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Tag: team penske
Posted on June 1, 2017 May 31, 2017
Social Spotlight with Josef Newgarden
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Each week, I'll be asking a member of the motorsports community about their social media usage. This week: Josef Newgarden of Team Penske's IndyCar program. I spoke to Newgarden at Indianapolis Motor Speedway prior to the Indy 500.
I was just looking at your Twitter account. One thing that jumped out at me: You have only liked one tweet. Are you anti-like?
Well I guess everyone uses the platform differently, right? I've never really liked photos. I liked that one photo of all the helmets at the Indianapolis 500 lined up, which is a very cool photo.
You know, I'm like OCD almost. I'm either gonna like a ton of stuff or not like anything. I guess it's weird that I have one like, but yeah, I've never really used it for that.
With Twitter, I more so use it for responding to people. It's a great platform to answer questions — just cause people can ask you whenever — or just give out information about where you are or where you can meet, something like that.
I like a ton of tweets, because it's my way of saying, "I acknowledge that." But I always feel like if somebody was going to my account they'd see all these random-ass tweets that make no sense and have no order. So I kind of like your clean, uncluttered view.
Yeah, I mean that's how I am. It's very OCD I guess, but it's just the way I've always been so I have not changed it. I'll try to answer more, because I'm with you — a like is like an acknowledgment and it's nice for someone to see that you like their post or that you at least saw it. But I try to answer as much as I can. I probably should answer a lot more, but if I'm gonna acknowledge it, I normally just answer to it.
Are you using Twitter as your newsfeed? Do you look at it every day in the morning?
Yeah, I do actually. I still think Twitter is probably the best social platform for quick news. (With) Facebook, you get kind of the same; it's more blown up content and it's kind of a bigger view of news. But Twitter's really easy to just ramble through everything and it can always just give you a link to go somewhere to look at something bigger.
But yeah, I like it for (news). I like following informational sites (like) Wired.com if you wanna see something with tech. I mean it just can be any of these news outlets. I think it's really helpful for that. So I like following it and then for me as a driver, I think it's great for giving people information on what you're doing or where you're gonna be if there's a meet-and-greet or something like that.
Now on the downside of this, Twitter can be sort of nasty at times. There are some trolls on there. How do you deal with that: Do you block people? Do you mute people? Do you just ignore it?
I just ignore it — I honestly do. I don't even reply. There's been a couple times where I've replied just cause I couldn't help myself I guess, but I'll never follow a reply. I'll say something, have my two cents, and then just be done with it.
If it gets worse and starts spiraling out of control, I don't continue. It's literally one thing: That's what I said (and leave it at that). And if I said something wrong, I'll try to apologize, because it's easy to get looked at wrong on social media for saying something that you didn't mean or it had come across the wrong way.
But for the most part, I just ignore everything. There's a lot of people that say a lot of stuff, and you just gotta be really good at just letting it go. I think that's the best thing: To just let it go. And it's probably the best way to handle it, cause these guys or girls, what they really want is a response. So if you don't respond to them, it's kind of the best thing to do, in my opinion.
We've all had situations where sometimes we're following somebody and we're like, "I don't wanna follow this anymore. These tweets are irrelevant, they're too much," or whatever. How do you handle that? Do you just unfollow or do you mute people?
(Laughs) I think I'd go with the ignore thing again. I'll see stuff I don't like and I'll just blow past it because I've gotten very efficient at scrolling fast. If I'm seeing stuff that I don't wanna see, I'm just scrolling by it.
Even my girlfriend is like, "How are you even reading any of this?" And it's literally just I'll read one word and I'll either like it or I don't, so I just go past it. So I've not had to mute anyone, not really had to unfollow anybody because of that. I just ignore it.
What's your take on Snapchat? I've seen you do some Snapchat takeovers, but do you have your own Snapchat account?
I can't get into the Snapchat thing. I find it fascinating, because young kids now are — I mean, I'm a kid still I guess, technically — but you know, just young people that use Snapchat are so weird and hilarious, right? Like, people just have no shame. There's no shame. And I don't think people realize that if you put something on the Internet, it is permanent. OK? I don't care if you delete it, it's always there. You have put it out and into the world and it's always in the world now. It's gonna be there somewhere.
But people today, they don't care. They love it. They want to share it. For me, I struggle because it's like, Snapchat is a really constant thing. Like people want a photo here, photo here, video, video, video, like constantly little quick five-second blurbs.
So I feel like you're missing out on the experience. I'd rather have one nice video or one nice photo of it and take the rest of the time to enjoy that experience. That's why I can't get into Snapchat.
That is true though. You go to a concert or something and everybody's Snapchat is open. Or even here on 500 race day, I'm gonna walk around and anybody that's under 20, they're on Snapchat, and that's the ultimate looking-through-your-screen thing.
Yeah, it's a love/hate cause I've gotten sucked into the social media thing where I don't post a ton — but I'm always on it. I'm always looking at it just cause I'm trying to understand it, what works, what doesn't work, what people want to see, what they don't want to see, what other people are doing. I get sucked into that game and I love and I hate it.
Social media is so great because it's really a great tool, it's awesome; the connectivity of it is amazing. But at the same time I also hate it because I just want to enjoy whatever I'm doing, you know? I want to be in the moment, in the present. I'm a little bit old school, I guess. It was almost nice when we didn't have all this technology. So it's a love/hate. I love technology, but I also hate it at the end of the day.
You said that you've tried to observe what works, what doesn't, things like that. In your theory, what is your general philosophy on how much to share, what makes people respond to you, things like that?
I do think people want you to be real. I try to be as authentic as possible. Whatever I say is me; there's no sugarcoating it. Maybe it's a little bit politically correct sometimes, but it's my opinion, so I'll always be honest about that.
I've always tried to keep my personal life out it, which a lot of people think is a mistake because most people want to see the inside world that they normally wouldn't, and that's one of the nice things about social media — you get to see things that you wouldn't normally get to see if you didn't know a person, right
But I try to keep that separate. I use it much for more the professional side of, "Here's what I'm doing professionally. Here's what I'm doing in racing," or it has something to do with racing. That's all I use it for and I try to maximize that as best as I can.
I think I noticed that on your Instagram as well, because if you scroll through your Instagram feed almost everything is you at the track. It's not stuff like, "Oh, here's me doing this," that kind of thing.
Yeah, pretty much. I use the platforms differently. Like Instagram I use more as an artwork page. I think it's just beautiful photos of race cars, maybe some photos of me that people want to see within racing, but I normally like seeing photos of race cars myself, just really cool looking photos.
I'm a really big fan of photography actually. I'm not a great photographer, I'm not a photographer myself, but I really admire a lot of the photographers within the sport. Gosh, they get some awesome images sometimes, so I like sharing those and I also like seeing those.
That's sort of what I use Instagram for, which really is what Instagram was originally made for: It's a photo-sharing site. Twitter is more just, you can post a photo that doesn't have to be beautiful; it's just information, right?
Sometimes I try and be kind of random on my Twitter. I do try to show people my random side, which everyone I think has to some degree. You know, you'll be eating fries or whatever one day and like you'll have a thought on French fries and you just wanna share that. It has nothing to do with anything; it's just a random sentence. I'll sometimes do that on Twitter as well.
Is Facebook going the way of the dinosaurs like MySpace, or do you think that has a life?
I think it has a life, I just think it has an older life. That's where all the moms, the grandfathers — it's all old, you know? That's not a bad thing: everyone has to have a demographic. I think Facebook's just become more of an older demographic. There's a place for that; you want to share with those types of folks as well. So I still get on it.
I look at Facebook and see a lot of things that's going on. I do find it interesting (that) Facebook video has become very cool. For me, it's become more of a younger reason to use it just because you don't want to go to YouTube and search stuff; it's really easy to see popular videos on Facebook now. I think they've done a great job with that. So if I use Facebook, it's either to look at videos or to post a video. That's, I think, one of the more useful tools for it.
From a sponsor standpoint and a team standpoint, are they telling you, "Hey, we want to see you on here, we want to see you doing this?" Is there a lot of that that goes on?
Yeah, for sure. I think you have to temper it. I think with either sponsorships or teams, you kind of measure your marketability. You measure how sell-able you are, how popular you are. It's kind of terrible, but it's just the way it is nowadays: everyone puts a value on social media. And so you have to have a presence almost, you're forced to because of those factors, but I think I try to stay true to myself.
If there's something I don't wanna do on it, I just don't do it. If it's something that a sponsor really wants me to do and I don't love it, then I try and spin it into something that is more authentic to me. I think that is always more impactful than just putting up an ad. You put up an ad and people can see it immediately like, "This is just a posted tweet that someone wanted you to put out." And no one wants that — no one wants to see it. It's not gonna help the company at the end of the day. So you gotta make it authentic and real, and I think that resonates a lot better with people.
Do you have one or two favorite people to follow on Twitter that people may not be following themselves right now?
