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When a Progressive Community Fails to See Its Own Biases, Bullying and Bigotry Get a Pass
Livable Streets Community Struggles to See How its Approaches, Narratives Silence Voices on the Margins
By Sahra Sulaiman
When you have to navigate a landscape that wasn't created with you in mind. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog L.A.
"Speaking very sincerely here, I struggle to understand why a more inclusive definition of safe streets is so offensive [to you]," I tweeted to Josef Bray-Ali (@flyingpigeonla), former bike shop owner, cycling activist, and now controversial challenger to the incumbent for city council in a largely Latino but rapidly gentrifying district of L.A. in March of 2016.
We were arguing about the inclusion of policies and practices that promote equitable and just outcomes in transportation for lower-income communities of color and others on the margins and I was getting tired of the insults he was lobbing at myself and others who do that work.
I usually did my best to avoid engaging Bray-Ali directly.
Despite his claims of being a "trained anthropologist" and of harboring a genuine interest in learning from people whose views differed from his own, he was much more forgiving of the racists he was supposedly "provoking" in the dark cesspools of the internet than he was of me and the lower-income black and brown voices I try to amplify through my work at Streetsblog L.A.
In fact, he seemed to take particular delight in trolling me just to let me know he wasn't going to listen to anything I wrote on the topic of socio-economic justice in urban planning. On one memorable occasion, after a lengthy back and forth he acknowledged he hadn't even read the article I had written. He just had assumed, per usual, that he knew what I was talking about and that he wouldn't like what I had to say. On other occasions, he would silence me, declaring that if I didn't give him the answer he wanted – regardless of how problematic his terms always were – I could show myself out of the conversation. Which was usually about the time that the insults would begin in earnest and he would position himself as the only one who truly cared about the carnage seen in L.A.'s streets. (*Bray-Ali deleted his comment history on Streetsblog; links to SBLA articles are to cached text-only versions where his comments – under "ubrayj02" – remain intact.)
He was a self-righteous bully, plain and simple.
I had seen it in person back when I first met him in 2005; it was the reason I had stopped getting my bike tuned up at the co-op he founded, the reason I stopped attending the Spoken Art rides he organized, and one of the reasons I didn't feel comfortable being part of the nascent bike community. And it was the reason I kept my distance from him now – the inability to listen, the entitlement, and the unwarranted aggression made him exhausting to engage. Even online.
But I had spotted him trolling others working on equity/justice – spouting his usual complaint that equity was a distraction and that he had heard enough about the need to be inclusive – and I thought it was important for someone to check him for once.
Predictably, the conversation quickly went nowhere. He accused equity proponents of running a "racket" and stalling and burdening projects unnecessarily. He labeled the consideration of historical injustices and racial disparities a guilt trip. Several times. And, as always, he kept demanding I answer his questions on his terms, no matter how much I insisted that was impossible because his terms were too narrow and too explicitly exclusionary.
So I resorted to the sincere query that I've made to him on several occasions, namely: Help me understand why consideration of the needs of the most vulnerable among us – particularly lower-income black and brown communities – is so offensive to you?
I had first asked a form of that question in a Facebook post in 2015 – right around the time that Bray-Ali was "tracking" and "learning from" racists in a voat forum called "v/N*ggers," incidentally. I asked it because he and others in the Facebook group, Figueroa for All, were highly critical of the idea that racial profiling and the death of black men at the hands of law enforcement during traffic stops be a consideration in the implementation of Vision Zero (the effort to reduce traffic-related deaths to zero).
When the LAPD was made a lead implementing agency for Vision Zero here in Los Angeles, it immediately rang alarm bells for advocates like myself, the LACBC's Executive Director Tamika Butler, and others concerned about abuses of police power. The concerns we have go far beyond those sparked by the murders we've all seen unfold on our screens since the death of Mike Brown in Ferguson. For decades, the LAPD played an active role in the brutal repression of L.A.'s black and brown communities. Its relationship with those communities has yet to be healed in a meaningful way. As such, justice-oriented advocates want to know that, in the quest to save lives, Vision Zero will not amplify the abuses of force and power already being exercised against vulnerable communities of color.
If you'll pardon my French: it is a super f*cking basic concept.
And yet upon learning that this topic had come up in a conversation Butler had with the councilmember for District 1, known to some as "Roadkill" Gil Cedillo for his abysmal record on complete streets, members of the Fig4All group were livid. Justice, they believed, would be used as an excuse to hold up Vision Zero implementation.
The more they objected, however, the more it became clear that they were upholding a position that many, like Bray-Ali, were already deeply invested in.
And when I weighed in to defend Butler and to argue that the acknowledgement of concerns about law enforcement was both important and separate from whatever agenda Cedillo had, Bray-Ali led the charge.
"How absolutely nit-pickingly myopic do you have to be to make *THIS* the issue you have with Vision Zero?" he demanded.
"Please, please, show me something to back that up other than, 'Oh, I have concerns.'" he jeered. "…Why do we spend so much time coming up with new and stupid ways of hurting our own shared visions for this city?"
When I offered a lengthy discussion of the particular and historic vulnerability of black men, the challenge of tracking police harassment and violence, the importance of ensuring that the safety of some didn't come at a high cost to others, and the idea that a vision that dismissed the struggles faced by people of color could not reasonably be considered "shared," he called both Butler and I "concern trolls" and proclaimed,
"[It] Makes me want to quit doing anything in this city anymore. What's next? No more advocating for clean parks? No more advocating against illegal dumping? No more advocating for effective safe schools? Law enforcement might have to get involved! Injustice! Go hang a shingle somewhere. 'Concerns – 5 cents; Actual social justice and clean city? Impossible.' Will this give us a bike lane? Will this give us more curb ramps? No. Will it be used as a red herring argument when livable streets issues pop up? Oh hell yes."
Then, making sure that Butler did not escape explicit reprimand, he concluded, "Thanks again, LACBC! Can't wait to be told to stop annoying Cedillo so you can continue to manufacture reasons not to do things."
His raging at Butler online and later, in person at meetings to discuss the Figueroa bike lane, was particularly jarring.
Butler is African American and identifies as gender-nonconforming/trans.
There is nowhere on earth where she is truly 100 percent safe.
Let me repeat that just so that is clear: there is absolutely nowhere on the face of this motherf*cking planet where she can take the safety and security of her person for granted.
Women have screamed at her and put their hands on her in restrooms because they thought she didn't belong there. When she is pulled over by cops – something that happens all too often and for no legitimate reason – she has been treated as if she posed a threat, not just to officers but to her own white wife sitting in the passenger seat. The moments where she does not have to be cognizant of how others are responding to her presence are few and far between. And nowhere is this more true than in the public space.
Which means that when Bray-Ali called her a troll who was looking for excuses to thwart his agenda, he was essentially saying to her, I do not care about the challenges you face in accessing the public space. I do not care if efforts to ensure my physical safety cause you to feel even less safe or have the potential to cause you even more harm. Moreover, you are a terrible person for asking me to consider the vulnerabilities of similarly marginalized communities.
I'm going to be straight up with you here.
Yes, it is unsettling that Bray-Ali spent his time cybercavorting with basement-dwelling racists and their abhorrent fat-shaming, transphobic, and misogynist brethren.
But in many ways, I find the biases embedded in the statements made to Butler and myself far more disturbing.
Because they're said out in the open. Without shame.
Because this is the platform on which he is running for office.
Because this is the platform by which he has been judged to be a champion of the livable streets community, regardless of how many times it was made clear that he saw no place for the addressing of race, class, or historical inequities in planning for a better Los Angeles.
He wasn't checked when he trolled me about food justice work in South Central, snarking, "It is starting to sound like nothing going on in poor areas is allowed to be judged on its merits unless it also passes the 'does this mandate the ideology of victimization' test for participants."
He wasn't checked when he dismissed a nuanced discussion TRUST South L.A.'s Malcolm Harris and I had around engagement of disenfranchised communities as: "Tl;dr," ignored the insights Harris and I teased out about the unique needs of a historic black neighborhood and distorted our arguments.
He wasn't checked in other forums when he joked about the displacement of people of color from Glassell Park.
He wasn't checked in that exchange where he called Butler and I "concern trolls." Instead, many of his peers piled on, accusing Butler of "tipping her hand" by letting on she cared about justice, calling it a "stretch" to tie law enforcement concerns to Vision Zero, accusing me of "posturing" about justice-related issues and then #AllLivesMatter-ing me, calling concerns about the impact of policy on people of color a cheap red herring, and then going on to complain about us in another social media forum.
He wasn't checked in the years that he was openly critical of the way that the Ovarian Psycos – an all-women-of-color bicycle brigade riding out of Boyle Heights – approached organizing, feminism, women's rights, and cycling. On the rare occasion he was [see those responding to his posts as "DeezOvas"], he doubled down, proposing a "Brovarian Psychos" ride to reclaim the streets for men, penning rants that mocked the women, their concerns, and what he appeared to see as a lack of appreciation for what male cyclists had done for them, and declaring, "Enough men have grown up with this, ceded our identities and our needs in order to have sex or be considered 'normal', without crushing guilt and judgement by the rest of society, that this bigotry, out in the open, needs to be called out." His recent cringeworthy cameo in the documentary film about the Ovas, where he served as an example of the kinds of misogyny and ignorance they had come up against as they grew their movement, suggested his mindset remained unchanged. So did the congratulations he offered himself on Facebook for the scene in which he questioned whether the Ovas had the temperament or the Chicano bonafides to "handle women's issues." "The filmmakers answered the questions I raised, I feel," he wrote, and was rewarded with 125 "likes" from his supporters.
And because he has yet to be truly checked about these biases by this community, his friends, or his supporters, Bray-Ali has been led to believe that as long as he stays out of "n*gger" forums, he is not problematic. So much so that he didn't hesitate to come at me again several days after his sewer shenanigans blew up to suggest I was not as smart as he because I cared about kids like Jordan Edwards getting shot during traffic stops and to remind me that I am the real problem, that I seek the "non-implementation of street safety projects and a platform to discuss issues related to policing and institutional racism," while he does the important work – "stick[ing] to my wheelhouse: trying to implement street safety projects."
So you will forgive me if I am harboring a little rage at the moment.
Actually, that's a lie.
It's not a little rage.
I have been at DEFCON F.A.Y.A. for a week and a half now.
Not because Josef Bray-Ali is a troubling troglodyte. That's his burden to bear. And he is, frankly, not my concern.
What is my concern is that Josef Bray-Ali is not an outlier in this community.
He is not an aberration.
He is a product of this community and all that it represents. Most notably: how poorly it is able to examine and address its own implicit biases or acknowledge the extent to which it actively silences voices of color and others on the margins.
In fact, if this absurd episode has taught me anything about this community, it is that the divide between those who have the privilege of ignoring questions of access – access to power, validation, public spaces, safety, ears that can hear you, and eyes that can truly see you – and those who do not is so much deeper than even I had anticipated.
Which is saying a lot, considering that I recently had a well-respected white woman get up in my face after a project committee meeting and order me to "stop talking." And considering that I am still regularly told that the issues I cover have nothing to do with livable streets. And considering that men of privilege constantly want to whitesplain transportation and housing to me, often by dismissing me outright, misrepresenting and misinterpreting my arguments, or cyberyelling me. And considering I wrote a whole screed about this divide after the Women's March and men in the community immediately jumped into the comments to tell me not only how wrong-headed I was but how little I knew about white people and how to talk to them. And considering that some of the most obstinate and hostile obstacles to the inclusion of equity and justice in transportation are within my own Streetsblog network.
Even with all that, I can honestly say I was genuinely not prepared to watch progressive people of privilege – including so many that claim to care about equity, justice, and inclusion – spend a week excusing away participation in "n*gger" chat rooms, engaging in lengthy and heated debates about whether putting the n-word in quotes made it more or less racist, proclaiming themselves to be oppressed minorities in need of bike lanes, pronouncing unsavory online habits as mistakes we all make, and being actively indifferent to any harm that might have been caused to those targeted by transphobic, fat-shaming, misogynist, racist bottom-feeders.
I did not expect to see so many cis/white/het folks actively silencing and pooh-poohing away the concerns raised by the very few folks of color and LGBTQ folks that were brave enough to dip their toes into the bonkers conversations going down on the Bike the Vote facebook page.
I did not expect to have so many people reach out to me personally to tell me that I was giving in to headlines – that they had known Josef for years; that he had always been nice to them; that they had never seen him be racist.
I did not expect to watch people parse out the "concern troll" Facebook conversation and tell me either that it was no big deal because Bray-Ali would have said the same thing to a white person or that Bray-Ali was right to argue the position he did and that I just didn't get it. Sometimes they said both. Repeatedly.
I did not expect to see my own colleague wipe myself and Butler from this community's map when he argued, without a hint of irony, that Bray-Ali had really only attacked anti-bike people and that he would still be voting for him because Bray-Ali was the candidate who would best support his "personal physical safety." Or have said colleague interject on Twitter to minimize Bray-Ali's problematic behavior while I was trying to have a nuanced discussion with someone about implicit biases.
I did not expect to see my own boss – whom I consider to be one of the best humans on the planet, but who also (along with my colleague) received several emails from me over the years about how Bray-Ali bullied and silenced myself and other voices of color – say that the first time he reflected on Bray-Ali's behavior was when a reporter called him about Josef's anthropological adventures.
And I did not expect to see the story in the L.A. Weekly, with an assist from my own colleague, whiff the race issue – allowing those of us who seek greater inclusion and a more just and accessible city to be called a "faction" and the divide between those who actively lobby for that more inclusive future and those that continue to see it as a "distraction" to be described as "healthy."
People of color and other marginalized groups are not f*cking "factions;" they are not playing "identity politics." Their lives are inherently more precarious because of how their race, class, status, gender identity, historical disenfranchisement, generational trauma, and denial of opportunity intersect with their ability to navigate a cisgendered hetero-normative white-centered ableist landscape that continues to exclude them by design.
And the fact that those groups are silenced or tokenized or bullied every time they try to challenge the existing narratives and biases that uphold that landscape is not "healthy" – it is seriously fucked up.
And it's given me a lot of pause. So much so that I've actually said to a few people that I'm really not sure when I'll be ready to look this community in the eye again.
But what do I know?
I am just a "concern troll."
Because bike lanes.
I had lengthy Twitter exchanges regarding implicit biases and everything else over the last week that may help offer more explanation about what I am getting at when I am calling out biases. You can view some of those conversations here. Some of the threads branch off, so you may have to poke around. The lengthy Bike the Vote Facebook page conversations can be found here; poking around in the sub threads is the best way to get the full scope of arguments made. Last week, Tamika Butler gave a talk at the Vision Zero Cities conference in New York entitled, "I Am Not Your N*gger: Can Vision Zero Work in a Racist Society?," where she spoke about her place in this saga, her relationship with the larger livable streets community, and the challenge of working within a community that only sees her when it suits their needs.
You can reach me on twitter, here.
Filed Under: Bicycling, Eastside, Livable Streets Communities, South LA, Promoted
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Update: City Planner Claire Bowen sends word that the determination sent out yesterday was merely a procedural matter, and should not be read as a final decision in the matter. The city is still accepting input and no decision has been made. So much for that. …….. The announcement, when it broke yesterday, came without […]
New Year, New Laws: Higher Threshold for "Grand Theft" Changes Penalties for Bike Theft
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(This is a two-part series on some tweaks to state law that effect our streets. Tomorrow we'll look at some other changes that stiffen penalties for scofflaw drivers, whether their car is moving or not.) When the clock struck midnight on Saturday morning, it didn't just usher in a new year, but it also ushered […]


