text:
Sports -
49ers injury news: Jason Verrett's MRI comes back as a minor ankle sprain - Niners Nation
The San Francisco 49ers have had a day. First, Nick Bosa went down during practice. Results came back from his MRI and Bosa has an ankle sprain that may keep him from playing during the preseason. That may not be what we want to hear, but it's better for the long run.
As for Jason Verrett, he suffered an injury attempting to make a tackle during a run play during Wednesday's practice. Per Ian Rapoport, Verrett's MRI revealed a minor ankle sprain. There's no timetable just yet on his return, but it's a sigh of relief knowing that Verrett will not miss extended time.
I think a healthy Ahkello Witherspoon had outperformed Verrett so far, but Verrett is the next best cover guy on the 49ers. If you look at some of the better defenses in the NFL, they all have three competent cornerbacks. We'll be back to update once we a timetable for Verrett's return. There's never "good news" when you're dealing with injuries, but it appears the 49ers dodged two bullets today.


One of the System Attendant's task is blocked.
Function: CPollDomainExchangeServersGroup::Work - I have faced the issue in E2K7 for one of our customers. Whenever this problem occured the Exchange server went into hanged state and the mail flow would stop. To fix the problem we had to move all the resources manually to another server (cluster environment).
Function: COffLineABScanTask::Work - See EV100360 (he Exchange system attendant logs 1031 and 1032 after generating an Offline Address Book).
Microsoft Exchange Troubleshooting Assistant and Microsoft Exchange Best Practices Analyzer are useful in troubleshooting Exchange related problems. See the links in the Links section.
The Microsoft Exchange System Attendant service has many tasks to perform. If any of these tasks encounter a problem it may fail and the MSExchangeSA service is recording this event along with the name of the programming function that failed.
See the link to "Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine Online" for an article describing several problems in Exchange.
Also, see MSEX2K3DB for additional information about this event.
The Microsoft Exchange System Attendant service may not come online on a server that is running Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 in a Microsoft Windows 2000 active/passive cluster. This problem occurs if the RootVer registry value is invalid. See ME906154 to correct this problem.
When you run Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 on a server that is running Windows 2000, Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) may stop responding while the Microsoft Exchange System Attendant service (Mad.exe) is tracking messages. When this problem occurs, Exchange System Attendant queues up the message-tracking entries and may eventually stop delivering e-mail. See ME818204 for a hotfix applicable to Microsoft Windows 2000.


text:
'Say it ain't so, bro!': Malcolm Turnbull rues the departure of New Zealand's John Key
By Fergus Hunter
Updated December 6, 2016 — 12.56am first published December 5, 2016 — 12.40pm
As the shock news of New Zealand Prime Minister John Key's resignation broke, Malcolm Turnbull picked up his phone and sent his friend across the ditch a text: "Say it ain't so, bro".
Mr Turnbull has lavished praise on his ideological bedfellow, saying Mr Key was a role model who had achieved long-lasting economic reform and become a "very influential player" on the world stage.
"He will be a great loss to New Zealand and a great loss to the world. John Key is one of the most outstanding national leaders in the world today," the Prime Minister said.
"What he has been able to do is demonstrate that if you make the case for reform, clearly cogently, persuasively, you can win and retain strong public support for economic reform."
Malcolm Turnbull and John Key kayaking in Sydney Harbour in February.
Mr Key resigned on Monday after a stable eight years in the top job, having maintained and even increased his popularity. Since his National Party first formed government in 2008, Australia has had four prime ministers.
Mr Turnbull said his counterpart was a good friend and the kind of leader that knows the right time to go.
"He has gone, as he said, when he is on top. He has retired when people are begging him to stay. He is a class act, none classier," the Prime Minister said.
The New Zealander even attracted praise from the other side of the ideological divide, with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten calling him a "civilised conservative".
John Key will quit as New Zealand Prime Minister after eight stable years in the job. Credit:Getty Images
"John Key is from a different political party but I think he's done a good job being Prime Minister of New Zealand," Mr Shorten said. "He certainly was a great friend of Australia.
"To end such a long and distinguished political career at a time of one's own choosing is a rare achievement," Mr Shorten and Labor foreign affairs spokeswoman Penny Wong said in a statement.
Illustration: Cathy Wilcox
Former prime minister Tony Abbott said Mr Key had a "fine innings".
"Not many pollies retire unbeaten on a double ton," he tweeted.
In September 2015, as Mr Turnbull ousted Mr Abbott, the outgoing NZ leader poked fun at the revolving door of the Australian prime minister's office.
"I must admit, wouldn't it be exciting if we were holding this event in Australia? You'd know the prime minister's coming, you just wouldn't know who's going to show up," he joked when addressing the media.
Fergus Hunter
Fergus Hunter is an education and communications reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This studio apartment, converted from a beach motel, is perfect for any couple or small family & is located within walking distance to the beach on Oak Island. Efficiency with refrigerator, microwave and furnished including flat screen TV and free WIFI. The Oak Island Extended Stay is conveniently located in the heart of the commercial district of Oak Island. This location is a short walk to restaurants, putt putt, arcade, surf shops, grocery store, lounges, post office, Dairy Queen and more. The large pool is a very desirable amenity that is ready for your family's enjoyment. Come for an extended stay here at the Oak Island Extended Stay and leave all your worries behind!! Non-Smoking. Laundry facility on site.
To send a reservation request to the manager of "Oak Island Extended Stay 127", complete the following form. When you click the "Send Request" button an e-mail will be sent to the manager and a copy will be emailed to you, along with details on how to complete your reservation.
I saw Oak Island Extended Stay 127 advertised on www.RentABeach.com and I am interested in renting.
Clicking 'Send Request' will immediately forward this information to the manager of Oak Island Extended Stay 127, which is Better Beach Rentals. An email copy of your request will be sent from support@rentabeach.com to the address you provided above.


This watch will enchant you not only by its simple submarine design and perfect workmanship, but also by the automatic movement Seiko powering the watch. You won't need a battery - ever.
The Phoibos Wave Diver offers a singular dial. It will be appreciated especially by sport watch lovers. A beautifully arranged dial with a wave structure features a date display at the 3 o´clock position. Water-resistant up to 30m, with a crystal made of hardened plastic, the so-called Hesalite, inserted into a steel case. The watch comes with an elegant leather strap that matches well with the dial design. The 40mm case diameter delights all men looking for a smaller size watch.
2019 © ChronoClass, all rights reserved.


Tier 4 Final for Engines less than 751 hp Cummins Inc.