I gotta say, probably the greatest person on Twitter, and I think a lot of people would agree, is Dale Earnhardt Jr. Now, he does the exact opposite of what I do — but he is a master at it. If you're gonna go full-in and you're gonna show people your world, I don't think anyone has done it better than Dale Jr. He really masters it well. I think he's fun to follow. For me, that's why you follow someone on social media, is for that kind of stuff that I just said I don't wanna do — and he's probably the best at it. So I enjoy following him.
I just enjoy following all of the drivers because you get to see what everyone's up to, whether it's Jimmie Johnson or other NASCAR guys or it's the IndyCar drivers like Scott Dixon. I enjoy following motorsports. Fernando Alonso, it's been fun to follow him. Obviously, this is a new journey for him at Indianapolis so it's interesting to see how he perceives the event, how he shows people the event. So I love following drivers.
Again, I like following news feeds, just different tech sites, any sort of news outlet that's gonna give you good information on stuff that you're interested in. I follow all those types of stuff.
Thanks to Dover International Speedway for sponsoring the 12 Questions and Social Spotlight over the past couple months. If you're planning to attend the Dover race this weekend, please consider using my ticket link.
News Analysis: Joey Logano's win at Richmond ruled encumbered
What happened: NASCAR discovered a major infraction on Joey Logano's winning car during post-Richmond inspection at its Research and Development Center, resulting in a huge penalty for the No. 22 team. Logano's victory was ruled "encumbered," which means he cannot use it to qualify for the NASCAR playoffs this fall, nor does he get the five playoff points for it. In addition, Logano was docked 25 regular season points and crew chief Todd Gordon was suspended for two races and fined $50,000.
What it means: This is the first time since the "encumbered" term entered the NASCAR lingo last fall that it's really had playoff implications. This will be a key moment if Logano somehow misses the playoffs (unlikely) or turns out to need those five playoff points sometime this fall (more likely). Logano still gets the trophy and is the official winner of the race, just without the playoff benefits.
News value (scale of 1-10): Eight. This is pretty big, but you know what would be bigger? If NASCAR did the right thing and actually stripped the win entirely. Why should an illegal car still be allowed to keep the win? I'll never truly understand that.
Questions: How much longer can NASCAR refuse to take the win away, especially when the race winner's car is illegal enough for this severe of penalty? Is there any chance Logano's championship hopes will be affected by this, or will he just shrug it off? Did NASCAR officials find this by chance, or were they looking for it?
This is a screenshot from the NASCAR rulebook. NASCAR said Logano's team violated No. 6 on the list above. (From NASCAR rulebook)
The Top Five: Breaking down the Richmond race
Five thoughts on Sunday's NASCAR race at Richmond International Raceway…
1. Back it down, Joey
Joey Logano won on a day when he had to start in the back, and the performance was helped by some gentle reminders from crew chief Todd Gordon.
Gordon began the day by texting Logano at 9 a.m., telling him to run 80 percent. The crew chief then repeated it in their pre-race meeting: Go 80 percent, go 80 percent.
Why? Because with Logano starting in the back of the 38-car field due to a transmission change (the team discovered debris in the transmission on Saturday), Gordon knew his driver might try to go all-out in getting back to the front; and that probably wouldn't be a good thing at a place where tires and equipment seem to get used up.
Logano turned to Penske executive Walt Czarnecki and said, "You pay me to run 100 percent."
"Today will be a little different," Czarnecki replied.
As it turned out, Logano listened to Gordon — albeit reluctantly.
"I did (listen)," Logano said afterward with a brief tone of disappointment. "I hate it, too. I am not wired that way. I'm a balls to the wall type of guy, all the time. That's what's proven to be successful at certain racetracks."
But not Richmond. Running consistent, smooth times and saving his stuff allowed him to get in position for Todd Gordon's strategy gamble, which put Logano off sequence from the rest of the field (along with Team Penske teammate Brad Keselowski, who ultimately finished second).
Logano said his mindset changed at the end of the race ("Take that 80 percent thing and throw it out the window"), but it helped put him in position to overcome a bad starting spot on a day when he didn't have the fastest car.
The best drivers and teams end up winning on days when they aren't supposed to, and that was Logano on Sunday.
2. Why not Logano?
It's interesting Joey Logano won the first race after Dale Earnhardt Jr. announced his retirement, because it comes at a time when many in the NASCAR world are talking about the next face of the sport.
Names like Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson keep popping up, but Logano would be a good candidate if fans gave him a chance. After all, he's only 26 years old — two years older than Larson.
I know I just lost most of the people reading this story, so you probably won't even see the rest of this item. In that case, I guess it's OK to tell you I am secretly a CIA spy pretending to be a NASCAR journalist and my real job is to gather intelligence on everyone who tweets questions to Bob Pockrass.
But for those of you still with me, I'm serious: Logano would seem to check a lot of boxes for fans looking for a new driver. He wins a lot (18 career wins, including 15 in the last four seasons), is a very aggressive racer (one reason some fans dislike him) and is one of NASCAR's nicest guys off the track.
The silver-spoon stigma has hurt him, though, along with the amount of times he's clashed with popular drivers. So Logano might end up going through his career hearing loud boos instead of cheers, which seems like a huge missed opportunity for both fans and NASCAR.
I mean, even Brian France's six-year-old son, Luke, picked Logano as his favorite driver. Although I guess that's another reason for some people not to root for him, so forget I mentioned that part (along with the whole CIA spy thing, please).
3. Dale Jr.'s secret pet?
Dale Earnhardt Jr. often shows animals on his social media accounts, including his dogs and pet bison.
What he's apparently not been showing is the black cat that surely walks in front of his path every day.
How else to explain the rotten luck he's had in the first nine races?
"This luck this year is just awful," he said after finishing 30th. "I don't know what else we need to do. We're just out there taking care of ourselves and running along, and something always seems to bite us."
This time, it was his friend and teammate Jimmie Johnson — of all people! — who came out of nowhere to take him out with 42 laps to go.
Johnson obviously felt terrible and said he had no idea Earnhardt was outside him when he came off the corner and bashed the 88 car into the wall.
"I just have to try to figure out if I just didn't hear it being told to me (from spotter Earl Barban) or if it wasn't told to me," Johnson said. "I'm surprised our cars even kept rolling after that because I just body-slammed him into the wall and I could have easily not heard the 'clear' or something else happened."
Immediately after saying that, Johnson went down pit road to find Earnhardt and the two talked for a couple minutes before Johnson huddled with Barban to go over what happened.
Either way, though, it's just another weird incident to add to Earnhardt's list this year. As a result, he's now 24th in the point standings — 60 points out of a playoff spot.
But Earnhardt said he's not even looking at points for now.
"We're sitting so far back, we've just got to get this thing to where we can finish," he said. "I'm just going to concentrate on getting about five or six races put together in a row, top-15s, and see what the points look like after that."
Clearly, though, the 88 team has work to do. As was the case last week at Bristol, Earnhardt wasn't going to have an amazing finish even before the incident. Things have to turn around at some point, right?
"Racing's more frustrating than it is joy," he said. "But the joy is worth hanging around for."
4. Commitment issues
The commitment box rule nailed six different drivers, including Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer. Each of them expressed disagreement with the call ("They have the wrong guy," Busch said after being told of the penalty) and Danica Patrick accused NASCAR of not being clear enough about the rule in the drivers meeting after she was penalized.
Unfortunately for those drivers, it's a black and white — or orange — issue. The drivers meeting video clearly said to have all four tires below the orange box (not on, but completely below) and then NASCAR's Richard Buck echoed the rule after the video played.
It might be dumb to have a driver lose a race that way, but NASCAR has to set the line somewhere, right? If a football player is out of bounds by a toe, he's still out of bounds.
Anyway, the rule especially stunk for Busch, who was behind Logano entering pit road and probably couldn't see the box at all. Some people wondered if Logano purposefully tried to get close to the box in hopes Busch would follow, but nah.
"There was no strategy behind it, just a late call to pit," Logano said. "It's a very late call that Todd said, 'Pit,' and I said, 'OK,' and I took a hard left and was able to get down. But when you're the trailing car, you're looking at a rear spoiler so you're not 100 percent sure where that box is. It's a tough situation."
Busch felt he was inside Logano's line, but if he was, it wasn't enough.
The whole situation might be unfortunate for the drivers who got caught, but there's really no arguing it.
5. Kinder, gentler BZF?
The last time NASCAR reporters got a chance to speak with Brian France at a racetrack, the NASCAR chairman and CEO was combative, defensive and defiant in his answers. That was at Homestead last season.
He answered some sponsor-related questions at a December news conference in Las Vegas introducing Monster Energy, then opened the stage format news conference in January with a few remarks before quickly ducking out.
Other than that, France hadn't spoken to reporters at any race this season — including Daytona.
So it was quite a surprise, then, when word suddenly trickled in following the drivers meeting that France wanted to come in and address the media at Richmond.
In the wake of Earnhardt's retirement announcement, there wasn't really anything newsworthy to come out of his remarks; France basically said all sports go in cycles when it comes to stars and NASCAR will be just fine with the next generation.
But it was notable France was there in the first place. Under the direction of new NASCAR communications chief Eric Nyquist, NASCAR officials seem to be taking a softer approach to the media this year. So far, putting media on blast — even for critical stories — has been much less prevalent (or at least from what I've seen), which is a nice change.
France looked comfortable in stating his opinions Sunday, with son Luke at his side. He even took a moment to thank reporters for being there — which is at least a gesture to potentially thaw a frosty relationship with the media.