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10 best Ben Barnes movies, according to IMDb
Actor Ben Barnes is a rising star with roles spanning numerous genres, but here are his top 10 movie roles according to IMDb!
After starring in Netflix Shadow and bone As General Kirigan (aka The Darkling), Ben Barnes is fast becoming a household name. Although Barnes has previously played some fantasy and science fiction roles, such as on television shows like WestworldThe films he's been in have spanned several other genres, from romantic comedies to thrillers.
Barnes' ability to transcend genres is a testament to his acting skills. User ratings for the best Ben Barnes movies were compiled by IMDb, so there is a wide variety of movies to watch for Barnes fans.
10 The Big Wedding – 5.6
With an impressive cast, including legendary actor and comedian Robin Williams, Diane Keaton, Robert De Niro, Amanda Seyfried and Katherine Heigl, this dramatic romantic comedy follows divorcees (played by Keaton and De Niro) who agree to pretend to be married during the wedding of her adopted son Alexander (played by Barnes), hoping to cheat on his biological mother, who disapproves of the divorce. This causes chaos to ensue and ultimately reveals a host of family secrets.
Despite having a large cast of well-known and esteemed actors, the reviews of The big wedding were mainly negative, with a rating of 5.6 on IMDb. Still, Barnes put on a great performance as the son and newlywed caught in the middle of an uninhibited family drama.
9 Jackie y Ryan – 5.9
In the romantic drama Jackie y Ryan, Barnes stars alongside Katherine Heigl, and they both play musicians who are struggling through the current stages of their life. Heigl's character, Jackie, is a single mother trying to gain full custody of her daughter, and Barnes's character, Ryan, is a wayward train who wants to make it big in the music industry. When Jackie and Ryan's paths intertwine, the course of their lives changes forever.
While the film was nominated for Best Picture at the Venice Film Festival, Jackie y Ryan earned a 5.9 rating on IMDb. In a film that will not be the most memorable performance for any of the revered actors, both Barnes and Heigl had excellent chemistry.
8 Dorian Gray – 6.2
Based on the novel by Oscar Wilde, Barnes plays the title character in Dorian Gray whose life is turned upside down when he meets the self-indulgent Lord Henry, who imparts his pleasure-seeking mentality to Dorian, sending him down a dark path. As Dorian's sins pile up, he continues to retain his youth on the outside, but the once beautiful painting of his likeness is increasingly distorted along with his identity.
The reception of this film adaptation was not as controversial as Wilde's book had been at the time, with Dorian Gray receiving a 6.2 rating on IMDb. During the movie, Dorian's shedding soul is as vivid to the audience through Barnes's performance as it is in actual painting.
7 Bigga Than Ben – 6.3
In the black comedy movie Bigga Than Ben, Barnes plays Cobakka, one of two rebellious brothers who move to London in search of making their own sizable fortune. Despite their initial intention to earn money in an honest way, their lack of success combined with meeting a suspicious man named Artash leads them to resort to theft, drug smuggling and other illegal means of lining their pockets. As the siblings' actions become increasingly immoral, the cracks in their relationship become more shocking.
Bigga Than Ben received mostly positive reviews with praise for the dark nature of the film's comedy. The film earned a 6.3 rating on IMDb and gives viewers a chance to see a drastically different side of Barnes as an actor through a more ghoulish and comical lens.
6 The Chronicles of Narnia: The Dawn Treader's Voyage – 6.3
The youngest of the Pevensie brothers, Lucy and Edmund, are sent back to Narnia along with their bored cousin Eustace in The Chronicles of Narnia: Journey of the Dawn Treader. Barnes reprized his role as Caspian, who has grown more mature and grown as the King of Narnia in his absence. Together, they all embarked on a treacherous journey to rescue seven lords.
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader received a 6.3 rating on IMDb. Caspian's eminent role as King of Narnia allows audiences to watch him grow into a more confident and respected leader, while appreciating Barnes' growth as an actor.
5 Kill Bono – 6.4
Inspired by a true story, Kill Bono follows the fame of the adjacent band led by Neil McCormick (played by Barnes) and his brother Ivan, Bono's friends and former classmates, who becomes the lead singer for the band U2. Along with his younger brother, Neil has a front row seat to the international fame and fortune that U2, and especially Bono, achieve. As the film progresses, Neil craves the same acclaim, consequently leading to his downfall as an artist and damaging his personal relationships.
Kill Bono It was as dramatic as it was comical, receiving a 6.4 rating on IMDb. Barnes' performance masterfully showed how much Neil's resentment had grown to the point that he was willing to murder Bono in order to become famous.
4 The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian – 6.5
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian It was the second installment in the popular film franchise and was Barnes' first appearance as Prince Caspian, who flees his kingdom when he learns that his uncle is plotting to kill him. Later, the Pevensies are joined by Prince Caspian, who help him in the fight to defeat his evil uncle and take his rightful place on the throne.
prince caspian He received a 6.5 rating on IMDb, and by playing this heroic character, Barnes gained a fiercely loyal fanbase that has stuck with him throughout his acting career.
3 Easy Virtue – 6.7
Easy virtue, set in the 1930s, follows a newlywed couple, an American progressive, Larita, played by Jessica Biel, and a naive British, John, played by Barnes, as they return to their childhood home to meet their family. John's mother's disdain for Larita is palpable from their first meeting, and Larita quickly tires of her manipulation, causing them to constantly conflict.
This places significant strain on John's relationship with Larita, leaving him torn between his sense of duty to his family as the rightful heir to his estate and the love he promised his wife in their passionate (albeit hasty) marriage. The film received mixed reviews from critics and viewers alike, earning a 6.7 rating on IMDb; But, Barnes deftly portrayed a starry-eyed young man whose immaturity won him over in the end.
2 Words – 7.0
On Words, Clay wrote a novel about a struggling author, Rory, who suspiciously has a lot in common with Clay. After many unsuccessful attempts to publish his own books, Rory discovers an ancient and eloquently written manuscript that claims to be his, making it a huge success. Rory's life is booming until an old man approaches him and shares his backstory, revealing that he was the one who wrote and lived the story. This impacts Rory's path forward and, in turn, that of author Clay, as he tries to justify the ending of the novel.
In one of his best film roles yet, Barnes played the younger version of the old man in flashbacks. Her performance beautifully captures the many deep emotions (love, loss, and regret) her character experienced. The old man's backstory propelled the plot forward and was a compelling part of this embedded narrative. Words received a 7.0 rating on IMDb, with Barnes managing to touch the heartstrings of the audience.
1 Stardust – 7.6
Director Matthew Vaughn's film Stardust, adapted from Neil Gaiman's book of the same name, tells a story about Tristan Thorn, played by Charlie Cox before Daredevil's fame, who embarks on a quest to retrieve a fallen star in hopes of winning Victoria's hand in marriage. To Tristan's surprise, the star is actually a woman named Yvaine, and they fall in love while protecting each other from those who seek to harm them.
Barnes briefly portrayed young Dunstan, Tristan's father, who met and spent the night with a captive princess. Stardust It received a 7.6 rating on IMDb, and while Barnes did play a smaller role in this movie, the rest of the story wouldn't be possible without his character's choices when he was young.
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This work begins with a majestic statement symbolizing the pride that music students feel whenn they perform as one. The celebratory section symbolizes the many wonderful times that are experienced as part of the band program. The slower section represents personal reflection and appreciation of the gift of music. 1st trumpet's highest note is G. All clarinets cross the break.