BACK TO SCHOOL With Mutants scattered all over The Battlerealm, some of them are not aware of how powerful they are and they are in need of a leader. This is a job for an Omega Class Mutant, and who better than Emma Frost to take these Mutants under her � Continue reading... Cat Tier 4 Final engines feature innovative air-management systems that optimize airflow and enhance power, efficiency and reliability. We apply a range of simple, reliable turbocharging solutions, based on engine size and application. This allows us to match turbo performance to rated output for high productivity, excellent fuel efficiency, long life and low operating costs.
Summary. The Catalyst is a Gallente destroyer. Its bonuses favor blasters, though it can also be rail fit. It has 2 mids, allowing it to fit a tackle module, and 3 low slots for an armor tank.... The Expert Bracket brings Map 6 Crystals back into the rewards, but only for the top 15 Alliances, while awarding entire Tier 4 Basic Catalysts to every Alliance in the Bracket, and either Tier 4 Catalyst Fragment Crystals or Tier 4 Class Catalyst Crystals to the top 15 as well. You can expect to win between 700 and 3,000 Glory in this bracket.
Tier 4 will require a greater reduction in these figures, certainly in nitrogen oxides, and this is to be acheived by burning urea in the exhaust stream over a catalyst which will give the lower levels required. Particulate filters have been mentioned, too. how to give demo class in interview I have a few Tier 4 Class Catalysts for each class, but since I have a lot of Champions that need them to be ranked up, I don�t have enough.
Summary. The Catalyst is a Gallente destroyer. Its bonuses favor blasters, though it can also be rail fit. It has 2 mids, allowing it to fit a tackle module, and 3 low slots for an armor tank.
Update August 14 2018: Levels 3-5 have been adjusted to reflect more recent US competition performance and qualifying totals. This primarily affected levels 3-4, and most changes were minor.
New Event Quest "X-MEN: TERRIGENOCIDE" THE BATTLE FOR MUTANT FREEDOM!--The Mutants of the Battlerealm have begun to rise against the The Contest, fighting back and hiding where they can.


Yes, Clenbuterol ship worldwide! El Masnou, Spain as well. Free shipping can be applied for some countries.
If You Live in El Masnou, Where is the Most Effective Stores to Get Clenbuterol Legally?
Bodybuilders used this steroid religiously when they had actually finished their bulking cycle and they entered their cutting cycle. They took it specifically to shred their bodies producing that ripped, sculpted, and rock tough body. Many athletes have actually tested positive for Clen because of the physical changes they would get with their bodies in addition to the measurable performance increases they would enter taking the steroid.
Clenbutrol is a non-prescription diet pill that generally derived from Clenbuterol, an incredibly powerful formula that help increase your metabolic rate. As you know, a super-charged metabolic process results in a weight loss body maker that automatically shred the fat off your body, and keep it off for good.
Clenbutrol is thought about to be one among the most popular Clen offered in the market today. Anyway, Where can I buy Clenbutrol in El Masnou? You can purchase Clenbutrol Clenbuterol online from the official site. You can put an order from lots of parts of the world including El Masnou. When you can take pleasure in several advantages why should you wait? This Clenbuterol Ambroxol review need to have lured you to put an order now.
Clenbutrol-- Clenbuterol resolves the simple concept of increasing your body's internal temperature level. This has the ripple effect of accelerating your metabolic process and consequently making your body using its stored fat as fuel for the day.
It goes without saying that this means that you all of a sudden begin to rip through this kept fat, enabling your muscles to slowly end up being more prominent and increase through the fat which was as soon as "blocking" them from view.
The primary factor we were intrigued by this product is because of CrazyBulk. This is a business who are considered as among the most successful on the planet when it pertains to supplements-- or specifically, supplements that imitate the effects of effective however risky steroids.
However, this isn't really the only factor we think Clenbutrol/ Clenbuterol will work for you. Unlike some natural steroids that struck the market, this is based upon proven science.
Thermogenesis is something that has actually been proven time and time again to get rid of fat and as the product is based purely on this concept, we believe that it will help you achieve your goals.
Labels on Clen item must consist of the following information: declaration of identity, net quantity of contents, directions for use, a supplement realities panel, listing serving size, quantity and active ingredients, other active ingredients in coming down order of predominance, and the name and business of the maker, packer or supplier. Always follow the producer's everyday advised dosage - more isn't constantly much better. If a producer states to take two pills daily, that's all you should take. If you take several supplements, check to see if you are getting the very same active ingredient from several sources to make sure you don't go beyond the suggested everyday allowance for any individual component.
If you believe that you would be able to find Clen quickly, trust me it's not that simple. As you would need to have a prescription by a doctor for the same, so if you are trying to find a quick fix web is the very best location. Well if you are shopping online one thing is for sure that you do not need to go through a lot of troubles.
When you are purchasing Clen online you need to ensure something, Security. We are not describing your monetary security, however we are discussing the product security. You need to make sure that the item which you purchase is right. Furthermore this is a matter of your health, so you have to be extra cautious. Shop on a website that you rely on that you know is real. If you are uncertain, then aim to do a little research so that you are sure that the product which you purchase is good for you.
Can You Inform Me Where to Discover Clenbuterol Ambroxol for Sale in El Masnou?
If you have a prescription, you can purchase Clenbuterol for sale at nearly any drug store in El Masnou. In some nations where it is not controlled, you can acquire it lawfully over the counter without a prescription. Lots of people prefer to buy Clenbuterol online instead of from street vendors. Before doing so, make sure that you take the time to check out some evaluations. By doing this, you can make certain that you get a quality product at a fair price.
Clenbuterol Shipping to El Masnou?
You do not need to worry about Clenbuterol delivery to your address because currently Clenbuterol shipment is available to all areas or cities throughout El Masnou.
Tiana(08391), Montgat(08390), El Masnou(08320), Premia De Mar(08330), La Virreina(08391), Barcelona, Catalonia.


text:
Technically true, but collectively nonsense
Teach a man to fish, and he'll sit in a boat all day drinking beer.
A Senator Walker would also be an insult to reason, rationality, and decency.
Peak wingnut was a lie.
if you can't see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.
You are here: Home / Popular Culture / What Do You Know About These New Shows?
What Do You Know About These New Shows?
by WaterGirl | July 19, 2020 5:55 pm | 102 Comments
This post is in: Movies, Open Threads, Popular Culture
What do you guys know about these new shows on HBO?
I can watch the trailers and read about them, but you guys are more tuned in than I am. What's the word on the street? The only one I knew about was Perry Mason.
There are 7 that look interesting to me, 8 if you count Perry Mason. Speaking of which, I am liking Perry Mason. Now that we're halfway through, what do you think?
Also, for anyone who missed it yesterday, gwangung had a zoom reading of his play yesterday. Here's the post where we talked about it:
She Devil of the China Seas
Tickets were $5, I think, or whatever people wanted to give, but it is now available on YouTube.
There's no obligation to donate in order to watch it, but if anyone wants to make a donation, you can do so at this link.
