text:
News Release: January 15, 2016 at 1:00 pm EDT
Extreme Turbulence Roiling 'Most Luminous Galaxy' in the Universe
Credit: NRAO/AUI/NSF; Dana Berry / SkyWorks; ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO)
The most luminous galaxy in the Universe – a so-called obscured quasar 12.4 billion light-years away – is so violently turbulent that it may eventually jettison its entire supply of star-forming gas, according to new observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA).
A team of researchers used ALMA to trace, for the first time, the actual motion of the galaxy's interstellar medium – the gas and dust between the stars. What they found, according to Tanio Díaz-Santos of the Universidad Diego Portales in Santiago, Chile, is a galaxy "so chaotic that it is ripping itself apart."
Previous studies with NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft reveal that the galaxy, dubbed W2246-0526, is glowing in infrared light as intensely as approximately 350 trillion Suns.
Evidence strongly suggests that this galaxy is an obscured quasar, a very distant galaxy with a voraciously feeding supermassive black hole at its center that is completely obscured behind a thick blanket of dust.
This galaxy's startling brightness is powered by a tiny, yet incredibly energetic disk of gas that is being superheated as it spirals in on the supermassive black hole. The light from this blazingly bright accretion disk is then absorbed by the surrounding dust, which re-emits the energy as infrared light.
"These properties make this object a beast in the infrared," said Roberto Assef, an astronomer with the Universidad Diego Portales and leader of the ALMA observing team. "The powerful infrared energy emitted by the dust then has a direct and violent impact on the entire galaxy, producing extreme turbulence throughout the interstellar medium."
The astronomers compare this turbulent action to a pot of boiling water. If these conditions continue, they say, the galaxy's intense infrared radiation will boil away all of its interstellar gas.
This galaxy belongs to a very unusual type of quasar known as Hot, Dust-Obscured Galaxies or Hot DOGs. These objects are very rare; only 1 out of every 3,000 quasars observed by WISE belongs to this class.
The astronomers used ALMA to precisely map the motion of ionized carbon atoms throughout the entire galaxy. These atoms, which are tracers for interstellar gas, naturally emit infrared light, which becomes shifted to millimeter wavelengths as it travels the vast cosmic distances to Earth due to the expansion of the Universe.
"Large amounts of ionized carbon were found in an extremely turbulent dynamic state throughout the galaxy," Díaz-Santos describes. The data reveal that this interstellar material is careening anywhere from 500 to 600 kilometers per second across the entire galaxy.
The astronomers believe that this turbulence is primarily due to the fact that the region around the black hole is at least 100 times more luminous than the rest of the galaxy combined; in other quasars, the proportion is much more modest. This intense yet localized radiation exerts tremendous pressure on the entire galaxy, to potentially devastating effect.
"We suspected that this galaxy was in a transformative stage of its life because of the enormous amount of infrared energy discovered with WISE," said Peter Eisenhardt with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. "Now ALMA has shown us that the raging furnace in this galaxy is making the pot boil over."
Current models of galactic dynamics combined with the ALMA data indicate that this galaxy is unstable and its interstellar gas is being blown away in all directions. This suggests that the galaxy's Hot DOG days are numbered as it matures into a more traditional unobscured quasar.
"If this pattern continues, it is possible that in the future W2246 ends up shedding a large part of the gas and dust it contains," concludes Manuel Aravena also from the Universidad Diego Portales. "Only ALMA, with its unparalleled resolution, can allow us to see this object in high definition and fathom such an important episode in the life of this galaxy."
The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.
This research is in a paper "The Strikingly Uniform, Highly Turbulent Interstellar Medium of The Most Luminous Galaxy in the Universe", by T. Díaz-Santos et al., and will be published in the journal Astrophysical Journal Letters.
The team is composed of T. Díaz-Santos (Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile), R. J. Assef (Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile), A. W. Blain (University of Leicester, UK) , C.-W. Tsai (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA) , M. Aravena (Universidad Diego Portales, Santiago, Chile), P. Eisenhardt (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA), J. Wu (University of California Los Angeles, California, USA), D. Stern (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA) and C. Bridge (Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA).
The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), an international astronomy facility, is a partnership of the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere (ESO), the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Natural Sciences (NINS) of Japan in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. ALMA is funded by ESO on behalf of its Member States, by NSF in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC) and by NINS in cooperation with the Academia Sinica (AS) in Taiwan and the Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI).
ALMA construction and operations are led by ESO on behalf of its Member States; by the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO), managed by Associated Universities, Inc. (AUI), on behalf of North America; and by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) on behalf of East Asia. The Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO) provides the unified leadership and management of the construction, commissioning and operation of ALMA.
Artist impression of W2246-0526, a galaxy glowing in infrared light as intensely as approximately 350 trillion suns. It is so violently turbulent that it may eventually jettison its entire supply of star-forming gas, according to new observations with ALMA.
Hi-Res File
Screensize File
More News From Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array
Planetary Rings of Uranus 'Glow' in Cold Light
Using the both ALMA and the VLT, astronomers have imaged the cold, rock-strewn rings encircling the planet Uranus. Rather than observing the reflected sunlight from these rings, ALMA and the VLT imaged the millimeter and mid-infrared "glow" naturally emitted by the frigidly cold particles of the rings themselves.
Cool, Nebulous Ring around Milky Way's Supermassive Black Hole
New ALMA observations reveal a never-before-seen disk of cool, interstellar gas wrapped around the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way.
The Giant In Our Backyard
For decades astronomers have dreamed of seeing a black hole. That dream may soon become a reality.
Radio Astronomy and Black Holes
Using the EHT, with ALMA as its most sensitive component, astronomers have captured the first direct visual evidence of a black hole: an image of the supermassive black hole at the center of Messier 87 (M87), a giant elliptical galaxy 55 million light-years from Earth.
More News Related to Galaxies
VLA Makes First Direct Image of Key Feature of Powerful Radio Galaxies
A dusty, doughnut-shaped feature long thought to be an essential part of the "engines" at the cores of active galaxies, is seen for the first time in one of the most powerful galaxies in the Universe.
What 100,000 Star Factories in 74 Galaxies Tell Us about Star Formation across the Universe
ALMA is revealing new insights into the relationship between star-forming clouds and their host galaxies.
Trans-galactic Streamers Feeding Most Luminous Galaxy in the Universe
New ALMA data reveal distinct streamers of material being pulled from three smaller galaxies into the larger galaxy W2246-0526, the most luminous known galaxy in the universe.
Galaxy-Scale Fountain Seen in Full Glory
A billion light-years from Earth lies one of the universe's most massive structures, a giant surrounded by a sprawling…

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
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OUR ADDRESS: 24 vosstanya ST., St. petersburg 2nd COURTYARD. ENTRANCE Through ARCH "fligel" TELEPHONE RESERVATIONS DEPARTMENT: +7 (921) 870-01-77
1. From Pulkovo Airport get to the metro station "Moscovskaya" by bus or minivan. Bus 39A (from 5:30 to 0:30). Price: 40 rubles. Bus 39 (from 5:30 to 1:30). Price: 40 rubles. Minivan K39 (from 7:00 to 23:30). Price: 40 rubles Once at metro station "Moscovskaya" follow the Blue Line to station "Technologinsky Institute", switching to the Red Line and going straight to "Ploshad Vosstanya" metro station. Head up Vosstanya Ulista and you'll be here within 7-10 minutes walk! 2. From the Moscow Railway Station look for a big landmark in the middle of a crossway between "Nevsky Prospekt" and "Ligovsky Prospekt". Head towards the landmark and cross the street to reach "Ploshad Vosstanya" metro station. From there walk up Vosstanya street until you reach number 24 (on your left-hand side), which should take about 10 mins walk!
Kultura Hostel
Address: 24 Vosstanya street, 2nd courtyard
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text:
Home » Reviews » CD » H » Horrendous - Idol
Horrendous - Idol
by Martin Knap at 08 October 2018, 6:36 AM
HORRENDOUS are back with an album titled "Idol" that is coming out three years after the last album "Anareta". The four-piece band from Philadelphia has burst on the scene with their sophomore album "Ecdysis" and now is widely recognized as one of the most interesting up and coming US Progressive Death Metal acts out there. Back in 2014 HORRENDOUS was love at first sight (or listen, to be more exact): I loved the complex yet tight songwriting, the blending of aggression and almost sweet melodies, the excellent guitar work and drumming, the abundance of musical ideas in general. They get their inspiration from great Death and Prog Metal bands of the past – DEATH, in particular it seems – but they also have "the Prog mindset", i.e. they are actually Progressive and not stick in the past like so many bands nowadays. The 2015 release "Ecdysis" solidified the band's reputation as a top-notch band and now we're here with their latest effort.
The album starts with an brief atmospheric intro titled "Prescience". It sets the tone of the album not only musically but also lyrically. I can't speak much of the lyrics, but they seem to have some kind of mystic Jungian undertones and I promise that I will take time to study them in the future. "Soothsayer" is a rather punchy song with crazy riffing and a one-word chorus – the vocalist has that visceral scream perhaps inspired by Chuck Schuldiner – where the scream is harmonized with a cool melodic riff. It sounds dope as hell. "The Idolater" starts off slowly but soon transitions into a muscular groove, there is mid-section with very shrill guitar chords, after which there is a release of tension in a form of an almost sweet lead melody that streams like water flowing from a river cascade.
"Golden Tongue" kills it with some great melodic riffs, it has a very nice bridge with "tribal" and some nice vocal harmonies, that heighten the emotional charge. After the bridge, there is a prolonged instrumental section with great soloing. "Divine Anhedonia" shifts between in your face vitriol and aggression and an almost laid-back, jazzy tone. "Devotion (Blood for Ink)" has a pronounced Punk/Thrash Metal vibe to it, the riffs are straight-up VOIVOD-esque. The song has a melancholic jazzy mid-section with clean singing, that sounds trippy, especially in the context of the song. The album at circa eight and a half minute epic "Obolus", which showcases the band's songwriting chops and talent to come up with good musical ideas. The song ebbs and flows, there are great lead melodies and instrumental and vocal arrangements.
I'm not sure if I like this album better than "Ecdysis", the latter one seems to have a more immediate appeal (or more memorable songs), but "Idol" seems to me to be the more mature work. In any case it is a rewarding listen and I'm far from done with this one.
1. Prescience
2. Soothsayer
3. The Idolater
4. Golgothan Tongues
5. Divine Anhedonia
6. Devotion (Blood for Ink)
7. Threnody
8. Obolus
Jamie Knox: Drums
Damian Herring: Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards
Matt Knox: Guitars, Vocals
Alex Kulick: Bass
Record Label: Season of Mist