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Celebrating Biden's win, how the MTA may benefit, & more
By Jennifer White Karp | November 9, 2020 - 9:30AM
Emily Myers for Brick Underground/Flickr
New Yorkers celebrated the news that the election was officially called Saturday morning for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris with dancing in the streets and other spontaneous scenes of joy (Gothamist)
Some real estate executives say President Donald Trump should either provide evidence to support his allegations of voter fraud or step aside—for the sake of the economy (The Real Deal)
A Biden administration could revive NYC's cash-strapped MTA (amNewYork)
What location scouts are looking for when they seek houses for commercials, videos, and photo shoots (The New York Times)
New York has lost more than $4 billion in tax revenue as a result of the pandemic, according to a from Comptroller Tom DiNapoli (State of Politics)
What it's like to live in Haworth, a densely wooded borough in northern Bergen County, N.J. (The New York Times)
Jennifer White Karp
Jennifer White Karp steers Brick Underground's editorial coverage of New York City residential real estate and writes articles on market trends and strategies for buyers, sellers, and renters. Jennifer's 15-year career in NYC real estate journalism includes stints as a writer and editor at The Real Deal and its spinoff publication, Luxury Listings NYC. She holds a B.A. from Wesleyan University and an MFA in nonfiction writing from the New School.
SEE MORE BY Jennifer White Karp »


Distrust of phone networks will lead to more secure lines and peer-to-peer phone connections.
Speaking to IT Security Guru, David Davis MP said that he suspected that eventually we will have direct peer-to-peer phone networks where, if we are not far away from each other, secure calls will be possible.
"Where there is not an exchange, it will come because it is cheaper and more efficient than having massive networks with huge volumes," he said.
Mike Janke, chairman of Silent Circle, told IT Security Guru that he had heard this sort of comment before, and usually from Government types in the US, UK and Europe.
He said: "Although it sounds good, the reality is that it presents enormous challenges. The ideas being floated around do not include device-to-device encryption like Silent Circle, but rather device-to-server encryption.
Janke admitted that the trust factor is a difficult area to overcome, as Governments will have the ability to wire tap at the server, but he asked if Government's can be trusted to build and host a system that will keep out other nations, hackers and criminals?
Davis said that the whole structure of western Government is not very bright on a technical and a strategic level, and the inevitable result is that people will react as people do not like the state poking their nose in and it goes up to Angela Merkel, right through to the lowly citizen to commercial concerns.
Asked if he felt that the concept of secure P2P networks was possible, mobile analyst Alan Goode said that anyone that is thinking of using any radio spectrum or offering telephony services in the UK needs a license to operate and this is heavily regulated and controlled (and under the control of HMG).
In an email to IT Security Guru, Goode did say that organisations can (and do) create their own cellular networks using technology such as WiMAX or Pico cells or install IP telephony networks that are managed by either themselves or through a service provider, and then use standard mobile phones to then switch intelligently between the various networks at different locations.
The post David Davis MP – Phone tap stories will lead to more P2P phone lines appeared first on IT Security Guru.


