text:
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Barry Levinson
Toys is a 1992 American fantasy comedy film directed by Barry Levinson, co-written by Levinson and Valerie Curtin, and starring Robin Williams, Michael Gambon, Joan Cusack, Robin Wright, LL Cool J, and Jamie Foxx in his feature film debut. Released in December 1992 in the United States, and March and April 1993 in the United Kingdom and Australia, respectively, the film was produced by Levinson's production company Baltimore Pictures and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Despite appearing somewhat juvenile at first glance, the film received a PG-13 rating from the MPAA for some language and sensuality.
Kenneth Zevo, owner of Zevo Toys in Moscow, Idaho, is dying. He surprises his assistant, Owen Owens, by announcing that instead of his son Leslie succeeding him, his younger brother, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Leland Zevo, will do so. Even Leland, whose relationship with Kenneth is strained, is surprised, noting how Leslie has been apprenticed at the toy factory most of his life. Kenneth agrees Leslie loves toys and his work, but his childlike demeanor would jeopardize the company. Kenneth had even hired Gwen Tyler to work in the factory, hoping she and Leslie would start a relationship to help Leslie mature. Leland reluctantly takes control after Kenneth's death, and since Leslie and his sister Alsatia know about toymaking, he first decides to effectively give them control of the factory. However, Leland's interest is piqued upon hearing about corporate secrets potentially being leaked, and he hires his son, Patrick, a soldier with covert military expertise, to manage security. From Patrick, Leland is inspired to build war toys, even though Leslie explains that Zevo Toys has never made war toys due to Kenneth's overall dislike of war, which caused the strained relationship with his brother. Meanwhile, Leslie finally notices Gwen, and they start dating.
person Art Metrano
person Arthur Malet
Blake Clark
Debi Mazar
Donald O'Connor
Jack Warden
Joan Cusack
LL Cool J
person Wendy Melvoin
Barry Levinson Valerie Curtin
Stu Linder
adventure comedy fantasy
attack buy in date factory guard gynoid hear id lieutenant general remote control robot shrink strained relationship their way toy factory toy store train u.s. army united states army war toy
Academy Award for Best Costume Design Academy Award for Best Production Design
Baltimore Pictures


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Millions of Americans ride buses whether it's from home to work and back again on weekdays, or for a weekend outing. In large metropolitan areas, like New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., drivers and passengers generally exchange perfunctory greetings. The driver's job is to get riders to their destination on time. Every second counts. Even a minute of pleasantries can lead to later delays in traffic. In his continuing series on jobs in the United States, VOA's Andrew Baroch decided to spend some time getting to know a local bus driver named James Beale.
"I can drive the bus with my eyes closed. I can turn a corner with this bus with my eyes closed. That's how easy it is to drive it," says Mr. Beale.
I have to admit I was startled when James Beale proposed the idea of driving his 46-passenger bus with his eyes closed. Frankly, I didn't even check to see if they were closed, as his black-gloved hands twisted the bus's wide steering wheel and his behemoth of a vehicle barely made it through the narrow gate of a housing development parking lot and out into busy traffic. Mr. Beale says the secret is to give the bus some space and close your eyes, for a few seconds.
"You're not driving a Volkswagen, you're driving a bus," says Mr. Beale. "So that means you need bus space. I think a lot of folks get in trouble when they forget the size of the equipment - be it car, vacuum cleaner or whatever. If you got a little vacuum cleaner, then you can go in a little space. If you got a big one, you need more space."
Beale:"That's it. That's all there is to it. Once you do that, it's it."
Whatever he says. Sixty-year-old James Beale has been driving a city bus for 40 years. He's the most senior driver of a crew of about a thousand men and women. He trains new drivers and he's been honored by Metro, the local transit agency, for a record of more than a million miles without an accident.
James Beale doesn't hide his self-confidence, like the time I was on the bus with him and he pointed out that he'd arrived at a stop right on time.
Beale:"I'm due at this point at 1:34 [p.m.]. What time do you have?"
Baroch:"Exactly 1:34. How do you do that?"
Mr. Beale, a Washington, D.C., native is one of about 350,000 city transit bus drivers in the United States. They all started in the business the same way: six to eight weeks of training, then driving with a supervisor. Starting salaries average about ten dollars an hour, but veterans like James Beale can earn at least twice that much.
Mr. Beale remembers that he became a bus driver sort of accidentally, in 1962.
Beale:"I didn't want to drive a bus. I wanted to be a policeman. But I was told by Chief Murphy that I was a quarter of an inch too short."
Baroch:"The police chief in Washington at that time."
Beale:"In hindsight now, I guess he did me a great favor. There's no way you're going to put 40 years in the police force [the way I've done in bus driving], I would have been retired, sitting in some big office, making a lot of money. What would I do with that? No way."
Baroch:"You still think about it a lot, though."
Beale:"I just talk about it. It's over. It's history. Yeah."
Bus driver James Beale received a nice package of benefits: health and life insurance, sick leave, dental insurance, up to four weeks of vacation, and a generous pension plan. Nearing retirement, he's looking forward to that.
But for now, what lies ahead of him every weekday from about 5 in the morning to 1:30 in the afternoon is about 70 kilometers of driving - three round trips in all - from downtown Washington, D.C. to suburban Prince George's County, Maryland. He drives through all kinds of neighborhoods middle class, working class - some areas, where many of the storefront windows are boarded up or shuttered with iron bars and the ground is littered with trash. Mr. Beale says no matter where he drives, he keeps his guard up.
Beale:"A lot of [drivers] have had all kinds of problems - people with weapons, etc., but I've been kind of fortunate. I put a bus driver's face on, a mean face."
Baroch:"You just had a man get on the bus who was talking to himself, a woman who claimed she'd never ridden a bus, and a man in the back who sounded like he was throwing up in the back. It sounds like you see the grittier side of life."
Beale:"I don't normally get these folks. Today, I think you brought them on. I'm hoping to blame this on you. I normally don't get that."
One of Mr. Beale's regular passengers is 20-year-old Lori Anderson, a student at the University of Maryland in College Park, which is her daily destination. On a recent trip, she stood next to him and they talked about the bus driving profession.
Baroch:"Excuse me, I couldn't help overhearing: you said you wanted to be a bus driver?"
Baroch:"He was telling you whether it was difficult or not. I just wondered what you learned."
Anderson:"He said there's no rush. You just drive. If there's traffic, there's nothing you can do about it. You're not really pressed for time. It's really easy. You're sitting up straight. You're tall in front of an [wide] open windshield."
Baroch:"What do think of the fact that Mr. Beale has been driving a bus for over 40 years. Did you know that?"
Anderson:"I know. He told me. I am so lucky to use the line he drives because every time around we usually have very interesting conversations. He told me that there was an event for [drivers in the job for] 30 or more years. I was like 'Oh, that's great, you've been driving the bus for more than 30 years?' He's like, 'Well, actually, it's been a little longer than that.' I was like, 'Wow, that's awesome for him to stick to his job.'"
The job prospects for people interested in being a bus driver look good. The U.S. Department of Labor says that as bus ridership increases, so will the need for drivers. There probably won't be another like James Beale.
Baroch:"This is probably the best bus ride, I've ever had, Mr. Beale. It is."
Beale:"Thank you. This is the best time of my run. In about 12 minutes, I am history until tomorrow. This is my last trip. And most of it was true."