"I want to thank you guys and gals," he said. "This is a tough sport to cover. It's multiple days away (from home), it's not one game. It's a lot of work to cover this sport. I know…our entire team thanks each and every one of you for helping tell the NASCAR story. Thank you."
The Top Five: Breaking down the Martinsville race
Each week, I'll provide some quick postrace analysis with five thoughts from the race. This week: Martinsville Speedway.
Brad isn't so bad
Martinsville is one of the tracks where Brad Keselowski gets booed the most in pre-race introductions. The reasons why people don't like Keselowski — he's brash and runs his mouth at times, races some popular drivers too hard and is unapologetic and unflinching when it comes to on-track incidents — all come to the forefront here.
So it was interesting after the race when Keselowski decided to dash into the stands to greet a group of fans — some his, but not all — who had stuck around to watch victory lane on the frontstretch.
This is how it's done. Brad @keselowski walks into the stands at @MartinsvilleSwy to celebrate with the fans. #NASCARonFS1 pic.twitter.com/YYzaSPvA8c
— #NASCARonFS1 (@NASCARONFOX) April 2, 2017
"This might not be the track where I get the loudest cheers," he said with a laugh. "But that's OK — that's part of what makes this sport go around.
"I just felt really good about it and saw a couple people I knew up in the grandstands. … I just thought it was worth saying hey."
You may not want to hear this, but that's more of who the real Keselowski is than what you see on the racetrack.
Keselowski is the type of guy who uses reporters' first names in news conferences when answering questions. Not because he's trying to kiss media butts, but because he's respectful and personable.
He is fan-friendly (did you see his Facebook Live videos in the first couple weeks of this season, when he surprised people in the campgrounds?), intelligent and a good ambassador for NASCAR, his sponsor and his team.
And yet, so many fans hate his guts! It's honestly a shame for NASCAR as a whole, because Keselowski has the type of personality that could make him a really popular driver. The problem for fans is since he's opinionated and never backs down from a fight, they've already determined he's a villain.
There's probably nothing that can be done to reverse that for now — maybe people will come around later in his career — but fans who don't think there are interesting drivers with personality in the series are overlooking Keselowski.
Stages Right
Stage racing continues to produce unexpected results. For example: Who would have imagined it would prompt a lapped car to bump the race leader out of the way?
That's exactly what Ricky Stenhouse Jr. did at the end of Stage 2, sending Kyle Busch up the track and costing Busch a potentially valuable bonus point for the playoffs this fall.
Stenhouse said he wouldn't normally make such a move because "You respect the leader." But knowing a caution was about to come, he said, made him go for it.
"It's as hard as I could drive," Stenhouse said. "I've got sponsors, fans and a team to take care of. I had to stay on the lead lap. That was a turning point in the race. If (Busch) laps (Austin Dillon, who was the next car in line) and we're stuck a lap down, it could ruin our race. So I drove as hard as I could, and it paid off for us."
Stenhouse ended up with a 10th-place finish — his second top-10 in three weeks. He said he planned to nudge Busch just enough to get the lap back, but "didn't mean to give up the win for him in that stage."
Busch wasn't impressed by the move. He said Stenhouse should expect payback, particularly since — in his mind — the bump wasn't necessary. The defending race winner explained he intended to give Stenhouse a lane and allow the driver to get his lap back at the line; instead, Stenhouse "just drove through me," Busch said.
"I was trying to be a nice guy," Busch said. "But nice guys don't finish first."
Crew chiefs getting tire-d
Why in the world did Jamie McMurray stay out when it seemed obvious his severe tire rub was going to result in a flat — one that ended up wrecking his car?
Well, because the team — like many others that have gotten burned in similar ways before — thought the tire rub might go away.
Another part of the reason not to pit, McMurray said, was "If we pit and we lose three laps, you are never going to make those up here."
The problem is, that's not really true. Drivers have come back from incidents that put them multiple laps down at Martinsville, because there are so many cautions that wavearounds and even free passes are likely here.
This honestly isn't to pick on crew chief Matt McCall or McMurray's team, because this seems to happen every few weeks: A driver gets damage from another car or from brushing the wall, resulting in a tire rub; then, either because the team thinks it will go away or because it's praying for a longshot caution, the driver stays out and ends up wrecked when the tire blows.
But these teams are really out-thinking themselves if that's the case. Points for finishing 25th and laps down are still way better than last-place points after a wreck.
If it's a minor tire rub like Kyle Busch had? Yes, that can go away. But when there's THAT much smoke? I'm not an expert, but PIT, damn it! The tire isn't going to heal itself.
Cash me ousside
Holy crap, did you see that outside lane working at Martinsville? They've been racing here for 70 YEARS, and the outside lane has never been a viable option (as far as I know) until Sunday. The new tire Goodyear brought laid rubber in the top lane, and Busch seemed to pioneer a new strategy of making the outside work.
Team radios were abuzz with spotters and crew chiefs telling their drivers about Busch's line, and others seemed to try the same thing with some degree of success. Keselowski even made the outside lane work on a late restart.
Of course, it's not like drivers have never made passes on the outside (Tony Stewart passed Jimmie Johnson that way for a win in 2011) — but it's just never been the preferred way around.
And it wasn't necessarily better than the bottom on Sunday, but at least it became an option. There was only one time all day where I noticed a driver hit the brakes to try and get the low line on a restart after pit stops, so that was an improvement.
It's worth wondering whether setups can be geared to run that way in the fall, when the playoff race will have much more importance.
JTG FTW
Hey, how about JTG-Daugherty Racing?
Sixth-place AJ Allmendinger had his best finish on a non-plate oval track since, well, this race last year (he finished second that day).
And second-year driver Chris Buescher, in his first season at JTG, finished 11th — his best result since a fifth-place run last fall at Bristol.
"We needed a good run," Allmendinger said. "I actually felt like a race car driver today. That was a lot of fun."
Maybe all is not lost for Allmendinger, who had a miserable start to the season after a 35-point penalty and three-race suspension for crew chief Randall Burnett, who returned Sunday. He moved up four spots to 26th in points (Buescher is 27th) and there are still two road courses ahead for Allmendinger.
News Analysis: Joey Logano signs long-term deal with Team Penske, Shell
What happened: Joey Logano received a mega contract extension from Team Penske and Shell — a whopping seven-year deal the team is billing as "2022 and beyond." In addition, crew chief Todd Gordon's contract was also extended at the same time. "This was one of those decisions that was a no-brainer," Logano said. "When you find yourself in an amazing opportunity with a lot of winners around you, that's great."
What it means: You don't see many deals like this in NASCAR anymore, as most contracts with drivers and teams are for three years. This might be the longest contract since Jeff Gordon's lifetime deal with Hendrick Motorsports. Logano is 26, so in seven years he'll only be 33 — which is the same age Brad Keselowski is now — and still have perhaps another 10 years ahead of him. Team owner Roger Penske joked the expectations for the new deal are 50 wins — which is nearly unattainable at more than seven per season, but also not out of the question for Logano.
News value (scale of 1-10): Seven. Logano wasn't expected to go anywhere, but the length of the deal is highly notable. It's also good news during a week when NASCAR has caught heat nationally for being in decline (through coverage in the Wall Street Journal and on CBS News), which could send a message to prospective sponsors.
Questions: How many races and championships will Logano win over the next seven years? Does this set Logano/Todd Gordon/Penske/Shell to be the next generation's Jimmie Johnson/Chad Knaus/Hendrick/Lowe's? How soon will Penske be able to lock up Brad Keselowski in a long-term deal as well?
Motorsports writer in my 13th season on the NASCAR beat. I like tweetups, Quiet Track pictures, 12 Questions interviews and polling you on whether it was a good race.
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Managing and communicating coastal adaptation costs, benefits and trade-offs – A Noosa case study
Mr Martijn Gough1, Mr Grant Hinner2
1Aither, Melbourne, Australia, 2Noosa Shire Council, Tewantin, Australia
Climate change is increasing the risks of coastal erosion and flooding upon tangible assets, such as buildings and infrastructure, and intangible community values such as recreational opportunities. The Noosa Council Coastal Hazards Adaptation Plan (CHAP) seeks to identify coastal hazard areas, understand vulnerabilities and risks to a range of assets, assign appropriate responses, and engage with the community on an ongoing basis. The plan sets out the council's and the community's preferred approach to adaptation and determine the costs, priorities and timeframes for implementation.
During the options assessment phase, a range of potential adaptation measures to reduce future risks were identified. However, making and communicating adaptation decisions is complex and challenging. Adaptation options often include trade-offs and present a range of costs and benefits to different stakeholders. For example, protection of tangible assets such as properties and infrastructure can increase the risks to intangible assets such as recreation and non-use values.
Grant Hinner from Noosa Council will discuss the key challenges and requirements for undertaking a CHAP, the complexity of decision-making faced by the council, as well the importance of managing community and stakeholder expectations and engagement.
Martijn Gough from Aither will discuss how economic analysis of adaptation options can provide clarity on the costs and benefits to the community, support decision-making and highlight the importance of valuing intangible community benefits. He will also discuss some of the limitations of cost-benefit analysis, and how it can be used most appropriately.
Grant is the Program Coordinator for Climate Change Adaptation at Noosa Council. He has a diverse skill set in program management, performance reporting, policy development and stakeholder engagement formed across the climate change and sustainability spectrum within the infrastructure, mining, real estate and government sectors.
Martijn is an economist and public policy specialists. He has led a number of economic assessments of coastal adaptation strategies in Australia and internationally. He has prior experience at the Department of Treasury and Finance and as an adaptation specialist for the United Nations Development Programme.