This looks like it is going to be a most awesome show. I have been lucky to have never been sea sick.
I am also a crayfish diver. I got introduced to crayfishing when I was very young. We would go to Mapelane with my parents and uncle and spend the night on the beach at railway camp, it was planned around full moon so we could take advantage of the spring tides. This was in the days when you could still ride on the beaches. We would then put traps into the cracks in the rocks and wait in darkness, did not want the lights to scare them away. The traps are about a 30cm dia ring with no sides made out of chicken wire, it was like a flat disk with three strong wires attached to the side and that attached to a rope threaded through a deep see fishing rod. So you had to get the timing right and pull the trap up when I big wave came. Then you would need to pounce on the crayfish before they jumped off and made the escape back into the rocks.
When I was in Cape Town I crayfished off my fishingski. It was lots of fun and rather easy. The traps are different and the sea is a lot calmer. Later on when I lived in Durban, I had a spot in Umhlanga that I would get my quota of crayfish from. I remember once and I think this could be a once in a lifetime thing. The tide was high and the sea was so flat that we where diving right against the rocks next to the lighthouse at Umhlanga There is a rock that you would normally never be able to get at. On this day I saw the biggest crayfish I have ever seen. I had to come up for air and let me mate know what was up so he could go the other side of the rock just in case I missed and it tried to swim away, I had to get my composure as this was a biggie. This was not the first time we had worked as a team to get a crayfish. I went down and all went to plan and I pounced on the crayfish. It was an unbelievable day! That day we both got our quota of crays and we dived in a spot that we had never dived before and I am not sure if we will never dive there again.
In the days out of season I would dive for lead. It was such a blast and it is amazing how many sinkers are in the sea. They also collect in areas so you can scoop them out by the handful. You could not take to many otherwise coming up for air becomes a huge challenge. I did melt some of my lead and make new sinkers the rest I sold to a dive shop, I am sure they made weights out of them.
I have a ear problem so I am unable to dive very deep. So I do a lot of scratching around in the shallows around the rocks. It is lots of work as the wave push and pull you, the body does feel great afterwards, like a good yoga session. I still love diving for Crayfish and when I can't it is just fun snorkeling and seeing what is in the rocks.
Below is just a short video of me catching a crayfish. Thanks to my mate Norman for doing the video.
Here is a shortish video I made from some very old footage of a group of mates Bass fishing at a Dam in Nkwaleni. It was a farm dam and we used to fish there rather a lot. It had some great weed banks. Bass fishing with poppers on a fly rod is such fun and exciting.
This kind of video gets my blood pumping in a good way. I love to see people launching through the surf.
My mate Brian from Hunterski fame getting taken to the cleaners by sharks. I am glad you got on in the end bud.
I wonder if lures are made to catch fisherman? Often they sell us the dream of catching big fish and that is what we buy. It is a feeling I know the feeling and love the feeling because when you catch a fish it is a great feeling, it is pure happiness. I spend a lot of time on facebook and twitter. It is part of my job :). So I happen to stumble upon this lure. Now I want a few.
When I get my hands on some I will do a write up but in the meantime here are the words of George from Seaport Supply. Pop George a mail if you want some george@seaport.co.za.
Thanks to fishingcorner for the Vidal GPS fishing spots. I have converted them in a GPS exchange format so you can download them into what ever GPS program you use and upload to your GPS. Download the Vidal GPS fishing spots.
Good fisheries management and conservation depends on developing good co-operation between users, managers and scientists. It also depends on the ability to undertake sound stock assessments of the resources being harvested in order to enable the development of rules that ensure sustainable use. The ORI/WWF-SA Tagging Project helps to achieve both these goals. The overall approach is to enlist conservation-conscious fishermen and women to voluntarily tag and release their catch, so generating critical scientific information on fish movement patterns, growth and fishing mortality. The Tony and Lisette Lewis Foundation (TLLF) have announced that they will provide funding for the next three years to ensure the continuation of this important project.
The Tagging Project was initiated by the Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI) in 1984 and is one of the more successful collaborative environmental projects of its kind in South Africa. Information and data from the Tagging Project has been extensively used in numerous publications of both a scientific and popular nature. This project has played an extremely important role in influencing policy and decision-making on linefish management in South Africa. For example, research into the biology and stock assessment of important linefish species using tagging data, has greatly improved our knowledge and ability to manage our linefish resources. Furthermore, with the high profile of the tagging project, the concept of 'tag and release' has had a major impact in changing the ethics of the recreational fishing community, many of whom now release their fish.
The Tagging Project issues its members with special tagging kits which include small plastic dart tags which are inserted into the muscle of the fish below the dorsal fin using a hollow, needle-like applicator. Each tag has a unique number and a return address written on it, which is covered by a thin, transparent sheath. When a fish is tagged it should be landed quickly and handled very carefully to minimize stress and damage to the fish. Tagging members are provided with a detailed brochure explaining exactly how to do this in their tagging kits. The species of fish, tag number, length, date, locality and name of the angler are recorded on a special card and returned to ORI for capture onto a database. If a tagged fish is recaptured the same information should be recorded and sent through to ORI. The original tagger and the angler sending in the recapture information are then sent a printout with details of how long the fish has been at liberty, how far it has moved and how much it has grown.
To date (Jan 2006) 4243 members have joined the Tagging Project and, over the past 22 years, some 196 485 fish from 345 different species have been tagged and released. Of these, 10 257 tagged fish have been recaptured and reported to ORI, with an overall recapture rate of 5.2%.
ORI would like to express sincere gratitude to the TLLF and WWF-SA for providing ongoing funding for the Tagging Project. All active members of the Tagging Project are also thanked for their ongoing support and contribution towards the wise use and conservation of our marine linefish resources.
If you are interested in joining the Tagging Project we require that you are a committed, conservation-conscious angler that fishes regularly in the sea (please note this project is only for tagging marine fish and NOT freshwater species). Furthermore, you will be asked to send us a detailed letter of motivation before you are accepted as a member. This is to ensure that only committed anglers who are prepared to tag fish for the right reasons join the project. Once accepted as a member, the cost of your tagging kit will be R185 (note that this may be increased in 2007). You will also be given a list of priority fish species which we require tagging effort to be focused on. Remember, although tagging fish can be fun, it is actually part of a scientific process that needs to be done carefully and accurately with survival of the fish being of the utmost importance.
Catching yellofin tuna at Umdloti, Durban, South Africa. Only landed 2 out of 6 though… 2 Taken by sharks, one hook straightened and one lure broke in half. All's good that ends in seared tuna!!


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Rhino Horn Group
The Figurative Stampede
Karin Giusti's Honorem For First Responders
October 23, 2015 October 23, 2015 / Adam Zucker
Installation view. Photograph by Etienne Frossard. Courtesy of Smack Mellon
On September 11th, 2001, the citizens of New York City responded with resilience and courage, helping our city and fellow citizens through one of the great tragedy's of modern history. Among those who lifted up the city by being there on the front line were the first responder emergency workers. These workers included (but not limited to) firefighters, EMS, and police officers. Many of these heroes gave up their lives to save the lives of others. Many of the surviving first responders are suffering from lingering long-term health conditions. Recently members of congress failed to uphold the Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act, which would have continued to provide health care and support to those first responders as well as anyone whose health was affected by being in proximity to Ground Zero. It is a farce that those elected to serve and protect the American people would let down the American heroes, who selflessly sacrificed everything that day. It is sadly ironic that these representatives vowed that they'd "Never Forget" September 11th, 2001, yet have clearly forgotten the true patriots from that fateful day.
Artist Karin Giusti's partner was a 9/11 first responder. Stephen G. Schwarz was a member of the New York City Fire Department and helped with the recovery effort in the critical days following the attacks. Stephen ultimately would succumb to illnesses related to his heroism working inside the collapsed buildings. For six years Stephen and Karin lived on a bucolic farm in Upstate New York until Stephen's untimely death in 2010 at the age of 49. Giusti's current solo exhibition at the Brooklyn nonprofit artspace Smack Mellon is a poignant memorial to Stephen. The exhibition incorporates photography in the round to create awe-inspiring sculptures that envelop and illuminate the galleries large cylindrical columns. Honorem: Three Seasons at Black Forest Farm, is intended to be in tradition of artistic monuments such as Saint Gardens' tomb sculpture for Clover Adams and Maya Lin's Vietnam War Memorial. The piece allows for viewers to contemplate emotion and grief by creating a psychological landscape that is a terrain frozen in space and time. Giusti started photographing the farm shortly before Stephen's death and continued after he passed away. Giusti started by photographing her feet and working her way up the trees and sky and then down to the ground again. She stitched together the photographs resulting in a journal of sorts, realizing that there were connections where her body collided with the landscape and then seemed to disappear. Each pillar projects a different seasonal landscape, which becomes a metaphor for the transition between grief and catharsis. Adding to the multidimensionality of the piece is a looped soundscape that Giusti recorded on the farm. The sound of birds chirping, wind blowing, and Stephen chopping wood helps our experience transcend beyond the gallery walls. The piece excels in its subtlety, the only evidence of Giusti and Stephen exists in Giusti's shadow within the sculptural columns and the sounds of Stephen chopping wood.
How to honor the dead and express the universal passage of sorrow to acceptance are issues that have preoccupied Giusti since Stephen's passing. The work has become a cathartic process for Giusti to be able to work once more inside the studio after a period of grief and reflection. Another resulting occupation for Giusti was the scientific study of M theory and how it alludes to, as MIT theorist Max Tegmark stated, "our lives being ingrained in space time." This statement reverberates around the installation, where the enclosed space is not for living organisms but for memory alone. Giusti stated that "My physical presence seems to implode upon itself and float like a craft, my hair turning to vapors." Her sense of time became altered by loss. When Giusti returned to her studio and examined the raw photographs she began to stitch them together and she made a profound connection to String Theory. When Giusti returned to her studio and examined the raw photographs she began to stitch them together and she made a profound connection to String Theory. The resulting photographs appear as kaleidoscopic membranes in an all-encompassing moment.
Giusti and Smack Mellon will dovetail her installation in honor of Stephen with an information dissemination campaign to restore health to first responders. The #BringItHome campaign, on Sunday, November 8th, from 3 to 6 pm will encourage people to contact family and friends outside of the tri state area and ask them to write to their representatives encouraging them to sign on to sponsor the Zadroga Act bill and get it passed.
Honorem: Three Seasons at Black Forest Farm is on view at Smack Mellon, 92 Plymouth Street, Brooklyn, through December 13, 2015.
Contemporary Art, Exhibitions, Socially Engaged Art
9/11, First Responders, Karin Giusti, Smack Mellon, Zadgroga Act
← Suggested Reading: Come Inside the Art is Hot Edition
National Cat Day – Bill Barrell →