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Obama's Supreme Court Choices
By Jeralyn, Section Supreme Court
Posted on Mon Mar 14, 2016 at 02:15:46 PM EST
A new name has emerged as a finalist in the Supreme Court sweeps to replace Justice Scalia. Meet Paul Watford.
< USA Today Poll: Millennials Would "Flock" to Hillary Over Trump | Monday Night Open Thread >
Obama's Supreme Court Choices | 31 comments (31 topical)
Judge Paul Watford (5.00 / 2) (#1)
by KeysDan on Mon Mar 14, 2016 at 03:03:35 PM EST
would be an excellent Associate Justice; a graduate of UCLA Law and editor of its law review. And, he clerked for Justice Ginsburg. He, as well as any Obama nominee will have a tough time, if the Republicans even permit Committee hearings.
Watford was recently vetted for appointment as appellate judge, but the vote was not a slam dunk (61/34). Judge Jane Kelly's background as public defender is an attractive quality and she had, at the time, the support of Grassley. Merrick Garland is my least favorite name that has been suggested.
Whomever the president nominates, it should be soon. Unless there is some strategy in waiting, it seems that the nomination is overdue.
My personal preference is for Jane Kelly, ... (5.00 / 1) (#2)
by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Mar 14, 2016 at 03:47:15 PM EST
... given her background as a public defender, if we're actually seeking to restore to the High Court the balance and diversity that Peter G. says it so desperately needs. Another woman on that bench certainly wouldn't hurt. (And since Peter's argued before the Court, I value highly his personal take on this matter.)
Appellate courts at all levels should reflect the wide array of legal expertise and opinion that exist across the board in the profession, and should never be stacked as an attempt to either ensure preordained outcomes or pursue a particular political agenda, as appeared to be the late Justice Scalia's penchant.
As I've come to trust Obama's judgment regarding his appointments to the federal bench, I'm sure that each of the potential nominees is an exceptional jurist.
This is going to be fun (5.00 / 1) (#17)
by CST on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 11:23:34 AM EST
To watch.
For a regular nomination I might be disappointed it was Garland, but for the current circumstances it's perfect.
To quote a certain robot:
Let's dispel with this fiction that Obama doesn't know what he's doing. He knows exactly what he's doing.
Judge Merrick Garland, (5.00 / 1) (#19)
by KeysDan on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 12:11:39 PM EST
while not my favorite of the names discussed is a good nominee under the circumstances. The Republicans will not be embarrassed by their incalcitrance. And, of course, Senators, like Orrin Hatch, will have no shame and lots of reasons why earlier accolades for Judge Garland are now inoperable. The Republicans have found that the paint in that corner they put themselves into will never dry. And, the color, Benjamin Moore's "Barack Obama," is the sticky part.
Judge Garland may feel that this is the best opportunity he has to become an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court and is willing to withstand the brick bats to come his way--or thinks he does. As Chief Judge of the DC Court of Appeals he is not likely to have a future career blemished by the Republican onslaught as would more likely be the case for a judge still in the earlier stages of a legal career.
Judge Garland is reported to be a moderate jurist, which already places him light-years away from the late Scalia. And, of course, to be a true "replacement" for Scalia, Judge Garland would have to have an obsessive animus toward the gays.
With a name like Garland, even if not a distant relative of Judy, my anticipation is that the Judge is a friend of Dorothy. Judge Garland, if he is confirmed, while probably not in the notorious RBG mold, is likely to join the liberal members of the Court on most issues. Yes, a good choice.
No, he's not any relation to Judy Garland, ... (5.00 / 1) (#24)
by Donald from Hawaii on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 04:16:24 PM EST
... whose real name was Frances Ethel Gumm. And at 64 years of age, Merrick Garland -- whose own name sounds like he could be a character from a short story by Flannery O'Connor -- is one of the older nominees for the Supreme Court in recent memory, although we ought to keep in mind that the Notorious RBG was 60 when she was nominated and confirmed for the High Court. At 83, she's in peak performance mode. So, he could be around awhile if confirmed.
They find themselves between (none / 0) (#20)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 01:46:30 PM EST
Barack and a hard place.
Also (none / 0) (#22)
How amazing is it that the republicans are basing their entire position on something called "the Biden rule"?
You can not make this sh!t up.
Someone on One of the News Sites... (none / 0) (#23)
by ScottW714 on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 04:02:59 PM EST
... wrote if they R's reject Obama's nomination HRC should nominate Obama. I would take a sick day just to watch the Fox News meltdown.
I believe O has said (none / 0) (#27)
He doesn't want the job. I learned that when I suggested the same thing a while back
Watching some of the coverage of this today I think Mitch and Chuck are about to get their azzes handed to them. They are getting killed in the PR war. Some senators in close races are going to meet with the guy.
Joe Scarborough had an interesting suggestion. He said they should take a film crew with Garland around to every senate office. Request to meet with the senator on camera and if they refuse use the video in ads in November. I like that idea.
Nomination announcement today at 11:00 am (none / 0) (#3)
by jbindc on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 07:16:28 AM EST
I'm wondering if he'll go with Merrick Garland, since he is older than the other two leading candidates, just because he's assuming it will be a "throwaway pick" (even though Judge Merrick is incredibly qualified). Is one if the top three willing to be a sacrificial lamb, or are there backroom conversatiibs happening that lead the WH to think they can a ruslly get a nominer confirmed?
So (none / 0) (#12)
by CaptHowdy on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 09:49:06 AM EST
It's Garland. He has totally outsmarted the republicans again.
He's nominated a person they will look like total fools if they don't confirm. But they won't. The question now is if they will embarrass themselves further by refusing to even meet with the guy as they have promised.
Republicans look like petty idiots. He looks statesman like. No one gets confirmed and Hillary gets to make a better nomination in a few months.
And btw, this will be a huge issue in senate elections.
He supervised (none / 0) (#13)
The Oklahoma City bombing case and the Unabomber case for the DOJ. I can't wait to see how the Republicans want to denigrate someone who was actually on the front lines of prosecuting terrorists.
Now they look like idiots if they don't at least meet with the guy and have hearings AND they look like idiots if they do.
Ms Lindsey said "if the president nominated me I would not vote for me"
Another said "if the president nominated my daughter I would vote against her"
This is going to be fun to watch.
I wonder (none / 0) (#4)
by pitachips on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 07:34:24 AM EST
What if any sort of consultation there has been with Hillary.
Looks like it's Merrick Garland (none / 0) (#5)
Looks like where? (none / 0) (#6)
by Mr Natural on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 09:15:08 AM EST
NYT, WSJ, WaPo (none / 0) (#7)
For starters.
The following (1.00 / 1) (#8)
is called a link to a newstory.
I didn't need to link (1.00 / 1) (#9)
You asked me where I saw it and I told you.
Now you know why I neeeded that link, JB (none / 0) (#21)
by Mr Natural on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 02:00:23 PM EST
Reuters had profiled the completely wrong guy. They've corrected it but wow, what a miss.
I was busy (none / 0) (#26)
by jbindc on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 05:09:11 PM EST
And since I told you where to find it, I'm not sure why you would go to a different site, then post it with a snarky comment to try and shame me, and THEN realize you had bad information, making yourself look foolish.
Yes, JB You Have Been Tasked to Ensure... (5.00 / 1) (#29)
by ScottW714 on Thu Mar 17, 2016 at 10:57:50 AM EST
...other do not look like idiots, which is probably a full time job given that doozy yesterday.
Is that supposed to be an insult? (5.00 / 1) (#30)
by jbindc on Thu Mar 17, 2016 at 11:16:07 AM EST
Because yes, there are several people around here who can make themselves look like idiots...
Yes I Was... (5.00 / 1) (#31)
by ScottW714 on Thu Mar 17, 2016 at 02:16:06 PM EST
... but not to you.
Not too busy to be blogging. (none / 0) (#28)
by Mr Natural on Thu Mar 17, 2016 at 12:11:14 AM EST
Merrick's a Hindu. (none / 0) (#10)
If true, the Catholic Church's stranglehold on the Supreme Court has at long last been broken.
You're confusing your possible nominees (5.00 / 2) (#11)
by CoralGables on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 09:25:26 AM EST
but he's not Catholic...not that religion should matter anyway.
Garland is Jewish (none / 0) (#15)
So that would make 5 Catholics and 4 Jews.
Previous Ratio Was 6-3 (5.00 / 1) (#18)
by RickyJim on Wed Mar 16, 2016 at 11:31:13 AM EST
So if he is confirmed, will the court be more or less diverse? :-)
Mitch (none / 0) (#16)
Is making the case fir ignoring the nomination.
Your daily oxymoron is ... (none / 0) (#25)
... "Republican leadership":
"As phone calls go, this was not a long conversation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell decided it would be 'more considerate' to speak to Judge Merrick Garland directly by phone Wednesday. And so when the White House asked McConnell if he would like to speak with President Obama's nominee to fill the vacancy on the Supreme Court, the Kentucky Republican got on the line. He quickly made clear his position that he doesn't intend to let the Senate vote on Garland's nomination while Obama remains in office."
AMERICA'S GOP 2016: Standing on principle -- or is that a banana peel?

