing and support from only one market," he said, explaining that Ayka involved five different co-production partners, including China's JuBen Pictures.
"My experience with my Chinese partners was great," he said, adding that "it's obvious that you must collaborate internationally" in today's industry.
Fellow juror Simon West, director of the 1997 action pic Con Air, addressed a question about the jury's aesthetic criteria by saying that he would approach the competition titles like "any ordinary viewer who bought a ticket and walked into the cinema off the street."
"The only criteria for us is whether it's a good film or a bad film," added West. "I'm going to be watching as an audience member, not a professional," he added.
The other members of Beijing's jury this year are Chinese director Cao Baoping, Hong Kong screen icon Carina Lau, Iran's Majid Majidi and Chilean helmer Silvio Caiozzi.
The festival, which opened over the weekend, is taking place at venues across the Chinese capital through Saturday. |
[WM]UCLA researchers and colleagues have designed a new device that creates electricity from falling snow. The first of its kind, this device is inexpensive, small, thin and flexible like a sheet of plastic.
The researchers call it a snow-based triboelectric nanogenerator, or snow TENG. A triboelectric nanogenerator, which generates charge through static electricity, produces energy from the exchange of electrons.
Findings about the device are published in the journal Nano Energy.
Snow is positively charged and gives up electrons. Silicone — a synthetic rubber-like material that is composed of silicon atoms and oxygen atoms, combined with carbon, hydrogen and other elements — is negatively charged. When falling snow contacts the surface of silicone, that produces a charge that the device captures, creating electricity.
“Snow is already charged, so we thought, why not bring another material with the opposite charge and extract the charge to create electricity?” said co-author Maher El-Kady, a UCLA assistant researcher of chemistry and biochemistry.
About 30 percent of the Earth’s surface is covered by snow each winter, during which time solar panels often fail to operate, El-Kady noted. The accumulation of snow reduces the amount of sunlight that reaches the solar array, limiting the panels’ power output and rendering them less effective. The new device could be integrated into solar panels to provide a continuous power supply when it snows, he said.
The device can be used for monitoring winter sports, such as skiing, to more precisely assess and improve an athlete’s performance when running, walking or jumping, Kaner said. It also has the potential for identifying the main movement patterns used in cross-country skiing, which cannot be detected with a smart watch.
It could usher in a new generation of self-powered wearable devices for tracking athletes and their performances.
It can also send signals, indicating whether a person is moving. It can tell when a person is walking, running, jumping or marching.
The research team used 3-D printing to design the device, which has a layer of silicone and an electrode to capture the charge. The team believes the device could be produced at low cost given “the ease of fabrication and the availability of silicone,” Kaner said. Silicone is widely used in industry, in products such as lubricants, electrical wire insulation and biomedical implants, and it now has the potential for energy harvesting.
Co-authors include Abdelsalam Ahmed, who conducted the research while completing his doctoral studies at the University of Toronto; Islam Hassan and Ravi Selvaganapathy of Canada’s McMaster University; and James Rusling of the University of Connecticut and his research team.
Kaner’s research was funded by Nanotech Energy, a company spun off from his research (Kaner is chair of its scientific advisory board and El-Kady is chief technology officer); and Kaner’s Dr. Myung Ki Hong Endowed Chair in Materials Innovation.
Kaner’s laboratory has produced numerous devices, including a membrane that separates oil from water and cleans up the debris left by oil fracking. Fracking is a technique to extract gas and oil from shale rock.
Kaner, El-Kady and colleagues designed a device in 2017 that can use solar energy to inexpensively and efficiently create and store energy, which could be used to power electronic devices and to create hydrogen fuel for eco-friendly cars. This year, they published research on their design of the first fire-retardant, self-extinguishing motion sensor and power generator, which could be embedded in shoes or clothing worn by firefighters and others who work in harsh environments.
Kaner is among the world’s most influential and highly cited scientific researchers. He was selected as the recipient of the American Institute of Chemists 2019 Chemical Pioneer Award, which honors chemists and chemical engineers who have made outstanding contributions that advance the science of chemistry or greatly impact the chemical profession. |
[WM]The Flinch author Julien Smith is giving his book away for free. Something for nothing? That's the idea. The co-author of the 2009 book Trust Agents is so intent on sharing his work that he wants readers to access it as soon as they unwrap their new holiday Kindles.
The Flinch will be available for free via Amazon until the end of June 2012. A print version will follow - for a price - but Smith, 32, said he's more focused on getting his words out than on making a buck or two. He hopes this short work will help readers overcome their primitive instinct to flinch when a risky opportunity presents itself.
In an interview with International Business Times, Smith discussed his new book, overcoming inhibitions, and the prospect of (eventually) turning a profit after giving his intellectual property away for free.
Your marketing strategy for this book is...unusual. Do you have a background in business?
Actually, I work in online media. I've worked and written some of the earliest work on social media and building platforms, like blogs. I've been in the social media space since it existed. Before that, I did online radio. I've been involved with Web communities since my teens, and I've managed online communities since I was 15 or so. Now I'm a professional writer and public speaker and a consultant, specifically as it relates to how people are interacting with new online technologies.