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Editorial Team & Policies | The Kootneeti
International Relations in India & Beyond
China / Opinion
Why India should support East Turkistan and Tibet
by Salih Hudayar · 28th August 2020
In October 1953, Communist China forced India to shut down its consulate in Kashgar, severing thousands of years of cultural and economic exchange between East Turkistan and India. Four years earlier, in late 1949, the then newly established People's Republic of China had invaded and occupied East Turkistan (renamed by Beijing as "Xinjiang"). It wouldn't be revealed until 1957 that the closure of India's consulate in Kashgar was caused by China's plan to build a road through Eastern Ladakh, also known as Aksai Chin, which would link Chinese Occupied East Turkistan with Chinese Occupied Tibet.
By 1959, China began to openly carry out intrusions into India's territory, and on October 21, 1959, Chinese soldiers attacked a party of India's reserve police and members of the Indian intelligence bureau. New Delhi sought to avoid conflict and failed to respond effectively. In 1962, taking advantage of India's lack of adequate defences along its northern borders, China used East Turkistan and Tibet's border with India to invade and occupy parts of India's Eastern Ladakh region, also known as Aksai Chin, resulting in a conflict that continues to this day.
Since the 1950s, New Delhi has largely pursued a policy of appeasement towards China in an effort to maintain peace and mitigate border disputes, which in turn has only emboldened Beijing to continue violating India's sovereignty and territorial integrity. Aside from this, China is attempting to stop the vital flow of the Yarlung Tsangpo River (Brahmaputra), which starts in Chinese Occupied Tibet, into India. While at the same time through its Belt and Road Initiative, Beijing is laying down the foundations to stage a large invasion of India in the future. If China is able to fulfil this plan, it will not only undermine India's security and territorial sovereignty but will also bring immeasurable calamity to India and its people.
Image source: Reuters
Decades of peace talks and numerous agreements made between India and China have only bought time for China. The recent attack on India's troops in the Galwan Valley coupled with Beijing's aggressive policies should serve as a wakeup call to India. New Delhi must think strategically and look into the future. India cannot be secure nor can it achieve true peace knowing that China, through the occupied countries of East Turkistan and Tibet, will be right across the border to constantly threaten India's security and national sovereignty.
For over seven decades, both East Turkistan and Tibet have been suffering under Chinese occupation and colonization. Although India has been pursuing a policy based on promoting and upholding peace, engaging in diplomatic negotiations to resolve its border conflicts, and working to minimize potential threats, it is not a real solution to maintaining peace and protecting India's sovereignty. Thus, it is important that India include East Turkistan and Tibet as a part of its strategy against China, by openly supporting East Turkistan and Tibet's struggle to restore their independence by formally recognizing the East Turkistan and Tibetan governments-in-exile and urging other countries to do the same. Doing so will not only benefit India but it will also usher in an era of development, peace, and stability across the globe.
Exile Tibetans listen to a speaker during a protest to show support with India Doklam standoff in New Delhi, India, Friday, Aug. 11, 2017,/ Image: (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)
An independent East Turkistan and Tibet will automatically eliminate China's immediate threat to India as China will no longer be sharing a border with India. Additionally, an independent East Turkistan will weaken Pakistan's close ties with China, as it too will no longer be sharing a border with China, making it increasingly difficult for Islamabad to rely on its "all-weather ally" in Beijing. A weaker China would also correlate to a weaker Pakistan, thus minimizing the security threat Pakistan and its terrorist proxies pose to India's security. Most importantly, an independent East Turkistan would eliminate China's Belt and Road Initiative which seeks to establish China's economic, political, and military dominance across the globe.
Rather than having to go through many geopolitical obstacles to obtain much-needed energy resources from distant countries like Turkmenistan, India will be able to access East Turkistan's trove of natural and mineral resources, especially clean energy: natural gas, solar, and wind power, which will help propel India to become the strategic economic powerhouse of the 21st century. Furthermore, an independent East Turkistan and Tibet would open new markets for India and re-establish economic and cultural exchanges that have developed over the course of thousands of years prior to the Chinese occupation of East Turkistan and Tibet.
Image source: FreedomMail
India needs East Turkistan and Tibet to eliminate the threat of China and provide India with the necessary energy and other resources needed to boost India's economic growth in the coming decades. Now is the time for India to accept East Turkistan and Tibet as allies and support their efforts to regain independence.
India can help East Turkistan and Tibet by helping East Turkistan and Tibet build and improve upon pre-existing democratic institutions outside of East Turkistan and Tibet. India can also extend scholarships to educate and train future leaders of East Turkistan and Tibet in the fields of economics, political science, international relations, diplomacy, national security and law. Lastly, India can offer diplomatic and political support to the East Turkistan Government in Exile and the Tibet Government in Exile, also known as the Central Tibetan Administration.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Kootneeti Team
Tags: East TurkistanSalih HudayarTibet
Salih Hudayar
Salih Hudayar is an Uyghur independence activist, current Prime Minister of the East Turkistan Government in Exile and the Founder of the modern East Turkistan National Awakening Movement. You can follow him on Twitter @SalihHudayar
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Where is Tasmania?
My Tasmania
Tasmania for solo travellers
What our guests say about us
Further Reading And Viewing
Western Wilderness
B + B
City retreats
Wilderness lodges and cabins
City, art and culture
Sea and air
Convict history
Wonderful Wildlife
The Tasmanian Devil
Monotremes
Tasmania's Islands
An archipelago of 334 islands
Flinders Island
Maria Island
Bruny Island
Sarah Island
Bonnet Island
The Tasman Peninsula
AUSTRALIAN FUR SEAL, Arctocephalus pusillus
The Australian Fur Seal is the world's fourth-rarest Seal species. Hunted to the brink of extinction last century, population recovery has been slow, and seals are now wholly protected. The Australian Fur Seal is found from the coast of NSW, down around Tasmania to Victoria and South Australia. It is the most common seal in Tasmanian waters and breeds on small isolated rocks in Bass Strait between October and January. It also hauls-out at various rocky areas around the Tasmanian coastline, especially outside the breeding season when many seals disperse from the breeding colonies.
Adult male seals can and weigh 220 kg to 360 kg. Australian fur seals breed on five rocky Bass Strait islands, but because seals only come ashore to rest and breed, it is impossible to know exactly how many there are. Based on counts at the breeding colonies each year, scientists estimate there are about 5000 pups born in Tasmanian waters each year. However, not all pups will survive to become adults. In fact, in the first two months of life 15% of pups will die. This natural mortality continues throughout the life of the seal, but at a lower level than that of the pups.
CETACEANS – WHALES AND DOLPHINS
The most frequently seen cetaceans are the common and Bottle-nosed Dolphins. Among the larger species of Baleen whale, Southern Right Whales and Humpback Whales can be seen at east coast vantage points such as Frederick Henry Bay and Great Oyster Bay. While most species migrate some distance off the continental shelf, the Humpback and Southern Right whale come sufficiently close to the coast to allow regular sightings from land. Humpbacks travel northward to breeding areas off the coast of Queensland and Western Australia between May and July and return southward to their sub-antarctic feeding grounds between September and November. Southern right whales travel north from June to September to the waters of southern mainland Australia and return southward between September and late October. A proportion of the population gives birth in Tasmanian waters. Most sightings occur on the east coast. Although this may be simply a consequence of the higher population of human observers in the east, it is likely that the Humpback and Southern rRght Whales prefer the calmer waters of the east coast. Whale watching is one of Tasmania's most popular tourist activities, and many companies offer chartered trips that provide intimate encounters with these animals. However, although whales may commonly appear placid at sea, and dolphins often initiate contact with humans directly, it is important not to disturb cetaceans by approaching closely. Whales and Dolphins are particularly vulnerable to damage from hull and propeller strikes on motorised vessels, and due to their size, accidental contact with human powered craft such as sea-kayaks, or with swimmers could potentially result in serious outcomes. In addition to the obvious collision risk the acoustic disturbance from engines, hull noises and disturbance of the water close by may alarm and disorientate animals, particularly if juveniles are present. This is especially important for southern right whales, as they have only recently begun breeding again in Tasmanian waters following their near extinction from whaling activities. A minimum approach distance of 100m when encountering any cetacean species is recommended.
Copyright © 2013 Tasmania Travel Service. All rights reserved. Created by mr.h