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HomeGOVERNMENTZimbabwe-fication Begins: Farmers Panic As South Africa Seizes First White-Owned Land
Zimbabwe-fication Begins: Farmers Panic As South Africa Seizes First White-Owned Land
August 22, 2018 Pam Barker GOVERNMENT, Tyranny, WORLD 0
ER Editor: we also recommend this recent piece from Zerohedge titled Is Britain Backing South Africa's Land Confiscations From White Farmers?
'Zimbabwe-fication' Begins: Farmers Panic As South Africa Seizes First White-Owned Land
South Africa's white farmers have been desperately trying to sell their lands at record pace ahead of planned government land seizures, according to a local farmer's union. However, there are no buyers.
As Ryan Martinez writes for PlanertFreeWill.com, tensions among the country's white farming community have been rising since the election of Cyril Ramaphosa who assumed office earlier this year and committed his African National Congress (ANC) to land expropriation.
ANC chairman Gwede Mantashe sparked panic last week when he said:
"You shouldn't own more than 25,000 acres of land. Therefore, if you own more it should be taken without compensation."
"People who are privileged never give away privilege as a matter of a gift," he continued. "And that is why we say, to give you the tools, revisit the constitution so that you have a legal tool to do it."
Mantashe's comments were condemned by both white and black farmers, with unions predicting such a move would lead to job losses and a situation in which South Africa may no longer be able to feed itself.
Omri van Zyl, head of the Agri SA union, which represents mainly white commercial farmers, said:
"The mood among our members is very solemn. They are confused about the lack of any apparent strategy from the government and many are panicking.
So many farms are up for sale, more than we've ever had, but no one is buying."
"Why would you buy a farm to know the government's going to take it?"
The National African Farmers' Union (NAFU), which represents the country's black farmers, said the scheme would lead to job losses.
NAFU president Motsepe Matlala said:
"From a practical and economical point of view it will not work."
"Land will be a central issue in the looming 2019 election year, and rhetoric is always easier than transformative action."
AfriForum, an influential lobby group, recently warned the government its plans would be "catastrophic". Ian Cameron, the group's spokesman, said: "We're really heading for a state of anarchy if something doesn't change drastically."
Local newspaper City Press is reporting that two game farms in the northern province of Limpopo were the first to be targeted for unilateral seizure after negotiations with the owners to purchase the properties stalled.
While the government says it intends to pay, owners Akkerland Boerdery wanted 200 million rand ($18.7 million) for the land. However, they are being offered just 20 million rand ($1.87 million).
The farmers were forwarded a letter earlier this year which stated:
"Notice is hereby given that a terrain inspection will be held on the farms on April 5, 2018, at 10 am in order to conduct an audit of the assets and a handover of the farm's keys to the state. Akkerland Boerdery obtained an urgent injunction to prevent eviction until a court had ruled on the issue, but the Department of Rural Development and Land Affairs is opposing the application. "
"What makes the Akkerland case unique is that they apparently were not given the opportunity to first dispute the claim in court, as the law requires," AgriSA union spokeswoman Annelize Crosby told the paper.
The newspaper said employees at the department had been ordered to press ahead with the process at the Land Claims Court. If the seizures go ahead, it would be the first time the state refuses to pay market value for land.
Since the end of apartheid in 1994, the ANC has followed a "willing seller, willing buyer" process to redistribute white-owned farms to black Africans.
A 2017 government audit found white people owned 72 percent of private farmland in South Africa.
According to the 2011 census, there are about 4.6 million white people in South Africa, accounting for 8.9 percent of the population.
ANC spokesman ZiZi Kodwa refused to reveal details of the farms being targeted and has attempted to calm investor fears, adding the proposed seizures were "tied to addressing the injustices of the past".
"Over time I think the markets, as well as investors, will appreciate that what we are doing is creating policy certainty and creating the conditions for future investment," he told the press.
"The government was accused of drawing up a list of almost 200 farms it allegedly wants to seize from white farmers, with AfriForum, a civil rights group representing the white Afrikaner minority, adding the document was being circulated by ministers as the ruling powers prepare to implement the policy. It invited farmers to check if they were on it and urged them to make contact "so we can prepare a joint legal strategy."
But the Department of Rural Development and Land Reform denied the list was real with spokeswoman Linda Page telling News24 that, "We don't know where they got this from. There is no truth in this document."
Analysts warn the move could undermine property rights and deter investment.
In Zimbabwe, violent land seizures which were authorized by Robert Mugabe in the 1990s which sent the country into a spiral of decline from which it has never recovered.
"Markets are sensitive to anything perceived to be 'Zimbabwe-fication' on the land-reform front," market analyst Henrik Gullberg noted.
Agri SA states 20% of South Africa's farms produce 80% of the food that feeds millions of people in southern Africa, and many of those properties would be affected by a 25,000-acre cap.
And, just as we warned previously, Ramaphosa's decision all but guarantees a banking crisis in South Africa:
Another important point is that a lot of this land that the government wants to confiscate probably has quite a bit of bank debt.
Imagine – you just bought a farm for, say, 50 million rand (that's about USD $3 million). And in order to do so, you took out a hefty loan from a South African bank.
Now the government comes along and steals your property.
Are you seriously going to keep paying the loan?
This means that the banks are going to be stuck with massive defaults and bad debts, leading to a wave of bank failures.
So in their crusade to bring Social Justice to South Africa, the government is effectively engineering a banking crisis in their country.
And sure enough, as the Chairman of South Africa's Land & Ag Development Bank warned today of the potential for default if expropriation without compensation takes place… and implies a state bailout will be required…
It is our considered view that it would be futile to expropriate land without compensation without an associated re-alignment and adjustment of the institutional mechanisms to deliver land reform. Land reform should be conducted in conjunction with the provision of comprehensive support to the beneficiaries which include both financial and non-financial elements…
As the Bank is generally funded by the local debt and capital markets (and more recently international multilateral institutions such as AfDB, World Bank, KfW and the EIB), a poorly executed Expropriation without Compensation could result in the main sources of funding drying up as investors might not be willing to continue funding Land Bank in particular, or agriculture in general.
If Expropriation without Compensation were therefore to materialise without protection of the Bank's rights as a creditor, we would be required to repay R9 billion immediately. A Cross Default clause would be triggered should we fail to pay when these debts fall due because of inadequate liquidity or lack of alternative sources of funding. This would make our entire R41 billion funding portfolio due and payable immediately, which we would not be able to settle. Consequently, government intervention would be required to settle our lenders.
So, we leave it to SovereignMan's Simon Black to conclude:
This is criminally stupid behavior that puts South Africa on the same path that Zimbabwe followed in the late 1990s.
And as I told you a few weeks ago, when I first reported about this land confiscation in South Africa, anyone who is dumb enough to follow Zimbabwe's economic model absolutely deserves what they're going to get.
ER recommends other articles by Zerohedge
African National Congress (ANC)
Gwede Mantashe
National African Farmers Union (NAFU)
Russia To Overtake Germany As World's Fifth-Largest Economy Despite Sanctions
Turkey Notifies NATO Of Imminent Massive Invasion Of Syria To Fight Kurds
Germany Approves Russian-Led Nord Stream 2 Gas Pipeline


Foldscope and Its utility introduced to progressive Farmers. They were interested to use Foldscope for seed production to test pollen fertility and sterility.
What a beautiful moment. The smile of the face of people in that room is amazing!
Thank you for bringing the tool to grassroots communities – can't wait to see more explorations from the field.
Thank you Manu, Looking forward to help farmers to solve some problems related to Agriculture with your suggestions and support.


JABO carries an extensive inventory of top quality products at consistently competitive prices. Equally important is the emphasis we place on service and support. Our staff maintains a high degree of technical expertise and experience and we are adept at helping our customers select the right products for their applications.
JABO represents a large and innovative group of manufacturers. We carry a huge inventory, and, with stocking and sales offices located in Huntington, Parkersburg, and Beckley, West Virginia, we have the ability to deliver most of our products within a day.
JABO Supply Corporation was founded in 1964 by Jack and Bob Bazemore on the principals of product quality, reliability, and service. JABO has expanded since then to become a leading distributor of pipe, valves, and fittings to a variety of industries in our region.


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Czech PM designate: EU should not push us over migrants - paper
Sat, 09 Dec 2017 - 12:02 GMT
Czech newly appointed Prime Minister Andrej Babis attends a news conference at Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic December 6, 2017. REUTERS/David W Cerny
PRAGUE - 6 December 2017: The designated Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said that the European Union should not push Czechs over their refusal to shelter asylum-seekers, because it could strengthen extremist parties in the country.
The European Union's executive will sue Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic in the bloc's top court for their refusal to host asylum-seekers, Brussels said on Thursday.
Babis, whose government is due to be appointed by President Milos Zeman on Dec. 13, repeated his country's stance on migrants.
"The (European) Commission can withdraw the charge at any moment. We have to negotiate on this and to offer different models, like guarding the borders or help to other countries. But we don't want any refugees," Babis said in an interview published on Saturday by the Pravo daily paper.
He will represent his country at the EU summit on Dec. 14 and Dec. 15, where European leaders will discuss migration.
The Czechs have declined to shelter asylum-seekers despite an overall drop in arrivals due to tighter borders and projects beyond the EU's frontiers to discourage migration to Europe.
The European Court of Justice (ECJ) cases could lead to financial penalties but may take months, or years, to conclude.
Babis said that by pushing on with the case, the EU might embolden extremist elements.
"The EU has to understand, that if it won't listen to our proposals, then the influence of extremist parties like (Germany's) AfD or (Czech) SPD will grow, whose strategy actually is to destroy the EU," he said.
Despite his ANO party winning the parliamentary election by a landslide in October, it is unclear whether Babis will be able to win a confidence vote for his government by mid-January as required by the constitution. He also faces the threat of prosecution in connection with his business interests.
The far-right, anti-EU and anti-NATO SPD party and the Communists have lent ANO support in several initial votes in parliament in return for committee posts for their members, raising the prospect that they may have some kind of agreement to back ANO.
But Babis reiterated in the Pravo interview that there was no deal in place and he would talk to all parties to either back the cabinet or abstain from the vote to help ANO win.
Andrej Babis


Mobile operators have a key role to play in enabling Europe's future transport and mobility services but it will involve collaboration, Jacob Bangsgaard, CEO of ERTICO-ITS Europe told Mobile World Daily.
ERTICO-ITS Europe is a public-private partnership of 120 companies and organisations, including public authorities, mobile network operators, and vehicle manufacturers. It works to promote and deploy intelligent transport systems and services throughout Europe.
Bangsgaard believes mobile operators are well placed to deliver the connectivity and network intelligence required for new transport services such as mobility as a service (MaaS) in cities.
Micro-payment data in mass-transit transport systems, for example, will require high capacity network connectivity that is well integrated with data centres.
Complex mobility ecosystems will also demand data collection and sharing between many participants and today much of the infrastructure is lacking.
Again, mobile operators have the potential to step in.
Operators have already conducted tests in the area of mobility, including connectivity, which show they can go beyond traditional communication services and be successful in mobility ventures, said Bangsgaard. But he sounded a note of caution.