text:
process.env.NODE_ENV = 'test';

var request = require('superagent');
var should = require('should');
require('should-http');

var db = require('../db');
var config = require('./config');
var app = require('../app');

app.listen(3000);

before(function(done) {
  db.createTables(function() {
    db.applyFixtures(done);
  });
});

describe('User', function(){

  it('can successfully sign in', function(done){
    var agent = request.agent();
    agent
    .post(config.url('/signin'))
      .send({email: 'user1@example.com', password: 'password' })
      .end(function(error, res){
        res.redirects.should.eql([config.url('/')]);
        done();
      });
  });

  describe('cant sign in', function() {
    it('with wrong credentials', function(done) {
      var agent = request.agent();
      agent
      .post(config.url('/signin'))
        .send({email: 'unknown@email.com', password: 'unknown' })
        .end(function(error, res){
          res.text.should.containEql('Unknown user');
          done();
        });
    });

    it('if required fields are missing', function(done){
      var agent = request.agent();
      agent
      .post(config.url('/signin'))
        .send({email: '', password: '' })
        .end(function(error, res){
          res.text.should.containEql('Email is required');
          res.text.should.containEql('Password is required');
          done();
        });
    });
  });

  it('can successfully sign up', function(done) {
    var agent = request.agent();
    agent
    .post(config.url('/signup'))
      .send({email: 'usersadfasdf@example.com', password: 'password'})
      .end(function(error, res){
        res.redirects.should.eql([config.url('/signin')]);
        done();
      });
  });

  describe('cant signup', function() {
    it('if email is invalid', function(done) {
      var agent = request.agent();
      agent
      .post(config.url('/signup'))
        .send({email: 'invalid', password: 'password' })
        .end(function(error, res){
          res.text.should.containEql('Invalid email');
          done();
        });
    });

    it('if required fields are missing', function(done) {
      var agent = request.agent();
      agent
      .post(config.url('/signup'))
        .send({email: '', password: '' })
        .end(function(error, res){
          res.text.should.containEql('Invalid email');
          res.text.should.containEql('Password is required');
          done();
        });
    });

    it('if user already exists', function(done) {
      var agent = request.agent();
      agent
      .post(config.url('/signup'))
        .send({email: 'user1@example.com', password: 'password' })
        .end(function(error, res){
          res.text.should.containEql('User with given email already exists');
          done();
        });
    });

    // @TODO implement "if passwords do not match" case
  });
})

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


"I love my life!" Have you ever heard someone say that and really mean it? It's rare, but I found myself saying just that this year. It leaps out of my heart at the most unexpected times! Some people may think that happens because I have everything I need or want, but that is not the case. So what is the key to having a life that you love?
The answer is to choose who and what means the most to you so that you stay connected to your heart. Your choices are what build the life you love or a life that you endure. When you choose something that doesn't feed your heart with kindness, goodness, love, peace, patience and gentleness, you are choosing to step away from creating a life you love. If you make choices that lead away from your heart, you will eventually find yourself disconnected, unhappy, and maybe functioning, but not thriving.
You create for yourself what you love or don't love. Life isn't about "having it all" but you can choose to have what makes you most happy. Only you can look into your heart and determine what that is for you. When you love what you are choosing and surrounding yourself with, you don't notice what you don't yet have because your gratefulness fills the gap. That gratefulness can hold you until you are able to fill that gap with what is best for you. If you consistently choose who and what you love over time, you will end up with a life filled with more of what you love and less of what you don't love.
Care for your heart this way and it will keep a flow of gratefulness and joy bubbling out of your heart. This is the best kind of self-care. If you find yourself in a situation that you don't like, think about the choices that led you there and make a different decision. Build a life with who you love and what you love.


text:
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties
Document Ratification Status Table of Actions Cited in Related
Coming into Force 27 January 1980
Citation UNTS v. 1155 (p.331)
Party Submitting the Application for Registration ex officio
Registration Date 27 January 1980
Date of Conclusion 23 May 1969
Registration Number 18232
Subject Terms Legal matters,Law of Treaties,Treaties-Agreements (application)
Type of Document Multilateral
Depositary Secretary-General of the United Nations
Participants Afganistán,Albania,Argelia,Andorra,Argentina,Armenia,Australia,Austria,Azerbaiján,Barbados,Bélgica,Benin,Bolivia,Bosnia & Herzegovina,Brasil,Bulgaria,Burkina Faso,Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic,Camboya,Camerún,Canada,Central African Republic,Chile,China,Colombia,Congo,Costa Rica,Côte d'Ivoire,Croacia,Cuba,Cyprus,Czech Republic,Czechoslovakia,Dinamarca,República Dominicana,Ecuador,Egipto,El Salvador,Estonia,Ethiopia,Federal Republic of Germany,Finlandia,Gabon,Georgia,German Democratic Republic,Germany,Ghana,Greece,Guatemala,Guinea,Guyana,Haiti,Holy See,Honduras,Hungria,Iran (Islamic Republic of),Ireland,Israel,Italia,Jamaica,Japón,Kazakhstan,Kenya,Kiribati,Kuwait,Kyrgyzstan,Lao People's Democratic Republic,Latvia,Lesotho,Liberia,Libyan Arab Jamahiriya,Liechtenstein,Lithuania,Luxembourg,Madagascar,Malawi,Malaysia,Maldives,Mali,Malta,Mauritius,México,Mongolia,Montenegro,Morocco,Mozambique,Myanmar,Nauru,Nepal,Holanda,New Zealand,Niger,Nigeria,None,Oman,Pakistán,Panamá,Paraguay,Perú,Philippines,Polonia,Portugal,Republic of Korea,Republic of Moldova,Rwanda,Saudi Arabia,Senegal,Eslovaquia,Eslovenia,Solomon Islands,España,St. Vincent and the Grenadines,State of Palestine,Sudan,Suriname,Suecia,Suiza,Syrian Arab Republic,Tajikistan,The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,Timor-Leste,Togo,Trinidad and Tobago,Tunisia,Turkmenistan,Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic,Union of Soviet Socialist Republics,United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,United Republic of Tanzania,United States,Uruguay,Uzbekistan,Viet Nam,Yugoslavia (Federal Republic of),Yugoslavia (Socialist Federal Republic of),Zaire,Zambia
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text:
Svartgumpad astrild (Estrilda troglodytes) är en afrikansk tätting i familjen astrilder som även införts av människan i flera länder världen över.

Utseende och läten
Svartgumpad astrild är en liten (10 cm) tätting, mycket lik helenaastrilden (Estrilda astrild) med lysande röd näbb och ögonmask. Den är dock blekare och prydligare tecknad, med karakteristisk kolsvart övergump och stjärt, den senare även med vita kanter. Ovansidan är grå med svag bandning, medan undersidan ljus skärbeige (vitare på strupen). Ungfågeln är mattare, med svartaktig näbb och en mörk, suddig ögonmask. Lätet är ett metalliskt, högljutt tjippande. Sången liknar lätet, men är mer dämpad och avslutas med långa, uppböjda "soyiiiii".

Utbredning och systematik
Fågeln förekommer i norra Afrika i ett band strax söder om Sahara, från södra Mauretanien, Senegal och Gambia österut till södra Sudan, Sydsudan, Eritrea, Uganda och västra Kenya. Sentida fynd finns också från Tanzania. Arten har införts av människan och etablerat frilevande populationer i Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe och Martinique i Västindien, i Hawaiiöarna samt i Japan. Häckning har även skett vid flertalet tillfällen i Spanien, men där är populationen ännu inte stabil. Arten behandlas som monotypisk, det vill säga att den inte delas in i några underarter.

Levnadssätt
Svartgumpad astrild hittas i gräsrikt skogslandskap, täta snår och torra gräsmarker. Den lever av olika sorters gräs- och örtfrön, men även små insekter som termiter. Fågeln häckar mellan juli och december i Senegal och Gambia, mellan juni och juli i Sudan. Arten är stannfågel.

Status och hot
Arten har ett stort utbredningsområde och en stor population med stabil utveckling och tros inte vara utsatt för något substantiellt hot. Utifrån dessa kriterier kategoriserar internationella naturvårdsunionen IUCN arten som livskraftig (LC). Världspopulationen har inte uppskattats men den beskrivs som vida spridd men lokalt förekommande.