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Emily de La Bruyère
Nathan Picarsic
The Trump administration's 2017 National Security Strategy declared that "China and Russia want to shape a world antithetical to U.S. values and interests."1 This came in sharp contrast to the previous administration, which in 2015 asserted that "the scope of [U.S.] cooperation with China is unprecedented."2
In the first half of its term, the Trump administration confronted China mainly on trade issues, leading the administration to impose tariffs on $250 billion of Chinese imports. In January 2020, the United States and China reached a "Phase One" trade deal,3 lifting some of the tariffs and prompting talk of a new calm in the U.S.-China relationship.4
That truce was shattered by COVID-19. Trump initially complimented China's handling of the virus but later changed his tone.5 He began referring to COVID-19 as the "China virus" and accused Beijing of colluding with the World Health Organization (WHO) to obscure China's misconduct.6 In April 2020, the Trump administration activated the Defense Production Act in response to China's preclusive purchasing of personal protective equipment. The administration announced in July it would withdraw from the WHO.
The tensions that grew out of the pandemic led to aggressive Trump administration moves in other arenas, such as technology, human rights, and military affairs. The administration issued a series of executive orders intended to shore up industrial supply chains as well as informational vulnerabilities. These orders placed restrictions on products from Chinese technology firms, including Huawei in telecommunications and DJI in unmanned aerial vehicles.
In May 2020, the administration issued an executive order blocking Chinese researchers with ties to the security apparatus from using F or J student visas to enter the United States.7 An order in August prohibited downloads of WeChat, a messaging, social media, and electronic payment application that is owned by China's Tencent Holdings and captures large quantities of information; another in September outlined ambitions to remediate dependencies on China for critical materials.8 One week after the 2020 elections, yet another order banned Americans from investing in firms connected to the Chinese military.9
All these measures reflect a growing concern over China's military-civil fusion program – Beijing's strategy and institutional apparatus that wields Chinese commercial and civilian positioning and resources, at home and abroad, for coercive ends.10 Beginning in June 2020, the Department of Defense produced a list of 31 Chinese military-linked companies operating in the United States, its response to a long-unaddressed tasking from the 1999 National Defense Authorization Act.11
The Trump administration also issued sanctions in response to Beijing's human rights violations at home and aggressive posture abroad. In July 2020, the Treasury Department sanctioned the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps for its connections to mass detention and forced labor in Xinjiang.12 In August, the State and Commerce departments levied sanctions against China Communications Construction Company for its role in China's provocative South China Sea island building campaign.13
Finally, the administration made a concerted effort to vocalize its China policy to domestic and global audiences. In June and July 2019, the national security advisor, FBI director, secretary of state, and attorney general delivered a series of speeches describing the threat posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). "If we don't act now, ultimately the CCP will erode our freedoms and subvert the rules-based order that our societies have worked so hard to build," Secretary of State Pompeo said.14
The Trump administration's recognition of the CCP threat was necessary and long overdue. But the approach was still reactive and defensive – and too often unilateral. The United States needs an effective strategy to contest Beijing's influence across all competitive domains. Such a strategy must account for China's military-civil fusion strategy, standard-setting ambitions, and weaponization of international systems and organizations.15 This strategy must be multilateral, incorporating allies and partners as well as the private sector.
Beijing is currently pursuing a global offensive for information dominance. Technology firms such as Huawei and ByteDance provide Beijing with valuable tools, including the ability to aggregate data and shape narratives. Beijing also competes in less flashy segments of the technological contest: The CCP prioritizes technical standards, physical infrastructures and manufacturing, and supply chain nodes. These constitute the software and hardware of the emerging advanced technological landscape.16
Too often, the administration appeared to be chasing Hydra heads. A better approach would be to define the critical sectors of information competition and compete holistically. Simply ripping and replacing Chinese-made telecommunications equipment or imposing tariffs on Beijing for anti-market policies has little effect in a contest for global supremacy. The United States must provide positive, affirmative alternatives to Chinese standards, infrastructures, and critical supply chains.
To its credit, the Trump administration understood the U.S.-China competition as, at least in part, a struggle over global political norms. Beijing engages in human rights atrocities domestically. It also seeks to proliferate its authoritarian model globally. The CCP's imposition of the National Security Law in Hong Kong and ongoing genocide of the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang underline as much.17
Demonstrators in Hong Kong protest against Beijing's new National Security Law on July 1, 2020, the 23rd anniversary of the territory's handover to China. (Photo by Anthony Kwan/Getty Images)
Still, the Trump administration was passive in terms of setting global norms. Indeed, Trump openly admired Chinese leader Xi Jinping's untrammeled authority. This left Congress to take the lead by passing the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act and the Uyghur Human Rights Policy Act with overwhelming bipartisan support. In foreign policy, however, there is no substitute for presidential leadership. The United States can halt China's authoritarian offensive only if Washington defines the playing field, targets China's sensitivities, and attends in advance to the vulnerable targets of Beijing's assaults.
While the Trump administration was able to elevate the China challenge among some of its allies, it failed to inspire a systemic and coordinated effort on the part of its allies, its partners, and the private sector. Washington has recognized that China has bent institutions of global governance to serve its narrow interests, including the WHO and various standard-setting bodies. But it is not enough simply to withdraw from those institutions (just as it is not enough to ban Huawei or TikTok). The United States has to play a leading role in reforming existing organizations while still possible and, where necessary, build new ones free of China's co-optation. Washington must do so multilaterally, in conjunction with other global stakeholders. It must also incorporate the private sector into decision making – and structures of accountability – to shape a world in which China's global influence is diminished.
With Trump's help, the pandemic elicited greater pushback against Beijing's global presence. Yet the CCP's confidence and aggressiveness have only grown. And the pandemic has accelerated the flow of global resources – including capital and data – to China.
U.S. policy should be built upon a bipartisan consensus that Beijing's repressive regime is proliferating authoritarianism abroad, intends to undermine U.S. leadership, and seeks to shape international norms, standards, supply chains, and institutions to serve its interests. The United States must not lose sight of today's great power competition. Beijing is not a responsible stakeholder. Washington must formulate a competitive strategy tailored to countering Beijing's approach.
Compete to define emerging technical standards, especially in key information domains such as modern logistics and the regulation of cross-border data flows. China intends to set the rules for the future. The United States must respond with dedicated multilateral efforts in UN-linked bodies such as the International Organization for Standardization and the International Telecommunication Union and in industry associations such as the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. U.S. government research and development (R&D) funding should shift from basic research and toward later-stage, applied technology efforts. R&D funding and government research institutes, such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and the National Science Foundation, should be enlisted in the race to define technical standards globally.
Defend or replace international organizations at risk of being co-opted by Beijing, while activating alternatives. Beijing has co-opted or inserted its own advocates into a wide range of international organizations. The challenges these organizations pose must be analyzed and prioritized. For example, an overhaul of the World Trade Organization should be a priority. Beijing's 2001 accession to the body enabled its global offensive. An alternative or remodeled institution, formed with trusted allies and partners as well as the private sector, would not only reassert a rules-based global trade regime but also help create a system defined by multinational companies in a way that balances asymmetric exposures to, and dependencies on, the CCP.
Fund trusted supply chains with allies and partners. Beijing's military-civil fusion strategy seizes critical chokepoints within global supply chains. These positions offer direct economic returns and access to advanced technology. In times of crisis, as COVID-19 revealed, these positions also deliver coercive leverage. Washington should invest in physical infrastructure and production – with help from adjustments to the tax code and other incentives for public-private partnership – to protect against Beijing's manufacturing leverage. Washington should prioritize new infrastructure systems and relevant supply chains (such as 5G base stations, data centers, and critical raw materials such as rare earth elements).
Demonstrators take part in a protest outside the Chinese Embassy in Berlin on December 27, 2019, to call attention to China's mistreatment of members of the Uyghur community in western China. (Photo by John MacDougall/AFP via Getty Images)
Highlight and respond to China's human rights abuses. The CCP is conducting a genocide in Xinjiang. The CCP has stripped Hong Kong of its democracy and autonomy. The White House and Congress must respond to these abuses not just with clear statements of principle or threats of sanctions, but also with measures that impose a greater cost on the regime, including prosecution of criminal actions related to, and seizures of goods produced by, forced labor. The United States should also mobilize coordinated action with allies across the globe.
Target China's military and diplomatic sensitivities. U.S. military and diplomatic strategy should activate Beijing's sensitivities – both for tactical advantage and, strategically, to shape China's resource allocations. For example, the United States should respond to Beijing's violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration in Hong Kong by recognizing Taiwan. The Department of Defense should develop new operational concepts that demonstrate, for example, a capacity to penetrate the Chinese military's anti-access posture.18 Diplomatic and military positioning should be signaled in a consistent and competitive fashion to guarantee that China's Communist leaders understand the costs of their actions and the depth of U.S. resolve.
The White House, "National Security Strategy of the United States of America," December 2017. (https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/NSS-Final-12-18-2017-0905-2.pdf)
The White House, "National Security Strategy," February 2015. (https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2015_national_security_strategy_2.pdf)
"What's in the U.S.-China Phase 1 trade deal," Reuters, January 15, 2020. (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trade-china-details-factbox-idUSKBN1ZE2IF)
See, for example: Weijian Shan, "A Delicate Truce in the U.S.-Chinese Trade War: What Both Sides Must Do to Forge a Better Peace," Foreign Affairs, January 13, 2020. (https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/united-states/2020-01-13/delicate-truce-us-chinese-trade-war)
Myah Ward, "15 times Trump praised China as coronavirus was spreading across the globe," Politico, April 15, 2020. (https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/15/trump-china-coronavirus-188736)
"Coronavirus: Trump moves to pull US out of World Health Organization," BBC News (UK), July 7, 2020. (https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53327906)
That measure stemmed from concerns about technological theft and appropriation. The White House, Fact Sheet, "President Donald J. Trump Is Protecting America From China's Efforts to Steal Technology and Intellectual Property," May 29, 2020. (https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-protecting-america-chinas-efforts-steal-technology-intellectual-property)
Executive Order 13943, "Executive Order on Addressing the Threat Posed by WeChat," August 6, 2020. (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-addressing-threat-posed-wechat); Executive Order 13953, "Executive Order on Addressing the Threat to the Domestic Supply Chain from Reliance on Critical Minerals from Foreign Adversaries," September 30, 2020. (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-addressing-threat-domestic-supply-chain-reliance-critical-minerals-foreign-adversaries); for further discussion, see: Richard Altieri and Benjamin Della Rocca, "Trump Signs Ban on TikTok, WeChat; U.S. Officials Report Chinese Election Interference," Lawfare, August 14, 2020. (https://www.lawfareblog.com/trump-signs-ban-tiktok-wechat-us-officials-report-chinese-election-interference)
Gordon Lubold and Dawn Lim, "Trump Bars Americans From Investing in Firms That Help China's Military," The Wall Street Journal, November 12, 2020. (https://www.wsj.com/articles/trump-bars-americans-from-investing-in-firms-that-help-chinas-military-11605209431)
Emily de La Bruyère and Nathan Picarsic, "How to Beat China's Military-Civil Fusion," The American Interest, June 22, 2020. (https://www.the-american-interest.com/2020/06/22/how-to-beat-chinas-military-civil-fusion)
Bethany Allen-Ebrahimian and Zach Dorfman, "Defense Department produces list of Chinese military-linked companies," Axios, June 24, 2020. (https://www.axios.com/defense-department-chinese-military-linked-companies-856b9315-48d2-4aec-b932-97b8f29a4d40.html)
U.S. Department of the Treasury, Press Release, "Treasury Sanctions Chinese Entity and Officials Pursuant to Global Magnitsky Human Rights Executive Order," July 31, 2020. (https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sm1073)
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, U.S. Department of State, Press Statement, "U.S. Imposes Restrictions on Certain PRC State-Owned Enterprises and Executives for Malign Activities in the South China Sea," August 26, 2020. (https://www.state.gov/u-s-imposes-restrictions-on-certain-prc-state-owned-enterprises-and-executives-for-malign-activities-in-the-south-china-sea)
Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, U.S. Department of State, "Communist China and the Free World's Future," Address delivered at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, July 23, 2020. (https://www.state.gov/communist-china-and-the-free-worlds-future)
Emily de La Bruyère, "The New Metrics for Building Geopolitical Power in a New World," The National Interest, April 12, 2020. (https://nationalinterest.org/feature/new-metrics-building-geopolitical-power-new-world-143147?page=0%2C1)
Emily de La Bruyère and Nathan Picarsic, "China's Next Plan to Dominate International Tech Standards," TechCrunch, April 11, 2020. (https://techcrunch.com/2020/04/11/chinas-next-plan-to-dominate-international-tech-standards)
"China: New Hong Kong Law a Roadmap for Repression," Human Rights Watch, July 29, 2020. (https://www.hrw.org/news/2020/07/29/china-new-hong-kong-law-roadmap-repression); "China Suppression Of Uighur Minorities Meets U.N. Definition Of Genocide, Report Says," NPR, July 24, 2020. (https://www.npr.org/2020/07/04/887239225/china-suppression-of-uighur-minorities-meets-u-n-definition-of-genocide-report-s)
This refers to capabilities used to prevent the U.S. military from operating in China's vicinity or to constrain operations once in China's vicinity.