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Weighing a mere 200 grams, the 50mm f/2 WR feels almost back heavy on the heavier bodies like the X-T2 and X-Pro2. However, it is long enough that you can get a grip on both the lens and body with your left hand, where it sits comfortably and balances well.
I have found that I actually prefer this lens on the heftier X-Pro2 rather than the X-T2. It seems to fit the body more comfortably.
As with all Fujifilm X lenses, the construction is excellent. As the lens gets both the XF and WR designations, you can be assured that it is well constructed, feels solid, and will withstand a few splashes.
The focus ring is Fujifilm's typical ridged metal design, and turns easily. The focus throw is quite long for a tiny lens like this, making it quite easy to manual focus. The aperture ring has solid clicks that are reminiscent of the 90mm f/2 WR, but with slightly less resistance. These are much easier to feel your way through than many other Fujifilm lenses.
The only thing that feels quite tacky about this lens is the plastic lens hood. The metal hood that comes with the 35mm is much nicer and completes the overall package a lot better.
One more small thing that is annoying, but not a deal breaker: the filter thread. Both the 23mm and 35mm in this series have 43mm filter threads. The 50mm has a 46mm thread. This means that if you're a filter user, you'll either need to invest in yet another step-up ring or another set of filters.
This is where this series of lenses really shines. The 23mm f/2 WR and and 35mm f/2 WR have both had some of the best autofocus performance on the Fuji X System, and the 50mm f/2 is on par, if not faster. In good light, you will see focusing that outperforms some DSLR lenses. Tested against my Nikkor 58mm f/1.4 on the D750, I couldn't notice any difference in focusing speed. If anything, the Fujifilm was a touch faster. You can see videos of those compared through the viewfinder in my article from last week.
As with all Fujifilm lenses, the 50mm f/2 WR does hunt a little before reaching critical focus, but in good light, it is so fast you can barely see it. As you enter low contrast or dimmer situations, you will start to see the lens hunting quite significantly. I have found that indoors it can take around half a second to reach critical focus if you are not in a high contrast situation.
I have also tested it quite a bit for shooting street around Seoul, and it performs excellently. During my experiments, I had the camera set to zone tracking mode, which performed excellently with this new lens. With both myself and my subjects moving, I am able to get around 70-80 percent in-focus images. If I am stopped and my subjects are moving, that number is only limited by human error. The lens performs excellently.
The autofocus motor is extremely quick, but also very quiet. To my ear, it sounds barely louder than the 35mm f/2 WR, which is all but silent. The first time actually noticed the sound was when photographing a sleeping baby. Until that time, I wasn't aware that it made any noise at all. You can be sure that nobody around you will hear the sound at all.
All in all, it is still one of the fastest and quietest on the Fujifilm X System. It is especially good when paired with a new X-Trans III body like the X-Pro2, X-T2, or the brand new X-T20.
In a word: "wow." The images that come out of this lens are sharp, contrasty, and have smooth out of focus areas. In my testing, it was equally as sharp as the 35mm f/2, and sharper than the 56mm f/1.2 at f/2. Edge-to-edge performance seems to be excellent in my tests. Even the corners look quite good wide open, and excellent by f/2.8.
The bokeh is pleasing, with no nervous edges or tearing. With the lens' minimum focus distance at 39 centimeters, it also allows for some extremely narrow depth of field, even with the maximum aperture of f/2. This is significantly closer than its big brother, the 56mm, which focuses only down to 70 centimeters.
I, like many others it would seem, was a bit confused by the 50mm focal length. This would be approximately 76mm on a full-frame 35mm sensor, which is not a common focal length for a prime lens. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that it fit right into my shooting style and fixed a problem I didn't know I had.
Fitting squarely between the 35mm and 56mm lenses for me in use, I have come to really love this lens. So far, I have used it at a corporate event, a couple of food shoots, a portrait session, and as a walk around. In all cases, it has been an adequate focal length for a good portion of my shooting.
Here is where it seems everyone is trying to draw a comparison. The 50mm at first glance might seem like a cheaper, smaller, lighter version of the 56mm, but this simply isn't the case. The rendering is quite different to the 56mm, especially in the out of focus areas. The other big difference is in the focal length, which actually feels like a larger difference than the numbers would suggest.
The focal length means that you do need to be quite a bit closer to your subjects in order to keep them the same size as the 56mm, but the 50mm focuses so close that you can actually reproduce subjects larger than you can with the 56mm. This should be evident in the food shot above, which would be impossible without cropping if you use the 56mm.
In terms of out of focus areas, the 50mm is not capable of completely obliterating the background like the 56mm is, but still provides some excellent separation and pleasing bokeh. Check the samples below for yourself to decide which suits your needs. You can also examine the change in field of view through these images.
The 50mm beats the 56mm hands down in terms of sharpness and contrast. Although this may not be what you want if you are looking at a flattering portrait lens, the 50mm is sharper and much more contrasty than the 56mm. Personally, for a portrait, I prefer the fall off and slight softness from the 56mm, but the 50mm is a great all-rounder.
All of this considered, the two are very different lenses with different roles in your bag. If I'm looking for a dreamy portrait, I'm still going to pack the 56mm f/1.2. However, if it's a run and gun situation that needs great autofocus and great image quality, the 50mm will take its place in my bag. Not to mention, it's weather resistant.
Fujifilm have really hit the mark again with this latest offering. It is sharp, fast, and lightweight. If you're looking for an all-round lens that is a little longer than the 35mm f/2, I would highly recommend it. For a pure portrait lens, I would still choose between the 56mm and the 90mm, but this will certainly serve in a pinch. It's minimum focus distance makes it an excellent lens for close-up (non-macro) photography, as well. It is all excellent general purpose lens. Without hesitation, I would recommend you grab yourself one if you're considering it.
In other words, yet another Fuji lens I am going to have to find an excuse to buy.
Yep, Looks like a sweet wee lens.
I can´t help noticing, that on the 100% of the portrait with 56mm @f/1.2, the upper left (part of her eye brow) is in focus. Her eye is definitely out of focus, so probably not the best shot for a fair comparison.
But anyway, a very good observation about the food shot: The near focus limit makes a difference.


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More rain anyone? As I'm curbing my desire to switch on the heating, I'm amazed how much our dietary intake is dependent on the weather. Sunny skies? Green juice and salads in all varieties feels like the most natural thing to ingest. However, on a rainy, cloudy day with a chill in the air, like today, a warming stew seems more in keeping. As it happens, my slow cooker is on as I write and a veg stew is on tonight's menu. I may even put the fire on… Brrrr.
But I digress… I've got a big birthday coming up and I'm hoping for a sunny day with my friends and family in the garden. Salads will be on the menu (amongst other things) and I have spent several weeks trying new combinations in order to be ready for the big day. Sunshine is not optional so I am blazing ahead undeterred. Today's recipe was a super yummy, protein rich combo of nuts, seeds, beans and quinoa – drizzled with a soy and ginger dressing. We had ours with organic wild salmon and some French green beans but this dish would work equally well as a lunchtime salad on its own. This particular version is a chopper – meaning you'll spend some time just chopping things up but it is really tasty to have all the little bits together in a big bowl. It's worth the effort. Crank up the music or get a friend to chop with you. All good things are generally worth waiting for :).
Cook/steam the sweet potatoes, quinoa, broccoli, French green beans prior to assembly. This can be done the day before and just kept in the fridge until you are ready to make the finished bowl. Chop everything else according to recipe instructions and mix with the cooked ingredients. In the meantime place all ingredients in a food processor, bar the water, and mix well until you have a dressing like consistency. Taste mixture as you may need to add more sweet or sour to suit your taste. Add the water to the mixture and blend again. Pour over salad and mix thoroughly. Voila and Bon Appetite!!
[ Smiles ] A salad that is worth consuming!


text:
LifestyleTop Stories
Stray animals find solace at animal shelter in Iraq
An injured stray dog rests in a cage at the Baghdad Animal Rescue, west of the capital Baghdad. Iraq is trying to emerge from almost two decades of conflict and has been mired in a political and economic crisis, and animal welfare is far from a priority either for most people or for the authorities. — AFP photos
Bella the dog can barely stand after being abused, but she is now receiving care from a Baghdad refuge that hopes to become Iraq's first veterinary clinic for stray animals. The Baghdad Animal Rescue opened around a week ago, and Bella, a nervous fox-like dog who raises her muzzle for strokes while still shaking in fear, seems in caring hands.
"We are going to care for all kinds of animals and release them when they're well," said Nazik, 37, who is among the volunteers. Having a pet is unusual in Iraq, and many of the cats and dogs that roam Baghdad's streets are often mistreated. More than a decade ago, thousands of stray dogs were gunned down with automatic weapons after municipalities including Baghdad decided that their numbers were too high.
For now, the shelter is home to just a handful of animals, including a black cat named Zaatar – "thyme" in Arabic-who was blinded in a car accident. Volunteers do their best to provide care, comfort and solace to the distressed creatures. "People report injured animals to us after accidents. We bring them here and treat them," said Sally Faysal, 27, another volunteer. If the animals need more specialized care, they are taken to a veterinarian. "The team members share the cost of the treatment," Faysal said.
Veterinarians volunteering at the Baghdad Animal Rescue, examine stray cats at the shelter, west of the capital Baghdad, on January 16, 2022. – Iraq is trying to emerge from almost two decades of conflict and has been mired in a political and economic crisis, and animal welfare is far from a priority either for most people or for the authorities. More than a decade ago, thousands of stray dogs were gunned down with automatic weapons after municipalities including Baghdad decided that their numbers were too high. (Photo by AHMAD AL-RUBAYE / AFP)
'Innocent'
The refuge, just west of the Iraqi capital, consists of a main room where the animals receive treatment, along with a storage area and cages. It could eventually hold several hundred animals, and aims to one day become a veterinary clinic for strays. But for now, it lacks funding. The team was able to buy the plot of land for 25 million dinars (around $17,000) thanks to donations. Nazik, who declined to provide her surname, lamented that no public funding had been forthcoming "despite all the promotion we have done on social media".
Iraq is trying to emerge from almost two decades of conflict and has been mired in a political and economic crisis, and animal welfare is far from a priority either for most people or for the authorities. The United Nations says about one-third of the population lives in poverty, despite the country's oil wealth. According to the agriculture ministry, there are three reserves for wild species such as deer, but no facilities to care for urban animals.
In a corner of the shelter, Loulou the cat looked around fearfully after losing a paw in an accident. Volunteers said that before the refuge opened, their family responded with perplexity and even hostility if they brought an injured animal back to their homes. Once the dogs and cats have recovered, they are put up for adoption-but will stay on at the refuge if a home can't be found. "There needs to be an awareness-raising campaign to stop animal abuse," Nazik said. "They are innocent, after all."— AFP
#kuwait Times animal shelter iraq Stray animals
'Heating or eating': Britons struggle with rising costs
Underwater lion dance at Malaysian aquarium ahead of Lunar New Year
As COP looms, Prince William awards debut Earthshot Prize
Second wave of coronavirus in Asia prompts fresh lockdowns
Muslim family killed in Canada 'terrorist' attack
Crushed by virus and war, jobless Afghans turn to opium for cash
'Hoaxes, fake news' blamed for slow start to India vaccine drive


text:
package post

// This file was generated by the swagger tool.
// Editing this file might prove futile when you re-run the swagger generate command

import (
	"github.com/go-openapi/runtime"

	strfmt "github.com/go-openapi/strfmt"
)

// New creates a new post API client.
func New(transport runtime.ClientTransport, formats strfmt.Registry) *Client {
	return &Client{transport: transport, formats: formats}
}