Namn
På svenska har fågeln även kallats grå astrild.

Referenser

Externa länkar

 Bilder och filmer på Internet Bird Collection
 Läten på xeno-canto.org

Astrilder
Fåglar i etiopiska regionen

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


Carry out international quality research to obtain international excellence in the following research areas.
Meet the research needs of industry and society thereby contributing to the economic competitiveness of the United Kingdom and the quality of life.
Make available our research output for commercialisation by providing Research Output Products for Commercialisation.
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Ideas – Document templates allow you to save documents to be used as templates when creating new documents. Using templates is a great approach to save time and ensure consistency in your quotes. If you often create quotes that are very similar, you may save time by creating a template of that quote so that the next time you desire to create a similar quote, you may easily select the template to start with. Templates are also advantageous from a training perspective. The office administrator can setup templates in surfacing that reflect the prominent classes of quotes that are generated for their customers. Then, the sales people have a good head start when they use the templates since they will purely be making adjustments to the existing quote rather than creating it from scratch which leaves room for error.
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text:
Indoor mixing under threat as Omicron cases rise, reports suggest
Geraldine Scott, PA Political Correspondent
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom since 2019
Officials are drawing up plans for a two-week circuit breaker lockdown after Christmas, reports have suggested, including a ban on indoor mixing.
The Times reported that draft regulations were being prepared which would ban meeting others indoors except for work purposes, and that pubs and restaurants would be limited to outdoor service only.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times reported that Boris Johnson was presented with a number of options on Friday under a so-called Plan C, ranging from "mild guidance to nudge people, right through to lockdown".
A waiter carries meals to some of the few customers dining at Cassia Sambuca restaurant in North Shields (Owen Humphreys/PA)
The newspaper quoted allies of the Prime Minister who claimed Mr Johnson still wanted to go down the guidance route, but that he also had to be realistic about the threat of Omicron.
Leaked minutes from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), seen by the BBC, reportedly said scientists had told ministers that tougher measures need to be brought in "very soon".
The BBC reported that the advisers had recommended moving to restrictions seen in step one and two of the easing of lockdown restrictions in the spring. This included a ban on indoor mixing and indoor hospitality.
And they reportedly warned against delaying further interventions until 2022
The UK reported more than 90,000 new Covid cases in another record daily total on Friday.
A government spokesperson said: "The Government will continue to look closely at all the emerging data and we'll keep our measures under review as we learn more about this variant."
It comes after Rishi Sunak flew back from a work trip to California early for crisis talks with business leaders concerned about the impact of measures, especially on the hospitality sector.
The Chancellor met virtually with the Confederation of British Industry, the Federation of Small Businesses, and the British Chambers of Commerce on Friday afternoon.
The groups raised worries about the impact of cancellations in hospitality in the run-up to Christmas, and the importance of clear messaging from the Government.
Meanwhile, the UK's devolved administrations have ramped up their demands for more cash support amid rising cases of the Omicron variant.
A Cobra meeting is set to be held over the weekend with the leaders of the devolved nations.
Mr Johnson has warned that Omicron is "a very serious threat to us now".
Prime Minister Boris Johnson receiving his booster jab (Paul Edwards/PA)
On a visit to a vaccination centre in Hillingdon, west London, on Friday, he said: "We are seeing a considerable wave coming through and people have got to be prepared and they have got to understand what it entails."
Asked about conflicting messages from the Government and its advisers on socialising over the Christmas break, Mr Johnson said: "What both Chris Whitty and I are saying is that there is a big wave of Omicron coming through.
"People need to be prudent. You need to think about your budget of risk."
According to the Government's latest figures, a further 93,045 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases were recorded in the UK as of 9am on Friday, the highest daily total recorded since the pandemic began and a rise of 4,669 on the previous record set on Thursday.
The number of people in hospital with Covid-19 in London, which has seen some of the biggest rises in cases in the last seven days, has climbed to 1,534, up 28.6% on last week.
The Government's dashboard showed that 341 more people with Covid were in hospital in the capital on December 17, rising from 1,193 on December 10.
Across the UK, 7,611 people are in hospital with the virus, a rise of 163 patients (2%) on the previous week.
The Foreign Office has been told to prepare for "crisis mode" as weapons were flown from Britain to Ukraine to defend it from a Russian invasion.
Trump biographer says family can't 'wriggle out' this time
Professor accused of treating PhD students like slaves wins £15,000 payout
A professor accused of treating a pair of PhD students like slaves by asking them to do her gardening, redecorate her home and go underwear shopping has won a £15,000 payout after a tribunal ruled she was wrongly sacked.
China has forcibly returned nearly 10,000 overseas nationals since 2014, says report
Nearly 10,000 Chinese overseas nationals have been forced to return to China after coercive means outside the justice system were used by the government, a new report has claimed. Spain-based rights group Safeguard Defenders said the figure for what they call "involuntary returns" could just be the "tip of the iceberg". The report states that China president Xi Jinping's government has been aggressively pursuing its overseas nationals as it targets people wanted as part of its anti-corruption drive.