text:
throwing a hail mary pass
The admissibility of the Universal Studios interview between the Orange County Sheriff's Office Detectives, Yuri Melich, John Allen, Appie Wells and Casey Anthony, will be argued during a March 2, 2011 hearing.
Defense counsel, Mr. Cheney Mason, filed a motion to suppress Casey Anthony's statements. He asserts that Casey Anthony was effectively in the custody of the police during the time she gave the statements, was not read her Miranda rights, and therefore her constitutional rights were violated. Mr. Mason believes that all statements to the police should be stricken from the trial.
This Defense motion to suppress has been irking me ever since the day it was filed. Although intellectually I know that the Universal Studio interview and the statement taken by Yuri Melich in the early morning on the 16th, are coming in, it's never a sure bet until the arguments are heard and the Judge decides. (I would think that the recording of Casey Anthony at the Police station on the day of her indictment will be kept out of the trial.)
Yesterday, I took the time to listen, for the umpteenth time, to the interview at Universal Studios. There is no doubt Casey Anthony was speaking willingly and was not coerced. There is no suggestion that Casey was uncomfortable, or there unwillingly. On the contrary, Casey Anthony agreed she was there willingly to "help" find Caylee:
John Allen: You're here willingly, right?
Casey Anthony: Uh-huh. (Affirmative)
JA: You're here 'cause you want, you're here to try to help, right?
CA: Oh absolutely.
JA: You're whole reason for talking to us is, is to try to help, right?
CA: Uh-huh. (Affirmative)
JA: Nobody's forced you to talk to us, right?
CA: No.
JA: You, you want us, you want us to…. you're here because you called, you want us to help find your daughter, right?
JA: Now let me, let me ask you something. I want you to put yourself in, put yourself in some….put yourself in my shoes for a minute okay. Since you've talked to him (meaning Yuri) this morning. In an attempt to try and help find your daughter, you've given him bad addresses okay.
JA: You drove me all the way out here. We walked from the gate back here all the way to your office, right?
JA: Okay. The the, to an office that you don't have. We got all the way to the building into the hallway out here before you finally says, well I really don't have an office here. But… we were walking to your office, right?
JA: Okay so does any of this make sense to you?
Does this sound like someone being held against their will? Is it the Detectives' fault that Casey Anthony made it worse for herself with everything she said?
At age 22, Casey Anthony was considered an adult. If she were a juvenile, then Cheney Mason might have a reason to file his motion. What Cheney Mason seems to be forgetting is that on that first day of Police intervention, July 16th, there were no discussions about murder, it was all about finding a missing child. (Although after having reviewed everything the Detectives must have suspected Caylee was deceased.)
The Detectives were focused on finding Caylee, and Casey Anthony pretended she wanted to find Caylee, too. In fact, Yuri Melich started the interview off by saying:
YM: Um, the date right now is July 16th, 2008, it's about 1320 hours. We're at Universal Studios I'm here with Sergeant Allen, um, I'm here with Detective Appie wells, um, also here with Casey Anthony.
YM: And Casey, we talked earlier this morning and we're working a case looking for your daughter Caylee, is that correct?
CA: Yes.
YM: Okay. We came to Universal Studios, we're sitting in a little conference room. Obviously the door's unlocked. We just closed it so we could have a little privacy and talk to you.
At about page 19 of the 67 page transcript of this interview, John Allen again verifies that Casey Anthony is there willingly. Casey has just finished telling the Detectives that she knows it's "backwards" how she's gone about finding Caylee, and admits they are at Universal because she was "reaching":
JA: Why do you think it's backwards? It's backwards because you haven't been truthful with us okay
CA: 'Cause I've been reaching.
JA: You've been reaching, huh?
CA: I've been reaching to try to figure out a place where she actually is.
JA: So, once again okay 'cause you never did answer my question. Your reaching and helping find her by bringing us here to this office that you don't have. It's helping us how?
CA: It's….
JA: Because what you're doing right now, is you're doing everything you can to find your daughter. You have three experienced detectives right now, whose sole focus is here to help you find your daughter okay. And we're here 'cause you brought us here, correct?
CA: Absolutely.
JA: You directed us here because we're going to your office to find evidence.
CA: Hm.
JA: That will help us find her okay. Now that we're here I want you to tell me how that's helping. What is it we're doing here, what's helping us right now okay.
CA: (No verbal response)
JA: Well coming to an office doesn't exist.
CA: It's not helping.
Casey Anthony even admits she was lying to the Detectives all along, even though she knew her lying was making it impossible to find Caylee. However, if Casey Anthony had refused to talk to the detectives, she knew it would have made things even worse for her, so what's a few lies? She knew she had to act like she cared about Caylee's whereabouts, otherwise there would be reason for immediate suspicion of her. The fact that she dug her self into such a big hole by talking to the Detectives is no one's fault, certainly not the fault of the Detectives who only wanted to find Caylee. It's clear that Casey Anthony, at this point, knows she's caught, and she's trying to be as calm as possible to not throw anyone off.
Casey Anthony, however, does not have it in her to show real concern for her daughter. She doesn't begin to know how to "act" like a mother who cares, though she is trying, she fails miserably and comes off as being just as Yuri Melich says, "a cold callous person who just doesn't care."
This interview is extremely damaging to Casey's defense.
Is there any wonder the Defense needs to throw this motion as a Hail Mary pass and hope for a miracle?