How would you describe The Flinch?
The Flinch is a physical manifestation of a series of psychological walls that we have put around the behavior that we are allowed or not allowed to do. It comes from the fact that as humans, our job is to continue to survive and avoid predators, and not really to push boundaries at all. Now we're in an environment very different from the one we've evolved to work in. In some ways, the flinch is still useful. However, in most circumstances, the flinch is hindering you from the way you need to behave to succeed at what you do.
Is The Flinch an evolutionary relic we need to discard completely?
It's not possible to entirely get rid of it. We just need to transform this reaction into something that rewards us when we have a barrier to cross.
And you provide readers a series of homework assignments to help in this process.
The homework assignments are extremely simple. One is, I tell people to immediately volunteer for something before they resist. The purpose is to simply break your programming. In many cases, it's very valuable. We flinch at being able to talk to a person we might like. We end up limiting our opportunities because we are unable to talk to strangers. We need to break this tendency in order to get the best possible scenario.
You published your book electronically. And for free.
The idea is that there are so many Kindles being wrapped right now for Christmas. You want to be in front of as many people as possible. To me, that's priceless. This is a very small sacrifice to make in order to spread an idea that matters. Most people aren't taking advantage of it. If you're writing a book with profit as the motive, that's not going to work.
And you didn't want to flinch.
It seemed like a very quick window of opportunity. To me it's an expression of an idea in its purest form. There is no price you can pay for that. In some ways it benefits my career. But on a larger scale, it's something that genuinely allows me to feel like I've contributed. For someone who is normally a business writer, that is very valuable. |
[WM]How did postal worker pull off a $100K money order scheme?
Details from affidavit explains how postal workers and accomplices pulled off money-order scheme.
As a result, Bannon suspected a postal employee had stolen the machine from New Lisbon and was repeatedly changing its ZIP ode setting to divert attention from that branch. |
[WM]“The Unruly Mystic: John Muir” explores the remarkable life and influential works of a patron saint of environmental activism. This inspirational documentary examines the connection nature and spirituality, using the life and wisdom of John Muir, ecological preservationist and founder of Yosemite National Park, as a catalyst for how being outside in nature affects the lives of everyday people right now. Muir’s writings have profoundly shaped the ways in which we understand and envision our relationship with the natural world today, and his work has become a personal guide for exploring nature for countless individuals. The film interviews noted psychiatrists, therapists, theologians, writers, and every day people, and asks them to discuss their relationship with nature and its transformative effect in their lives.
If you’re looking for even more Earth Day-based movie events, Guild Cinema (3405 Central NE) is bringing back the documentary The Unruly Mystic: John Muir on Monday, April 22 (Earth Day itself). The films screens at 3:30, 5:45 and 8pm. Directed by Michael Conti, The Unruly Mystic explores the remarkable life and influential works of Muir, considered by many to be the patron saint of environmental activism. Besides being the driving force behind the founding of Yosemite National Park, Muir was a mystic, prophet, poet, conservationist and naturalist. In addition to Muir’s biographical history, the film interviews noted psychiatrists, therapists, theologians, writers and others, asking them to discuss their relationship with nature and its transformative effects on their lives. You can secure advanced tickets for any one of the screenings by going to guildcinema.com. |
[WM]LOEB-Henry A. The officers, Board of Directors, and staff of UJA-Federation of New York express our deep sorrow upon the death of Henry A. Loeb, noted philanthropist, who leaves a legacy of compassion and caring for the community. As chair of the 1964-65 fund-raising campaign of our predecessor organization, the Federation of Jewish Philanthropies of New York, and as a very significant leader for many years, he improved the quality of life for thousands of people in New York City. He has left a rich legacy. His devotion to children was reflected in his service as a Trustee of Ramapo Anchorage Camp, a UJA-Federation beneficiary. A leader committed to the concept of reaching out to the less fortunate as a private and public duty, he fulfilled the spirit of the teaching: ''As previous generations planted for me, so do I plant for the future.'' His dedication to these principles is carried on through the exemplary activities of his daughter, Betty Levin, a former member of the UJA-Federation Board of Directors and the founding chair of our Building Arts Committee. We express our heartfelt sympathy to his wife, Louise; his daughters Betty Levin and Jean Troubh; his sister Margaret Kempner; his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and all members of the family. May you be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. Judith Stern Peck, Board Chair Louise B. Greilsheimer, President Stephen D. Solender, Exec. V.P.
LOEB-Henry A. The Officers, Board of Directors and staff of Ramapo Anchorage Camp mourn the passing of Henry A. Loeb, our distinguished past-president and Board member, who for more than fifty years served needy children with great care and dedication. Henry was a kind, wise and gentle man who touched the lives of all those fortunate enough to know him. To his wife Louise, his daughters Jean and Betty, and the entire family, we extend our deepest condolences. Nina P. Freedman, President Bernard Kosberg, Exec. Dir.