text:
New York in a Time of Coronavirus
I covered MERS, which was killing some 10 percent of people who got it, when it spread to South Korea in 2015. The scare led to a run on medical products and face masks, hospitals became overtaxed and the government took a big credibility hit for not reporting numbers transparently over the first few days. But life as we knew it continued apace. For some reason the fact I had a new baby that MERS summer doesn't register at all; I guess we were completely unconcerned that random strangers were touching and holding newborn Isa all the time? Weird, now that I'm looking back on it with a different perspective.
In late January, when my ancestral home region of Wuhan became the epicenter of what's now called SARS2 or COVID-19, it became clear to those of us who cover China that this outbreak could be not only deadly but widespread; that life as we knew it in Asia would slow or change dramatically. I didn't know the seemingly logarithmic spread of this new, still mysterious virus would affect the entire globe as it has.
In a time of globalism (and as is always true for epidemics), nation-state borders mean nothing. Following its initial bungling of this outbreak, China's unprecedented lockdowns of entire cities bought time for the rest of the world to prepare. The US appeared to have done nothing with the extra weeks and now it's too late. By the end of last year, ennui about how digital life disconnected us IRL set in collectively. Now coronavirus is forcing life in 2020 to become one of further and deeper social isolation. I imagine this will be the case for another few months, at least.
I flew to New York yesterday on a plane where everyone had his or her own row. Surprisingly few people wear masks around the Western world, so the only reason I wore one was to protect others from my nagging cough. Coughing-while-Asian is quite problematic and even scary in the swirl of COVID19 xenophobia.
By the time I landed, a British health minister was infected. New York announced its first "containment area," and the National Guard moved in to help. We made a point last night to eat at Chinese storefronts, where foot traffic has so slowed that restaurants have had to close.
My workplace and so many others implemented work-from-home plans, a dreaded situation in a period in my life that's been chock full of dreaded situations. I fear it's only going to exacerbate my existing feeling of alienation and sadness. I want my mom … but she won't get on a plane, for obvious reasons.
Less road traffic, and less foot traffic, than normal
Tagged Asians, coronavirus, COVID19, isolation, MERS, new york city1 Comment
Seoul -> DC -> NYC -> London -> Seoul … In Seven Days
Attempting to come out of a jet lag blur to say that I spent an incredible week in the Western hemisphere, which included a lot of time on planes and briefly, a train to New York. (After getting used to the bullet trains of Asia, the Amtrak feels like a damned stagecoach, not gonna lie.)
The notable thing about this trip was the lack of group activities; it was a lot of one-on-one dinners and breakfasts and coffee meetings with friends for whom I care deeply. And it all included a lot of freaking out about what is next for us in America and the world.
Things that common-law work spouse Matt Thompson said to me over burgers will stay with me, about how we need to lean more heavily into our archives and history, in general, to better understand what's going at the dawn of Trump. And the work advice from people like Kate (who used to work with me) and Chuck (who is about to not work at NPR anymore) will make me feel better about the state of things in my career. Ultimately, the time in DC was so compressed that I had to fit in time with my BFF Sudeep by straight-up scheduling a walk together to the Triple A office, get a coffee to-go, walk to Treasury to get something back from an official, and then walk partially back to his office. That was the sum total of our reunion. For my other BFF, Sara, we scheduled a Chik-Fil-A dinner followed by a trip to Target. No joke. There was just no time.
On the flip side, the days lingered and melted into each when there were fewer people to see — in London, for a weekend with Friend Matt (seems everyone is named Matt, it's all very confusing, but at least I can't trip things up this way). He wanted to get to a top-ranked restaurant he hadn't been to yet, and to go to an all-night barn party/jazz jam session out in the country, and since I was going to spend my final time in America just gorging on the fast food I've missed (Whataburger, where have you been all my life), it wasn't too much of a burden to join Matt on his more classy trip to London, instead.
Serendipity and luck were in our favor all along: We almost missed our flight but didn't, no belongings were left or lost, and little things happened to time out just as needed. We stayed at a flat* in Covent Garden near the theater district, and while walking home from a late night dinner we saw signs for a show featuring Sir Ian McKellen(!) and Patrick Stewart. When Matt checked about getting tickets the next day, he learned it was closing night, snagged two tickets and we got in to saw the dense and (obviously) well-acted show. I joked that it was about the frailty of existence for rich white men, and then we read a review, in which the reviewer explained that essentially the play was about the existential ennui of rich white men.
There was also delicious food, libation I so longed for and trips out into the English countryside, one night for the most random, bohemian jazz jam session-cum-birthday party filming. I can't quite describe it except to say there were some ballerinas and lots of soldier costumes, plus a gong bath. My first gong bath!
* I try to code switch to British terms like flat and queue and crisps where appropriate.
Tagged air travel, America, Christmas, London, Matt Mullenweg, new york city, Seoul, Sir Ian McKellan, theater, Travel, washington DCLeave a comment
AAJA 2013: Baby in the Big Apple
Posted on August 24, 2013 August 4, 2020 by Elise
Eva and Momma time in the hotel room.
Just back from a really fun and satisfying time in New York for this year's Asian American Journalists Association annual convention. I've been part of AAJA since I was in 10th grade, thanks to a reporter for The Dallas Morning News who called to interview me about a student council project, I think. Whatever it was, I mentioned after the interview I wanted to be a journalist one day and she immediately encouraged me to join the organization. Since then, AAJA has been responsible for making connections that have shaped my life.
In 2002, AAJA hosted its national convention in Dallas, and that's where I met Sudeep, who became my best friend and is responsible for introducing me to my husband Stiles. Stiles is not Asian-American by blood but often identifies with my peeps, so he joined AAJA in 2008 and has since been a much more involved member than me. He consistently reminds me to renew my membership, he has attended more AAJA conventions than I have in recent years, and he speaks on more AAJA panels than I do. He trumped me in New York, speaking on three panels to my one. I'm so proud of him!
This year, the programming really kicked things up a notch with fab workshops and thoughtful panelists. I loved seeing writer (and Twitter user) Jay Caspian Kang totally go anti-Twitter at a conference where social media networking was predictably de rigeur. Kang called Twitter a "circle jerk" and said he thinks less of people who tweet all day, saying it undermines your seriousness as a writer. That argument is for a whole different post — bottom line, exposure to unexpected points of view makes these confabs more interesting.
I regret not getting to spend more time with old friends, since that's what is always so great about attending the annual AAJA confab. It feels like family. But I was a little time and resource constrained because of my actual family. The traveling baby, Eva, came with us (she's a journalism convention pro now). She got to try some halal truck food, visit FAO Schwarz, have lunch with my old friend Tim, get overwhelmed by the lights and the tourists in Times Square, go shopping on Fifth Ave and take lots of her usual naps. She also enjoyed exploring the hotel room and goofing off, as you can see.
Tagged aaja, Matt Stiles, new york city, sudeep reddyLeave a comment
The SoHo Pop-Up Shop
Posted on June 9, 2013 August 4, 2020 by Elise
A post in Mashable today about a new pop-up store in SoHo reminded me I hadn't blogged about my trip to New York two weeks ago. It was the first of three weeks in a row of short work trips: New York, then Houston, then Eden.
Following a late dinner with some NPR colleagues and supporters, Friend Matt and I opted to walk back from the meal through his SoHo neighborhood. It had rained — monsooned, really — in New York that afternoon, so the streets seemed strangely fresh and clean. And at midnight on a Thursday, it felt like we were the only ones wandering that ultra-glam New York neighborhood, winding up and down streets lined with gorgeous display windows of designer stores.
I only snapped two photos during our walk: Freedom Tower as we crossed the still-wet, shockingly still street, and the breakdown of the SoHo space used for pop-up shops. This is the space now occupied by Baublebar, as featured in the Mashable post inspiring this post. Delta had been its most recent occupier, but as you can see above, the countdown to its big launch had passed.
Tagged Matt Mullenweg, new york, new york city, pop-up store, SoHoLeave a comment
Six Observations After Six Blustery Hours in New York City
About a year ago, when I ran into my DC-based writer pal Robert Draper while he was on his way to interview someone for his book, I told him that whenever the book came out and he got invited to go on The Daily Show, I wanted to go along.
The book — Do Not Ask What Good We Do: Inside the U.S. House of Representatives — came out this Tuesday, and Draper actually remembered my request. He invited me to join his brother John, girlfriend Laura and longtime pal Colin in attending the live taping at the small Daily Show studio (CAMERAS VERBOTEN!) on the Upper West side. (I tried to hear any distinctive laughter from our little group, but it's all pretty muddled.)
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Mon – Thurs 11p / 10c
Robert Draper
www.thedailyshow.com
http://media.mtvnservices.com/mgid:cms:item:comedycentral.com:413307
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor & Satire Blog The Daily Show on Facebook
So I went up around lunch and came home after the show. But because it's Nueva York, there was plenty of randomness to observe and experience.
Continue reading "Six Observations After Six Blustery Hours in New York City" →
Tagged Drew Lawrence, Jon Stewart, Marc Lavallee, new york city, New York Times, Nixon, Robert Draper, The Daily Show1 Comment
48 Hours in New York
Posted on October 12, 2010 by Elise
Whirlwind doesn't describe it. Highlights:
-Excellent Pork Chop House (no, it's really called that), on a street off a street off a street in Chinatown. Just walking around that neighborhood sent me back to Asia for a dizzying hour. The smells, the spitting, the meat hanging in the windows… ahhhhh, delicious.
-Taking a journey through the last decade of my life, vis a vis the various friends who were able to meet despite my seriously brief windows of availability. First it was ColeH and SummerH (friends from my Twitter life in Austin); then Walton (a genius writer friend of a writer friend in Dallas); Drew (from journalism at Mizzou); Dr. Jerry (my opthamologist friend from my time in Taipei); Stacey (my old professor); Joe (from my early days at Mizzou); Chelsea (from Austin); Andrew (from the summer internship after high school). That said, I basically did nothing in New York except eat, drink coffee, drink vodka and rush to the next place to meet someone.
-The twenty minutes we sat at the Ace Hotel bar within five feet of superproducer Danger Mouse and kept talking about him loudly, only to not actually go talk to him.
-Talking to strangers, since NYC is clearly not a talking-to-strangers kind of place. Ended up chatting it up with a guy named Tom at PJ Clarkes, a bar that's been the same since the late 1800's and featured quite often in Mad Men. Turns out Tom used to be general manager of a soccer team called the New York Cosmos. On the other side of me at said bar was a New Yorker who appreciated Tito's vodka, the Austin-distilled favorite. I told him I'd send him a bottle (we have no shortage of Tito's back home), he seemed both shocked and appreciative.
-But what am I talking about? We were there to accept my first and only national Edward R. Murrow award. The Texas Tribune won two, actually – one for me and my friend Todd's project, Stump Interrupted, the other for the Texas Tribune as a site. Evan couldn't make it to accept for the site so I ended up having to pick up both awards and well, what an honor. Brian Williams, Soledad O'Brien, the NBC News President – they all showed to individually accept their prizes – it was an honor to be among them. Also great to see old friends from BELO, as two BELO stations accepted overall excellence prizes.
-Keith Olbermann won a national Murrow for writing and couldn't have been nicer as random newsies went up to get photos with him. I later found out he did Countdown in a tux last night, so I guess he was able to make it from the studio to the awards dinner pretty fast.
Lowlight:
-Roger Hu, my little brother who lives in Beijing and who I don't see but once a year, was in New York at the SAME TIME. Not only that, his hotel was TWO BLOCKS AWAY from mine in Midtown. But we didn't get to see each other. He had to leave for another work call in Boston the same day we discovered we were both there.
ME: Why don't you just take the train to Boston?
ROGER: Cause I rented a jet.
(Groan)
Tagged chinatown, excellent pork chop house, new york city, nyc, PJ Clarkes1 Comment


From chatbots to your home thermostat, it seems like machine learning algorithms are everywhere nowadays. How about understanding how this works now? In this talk, you will learn the basics of machine learning through various basic examples, without the need for a PhD or deep knowledge of assembly. At the end of this talk, you will know what the Naive Bayes classifiers, sentiment analysis and basic genetic algorithms are and how they work.