TRAILERS!
Tokyo Vice (coming in 2020, couldn't find a trailer)
The Third Day (Fall 2020)
The Undoing (Fall 2020)
We Are Who We Are (sometime in 2020)
I May Destroy You (6 episodes in)
I Know This Must Be True
Perry Mason (4 episodes in)
Previous Post: « Judgy Birb (Open Thread)
Next Post: Good News for Sanity Open Thread: (Most of) The Media Villagers Are Boooored with Donald Trump »
Perry Mason is good so far.
Excellent cast and it's really nice to see LA (Bunker Hill, esp) in the early '30s.
Don't know about Tokyo Vice, but those are two of my favorite things.
If you have Prime, "Escape at Dannemora" is available there now (it was a Showtime production). We're 2 episodes in and it's excellent. Patricia Arquette's performance is lights-out amazing.
WaterGirl
@BGinCHI:
I had not heard of Escape at Dannemora. Can you say more?
How much do you pay for HBO? If we get HBO it will push our cable bill over $150.00
greengoblin
I am hoping to like Perry Mason. So far, to me, every character is a cliched mess. I am hanging in there, though. Maybe seeing what others here think will help.
I really like Perry Mason. Shea Whigham has been on fire in all kinds of roles, and nails Pete. I like the way that we sort of know what's going on, but I'm not sure that we do what the real picture is. Della is a great character. I really like Sister Alice.
@WaterGirl: Prison escape series, written by Michael Tolkin and Brett Johnson (a Mad Men alum). Benicio del Toro and Paul Dano in it as well.
Very gritty and smart. A very provocative look at how prisons work, esp in terms of how the locals who work there are part of the story (without spoiling….).
Zip. Nada. Rien.
Can't budgetarily justify the cost of HBO on top of the costs other services. In fact, getting this close to axing cable TV altogether as that monthly fee is now bumping up against the ceiling of what I can comfortably afford.
Haven't had a chance yet, but I've heard nothing but good things about I May Destroy You. Plus I love Michaela Cole since Chewing Gum (another show u might want to check out, just to diversify your selections)
@Craig: Give Shea Whigham all the awards, always.
@lamh36: I heard good things too. Hopefully someone here has seen it?
@SFBayAreaGal: I pay $15 a month..
The Undoing is based on the book You Should have known by Jean Hanff Korelitz.
According to Wiki:
The book tells the story of a New York therapist who discovers that her beloved husband has a secret and unfathomable life and may have been responsible for a murder. The book was published in eighteen languages. On March 12, 2018 HBOannounced that Executive Producer David E. Kelley would write and produce a limited series based on "You Should Have Known" (renamed "The Undoing") to star Nicole Kidman, Hugh Grant, Donald Sutherland, Noah Jupe, Edgar Ramirez and Lily Rabe, directed by Susanne Bier. HBO will air the miniseries in 2020.
@SFBayAreaGal: How much do you pay for HBO? If we get HBO it will push our cable bill over $150.00
I added HBO-Max to our Hulu subscription. I think it was $14.99 per month.
I'm liking the new Perry Mason. It's much more in the flavor of Jack Nickelson's Chinatown than the old Perry Mason. I like the lesbian Della Street. She steals the show.
Slightly OT, because Netflix, but here's a ranked list of all Netflix-produced movies (it's gigantic).
This is good for finding things you might have missed.
@Craig: I really did not like their Della Street at first, but she is growing on me.
Thanks everyone for the info about HBO costs.
@SFBayAreaGal: I like Susanne Bier a lot.
I thought Kidman was the worst thing in Big Little Lies, sadly.
@BGinCHI: @lamh36:
I had never even heard of that one until today, and it's halfway through the 12-episode season. That's what prompted me to ask about all these shows.
I have also never heard of Chewing Gum. Will have to check that out.
@SFBayAreaGal: Thank you for the heads up. I will definitely watch this.
@SFBayAreaGal: That's some star power right there.
@Kent: I got the Chinatown vibe too. Both are gritty.
Percysowner
Mostly I know that HBO Max (and Peacock) don't want me to watch them because they won't put an app on Roku. There is a dispute about how much they should pay Roku for carriage and since Roku has always been good to me, I'm siding with them for now. I already have Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix and a subscription to DISH, so It's not like I'm hurting for things to watch. About the only thing I'd like to catch is Doom Patrol, but I'll live.
Amalthea1
Long-time lurker here. Been watching I May Destroy You since the first episode, and have only amazing things to say about it. Sharp, funny, very nuanced look at consent and assault. It can be a really hard watch, though, because of the subject matter, so be warned going in. The episodes are also only 30 minutes long, so it ends before things get too overwhelming. I think it's at the halfway point in the series right now.
Y'all need to turn off the TV machine and head to a somewhat dark place and see the NEOWISE comet, it's on a limited engagement.
@Amalthea1: Can you say a little bit about what it's about, without giving the story away?
@Percysowner:Mostly I know that HBO Max (and Peacock) don't want me to watch them because they won't put an app on Roku. There is a dispute about how much they should pay Roku for carriage and since Roku has always been good to me, I'm siding with them for now. I already have Hulu, Amazon Prime, Netflix and a subscription to DISH, so It's not like I'm hurting for things to watch. About the only thing I'd like to catch is Doom Patrol, but I'll live.
You can add HBO-Max to either Amazon Prime or Hulu. You don't need to add it as a separate stand-alone app. Cost is the same either way.
@Percysowner
Pretty good article about that.
If a streaming service launches, but it's not available on Roku or Fire TV, does it really launch at all?
Roku commands 44 percent of viewing time in the United States, according to research released earlier this year by Conviva, and Amazon Fire TV maintains about 19 percent of viewing time. Roku and Amazon both claim to have close to or more than 40 million customers using their devices. They're only getting bigger.
The roadblock, like so many debates in the tech and media space, comes down to money and data. Essentially, both NBCUniversal (owned by Comcast) and WarnerMedia (owned by AT&T) want more control over user data and advertising generated by their apps. That requires either not going the traditional deal path with a company like Amazon or fighting over advertising shares with Roku. Source
@WaterGirl: I'll try. It's about Arabella, the main character played by Michaela Cole, and her small group of friends who live/work in London. It's a slight sort of mystery show, because of an event that happens in the first episode that leaves a lot of questions behind. So far, the rest of the show has been the aftermath/coping with that event, along with some flashbacks to before.
Sorry if that's too vague, just trying not to give away too much!
Salty Sam
I just watched " I Know This Much Is True" a few weeks ago. REALLY good, although painfully hard to watch in some parts.
@Amalthea1: That's actually really helpful! thank you
@Salty Sam: Did you watch the whole thing or just one episode?
Mingobat (f/k/a Karen in GA)
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I've seen it already. ;)
Why can't I embed a link? Aaggh. It's at the end. Sorry.