text:
using System;
using System.Security.Cryptography;

namespace Omnius.Net.I2p
{
    static class I2pConverter
    {
        private static class Base32
        {
            private static readonly char[] _table = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz234567".ToCharArray();

            private const int InBitsPerByte = 8;
            private const int OutBitsPerByte = 5;
            private const int OutBitMask = 0x1f;

            public static int CalculateLength(int length)
            {
                return ((length * InBitsPerByte) + (OutBitsPerByte - 1)) / OutBitsPerByte;
            }

            public static int ToCharArray(byte[] inArray, int offsetIn, int lengthIn, char[] outArray, int offsetOut)
            {
                if (inArray == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(inArray));
                if (offsetIn < 0 || inArray.Length < offsetIn) throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(offsetIn));
                if (lengthIn < 0 || inArray.Length < lengthIn) throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(lengthIn));
                if (inArray.Length - offsetIn < lengthIn) throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException();
                if (outArray == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(outArray));
                if (offsetOut < 0 || outArray.Length < offsetOut) throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(offsetOut));

                int lengthOut = Base32.CalculateLength(lengthIn);

                if (lengthOut < 0 || outArray.Length < lengthOut) throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException(nameof(offsetOut));
                if (outArray.Length - offsetOut < lengthOut) throw new ArgumentOutOfRangeException();

                int positionIn = offsetIn;
                int positionOut = offsetOut;

                int queue = 0;
                int bitsInQueue = 0;