text:
InvestigateWest (http://www.invw.org/2018/10/19/closing-the-gaps-in-concussion-law/)
By Blair Stenvick / Pamplin Media Group | October 19, 2018
Pamplin Media Group: Jaime Valdez
Morgan Brunner and her mom, Brenda, attend a recent Clackamas High School football game. Morgan received a concussion by getting hit by a stray ball while warming up for a futsal game.
A year ago, Morgan Brunner headed out from her Portland home with her mom to an Oregon Premier Futsal center in Clackamas. Futsal is a sport similar to indoor soccer, but with a ball that is slightly smaller and less bouncy.
While warming up, Morgan — then 12 — got hit in the head by a stray ball. The impact broke her glasses, and she remembers feeling like she was in shock.
"I think it hurt a lot," Morgan said, "but I wasn't really focused on the pain in that moment."
Morgan played futsal for the same coach she had in the Eastside Soccer League. Brenda Brunner recalled that in both recreation leagues, the coaches were trained in how to spot a concussion, and both she and Morgan had signed paperwork informing them of the risks of receiving a concussion.
"Eastside does a parents' meeting at the beginning of each season, and they talk about the concussion protocols," Brunner said. "The coaches and the managers have all been trained in it."
What the Brunners went through — from the preventative concussion training and the understanding of the need to get an evaluation and treatment to the return-to-play documentation process — are all thanks to the efforts of Jenna Sneva.
Sneva was a nationally ranked skier from Sisters whose Olympic dreams were shattered by a series of concussions. State lawmakers passed Jenna's Law in 2013, four years after establishing landmark concussion protocols in public high school sports. Jenna's Law extended those protections to private schools and organized sports leagues.
Like Max's Law, Jenna's Law requires coaches and referees in organized youth sports leagues to receive annual concussion training. It also requires parents and children 12 and older to be educated about the signs and symptoms of concussions and lays out instructions for dealing with suspected concussions: Pull the athletes off the field or court immediately, and don't allow them back until they have stopped showing signs or symptoms and have received a medical release.
But despite the law's success in expanding concussion prevention to more sports, it didn't fill in all the gaps. And even when Jenna's Law works, as it did in Morgan's case, it can't anticipate every unique response to a head injury.
'Why are we taking this road?'
Morgan Brunner, 13, attended a Clackamas High School football game in mid-October, a year after she received a concussion while warming up for a futsal game. She said she didn't feel completely back to normal until last January.
Brenda Brunner knew that Morgan needed to be evaluated after her head injury. Eastside Soccer partners with Providence Concussion Management to provide treatment for athletes, including those on the futsal team, who suffer head injuries during games and practices. But when Brunner called Providence that night, she was told the Portland facility was booked for two weeks straight.
Fortunately, the Oregon Clinic in Tigard agreed to see Morgan immediately that evening. Using a standard impact test, a doctor confirmed that Morgan had a concussion.
Brunner recalls that Morgan, who's enrolled in her school's "talented and gifted classes," struggled during the verbal recall portion of the impact test, scoring in the second percentile for her age group. Brunner was given return-to-play paperwork for Morgan, as well as instructions to avoid physical activity until she had progressed through various steps outlined for her.
While driving home from the clinic on a route they traveled every day, Morgan looked at her mother and asked, "Why are we taking this road?'"I thought, Morgan, are you being dramatic?" Brunner said. "But now, looking back at it, I think she really was having some memory problems."
Still, Brunner didn't grasp the severity of the damage done to her daughter's rattled brain. While driving home from the clinic on a route they traveled every day, Morgan looked at her mother and asked, "Why are we taking this road?'
"I thought, Morgan, are you being dramatic?" Brunner said. "But now, looking back at it, I think she really was having some memory problems."
Morgan said it is hard to describe what having a concussion feels like, but remembered frequent headaches and a lack of awareness of her surroundings.
"When I had my concussion, I just didn't feel right," she said. "You could really tell by my personality when I was back, that I was back to normal."
Morgan returned to school almost immediately and was allowed back onto the soccer pitch six weeks after her injury, after passing two impact tests at the Oregon Clinic. But it wasn't until January, three months after the impact, that Morgan told her mom, "I finally feel normal again."
Gray areas in coverage
Implementing Max's Law was relatively simple. Since the legislation dealt with public schools, the Oregon School Activities Association took the lead on the education and enforcement, requiring documentation that shows coaches and referees receive training each year, and that parents and players have received the necessary information.
Jenna's Law applies to organized youth sports affiliated with nonprofit organizations. Examples include YMCA summer recreational leagues, the Oregon Youth Soccer Association, Rugby Oregon, the Oregon Youth Lacrosse Association and Oregon Premier Futsal.
And while Jenna's Law addressed a couple blind spots in Oregon youth sports, it still left out some athletic activities taking place largely out of view, including training camps and clinics that occur outside of school and league play.
"They may not be specifically covered by the law. But frankly, with the increasing evidence about concussions and their dangers, and the increasing awareness of the importance of taking a kid out immediately, I'd be really surprised if they didn't follow an analogous procedure."
-State Sen. Elizabeth Steiner-Hayward
Summer training camps and practice clinics are becoming increasingly common in youth sports. This summer, for example, organizations ranging from Portland Parks & Recreation to the Oregon Youth Lacrosse Association held athletic activities.
So does Jenna's Law apply to these camps, even though they don't include league competition? According to David Kracke, a Portland lawyer who helped craft both Max's Law and Jenna's Law, it's not clear.
Kracke said that if a league already bound by Jenna's Law were to host its own camp or clinic, then legislative requirements likely would extend to that camp. But if a camp isn't affiliated with a Jenna's Law-applicable league, then Jenna's Law likely wouldn't cover it, Kracke said.
The issue is further complicated by language in Jenna's Law that stipulates that a sports league must be affiliated with a nonprofit organization to be covered by the law. That means that camps and clinics run by for-profit organizations — a Nike sports camp, for example — probably aren't covered by Jenna's Law, Kracke said.
On the flip side, some sports camps are run by public organizations, like Portland Parks & Recreation or the Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District (THPRD). Julia Rocha, the athletic center supervisor at the THPRD said the park district runs its camps under the guidelines established by Jenna's Law. Rocha requires coaches, parents and athletes to follow guidelines laid out in the legislation.
But technically public camps aren't run by nonprofits, so Jenna's Law doesn't cover them. And they aren't affiliated with a public school, so Max's Law doesn't apply either. "Those camps could arguably say they aren't under Max's Law or Jenna's Law," Kracke said. "The question then becomes, what are the other gray areas?"
Troubles with enforcement
One of those gray areas is enforcement. Schools, both public and private, can — and do — face sanctions from the Oregon School Activities Association if they don't follow rules. But what about youth sports leagues that aren't associated with any school? Jenn Heinrich, the president and CEO of Rugby Oregon, said her organization requires coaches, referees, parents and athletes to comply with the requirements outlined in Jenna's Law, and uses documentation to ensure that that's the case.
But nobody from the state of Oregon, or any outside governing body, has ever checked to ensure her league was complying.
"All of our work has been outward reaching, and not the reverse," Heinrich said.
Enforcement ultimately is left up to the sports leagues themselves.
OSAA Assistant Executive Director Brad Garrett agrees that there is no "single entity that's out enforcing… Jenna's Law." He said that he knows through personal experience that the YMCA follows Jenna's Law. Yet, "I would also assume that you have some rogue things out there that don't even know Jenna's Law exists."
Increased awareness
Brenda Brunner said that even though she'd received concussion awareness training as a parent, it wasn't until her daughter Morgan was injured that she realized the immediate impact that head injuries can have on young brains.
Boosters of Oregon's concussion legislation note that most kids, parents and coaches should be familiar with Jenna's Law, Max's Law or both, even if the laws don't cover a few activities.
Rocha, for example, said most of the volunteer coaches at Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District camps also coach at public schools or in competitive leagues, and therefore already have been referred to concussion training through the OSAA or a private organization.
The same is likely true for parents and athletes. Heinrich, the Rugby Oregon CEO, said she couldn't think of one instance of an athlete attending one of the organization's training clinics but not participating in any league play.
"Most parents whose kids play club sports, they also play middle school and high school sports," said state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner-Hayward, one of Jenna's Law's sponsors. "So they're exposed to the equivalent, Max's Law, and they know that that's the standard."
In Steiner-Hayward's opinion, Max's and Jenna's laws have increased public awareness of the risks of concussions in Oregon so much that leagues that might not technically be covered likely would still implement some kind of concussion training.
"They may not be specifically covered by the law," she said. "But frankly, with the increasing evidence about concussions and their dangers, and the increasing awareness of the importance of taking a kid out immediately, I'd be really surprised if they didn't follow an analogous procedure."
Both Kracke and Steiner-Hayward made the point that any youth sports organization, whether covered by the law or not, would benefit from enacting concussion training since they would likely be held liable in the event of an athlete concussion.
"I can't imagine any reputable club not following these rules," said Steiner-Hayward, who said she thinks the current legislation is sufficient.
Kracke, however, isn't so sure, saying the "gray areas" need to be addressed, "probably legislatively." He said additional legislation could ensure that leagues with governing bodies that aren't nonprofits — he gave the example of a youth surfing camp — were held to the same high standards laid out in Jenna's Law.
The Concussion Gap: Head injuries in girls soccer are an 'unpublicized epidemic'
National research has found girls are more likely to suffer a concussion than boys in any sport. And research in 2017 found concussion rates among young female soccer players were nearly as high as concussion rates for boys playing football — and roughly triple the rate of concussions in boys' soccer. "In a lot of ways, it's a growing epidemic for young girls that I think has gone unpublicized," said Jim Chesnutt, a medical expert on sports concussion. InvestigateWest and Pamplin media group crunched the numbers in Oregon.
2 thoughts on "Closing the gaps in concussion law"
Steven M Horwitz on October 20, 2018 at 10:36 am said:
Education is a start, but without a system there is no way to collect data, provide real time communication, and has step by step oversight.
A highly skilled pediatrician and sports parent told us a story just yesterday. An 8 year old youth soccer player was injured during a summer camp soccer tournament and removed from the game by an on-site athletic trainer. The AT had no time to discuss the injury with the parent as he was immediately called away for another on-field injury. No injury documentation system was available and not even paper documentation provided, no guidance was given to the parent, no communication of the injury was provided to the camp, no medical follow-up was provided, and no oversight of the return decision was performed by the camp. The parent of the child was present and questioned the removal of her daughter. The parent asked this pediatrician (a parent of a teammate) why her daughter was removed. The pediatrician was testing the TeamSafe®Sports app and showed the parent two screens (signs of concussion, symptoms of concussion) and asked the parent which ones her daughter exhibited. When the parent saw the list, the "light bulb" went on and she immediately realized the importance of the remove from play decision and the need for medical follow-up. @teamsafesports
Jack Smith on October 22, 2018 at 2:08 pm said:
I think that Jenna's Law is a positive step forward, in that it included one major aspect that other laws have left out. This law included the requirement that referees must have the concussion training. Since referees are supposed to recognize signs of a concussion, to protect a player, by removing them from play for examination/sitting out., this is a good thing. The question becomes, as it exists for coaches, who is ensuring that the party has completed a course, to let them then coach/referee? Having seen how some leagues/clubs work, the question is not that they don't know what is supposed to be done, but one of some one ensuring that it IS done. Consider this. If signs were just posted on the freeway for speed, and there were no officers patrolling the freeway, or planes in the sky, would all the people who KNOW the speed limit, and see the speed limit signs, actually be concerned about the 'speed limit'?