I was going to go to the mountains or the lake for a darker sky, but there's something about a hot, muggy Georgia Summer night that makes me hate the idea of leaving the house, so I just went a couple hundred feet down the street for about 15 minutes with my camera, my tripod and the Star Walk 2 app.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10223596862055166&id=1399092200&ref=bookmarks
@WaterGirl: I binged the whole thing in a couple of nights. Highly recommended, but as I said, some parts are incredibly painful to watch. But, so is real life, at times…
@Mingobat (f/k/a Karen in GA): Wow, that's beautiful. You should submit your photos to On The Road.
@Salty Sam: So it's airing on individual weeks on TV, but you can also binge the whole thing at any time?
I only do Netflix and Amazon.. I just cant to HBO. Netflix celebrates my people like no other. I will always follow Netflix.
@BGinCHI: soon as I get a weekend off I'm gonna likely binge it.
I'm also thinking of binging the first season of The Alienist. The 2nd season is premiering tonight.
@cain: Curious, can't because of $$, or can't because you don't respect them?
I have HBO and Netflix, and I get Prime because I have Prime for shipping. But I refuse to pay for anything more, on principle.
Falling Diphthong
@BGinCHI: The presence of Rim of the World at the very bottom of that list gives me hope; thank you. (I was ready for it to be a guilty pleasure. It was not.)
@WaterGirl: Michaela Coel is a force of nature! Chewing Gum is on Netflix still I believe.
(ugh been spelling her name wrong all this time…smh)
Michaela Coel: 'If you don't think racism exists, your trauma has made you blind' https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/michaela-coel-interview
Obdurodon
@Kent: Stealing a show with Shea Whigham and Tatiana Maslany in it must be quite a trick. A hat trick, I guess. I wasn't particularly going to watch this, but now I'm intrigued.
@Amalthea1: cool. I've heard the same thing. I believe the show has a trigger warning for it's content, right?
@lamh36: Nothing coming up under "chewing gum" on Netflix. :-(
@WaterGirl: Thanks! I've been considering submitting something to On the Road — it's just been a question of which images to send and how to organize them. I'll come up with something.
@lamh36
Read the book. Rousing can't-put-it-down whodunit.
TV series was a hot mess. Managed to slog through 1½ episodes before bidding it a not so fond adieu.
@Kent: You can't watch HBOMax on Roku – there is no app for it due to the dispute between the two.
@lamh36: How did your interview go?
@WaterGirl: I can't speak for Cain, but I can say that Netflix of all the streaming sites is the most diverse in content and has gone out of there way to put out content geared towards Black and other minority viewers with original programming.
Which they've been doing before the George Floyd murder and events before had other companies diversifying.
@Mingobat (f/k/a Karen in GA): Sounds good. We have had the occasional hiccup with the form – twice in the last 2 weeks. Not sure what's happening, so if your descriptions will be long-is, I suggest writing them elsewhere and then pasting them in to the form. That way if something happens, you've only lost 5 minutes.
@Mingobat (f/k/a Karen in GA): I use StarWalk 2 as well, I went up to the Lockwood Valley about a 80 mile drive from here, was stunning. I shot at 16 and 50mm(APS-C) using my skytracker and stacking.
@lamh36: That is something to support!
Maybe Hallmark will have 2 series with black protagonists this year. :-)
@WaterGirl: I have HBO Max on my iPad. The whole thing is available.
I have a weakness for binge watching, and during lockdown, time to do it. I used to feel guilty for that, but got over it quickly.
BruceFromOhio
Struggling with what to keep and what to cut. Already doing Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu, plus the AT&T universe cable package. We're digging in the archives of each as we've either already watched or discarded the first-run 'new stuff'. Every time I think I'm ready to cut the cable cord, something pops up to indicate otherwise. Mostly it's being able to record stuff indefinitely. Currently working our way through Queen of the South, and will add Escape from Dannemora to the list. Thanks for the rec!
@lamh36: I want to say yes; I mean, it basically HAS to. But I tend to glaze over until the actual show starts, so it may not actually have one. They do offer some resources related to the subject matter after the show, though.
Formerly disgruntled in Oregon
Not exactly on topic, but I finally got around to watching the 2006 film Children Of Men.
Holy shit. What a movie.
Not for the feint of heart, the film imagines a not too distant fascist Britain, where immigrants are forcibly sent to Gaza-style open-air prisons ("refugee camps"), and the human race has gone infertile (youngest person on Earth is a teenager). It is a harrowing film that barely holds back, with intense scenes of police and military violence towards innocents, etc., balanced with beautiful symbolism, very effective pacing, and an overall effect that made me ask if I'm doing enough to prevent this horrific vision of the future from coming to my home in the US.
With the events in Portland this past week, it's scary – less than 100 miles away, Trump's brownshirts are abducting random folks off the streets, brazenly, and against the lawful orders of our Governor. I'm so outraged about this, I might just have to give that much more $ to Democrats all over the US. We're all in this together! We've got to stop Trump.
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Sounds nice! I'd love to see!
I'm going to try to head to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park next weekend for Milky Way shots. Of course, weather forecasts here are kind of useless, so who knows.
Well The Third Day is an absolute "yes" with me. I will watch anything with Jude Law. That trailer is giving me "Wicker Man" vibes.
As to HBO, it is flat worth the money. Consistently good original series and films (Wizard of Lies, por ejemplo) plus top movies, including older stuff. "Harriet" just dropped today.
I have Hulu and Disney Plus free for three months via a houseguest, and I'm impressed with the Disney content but quite mad at Hulu. They charge for their app and then include commercials??? I'm watching the few things I want to see on it (Hillary, Killing Eve and Handmaid's Tale) and then I'll concentrate on interesting stuff on Disney until it's gone.
But I refuse to pay more for anything other than Netflix, Prime and HBO.
I don't know anything about any of these shows. And I have HBO. Good to learn what's up.
Still have not seen the new Perry Mason yet, but may give it a look.
@lamh36: Netflix's strategy, since studios and networks first started pulling programming from them, has been to offer "something for everyone". They took on massive amounts of debt in order to expand internationally and produce all of this programming, and there seems to be a massive amount of crap (what used to be standard TV or B or C-movie straight-to-video material) on it as well as good stuff, but they have actually been successful at providing "something for everybody". Whatever your interest is or whatever your background, you can probably find something on Netflix that will interest you. (I don't know if it is a coincidence or not in terms of their programming strategy, but Ted Sarandos, the chief "content officer" who is now co-CEO, is married to a black woman.)