LOEB-Henry A. John A. Levin & Co., Inc. mourns the passing of our esteemed colleague and founding director, Henry Loeb. We will forever be grateful for his strong support and guidance over the years. He will be remembered by all who knew him as a generous, loving and patient person. John A. Levin & Co., Inc.
LOEB-Henry. The Members of The Board of Directors and The Officers of Caryle House Inc., mourn the passing of their colleague, friend and neighbor. Heartfelt condolences to his wife and family. |
[WM]ADRIEN RABIOT will not feature for Paris Saint-Germain in Tuesday's Champions League clash against Manchester United despite an injury crisis crippling the French champions.
The midfielder remains frozen out of the squad after he refused to sign a contract extension with the Parisians.
Rabiot has not played since December 11 and, according to L'Equipe, that will not change on Tuesday night when PSG face Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United at Old Trafford.
The 23-year-old midfielder hoped his stand-off with the club would end after he was included in the French champs' squad for the Champions League knockout stages.
But PSG chief Thomas Tuchel left Rabiot in Paris - despite his side being decimated by injuries with Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Thomas Mounier all sidelined for Tuesday's tie.
Rabiot is planning to leave Parc des Princes on a free transfer in the summer as several Premier League sides are competing for his signature with Barcelona.
But the midfielder's decision to see his contract out backlashed as Rabiot has been isolated from the squad despite being fully fit.
The Frenchman is reportedly banned even from his team's dressing room having frustrated PSG's top brass - although he was pictured training alongside his team-mates ahead of their trip to Manchester.
Meanwhile, Solskjaer is brimming with optimism ahead of the Champions League clash.
He told reporters at a press conference ahead of Tuesday's match: "Going into this game I do not think we could be in a better frame of mind with the confidence and form we have.
"We have a playing style and we all agree on how we should approach games. So if ever we had a chance going into big games it's now." |
[WM]So you're renting a car? It's no big deal, unless something goes wrong. Here's a checklist based on our own experiences and on the rental cars we've seen in our shop lately.
Have all your IDs with you. This includes drivers license and the credit card you used to make the reservation. Check cards are dead on arrival. You say you're well-to-do and don't carry a major credit card with you? BIG MISTAKE. You will not be rented a vehicle if you do not have one. Too bad if you are a millionaire, ALL of the rental companies are very strict on this.
Read your automobile insurance policy before you rent, paying special attention to any sections pertaining to rental vehicles. Bring your insurance card in case you're asked to prove you have insurance.
Read your credit card documentation. Most cards provide some kind of insurance on rental cars when charged to their card. Check limits and exclusions. If in doubt pay for the additional insurance. I know of one driver who owes $10,000 for a wrecked rental auto when on vacation in Alaska, with no valid insurance coverage.
Make sure you're old enough. Just married at age 21 ... on your honeymoon? Sorry, most companies will not rent to drivers under age 25 without prior approval from the mother ship or verifying your driving record history. Visit DMV for a copy. Ask questions in advance so you're not stranded at the airport.
Read the fine print about tracking devices (location and speeding), out of state driving fees, mileage limits, fuel return policy. Paying for a full tank in advance saves time and aggravation so you can return it empty. Also if the tank is half full when you first get the vehicle make a note of it. Ask now or pay later.
Before you put those keys in the door make sure they work the trunk -- and gas cap, if it has one.
Eyeball the tires for low pressure and tread wear. If you're unsure check them with a gauge. Check the sidewall for the psi. If wear bars are showing or tread is missing anywhere on the tire or there are any bulges or what you would consider abnormal indicators do not take the auto.
Make sure there is a jack and a spare with lug wrench.
Ask for any phone numbers to call should the car get stuck or break down. Write them down on the back of the rental envelope if they are already not on there.
If you have to have any repairs while underway keep all documentation, repair orders, towing bills, etc. and maybe a picture or two. In general, you should call before having any work done. The company may prefer to bring you a replacement car.
Check the windshield for bug guts, mud or crud. In fact if the car looks like a demo from a movie set in the Amazon (I have seen a lot of these lately), check under the seats for critters, refuse the vehicle and ask to speak with the manager. Nothing worse than a filthy or bad-smelling driving experience.
Check the brakes. Remember, you're not used to this car. You should know how hard you have to press on the pedal to gauge your stopping distance. If the pedal is soft, goes to the floor, creeps under steady pressure, or if the brakes make grinding noises upon application, get another vehicle.
Adjust all your mirrors. If any mirrors are missing do not take the auto.
Do one last walkaround to note any damage before you take the vehicle. Drive back to the ticket window and make sure they make a note of any problems, dents, cracked lenses, missing hubcaps etc. Turn on your headlamps and indicator lamps. Note now or get charged later.
Drive with care. It's not your car! You don't want to spend your vacation or travel time picking up the pieces from I-95.
Automan operates an independent auto repair shop in North Carolina. |
[WM]Ashleigh Stone are favoured with instructions for this fantastic and recently modernised four bedroom town house situated a stone's throw from the beach and enjoying the most fantastic views of the Estuary from all three floors. The Master bedroom suite occupying the whole third floor and includes a decked balcony with glass balustrade and built in hot tub all with stunning Estuary views. The property also comes with an additional balcony to lounge and its own double garage and off street parking to the front.
