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7 Celebrities Who Love Bitcoin
Nick Chong | Aug 23, 2020 at 0:00 UTC
Long gone are the days that Bitcoin was an asset almost solely used by niche tech-savvy communities. Now, after more than a decade of parabolic growth, Bitcoin has gone mainstream, regularly gracing the front pages of mainstream media outlets like Bloomberg and CNBC.
With Bitcoin reaching mainstream recognition, it's no surprise celebrities are getting involved. Here are seven celebrities — in sports, technology, and Hollywood —that you may not have known are strongly interested in Bitcoin.
Believe it or not, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk is a Bitcoin investor. He made this fact known in May 2019, when a follower asked him "how much fun would it be to ride this beauty" in reference to a chart of Bitcoin's price that looked much like a skateboard ramp.
To the surprise of Bitcoin Twitter, Hawk responded. "[I've] been riding [bitcoin] for 6 years," he explained, adding that he "hasn't bailed yet."
He made this comment when Bitcoin was trading at approximately $8,000 USD, data from MarketWatch shows. Assuming Hawk bought bitcoin exactly six years before the time of his tweet, he was up approximately 6,000% from his initial investment when he wrote the aforementioned tweet.
After Bitcoiners reached out to Hawk, he announced in October 2019 that he would be speaking at the Bitcoin 2020 conference in San Francisco. Those plans have since changed due to the postponement of the March 2020 event as the pandemic has restricted the ability to host in-person conferences. He remains a supporter of Bitcoin and is expected to speak at Bitcoin 2021.
Michelle Phan
Last year, Michelle Phan, a YouTuber with over 8.8 million subscribers and the founder of EM Cosmetics, revealed through interviews, tweets, and YouTube videos that she's invested in Bitcoin.
Phan explained in an interview with The Cut that she's more excited about Bitcoin than she was about YouTube when she first found the platform. Phan added that Bitcoin is "probably the most important investment you can make in your life."
Sounding like a true bitcoiner, Phan remarked at the time that Bitcoin is the first technology that allows one to become their own bank. There is "no higher authority" controlling the flow of capital, she explained.
In "Why Bitcoin? & Building a $1B Business (Ft. Michelle Phan) - Off The Pill Podcast #22," a podcast interview with fellow YouTuber , she added that Bitcoin is much like gold as it has a scarce supply.
Phan has also dabbled in investing directly in Bitcoin companies, complementing her spot holdings. Joining Ashton Kutcher and other investors, the beauty personality invested an undisclosed sum in Lolli's $3 million second seed round. Lolli is a Bitcoin-only service allowing its users to earn satoshis — or "sats" — by shopping online.
Since first announcing her support for Bitcoin, she has regularly promoted Bitcoin through her social media feeds, followed by millions. Phan has remarked in the past that her propensity to promote Bitcoin is a byproduct of her intent to teach her followers to be fiscally prudent on a personal level.
Multiple Silicon Valley executives have announced their interest in Bitcoin over the years. One of these individuals is Eric Schmidt, the former chairman of Google.
In 2014, Schmidt said that Bitcoin is a "remarkable cryptographic achievement." noting how Bitcoin's ability to not be duplicated makes it an asset with "enormous value."
While his comments about the cryptocurrency have been few and far between, he shared a viral video depicting a fictional rap battle between Alexander Hamilton and Satoshi Nakamoto. The rap battle, produced by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, has garnered over one million views.
Schmidt joins a flurry of other Silicon Valley bigwigs to have expressed their support for Bitcoin, which is a list that includes Jack Dorsey and Peter Thiel.
Donald Glover (Childish Gambino)
Many musicians seem infatuated with dollars. "Billionaire" by Travie McCoy and "Here Comes the Money" by Naughty by Nature are just two songs that show the music industry's focus on greenbacks.
But not Donald Glover. The actor and singer also known by his stage name "Childish Gambino" told TIME in 2013 that he sees value in a currency backed by Bitcoin, adding that such a system may be more attractive than if it was backed by gold:
"I know a lot of people are skeptical, but I feel like if everything's going to live online, why not Bitcoins? Being backed by gold seems very old and nostalgic to me. Being backed to a Bitcoin, which takes time to actually make and there's this equation that has to be done, that feels realer to me and makes more sense."
Glover hasn't mentioned Bitcoin in public since this interview. But in a world where society is becoming increasingly digital as the stability of fiat currencies has been increasingly questioned, his comments are more poignant than ever.
Richard Sherman is best known for his football career, having played for the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers. He is also an avid Bitcoin advocate.
In 2014, Sherman accepted satoshis as payment for merchandise on his personal website. Back then, you could buy shirts with quotes like "Don't you ever talk about me" for $29.99 USD, paid via credit card, PayPal, or bitcoin.
Although other celebrities have pulled the stunt of accepting bitcoin for merchandise, Sherman continued to express his interest in Bitcoin after his initial foray. In an interview with CNBC in 2018, the NHL superstar commented that he liked Bitcoin's premise of being a universal currency:
"I had heard about the idea and the premise behind it being kind of like a universal currency — [it could] mitigate concerns about exchanges and stuff like that — and I really thought that was innovative."
Unlike many Bitcoin investors, Sherman has the ability to control his fear of missing out, also known as FOMO. According to CNBC, he told his grandmother not to buy bitcoin when the asset was trading at $19,000 USD at the end of 2017. The cryptocurrency proceeded to crash in the 12 months after that conversation.
"You couldn't go anywhere when bitcoin was at $19,000 and not hear somebody. I mean, when I heard my grandma talking about it, I was like, 'Oh yeah this is way too big if my grandma is talking about bitcoin," Sherman commented about his odd interaction with his grandmother.
Sherman is far from the only NFL player to have involved himself in Bitcoin. Russell Okung made mainstream media headlines in 2019 when he asked for his NFL contract to be paid in bitcoin.
Earlier in this article, the BTC Times mentioned Ashton Kutcher as an investor in Bitcoin startup Lolli. That's right, the Ashton Kutcher from "That '70s Show," "A Lot Like Love," and other shows is a fan of Bitcoin. While his acting career is still active, he now splits his time between being a Hollywood star and investing in startups.
His involvement in Silicon Valley startups has naturally led him to Bitcoin.
One of the earliest instances of him expressing public support for BItcoin was in 2013. At TechCrunch Disrupt in 2013, Kutcher was reported as saying that Bitcoin is a valid form of currency because it's an attractive asset for criminals. His comments were a fresh take on the topic of criminality in Bitcoin, which cynics argued were delegitimizing the asset.
"The fact that people are hacking bitcoins really hard, it almost hearkens back to when banks first started and they didn't have safe safes and people were going into the banks and just robbing money out of the safe. It actually validates the value of the money itself. I think the fact that you can buy drugs and ammo with it is actually (a) validator of the currency itself."
Last but not least, Kris Humphries, ex-husband of Kim Kardashian and a former player for a number of NBA teams, including the Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, and Boston Celtics, is a Bitcoin advocate.
Speaking with the BTC Times in an interview, Humphries commented that he sees Bitcoin as a competition to the world of fiat, specifically citing its ability to be used as a hedge against a financial crisis:
Bitcoin is the first real competition to the fiat world in a long time. Even if you disagree that Bitcoin will rise to prominence, its introduction of competition should be a good thing. These benefits, while they might not be enough to cause the average person in the US to buy BTC, are heightened for those living in more challenging economic environments. Andreas Antonopoulos talks about this with his mother's experience in Greece during the financial crisis. It has been surprising to me though that we haven't seen Bitcoin take a larger role in countries like Venezuela, Cyprus, Zimbabwe, and others.
As societal and economic trends continue to favor the adoption of alternative assets and financial systems, Bitcoin is likely to continue gaining the support of celebrities and retail investors alike. This is best evidenced by the recent entrance of prominent finance personalities such as Paul Tudor Jones, along with "mainstream" celebrities like Michelle Phan and Kris Humphries.
Nick Chong
Nick is a writer and analyst who has been following Bitcoin since 2013. When he is not writing, he works on HTC's Bitcoin phone, EXODUS.
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Amir Amirani
Iranian-born film director and producer
Amir Amirani (Persian: امیر امیرانی, born July 28, 1967) is an Iranian-born film director and producer.