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Since admission to the Bar in 1995, Ann-Margaret Alexander has devoted her practice to helping clients in family law matters, including custody, support, property division, divorce, adoptions, wills, estates and probate.
Attorney Andrea Nyren Doyle has been actively serving clients and contributing to the legal field since 1995. With roots in North Carolina, Ms. Doyle is passionate about helping her neighbors in the Cary, Holly Springs, Fuquay-Varina, Apex, and greater Raleigh, NC areas.


text:
import NProgress from "nprogress";
import React from "react";
import UserContainer from "../containers/UserContainer";
import HackerNewsApi from "../api/HackerNewsApi";
import NotFoundPage from "./NotFoundPage";
import { newUserDispatcher } from "../dispatchers/UserDispatcher";
import { newUserAction } from "../actions/user/UserAction";
import { newUserStore } from "../stores/UserStore";

export default class UserPage extends React.Component {
  static initialPropsWillGet() {
    NProgress.start();
  }

  static async getInitialProps(attributes) {
    return {
      user: await HackerNewsApi.findUser(attributes.params.userId)
    };
  }

  static initialPropsDidGet() {
    NProgress.done();
  }

  render() {
    if (!this.props.user) return <NotFoundPage />;

    const userDispatcher = newUserDispatcher();
    const userAction = newUserAction(userDispatcher);
    const userStore = newUserStore(userDispatcher);
    userAction.newInstance(this.props.user);

    const params = {
      stores: {
        userStore
      }
    };

    return <UserContainer {...params} params={this.props.params} />;
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


A bushing is a tool with cone-shaped holes that is used to produce fibers of different diameters, including thin and super-thin ones by means of pushing and extruding melted material (plastic, glass, basalt) through the holes. Glass fibers and basalt fibers are produced by this method.
Typically, the brushing is made from high strength stainless steel and hard alloys, which are adhesive and corrosion resistant (e.g., nickel or platinum-rhodium alloys).


text:
Mitsubishi T-2: The Supersonic Stork
The Mitsubishi T-2 is a domestically designed Japanese supersonic jet trainer aircraft, developed in the early 1970s. In update 1.87, Japanese pilots will also have the chance to enter the supersonic era with the introduction of an armed version of the T-2, coming to the game very soon!
Briefly: The first Japanese supersonic aircraft, both in history and in War Thunder.
With the formation of the JSDF after WW2, Japan's military equipment, at least as far as air vehicles are concerned, mostly consisted of foreign designs. As military aviation headed more and more towards supersonic speeds in the second half of the 20th century, Japan was faced with the question of how to keep up with this rapid technological advancement.
In the mid 1960s, Japan started looking for a new supersonic jet trainer aircraft to replace the no longer suitable subsonic Fuji T-1. A decision had to be made between acquiring a once again foreign design, or develop an entirely new aircraft locally. In the end, the decision was made to develop and build a new domestically designed aircraft.
In 1967, three Japanese companies submitted designs for consideration, of which Mitsubishi's was picked as the winner. In March 1968, the design was completed and work on constructing the prototype, designated XT-2, commenced. In early 1971, the prototype had been built and conducted its maiden flight later that year in July.
Following the successful maiden flight of the first prototype, three further were ordered. Of the four built prototypes, two were unarmed while the other two did receive weapons. These would serve as the base models for the subsequent production aircraft.
Having satisfied the requirements, the XT-2 entered production as the T-2. An order for 90 production aircraft was placed, but a total of 96 aircraft were built by the end of production in 1988, when prototypes and test models are also taken into account. The T-2 entered service with the JSDF in 1975 and remained in service up until 2006.
In War Thunder, the T-2 will be the first supersonic jet aircraft to occupy rank VI of the Japanese aviation tree, with the release of the upcoming update 1.87. Soon, Japanese pilots too will have the chance to fight at supersonic speeds and gain access to advanced guided weaponry!
The T-2 is powered by two Ishikawa-Harima TF40-801A turbojet engines, which are Japanese licence-built versions of the Rolls-Royce Turbomeca Adour. The engines are able to produce a base thrust of 20.95 kN each, going up to 31.76 kN however when engaging the afterburners. All this raw power results in the T-2 being able to achieve a top speed of 1,700 km/h (Mach 1.6) at 10,975m altitude.
Fun Fact: The T-2 was the first Japanese-built aircraft to break the sound barrier and fly at supersonic speeds.
Despite the fact that the T-2 was a trainer aircraft, Japanese pilots in War Thunder shouldn't worry about being sent off into combat without anything to combat their enemies with! The T-2 represents the armed version of this trainer machine and hosts a good selection of armament options for pilots to choose from.
Apart from the primary armament, consisting of a single 20mm rotary cannon in the nose, the T-2 can be outfitted with conventional bombs, unguided rocket pods as well as two AIM-9B Sidewinder air-to-air missiles! Thanks to this good variety of secondary armament options, the T-2 will not only be a top performer in air battles, but will also be a suitable pick for Japanese pilots to take into combined battles.
The T-2 is on final approach for the top ranks of the Japanese aviation tree and is expected to arrive with the release of the upcoming War Thunder update 1.87. In the meantime, make sure to stay tuned to the news for more information regarding the next major update coming to the game. Until then, happy hunting pilots!
Previous devblogs :
Spidd124
Easily the best looking jet in the game.
choruseye
My pupils dilated when i seen this ;) ;)
Trotrodor
most modern too
lars_b99
Trotrodor, yeah, it's like a dream come true: a real modern looking jet in war thunder...i started playing the game recently, now i'm sold! :D
Pytor_
I love these dev blogs, but I would really suggest taking the music out of the video. I want to listen to the jet after all, not the music. :)
ExtraHostile
nah, the music fits well
HanTheKiller
I am waiting for Tunguska´s devblog :D Hope its will be on rank 6 ^^ Tunguska is so sexy ^^
KillerPotato99
HanTheKiller, its here :)
yaa haaa that's hot that's hot
Mister_Funkyman
War Thunder Rewind ^^
Fives275555
hmm meme material
EpicBlitzkrieg87
Will you remove the jet flame from non-afterburning jets and make it so that it only appears when the afterburner is activated? Perhaps also update the visuals? Will you also remove mixed matches next patch? We're getting more and more tier 6 jets
Comrade_Katya
I like the glow inside the jet engines, can we keep that even if we remove the actual flame?
die_Kobra
an option would be nice...you like those fancy flames, turn it on...you want realistic glow, switch it off
That BRRRRT! I can't wait to try out the Vulcan on this and on the later US jets!
Purple_Shoppe
didnt sound like proper BRRT tho, needs to be meatier
CCLOPES
Purple_Shoppe, Should be releasing a sound mod update soon after the patch. Stay tuned my friend ;)
Darjeeling_Chan
I didn't think it was possible to lose my virginity to a virtual aircraft...
Takemoto
Thank you for the historical camouflages!
*peachparaguayo
I appreciate it very much as well. It adds flavor to the plane and makes it more unique. I am hoping they will be adding some camos of the proxy states of the cold war to some of the planes fx Arab camos for some of the migs.


Old fashion classic candy everyone loves. Mallo® cups have a whipped cream center and are covered with pure milk chocolate. Each piece is placed in a paper cup with no wrapping.
Ing: Milk Chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, milk, chocolate liquor, and soy lecithin), Corn Syrup, Sugar, Water, Coconut, Dextrin, Egg White, Salt, Guar Gum, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (to preserve freshness) and Soy Lecithin. **Contains: Milk, Soy, and Tree Nut (coconut) and Egg Ingredients. **Manufactured in a Facility that processes peanuts.


ROME -- The Italians did not need President Donald Trump  to teach them that anti-immigrant rhetoric is a vote getter. They are already there. In latest polls Matteo Salvini of the Lega, whose latest campaign is viciously anti-Romaani ethnics, or Roma (we used to say Gypsy), just topped the Movimento Cinque Stelle (M5S) headed by Luigi Di Maio . The victory was by a hair, 0.2%, but victory it was: in the March 6 national general elections the Five Stars won 32% and the Lega, only 17%. This means that to date the Lega has bounced up by 15%. With this comes the implicit threat that, if Di Maio's starlets (who include the obviously distressed Premier Giuseppe Conte ) whine too much about Lega policies, the result will be an autumn vote and an even stronger Lega.
And what policies they are. The latest is Salvini's demand that Italy take a census of the Roma and expel all those lacking the right credentials to remain. In Italy, according to Rome University Professor Marco Brazzoduro, president of the Cittadinanza e Minoranze Association, six out of ten Roma are already Italian citizens and cannot be ejected from their own country. "Unfortunately we shall have to keep the Italians among them," acknowledged Salvini, who is Interior Minister in the fledgling government he shares with the Five Stars.
To some extent the Roma statistics are already public record. In Rome itself, fully one-third are Italian citizens while another third are Romanians. The rest are from the countries of East Europe or those once part of Yugoslavia, such as Bosnia and Serbia. Kicking these out of Italy would not be possible, experts say, because they technically have no home. This leaves perhaps 300 Roman Roma without a proper residence permit and hence subject to possible expulsion -- "But these tend to leave Italy anyway, they want to go to Germany, where they are likely to be better treated then here," according to Prof. Brazzoduro.
Their camps are a problem. Of Rome's 6,900 Roma, the vast majority ( 5,700) reside in 17 legally authorized camps. Another 1,200 occupy unauthorized camps . These "camps of desperation," as one newspaper here called them, are broken up by police from time to time, but then reconstituted wherever new space is found. Indeed, 175 unauthorized Roma camps were torn down between 2014 and 2017 and, of course, immediately rebuilt elsewhere.
The reactions to Salvini's outburst have been extraordinary, as is hardly surprising. As the late lamented New York Times  correspondent Flora Lewis always warned, keep an eye on attitudes toward the Roma, for they forewarn a rise of anti-Semitism and of what comes after that. In fact, a statement from the Jewish Communities in Italy warned that, " Interior Minister Salvini's announcing of a possible census of the Roma population in Italy is worrying. It brings back memories of the racist laws of 80 years ago, which sadly are being ever more forgotten."
For the Partito Democratico's Acting Secretary, former minister Maurizio Martina , this marks "a dangerous and unacceptable escalation," and Salvini's words are "aberrant." And for Laura Boldrini, former president of the Chamber of Deputies, this is "inhumanity in power."
Even within the government there were signs of distress. Conte reportedly complained at Salvini's words, which undermined a meeting taking place just then in Berlin between the new Italian premier and Chancellor Angela Merkel , where the two had been working toward finding an EU solution to the problem of migrants. The meeting had been carefully arranged from Rome by Di Maio. whose campaign of presenting himself as representing ordinary Italians fades beneath Salvini's more aggressive stances. Not only -- Di Maio himself is notably weakened within his own suddenly weaker party.
Given the reactions, Salvini to some extent backtracked later in the day, saying that he was "not calling for the Roma to be fingerprinted," but that he still expected those without papers to be expelled.