/*
Client for post API
*/
type Client struct {
	transport runtime.ClientTransport
	formats   strfmt.Registry
}

/*
PostLookups finds all

put all

*/
func (a *Client) PostLookups(params *PostLookupsParams, authInfo runtime.ClientAuthInfoWriter) (*PostLookupsOK, error) {
	// TODO: Validate the params before sending
	if params == nil {
		params = NewPostLookupsParams()
	}

	result, err := a.transport.Submit(&runtime.ClientOperation{
		ID:                 "PostLookups",
		Method:             "POST",
		PathPattern:        "/lookups",
		ProducesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json", "application/x-gzip"},
		ConsumesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json"},
		Schemes:            []string{"http", "https"},
		Params:             params,
		Reader:             &PostLookupsReader{formats: a.formats},
		AuthInfo:           authInfo,
	})
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return result.(*PostLookupsOK), nil
}

/*
PostLookupsID posts id

post id

*/
func (a *Client) PostLookupsID(params *PostLookupsIDParams, authInfo runtime.ClientAuthInfoWriter) (*PostLookupsIDOK, error) {
	// TODO: Validate the params before sending
	if params == nil {
		params = NewPostLookupsIDParams()
	}

	result, err := a.transport.Submit(&runtime.ClientOperation{
		ID:                 "PostLookupsID",
		Method:             "POST",
		PathPattern:        "/lookups/{id}",
		ProducesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json", "application/x-gzip"},
		ConsumesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json"},
		Schemes:            []string{"http", "https"},
		Params:             params,
		Reader:             &PostLookupsIDReader{formats: a.formats},
		AuthInfo:           authInfo,
	})
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return result.(*PostLookupsIDOK), nil
}

/*
PostNodes posts

post

*/
func (a *Client) PostNodes(params *PostNodesParams, authInfo runtime.ClientAuthInfoWriter) (*PostNodesCreated, error) {
	// TODO: Validate the params before sending
	if params == nil {
		params = NewPostNodesParams()
	}

	result, err := a.transport.Submit(&runtime.ClientOperation{
		ID:                 "PostNodes",
		Method:             "POST",
		PathPattern:        "/nodes",
		ProducesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json", "application/x-gzip"},
		ConsumesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json"},
		Schemes:            []string{"http", "https"},
		Params:             params,
		Reader:             &PostNodesReader{formats: a.formats},
		AuthInfo:           authInfo,
	})
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return result.(*PostNodesCreated), nil
}

/*
PostNodesIdentifierObm sets the obm settings associated with a node

set he obm settings associated with a node.

*/
func (a *Client) PostNodesIdentifierObm(params *PostNodesIdentifierObmParams, authInfo runtime.ClientAuthInfoWriter) (*PostNodesIdentifierObmCreated, error) {
	// TODO: Validate the params before sending
	if params == nil {
		params = NewPostNodesIdentifierObmParams()
	}

	result, err := a.transport.Submit(&runtime.ClientOperation{
		ID:                 "PostNodesIdentifierObm",
		Method:             "POST",
		PathPattern:        "/nodes/{identifier}/obm",
		ProducesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json", "application/x-gzip"},
		ConsumesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json"},
		Schemes:            []string{"http", "https"},
		Params:             params,
		Reader:             &PostNodesIdentifierObmReader{formats: a.formats},
		AuthInfo:           authInfo,
	})
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return result.(*PostNodesIdentifierObmCreated), nil
}

/*
PostNodesIdentifierObmIdentify enables or disable identify light on node through o b m if supported

Enable or disable identify light on node through OBM (if supported)

*/
func (a *Client) PostNodesIdentifierObmIdentify(params *PostNodesIdentifierObmIdentifyParams, authInfo runtime.ClientAuthInfoWriter) (*PostNodesIdentifierObmIdentifyCreated, error) {
	// TODO: Validate the params before sending
	if params == nil {
		params = NewPostNodesIdentifierObmIdentifyParams()
	}

	result, err := a.transport.Submit(&runtime.ClientOperation{
		ID:                 "PostNodesIdentifierObmIdentify",
		Method:             "POST",
		PathPattern:        "/nodes/{identifier}/obm/identify",
		ProducesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json", "application/x-gzip"},
		ConsumesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json"},
		Schemes:            []string{"http", "https"},
		Params:             params,
		Reader:             &PostNodesIdentifierObmIdentifyReader{formats: a.formats},
		AuthInfo:           authInfo,
	})
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return result.(*PostNodesIdentifierObmIdentifyCreated), nil
}

/*
PostNodesIdentifierWorkflows creates workflow for specified node

create workflow for specified node

*/
func (a *Client) PostNodesIdentifierWorkflows(params *PostNodesIdentifierWorkflowsParams, authInfo runtime.ClientAuthInfoWriter) (*PostNodesIdentifierWorkflowsCreated, error) {
	// TODO: Validate the params before sending
	if params == nil {
		params = NewPostNodesIdentifierWorkflowsParams()
	}

	result, err := a.transport.Submit(&runtime.ClientOperation{
		ID:                 "PostNodesIdentifierWorkflows",
		Method:             "POST",
		PathPattern:        "/nodes/{identifier}/workflows",
		ProducesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json", "application/x-gzip"},
		ConsumesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json"},
		Schemes:            []string{"http", "https"},
		Params:             params,
		Reader:             &PostNodesIdentifierWorkflowsReader{formats: a.formats},
		AuthInfo:           authInfo,
	})
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return result.(*PostNodesIdentifierWorkflowsCreated), nil
}

/*
PostNodesMacaddressDhcpWhitelist adds a whitelist of specified mac address

Add a whitelist of specified mac address

*/
func (a *Client) PostNodesMacaddressDhcpWhitelist(params *PostNodesMacaddressDhcpWhitelistParams, authInfo runtime.ClientAuthInfoWriter) (*PostNodesMacaddressDhcpWhitelistCreated, error) {
	// TODO: Validate the params before sending
	if params == nil {
		params = NewPostNodesMacaddressDhcpWhitelistParams()
	}

	result, err := a.transport.Submit(&runtime.ClientOperation{
		ID:                 "PostNodesMacaddressDhcpWhitelist",
		Method:             "POST",
		PathPattern:        "/nodes/{macaddress}/dhcp/whitelist",
		ProducesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json", "application/x-gzip"},
		ConsumesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json"},
		Schemes:            []string{"http", "https"},
		Params:             params,
		Reader:             &PostNodesMacaddressDhcpWhitelistReader{formats: a.formats},
		AuthInfo:           authInfo,
	})
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return result.(*PostNodesMacaddressDhcpWhitelistCreated), nil
}

/*
PostSkus creates a sku

create a sku

*/
func (a *Client) PostSkus(params *PostSkusParams, authInfo runtime.ClientAuthInfoWriter) (*PostSkusOK, error) {
	// TODO: Validate the params before sending
	if params == nil {
		params = NewPostSkusParams()
	}

	result, err := a.transport.Submit(&runtime.ClientOperation{
		ID:                 "PostSkus",
		Method:             "POST",
		PathPattern:        "/skus",
		ProducesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json", "application/x-gzip"},
		ConsumesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json"},
		Schemes:            []string{"http", "https"},
		Params:             params,
		Reader:             &PostSkusReader{formats: a.formats},
		AuthInfo:           authInfo,
	})
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return result.(*PostSkusOK), nil
}

/*
PostTags posts tag

create new tag

*/
func (a *Client) PostTags(params *PostTagsParams, authInfo runtime.ClientAuthInfoWriter) (*PostTagsCreated, error) {
	// TODO: Validate the params before sending
	if params == nil {
		params = NewPostTagsParams()
	}

	result, err := a.transport.Submit(&runtime.ClientOperation{
		ID:                 "PostTags",
		Method:             "POST",
		PathPattern:        "/tags",
		ProducesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json", "application/x-gzip"},
		ConsumesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json"},
		Schemes:            []string{"http", "https"},
		Params:             params,
		Reader:             &PostTagsReader{formats: a.formats},
		AuthInfo:           authInfo,
	})
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return result.(*PostTagsCreated), nil
}

/*
PostWorkflows creates an unbound workflow

create an unbound workflow

*/
func (a *Client) PostWorkflows(params *PostWorkflowsParams, authInfo runtime.ClientAuthInfoWriter) (*PostWorkflowsOK, error) {
	// TODO: Validate the params before sending
	if params == nil {
		params = NewPostWorkflowsParams()
	}

	result, err := a.transport.Submit(&runtime.ClientOperation{
		ID:                 "PostWorkflows",
		Method:             "POST",
		PathPattern:        "/workflows",
		ProducesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json", "application/x-gzip"},
		ConsumesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json"},
		Schemes:            []string{"http", "https"},
		Params:             params,
		Reader:             &PostWorkflowsReader{formats: a.formats},
		AuthInfo:           authInfo,
	})
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return result.(*PostWorkflowsOK), nil
}

/*
PutFilesFileidentifier puts file based on filename

Put file based on filename, returns the uuid of the stored file.