2.1 BBC
2.2 We Are Many
2.3 Recent work
2.4 Other professional activities
3 Politics
4 Honors and awards
Born in Iran, Amirani grew up in London.[1]
He earned a degree in biology from the University of Nottingham and an M.Phil. in International Relations from the University of Cambridge.[2] He originally planned to pursue a Ph.D. in that subject as well.[3]
BBC[edit]
Amirani joined the BBC in 1992 as a Graduate Production Trainee.[2]
He was a writer and researcher for a four-part TV series about the Nobel Prizes.[4]
In 1994, he and his brother Taghi founded Amirani Films, which has produced documentaries for the BBC, Channel 4, and other British broadcasters, as well as for PBS and other broadcasters abroad. He has also produced episodes of such BBC Radio 4 series as In Business, From Our Own Correspondent, and The World Tonight, as well as the radio program From Tehran With Laughter.[2]
Between 1995 and 2005, he produced and directed episodes of the TV series Holy Places, Water Week, Picture This, Hollyoaks, This Time Next Year, and Nova. [5]
We Are Many[edit]
Main article: We Are Many (film)
He served as writer, director, and cinematographer of the documentary We Are Many, which was released in 2014. [5]
We Are Many is an account of the worldwide protests against the Iraq War on February 15, 2003. "I hope those who come to watch my film We Are Many will see that day in a new light, a day that many, both then and now, regarded as a heroic failure," Amirani has said. He researched the film between 2006 and 2010. It was the first British film to acquire seed funding through Kickstarter, and includes interviews with Tony Benn, Brian Eno, Danny Glover, Richard Branson, Jesse Jackson, Ken Loach, Hans Blix, Noam Chomsky, Mark Rylance, Ron Kovic, and Tariq Ali, among many others. It premiered at the Sheffield International Documentary Festival on June 8, 2014, and went into general release in 2015.[1] It was also screened at the Dubai International Film Festival[6] and the Hay Festival.[7]
"The scales fell from people's eyes," Amirani told The Independent about the 2003 protest. "Up until then, they still had a faith in politics: that there would come a point at which the politicians would have to listen. The realisation that this was not the case was a huge moment." Although the 2003 anti-Iraq War rallies were widely considered a failure, Amirani argues that they helped spark the Egyptian revolution.[8]
Recent work[edit]
In 2014, Amirani recorded a series of video "masterclasses" for the Scottish Documentary Institute, in which he shares advice about filmmaking, including choice of topic, the role of the musical score, funding, and the use of films to promote political causes.[9]
He is co-producer of the 2019 documentary Coup 53,[5] which is about "the 1953 Anglo-American coup d'etat in Iran that changed the course of history."[10] The film, which won the audience award at the 2019 Vancouver International Film Festival for Most Popular International Documentary,[11] is written and directed by his brother Taghi.[12]
Other professional activities[edit]
He has written articles of reportage for the New Statesman, New Scientist, Business Traveller Asia and the Economist Intelligence Unit.[2]
In 2015 he was interviewed on the TV series Democracy Now![5]
Politics[edit]
Amirani is a strong supporter of the Palestinian cause.[10] He has described British controls on immigration as "fascist" and has said that the Labour Party, beginning with Tony Blair, has betrayed the working class.[13] He considers the Iraq War the "crime of the century."[14]
In November 2019, along with other public figures, Amirani signed a letter supporting Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn describing him as "a beacon of hope in the struggle against emergent far-right nationalism, xenophobia and racism in much of the democratic world" and endorsed him for in the 2019 UK general election.[15]
Honors and awards[edit]
Amirani was nominated for an Amnesty International Award for his BBC work, and was also nominated for the One World Broadcasting Trust Awards.[2]
Amirani lives in London.[2]
^ a b "We Are Many: how Amir Amirani got global anti-war protests to the big screen". The Guardian. May 13, 2015.
^ a b c d e f "Amir Amirani". We Are Many.
^ Mayne, Stephen (Jun 16, 2014). "INTERVIEW WITH AMIR AMIRANI, DIRECTOR OF WE ARE MANY". CultureFly.
^ "Forum: How to win yourself a Nobel prize - Amir Amirani has some tips for aspiring laureates". New Scientist. Jan 25, 1992.
^ a b c d "Amir Amirani". IMDB.
^ "Amir Amirani". Dubai Film Festival.
^ Asfour, Lana (Jun 7, 2015). "The story of Bush and Blair's great lie". Al Jazeera=.
^ Moreton, Cole (May 16, 2015). "We are Many: The new movie teaching us lessons to learn from the 2003 Iraq war protests". The Independent.
^ "Amir Amirani: Organising Emotions". Scottish Documentary Institute.
^ a b "Amir Amirani". Twitter.
^ "VIFF announces 2019 People's Choice, Impact and Eco Warrior Award Winners" (Press release). Vancouver International Film Festival. 2019-10-11. Retrieved 2019-10-18.
^ Eng, Karen Francis (Aug 21, 2017). "A new documentary explores the West's uneasy relationship with Iran". Ted Fellows.
^ Molina, Virginia (Jun 6, 2015). "Amir Amirani: The media are acting like war cheerleaders". The Prisma.
^ "INTERVIEW: Amir Amirani and Omid Djalili on the making of 'We Are Many'". Asian Image. May 21, 2015.
^ Neale, Matthew (16 November 2019). "Exclusive: New letter supporting Jeremy Corbyn signed by Roger Waters, Robert Del Naja and more". NME. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Amir_Amirani&oldid=934058085"
Iranian film people
British people of Iranian descent
British filmmakers
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An ASHA calls me and tells me stories of change
Rekha, an ASHA from our pilot site in Rajasthan, called me tonight. "I missed you and wanted to talk. When are you coming back to Kishangarh, sister?" she asked. I felt a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. It's quite endearing to get calls from the ASHAs.
Will the novelty wear off with time?
We spoke about progress in her village, both with and without CommCare. She had only good news to share. She said women love the information they can see and hear in the program and aren't bored by it. They pay attention and ask questions.
For the past few months, Rekha's had the highest number of form submissions of the pregnancy checklist. This is a multimedia-enabled mobile form, which asks questions about antenatal care check-ups, tetanus immunizations, contains reminders for the women to take their iron pills daily. The form also disseminates information (both through audio and visuals) about dangers signs a woman can experience at different stages of pregnancy, encourages the woman and her family to prepare for cost and transportation in advance, in case of an emergency. New information is displayed based on the stage of pregnancy. It changes about every 3 months or so.
In addition to highest form submissions and she also is one of the ASHAs with high case activity percentages, which means she's covering 100% of client base very often. When I spoke to her three months ago, she said that she circulates the pregnancy checklist and shows the information in her mobile phone to the pregnant woman in her village every two weeks!
So I asked, "Are the women getting bored? They see the same information over and over. Is it not a novel tool anymore?"
Her answer was simple, "No, they still come and listen and watch. But they do ask, 'Does she [woman in the mobile] always say the same stuff?' 'Yes', was her answer. And that was it.
More immunizations for both women and children
All of the ASHAs say there's benefit in using CommCare and that they've experienced some kind of kind. I tried to get her to quantify the change. She said, all of the children in her village are coming out for immunization now. Before she used CommCare, at least 50% would be missing.
She also said more women are getting their tetanus immunizations completed than before. On Immunization day, one or two women would be missing.
Please let me step back for a bit. What I've learned is woman will happily (if they feel pressured enough) get immunized themselves for tetanus while they're pregnant, but they resist bringing their children for immunizations. Typical reasons are my baby will cry, it will hurt my baby, it results in swelling and pain for the baby.
The application that Rekha is using only has an antenatal application, and not a newborn module, which would contain information on children's immunizations. Perhaps the cycling of the information to the women of her small community has resulted in greater uptake of immunizations for children? As I mentioned earlier, the pregnancy checklist contains information about the importance of getting tetanus immunizations for the woman. I'm not sure, but I'd like to believe it. Naturally an informed and aware woman will understand what's necessary for the health of her baby, isn't it?
ASHA adapts CommCare in an unexpected way!
Rekha's also doing something very innovative with the multimedia stored in her phone. It blew me away when she first told me. After two months of using CommCare, one day during Immunization Day in her village, Rekha decided to play the audio files through the media player for small groups of women who were waiting to get immunizations for themselves or their children.
The audio played without pause actually sounds like a conversation between two women about antenatal care topics. The way we named the files results in the following playlist: 1) a woman says, she does not know about topic xyz; 2) a health worker gives information about this topic; 3) a woman says, yes, she knows about topic xyz. And this flow repeats for 45 antenatal topics!
A couple women came up later to ask the ASHA more questions about topics raised in the "radio show". According to another ASHA in our pilot, the audio-visual information available on CommCare is similar to the way information about health is shown on television or heard on the radio. Not only is it an interesting and engaging medium, but a convincing medium for villagers, who believe and trust information from media sources like TV or radio (more-so sometimes that what their ASHAs tell them).
[Only recently, after my work in Bihar, did I realize why this is. Some people in villages are skeptical of the information the ASHA gives about having an institutional delivery, going to the hospital to get antenatal care checkups completed, or opting for sterilization as a method of permanent family planning because they know ASHAs get incentives for all of that work. They believe the ASHA works for the money and not for the people. (I will write another post about on this issue at a later date)]
One woman's story
Three months ago, I felt especially connected of a story Rekha told me of one woman in her village. This woman's husband is an alcoholic and forbids her from going to the Anganwadi center, or speaking to the ASHA. This woman heard about 'the program Rekha was given in her mobile phone for pregnant woman' through word of mouth. This could happen when women go to fetch water, or walking to the fields. This woman snuck away from the home without her husband knowing to the Anganwadi center on several occasions to learn the information and benefit from the program. She had heard there's information about pregnant woman that Rekha has to share, and she also felt like she should hear it!