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Council of Europe Resources
Key issues central to teacher education are, on the one hand, the range of competences that learners need to develop and, on the other, the role that teachers can play in supporting their development. The focus on enhancing and expanding language teacher competences in response to learners' needs and to our complex and ever-changing society lies at the heart of ECML activities.
Training and consultancyACTION RESEARCH COMMUNITIES (ARC)
Resources of the ECML
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EPOSTL – European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages - A reflection tool for language teacher education
The European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages (EPOSTL) is a document intended for students undergoing their initial teacher education which encourages them to reflect on the didactic knowledge and skills necessary to teach languages, helps them to assess their own didactic competences and enables them to monitor their progress and to record their experiences of teaching during the course of their teacher education.
Available in 14 languages.
Go to the publication page
Towards a socio-interactional approach to foster autonomy in language learners and users
This book has been produced as part of the e-lang project "Digital literacy for the teaching and learning of languages" (project of the European Centre for Modern Languages within its "Languages at the heart of learning" programme 2016-2019). It is intended for language teachers and future language teachers, as well as researchers interested in this topic who wish to explore the pedagogical principles of the e-lang project.
Available in English and French
EPOSTL – Using the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages
The European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages is a tool for reflection and self-assessment of the didactic knowledge and skills necessary to teach languages. It builds on insights from the Common European Framework of Reference and the European Language Portfolio as well as the European Profile for Language Teacher Education. Four years after its initial publication it has been translated into twelve European and Asian languages.To meet widespread demand this ECML publication provides materials which support its implementation in teacher education.
Available in English.
Frank Heyworth, How an ECML publication can make a difference - case study on the European Portfolio for Student Teachers of Languages
European portfolio for pre-primary educators. The plurilingual and intercultural dimension
This portfolio is designed for educators and teachers in the pre-primary sector, either in initial or in-service training. It encourages personal reflection on the professional skills related to the linguistic and intercultural dimension of working with children.
QualiTraining – A training guide for quality assurance in language education
There is growing interest in national and regional contexts for standard-setting in areas such as evaluation, approaches to quality control and management. In the first medium term programme the ECML project "Quality Assurance and Self-assessment for Schools and Teachers" developed a CD-Rom entitled "Quality Management in Language Education".
Available in English and German.
TrainEd – Training teacher educators
This book and CD-Rom have been produced as a practical guide for those who are beginners in the field of teacher education – though experienced teacher trainers may find it interesting and useful, too.
Available in English, French and Hungarian.
GroupLead – Group facilitation in language teacher education
The aim of this publication is to provide you with an introduction to what working with groups in a facilitative mode involves. As facilitation is closely bound up with attitudes and personal qualities, you cannot learn to become a facilitator just by going through the material provided here. What we set out to do is to give you an overview of what we see as the main issues related to facilitation, to provide you with plenty of food for thought, guidelines for observation, triggers for self-reflection, and some practical tools which you can adapt and try out in your own practice.
Go to the publication
CoCoCop – Coherence of principles, cohesion of competences: exploring theories and designing materials for teacher education
The multi-competence nature of post-communicative language teaching has been spawned by a variety of theories deriving from very diverse sources. It was the aim of this project to investigate learning and teaching to discover whether some coherence between theoretical aspects of these different sources could be found and to what extent the apparently disparate competences, which are the aims of modern language teaching, could be seen as a cohesive whole. In order to do so, the project took as its starting point the role and nature of teacher education as a basis to explore theories which underlie post-communicative language learning and teaching. Following a survey of teacher education institutions, the question was addressed as to how communicative language competence can act as a springboard to other competences which lie within areas such as social interaction, language awareness, intercultural awareness and learner autonomy. Focusing on three main areas - learner autonomy, intercultural awareness, including literature teaching and human rights teaching, plus grammar - the first part of the publication considers theoretical aspects of these areas and attempts to show links between them. In the second part of the publication, case studies are presented illustrating the implementation of principles identified in the first part, both in language and in teacher education.
LCaS – Teacher training modules on the use of case studies in language teaching at secondary and university level - A handbook
Due to the recent increase in trade, travel and political and social co-operation, language competence has become a key skill in modern Europe. Great efforts have been made to improve language training at all education levels. Whereas in the past language teaching was mainly related to cultural themes with an emphasis on literature, communicative aspects in everyday international contact situations, both for personal and for professional reasons, have become more and more important and language teaching has become interwoven with subject teaching. Case studies have proven to be an excellent means for the integration of subject-specific aspects into language teaching.
Mediating between theory and practice in the context of different learning cultures and languages
In the last few years a wide variety of methods and approaches to teaching and learning foreign languages has been proposed by methodologists and applied linguists.from views of the nature of language and resulting descriptive models; from theories of and research into second-language acquisition; from views of how teachers can facilitate learning processes -i.e.methodology.
Download the publication
Facing the future - Language educators across Europe
Will teachers continue broadly to do what they have always done? - in which case future needs will be organisational and logistic, making better provision within existing parameters. Or will the nature of the job of language educators change so that a new paradigm for the profession will be required? If so, what new elements will affect their work?
The status of language educators
How respected do you feel in the staff-room? Do parents consider the job you do a worthwhile one? How often do decision-makers ask you concerning your views about language education? Is language education regarded as a profession or a kind of generous service? We have learnt from the responses of dozens of our fellow professionals to the questions above that there is something fundamentally wrong with the prestige of language education and its practitioners. A small but enthusiastic group has heeded the call, hence this book.
Collection of case studies on examples of good practice in teacher education
This collection of case studies aims to present some relevant information about developments in language teacher education across a number of geographically distinct sites and across a range of sectors. The main areas discussed are lifelong learning, learner autonomy, the use of information and communication technologies, plurilingualism and partnership in many of its various guises.
European Language Portfolio
See Also Dedicated ELP Website
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Impel – ELP implementation support
Impel – ELP implementation support consists of a leaflet and a data base designed to gather information about different ways of putting European Language Portfolios into practice. On the website there are case studies of both national and school level implementations.
The European Language Portfolio - A guide to the planning, implementation and evaluation of whole-school projects
The guide explains how to use the European Language Portfolio to support the learning and teaching of all foreign languages at all levels in a school. Case studies carried out in ten countries illustrate different approaches to ELP use.
Available in English, French and Slovak.
Learner Autonomy
Helping learners learn: Exploring strategy instruction in language classrooms around Europe
Helping learners learn; Exploring strategy instruction in language classrooms across Europe is the second joint publication of the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) in Graz, Austria, and the Modern Languages Division in Strasbourg, France, and as such reflects the synergy between each whereby the ECML activities support the implementation of policy developed through the projects of the Modern Languages Division in Strasbourg. The study, co-ordinated by Vee Harris, is the result of a research network established during the initial workshop in Graz in 1998 in co-operation with the Modern Languages Division of the Council of Europe and is indicative of the active emphasis placed on follow-up work by the ECML and the Modern Languages Division
Available in English and French.
Introducing learner autonomy in teacher education
Introducing Learner Autonomy in Teacher Education is the first in a series of six studies by the ECML and was initiated during workshop No. 3/97 `Language and Cultural Awareness in Language Learning/Teaching for the development of Learner Autonomy´, which was held in Graz. An international network was set up and supported by the ECML. Its aim was to produce and test in-service and pre-service teacher-training modules and implement learner autonomy.
Learner autonomy: The teachers' views
Learner Autonomy: The Teachers' View is the result of a research project initiated during ECML workshop No.8/97 entitled 'Aspects of Teaching Methodology in Bilingual Classes at Secondary School Level' which was held in Graz in May 1997. As the title suggests the project set out to be a research exercise which aimed to identify teachers' attitudes towards Learner Autonomy.
David Little - Learner autonomy: drawing together the threads of self-assessment, goal-setting and reflection
Approaches to materials design in European textbooks: Implementing principles of authenticity, learner autonomy, cultural awareness
This publication results from a workshop entitled 'Establishing Principles and Guidelines for Publishers and Authors of FL Textbooks in the context of the aims of the ECML' which focused in particular on the following 3 aspects of FL teaching: authenticity, learner autonomy and cultural awareness, with the main objective being to draw up a list of preliminary guidelines for publishers and authors when designing FL materials.
Other Council of Europe resources
Council of Europe ELP dedicated website
Languages in and for Education: a role for portfolio approaches? (2010)
Foreign languages - modern and classical (2009)
The Aims of Language Teaching and Learning (2010)


Sesquicentennial Park in Warrenville is a fun little park that is rarely crowded. The park is located just south of Butterfield Road on Main Street (west of Batavia Road and east of Route 59.
The center of the park features a picnic area with 4 picnic tables, and has a roof for shade and to provide shelter from rain. It's a great place to sit and relax while watching the kids run around like maniacs.
Sesquicentennial Park features a full-size playground for the bigger kids, but also has a smaller-scale playset for the tots. There is a full-court basketball court that is very well maintained. In fact, the entire park and equipment is relatively new and well-maintained. The park has some nicely paved paths, as well as direct access to the Illinois Prairie Path.
Warrenville should be proud of Sesquicentennial Park. Overall, I would rate this park a 7 on a 10-point scale. Check it out!