HBO, for a variety of reasons, had fairly limited programming until it was purchased by AT&T in the Warner deal. It looks like they are going to ramp up production and try to reach new audiences but it will take them some time. Disney has a massive catalog (now including Fox/Turner titles) but I doubt they are going to start producing "edgy" fare. Apple seems intent on putting out the blandest possible programming, I guess so they don't offend anyone who might otherwise buy a phone or computer, but it's a terrible strategy if they actually want to make money on streaming. I don't know what Amazon's strategy is but it's included with Prime, so I doubt most people are subscribing solely to watch their series, which also seem to be a mixed bag.
TL/DR: In the near term (next 5 or so years), Netflix has a clear advantage over their competitors because they have something for people of most backgrounds or interests. (Actually finding that something, however, I find to be difficult on the interface.)
@Formerly disgruntled in Oregon: It's a masterpiece. Amazing re-viewing too.
Somewhat interesting graphs of streaming library comparisons by service.
Liked "The Night Manager" a lot, so will make a point to watch "The Undoing." The cast alone would probably bring me in regardless.
Do you need to get out of the city to get a good look?
@Mingobat (f/k/a Karen in GA):
Of course, weather forecasts here are kind of useless, so who knows.
Heh, know the feeling, I also shot a Milky Way shot last night. I tried something different, I both used my sky tracker to get a longer exposure(30 seconds) and stacked. I normally do this for deep sky stuff, but I'd never done it with a foreground. It worked!
Old Dan and Little Ann
@?BillinGlendaleCA: I am am amateur sky nerd who was up near Gore Mountain in the Adirondacks this past week. One of the most beautiful night skies I've seen in years. No moon to make it even better. I can generally point out a satellite cruising overhead. I saw something that I would have thought was a satellite on Wednesday night @11:00 but it was Fucking moving at a speed I couldn't believe. I pointed it out to my friend and told him I thought it could be the comet. Probably not, though. Lol…
@BillinGlendaleCA
it's on a limited engagement.
The plot is completely predictable.
@Brachiator: I've seen some shots from an astronomer in the city, I'm not sure what he's shooting with. If you want to see it with the naked eye, you'd need to get outside of LA. I went up to Frazier Park last night.
@Old Dan and Little Ann: The comet doesn't move any more than the stars, just a bright star with a tail.
I credit them for pushing the envolope on non-white based main characters. Never mind the original shows based in foreign countries – the korean stuff is pretty good from the ones I've watched.
@Salty Sam: Whatever gets us through the day. Even better – for folks who have substance abuse issues – if it's not alcohol or drugs.
Not saying you do have that issue, of course. Speaking generally.
Lee M Meade
@lamh36: This show is like nothing else on TV. The cast is astonishing. Cole herself leaves a hole in your soul with her blunt honest in your face portrayal. Hard to watch at times, but almost impossible to turn away. Great, great show.
Here's a Neowise image taken in northern Minnesota by a photo forum poster.
His night skies are a little better than mine. I have yet to spot the darn thing, much less photograph it.
@trollhattan: You need to get out of the city lights, I think I have a better shot than that one ?.
@Emerald: Agreed. I'll watch anything with Pope Lennie in it.
@trollhattan: Wow wow wow!
@Bex:
Pope Lennie?
Anotherlurker
I binged all of Acorn TV's new series, "Dead Still". It is set in 1890s Dublin. The main character is a Memorial Photographer. It is very dark but very funny. It is a Shaftsbury Production, the same producers who brought us "Murdock Mysteries". Needless to say, production values are nothing short of superb.
I enjoyed "I know this much is true", but there are some very difficult parts to get through, but well worth your time. I keep falling asleep while trying to watch " Perry Mason".
I have been watching the thing about the Golden State Killer . I watched the first episode thinking it would be the only episode I'd watch, given the subject matter, but I have watched every episode so far.
Thats all I have
For anyone who missed it yesterday, gwangung had a zoom reading of his play yesterday. Here's the post where we talked about it:
Can't help. I cancelled HBO after Game of Thrones and the Deadwood finale.
@WaterGirl: The HBO series The New Pope with Jude Law as the first American pope, Pius the XIII. Two seasons (so far). If you like Italian surrealist cinema it's for you.
@WaterGirl: heh! Gettin into raven's territory here, but:
Whatever gets you thru the night
It's all right, it's all right
It's your money or your life
Don't need a sword to cut thru flowers
https://youtu.be/vjWebKavfuI
Poe Larity
We need a Tokyo Vice with Beat Takeshi closing out each episode in his wall murals.
@Bex: Maybe not! :-) thank you
@Juju:
It's been a ride to watch for those who lived in one of the areas hit during his seemingly unsolvable crime wave. A friend who is a victim is interviewed extensively in one of the episodes. Michelle McNamara was an amazing woman and Patton Oswalt is too nice for words.
So many stray elements that needed stitching together. The various law enforcement agencies sure didn't compare notes.
Strictly for fun as it makes mention of Mr. Mason.
Speaking of Italian cinema, "My Brilliant Friend" is one of the best things I've seen recently. I assume the two seasons can be streamed and have no idea whether there will be season 3, but fingers crossed.
@?BillinGlendaleCA: Thanks.
@trollhattan: Thanks!
Brooklyn Dodger
@trollhattan: @trollhattan:
@Bex
I heard there was a third season coming and there are 4 books in the series so hoping they do them all.
Doug R
@Percysowner: I got Chromecast to get Disney+ for awhile. I can also rent and buy movies on Google play on my phone, then cast them on to my tv. $60-70 for the 4K version.
@Brooklyn Dodger:
Great news, thanks! Wonderful acting, compelling/disturbing story, impeccable cinematography. Has it all.
@Doug R
On the vast, vast majority of TVs the difference between 1080p and 4K is barely, if at all, perceptible.
James E Powell
I'm watching Perry Mason, but I'm withholding a decision on whether I like it. I'm going to want some kind of payoff for all the mayhem.
HBOMax added a lot of movies, including – brace yourself – the original Godzilla movies.
I haven't had cable for at least 15 yrs but I do have Netflix and watch it regularly. OK I see that HBO Max is a streaming service, not a schedule service, is $15/month, I'm going to give it a try. I'm canceling my DVD service with Netflix for next month, I seldom use it. That means my tv watching goes from
I agree with this, it's a very diverse source and much of it is very good.
@James E Powell:
There will be a considerable body count, something I don't recall the TV series featuring at all.
We did have our first courtroom confession, but not in the resolve the plot at minute 50 fashion.
When I read the book Tokyo Vice by Jake Adelstein earlier in the year, I wondered when it would be made into a movie or series. I'm glad they went with a series, because it's a complicated book. And HBO seems a good network for it, because there is plenty of sex and violence.
The book is about an American who joins a Japanese newspaper in Tokyo and ends up on the crime beat. So he works on stories about the yakuza, human trafficking, random crimes, and more. It's quite a good book, but bleak, as the human trafficking networks destroy a lot of people.