The user wants to obtain traffic flow data with a Dynamic Location Reference (DLR), around Alexanderplatz, Berlin.
Note: Typically, DLRs appear in arbitrary places, depending on traffic conditions. Sometime responses to requests do not include any DLRs.


HMO enrollment grew 14% to 58.2 million in 1995 from 51.1 million in 1994 and is expected to increase to about 70 million in 1996, according to the American Association of Health Plans.
PPO enrollment increased 15% to 91 million at year-end 1995 from 79.2 million in 1994, said the AAHP, an HMO trade group, in a report released at its annual conference in New Orleans last week.
"This is a strong, continuing vote of confidence in a philosophy of healthcare that delivers broader benefits, better care and more accountability-and all at a more affordable cost, " said Karen Ignagni, AAHP president and chief executive officer, in a written statement.
The survey also showed that 73% of HMOs now offer point-of-service plans, in which the member may use unaffiliated providers for an increased cost. The AAHP estimates that more than 80% of HMOs will offer a POS plan in 1996, up from 42% just five years ago.
Virtually all HMOs-99.5%-and 80.6% of PPOs conduct consumer satisfaction surveys and rely on them for feedback, evaluation and quality improvement, as well as for marketing, the study showed.
About 21% of surveyed HMOs report that they began serving Medicare beneficiaries in 1995, bringing the total number of plans providing care to that population to 44%. Another 34% said they plan to start offering Medicare benefits in 1996.
In his keynote address at the conference, Mickey Herbert, newly elected AAHP board chairman, said HMOs "should seize every bully pulpit" to deliver the message that the industry's success is based on its ability to deliver high-quality care.
Herbert is president and CEO of Physicians Health Services, an HMO based in Trumbull, Conn. He predicted that the AAHP's multiyear campaign to inform the public about the merits of managed care will silence HMO bashing in the news media.


Pietro's No.2 is one of Vacaville's oldest and best known restaurants. Family owned and operated since 1962 we take great pride in serving the very best of traditional family-style Italian and American cuisine using our favorite family recipes to ensure that your dining experience is a memorable one.
Fresh is Important! This is why we use the freshest ingredients, make our own pasta, and all of our sauces are homemade.
Visit us today to purchase.
Private dining, for groups from 10 to 100 people.
Regular menu items and party trays specially prepared for larger groups.
At Pietro's, our model is "Any way you like it!" We are pleased to create home-style Italian and American recipes per your requests. Whether you're in the mood for pizza, pasta, or our popular steak sandwich, we serve it fresh from our kitchen seven days a week, and we can accommodate both walk-ins and large parties up to 100 people. We also deliver anywhere in Vacaville.
Homemade Italian raviolis stuffed with choice of meat or cheese. Served with marinara sauce.
Italian breaded calamari strips fried golden. Served with marinara and tartar sauce.
Prosciutto Di Parma, Provolone cheese, assortment of Italian salamis, Italian olives, roasted red peppers and tomatoes.
Served with choice of soup, salad, or French fries. Upgrade with cheese, Bacon, and sautéed mushrooms.
Seasoned grilled chicken served atop Romaine lettuce with Caesar dressing. Served with garlic bread.
Prepared with 3 cheeses, meat sauce, and Italian spices. Served with soup or salad, and garlic bread.
Marinara or meat sauce. Add meatballs or sausage. Served with soup or salad, and garlic bread.
Assorted seafood in a spicy Marinara sauce over linguine. Served with soup or salad, and garlic bread.
Seven house pizzas to choose from, 3 sizes, and lots of additional toppings to customize or create.
Chocolate mousse pie on an Oreo cookie crust, with whipped cream.
Lady fingers soaked in espresso liquor, topped with Marscapone cheese, and dusted with cocoa.
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream topped with a shot of espresso.
We recently visited this restaurant for the first time and loved it. Several of us ordered the Chicken Parmesan and we were amazed at the generous portions. Overall the service, food and atmosphere were excellent. We would definitely recommend this restaurant for those looking for a relaxed enjoyable Italian meal.
The portions are HUGE - literally enough for two or three average eaters. Meals also come with soup or Salad. I ordered the minestrone soup which I thought came in a standard cup but instead came in a cereal size bowl. The pizza was really delicious. The crust is yummy and plenty of toppings make it very satisfying.
Today was my first time and we loved it. We had the deep fried ravioli filled with meat as our appetizer. I had the linguine with clams and he had the hot salami and cheese sandwich for dinner. You get a generous portion. Our server Marissa was the best. She was so friendly and attentive. We will definitely be back for pizza!
My husband has eaten here since they opened in the 70's. He always says Pietro's No.2 has the world best pizza! The house salad is very good, specially with their dressing. We always order a big "Special" pizza, dose not matter for 2 or 4 people. Their homemade sausage makes this special pizza super special. Service is always outstanding!
I love the pizza, their summer salad, their ranch is always so fresh and delish....their steak sandwich is one of my favorites and the eggplant parmigiana is to die for! The outside seating with their beautiful decor and water fountain is always such a delight. The restaurant is beautiful. I love the vibe there. It's very peaceful.
I've been going to Pietro's since I was a kid and let me tell you, if you haven't been there for a while, you need to go back! The food is excellent, the indoor seating area is modernized, light and airy and the outdoor patio addition makes it an even better venue. It's so much quieter now and the ambiance is perfect.
Founded in 1962, Pietro's No. 2 is proud to be one of Vacaville's first and most popular Italian restaurants.
Our staff works together to ensure that you get great food and a positive dining experience with every visit.
To ensure the best in authentic Italian taste the chef's at Pietro's No. 2 make their own soups, sauces, and pasta.
We are choosy about the ingredients we use in our restaurant food, which is why we select only the best and freshest.
The outside of Pietro's is beautiful, and includes benches, statuary, fountains, greenery and seasonal flowers.
We have a high-capacity, modern kitchen which allows us to deliver food promptly even when we have large parties.
Our beautiful outside patio dining area is a great place to eat or to just enjoy a drink during the warmer months.
We have a full selection of red and white wine, domestic and premium import beer, coffee drinks, and cold beverages.
As the original owner of Pietro's No. 2, Theresa Monteleone ensures that quality standards are always maintained.
Great Italian food demands quality, which is why we grow much of the Italian herbs and vegetables we use in our menu.
To accommodate our reservation and walk-in dining guests we have a large, open lobby while you wait to be seated.
Our lounge is a popular casual dining option with barstools, bistro tables, full kitchen view, and our featured wines.
Our extensive menu includes authentic Italian food and drink options to appeal to all tastes and preferences.