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SEC Revises the Definition of Accredited Investor
On August 26, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) adopted amendments to the "accredited investor" definition under Rules 501(a) and 215 of the Securities Act of 1933 (Securities Act) and adopted similar amendments to the "qualified institutional buyer" definition under Rule 144A of the Securities Act. The amended definitions become effective 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.
Previously, the definition of accredited investor for individuals and married investors was limited to testing for net worth or income with the thresholds measured at a net worth of:
(a) $1 million excluding the value of a primary residence; or
(b) income of at least $200,000 each year for the last two years (or $300,000 of combined income for married investors).
The revised definition of accredited investor maintains these thresholds, but also expands the definition of individuals and married investors to include the following:
(1) natural persons with certain professional certifications, designations or credentials issued by an accredited educational institution that the SEC has designated as qualifying an individual for accredited investor status (thus far, the SEC has designated holders of Series 7, Series 65, and Series 82 licenses as qualifying for accredited investor status);
(2) natural persons who are "knowledgeable employees" of the fund; and
(3) "spousal equivalents" who may pool their finances for the purpose of qualifying as accredited investors.
In addition, the revised definition of accredited investor expands the types of entities that qualify as accredited investors to include:
(1) limited liability companies (LLCs) with $5 million in assets, SEC- and state-registered investment advisers, exempt reporting advisers, and rural business investment companies (RBICs);
(2) any entity that owns "investments" (as defined in Rule 2a51-1(b) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) in excess of $5 million and was not formed for the specific purpose of investing in the securities offered (such entity may include Indian tribes, governmental bodies, funds, and entities organized under the laws of foreign countries); and
(3) "family offices" (as defined under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940) with at least $5 million in assets under management that were not formed for the specific purpose of investing in the securities offered and their "family clients" (also as defined under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940).
The amendments also expand the definition of qualified institutional buyer in Rule 144A of the Securities Act to include LLCs and RBICs that meet the current definitional threshold of $100 million in securities owned and invested. In addition, the amendments add institutional investors included in the accredited investor definition that are not otherwise included in the definition of qualified institutional buyer so long as such institutional investors meet the $100 million threshold.
While some in the industry still want to see the dollar thresholds in the accredited investor definition lowered, these revisions are welcome news to fund sponsors who have had to turn away knowledgeable investors simply because they did not meet the current dollar thresholds under the accredited investor definition. These expanded definitions should also allow more investors to participate in funds that are exempt from registration under Rules 506(b) and 506(c) of Regulation D under the Securities Act.
The SEC's press release regarding these changes can be found here, and the final rule can be found here. To learn more about these definitional changes and how they can benefit your investment funds, contact one of the attorneys listed.
Bradford Lenox
Lauren Prevost
Seth Weiner


Since Overcomer Ministry leader, "Brother Stair" was arrested on multiple charges including sexual assault, I think many of us assumed his on air programming would soon come to an end.
A number of private broadcasters had already pulled his programming after his arrest last Monday. Now that Overcomer has announced the halt of all radio broadcasting–and the voice of Overcomer, Brother Stair, is in jail–their satellite and online feeds will likely replay old content.
While I'll certainly not miss Overcomer programming on shortwave, the numerous private broadcasters who had Overcomer as a primary client will feel the loss of revenue in no insignificant way. Indeed, I believe this could even lead to the closure of some private broadcasters this year.
This entry was posted in Broadcasters, News, Shortwave Radio and tagged Brother Stair, Overcomer Ministry, Private Shortwave Broadcasters, Shortwave Radio on December 28, 2017 by Thomas.


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The American League Playoff Picture
For the first time in Major League Baseball history, five teams from each league will be going to the playoffs. Here's an early look at the playoff picture, post-trade deadline.
By JP Starkey Aug 2, 2012, 8:00am CDT
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ARLINGTON, TX - JUNE 06: The Texas Rangers take on the Detroit Tigers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on June 6, 2011 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
Texas Rangers fans can breathe a little easier after Wednesday night's thrilling win over the Los Angeles Angels. That win ensures that the Angels will be at least three games out after the series concludes on Thursday.
With a four game lead in the American League West, the Rangers have some room for error -- but make no mistake, they're not a lock to win the division. Four games at this point in the season isn't much. In case baseball fans have short term memory, let's just think back to 2011 when the St. Louis Cardinals were 10 games out in late August. I don't think I need to remind folks what happened next.
If there exists a team that is basically guaranteed a division title at this point, it's the New York Yankees, who appear to be coasting to another American League East crown. Up seven games in the loss column, the Yankees have a run differential 64 better than the second place Tampa Bay Rays. New York didn't make a major deadline move, apologies to Ichiro Suzuki, but there weren't many moves for them to make.
As of today, you'd have to consider the Yankees the favorite to capture the pennant. But hey, October is crazy, so you never really know what can happen. They're clearly the most complete team, though, with a solid bullpen, a scary lineup and a legitimate ace in C.C. Sabathia.
Over in the American League Central, the White Sox and Tigers figure to be in a fight to the finish. Both teams attempted to fortify their rosters at the deadline, with the White Sox adding Francisco Liriano, while the Tigers added Omar Infante and Anibal Sanchez.
On paper, the Tigers were supposed to run away with the division. However, Detroit sits just five games over .500, and only have a +9 run differential. Miguel Cabrera can hit, but he's not exactly a third baseman. To say the Tigers have a brutal defensive corner infield would be an understatement the size of both Cabrera and Fielder.
At the end of the year, I'd expect the Tigers to manage to overtake the White Sox, despite Chicago owning a better run differential and being three games back in the loss column. Still, the White Sox are going to be a threat until the end -- and very well could win the division.
Then, of course, there's the American League West. The Rangers have made a few moves, acquiring Geovany Soto and Ryan Dempster from the Chicago Cubs. Texas, though, has also had a few blows over the past week too, losing Colby Lewis and Neftali Feliz for the remainder of the 2012 season.
The Angels, meanwhile, added the top prize on the trade market, in the form of Zack Greinke. To date, the only pitcher that has been better than Greinke is Justin Verlander, and even the difference between the two is marginal (.1 WAR). Verlander also has 30 and 2/3 more innings to his credit than Greinke.
Regardless, the Angels made a significant move, and the Rangers didn't. It can certainly be argued that the Rangers didn't have to, and those people could be right. We'll see. Either way, Texas is five up in the loss column headed into Thursday's game against the Angels. If the Rangers win, and go six up, the Rangers can breathe easy. An Angels win, however, puts the division well within striking distance for the Angels.
The wild card is a bit of a mess, as you'd expect it to be. Currently, both the Angels and A's would make the playoffs if the season ended, which is quite amazing. Detroit, Tampa Bay and Baltimore are two games back in the loss column of both Oakland and Los Angeles, while the Red Sox sit four out. None of the trailing teams, besides Detroit, really made any big deadline moves. Perhaps Tampa Bay and Boston did the right thing in that regard, as both clubs were rumored to sell. The Rays will be adding All-Star third baseman Evan Longoria shortly, and he should provide a huge boost.
Here's the bottom line with the Rangers: they're going to make the playoffs. They'll probably win the division, but it's not a guarantee, not yet. The Angels improved themselves more than any team at the deadline, and they're a dangerous team. Come the end of the year, I'm expecting the Rangers still to win the division, with the Angels and Rays grabbing the two wild card spots.
Rangers Vs. Angels: Offense Explodes In 15-9 Win
Four Crazy Summer Days
Rangers Vs. Angels: Thursday Game Preview, TV Info And More


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Casey Affleck's wife Summer Phoenix files for divorce citing irreconcilable differences
Summer Phoenix has filed for divorce from Casey Affleck.
Summer, 38, cited 'irreconcilable differences' in her split from the 41-year-old, the reigning Academy Award-winner for best actor after his lauded performance in Manchester By the Sea, E! reports.
Summer, whose siblings include actors Joaquin Phoenix and the late River Phoenix, told the court she was seeking spousal support in addition to joint physical and legal custody of their two sons, 13-year-old Indiana and nine-year-old Atticus.
The couple first announced their separation in March of 2016, putting an end to a Hollywood relationship that spanned 16 years.
They met in 1995 initially when Casey worked with Joaquin on the Gus Van Sant comedy To Die For.
The Gone Baby Gone star recalled their crossing of paths chatting with The Daily Beast four years ago.
Casey told the publication that Summer 'was going out with someone else [at the time] and [he told Joaquin], "Man, she's cute."'
Joaquin, according to the The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford actor, encouraged Affleck to 'see if [she'd] go out with' him, adding, 'Don't worry about that dude.'
Casey said of Joaquin: 'So he was leaving town one day and said, "My sister's in my apartment and she's all by herself - would you mind checking in on her?" So I checked in on her, and it stuck.'
Casey and Summer went on to become a couple in 2000, got engaged in 2003 and got married in June of 2006.
Amid his victorious march through Hollywood's award season earlier this year, Casey thanked Summer at the Golden Globes for giving him 'just about every good acting idea [he] ever had,' adding, 'Thank you very much, I love you.'
Since his split with Summer, Casey has been in a relationship with actress Floriana Lima, 36, with the two making their first red carpet appearance at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in February.