In the NPR Fresh Air Archive there is a great interview with Adelstein.
chrisanthemama
@lamh36: Binge-watched it on-demand–with captions to decipher the East End patois. Very addictive. Also "I'll Be Gone in the Dark", based on Michelle McNamara's book about the Golden State Killer. Both very good. I need to get out more often.
fyi, acorn tv is doing 7 day free trial for binge of any shows. hidden season 2 drew me in. really liked the first season. wales. detective series. through prime, did i say?
@meander: Happy to have your take on it!
janesays
@Kent: I may be mistaken, but I don't believe you can access the Max Original programming through anything but the HBO Max app. I have it through YouTube TV, and I can watch all of the HBO-specific content on YTTV, but if I want to watch one of the programs exclusive to Max (ie the Anna Kendrick series, which is not available on traditional HBO), I have to watch it through the HBO Max app.
@PJ: I miss the interface they had during the DVD days. If I searched by topics or countries it would keep giving me new options, not just repeat the same three windows of content over and over. It was just so much easier to search for new stuff or browse. Now they make it so hard to find movies and shows that are not on their main lists, I don't understand the thinking behind it.


Fords Red Carpet Lease program offers the opportunity for many people to get hold of a Lincoln, in a way at a price that they would not otherwise be able to afford to do. Leasing any car is something that should be considered carefully, and research as carefully as if you were buying the vehicle outright.
Red carpet lease deals on n Lincoln are likely to come in two particular ways. Lease deals are often special because they relate either to the individual the offer is being made to, or will affect particular items within the lease. Any red carpet lease deal should be checked carefully for specifics.
Leasing a Lincoln is in effect similar to renting one, although there are obvious differences. The lease payment is a monthly charge, which is similar to the charge that would be payable under a dealership finance program that would include interest and finance charges.
The red carpet lease program will not show a specific lease rate or interest rate, in the way that a dealership finance program will offer or so the interest rate used for calculating the loan repayment.
There are many reasons for this, but it would be an extremely complex process to do.
It is worth bearing in mind however, that the components of a lease deal are fairly similar to that of a standard finance agreement. There will be a down payment, a monthly repayment cost, a fixed time period for the lease normally between two and five years, and what are known as lease end costs. Lease and costs differ significantly from what someone would expect at the end of a auto loan.
At the end of a normal auto loan, the title of the vehicle will revert fully back to the owner of the vehicle once the loan has been paid off. When leasing a vehicle, when the lease period runs out, there are a number of costs can be incurred.
On the whole these costs relate to what name as excess wear and tear charges, although they can also be additional costs for excess mileage and possibly while two other items.
What is a Lincoln Red Carpet Lease for Individuals?
A Red Carpet Lease agreement is a program offered by Ford to individual customers, who qualify, who are able to lease a Lincoln in their own right.
Many people think of car leasing or auto leasing as relating to commercial or fleet vehicles, whereas in fact there has been a big shift by Ford and all auto manufacturers to persuade individual customers to consider leasing their vehicles, particularly high-end vehicles such as the Lincoln.
It is important to appreciate that individual leasing programs such as the one offered by Ford credit highly attractive for manufacturer, and anyone looking to lease a vehicle should realise their worth.
Any lease agreement for a Lincoln should be thought of really in the same way as a long-term rental. The benefits to the individual is that they effectively get use of a brand-new car at a much used cost, possibly enabling them to acquire one when they would not otherwise be able to.
Obviously the customer does not own the title to it, that remains with the manufacturer but to all intents and purposes they do own it for a certain period of years.
That are a number of restrictions as to what the individual can do with or to the vehicle, in the same way as they would be with a hire car.
The financing of a red carpet lease deal is pretty similar to that of applying for any type of auto financing. The individual will be required to fill out an application form, and have their credit assessed and be issued a credit score.
Ford credit will then analyse the credit score and application and decide whether or not to offer finance to the individual. If you do this will determine the size of the down payment on the lease agreement, and how much will be repaid as a monthly charge.
With any type of lease agreement that our additional costs that need to be considered.
These relate to what are known as the lease end costs, which are essentially are additional wear and tear charges on the vehicle to bring it back to a state and condition that is deemed appropriate for its age and mileage. In addition, any red carpet lease agreement will have a specified mileage allowance for the Lincoln, either on an annual basis or for the overall period of the lease.
At the end of the lease, any excess mileage will be charged at a specified rate. Additional mileage can be bought during the term of the lease itself as well.
Additionally there will be costs for auto insurance and gap insurance, As well as costs relating to servicing and maintenance and things such as roadside assistance plans. All these costs can in theory be negotiated and part of the lease agreement, and should be specified as such the contract.
This is Lincoln's flagship. It's the most luxurious, comfortable and expensive vehicle the brand sells. It's quite obviously the biggest and heck, like every Lincoln flagship of yesteryear, it even features body-on-frame construction. Crucially, though, this all-new 2018 Lincoln Navigator is also very good. It's distinctive, capable, and competent in ways that will stand up well in the upper echelon of the SUV hierarchy. And we'll get this out of the way now: it's far superior to its primary competitor, the Cadillac Escalade.
And yet, the Navigator's flagship status is a comeback story. It wasn't too long ago that it was a black sheep confined to the distant back row of Lincoln family promotional photos along with the Town Car and a fichus added for decoration. It was never given one of the new-fangled MK names, and its V8-powered, truck-based status made it a thirsty dinosaur at a time of rising gas prices and an increasing number of crossovers. Livery services bought them in black-painted droves, but it was otherwise forgotten even as a substantive refresh for 2015 arguably made it a better, more practical bet than its Caddy nemesis.


text:
Board index » Racing Forum » Ken0069's Blog
The Climate Change Hoax Exposed!
Post subject: Re: The Climate Change Hoax Exposed!
Posted: Wed Aug 16, 2017 12:59 pm
Breaking: Fatal Courtroom Act Ruins Michael 'hockey stick' Mann
Written by John O'Sullivan
From THIS article!
Penn State climate scientist, Michael 'hockey stick' Mann commits contempt of court in the 'climate science trial of the century.' Prominent alarmist shockingly defies judge and refuses to surrender data for open court examination. Only possible outcome: Mann's humiliation, defeat and likely criminal investigation in the U.S.
The defendant in the libel trial, the 79-year-old Canadian climatologist, Dr Tim Ball (above, right) is expected to instruct his British Columbia attorneys to trigger mandatory punitive court sanctions, including a ruling that Mann did act with criminal intent when using public funds to commit climate data fraud. Mann's imminent defeat is set to send shock waves worldwide within the climate science community as the outcome will be both a legal and scientific vindication of U.S. President Donald Trump's claims that climate scare stories are a "hoax."