This Marine residence now comes with a stunning master suite with a decked balcony with a glass balustrade incorporating a hot tub all with stunning panoramic views. The open planing living area is perfect for entertaining and again has a decked balcony over looking the Estuary.
Modern entrance door, radiator, stairs rising to first floor with storage cupboard under and doors off.
Chrome pedestal wash hand basin, low level WC, shower cubicle, radiator and wood flooring.
Entered from the landing via wooden double doors, this room has a set of bi fold doors that offer an outstanding view of the Estuary that will make you want to just stare out of the window. The room has wooden floors, radiators and is open on to the kitchen area.
Entered from the landing via wooden double doors, this room has a set of 6 panel bi fold doors with built in blinds that offer an outstanding view of the Estuary that will make you want to just stare out of the window. The room has wooden floors, radiators and is open on to the kitchen area.
Double glazed window to rear, a modern white high gloss kitchen with quartz work top. Built in Bosh oven, built in five ring gas hob with an extractor over, built in microwave and Miele coffee machine. There is also a fridge, freezer and drinks fridge.Island with a quartz work top with an inset sink with a cut in drainer with a mixer tap and cupboards below, and a door leads to the utility room.
Double glazed door to the rear, modern white high gloss units and stone work top to match the kitchen with inset sink with mixer tap.
Carpet, built in cupboard and doors off.
Double patio doors to front with a Juliet balcony with great Estuary views, radiator, fitted wardrobes, drawers and unit.
Double glazed patio doors to front with a Juliet balcony over looking the Estuary, radiator, carpet and fitted wardrobe.
Double glazed window to rear, radiator, carpet and door to the en suite.
Tiled double shower cubicle, hand basin, low level wc and tiled floor.
Obscure double glazed window to rear, bath, wall mounted wash hand basin, low level WC, chrome towel rail, heated flooring, tiled to walls and tiled flooring.
Double glazed window to rear, carpet and door to.
Folding doors with stunning views of the Estuary on opening on to a full width balcony, radiators, carpet and door into a walk in wardrobe.
Obscure Double glazed window to the rear, bath with shower over and a screen, wc and floating hand basin, tiled walls and floor and a heated chrome towel rail.
Decked balcony with glass balustrade and built in bath to relax and enjoy the great views.
Off street parking for up to three cars.
Electronically operated up and over door. |
[WM]Nicole Kidman wears the Duet Pinky Ring while accepting her Emmy award last night.
Last night's Emmy Awards were a triumph for diversity and inclusiveness. Awards went to the likes of Riz Ahmed, who won Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited Series, making him the first South Asian man in Emmy's 69-year history to win for acting. Or Lena Waithe, who is the first African American woman to win for comedic writing.
There was one message, though, that was quietly making a statement without saying a word.
Two Hollywood stars who were also winners last night, Nicole Kidman and Shailene Woodley, were both spotted wearing Duet Pink Rings by the company dedicated to creating a "supportive, powerful network for the women in its tribe," Shiffon Co.
A close-up of the Duet Pinky Ring on Actress, Shailene Woodley, at the 69th Annual Emmy Awards.
The adjustable pinky ring that coils around the finger and ends with two stones (a sapphire and diamond, or diamond and diamond) represents a pinky promise, referencing the unbreakable pact you made when you were kids. The idea behind the Duet Pinky Ring is that it serves as a physical reminder to promise to pay it forward to other women. The side-by-side stones were even designed to represent one woman supporting one another.
"We wanted to build an innovative and empowered brand for women since so many of the top household names were founded by men," says the jewelry company's founder, Shilpa Yarlagadda.
Shiffon Co., a collective of eight women who are still undergrads at top universities like Harvard and Stanford, are donating 50% of the sales of the rings to seed grants for start-ups around the world whose mission it is to support, uplift, educate or promote the well-being, safety, health and general advancement of women and girls.
These driven group of students were able to get the rings onto the hands of these A-listers simply through the potency of the company mission--they did not use PR or pay the actors to wear them. Instead, the women behind Shiffon Co. got through to Kidman and Woodley and pitched the ring. The two actors then decided the cause was one they wanted to support and wore the pinky ring to the Emmys in solidarity with the company mission. Before them, Emma Watson donned the ring and gave it a shout out on her Instagram account dedicated to her fashion, the_press_tour.
Like Kidman and Watson, Hitha Herzog, Chief Research Officer of H Squared Research, was one of those people on the other end of a cold call from the team at Shiffon Co. Herzog, too, was so moved by their mission, she joined their Board of Directors. "Shilpa's email to me was short but thought-provoking, she didn't add extra words or bury the lede," Herzog says. "Then I met with her and was blown away. When asked, Shilpa answered all of my questions in a way that displayed she had a good grasp on how retail works. Most importantly, she was a genuinely kind person."