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Going Ape: A Review of the "Planet of the Apes" Film Series
My young friends Joel and Jonah recently completed a Planet of the Apes marathon with their father, so this seemed like an appropriate time to reflect on the five films comprising the Apes series. It's impossible to discuss these films without addressing the twist at the end of the first one...so if you haven't seen any of them, then count this as your spoiler alert!
That twist involves time travel, of course, and that's what makes the Apes series unique. Chronologically, the series' plotline ends and starts with the second film Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970) and the films form an endless loop. At the climax of Beneath, the Earth is destroyed…but three characters travel back in time and initiate the events that ultimately lead to the destruction of the world. It's both confusing and cool! And now, here are my capsule reviews of each film, plus my rankings and a second perspective:
1. Planet of the Apes (1968). Four astronauts crash land on a planet where apes rule and humans are a primitive race. The apes are divided into three classes: the chimpanzees are scientists; the orangutans are politicians; and the gorillas comprise the military and police. When astronaut Taylor (Charlton Heston) is captured, the apes learn that he can speak and reason like them. Scientists Cornelius (Roddy McDowell) and Zira (Kim Hunter) help Taylor escape. At the end of the film, Taylor sees the Statue of Liberty buried in the sand along the shoreline and realizes that his ship landed on the Earth of the future. Rod Serling was among the writers who adapted Pierre Boulle's novel Monkey Planet for the screen. He is typically credited with adding the time travel twist (which wasn't in the book). The film was a big boxoffice hit in '68 and critics were kind to it as well. John Chambers' amazing ape make-up earned a special Academy Award. Seen today, Planet of the Apes is a solid picture with fine performances by McDowell, Hunter, and Maurice Evans as apes. The concluding revelation seems anti-climatic, but the ape civilization is nicely realized and the dialogue occasionally witty. The American Film Institute voted Heston's famous line ("Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape!") as the 66th most memorable in film history. Joel, Jonah, and I all the original Planet as 3rd best in the series—but it's the most historically significant as the one that started it all. It's the only one in my film library (thanks to my sister).
2. Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970). Another astronaut, Brent (James Franciscus), lands on the planet and eventually discovers a race of telepathic mutant humans who live underground and worship a nuclear bomb. When the apes attack the humans, a dying Taylor (Heston) sets off the bomb, thereby destroying the Earth. This glum sequel is content to rehash elements from the original without adding anything new of interest (the mutant humans are a rather boring addition). McDowell is sorely missed (David Watson took over as Cornelius) and Heston's role is merely a cameo. At least, critics thought the explosive climax put an end to additional sequels. Little did they know! Joel, Jonah, and I all rate it as the worst of the five films.
3. Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971). We learn that Zira (Kim Hunter), Cornelius (McDowell), and Dr. Milo escaped prior to the Earth's destruction in Taylor's repaired spaceship. They go through the same time warp that Taylor and Brent did…and wind up on Earth in 1971. Shortly after an uncivilized gorilla kills Dr. Milo, Zira reveals that she and Cornelius are intelligent and can speak—thus becoming media celebrities! However, things go bad when an evil scientist learns that, in the future, apes revolt against humans and take over the world. Zira and Cornelius are killed, but not before their baby Milo is secretly smuggled to safety. Escape is the smartest film in the series on two levels. First, it cleverly circumvents the closed ending of the preceding film and sets the plot in motion for the rest of the series. Secondly, screenwriter Paul Dehn (Goldfinger) has a lot of fun with the celebrity status achieved by the intelligent apes. Joel and Jonah rank it as only the 4th best, but it's my choice for No. 2.
4. Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972). We learn that a disease has killed off the Earth's dogs and cats and humans have taken apes as pets. As the apes evolve, they eventually became slave laborers. Milo, now known as Caesar, leads a successful ape revolt against human society and announces at the end: "Tonight, we have seen the birth of the Planet of the Apes!" The original ending had Caesar ordering the execution of his former master. When that tested poorly with audiences, a new ending was filmed with Caesar's wife speaking for the first time to plead her husband to show mercy. A thought-provoking and worthy sequel to Escape, the fourth film provides the crucial motivation for the apes' takeover. It also showcases McDowell, who gives a strong performance as the son of his previous character (Cornelius). The reworked ending is very effective, concluding the film on a positive note. I rate it the best in the series, while Joel and Jonah have it at No. 2.
5. Battle for the Planet of the Apes (1973). Told in flashback, the final installment picks up ten years after Conquest with a world divided after a nuclear war. Caesar learns the future of Earth after watching historical footage of his parents discussing it. Meanwhile, the post-nuclear humans mount an attack against the apes. Caesar defeats the humans and also General Aldo, a gorilla military leader who has been plotting a coup. Caesar learns that the world cannot exist with apes and humans fighting one another—they must learn to co-exist peacefully. Battle is an adequate conclusion in terms of wrapping up the plot and suggesting a future of hope. However, it's not as inventive as the previous two installments and the battle scenes are unimaginative. Still, Joel and Jonah thought it was the best in the series; I ranked it at No. 4.
In 1974, CBS launched a short-lived TV series called Planet of the Apes starring Ron Harper and James Naughton as astronauts and Roddy McDowell as a chimpanzee named Galen (no relation to Cornelius or Caesar). Several episodes were strung together and shown as made-for-TV movies, starting with Back to the Planet of the Apes. There was also an animated 1976 series called Return to the Planet of the Apes that lasted for 13 episodes. And finally, there was Tim Burton's best-forgotten 2001 remake of the 1968 film that started it all.
Labels: charlton heston, planet of the apes, rick29 (author)
Paul 2 January 6, 2010 at 9:26 AM
Rick I just got the first four Apes on DVD. I have to go with the first as the best ,besides the story and acting there is the ground breaking(at the time) score by Jerry Goldsmith. BTW the "climax" of Escape was shot in San Pedro CA .The ship was a real hulk at what was left of the old Todd Shipyards right near the end of the Harbor Freeway. It's long gone now. Ah the joys of growing up in So Cal and The South Bay
Dawn January 6, 2010 at 10:04 AM
Planet of the Apes is my favorite film of the collection.. What I remember most was the shocking ending. What impressed me about this film was the interesting look at humans uncertain future..
toto2 January 6, 2010 at 10:55 AM
This is an interesting, and thought-provoking, series. Society, regardless of whom is in charge, will always be faced with choices and challenges. It has been a long time since I have seen these. Great post, Rick!
sarkoffagus January 6, 2010 at 12:10 PM
Excellent write-up, Rick (and thanks to Joel and Jonah). I need to watch the PLANET OF THE APES movies again, and J & J have inspired me to have a marathon of my own. Right now, I remember liking CONQUEST the best, but I also thoroughly enjoyed J & J's fave, BATTLE. But I don't think any PLANET OF THE APES discussion can be complete without at least mentioning Tim Burton's rather disappointing 2001 remake with Mark Wahlberg and a bunch of apes. I guess it's good that Joel, Jonah and their father skipped that one.
Aki January 6, 2010 at 5:11 PM
Rick, I love the Planet of the Apes movies and have seen them all. My favorite is PLANET OF THE APES because I think it was the most original of the series, especially the fantastic ending. The other movies you listed them in the exact order that I would rate them. I think it was TCM that showed the series not long ago. I watched the first two again. Paul, I have Jerry's music on my iPod of course. As for the 1974 TV series I watched it because I have always liked Ron Harper who was on the TV series GARRISON"S GORILLAS. Enjoyed reading your post.
Max Paganetti August 30, 2019 at 6:31 PM
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Guys, we're confused – has it been two weeks already?! Feels like yesterday that we touched down in Cleveland for our first show of this tour, but here we are with another week down, having played a show in Rochester before crossing the border into Canada!
Up North, we visited London, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal, and needless to say we brought DaisyLand right along with us in the form of more exclusive acoustic shows at local music stores Steve's Music and Long & McQuade!
These DaisyLand performances have been absolutely incredible and a great opportunity to get to know all of you in person. We really do appreciate each and every one of you coming out to these, bringing your memorabilia (and awesome questions for the Q&As!), and then heading over to the venues to do it all over again. We love our Daisies-family and really hope you enjoy these little pieces of DaisyLand as much as we do!
This tour has been absolutely crazy so far: With so many DaisyLand shows on top of our regular Rock shows, no wonder we're getting DIZZY – pun intended!
Check out the fantastic footage of our second week on the road in the US and Canada!


Could I use coconut oil instead? If so would it still be 1/2 cup??
Hey! I love your blog and tried the chocolate zucchini cake. For some reason the cake was a little under cooked in the middle and had fallen down.... What could be the reason??
I just found your recipe and I'm waiting the cake to cool down to have a bite... it seems awesome! Thanks for this good idea!!
Thank you for such a delicious cake recipe!
I've made it three times now and it is officially my go to zucchini cake recipe. I've added an extra egg and reduced the sugar by 1/4 cup, both of which have had successful results.


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'Aquaman' Star Jason Momoa Apologizes To Instagram Followers After Hack
Aquaman star Jason Momoa was recently hacked and like the great guy he is, he apologized to his 13 million Instagram followers for the incident.
A few day ago, Jason Momoa's Instagram account was hacked and displayed some scam giveaways to his followers for iPhones, a Macbook Pro, an Apple Watch, PlayStation Store gift cards and strangely a Tesla Model X. Now it appears, the Aquaman actor has seemingly taken care of the situation and gotten control of his account back.
Jason Momoa got on his Instagram story and apologized to all 13.3 million people who follow him on the social media app. This is what the Aquaman star had to say in his apology:
"I officially got hacked and I really don't know what the fuck that means except for someone trying to sell iPhones and Teslas and God knows what else on my IG account. To all the friends and family who had weird messages come to them, obviously it's not me and I apologize for any confusion."
Let us hope that's this doesn't happen to the Aquaman actor again. Although, it wouldn't be surprising if the hackers try to gain back access to his account or even worse other celebrities' accounts to do the same.
Trolls Force 'Avengers: Endgame' Star Jeremy Renner To Shut Down His App
Last month, Aquaman star Jason Momoa visited Hawaii to protest the construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) on top of the Mauna Kea volcano. The area in which TMT is proposed to be constructed is sacred to Native Hawaiian culture and religion. Jason Momoa was joined by many other Hawaiians protesting the construction of the TMT. His Justice League co-star Ezra Miller was also there.
An Aquaman sequel is currently in development at Warner Brothers, with Jason Momoa returning as Arthur Curry. Scheduled to be released in theaters on December 16, 2022, Aquaman 2 is being written by David Leslie Johnson-McGoldrick, one of the writers behind Jason Momoa's first cinematic solo outing as the DC Comics icon. James Wan is expected to return to the director's chair after he completes a horror project for New Line Cinema.
'Aquaman' Star Jason Momoa Posts PSA For Fans Wanting Pictures When He's Walking With His Kids
For now, Jason Momoa can be seen as Arthur Curry in the first Aquaman movie. Here's the official synopsis:
From Warner Bros. Pictures and director James Wan comes an action-packed adventure that spans the vast, visually breathtaking underwater world of the seven seas, "Aquaman," starring Jason Momoa in the title role. The film reveals the origin story of half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry and takes him on the journey of his lifetime—one that will not only force him to face who he really is, but to discover if he is worthy of who he was born to be… a king.
Directed by James Wan, Aquaman stars Jason Momoa as Arthur Curry, Amber Heard as Mera, Willem Dafoe as Vulko, Patrick Wilson as Orm / Ocean Master, Dolph Lundgren as Nereus, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as Black Manta, Nicole Kidman as Atlanna, Ludi Lin as Captain Murk, and Temuera Morrison as Tom Curry.
Aquaman is available on Digital HD, 4K UHD Combo Pack, Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD. Stay tuned for the latest news on Jason Momoa, Aquaman and the future of the DC Extended Universe!
Henry Cavill's 'The Witcher' Debuts New Poster & First Look Photos
Netflix has released a brand new poster for the Henry Cavill series The Witcher along with a slew of first look photos.
A stunning poster for the upcoming Netflix series The Witcher made its debut this morning, featuring Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia. In addition, Netflix also dropped the first official photos of Anya Cholatra as Yennefer and Freya Allan as Ciri as well as two more stills that offer fans a fresh look at Geralt.
You can check out the poster below and the new photos in the gallery by clicking "Next."
Based on the fantasy series of novels and short stories by Andrzej Sapkowski, Netflix's The Witcher will follow the monster slayer for hire named Geralt of Rivia (Henry Cavill). Showrunner Lauren S. Hissrich will also serve as an executive producer on the series while Alik Sakharov, Alex Garcia Lopez and Charlotte Brändström are on board as directors for the eight-episode first season.
Here is the official synopsis for The Witcher:
Based on the best-selling fantasy series, The Witcher is an epic tale of fate and family. Geralt of Rivia, a solitary monster hunter, struggles to find his place in a world where people often prove more wicked than beasts. But when destiny hurtles him toward a powerful sorceress, and a young princess with a dangerous secret, the three must learn to navigate the increasingly volatile Continent together.
The Witcher stars Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, Freya Allan as Ciri, Anya Chalotra as Yennefer, Jodhi May as Queen Calanthe, Bjorn Hlynur Haraldsson as Eist, Adam Levy as Mousesack, MyAnna Buring as Aretuza, and Millie Brady as Princess Renfri, with Mimi Ndiweni and Therica Wilson-Read as novice sorcerers.
The Witcher will be available on Netflix in late 2019. Stay tuned for the latest updates on the upcoming Netflix series.