My first takeaway: A novel tool can attract people and want to access information through it.
I asked about this woman today. Rekha said, she came to learn the information from CommCare (which was a big step on its own), but never took up the practices as they was forbidden by her husband. This woman was the only woman in her village, who experienced complications during pregnancy, was transferred to Ajmer for emergency care and lost lots of blood there. Her newborn died within 4 days. She's recovered now.
Rekha said, the main problem was the husband hadn't arranged for transport in advance, didn't allow her to take the pills, let her get looked at by an ANM (auxiliary nurse midwife) or get immunized. I wonder what he'll decide to allow/disallow for their next pregnancy after being the only family that did not follow the practices encouraged in the application.
My second takeaway: People learn from real stories and do what other people do right.
I wonder if Rekha will cite this example as a behaviour change weapon along with CommCare. Rekha was among the top performers for form completions and case activity rates. Every single pregnant woman who saw CommCare in the past 6 months had a healthy pregnancy and are now breastfeeding, except one (she's only had an about 7-8 pregnant woman in the past 6 months). By way of example of that one woman's story, I wonder how people's opinions have formed for the information in CommCare and the credibility of the ASHA. Through CommCare, ASHAs are able to share information, comprehensively, correctly and with credibility. Now, let's hope it can motivate service uptake and break down barriers.
On that note, I think there's so much value in filling out the counseling type forms within the home, where there is a higher probability of a (resistant) family member being present and at the very least half-listening.
My third takeaway: Encourage ASHAs to complete all counseling forms at the home, instead of at the Anganwadi Center, where household decision makers may also tune in and learn.
Check out Rekha in action on YouTube. Courtesy Daniel Pepper.
YouTube: Rekha
Mohini Bhavsar
Senior Business Development Director


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HomeFellows to Auction 14k Gold Pocket Watch by Gebr. Eppner
Fellows to Auction 14k Gold Pocket Watch by Gebr. Eppner
February 8, 2012 Gareth Uncategorized 0
On Monday 13th February Fellows shall be holding their first Pocket Watches & Accessories auction of the new year.
Amongst the many highlights to feature in this sale is Lot 175 – fascinating as much for its history as for the watch itself. This piece was given as a gift to the Head Gamekeeper of Lowther Castle in Cumbria, Charles Robinson by the German Emperor Wilhelm II in 1902.
Lowther Castle was the seat of the Earl of Lonsdale, and it was the 5th Earl of Lonsdale, Hugh Cecil Lowther, who was hosting the German Emperor.
Wilhelm II was the grandson of Queen Victoria and had an English mother. He had a love-hate relationship with Britain and 1902 would have been one of the last years before relations took a dramatic turn for the worse.
The watch that Charles Robinson received has Willhelm's monogram on the back. It is 14k gold with an open face and was made by Gebr. Eppner. This Berlin based company produced very fine watches, almost as good as those produced by Lange in Glashutte and this watch shows the features of fine watchmaking with a split compensation balance and a Breguet overcoil hairspring.
This Lot comes with a fitted presentation case and is estimated at £1,800 – £2,200. You can view this as a video highlight on our YouTube channel by clicking here.
Birmingham Jewellery Quarter: Jewellery Quarter apartments re …
The Rectory Relaunch Party


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Illinois Fighting Illini Football
Report: Bill Cubit Will Be Our New Offensive Coordinator
It appears that Tim Beckman already had Chris Beatty's replacement in mind.
By Apollo Forza Jan 6, 2013, 1:14am CST
Share All sharing options for: Report: Bill Cubit Will Be Our New Offensive Coordinator
Bradley Leeb-US PRESSWIRE
It's not official yet, but it sounds like that "national" search that was to begin immediately upon the dismissal of Chris Beatty likely began before the dismissal. That's because, according to a tweet from Football Scoop on Saturday night, former Western Michigan head coach Bill Cubit is our new offensive coordinator.
Just getting off road. Looking forward to seeing a bunch of coaches tomorrow. Here's 1 and I'm out...hear Bill Cubit will be OC at Illinois
— FootballScoop Staff (@footballscoop) January 6, 2013
Again, Illinois hasn't announced or confirmed anything about it.
As for Cubit, he was recently fired from Western Michigan after going 51-47 (36-27 in the MAC) in eight seasons at the school. Before becoming the head coach at Western Michigan he was an offensive coordinator at Stanford, Rutgers and Missouri.
Of course, most Illini fans are probably familiar with Cubit because Western Michigan was one of the two teams we were able to beat this season -- no wonder he got fired -- and they did not look good in that defeat. However, I assure you, his history is a lot better than that one game.
Cubit runs an offense that's similar to the spread like ours, though with a few minor tweaks. First of all, Cubit likes to pass more than he does run. Since 2007 at Western Michigan his offenses have finished with an average over 400 yards per game. Generally with a two-to-one ratio of passing yards to rushing yards.
Also, during that same time span, none of his offenses averaged less than 26 points per game. In 2011 Western Michigan averaged 35.3 points per game while racking up 458.5 yards per game and running an average of 73 plays per game.
In other words, he likes high tempo and he likes to pass the ball. You may remember Western Michigan receiver Jordan White finished the 2011 season with 140 receptions for 1,911 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Now, it's 1am as I'm writing this post, and I'm a bit tired. However, I'm liking this hire at the moment. I'll take a deeper look on Sunday.
Illini Coaching Carousel
Ricker Hire Officially Announced
Report: Bill Cubit Is Our New OC
Chris Beatty Is No Longer Co-Offensive Coordinator


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Daily Fantasy Football Quarterback Primer: Week 11
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Sam Factor — @@sfactor25 Nov 15th, 2019
Welcome to another edition of my weekly NFL DFS quarterback primer article. Each week I will be looking to find an edge at the quarterback position for daily fantasy football contests.
In this weekly column, you will find the best value quarterbacks for tournaments and head-to-head cash games. Additionally, I will highlight one or two quarterbacks to avoid in the upcoming week.
Last week was one of the best weeks of the season for this column. Three of the four players recommended finished inside the top-4 at the position in Week 10. If you stacked Tyreek Hill and Patrick Mahomes last week, you likely won some money. Ryan Tannehill proved us wrong with another decent performance last week, but he once again showed he does not have the upside necessary to trust him in tournaments.
Without further ado, let's dig in for Week 11.
Best Overall Play of the Week
Dak Prescott ($8,100) -- Dak gets a road matchup with the Detroit Lions, who rank as the 17th-worst passing defense according to our power rankings. The Lions have allowed the sixth-most points to opposing quarterbacks this season. They have allowed at least 18 points to all but one quarterback this season. We can expect an 18-point floor for Prescott in Week 11. In a game with the second-highest over/under on the main slate, Prescott also has mouth-watering upside. Prescott has thrown three touchdowns in each of his last two games, while the Lions have allowed three or more touchdown passes in three of their last four contests. The high upside combined with a safe floor makes Dak a great option in both cash and tournaments. Prescott is the top value quarterback of the week, according to our projections.
Tournament Plays
Deshaun Watson ($8,200) -- There are a lot of reasons to love Watson in Week 11. He is playing on the road against the Baltimore Ravens in a game with the highest over/under of the week. Watson has had one of the highest ceilings at the position so far this season, topping 20 FanDuel points in over half of his games. The Houston Texans are also expecting their number two receiver, Will Fuller, to return from injury this week. Watson has averaged nearly 40 more passing yards per game this season with Fuller in the lineup. Despite going up against the 11th-best passing defense in the league according to our power rankings, Watson is still projected for the second-most fantasy points at the position in Week 11. Our models have him as the third-best value play of the week among quarterbacks.
Cash-Game Play
Lamar Jackson ($8,800) -- Jackson is currently on pace to break the single-season fantasy points scored record, which was set by Patrick Mahomes last season. Let that sink in. We have been riding Jackson in cash all season and, even with the slight $200 increase in price, we need to stick with him in Week 11. Jackson has the safest floor in fantasy football due to his rushing ability. He is on pace to break Michael Vick's single-season rushing record for a quarterback in Week 14. Our models have Jackson projected for a conservative 48 rushing yards, while his season average is 78 rushing yards per game. Jackson is once again the top value play at the position, despite being the most expensive quarterback on the slate. Fire him up with confidence in a game with the highest over/under of the week.