Similarly, celebrity stylist, Sarah Slutsky, also received a call from the founders, which led to her becoming one of the company's closest mentors. "I get a lot emails from people who are looking to start a business or get into fashion, but something about their energy right off the bat felt really different. There was a need to give back and to do something bigger than them," says Slutsky. "And as a stylist, jewelry is very important to me and what I do. It's very personal and representative, so it's nice to be able to present something to clients that has such meaning."
With the company motto, "wear the change you want to see," these young founders aspire to bring the best in humanity by working to create a world where young girls grow up knowing they can follow their passions with the support of a worldwide network of strong women.
"We want people to stand up for what they believe in by supporting other women," adds Yarlagadda. "It's crazy, but I think we can create a more connected and supported world for women through making beautiful jewelry." |
[WM]Two ducks found frozen on ice were freed when a third duck called out for help.
Two ducks had found themselves stuck in an icy lake after plunging temperatures in Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.
It was the loud call from a third duck that attracted the attention of Qingdao Forest Wildlife World staff, who rushed to the lake to free the first bird.
They noticed another trapped bird not too far away, so using their inflatable boat, the staff proceeded to complete their rescue.
Earlier this year another animal caught in a sticky situation was also rescued.
Stuck in a manhole of a drainage system in Santiago, Chile, Strawberry the bull had to be pulled out after bystanders witnessed the bovine trip and fall into the manhole .
Strawberry didn’t need the call of a fellow bull in this case, but he was lucky to be pulled out by the team with only minor injuries. |
[WM]The PPP model has been made mandatory in metro rail projects, but it has not been successful in at least three cities – Delhi, Mumbai and Hyderabad.
The cabinet chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi approved a new Metro Rail Policy that makes PPP component mandatory for availing central assistance of new metro projects. Private investment and other innovative forms of financing of metro projects have been made compulsory to meet the huge resource demand for capital intensive high capacity metro projects.
“Private participation either for complete provision of metro rail or for some unbundled components (like Automatic Fare Collection, Operation & Maintenance of services etc) will form an essential requirement for all metro rail projects seeking central financial assistance,” says the policy, to capitalize on private resources, expertise and entrepreneurship.
“Nobody will come forward for construction of Metro rail as it has never been a profitable investment. Private players will look at least 12-15% return while no Metro project has ever yielded an investment return of over 2-3%. It’s the most disastrous and retrograde urban transport policy,” Sreedharan told the Indian Express.
The PPP model has run into rough weather in Delhi, Mumbai as well as Hyderabad.
In 2012, Delhi Metro's Airport Express project developer, Reliance Infrastructure, sent a notice to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) and sought termination of the project.
The Reliance Infra-led consortium has been using the safety excuse to abandon the project. The cost of the Airport Express line was Rs 18,000 crore, but it suffered a loss of Rs 300 crore in the first year of operation, reported India Today.
Five years later, Delhi Airport Metro Express Private Limited (DAMEPL), a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure, won an arbitration against DMRC, which would fetch the company a compensation of Rs 2,950 crore for the termination of the concession agreements for the project, the Anil Ambani-led company said in a statement, reported Economic Times.
The story was similar in Mumbai where Reliance Infrastructure-owned Mumbai Metro One Pvt Ltd (MMOPL), operates the 11.4 km Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar metro line, said in June 2016 that it was incurring huge losses.
Reliance runs MMOPL in a public–private partnership with Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).
“MMOPL is incurring annual loss over Rs 300 crore and cash loss of about Rs 175 crore per annum. This loss is preliminary on account of increase in project cost due to delay in receipt of unencumbered Right of Way (RoW) / Land by Government & Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA). Further, 100 percent unencumbered RoW / Land was to be given to us by September 2007 as per the Concession Agreement, but was finally handed over to us in February 2014, a month before we applied for CMRS (commissioner of metro railway safety) certification,'' MMOPL spokesperson told Business Standard.
Reliance Infrastructure also told the Bombay High Court in August 2016 that it was incurring daily losses of Rs 1 crore to keep the services running. “For the project, we put in Rs 4,000 crore, of which a large chunk was borrowed. We now have to start repaying that. Initially, the MMRDA had promised that they would put in Rs 1,500 crore, but in the end, only contributed Rs 600 crore,” senior counsel Janak Dwarkadas told Justice VM Kanade and Justice MS Sonak, reported Mid Day.
Hyderabad too saw the PPP model running into trouble.
In September 2014, Larsen and Toubro Ltd (L&T), the company building the Rs.16,375 crore Hyderabad Metro rail project, threatened to pull out because of issues relating to project viability and non-availability of right of way.
L&T proposed that the Telangana government take over the project.
“GoT should do so by restituting the concessionaire in a manner whereby the concessionaire’s property and entitlements are returned to it,” V.B. Gadgil, chief executive and managing director of L&T Hyderabad Metro Rail Pvt. Ltd, wrote in a letter, reported The Mint.
The new metro rail policy announced on Wednesday stresses that it opens a big window for private investments.
Private investment and other innovative forms of financing of metro projects have been made compulsory to meet the huge resource demand for capital intensive high capacity metro projects.