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Q: How to know in Talend if tMySQLInput will overwrite data? I have one already existing Talend Open Studio tMySQLInput component with some sql code inside it, in order to retrieve some joined columns linked to a tMySQLOuput component (pointing to an already existing MySQL table) with few records.
QUESTION:
Will the "tMySQLInput" component overwrite the already existing table data that the tMySQLOutput component relates to? I mean is there an option to check in the tMySQLInput our output in order to say, overwrite each time this job is executed ?
Thank you all.

A: Yes, there is an option where in tMySQLOutput where you can specify what action you want to do to your table. Follow following steps:

*

*Go to component tab of tMySQLOutput, it will open the basic settings of this component.

*If you will look closer you will find Action on table. This is the action which you can perform on the table which is pointed by tMySQLOutput. It has options as Default, Drop and Create Table etc.

*Then you have Action on data. These are the options which you can perform on the data like Insert, Update etc.
In your case I suppose you can choose Action on Table as Default and Action on Data as Insert. Default action would not do anything on the table and Insert option would insert the records at the end of table. But in case of Insert if you will have duplicate rows then job would stop the moment it will find any duplicate row.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


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Home Reviews Japanese Reviews Film Review: Ahum (2018) by Yu Kajino
Film Review: Ahum (2018) by Yu Kajino
Rouven Linnarz
"I am cursed."
When you think of the term "arthouse horror" you might think of titles such as David Lynch's "Eraserhead" or similar titles. Even though many new films use the term "arthouse" in order to describe themselves, to set themselves apart from mainstream horror, most of the time they still employ methods and techniques not necessarily associated with independent or arthouse productions. However, the term itself may be a bit confusing here, since it is often used to define something which cannot be categorized or is likely to provoke an extreme reaction.
Nevertheless, an extreme reaction is at times unavoidable. In the case of Yu Kajino's feature debut "Ahum" the extremity of reaction may be legitimized by the emotions felt by the director, which eventually gave him the idea for the film. When his film was screened at this year's Nippon Connection, Kajino stated his experiences of living in Tokyo have influenced the tone and design of "Ahum". When asked to explain further, he becomes very serious and mentions how increasingly hopeless he becomes when he thinks of that time in the Japanese capital.
"Ahum" is screening at Nippon Connection
At the center of the film we have Kanji (Kunihiko Watanabe), an employee at a reactor. After an incident at work he slowly finds himself losing grip with reality, he does not appear at work anymore and eventually his girlfriend (Ayaka Horii) leaves him. On his journey through Tokyo, his condition worsens dramatically and his personality begins to change into something dangerous.
Whoever walks into "Ahum" is in for quite an experience. Surely enough, Kajino's film does not exactly evoke optimism or any kind of positivism, for the theme of desolation is omnipresent in every detail. One of the most important features, largely responsible for this reaction may just be the director's choice to use grainy 8mm footage for his film. As we follow the path of Kanji through the bleak landscape of the city, and later on nature, it seems as if the film itself has been affected by the radiation resulting from the incident at the main character's workplace.
However, considering "Ahum" merely as a reflection on the Fukushima Power Plant disaster would only scratch the surface of the destructive vision the film has to offer, as if sleepwalking Kanji, as well as the rest of the characters, go about their business in a city of the dead, a Kafkaesque vision of the urban sphere defined by social paranoia and awkwardness. Kanji's encounter with men in hazmat suits or the cranes in the distance of Tokyo's skyline represent the corrosion of this place. Ironically, a large part of the main character's journey through the city is accompanied by a disturbingly sweetish version of "Jingle Bells" since the film takes place during Christmas time.
In the end, the most devastating image is connected with the people themselves. Besides their distance from one another, there is also a growing gap between the person him-/herself. Just like the temporary nature of the word around him, the concept of the identity and "self" goes through the same process of corrosion, bringing forth something far darker, yet more suitable to how the world is changing.
"Ahum" is a difficult film to watch, a challenging experience for its viewer, demanding an extreme reaction. Undeniably, Yu Kajino has managed to create one of the most interesting entries in this year's Nippon Connection, a true midnight movie which will shock and repel its audience. However, this kind of courage deserves respect as well as the consistency of the filmmaker's vision.
Ahum
Ayaka Horii
Kunihiko Watanabe
Yu Kajino
Ever since I watched Takeshi Kitano's "Hana-Bi" for the first time (and many times after that) I have been a cinephile. While much can be said about the technical aspects of film, coming from a small town in Germany, I cherish the notion of art showing its audience something which one does normally avoid, neglect or is unable to see for many different reasons. Often the stories told in films have helped me understand, discover and connect to something new which is a concept I would like to convey in the way I talk and write about films. Thus, I try to include some info on the background of each film as well as a short analysis (without spoilers, of course), an approach which should reflect the context of a work of art no matter what genre, director or cast. In the end, I hope to pass on my joy of watching film and talking about it.
Interview with Toshiaki Toyoda: "I am quite angry at the Japanese state at the moment. In essence, it has become a fascist state."
Interview with Satoru Hirohara: "I think most youth see a bleak future for Japan. It is quite natural because there are tons of companies...
Interview with Natsuki Nakagawa: "I did not intend to mention the current social structure, but I wanted to present a girl who is a...
Interview with Yoshinori Sato: "I think Japanese individualism is still immature."
Interview with Yuko Hakota: "I think there is a gap between the women portrayed in modern society and women in reality."
Interview with Ryuichi Hiroki: "In this film, we see no grown-ups at all since the characters are all young people who find, within this...


Beautifully brought to life by a memorable cast, this heartfelt comedy suggests that when dreams become reality, it's time to wake up. Algeria's official submission to the 2009 Academy Awards. Part of the Global Lens Film Series. In Arabic with English subtitles. Free admission.


Toronto, Canada – NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte has agreed to terms on a one-year contract worth $11.75 million, the team said Wednesday.
The 37-year-old Pettitte went 14-8 with a 4.16 ERA this year, helping the Yankees win their first World Series since 2000.
Pettitte went 4-0 with a 3.52 ERA in five postseason starts in 2009, winning his fifth championship with the Yankees.
The two-times All-Star earned a base salary of $5.5 million in 2009, and collected another $5 million in additional performance-based incentives, baseball's website (mlb.com) reported.
Pettitte has a 229-135 record with a 3.91 ERA in 12 years in New York and three with the Houston Astros.
His 192 wins with the Yankees ranks third all-time behind Whitey Ford and Red Ruffing.


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Man arrested in relation to speeches bailed
News • Jun 12, 2019 16:58 BST
A man in his 60s arrested in connection with an investigation into a number of speeches made by an individual associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) in Pakistan has today, Wednesday, 12 June been bailed to return to a police station in mid-July.
The man was arrested at an address in north west London on Tuesday. 11 June. He was arrested on suspicion of intentionally encouraging or assisting offences contrary to Section 44 of the Serious Crime Act 2007.
He was detained under PACE and taken to a south London police station.
As part of the investigation, officers carried out a search at the north west London address and at a separate commercial address in north west London. Both these searches are now complete.
The investigation, which is being led by officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, is focused on a speech broadcast in August 2016 by an individual associated with the MQM movement in Pakistan as well as other speeches previously broadcast by the same person.
Throughout the investigation, officers have been liaising with Pakistani authorities in relation to our ongoing enquiries.
Police matters
StatementArrestNorthSpecialist Operations