Josh Allen ($7,800) -- Allen gets a matchup with the Miami Dolphins this week, who have the third-worst passing defense according to our power rankings. Allen has not had any game with over 26 fantasy points so far this season, which makes him hard to trust in tournaments. He has, however, had one of the safest floors at the position, scoring above 15 fantasy points in all but one of his contests this year. Allen scored 21 FanDuel points when these two teams played in Week 7. Our models have Allen projected for the second-most rushing yards this week at the position. He is the fourth-best value play, and one of the safest options of the week according to our projections.
Quarterback to Avoid
Kyler Murray ($7,600) -- Murray has been a frequent name suggested in this column so far this season. However, there is reason for concern for the rookie signal-caller in Week 11. Murray will be playing on the road against the San Francisco 49ers, who have the second-best pass defense in the league according to our power rankings. Only one quarterback this season has scored over 20 FanDuel points against the 49ers stout defense, and that was actually Murray himself only two weeks ago when these two teams played in Arizona. We can expect Murray's ceiling to be his performance in that game, which was enough to get by in cash, but would not have helped you win any tournaments. Murray's floor, however, is the reason to fade him in Week 11. Over 50% of quarterbacks have scored below 10 points in their matchup with the 49ers. Our models seem a bit too optimistic, projecting the first-overall pick of this year's draft for 18.2 fantasy points this week. We should be looking elsewhere in Week 11.
Samuel Factor is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Samuel Factor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username Samfact2. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his/her personal views, he/she may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his/her personal account. The views expressed in his/her articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.
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December 3, 2012 in Daily Poop | Tags: Andrew Bovell, Australian Made Entertainment, Bryn Boice, James Fenton, Kathleen Foster, Laura Iris Hill, Matthew Foster, Michael Poignard, Speaking In Tongues
Matthew Foster and Michael Poignard in Australian Made Entertainment's production of "Speaking In Tongues"
The first scene of Andrew Bovell's 1996 play Speaking In Tongues features four characters — two men and two women — who share one dialogue about marital infidelity. All four, dissatisfied with their partners, pick up a stranger in a bar to consummate an adultery. It turns out that the four have randomly cheated on each other with each other, though the two couples are strangers to each other. The quartet share the same conversation, speaking the same speeches simultaneously. Chance — randomness, serendipity, long odds — only seemingly operates on these four; in fact, the rigid structure of the first act merely suggests coincidences that are relentlessly denied by the tight framework of dramatic irony.
If the first act were a geometric proof, the form under analysis would be a perfect square. On one side is the shy couple, and on the other is the passionate couple. To keep the action interesting the playwright works the opposite angles against the sides: the shy woman commits her crime with the passionate man, and the passionate woman finds self-restraint at the last moment; the shy man shows more moral courage than the passionate one. But these quirks are illusory, like the reflection in a true mirror. The second act, by contrast, is a study in asymmetry. Four new characters are connected by tangent to the characters of the first act, as fictions in a dream are connected to quotidian reality.
The second act is all vectors. The good characters send out communiqués without any chance of receiving a reply, and the bad characters use information as a javelin to pierce the good ones. The clearest asymmetry is drawn on the gender line: men have the power and women are its subject. This oblique relationship terrifies both the male and female characters, and it shows the dark side of the sun-kissed, broad-shouldered Australian psyche.
The deep structures of the play are masterfully interpreted by director Bryn Boice and scene designer James Fenton. The black box theater has been arranged with seats on two sides and mirrors lining the other two walls. During the first act the furniture is arranged symmetrically so that each couple is performing simultaneously to opposite audiences. The symmetry works against character development, which makes the first fifteen minutes a little disorienting, but the actors (Kathleen Foster, Matthew Foster, Laura Iris Hill, and Michael Poignard) do an outstanding job of pivoting one hundred and eighty degrees between mental states, making the initial confusion pleasant in its resolution.
But this is the opposite of glossolalia, known in English as "speaking in tongues." As any good Pentecostal Christian will tell you, one speaks the universal human language — the one spoken by Adam and Eve — when one is touched by the spirit. Such communication defies three-dimensional geometry. This production of Andrew Bovell's play, though very entertaining, is not an epiphany, a revelation, an apocalypse; instead it is a discourse leading inevitably and irrevocably to its necessary end.
Through December 16th
at Theater 54
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DER SPIEGEL Der Spiegel Spiegel International
International Pfeil nach rechts
Business Pfeil nach rechts
Opel Pfeil nach rechts
Government Aid Debate: Berlin Has Doubts About Opel's Rescue Plan
Government Aid Debate Berlin Has Doubts About Opel's Rescue Plan
German carmaker Opel, the troubled subsidiary of ailing US giant General Motors, submitted a restructuring plan this week in an effort to secure a government bailout package. So far, Berlin isn't buying, but with national elections this autumn, credit guarantees or loans to the company may be inevitable.
The Opel brand remains at risk.
The German government remains skeptical about providing aid for car manufacturer Opel. Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück said late on Monday that the government couldn't reach a decision on aid based on the restructuring plan Opel had presented.
Steinbrück, speaking on the late-night talk show "Beckmann" on German public television, said Opel needs to come up with a sustainable plan of its own before the government could provide aid, and that the program presented on Monday didn't suffice.
The finance minister said it remained unclear how Opel would be able to disentangle itself from its ailing US parent General Motors. He didn't rule out state aid, however, arguing that a collapse of Opel could lead to the loss of around 50,000 jobs if suppliers are included, which would end up costing the state €3 billion to €4 billion in benefits.
Economy Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg has also said that the government hasn't yet decided whether to bail out Opel. He said in a television interview on Monday that he needed to review Opel's plan very carefully, and that there were many open questions. Any state intervention mustn't distort competition, the minister said, adding that Opel would not get any special treatment.
On Monday, the European head of GM, Carl-Peter Forster, Opel CEO Hans Demant and the head of Opel's works council, Klaus Franz, had presented their rescue plan to zu Guttenberg.
GM Europe said it plans to spin off Opel to try to avert job cuts and plant closures and said it needed €3.3 billion ($4.16 billion) in aid from European governments.
The German government is mainly considering helping Opel through loan guarantees, but direct loans and even a share stake haven't been ruled out. Any aid will also depend on the actions of GM and the US government.
Graphic: Opel plants in Germany and Europe
Under the restructuring plan, Opel would close GM Europe headquarters in Zurich and relocate it to its German plant in Rüsselsheim. But the problems would only start there.
GM made a loss of €2.8 billion in Europe last year, not least because the company has too many plants there. The attempt to sell the plant in Eisenach, in eastern Germany, has failed so far. The plant in Antwerp, Belgium, is under threat and the plant in Bochum, in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, isn't expected to survive in the long term.
But if the governments of Belgium and the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia end up injecting money into Opel, the company will hardly be able to close its plants in those areas. Besides, the group needs to find a partner in the auto industry to be able to finance necessary long-term investments. And no such partner is in sight.
Mounting Pressure on Berlin
The prospect that state aid for Opel will ensure its long-term survival hasn't improved. But there's mounting pressure on the government to help the company out.
The center-left Social Democrats, who share power with Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats, have pledged to do whatever they can to rescue this "systemic auto company," as SPD leader Franz Müntefering put it.
The governors of the German states that have Opel plants -- North Rhine-Westphalia, Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia, have also raised the possibility of a government stake in Opel if credit guarantees or direct loans don't suffice.
In the end, the Berlin government won't be able to say "no" to an Opel rescue, even if it's just temporary. With a general election in September, the government can't afford mass layoffs and plant closures at the venerable automaker.
Steinbrück was also skeptical about possible government aid for troubled German automobile components manufacturer Schaeffler, which is privately owned. He said other options needed to be checked first -- such as spinning off tire maker Continental which Schaeffler acquired last year.
The Schaeffler family's own assets also needed to be considered, Steinbrück added, saying that so far the company hadn't come up with a restructuring plan "that allows sustainable aid."
Skilful Campaign for State Aid
Schaeffler, too, has skilfully increased its pressure on the government. Company chief Maria-Elisabeth Schaeffler gained a lot of media attention when she shed tears during a demonstration by workers seeking government help last month.
Thousands of Schaeffler workers and their families attend a protest march calling for state aid for the ailing company on Feb. 18 in Herzogenaurach, Germany.
The management has got the IG Metall engineering trade union on its side by agreeing to give workers a greater say in the running of the firm and holding out the prospect of employees gaining a stake.
Industrially, Schaeffler is even more important than Opel, because it employs 220,000 workers together with its new subsidiary Continental.
However, neither Mrs. Schaeffler nor her son Georg have so far given the kind of basic information any jobless person applying for benefits would have to provide. How great is their personal fortune? What proportion of the company's profit has landed in their private accounts? Are they ready to invest part of that to save the company?
The opponents of wholesale state intervention are alarmed -- if the government rescues companies under such questionable circumstances, what justification does it have to deny help to any other firm?
"Agreeing to provide aid would be extremely dangerous," says Michael Fuchs, an expert on the small and medium-sized business sector for the Christian Democrats. "In that case we might as well subsidize the entire auto sector."