                for (int i = 0; i != lengthIn; ++i)
                {
                    queue <<= InBitsPerByte;
                    queue |= inArray[positionIn];
                    ++positionIn;
                    bitsInQueue += InBitsPerByte;

                    for (; bitsInQueue >= OutBitsPerByte; bitsInQueue -= OutBitsPerByte)
                    {
                        int outIndex = (queue >> (bitsInQueue - OutBitsPerByte)) & OutBitMask;
                        outArray[positionOut] = _table[outIndex];
                        ++positionOut;
                    }
                }

                if (bitsInQueue != 0)
                {
                    int outIndex = (queue << (OutBitsPerByte - bitsInQueue)) & OutBitMask;
                    outArray[positionOut] = _table[outIndex];
                    ++positionOut;
                    bitsInQueue = 0;
                }

                return lengthOut;
            }

            public static string ToString(byte[] inArray)
            {
                return ToString(inArray, 0, inArray.Length);
            }

            public static string ToString(byte[] inArray, int offset, int length)
            {
                var outArray = new char[CalculateLength(length)];
                ToCharArray(inArray, offset, length, outArray, 0);
                return new string(outArray);
            }
        }

        private static class Base64
        {
            public static byte[] FromString(string s)
            {
                return Convert.FromBase64String(s.Replace('-', '+').Replace('~', '/'));
            }

            public static byte[] FromCharArray(char[] inArray, int offset, int length)
            {
                return Base64.FromString(new string(inArray, offset, length));
            }
        }

        public static class Base32Address
        {
            private static string FromDestination(byte[] destination)
            {
                using (var sha256 = SHA256.Create())
                {
                    var hashResult = sha256.ComputeHash(destination);
                    return Base32.ToString(hashResult) + ".b32.i2p";
                }
            }

            public static string FromDestinationBase64(string destinationBase64)
            {
                var destination = Base64.FromString(destinationBase64);
                return FromDestination(destination);
            }
        }
    }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Business Intelligence is a master tool business owners and entrepreneurs utilize for efficiency and to accelerate cash-flow imperative to overall growth and sustainability.
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Mr. Argyris Argyrou graduated from Acropolis Lyceum, Nicosia and obtained a Degree in Economics from the Faculty of Law and Economic Sciences (Dpt of Economics) of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He then obtained a Master´s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the Mediterranean Institute of Management (M.I.M.).
Between 1985-1988 Mr. Argyrou worked at Commercial Union Assurance (Cyprus) Ltd. He subsequently worked for a short period of time at the Bank of Cyprus.
Since 1989 he has been employed at CNP Asfalistiki Ltd Insurance Company (ex Laiki Insurance), in various positions, such as Head of Underwriting Dpt, Head of Limassol-Paphos Regional Offices (Administration, Underwriting and Claims). From 1994 to 2015 he held the position of Claims Manager and since 2015 he holds the position of the Manager of Claims and Reinsurance.
He served as a Member of the Board of Directors of the Air Transport Licensing Authority of Cyprus between 1993 and 1999 and of Zenon National Distribution Centre Ltd (subsidiary of Cyprus Airways) between 1999 and 2003. Since 2016 he has been the Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of Motor Insurers Fund of Cyprus (M.I.F.) and Chairman of the Board´s Audit Committee.
He is also a member of the Bureau of the European Works Council of the CNP Assurances Group, France.
In January 2019 Mr. Argyrou was appointed Member of the Board of the Cyprus Telecommunications Authority (Cyta).


text:
L'ADO Base- en softball è stato una squadra di baseball e softball olandese, con sede a L'Aia.

Storia
Nata nel 1948 come sezione dell'omonima società calcistica, disputò i primi campionati di Hoofdklasse negli anni settanta. Conseguì i migliori risultati a partire dal 1992, anno della prima ed unica vittoria del titolo nazionale, ottenuto battendo l'HCAW nella Holland Series. Nella seguente stagione conquistò la Coppa dei Campioni sconfiggendo i campioni in carica del Parma Baseball, ma nel 1994 non riuscì a ripetersi in finale contro il Neptunus Rotterdam. Al Neptunus si arrese anche nella Holland Series del 2000.

Nel gennaio del 2012 avvenne la fusione con i Losdun Lakers e il contestuale cambiamento del nome in AdoLakers, società che tuttavia cessò di esistere il 7 marzo 2015.

Palmarès
 Campionato olandese: 1
1992
 Coppe dei Campioni: 1
1993

Finali perse
Holland Series: 1
2000
Coppe dei Campioni: 1
1994
Coppa CEB: 1
1995
Coppa delle Coppe: 1
2002

Note

Voci correlate
 Campionato olandese di baseball

Squadre di baseball olandesi

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


CTA Red Line trains heading north to Howard were temporarily rerouted to the elevated tracks Wednesday morning after a passenger was injured at the Monroe station.
CHICAGO (WLS) -- CTA Red Line trains heading north to Howard were temporarily rerouted to the elevated tracks Wednesday morning after a woman's foot reportedly got stuck between a train and the platform at the Monroe station.
First responders were on the scene around 8:30 a.m. The woman was transported to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for observation. She is expected to be OK.
All northbound trains were diverted to the elevated tracks between Cermak-Chinatown and Fullerton for a short time. Southbound Red Line trains heading to 95th Street are not affected.
Red Line trains resumed normal service with delays around 8:45 a.m.


What can we do? Not much really, except pray and turn our hearts back to God. Our world, this nation, and every nation on Earth needs to turn toward the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Why should we do this? Because we have pushed Him out of our lives! We have taken prayer and Bible reading out of our schools and we are reaping the consequences of that decision.
Some people may not notice that this is happening, but if you ask anyone who grew up in the sixties and seventies they can tell you that our world is definitely NOT the same anymore. So many problems, so much anger and violence, so many wars and things which are happening all over the world. These we see and hear about on the news programs or on the Internet on a daily basis and they change our perception of people in our world.
We look at people in a different light. We think about them in ways which are wrong, because we are allowing outside influences, like the news, change our perception. God knows each of them and you. He doesn't change His ways and we should try to be more like Him. No, we will never be perfect in this life but we should strive toward that goal through Him and by knowing Him.
Why am I saying this? Because…the world is the way it is today simply because we are coming to the end of the church age or the age of God's grace. He hasn't given up on us, but His plans are in motion to bring about His purposes in the world. Many people can't seem to believe that this is where we are today, but if you have read the Bible and the prophecies concerning the end of the age, then most of it makes at least some sense.
No, we can't understand His ways or why things are happening the way that they are, because they seem so wrong to our way of thinking. But, God sees the picture outside of our time and space and He knows what is going on and how it will work out. This is the message to all who read this post: God has it all in His hands and His ways are better and more perfect than ours because He can see the outcome before the beginning.
Seek Him and trust in Him in all of your life's journeys, no matter how small or big they might seem to you…because God is bigger than your problems! It might not seem so right now, but He is!
Previous Post Is there a way out?


OK, I recently got added to Priscilla Palmer's expansive "Personal Development List," thanks to Ariane Benefit, who is also on the list. The list is kinda like a chain letter or something, where once you get added, you're supposed to re-post the list, add 5 more sites to the list, and do a trackback back to the original list.
I'm going to do it a little differently, just because the list is so long and I think Priscilla is doing a great job of maintaining the list.
Start with these five treasures. Then, if you want to see the current version of the list in its entirety, please visit Priscilla's site. And if you're one of my 5 additions, feel free to add to the list, as well - my way or the "official" way. (If you don't, I don't think this is one of those "a bad thing will happen to you" sorts of things - don't sweat it, it's only karma ).
After the fold, you can see the list as it was when I posted this.
Blogher's Religion and Spirituality "department"
I'm always amazed and humbled by the company I'm privileged to keep in this online world.


This Christmas we must all be reminded of these words of the only begotten Son of God, JESUS, saying: "Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" (Luke 12:15).
"'It is more blessed to give than to receive'" (Acts 20:35).
Previous PostPrevious GOD sent JESUS to this Earth to be the CHRIST OF GOD.
Next PostNext GIVE to the poor and needy this CHRISTMAS.