*/
func (a *Client) PutFilesFileidentifier(params *PutFilesFileidentifierParams, authInfo runtime.ClientAuthInfoWriter) (*PutFilesFileidentifierCreated, error) {
	// TODO: Validate the params before sending
	if params == nil {
		params = NewPutFilesFileidentifierParams()
	}

	result, err := a.transport.Submit(&runtime.ClientOperation{
		ID:                 "PutFilesFileidentifier",
		Method:             "PUT",
		PathPattern:        "/files/{fileidentifier}",
		ProducesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json", "application/x-gzip"},
		ConsumesMediaTypes: []string{"application/json"},
		Schemes:            []string{"http", "https"},
		Params:             params,
		Reader:             &PutFilesFileidentifierReader{formats: a.formats},
		AuthInfo:           authInfo,
	})
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}
	return result.(*PutFilesFileidentifierCreated), nil
}

// SetTransport changes the transport on the client
func (a *Client) SetTransport(transport runtime.ClientTransport) {
	a.transport = transport
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Q: for redirecting the different page on button submit with array to spring Controller() on click on button(submitButton)
create a hidden from  and I have sent the data,
suppose my data is [60,56]
     assetGroupId: [60,56]

$("#submitButton").click(function() {
    console.log("submit button is calling");

     var assetID= JSON.stringify(assetGroupId);
document.body.innerHTML += '<form id="assetIdForm" action="http://localhost:9007/abcd" method="post">
            <input type="hidden" name="assetID" value="assetID"></form>';
document.getElementById("assetIdForm").submit();

my controller is:
   @RequestMapping(value = "/abcd", method ={ RequestMethod.POST, RequestMethod.GET },produces=MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON_VALUE,
                                            consumes=MediaType.APPLICATION_JSON_VALUE)
@ResponseBody
public ModelAndView getvalue(String[] ID) {
}

In my controller i need to get the data is [50,60], but i am getting I,D.
kindly help me.. how i can get data in controller.

A: try this
document.body.innerHTML += '<form id="assetIdForm" action="http://localhost:9007/abcd" method="post">
        <input type="hidden" name="assetID" value="'+assetID+'"></form>';

document.getElementById("assetIdForm").submit();
assetID as a variable inside value tag

A: use name as array  name="assetID[]" in html

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
The World Mourns Steve Jobs
Updated: 1:00 PM PDT, October 6, 2011
The world is mourning the death of Apple founder and CEO Steve Jobs, who changed the world with his innovative ideas and different way of thinking. INSIDE EDITION reports
Apple visionary Steve Jobs changed the way the world works for people of all ages, and he will live forever through his innovations.
The genius behind the Apple empire was battling pancreatic cancer when he addressed Stanford University in 2005. As one of the world's richest men, he understood that the only true wealth is time, and he made every moment count.
He told the graduating class, "I was lucky. I found what I loved to do early in life."
INSIDE EDITION's Jim Moret visited the world famous garage where it all started. A college dropout named Steve Jobs began tinkering around with a little idea that would eventually blossom into a global empire, and make him an idol to millions.
Jobs was joined by his good buddy Steve Wozniak, who shared recollections of those early days in the garage.
"We did all the things that young people do, misbehavior, playing around, pranks, talking about ideas of features that we could put into products," Wozniak told The Early Show.
Footage from Jobs's very first TV interview in 1978 shows a shy, awkward young man, a contrast to the confident Apple CEO the world has come to know.
Jobs's list of accomplishments is almost impossible to fathom. His influence even spread to animated films with the revolutionary animation studio Pixar.
Millions of people are flocking to Apple stores all over the world to pay their respects to the man who had a tremendous impact on their lives. In fact, Steve Jobs is actually being compared to legendary innovators like Albert Einstein and Thomas Edison.
The last known photo of Jobs was startling; he appeared shockingly thin. He was too ill to present the latest Apple innovation, the iPhone 4S, which was unveiled just this week.
"A lot of people think it stands for "For Steve," said reporter Bill Weir.
From the streets, to the subways, to Apple stores everywhere, people are remembering Jobs. He was a hero on college campuses, and the iPad has changed the way elementary students are being taught.
Earlier this year, Apple became the largest company in America with a more than $350 billion market cap; it has more cash on hand than the US Treasury!
mourns
appeared
startling
respects


text:
Historic Register
North Cranford Neighborhood Historical Survey
The City of Greeley received a Certified Local Government grant from History Colorado to conduct a historic resource survey in the Cranford neighborhood, specifically in the area bounded by 14th and 16th Streets and 10th and 12th Avenues. The intent of the survey is to gather information and document the history and architectural character of 72 select properties within the area, and identify properties that may be eligible for designation on the Greeley Historic Register. Consultant Bekah Schields of Metcalf Archaeological Consultants, Inc. will complete the survey project, including photography and basic documentation.
Metcalf Archaeological Consultants have completed the fieldwork portion of this project. The next phase will include the completion of site forms to be reviewed by the City of Greeley and the State's Office of Archaeology & Historic Preservation. Final project results will be presented to residents in Spring 2023.
Tell Us Your Cranford Story
Every place has a story. Whether it's an empty lot, a gas station, a fence, a front porch, or a home... spaces tell us something important about where a community or neighborhood has been and where it might be going. Do you have a memory of when a certain neighborhood home was built or an extra room was added? Have a photo or story about the Cranford neighborhood you'd like to share? We'd love to hear from you. Click the link and tell us what you know.
I Know Something About Cranford
Contact the Historic Preservation Office at 970-350-9222 or email elizabeth.kellums@greeleygov.com.


text:
Weekly News Recap #9
If you haven't already head, Jack Ma a Chinese business magnate, investor, and philanthropist. He is the co-founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group, a multinational technology conglomerate specializing in e-commerce, retail, Internet, AI and technology. He is one of China's richest men with a net worth of US$38.6 billion, as well as one of the wealthiest people in the world. Speculations of Jack Ma's retirement have been...
Last week, the Razer Phone 2 was announced on Wednesday at a keynote led by Razer CEO Min-Liang Tan. Previous leaks have shown that it will share a very similar design to the company's original smartphone. Reportedly Amazon was at fault to prematurely divulging more details about the phone. A now-pulled listing from Amazon Italy had revealed a few key specs ahead of the originally planned reveal. Firstly, the Razer...
In the wake of their most recent hack, Facebook has been reportedly in search for cybersecurity aid, planning to purchase a cybersecurity firm in order to gain key security talent and to serve as a positive public relation move. To recap, the hacking, which took place a month ago, resulted in access tokens stolen for more than 30 million accounts (pared down from an initial estimate of 50 million), which granted the complete access to...


text:
Trending Impeachment Trial Dallas ISD Bond Deadly Forney Crash Girl Struck by Gun Fire Cowboys of Color Rodeo Hyperloop One Fighting Hunger Project Innovation
LeBron vs. MJ: Obama Weighs in on the Big Debate
In Nov. 2016, the former president presented Michael Jordan with the Presidential Medal of Freedom
By James Neveau	• Published at 3:36 pm on December 27, 2017
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, File
NBA fans have debated for years whether LeBron James or Michael Jordan is the superior player, but now a former president is weighing in on the controversy.
Former President Barack Obama, appearing on BBC Radio 4 along with Prince Harry, was asked a series of rapid-fire questions by the prince, and was ultimately asked which player he thought was better.
"Jordan," he said. "Although I love LeBron, I'm a Chicago guy."
Connecting you to your favorite North Texas sports teams as well as sports news around the globe.
College Football 5 hours ago
Mavericks 15 hours ago
Mavs' Porzingis Says Knee Ready for Game After False Start
It's not all that surprising that Obama selected Jordan in the debate. In Nov. 2016, the former president presented Jordan with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and Jordan's hey-day in Chicago occurred at the same time that Obama was getting his start in community organizing.


text:
Are there gigs for musicians on Thassos Island?
chachaangelina Member (+) Posts: 2
Hello, All~
I am a musician specializing in children's music and also comedy music for adults. Are there hotels or other places on Thassos Islando that could use me? I have an offer of a beautiful place to stay on Thassos Island.
You can email me directly at [email protected] or phone me in the USA at (352) 219-6994.
~Angelina
Hi Angelina,
Get in touch with Eurocamp, a summer camp for kids. Perhaps you can find demand for your specialty (children's music) there?
http://www.go-thassos.gr/visiting-thassos/hotels/eurocamp-thassos
In regards to comedy music for adults... I presume it's in English and with American humor? Most live gigs you'll come across on the island are of the traditional Greek type, which is understandably in high demand in a place like Thassos.
Do you have a website with videos (or a Youtube channel, Facebook page, etc.) to share and promote your music style? If not, I think that's a good first step to take before approaching people and businesses about a gig. It's important that you help them understand what you're offering. Then email them directly (you'll find loads of hotels and restaurants listed on Go-Thassos) and ask them. Be sure to include a link or two to videos of your past performances.
I hope this info helps. Let me know how your search goes!


We are within a short walking distance from both the Powell Street and Montgomery Street BART and MUNI stations.
I agree and understand that this website is designed for general information only. The information presented at this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of an attorney-client relationship.