Tears -- Maria Elisabeth Schaeffler, owner of the Schaeffler group, crying during a demonstration by workers in front of the company's headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany last month.
Separately, Steinbrück said on Monday he assumed the US government would prevent the collapse of a systemically important company like insurance group AIG. The company reported a $62 billion quarterly loss this week -- the greatest in corporate history. The news helped drive the Dow Jones industrial average to its lowest point since 1997.
Steinbrück said a failure of AIG would be disastrous for Germany because the company has insured many leasing deals made by German municipalities.
Steinbrück also said he didn't see an end in sight to the financial crisis yet. "We're not through the worst." Confidence in the banking system still hadn't been restored.
With reporting by SPIEGEL staff
Opel Economic and Financial Crisis Automotive Industry German Politics


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15 Retailers With the Best Return Policies
That $50 pair of gold wedge espadrilles from Zappos that you never wore but also never managed to return drives you crazy. But don't think you're stuck.
Zappos allows returns for up to 12 months after the original purchase date. And it's not the only retailer that will accept returns up to a year or more after the items were purchased.
Knowing a seller's return policy can help you turn unreturned items into cash or merchandise credit equal to what you paid. Also, whether you're shopping online or buying an item in a store, knowing which retailers offer hassle free returns and free return shipping will help you save money on future purchases.
When you give something as a present, include the gift receipt and a note telling the recipient how long they have to return the item. This is a nice way of saying your feelings won't be hurt if it is returned. (Keep this in mind during the holiday season just a few months away.)
And keep these retailers in mind when you shop all year round.
Stores that Offer a Full Refund for a Year or More
The clothing retailer that's especially beloved by teens has a return policy that's beloved by all customers. There's no time limit with proof of purchase to return unwashed or unworn items even without tags.
Without a receipt American Eagle will give a store credit for the item's current selling price.
Costco's return policy is the stuff of urban legends. A 15-year-old pressure cooker. A dead Christmas tree in January. A safe smelling of marijuana.The stories of items returned to Costco are all over the Internet, though it's hard to know if they're all true.
But it's easy to know the retail giant's return policy. There's no time limit for returning most items. Even opened food can be returned for a full refund.
There are a few exceptions. Premium electronics must be returned within 90 days and there are limitations on tires, cigarettes, alcohol and diamonds.
Unopened IKEA merchandise can be returned within a year. Opened products can be returned within 180 days. Without a receipt, you will be provided a refund in the form of an in-store credit for the item's lowest selling price.
And check out IKEA's new buy back program for gently used items that's part of it's goal to become fully carbon neutral by 2030. It will offer 30% to 50% of the original price of products in gift cards based on their condition. You can use the retailer's estimator to find out what your item might bring then take it to the nearest store.
L.L.Bean is another retailer in the 12-month return policy club. Even after a year, if your product is defective due to how it's made, it can also be considered for a return.
Nordstrom has always been known as a retailer that will accept returns long after the purchase date. It doesn't state a set time on its website, but says each return is a case by case basis and it strives to make customers happy.
So, basically, ask nicely and they will probably give you a refund or Nordstrom gift card depending on if you have your receipt.
Nordstrom Rack, however, states items must be returned within 45 days.
There's no limit, even beyond a year, for how long you can return items purchased at Patagonia for a full refund. Even stuff bought on sale.
Items returned beyond a year will be refunded with a merchandise credit.
Another outdoors clothing and gear retailer, REI allows items to be returned for up to a year with your receipt. Without a valid receipt you will get a store credit for the lowest selling price of the item.
In an effort to reduce landfill waste, REI will take back gently used gear in exchange for gift cards or store credit. It then sells that used gear. Those purchases must be returned within 45 days.
It's not surprising Trader Joe's, one of the happiest grocery stores on Earth, has a very generous return policy. It offers refunds on everything in the store, with or without a receipt, even if it's been opened. You can get an exchange or merchandise credit or your money back.
Listen up when you're shopping, and you'll often overhear salespeople suggesting customers try an item they are debating because they can always return it.
Zappos has been a favorite among shoppers for its free shipping and free return shipping long before other retailers offered the same.
It allows one year for returns for those times you bought the wrong shoes online. Some customers even report returning never-worn shoes beyond a year for a merchandise credit.
Other Stores with the Best Return Policies
These stores require you to return your items within a year, but there are other reasons they make our list.
Athleta, like other Gap brands, has a return window of 90 days. But the exercise clothing retailer makes the list because of its Give-It-a-Workout-Guarantee. Customers can actually wear clothes for a workout (or even a trip to the mall) and if they don't like how they feel or perform, return them for a full refund.
The sweet-scented store also has a 90-day return policy. It makes our list because Bath & Body Works lets customers return even opened products, a.k.a. used products, for a full refund for 90 days with a receipt.
Without a sales receipt, you can get a merchandise credit based on the lowest selling price of the product.
The home improvement retailer allows 90 days to return unopened products, though customers with a Home Depot credit card or commercial account have a year. There are a few exceptions such as major appliances and area rugs.
But here's what we love about the store's return policy: It lets you return opened paint if it ends up on your walls and you decide you don't like the color. Exchange it for something you like more.
And wait, there's more. Customers have one year to return trees and shrubs.
The makeup giant lets customers return opened and gently used products within 30 days for a store credit. So go ahead and take a risk on that midnight blue eye shadow or metallic mascara.
Walgreens has a pretty standard 30-day return policy. But it also allows returns on open makeup. Most stores also have a makeup consultant to help you pick your colors. But again, you can try it a few times and return if you don't love it.
The longtime online retailer allows 90 days for returns, except those that are a final sale.
But Land's End, which has become a retailer for hundreds of school uniforms across the country, offers an extra perk for busy parents trying to get their kids in the right gear.
You can return uniforms that are personalized with your school's logo for a Lands End merchandise credit.
That really comes in handy if you're ordering multiple shirts for multiple kids.
Turn Store Credit or Merchandise Credit into Cash
If you end up with gift cards because you returned something without a receipt, you can still ultimately end up with cash. Depending on where you sell it, it's possible to get 85% of the gift card value in cash.
So that means, a gift card for those black pumps from Zappo's can become cash to buy premium electronics at Costco.
Here's where to read the fine print about selling your gift cards.
Katherine Snow Smith is a senior writer at Codetic.
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Ashes 2019: Rain prevents play after lunch following England fightback
No further play was possible due to rain after England hit back by taking three wickets in the morning session on day three of the second Ashes Test at Lord's.
England went out under grey London skies on Friday needing to make inroads with Australia, 1-0 up after their victory at Edgbaston last week, 30-1 in reply to 258.
Cameron Bancroft became debutant Jofra Archer's first Test victim before Chris Woakes got rid of Usman Khawaja (36) and Stuart Broad (2-26) saw the back of Travis Head as three wickets tumbled for only 11 runs.
England failed to claim the prized scalp of former captain Steve Smith, but Australia were 80-4 - trailing by 178 - at lunch and poor weather prevented the players from taking to the field again on Friday.
A draw looks the most likely outcome after day one was washed out, but a more positive forecast for the weekend should ensure two extended days are not interrupted, giving both sides hope of forcing a win.
Left-hander Khawaja brought up Australia's 50 with a streaky boundary when Woakes was brought into the attack after Archer and Broad were unable to conjure an early breakthrough.
England skipper Joe Root persisted with World Cup star Archer (1-18) and the quick got a much-needed maiden Test wicket with a delivery which struck Bancroft (13) in front after nipping in sharply off the seam.
Umpire's call was the verdict after Bancroft signalled for a review and Woakes (1-27) got in on the act with the second ball of the next over, Khawaja nibbling behind to an excellent delivery which moved away.
Australia were 60-3 after losing two wickets without scoring a run and they were four down when Broad snared Travis Head (7) lbw, England successfully reviewing when Aleem Dar curiously opted not to raise his finger.
Ben Stokes caused an otherwise untroubled Smith problems and Matthew Wade overturned an lbw decision when on nought, after being given out from a ball from the England all-rounder which pitched outside leg stump.
Wade was still there, although yet to get off the mark from 23 balls faced and Smith - scorer of a century in both innings in the first Test - was 13 not out when lunch was called with rain falling, and that was it for the day.
Christopher Woakes
jofra archer
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Aaron Finch was run out following a mix-up with Steve Smith as Australia lost the third ODI to India on Saturday and the captain said the pair would discuss it over a beer.
Finch rushed for a single after Smith shot to short third man but the former skipper never fully committed and Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas Iyer combined to send the ball to Mohammed Shami, who whipped the bails off at the non-striker's end.
Although Smith went on to score a stunning 131, India limited the tourists to 286-9 in Bengaluru.
Rohit Sharma (119) and Virat Kohli (89) formed a pivotal 137-run partnership and India went on to win by seven wickets with 15 balls remaining, sealing a 2-1 series triumph.