Seeking to ensure that least cost mass transit mode is selected for public transport, the new policy mandates Alternate Analysis, requiring evaluation of other modes of mass transit like BRTS (Bus Rapid Transit System), Light Rail Transit, Tramways, Metro Rail and Regional Rail in terms of demand, capacity, cost and ease of implementation.
The new policy mandates Transit Oriented Development (TOD) to promote compact and dense urban development along metro corridors since TOD reduces travel distances besides enabling efficient land use in urban areas. Under the policy, States need to adopt innovative mechanisms like Value Capture Financing tools to mobilize resources for financing metro projects by capturing a share of increase in the asset values through ‘Betterment Levy’. States would also be required to enable low cost debt capital through issuance of corporate bonds for metro projects.
At present, metro projects with a total length of 370 km are operational in 8 cities -- Delhi (217 km), Bengaluru (42.30 km), Kolkata (27.39 km), Chennai (27.36 km), Kochi (13.30 km), Mumbai (Metro Line 1-11.40 km, Mono Rail Phase 1-9.0 km), Jaipur-9 km and Gurugram (Rapid Metro-1.60 km).
Metro Projects with a total length of 537 kms are in progress in 13 cities. New cities acquiring metro services are; Hyderabad (71 km), Nagpur (38 km), Ahmedabad (36 km), Pune (31.25 km) and Lucknow (23 km).
Metro projects with a total length of 595 km in 13 cities including 10 new cities are at various stages of planning and appraisal. These are; Delhi Metro Phase IV- 103.93 km, Delhi & NCR-21.10 km, Vijayawada-26.03 km, Visakhapatnam-42.55 km, Bhopal-27.87 km, Indore-31.55 km, Kochi Metro Phase II-11.20 km, Greater Chandigarh Region Metro Project-37.56 km, Patna-27.88 km, Guwahati-61 km, Varanasi-29.24 km, Thiruvananthapuram & Kozhikode (Light Rail Transport)-35.12 km and Chennai Phase II-107.50 km. |
[WM]I’ve always had an interest in colour. Coming from Scotland, where the weather often turns everything grey, I used to love how the landscape would transform when the sun came out. I had a view of the Ochil hills from my bedroom window which became an ever-changing kaleidoscope of colours through the seasons.
It was this blend of colours in nature that gave me my first introduction into colour harmony. In the world around us colours juxtapose with one another all the time, but the very fact that they do means it’s often easy to take the striking harmonies they produce for granted. Think about an inky grey sky against a wet green hill, or a bright orange beak against a blackbird’s feathers. Even the bright red poppy, which brightens yellow and green fields around the country, is made redder and more distinctive by the green stem and leaves which support it. Of course, there’s no real need to understand how colour works (unless, like me, you have to!). But just as learning the musical structure of a favourite song or finding out the backstory of a favourite novel enhances our appreciation for those works, so too can understanding colour harmonies enhance how we see.
Colour therefore plays a crucial role in our lives. It can remind us of a place, a smell, a time of year, a person; our memories and cultures are filled with colour associations. They can even have different meanings from one culture to another. For example, in Japanese culture, yellow represents bravery and wealth, whilst in France the same colour represents jealousy and betrayal. In many cultures, blue represents masculinity, whereas it is considered a feminine colour in China. And red – the colour of danger, passion, love and fear in countless western cultures – is actually symbolic of mourning in South Africa.
Above all, colour is something that we can have an instinctive and long-lasting personal reaction to. We either like or don’t like certain colours and we don’t need words to explain why, because our emotive response to colours were there well before language developed – before we gave them names. My favourite colour is blue – which may well be most people’s favourite colour – and I can’t imagine it ever becoming boring for me. There are so many beautiful blues in art. I love Matisse’s blue cut-out nudes, for which he used gouache straight from the tube, painted it onto sheets of paper and then “cut” directly into colour. The French artist Yves Klein fell so in love with blue that not only did he make it the star of both his paintings and performances, he also patented his own shade: Yves Klein Blue.
This book is a celebration of colour. I hope people will find inspiration in the illustrations and learn a few things they didn’t know. Most importantly, I hope it encourages people to have a bolder relationship with the colours in the world around them. |
[WM]WASHINGTON — President-elect Barack Obama has vowed to close it. The international community has condemned it.
On Christmas Eve, however, when it came time for him to wish some American service members a Merry Christmas for his last time in office, President George W. Bush rang up a North Carolina man who's assigned to the military prison camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Neil Ambrose, of Edenton, N.C., answered the call at the remote Navy base in southeast Cuba.
The president stuck to a template of thanking Ambrose for his service, a White House tradition, and then broke from the script. |
[WM]The biannual Antiques Show & Sale with appraisal clinic is this weekend at the Carson Valley Inn in Minden. Show times are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
The show is in the ballrooms and meeting rooms on the lower level. Access is available from valet parking on the north side of the CVI.
Dealers from Nevada and California will exhibit furniture, primitives, sun-purpled glass, porcelain signs, railroad items, Western items, baseball cards, comic books, jewelry, textiles, books, firearms and yard art.