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By now email has become an indispensable means of communication for mankind. However, during the past few years, it has been hijacked by spam. A resounding majority of email users are very much annoyed by their daily struggle with spam. They are forced to glance through a large number of unwanted, misleading, or offensive emails from out of nowhere; they have to purge from the inbox and deleted box somewhere between 50 to 80 percent of their incoming emails every day; and they often mistakenly purge some important emails. The cost of spam is borne mostly by individuals, and corporations that end up transmitting and receiving spam. It includes the cost of computers, disk storage, and networking equipment, as well as all the time the receivers waste.
During the summer of 2003, I came to notice that about 80 of 100 emails I received a day were spam. Most of the spam was in English and Korean (I hold a professor position in Ewha Women's University of South Korea, while running a consulting business, Cyber Database Solutions, in the US, and managing the ACM SIGKDD international academic society and the ACM Transactions on Internet Technology international scholarly journal.). Some of the spam was in foreign languages that I do not even know. I realized that my email address had been "harvested" by master spammers from my two business websites, the university website, the society website, the journal website, the website of the conference the society runs, etc. Further, in the past, I had too readily given my email address to all IT trade publications that offered free subscription, and I suspect some of them may have sold the email addresses of their subscribers to various businesses, which in turn have sent me spam. I installed a spam filter, but I quickly realized that it did not really solve my spam problem since I had to scan all emails the spam filter threw into the spam folder to "de-filter" erroneously filtered emails. So, I took a drastic measure. I abandoned my single "universal" email address. I created five different email addresses, each for different function and purpose – one for communication with Ewha University, two for my business, one for ACM, and one for friends around the world for non-business communications. Should my email address get hijacked again, I did not want to abandon the email address again and have to notify everyone who communicates with me via email. I wanted to only notify a segment of my "email communication partners". Also, I had my "ACM" email address encoded in the SIGKDD and TOIT websites. I still receive some spam – several a day through my Ewha Women's University email address, a few a week through my "friends" email address. But now I feel that my life is back in order.
The primary culprit of the current scourge of spam is about 200 "master spammers" who send out millions or even tens of millions of emails a day, peddling a wide range of products and services, including generic Viagra, ink jet printer cartridges, diet solutions, male body-part enlargement medicines, etc. Master spammers take a cut of the sales made on the products and services they brazenly "mass market". The next major culprits are the "legitimate" businesses that promote their products and services by sending emails (without hiring master spammers or acting like master spammers) to a list of email addresses they acquire. Further, every day lots of individuals send emails to a large number of people needlessly, such as "I am mad at the lousy service I received from my car dealer today, so I urge you all in my company not to buy a car from that dealer".
The spam problem really must be solved somehow and soon. Today, despite the very widespread unhappiness on the part of email users and the staggering cost it incurs, spam does not show any sign of coming under control. So far, basically three types of approach have been used to combat the spam scourge. First is technology. There are lots of spam filters on the market. Internet service providers try to block email servers that appear to have been used as sources of spam. Further, since master spammers use software to automatically "harvest" email addresses from public websites, now webmasters have taken to encoding email addresses that appear on their websites. The spammers and spam filter vendors and Internet service providers have been engaged in a continuously escalating game to outsmart each other, and there are no clear signs that the spammers have given up. Second is legislation and law enforcement. This has been a disaster area. Only a small number of spammers have been prosecuted for "using other people's properties (computers) without authorization" to route their emails. Although the US Congress has recently passed the Can-Spam Act to make spam illegal, not many believe that the Act will stop the master spammers. Third is vocal and strong complaint from some of the people who feel fed up by spam and who try to "spam back" the spammers with vociferous and even (justifiably) abusive reply emails. Some master spammers have confessed that it is "not easy to stay ahead of the technological solutions being put up by the Internet service providers and spam filters, and to take 'nasty replies' from the 'masses' they bothered". In fact, it is the loud expression of frustration and anger from many email users that has led to the government actions on spam thus far.
There are several reasons spam has proven to be a very difficult animal to tame. First is availability of spam-aiding technology. Spammers use software to harvest email addresses from public websites and to automatically generate random email addresses (to get to 'wonkim', they tried 'wonderboy, wonderman, wonderwoman, wonderk,….'). Spammers also use software to crawl the Internet to discover computers that they can use as proxies and relays to send and route spam through. Second are technological shortcomings. It is very difficult to trace spam back to the spammers, especially so because they, again using software, camouflage their sender identities (I have received spam 'From' wonkim 'To' wonkim). Spam filters cannot guarantee zero false positives and zero false negatives, especially when spam arrives often with such innocent Subject lines as "lunch?", "confirmation", etc. The holes in spam filtering force email users to examine all emails in the spam box to discover any false positives. Third is obstruction from "legitimate" corporations. (Although these days it is not easy to define 'legitimate' corporations, I will try to give a simple working definition later in this article.) Many "legitimate" corporations fear that any law that makes spam illegal will be used to prevent them from being able to send promotional emails. Fourth are the inadequate laws. Not all spammers are based in the United States. Many in the United States hijack or otherwise use computers in China and elsewhere. Some spammers are teenagers. Some spammers offer the "Remove" button, but do not actually remove people from the mailing list. Existing laws do not even make clear what constitutes "fraudulent" email. Some spam do not lend readily to complaints – "enlarge a male body part", "marry a beautiful Russian woman", "lose weight while sleeping", etc. Fifth is the difficulty of enforcement. Law enforcement agencies are busy enough to fight terror, deal with conventional offline crimes, respond to emergency calls, etc. People resources needed to track down spammers and bring them to "justice" are seriously inadequate in number and training.
In view of the difficulties that existing approaches have had, there have been a few new suggestions of late for combating spam. One is to charge a "tiny" fee for every email anyone sends. The amount would be negligible for most "innocent" email users. However, for a master spammer who sends out millions of emails a day, the fee can quickly add up and eat away a big slice of his profits. This is the seed of a good idea, and I will discuss shortly how this may be extended to what I think is something more solid. Another suggestion is, before delivering to final destination, to send a suspected spam mail back to the original sender and have the email wait until some time-consuming computation is completed, and then allow the email to proceed as a normal email. I do not think this idea solves any problem. This will simply delay delivery of spam. Finally, in connection with both the legality and automatic blocking of emails, there are the ideas of "opt in and opt out". The "opt in" idea is that an email should be delivered only to the users who have explicitly agreed in advance to receive emails from the sender. The "opt out" idea is that an email should be delivered to any user as long as the user has not explicitly requested to not receive emails from the sender.
Now I would like to offer some simple suggestions to solving the spam scourge. The biggest challenge is to stop master spammers. I think a two-part approach should be taken. The first part is to make it illegal for businesses (or individuals engaged in a business act) to send emails to anyone who has opted out or who has not opted in. This would set the legal basis for the second part, which is to hold both the spammers and the advertisers liable and be made to pay a staggering penalty. The Can-Spam Act is the first legal step necessary. However, it falls short by not making advertisers liable. Master spammers are not sending out millions of emails a day to have fun or to cause mischief; rather, they want to make a lot of money by doing it. Advertisers pay them a slice of the sales. In other words, these people work on "mass marketing" contracts from the advertisers, and the advertisers should be compelled to be responsible for the actions of their contractors. Besides, advertisers are likely to be less "mobile" than technologically savvy and determined master spammers, and so should be relatively easier to catch and bring to justice. It is of course necessary to have laws in order to drive master spammers and their clients out of business (at least as practiced today by bothering practically the entire mankind). However, it is absolutely essential that the laws be enforced vigorously. The government should train and deploy sufficient human resources to monitor compliance, track down spammers, and prosecute them.
The next biggest challenge is to stop "legitimate" corporations from launching spam. In light of the accounting shenanigans that apparently many "legitimate" big corporations have engaged in for some years, and the thousands or tens of thousands of bugs that lurk behind most complex software products on the market these days, the distinction between "legitimate" corporations and 'illegitimate" corporations does not appear cut and dried. For purposes of this article, I will simply define a "legitimate" corporation as one which sells products and services that work to a good extent as advertised, and which will not send promotional emails to people who do not want to receive them. Such a corporation would likely send promotional materials only to people who are on their lists of customers, partners, attendees in their User Conferences, etc., and promptly honor opt-in and opt-out requests from people. Many legitimate corporations may often outsource tactical marketing, such as email-based promotional campaigns, to third-party firms, just as various shady advertisers outsource their promotional campaigns to master spammers. However, most legitimate corporations tend to have their own marketing staff and conduct promotional campaigns on their own, rather than outsourcing them to third-party firms. This can help prevent corporations from erecting a wall between them and third-party marketing firms, and trying to pin the blame on the third-party marketing firms for any spam-related liabilities. However, I believe such legitimate corporations should be charged some non-trivial fees for promotional emails they send. The volume of such emails tends to be relatively large (although nowhere near what the master spammers today cause) and as such they burden the Internet and Internet service providers. If email-based promotional campaign is entirely free, they may be tempted to be more indiscriminate. Besides, email users are likely to be interested in only a small fraction of the emails they receive from these corporations, and be bothered by the rest of the emails. This situation is no different from all the (hardcopy) junk mails people receive (and toss to the trash cans after one quick glance) from the businesses they shop and deal with, such as department stores, car dealers, computer stores, supermarkets, banks, insurance companies, etc. The senders pay to send such junk mails rather indiscriminately. It appears that legitimate corporations really should pay to send "junk" emails.
The third source of spam is what I would loosely call emails that the great majority of email users, the "ordinary" users with nothing to promote (except for themselves), send needlessly or carelessly to uninterested or inappropriate parties. Perhaps these should be more aptly and charitably called junk email, given their much less ferocious nature and impact compared to what master spammers generate. There is no technology and no law that can or should stop people from sending emails to people who do not need to receive them. People will always make mistakes in judgment, mistype email addresses, get upset and send flames to a bunch of people needlessly, etc. People generally do not pay attention to the fact that all emails are being sucked up by systems operated by government intelligence agencies, such as the NSA's Echelon and the FBI's Carnibore; and that they are stored on disk along the route between the sender's computer and the receiver's computer. The US Department of Justice used such stored emails from Bill Gates to certain people to prosecute its anti-trust case against Microsoft several years ago. As people misuse emails and pay a price for doing so, they will become more cautious about sending needless emails. Despite such tempering that comes with experience, however, the problems of needless email traffic that people generate will continue to grow, as more and inexperienced people become email users, and as people rely on emails more, increasingly with multimedia attachments.
Won Kim is President and CEO of Cyber Database Solutions (http://www.cyberdb.com) and MaxScan (www.maxscan.com) in Austin, Texas, USA. He is also Dean of Ewha Institute of Science and Technology, Ewha Women's University, Seoul. Korea. He is Editor-in-Chief of ACM Transactions on Internet Technology (http://www.acm.org/toit), and Chair of ACM Special Interest Group on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining (http://www.acm.org/sigkdd). He is the recipient of the ACM 2001 Distinguished Service Award.