"We haven't discussed it yet, maybe we will tonight over a beer," said Finch of the incident with Smith.
"He played an exceptional knock, he rode the momentum when he had to, controlled the innings at various parts when we'd lose a wicket.
"He really controlled that middle part which was really important to give us a chance at the back end. It was a top knock, real quality."
Australia won a five-match series in India last March 3-2 and Kohli was proud to have atoned for that defeat.
"We just want to go upwards and onwards. Getting one back given that we lost the series at home last year is really satisfying," said Kohli.
"Australia were even better than last time. There's Steve, David [Warner] and Marnus [Labuschagne]. A quality bowling attack, and really intense in the field too.
"We lost the last three in the last series and coming back and winning the last two games after losing the first one, is very satisfying."
Shikhar Dhawan had to leave the field early in Australia's innings and was sent for an X-ray on his left shoulder, which he hurt while diving in the field.
Kohli was proud of how India coped without Dhawan, who could be a doubt for their tour of New Zealand, which begins with the first of five Twenty20 games on Friday.
"We're quite experienced, Rohit and I, and we were short of Shikhar's experience," said Kohli.
"We got a good start. We expect openers of the quality of Rohit and KL [Rahul] to give us starts like that.
"When KL got out it was a tricky situation. The ball was gripping and turning a bit, and this is where experience comes in.
"We [Rohit and Kohli] spoke of stringing together a partnership and all Australia want are wickets and if we don't give them wickets we can chase seven or eight runs an over later on. We have that belief in our skill."
Mark Boucher warned South Africa must "man up" after they were "outskilled" by England on day four of the third Test at St George's Park.
England captain Joe Root took 4-31 in Port Elizabeth after Mark Wood struck twice to ensure England require just four wickets on the final day to take a 2-1 lead with one match to play.
The Proteas were all out for only 209 after losing their last four first-innings wickets for only one run early on the penultimate day and they were in deep trouble on 102-6 - trailing by 188 runs - following on at stumps.
South Africa head coach Boucher offered a frank assessment of his side's shortcomings following a painful rain-affected day, which left them surely relying on the weather to save them on Monday.
"I think we were outskilled, to be honest," he told Sky Sports. "You can blame different things for the situation but I've got to look at myself and find a way to get the players up mentally and upskill them in a short space of time.
"I do think Joe Root was difficult to play at the end there. It's difficult to get down to the pitch of the ball - one slides on, one turns and it's like quicksand, the harder you try the deeper you sink.
"But we've created this situation for ourselves. No excuses - we've got to man up now and take this forward and learn from these lessons.
"When you're under the pump for a long time, every side has its breaking point and today we broke quite early, which is disappointing."
Faf du Plessis went 54 balls without scoring at one point before he was sent packing by part-time spinner Root for 36, but Boucher insisted it is not time to discuss his future as captain.
"That's not a call to make a this moment in time," Boucher said. "He's trying really hard and working really hard away from the game.
"If he's not scoring runs there's that extra pressure. The best way to answer that is putting runs on the board.
"There's no hiding place in Test cricket. He's disappointed from a team perspective. He spent a bit of time in the middle, which is good for his confidence."
Sweet revenge as Jamaica defeats South Africa 59-54 in Vitality Nations Cup
Sunshine Girl vice-captain Nicole Dixon showered praise on head coach Connie Francis following Sunday's 59-54 win over South Africa in their opening match of the 2020 Vitality Nations Cup.
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The Woodrow Wilson House
Posted: May 27, 2014 in Buildings, Historic Figures, Historic Sites, Presidential
Tags: 28th President, D.C., Edith Bolling Wilson, Embassy Row, National Historic Landmark, National Register of Historic Places, National Trust for Historic Preservation, President Warren G. Harding, President Woodrow Wilson, Prohibition, the other executive mansion, Washington National Cathedral, White House, Woodrow Wilson, Woodrow Wilson House
Woodrow Wilson House
While most Presidents happily retire back to their home state after leaving office, Woodrow Wilson decided to remain in D.C. In fact, he is the only American President to select D.C. to be his home following his final term in office. So on a recent bike ride I chose to go by the Woodrow Wilson House in northwest D.C. Sometimes referred to as "the other executive mansion," the house is located at 2340 S Street (MAP) on Embassy Row in the city's Kalorama Neighborhood.
Late in 1920 after leading the nation through the first World War, winning the Nobel Peace Prize, and creating the League of Nations, the 28th President's second and final term was nearing its end. Needing a place to live after leaving The White House, his wife Edith Bolling Wilson began to search for an appropriate residence. His second wife, she had lived in D.C. before they met and received a small fortune when her former husband, a prosperous local jeweler, passed away. However, her husband made his own plans. On December 14, Wilson insisted that his wife attend a concert. When she returned he presented her with the deed to the Georgian style mansion on S Street. He had bought the house despite having never even seen it. The former President and his wife moved into the home on Inauguration Day in 1921.
The Wilsons moved into their new retirement haven, but it wasn't an easy move. Prohibition forbid the transportation of alcohol, and that presented a problem for Wilson, who did not want to leave his fine wine collection in the White House for his successor. The recently elected Warren G. Harding was known to be a heavy drinker. He appealed to Congress, and Congress granted an exception to Prohibition by passing a special law just for him, which allowed one person on one specific day "to transport alcohol from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue to 2340 S Street."
Wilson, partially paralyzed from a stroke he suffered in 1919, spent his few remaining years in partial seclusion at the house, under the continuous care of his wife and servants. It was from the balcony of this house that Wilson addressed a crowd in November of 1923 as his last public appearance. On February 3, 1924, he died in an upstairs bedroom. He was laid to rest in Washington National Cathedral, becoming not just the only President to remain in D.C. after his presidency, but also the only President to be buried in D.C. Mrs. Wilson continued to live in the residence until her death in 1961. She bequeathed the property and all of its original furnishings to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which designated it a National Historic Landmark in 1964. The National Trust continues to own the house, and currently operates it as a museum.
I think President Wilson would have approved of my adventures biking around and exploring D.C. He cycled regularly, including several cycling vacations. However, as President he was unable to bike around D.C. for security reasons. Unable to ride, he took to playing golf with equal enthusiasm. In fact, Wilson holds the record among all U.S. Presidents for the most rounds of golf, having played over 1,000 rounds, or almost one every other day.
Meridian Hill Park


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Jurisdiction & Appeals, Stern Files
The Stern Files (fifth edition)
Co-authored by Kyle J. Ortiz and Doron P. Kenter.
It is a new year, and it is still unclear what long-term consequence the Supreme Court's decision in Stern v. Marshall, 564 U.S. 2 (2011) will have for the jurisdiction and authority of the bankruptcy courts. We are starting, however, to see Stern and the issues it presents make their way into more decisions on the circuit level. Thus, by the end of 2012 we may have a better idea of what, if any, long-term effects Stern will have on the bankruptcy courts. For a review of some of the more significant decisions stemming from Stern previously reported on, please see our earlier editions of the Stern Files.
We summarize nine recent decisions that have grappled with the Supreme Court's holding concerning the constitutional limitations of bankruptcy court jurisdiction in this post, our fifth edition of the Stern Files:
Michaelson v. Golden Gate Private Equity (In re Appleseed's Intermediate Holdings, LLC), No. 11-807 (JEI/KM), 2011 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 144315 (D. Del. Dec. 15, 2011) Background: Postconfirmation, a litigation trustee brought a complaint against defendants for breach of fiduciary duty and allegedly fraudulent transfers. The parties agreed that that the complaint alleged "a mixture of core and non-core claims all arising from the same facts." The defendants sought to withdraw the bankruptcy reference arguing that they were entitled to a jury trial, which a bankruptcy court cannot hold absent all parties' consent, and citing Sterngrounds because the trustee's claims were a mixture of core and non-core claims.Stern Impact: The district court withdrew the reference for the fraudulent transfer actions that involved both core and non-core claims, holding that such withdrawal promotes uniformity and efficiency because (i) it would prevent the same issues from being litigated twice and prevent judgments from being subject to collateral attack, (ii) decisions on matters core and non-core alike would come from one court, and (iii) withdrawal would promote uniformity by eliminating the risk of the irrational outcome that would result "if the Bankruptcy Court found a certain fact relevant in both a core and non-core claim, but [upon review the district court] found that fact to be erroneous, though not clearly erroneous, the [the district court] would be required to accept that fact for the core claim and reject that fact for the non-core claim."
Burtch v. Hutson (In re USDigital, Inc.), No. 09-50469 (CSS), 2011 Bankr. LEXIS 4862 (Bankr. D. Del. Dec. 20, 2011) Background: Defendants in an adversary proceeding brought by a chapter 7 trustee sought a determination of whether a claim for equitable subordination was core or non-core.Stern Impact: The court held that the equitable subordination claim was core after a lengthy discussion of Stern, from which the court concluded that, from a statutory perspective, all matters "arising in" or "arising under" title 11 are core matters upon which bankruptcy courts may issue a final order, and if matters do not "arise in" or "arise under" title 11, they are "related to" matters, which the bankruptcy court may only propose findings of fact and conclusions of law. The court held that Stern did not disturb this essential distinction. Thus, the court, noting that equitable subordination is "a substantive right provided by title 11," held that such a claim is statutorily core.