The show features an appraisal clinic where family treasures may be appraised for $5 per item with no limit of items. Appraisals of large items are possible from good photographs. |
[WM]When Rick Gates turned against his former boss, he described a parallel ethical universe where lying and cheating were as comfortable as a well-tailored ostrich suit.
You know what would be surprising? If Rick Gates and Paul Manafort had suddenly suspended their apparently deeply ingrained habits of fraudulence and thievery during the three months they ran the Donald Trump campaign.
Other chapters of their recent history—the chapters bracketing the campaign—include alleged episodes of witness tampering, lying to federal prosecutors, bank and tax fraud, as well as the failure to register as agents of a foreign government. Therefore, given all that has emerged about their shared ethical framework, it’s hard to imagine that the public has received the exhaustive account of those months.
To understand just how ingrained their slippery habits had become, consider a defining moment from Monday’s proceedings of the Manafort trial. In the course of turning state’s witness against his old boss, Gates, a former lobbyist, admitted to the court that he had repeatedly defrauded Manafort by inflating the expense reports he submitted to him. It wasn’t a trivial sum that he had siphoned. He described his take as amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Or put it this way: Gates defrauded Manafort, who was, in turn, allegedly defrauding banks and the United States government (with his Potemkin tax returns).
Nor was there anything necessarily spiteful about Gates filching a little cash on the sly. Based on everything I’ve ever heard or read in the course of my reporting on Manafort, Gates worshipped his boss. He felt a sense of subservience, love even. And the warmth was mutual, and could be described as filial. But that bond was never going to get in the way of bilking Manafort. They had spent nearly a decade in Ukraine, working for oligarchs and politicians. During those years abroad, the pair adopted the business practices of the Ukrainian political elite.
The president would then ask his chief of staff to collect contributions from the financial patrons of his political party. One Manafort associate told me that in the course of passing the hat to oligarchs, the chief of staff would collect more money than the bill required. The chief of staff would pocket some of that surplus cash for himself, a small tax for his efforts. In Ukraine, the rich excel at finding novel ways to exact fees, to skim money, to capture rents. Having participated in the system for so long, it seems Manafort and Gates internalized these techniques themselves.
So what? One strand of conventional wisdom holds that the Manafort trial has little to do with Trump, let alone Russian collusion. Indeed, there’s a strong argument to be made that this case stands on its own as a significant moment in political history. But we’re still staring at a highly incomplete version of the full narrative—and it’s too soon to foreclose the possibility that this trial is merely prologue, filled with foreshadowing and suggestive hints of how everything might ultimately tie together.
Last week, I argued that Manafort needs to be understood as a symptom of a global epidemic of kleptocracy—a virus that he imported into the United States. We know that his tenure in the Trump campaign contains at least some evidence that he infected the campaign, too. According to Robert Mueller’s prosecutors, Manafort promised a job on the campaign to a Chicago banker in exchange for $16 million in loans. The banker ended up as one of the Trump campaign’s 13 official economic advisors. Could it be possible that that’s the only instance of Manafort and Gates applying their Ukrainian education to the Trump campaign?
With Gates’s testimony, Mueller has orchestrated an important demonstration project. He’s shown how he can turn protégé against mentor, how he can weaponize a devoted underling to destroy his beloved boss. How once he can get a campaign insider talking, what flows is damning beyond expectations. The question is now whether Gates’s testimony represents the culmination of a long and corrupt story, or the opening pages of a much more complicated tale. |
[WM]At one point during an episode of the CW's mystery series Cult, one of the characters makes another the impassioned promise that "There will be an answer!" Given the show's intense love affair with metafiction, I wondered if the line might be a winking acknowledgement that it's only the latest in a long line of post-Lost series that revolves around a slowly unfolding puzzle, a subgenre that from its progenitor on has been long on teases and short on actual answers. I also thought to myself, they better give us that answer in season one because there's no way this thing's going to get picked up again. The end seems to have come sooner than I expected. Yesterday, the CW announced that its slot for the next three Fridays will be filled by reruns of The Carrie Diaries.
Cult's incredibly convoluted central conceit is that in the fictional Cult universe there is a show called Cult about a police officer on a mission to take down Billy Grimm, the charismatic leader of the highly unorthodox religious sect that she was raised in, and that it's spawned a massive, intensely obsessive fan base with a radical wing that essentially worships Grimm as if he were a real-life spiritual leader and has begun to dabble in ritualized murder. Jeff, a journalist, has a mentally ill brother, Nate, who becomes consumed with solving the meta-show's puzzles and disappears under highly suspicious circumstances, leaving behind a crazy-looking trove of research indicating that the Cult cult's responsible. Skye is a production assistant on the meta-show who discovers the so-called True Believers by monitoring the online communities that have sprung up around the show and begins to suspect that its secretive, eccentric executive producer, Stephen Rae (who in a clever extra-meta twist is credited as executive producer of the real Cult), is actively encouraging and guiding them.