As can be seen from the graphs below; Mann's cherry-picked version of science makes the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) disappear and shows a pronounced upward 'tick' in the late 20th century (the blade of his 'hockey stick'). But below that, Ball's graph, using more reliable and widely available public data, shows a much warmer MWP, with temperatures hotter than today, and showing current temperatures well within natural variation.
Michael Mann, who chose to file what many consider to be a cynical SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) libel suit in the British Columbia Supreme Court, Vancouver six long years ago, has astonished legal experts by refusing to comply with the court direction to hand over all his disputed graph's data. Mann's iconic hockey stick has been relied upon by the UN's IPCC and western governments as crucial evidence for the science of 'man-made global warming.'
As first reported in Principia Scientific International (February 1, 2017), the defendant in the case, Canadian climatologist Dr. Tim Ball, had won "concessions" against Mann, but at the time the details were kept confidential, pending Mann's response.
The negative and unresponsive actions of Dr Mann and his lawyer, Roger McConchie, are expected to infuriate the judge and be the signal for the collapse of Mann's multi-million dollar libel suit against Dr Ball. It will be music to the ears of so-called 'climate deniers' like President Donald Trump and his EPA Chief, Scott Pruitt.
As Dr Ball explains:
"Michael Mann moved for an adjournment of the trial scheduled for February 20, 2017. We had little choice because Canadian courts always grant adjournments before a trial in their belief that an out of court settlement is preferable. We agreed to an adjournment with conditions. The major one was that he [Mann] produce all documents including computer codes by February 20th, 2017. He failed to meet the deadline."
Punishment for Civil Contempt
Mann's now proven contempt of court means Ball is entitled to have the court serve upon Mann the fullest punishment. Contempt sanctions could reasonably include the judge ruling that Dr. Ball's statement that Mann "belongs in the state pen, not Penn. State' is a precise and true statement of fact. This is because under Canada's unique 'Truth Defense', Mann is now proven to have wilfully hidden his data, so the court may rule he hid it because it is fake. As such, the court must then dismiss Mann's entire libel suit with costs awarded to Ball and his team.
The spectacular rise and fall of climate alarmism's former golden boy is a courtroom battle with even more ramifications than the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925. To much fanfare at the time, Mann had sued Ball for daring to publish the damning comment that Mann "belongs in the state pen, not Penn. State." Dr Ball brilliantly backed up his exposure of the elaborate international money-making global warming scam in his astonishing book, 'The Deliberate Corruption of Climate Science'.
Likely Repercussions for Science & Climate Policy
A bitter and embarrassing defeat for the self-styled 'Nobel Prize winner' who acted as if he was the epitome of virtue, this outcome shames not only Michael Mann, but puts the climate science community in crisis. Many hundreds of peer-reviewed papers cite Mann's work, which is now effectively junked. Despite having deep-pocketed backers willing and able to feed his ego as a publicity-seeking mouthpiece against skeptics, Mann's credibility as a champion of environmentalism is in tatters.
But it gets worse for the litigious Penn State professor. Close behind Dr Ball is celebrated writer Mark Steyn. Steyn also defends himself against another one of Mann's SLAPP suits – this time in Washington DC. Steyn boldly claims Mann "has perverted the norms of science on an industrial scale." Esteemed American climate scientist, Dr Judith Curry, has submitted to the court an Amicus Curiae legal brief exposing Mann. The world can now see that his six-year legal gambit to silence his most effective critics and chill scientific debate has spectacularly backfired.
But at a time of much clamor about 'fake news,' it seems climate scare stories will have a new angle now that the United States has officially stepped back from the Paris Climate Treaty. President Trump was elected on a mandate to weed out climate fraud so his supporters will point to this legal outcome as vindication for a full purge. It makes a mockery of statements made by Mann last February when PSI's Hans Schreuder and John O'Sullivan publicly backed their colleague, Dr Ball and endorsed the revelations in his book. Mann reacted by moaning:
"It is difficult to keep up with this dizzying ongoing assault on science."
The perpetrator of the biggest criminal "assault on science" has now become clear: Dr Mann, utterly damned by his contempt of the court order to show his dodgy data.
There can be little doubt that upon the BC Supreme Court ruling that Mann did commit data fraud, over in Washington DC, the EPA's Scott Pruitt will feel intense pressure from skeptics to initiate a full investigation into Mann, his university and all those conspiring to perpetuate a trillion-dollar carbon tax-raising sting on taxpayers.
With the scent of courtroom victory invigorating pensioner Ball, he reveals he is determined to go for a second such court win this coming Fall. Then he defends a similar libel lawsuit in Vancouver, filed against him by fellow Canadian climate scientist, Andrew Weaver.
On that case Tim reports:
As a career-long defender of the scientific method, embracing open and transparent verification of important government research, Ball makes this promise to his loyal supporters:
"Regardless of the outcomes I am planning a major campaign to expose to the world how they used the court system to silence me because I dared to speak out against their claims and actions. I am not particularly bright but I had two major threats, I was qualified, and I had an ability to explain in a way the public could understand. These latter abilities were honed in teaching a science credit for arts students for 25 years."
Saving a final word for his friends and colleagues at Principia Scientific International (PSI) Dr Ball concluded:
"It goes without saying that I could not have done any of this without the support of people [like Gregg Thomspon] who gave money and John O'Sullivan who gave superb advice from a legal and life experience perspective."
Dr Ball and his PSI colleagues are among those now calling for governments to set aside proper funding for 'blue team' scientists and experts skilled in critically examining claims made by so-called government 'experts' where they impact public policy. In the final outcome, these 'devil's advocates' of science (or 'skeptics') are the best defense against waste and corruption.
To that end, Australian Astronomer and entrepreneur Gregg Thompson has been crucial in providing resources that helped establish PSI as a registered UK charity devoted to this public service. PSI is urging more charitable donations from ordinary citizens to help further the cause of creating more 'blue team/red team' initiatives devoted to monitoring government science and prepared to bravely expose negligence and intentional misconduct on the public dime.
NEW RESEARCH REVEALS OFFICIALLY ADJUSTED TEMPERATURE DATA ARE TOTALLY INCONSISTENT WITH RECORDS
http://nzclimatescience.net/index.php?o ... 1&Itemid=1
"The objective of this research was to test the hypothesis that Global Average Surface Temperature (GAST) data produced by NOAA, NASA and HADLEY are sufficiently credible estimates of global average temperatures, such that they can be relied upon for climate modelling and policy analysis purposes.... The conclusive findings of this research are that the three GAST data sets are not a valid representation in reality. In fact, the magnitude of their historial data adjustments, that removed their cyclical temperature patterns, are totally inconsistent with published and credibe U.S. and other temperature data."
See the entire PDF document HERE!