Farooqi v. Carroll (In re Carroll), No. 11-03321, 2011 Bankr. LEXIS 4948 (Bankr. N.D. Tex. Dec. 13, 2011) Background: Plaintiff brought a state court action against defendant for fraud, fraudulent inducement, and violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practice Act. Defendant subsequently filed for bankruptcy protection, and plaintiff initiated an adversary proceeding in the bankruptcy court alleging similar claims to those which it had asserted in the state court action, in addition to claims of nondischargeability. Defendant asserted that the bankruptcy court lacked subject matter jurisdiction over the proceeding based on Sternbecause plaintiff never filed a proof of claim in defendant's underlying chapter 13 case.Stern Impact: The court stated that Stern did not raise issues of subject matter jurisdiction, but, rather, addressed a bankruptcy court's constitutional authority to enter final judgments. The court went on to hold that plaintiff's failure to file a proof of claim wasn't an impediment to the bankruptcy court having final authority, because the filing of the adversary proceeding constituted an informal proof of claim. The court noted that the questions before it were (i) was a debt owed to plaintiff under state law, and (ii) if a debt was owed, was the debt dischargeable? The court held that under the "public rights" exception discussed in Stern, the bankruptcy court had the authority to liquidate state law claims that were "closely integrated" with the Bankruptcy Code, and because dischargeability of debt is a question fundamental to the Bankruptcy Code, the court concluded that it had the authority to both liquidate and determine whether plaintiff's claim was excepted from defendant's discharge.
Ortiz v. Aurora Health Care, Inc. (In re Ortiz), Nos. 10-3465, 10-3466, 2011 WL 6880651 (7th Cir. Dec. 30, 2011) Background: Two groups of debtors filed class action lawsuits against a medical provider that had filed proofs of claims in the debtors' bankruptcy cases which revealed confidential medical information on the debtors. The causes of action arose under a Wisconsin statute allowing individuals to sue when their health care records are disclosed without their permission. The bankruptcy judge granted summary judgment in favor of the medical provider, and the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals granted direct appeal. Arguments were held prior to the Stern ruling, but following Stern, the Seventh Circuit sua sponteordered supplemental briefing on whether the bankruptcy court had constitutional authority to issue final judgments dismissing the debtors' complaints, and depending on the answer to that question, whether the Seventh Circuit has authority under 28 U.S.C. § 158(d)(2)(A), or any other provision, to grant direct appeal.Stern impact: The Seventh Circuit stated that, although the grant of appeal appeared to be proper when granted, following Stern, that its basis for appellate jurisdiction was now in question because the bankruptcy court may not have had jurisdiction to enter a final order on the matter. The Seventh Circuit stated that Stern held that the responsibility for deciding suits made "of the stuff of the traditional actions at common law . . . rest[s] with Article III judges in Article III courts," and, unless a claim involves a "public right," Article III "prohibit[s] Congress from giving bankruptcy courts authority to adjudicate claims that [go] beyond the claims allowance process." Although the Seventh Circuit found that the debtors' claims were core because they arose in the bankruptcy case and would have no existence outside of bankruptcy, the Seventh Circuit determined that the bankruptcy court, nonetheless, did not have the constitutional authority to enter a final judgment on the debtors' claims, because they involved a private matter of "the liability of one individual to another" that "owe[d] its existence to Wisconsin state law and [would] not necessarily [be] resolve[d] in the claims allowance process." Thus, the Seventh Circuit held that "[w]ithout a final judgment we lack a statutory basis for appellate jurisdiction" and that is must therefore dismiss the appeals before it.
Bayonne Med. Ctr. v. Bayonne/Omni Dev., LLC (In re Bayonne Med Ctr.), No. 09-1689 (MS), 2011 WL 5900960 (Bankr. D.N.J. Nov. 1, 2011) Background: A liquidating trustee brought a complaint against defendants for, among other causes of action, state law causes of action to enforce a pledge and to recover fraudulent transfers and voidable preferences. The trustee alleged that the cause of action seeking enforcement of the pledge was a core matter and sought a final money judgment. Two years into the proceeding and after summary judgment motions had been field and argued, the court asked whether the parties would consent to entry of a final judgment by the bankruptcy court. The defendants consented, but the trustee did not.Stern Impact: The bankruptcy court found that the state law action to enforce a pledge was a non-core "related to" cause of action, but nonetheless held that it had authority to enter a final judgment because the trustee had implicitly consented when he (i) filed the complaint in the bankruptcy court, (ii) alleged that all causes of actions were core, and (iii) sought entry of a final judgment in the bankruptcy court. Moreover, the court held that the trustee was estopped from withdrawing consent more than two years into the case. Thus, the court held that, under Stern, the bankruptcy court could enter a final judgment on the "related to" state law action seeking enforcement of a pledge.The court went on to note that some might see a "gap," following Stern, where the bankruptcy courts have express statutory authority to enter final judgment with the parties consent on non-core matters under section 157(c)(2), but don't have the same express statutory authority with respect to core matters (such as the fraudulent transfer actions in front of the court). The court held that such a gap is "logically and appropriately . . . filled by judicial extension of section 157(c)(2)." Thus, because the parties had consented to the entry of final judgment on the non-core claims, that consent was logically extended to the core matters as well.
Menotte v. United States (In re Custom Contractors LLC), No. 10-3455-PGH, 2011 WL 6046397 (Bankr. S.D. Fla. Dec. 5, 2011) Background: A chapter 7 trustee brought an action against the IRS to recover fraudulent transfers under section 548 of the Bankruptcy Code and under the strong-arm powers of section 544, alleging that the debtor made payments in satisfaction of its owner's personal tax liability. Following Stern, the IRS objected to the treatment of the matter as "core" and asserted that the bankruptcy court lacked constitutional authority to enter a final judgment.Stern Impact: The court noted that Stern raised two questions: (i) whether the action at issue stems from the bankruptcy itself and (ii) whether the claim would necessarily be resolved in the claims allowance process. The court held that "the answer to the question –whether the action stems from the bankruptcy itself-is decidedly 'yes.'" Although the court acknowledged the Stern Court's discussion of the Granfinanciera decision, it held that "[t]his Court's job is not to extend Stern to fraudulent transfer actions based on Supreme Court dicta, and in so doing, upend the division of labor between district and bankruptcy courts that has been in effect for nearly thirty years."The court went on to note that, even if it were determined that it lacked authority to enter final judgment, the IRS had explicitly and impliedly consented to the bankruptcy court's resolution because the IRS had litigated the case for over a year and its only previous challenge to the court's jurisdiction had been based on sovereign immunity.
Heller Ehrman LLP v. Arnold & Porter, LLP (In re Heller Ehrman LLP), No. C-11-04848 CRB, 2011 WL 6179149 (N.D. Cal. Dec. 13, 2011) Background: During its dissolution proceeding (but prior to its bankruptcy filing), Heller Ehrman agreed to waive its rights to recover fees associated with unfinished business the law firm had been handling at the time of its dissolution, which former partners had taken to other law firms. Postpetition, however, Heller Ehrman sought to avoid these waivers as having constituted actual or constructively fraudulent transfers under section 548 and 550 of the Bankruptcy Code and under California state law. A group of defendants moved to withdraw the reference asserting that the bankruptcy court lacked authority to enter final judgment on the claims.Stern Impact: The district court, focusing on Stern's analysis of Marathon and Granfinanciera, held that "since the state law counterclaims at issue were not 'public rights,' their final adjudication could not be assigned to an Article I bankruptcy judge." Nonetheless, the court held that withdrawal of the reference was not required in the present case because the bankruptcy court could still enter a report and recommendation. The court also held that permissive withdrawal, similarly, was improper because the bankruptcy court was familiar with the case, and, thus, allowing the action to proceed before the bankruptcy court would allow for efficient and uniform administration of the bankruptcy case.
In re Special Value Continuation Partners, L.P. v. Jones, No. 11-3304, 2011 Bankr. LEXIS 4475 (Bankr. S.D. Tex. Nov. 15, 2011) Background: Plaintiffs provided financing to entities that later commenced chapter 11 cases in the bankruptcy court for the District of Delaware. After the commencement of the chapter 11 cases, plaintiffs filed an action in Texas state court for fraud and negligent misrepresentation against certain officers and directors of the debtor. The officers and directors removed the action to federal court, and the plaintiffs moved for remand for lack of subject matter jurisdiction. The officers and directors responded by filing a motion to transfer to Delaware federal court.Stern Impact: The court held that Stern "negates the presumption that a 'related to' proceeding can be more easily, expeditiously, and inexpensively tried in front of the home bankruptcy court." Additionally, the court held that there was little question that a bankruptcy court would lack constitutional authority to hear the state law causes of action between nondebtors that did not stem from the bankruptcy proceeding and would not be necessarily resolved by the claims allowance process. Thus, the court held that transfer was inappropriate and remanded the case to the Texas state court.