Cory is an freelance writer. He's from Long Island and, accordingly, knows that Billy Joel is better than Bruce Springsteen. He writes fiction in his spare time, and in college he taught himself to play bass because he wanted to be in a rock band but didn't want to work too hard.


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Under Intense Questioning Horowitz Finally Admits FBI Made Fundamental Errors
Published December 11, 2019 at 11:04am
After being pounded by questions from Republican Senators like South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham the truth finally was said.
It has appeared that Inspector General Michael Horowitz was toeing the line, protecting the deep state when he said their appeared to be no political bias in their investigation into President Donald Trump's campaign.
But Sen. Graham and others did the job that they set out to do. They got him to admit the FBI made "fundamental" errors in their investigation, Reuters reported.
The U.S. Department of Justice's internal watchdog told Congress on Wednesday that the FBI made "basic and fundamental errors" during a politically sensitive investigation into Donald Trump's presidential campaign in 2016.
In testimony that did not deviate from a report issued on Monday, Inspector General Michael Horowitz also said he had found the FBI had sufficient cause to open an investigation of any possible Trump campaign ties to Russia and he had not found evidence that it was motivated by political bias.
Trump and fellow Republicans have accused the agency of bias and Horowitz's review provided grist for both Republicans and Democrats in the debate over the legitimacy of an investigation that clouded the first 2 -1/2 years of Trump's presidency.
Senate Judiciary Committee chairman Senator Lindsey Graham told a hearing that the FBI should have warned the Trump campaign about possible Russian influence rather than engaging what he said evolved into a "massive criminal conspiracy."
"People at the highest levels of the government took the law in their own hands," said Graham, a Republican.
Senator Dianne Feinstein, the panel's top Democrat, said the report had knocked down Trump's accusations that a "Deep State" of bureaucrats had worked to undermine his political prospects.
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"Simply put, the FBI investigation was motivated by facts, not bias," she said.
Horowitz's work on the issue is not done. He said his office is examining whether FBI agents in New York improperly leaked information to Trump ally Rudy Giuliani in an effort to pressure then-FBI Director James Comey to re-open an investigation into Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's email use.
"What's proving to be very hard is the substance of the communications, but we can prove the contacts," Horowitz said.
Democrats say Comey hurt Clinton's candidacy when he said he was re-opening the investigation shortly before the election.
The FBI made at least 17 errors and omissions as it sought court approval to wiretap a Trump campaign adviser, Carter Page, Horowitz's report said.
"We are deeply concerned that so many basic and fundamental errors were made," Horowitz told the committee.
Page has not been charged with any crime.
Horowitz found that the FBI continued to rely on unverified information in its warrant applications even after a source told the agency that his statements had been mischaracterized.
The FBI also did not disclose to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA), which approved the surveillance, that the information was funded by Trump's Democratic rivals, Horowitz said.
One FBI lawyer also altered information in a warrant application to hide the fact that Page had previously worked with a U.S. intelligence agency, which could have made it harder for the FBI to argue that he was a security risk, Horowitz said.
The investigation was taken over in May 2017 by former FBI chief Robert Mueller after Trump fired Comey.
Mueller's special counsel investigation detailed a Russian campaign of hacking and propaganda to sow discord in the United States and help Trump win. Mueller documented numerous contacts between Trump campaign figures and Moscow but found insufficient evidence of a criminal conspiracy.


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Home Sun & Moon Eclipses August 12, 2026 Total Solar Eclipse
August 12, 2026 Total Solar Eclipse
Eclipse InformationPath Map3D Path Globe
Is this Total Solar Eclipse visible in Washington DC?
What the Eclipse Will Look Like Near the Maximum Point
Path of the Eclipse Shadow
Regions seeing, at least, a partial eclipse: Europe, North in Asia, North/West Africa, Much of North America, Pacific, Atlantic, Arctic.
Expand for some cities where at least part of the total eclipse is visible
Ísafjörður, Iceland
Borgarnes, Iceland
Keflavík, Iceland
Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Bilbao, Vizcaya, Spain
Gijón, Asturias, Spain
A Coruña, A Coruña, Spain
Lugo, Lugo, Spain
Ponferrada, León, Spain
Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
Salou, Tarragona, Spain
Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
Mahón, Menorca, Spain
Port de Pollença, Balearic Islands, Spain
Alcúdia, Baleares, Spain
Palma, Majorca, Spain
Valencia, Valencia, Spain
Sant Antoni de Portmany, Ibiza, Spain
Ibiza, Ibiza, Spain
Expand for some cities where partial eclipse is visible
Danmarkshavn, Greenland
Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland
Berlin, Berlin, Germany
Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
Paris, Paris, France
Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
Madrid, Madrid, Spain
Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
Gibraltar, Gibraltar, Gibraltar
Is this eclipse visible in Washington DC?
Eclipse Shadow Path
Portion of Sun covered by the Moon (Eclipse obscuration)
>0%
The dark areas symbolize night and twilight.
3D Eclipse Animation
Note: The animation follows the eclipse shadow from west to east, its point of view moving around the planet at a greater speed than Earth's rotation. If you don't take into account this rapid change of perspective, it may look like Earth is spinning in the wrong direction.
When the Eclipse Happens Worldwide — Timeline
The eclipse starts at one location and ends at another. The times below are actual times (in UTC) when the eclipse occurs.
Time in Washington DC*
First location to see the partial eclipse begin Aug 12 at 15:34:15 Aug 12 at 11:34:15 am
First location to see the full eclipse begin Aug 12 at 16:58:09 Aug 12 at 12:58:09 pm
Maximum Eclipse Aug 12 at 17:46:06 Aug 12 at 1:46:06 pm
Last location to see the full eclipse end Aug 12 at 18:34:07 Aug 12 at 2:34:07 pm
Last location to see the partial eclipse end Aug 12 at 19:57:57 Aug 12 at 3:57:57 pm
* These local times do not refer to a specific location but indicate the beginning, peak, and end of the eclipse on a global scale, each line referring to a different location. Please note that the local times for Washington DC are meant as a guideline in case you want to view the eclipse via a live webcam. They do not mean that the eclipse is necessarily visible there.
Eclipse calculations usually accurate to a few seconds.
Eclipses visible in Washington DC.
Next Total Solar Eclipse will be on Aug 2, 2027.
How Many People Can See This Eclipse?
Number of People Seeing...
Fraction of World Population
Any part of the eclipse 936,000,000 11.86%
At least 10% partial 744,000,000 9.43%
Totality or annularity 14,500,000 0.18%
* The number of people refers to the resident population (as a round number) in areas where the eclipse is visible. timeanddate has calculated these numbers using raw population data provided by the Center for International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) at Columbia University. The raw data is based on population estimates from the year 2000 to 2020.
An Eclipse Never Comes Alone!
A solar eclipse always occurs about two weeks before or after a lunar eclipse.
Usually, there are two eclipses in a row, but other times, there are three during the same eclipse season.
All eclipses 1900 — 2199
This is the first eclipse this season.
Second eclipse this season: August 28, 2026 — Partial Lunar Eclipse
Eclipse Lookup
Eclipses in 2026
Feb 17, 2026 – Annular Solar Eclipse
Mar 2–3, 2026 — Total Lunar Eclipse
Aug 12, 2026 – Total Solar Eclipse (this page)
Aug 27–28, 2026 — Partial Lunar Eclipse
Apr 20, 2023 – Total Solar Eclipse
May 5–6, 2023 — Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
Oct 14, 2023 – Annular Solar Eclipse
Oct 28–29, 2023 — Partial Lunar Eclipse
Mar 24–25, 2024 — Penumbral Lunar Eclipse
Apr 8, 2024 – Total Solar Eclipse
Sep 17–18, 2024 — Partial Lunar Eclipse
Oct 2, 2024 – Annular Solar Eclipse
Oct 17, 2024 — Almost Lunar Eclipse
See all Solar & Lunar Eclipses Worldwide
About Solar Eclipses
Eye Safety During Solar Eclipses
About Lunar Eclipses
Total Lunar Eclipses
Partial Lunar Eclipses
Penumbral Lunar Eclipses
What is a Blood Moon?
Moonrise & Moonset Times
Sunrise & Sunset Times