Cult had a lot going against it, starting with the fact that explaining the basic plot of the show to someone at a bar takes several minutes and a lot of air-quotes and diagrams, and even then is so complicated that by the time you're done the person you're explaining it to will most likely be totally uninterested in expending the brain power to actually watch it. And being a show on the CW, the cast basically looks like the cast of a CW show, just a little too pretty to be read as actual people, with the exception of Prison Break's Robert Knepper, who plays Grimm, and the continually great Aisha Hinds as the shady detective working to keep Jeff and Skye from discovering the nature of the True Believers.
Lost, ridiculously long and complex theories on What It All Means. It's the nature of modern fandom that we don't just passively consume entertainment anymore; we actively engage with it through remixes. Obsession has become the mainstream. The water-cooler chat about last night's episode has been supplanted by online communities of devotees who don't think it's at all weird that your life revolves around an entertainment property. And when there are people who get so deeply into TV shows and movies that they will, for instance, self-identify as giant alien cat-people, the idea of a group of diehard fans following the instructions of a fictional cult leader isn't so hard to believe.
The real-world Cult doesn't seem to have done much to inspire that kind of devotion. Its apparent cancelation hasn't caused much noise online, and a grassroots campaign to save it (another common feature of modern fandom) doesn't seem very likely. But it had some good ideas, and once you understand the metafictional setup, its central mystery is compelling enough to easily inspire some binge viewing on Hulu. As the geek-culture blog io9 suggests, there could still be a DVD set in the future, or a spot for it in the CW's summer lineup, where we could see how the rest of the season plays out. Which hopefully there will be, because as cheesy as the show could be, it managed to get its hooks in me. And I still want that answer.
Miles Raymer is a writer based in New York City who has contributed to the Chicago Reader, Vice, Pitchfork, and others. |
[WM]French president Emmanuel Macron is expected this week to announce his conclusions after three months of nationwide debate aimed at placating violent protests against his reformist agenda.
As Mr Macron prepares to announce his five-point plan, protesters have taken to the streets for the 22nd consecutive weekend of mobilisation.
A rally called for by the gilet jaunes in Toulouse, the capital of France’s southern Occitan region, drew over 31,000 protesters – up from last week’s 22,300 participants.
Eight hundred policemen were deployed to the area to contain the protesters, who built barricades and attempted to push through to the city centre. Police forces responded with teargas, stun grenades and water cannons to disperse the crowd.
The government’s refusal to authorise protests in Paris did not prevent the gilets jaunes from pouring into the Champs-Elysées, the upper-class shopping quarter that has been the theatre of violent clashes.
According to the interior ministry, at least 5,000 people took to the streets of Paris despite the lack of authorisation.
Demonstrations in the Champs-Elysées have damaged shops and businesses in the area. Around 72,600 people in 5,000 companies are estimated to have been forced to work reduced work hours for reduced pay since the yellow vest protest movement started on November 17.
Rights groups including Amnesty International, however, are opposed to the law as it encroaches on freedom of speech and the right to protest. Amnesty International, Attac, UNEF, SOS Racisme and others staged a protest on Saturday to express their dissent.
Against this backdrop, Mr Macron is set to announce his plan to reconcile the nation. According to an internal source quoted by French newspaper Le Monde, the president may present his five-point plan as soon as Sunday or Monday evening.
The president’s proposal around the issue of taxation – which was the spark that ignited the protests five months ago – will be the most scrutinised.
Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said taxes – and how to “lower them faster” – will be at the heart of the president’s announcement. |
[WM]Is This the 'Next Generation Firework Show'?
I don't know. It might work. Look at electric cars. People thought they'd be boring and now the technology has advanced to being one of the best means of transportation around. Of course this will never fly for people who like sudden loud noises.
For all you folks WHINING about replacing "real fireworks" with alternatives (drones and laser light shows), I suggest you move to any of the areas in drought then rethink that position. In Colorado, we are in a drought over much of the state - and HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF ACRES ARE BURNING FROM WILDFIRES. About 40 "real fireworks" shows were cancelled or replaced (out of about 120 statewide), there were a couple of drone shows and couple of laser light shows as well as "real fireworks". Guess which kind caused BRUSH FIRES (and the worst was a result of one of the "professional shows" while some smaller fires were the result of ID10TS who didn't take weather and dryness conditions into consideration). Frankly, I hope that dolts like you lose EVERYTHING EXCEPT YOUR LIVES to a fire caused by fireworks (or have a loved one go through that) since you are more than willing to have others face that. |
[WM]LONDON (Reuters) - Uber’s new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi had a constructive meeting with London’s transport boss on Tuesday, the company said, just days after the city refused to renew its operating license.
“Our new CEO had a constructive meeting with the Transport Commissioner this afternoon. We hope to have further discussions over the coming weeks as we are determined to make things right in London,” an Uber spokesman said.
Transport for London, the body which oversees public transport in the capital, also described the meeting as constructive.
“Today’s constructive meeting centered on what needs to happen to ensure a thriving taxi and private hire market in London where everyone operates to the same high standards. Further steps in this process will take place over the coming weeks,” a spokesman said. |
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