Police & Fire Retirement System of the City of Detroit v. AMBAC Fin. Group, Inc. (In re AMBAC Fin. Group, Inc.), No. 11-civ-7529 (NRB), 2011 WL 6844533 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 29, 2011) Background: A debtor entered into settlements in two shareholder derivative class actions suits brought against the debtor and its officers and directors that were filed prior to the commencement of the debtor's chapter 11 case. The bankruptcy court entered an order approving the settlement pursuant to Bankruptcy Rule 9019 over the objection of a claimant. On appeal of the bankruptcy court's order, the claimant asserted that the bankruptcy court did not have constitutional authority to resolve the shareholder derivative claims following Stern.Stern Impact: The court held that the "full reach of Stern has yet to be determined, but it is clear that the case does not implicate the approval of settlements, relating to property of the debtor's estate, under Rule 9019." The court, citing In re Wash. Mut., No. 08-12229 (MFW), 2011 WL 4090757 (Bankr. D. Del. Sept. 13, 2011) noted that there is a "fundamental difference between a court's entry of a final, binding judgment on the merits of a claim and its approval of a settlement of that claim."


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Tuesday Morning 3 A.M.
A companion to the weekly column, at www.tm3am.com.
Frank Zappa Buyer's Guide #33: Return of the Son of Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar
Frank Zappa is routinely considered one of the finest guitar players to have ever lived. He ranked #22 on Rolling Stone's 2011 list of 100 greatest guitarists. Guitar Player and Guitar World magazines have done dozens of cover features on Zappa, with the former devoting an entire issue to him after his death. Revered players like Steve Vai bow down at Zappa's feet, and Frank's son Dweezil had to, in his words, re-learn how to play guitar before taking his father's music out on the road with Zappa Plays Zappa.
And yet, an argument can be made that Zappa is actually underrated as a guitarist.
Certainly that was the case in May of 1981, when Zappa's own Barking Pumpkin Records issued three albums designed to showcase his guitar solos. They were blessed with particularly Zappa-esque names: Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar, Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar Some More and Return of the Son of Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar. Each ran to about 35 minutes, and all three were only obtainable through mail order.
But what should have remained niche records, interesting only to a select few, became the ultimate expression of Zappa the guitar player. It was on these albums that the uninitiated could finally hear just how good the man was. His playing runs the gamut from fierce and dirty to sublimely beautiful, but the element of his work that is most on display here is his unpredictability. Zappa rarely played anything the way one would expect a guitarist to play it. His spontaneous guitar sculptures are continuously surprising, even for people who don't play the instrument.
It's a style that takes some getting used to. Zappa could hear complex polyrhythms in his head, and would often play to those, as opposed to blending in with the work of his backing musicians. This leads to accents falling on the "wrong" notes, or some notes holding longer than you would expect, and if you are used to the Eddie Van Halen school of rock guitar playing, this may sound wrong to your ears at first. But after repeated listens, it becomes clear that Zappa is effectively rewriting the rulebook for guitar solos.
These three albums are comprised almost entirely of live guitar solos, taken from extended renditions of other songs. The seven tracks on the first album, Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar, were mostly recorded on the 1979-1980 tour, which means the phenomenal rhythm section of drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and bassist Arthur Barrow is in full effect here. Half the fun of listening to this album is hearing what these two players are doing behind Zappa's blistering lead work – they're following, making decisions based on the lead playing, but they're creating their own kind of musical alchemy as well.
Shut Up begins with some of Zappa's fiercest playing, on the complex "Five-Five-FIVE" and the downright nasty "Hog Heaven." The title track, taken from a February 1979 performance of "Inca Roads," is Zappa's first chance to stretch out here – the solo runs for 5:38, and never drags, Zappa making endlessly fascinating choices and the band switching gears behind him, totally in sync. The solo is surprisingly melodic, swooping back and forth over the two-note "Inca Roads" vamp.
Zappa unveils a clean guitar tone for "While You Were Out," one of the few studio tracks in the three-album collection. The drums were recorded in early 1979, the two guitars (Zappa and Warren Cucurullo) improvised over them in late 1979. And yet, if you didn't know it, you'd swear you were listening to another live jam session. Zappa's peaceful tone offers an oasis between the louder live tracks, and showcase another, more placid side to his playing.
"Treacherous Cretins" and "Heavy Duty Judy" are their own distinct songs. The former finds Zappa soloing over a slow, repeated keyboard line and some unbelievable drumming from Coliauta, the latter is an explosion of guitar notes over a slinky horn figure. (This song will be resurrected for the 1988 tour, with even more trumpets and saxophones.) The album ends with a seven-minute blues jam called "Soup 'n Old Clothes," taken from a December 1980 performance of "The Illinois Enema Bandit." As has been seen previously, Zappa played the blues fluently, and at the same time, like no one else.
If guitar solos do not excite you, this should not be your first Zappa purchase. But give this first volume a listen – it's only 35 minutes – and it could redefine your idea of rock guitar playing. Zappa was just that good.
Rating: Essential.
Which version to buy: The three Shut Up albums have been packaged together on CD since 1986, when they were first issued as a 2-CD set. The 1995 edition restored the three-LPs-in-a-box feel by separating each album onto its own disc, but this made the entire endeavor more expensive. Your best and most economical bet is the 2012 Zappa/Universal remaster, which sounds better than any other edition, and reverts to the 2-CD format.
Next week: Shut Up 'n Play Yer Guitar Some More.
Posted by Andre Salles at 4:52 PM 1 comment:
Labels: Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa Buyer's Guide #30: Tinseltown Rebellion


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Match Reports for Saturday 24th January 2015
5th XI v Southgate Olympic Lost 5-2 Scorers: Kyriakides, Phillips
Having not played together for some weeks due to waterlogged pitches, we were a bit rusty, and not really quite on the same wave length. Nevertheless, this was a game we perhaps should have won, certainly if we'd taken our chances in the first 15 minutes or so, when we really should have been 3-0 up instead of only one goal to the good. We started brightly, with Alex K getting a goal in the first five minutes by nipping in on some cumbersome oppo defending, though appa
rently taking the chance in slow motion walking the ball into the net. Unfortunately for the oppo, their 'keeper fell awkwardly in attempting to get the ball, and dislocated a shoulder, so we hope recovers as quickly as possible. For most of the half it was us probing, and we had a number of really presentable chances not taken. The one that stands out most in my mind was Ross Blackmore's shot after a good team move just inches wide of the post. Though that chance really was a waste, as another touch to bring the ball under better control probably would have served Ross better. But this was a bit emblematic of our performance for the 90 minutes, with many of our players hurrying passes and shots, where normally we are a lot more controlled. The oppo got an equaliser about mid way through the half with a good goal in all fairness, passing swiftly down our right hand side, skipping past tackles, and converting a cross very efficiently. Their second goal a few minutes later was a flukey cross that went straight in over Ron Hanson's outstretched hand, taking him by surprise as it swerved through the air. Apart from those two chances we hadn't allowed the oppo any meaningful attacks, whilst we had kept ours going, so at half time felt confident we could get back into it and push on to hopefully win. Unfortunately the third goal was scored by them rather than us, and at 3-1 down early in the half we started to push our players forward to get a goal back, though this was always going to be risky. We did score the next one, off a quick Nick P throw in that Darragh and Billy combined well off, with Billy netting from about twenty yards out, the keeper unable to hold the shot. However, from that point the oppo started to click and play some good interchanges amongst themselves, whilst we steadily started to 'unclick' (this is a Zafism, for those of you who are interested in the source of the terminology). We had a five minute spell where it looked like we might reestablish control, with Dave Campbell on in the middle and Craig Jones out on the right wing, but we lost our team balance as more and more of our players pushed forward, and inevitably we started to get caught on the counter attack. Though there was a significant element of controversy over the oppo's 4th goal from the spot, with Darragh penalised though his view and those around who saw it was there was very minimal contact and the oppo player just fell over. It's not often you see a dive in our league, and to be honest I was too far away to judge, but Darragh swore blind it was so. We then conceded another breakaway goal punishing our suicidal over commitment of players forward, to make the score safe for the oppo with 5 goals to them. We rallied at the end, Murphy having three decent chances, but having sprinted 70 yards upfield on each occasion to get into a shooting position, he found their stand in 'keeper in the mood to make good diving saves. The scoreline was a bit harsh on us, but at the end of the day we all know that in football you have to take your chances... Let's get a few more games under our belts and find our form again.