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VA – Self Discovery For Social Survival
David Nance Group – "Meanwhile / Credit Line"
When word of this comp first came down, I mentioned that this was an ambitious undertaking, to say the least. That's a bit of an understatement. In an age of shrinking profits its rare for a major to take on something this lofty, let alone a (rather largish) indie. Mexican Summer paired with Pilgrim Surf + Supply to send three groups of professional surfers, film crews, and a band to score each of the sessions as they were shot. The idea was for the bands to pick up the vibes of the day and translate them into accompaniment that completely absorbed the mood of the film. As far as an overarching goal, the soundtrack succeeds on all fronts, but better than that, it holds up on its own merits even if the listener isn't also immersed in the film.
The first portion of the film sees US and Australian surfers travel to Mexico and with them in tow are the Allah-las. This trip is marked by amber-hued sun streaks. Everything seems a bit faded and worn-in. The Allah-las capture the ease of the session, laying back into a lounged vision of surf that's classic and propulsive. They're the kind of songs that could waft into the background and instantly ease a mood. There's a feeling of communal living, irregular schedules, and a quiet cool that rumples itself into the notes. The scenes in the film are aided even further with the addition of titling and animation by Robert Beatty and Bailey Elder, who give this section a '69-'72 timestamp that soaks into the seams along with the music.
From there the film transitions to The Maldives, with the majority of the segment taking place aboard a houseboat. The tones turn from sepia to crystal blue and with it the mood is given a lift out of the melt of Mexico. Peaking Lights add a dub shimmer to the section, half party, half hallucination. There's an opulence to this portion, but not to the point of indulgence. It feels like a vacation – fleeting in truth, but forever in the moment. Peaking lights have moved away from their xeroxed dub roots and here they're headed for more Arthur Russell territory. They give this portion its sense of detachment from reality, helping to freeze each pane into a picture of unattainable bliss.
While on the topic of otherworldly, the last section of the film takes the viewer to Iceland, a venue I'd never thought of as surf destination. Here Conan Mockasin and Andrew Vanwyngarden (MGMT) accompany a group that traverses the grey-streaked, mountain-strewn landscape. All the warmth of the previous sections is stripped away and, accordingly, Mockasin and Vanwyngarden give their songs an icy edge – lonesome, melancholic, half-remembered. Here the vistas almost outpace the surfing for attention, with scenes among the northern lights soundtracked by the pair's psylocibin disco and light-touch folk feeling like a dream that couldn't possibly have happened. There's none of Mockasin's usual twisted bravado. Instead the music is almost fragile – haunted and hollow at times. This trip and its tunes feel like a journey inward, not the communal experience of the other groups.
The three main bands aren't the only ones to hold sway over the soundtrack and film, though. Dungen give an especially inspired take for the title sequence that's born out of their wistful psychedelia. It laps just slightly at the roots of surf, while essentially embracing its own genre. Transitions between sections are given an ambient fizz by Jefre Cantu-Ledesma, who evokes a submerged sound under lush animations, which are again provided by Elder and Beatty. Sadly, missing from the soundtrack is the offbeat wisdom and roadworn poeticism of Jonas Mekas, whose narration ties the film together with a non-sequitur sageness. It's likely that you might not encounter the film, though I'd recommend it for surf aficionados or unfamiliar friends alike.
Even without its visual partner, the soundtrack exhales ease, hope, sadness, solace. As a counterpoint to the film its pretty perfect, but it's a great mood lifter on its own merits. As I mentioned, they don't make projects like this anymore, might as well enjoy when someone goes all in for you. It's somewhat telling that the label has reissued the score to Andrew Kidman's Litmus, Self Discovery for Social Survival acts as a spiritual successor to that film and its unique accompaniment. Often hailed as the best surf film of its generation, the label has seemingly done the same for the the 21st Century. In this, they've created their own Litmus.
Allah-Las Conan Mockasin Dungen Jefre Cantu-Ledesma mexican summer Peaking Lights Psych Surf
Andy June 13, 2019
Bobby Lee – "Reds For A Blue Planet"
Smote – "Hlaf"
Jeffrey Silverstein – "Trip Sitter (extended studio cut)"


Registration for the 8th ICN APNN Conference has opened today. Be sure to take advantage of the early bird fees before the 30th May.
If you are going to present a poster or have an oral presentation, remember to register by the end of January.


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Q: Navigate conditionally with NavigationLink? I want to perform a web request when clicking on a NavigationLink, and depending of whether the response is success or failure, navigate to a new view with the success data, or stay in the current one (showing an error notification).
I tried:

*

*isActive attribute: While this allows me to activate the navigation programmatically, it doesn't prevent the navigation triggered by the UI.

*simultaneousGesture(TapGesture().onEnded({...})): This allows me to perform actions when navigating, but I can't prevent the navigation from happening here either.

*disabled modifier: This makes the NavigationLink not interactive.

Alternatively I could implement a plain button, with a hidden NavigationLink and isActive, like described here. It doesn't seem ideal but it probably works.
Better suggestions? I'm aware that I also could do the web request in the new view, but this isn't good UX IMO.


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Urban Diplomacy, Tech-Policy Makers in Action, Innovation from China and New Tools for Story-Telling: A Recap of SXSW 2018
Anna Tunkel
With over 5,000 speakers, 4,000 media, nearly 2,500 sessions and over 70,000 participants from 90 countries, South by South West (SXSW) represents the new Mecca not only for creative, marketing and advertising executives, but increasingly, communications and policy leaders from across all sectors, including cities and governments from all over the world. It was the perfect convergence of our work at APCO Worldwide on tech policy, advocacy and global partnerships and I was joined by my colleagues Kelsey Harclerode and Jerri Ann Henry to explore new trends and opportunities for our firm and clients.
Anyone who has been to SXSW knows that it is literally impossible to cover it all – do you go to Elon Musk's or Melinda Gates' session? Do you attend a lunch at Fast Company Grill, embark on an interactive tour of the Google House powered entirely by AI or try to score a ticket to HBO's mind-blowing WestWorld experience? Despite endless dilemmas and FOMO, here are some key takeaways and highlights from the past few days:
Cities and urban diplomacy
Apart from a dedicated 2-day Cities track that brought together diverse stakeholders to discuss how we build more equitable, resilient, and livable cities, there were numerous city and national-focused panels and activations: Smart Dubai Office, Berlin and Hamburg Houses, House of Scandinavia, House of Brazil, EU @SXSW and much more. Washington DC was rebranded as the "Capital of Inclusive Innovation" and included a heavy presence from DC city government, in-house tech policy pros and local business leaders. There was a robust program at WeDC, focused on future of mobility, diversity, start-ups and much more.
Policymakers in action
Several current members of Congress participated in SXSW panels—including Rep. Nanette Barragán (D-CA), Rep. Doug Collins (R-GA), Rep. Will Hurd (R-TX), Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), Rep. Robin Kelly (D-IL), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA), Rep. Terri Sewell (D-AL), Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA). From artificial intelligence to patent trolls, the legislators spoke on a wide variety of tech policy issues that Congress is currently tackling. But it was their comments on cybersecurity and election hacking that truly stole the show. Sen. Warner outlined a four-part cyber doctrine touching on cyber norms, software liability, IoT security, and cyber defense investments, while Rep. Sewell—who spoke on three panels and currently sits on the House Committee on Intelligence—criticized the partisan divide on Russia's interference in the 2016 Presidential Election and applauded the efforts by Facebook, Twitter, and other social platforms to cooperate with the Intelligence Committee. A few members of the Trump Administration also attended SXSW: Alvand Salehi, the Senior Technology Advisor at the White House, spoke about Code.gov—a project he co-founded while serving under the Obama Administration. Matt Lira, the Special Assistant to the President for Innovation Policy and Initiatives at the White House Office of American Innovation, defended President Trump during the "Tech Under Trump: A 2017/2018 Scorecard". Lira and Aneesh Chopra, former Chief Technology Officer under President Obama clashed on the effects of President Trump's immigration and tax policies on U.S. innovation, but found common ground on several issues including IT modernization.
New innovation narrative from China
Shanying Leung (head of design for Alibaba's AntFinancial – formerly AliPay) led an oversubscribed session on cashless cities and e-commerce. Talking about human-centric design, empathy and demonstrating Alibaba's commitment to solving some of China's intractable problems including pollution and income inequality, Leung demonstrated how advanced Chinese companies are becoming in story-telling.
New media and story-telling
There was numerous sessions and discussions on future of content and audience engagement. Quartz and Axios journalists talked aboutbringing design thinking to news organizations and making sure that the media didn't just "embrace the new hot technologies – from bots to AI", but reflected if these innovations better served their audience. Ira Glass, dubbed the king of podcast, talked about achieving audio storytelling success, asserting that it was still a vastly unexplored territory for most of the brands.
Overall, SXSW provided lessons for today's activism. With increasingly polarized societies, advocacy groups must find new methods and messages to carry their causes. Today's voters or consumers are also much more informed and engaged and have access to copious amounts of information. Authenticity and empathy emerged as distinctive takeaways on what defines a successful advocacy campaign.
No one-size-fits-all approach will work, and as advocacy becomes more personalized it is critical to provide ways for individuals to relate to issues in their own way. They will need to hear from the ambassadors they trust who can share a common idea colored by their own experiences and perspectives. In some cases, there will be disagreement on the campaigns messages, but as one panelist said, "empathy can exist without endorsement."
APCO's Jerri Ann Henry and Kelsey Harclerode contributed to this piece.
CreativityInnovation & New TechnologySXBW 2018
Anna Tunkel is the head of global strategic initiatives & partnerships at APCO Worldwide. She has nearly two decades of experience at the nexus of business strategy, public affairs and communications, advising innovative global organizations.