As Dr Spencer points out in this piece, you can't always believe what the article title implies and you must read these articles yourself to see what is actually said in them. Realizing that many don't actually read them, that's the reason I try to copy and paste most of the articles with the title so you can make an informed decision for yourself! In this piece it seems that Dr Spencer is showing us why we need to do just that.
Study: Sea Level Rise Revised Downward
by Dr. Roy Spencer PhD
http://www.drroyspencer.com/2017/07/stu ... -downward/
If I had not looked past the headline of the press report on a new study, I would have just filed it under "It's worse than we thought". A new study in Nature reported on July 17 carried the following headlines:
"Satellite snafu masked true sea-level rise for decades"
"Revised tallies confirm that the rate of sea-level rise is accelerating as the Earth warms and ice sheets thaw."
When I read that, I (like everyone else) assumed that corrections to the satellite sea level data since 1993 have now led to a revised trend toward faster (not slower) sea level rise. Right?
During the satellite era (since 1993), the trend in sea level rise was revised downward, by almost 10%, from 3.28 mm/year to about 3.0 mm/year. (For those concerned about Miami going underwater, these numbers equate to a little more than one inch every 10 years). This result was published back in April in Geophysical Research Letters, and the new Nature study looks at the wiggles in the revised data since 1993 and makes ominous pronouncements about sea level rise "acceleration".
I'm calling "fake science news" on the Nature reporter who covered the story. The headline was technically correct…but misleading. (I can also make up technically correct headlines: "Scientists Agree: Sea Levels are Rising, We are All Going to Die")
The researchers in April made a major adjustment to the first 1/4 of the satellite record, bringing those early sea levels up. This results in adding curvature to the upward trend (an acceleration) by flattening out the early part of the curve. This new signature of "acceleration" was what made the news in the new Nature study, even though the long term trend went down.
Should this New "Acceleration" be the News?
In a word, no.
Short-term undulations in the sea level rise curve should not be used as a predictive curve for the future. They are affected by a wide variety of natural phenomena. For example, ice loss from Greenland (which was large in 2011-12) has recently reversed itself with huge gains made in the last year. These events are governed by natural variations in weather patterns, which have always occurred.
For longer-term variations, yes, the rate of sea level rise during the entire period since 1993 probably is a little more than, say, during the period since 1900 (sea level rise was occurring naturally, anyway). But the inferred acceleration is small. And even that acceleration could be mostly natural — we simply don't know.
My main point is that the Nature headline was misleading. They clearly had to find something in the study that supported the alarmist view of sea level rise, and they figured few people would read past the headline.
A face-value reading of the two main studies together results in the conclusion that sea level rise since 1993 has been revised downward. The most recent study then reads too much into the wiggles in the new data, and even implies the acceleration will continue with the statement, "The suggested acceleration… highlights the importance and urgency of mitigating climate change and formulating coastal adaptation plans to mitigate the impacts of ongoing sea level rise".
The new study does NOT revise recent sea level rise upward, as is suggested by the Nature headline quoted above.
When it comes to climate change never forget to FOLLOW THE MONEY!
Dr. Roy Spencer, PHD wrote:
Until climate science is funded independent of desired energy policy outcomes, we can continue to expect climate research results to be heavily biased in the direction of catastrophic outcomes.
Al Gore's Inconvenient Reality:
The Former Vice President's Home Energy Use Surges up to 34 Times the National Average Despite Costly Green Renovations
by Drew Johnson
In February 2007, the day after his panicky global warming film "An Inconvenient Truth" won an Academy Award for best documentary, a shocking report based on public records revealed that Al Gore's Nashville home consumed 20 times more electricity than the average American household.1
Facing scrutiny for his extreme electricity consumption, the former vice president pledged to renovate his home to become greener and more energy-efficient. The extensive and expensive overhaul of Gore's house included installing solar panels and geothermal heating.2
In order to determine the effectiveness of the environmentally-friendly remodel and learn whether the self-appointed spokesman of the environmental movement has amended his energy-devouring ways, the National Center for Public Policy Research obtained Gore's electricity usage information through public records requests and conversations with the Nashville Electric Service (NES).
In powering his home, Gore still greatly outpaces most Americans in energy consumption. The findings were shocking:
Continue reading this article HERE.
Posted: Mon Aug 21, 2017 2:39 am
The Trump administration just disbanded a federal advisory committee on climate change
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/ene ... f186bb0157
The Trump administration has decided to disband the federal advisory panel for the National Climate Assessment, a group aimed at helping policymakers and private-sector officials incorporate the government's climate analysis into long-term planning.
The charter for the 15-person Advisory Committee for the Sustained National Climate Assessment — which includes academics as well as local officials and corporate representatives — expires Sunday. On Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's acting administrator, Ben Friedman, informed the committee's chair that the agency would not renew the panel.
The National Climate Assessment is supposed to be issued every four years but has come out only three times since passage of the 1990 law calling for such analysis. The next one, due for release in 2018, already has become a contentious issue for the Trump administration.
Administration officials are currently reviewing a scientific report that is key to the final document. Known as the Climate Science Special Report, it was produced by scientists from 13 different federal agencies and estimates that human activities were responsible for an increase in global temperatures of 1.1 to 1.3 degrees Fahrenheit from 1951 to 2010.
The committee was established to help translate findings from the National Climate Assessment into concrete guidance for both public and private-sector officials. Its members have been writing a report to inform federal officials on the data sets and approaches that would best be included, and chair Richard Moss said in an interview Saturday that ending the group's work was shortsighted.
"It doesn't seem to be the best course of action," said Moss, an adjunct professor in the University of Maryland's Department of Geographical Sciences, and he warned of consequences for the decisions that state and local authorities must make on a range of issues from building road projects to maintaining adequate hydropower supplies. "We're going to be running huge risks here and possibly end up hurting the next generation's economic prospects."
But NOAA communications director Julie Roberts said in an email Saturday that "this action does not impact the completion of the Fourth National Climate Assessment, which remains a key priority."
While many state and local officials have pressed the federal government for more concrete guidance on how to factor climate change into future infrastructure, President Trump has moved in the opposite direction.
Last week, the president signed an executive order on infrastructure that included language overturning a federal requirement that projects built in coastal floodplains and receiving federal aid take projected sea-level rise into account. Some groups, such as the National Association of Home Builders, hailed the reversal of that standard from the Obama administration on the grounds that stricter flood requirements would raise the cost of development and "could make many projects infeasible."
Seattle Mayor Ed Murray (D) said in an interview Saturday that the move to dissolve the climate advisory committee represents "an example of the president not leading, and the president stepping away from reality." An official from Seattle Public Utilities has been serving on the panel; with its disbanding, Murray said it would now be "more difficult" for cities to participate in the climate assessment. On climate change, Trump "has left us all individually to figure it out."
Richard Wright, the past chair of the American Society of Civil Engineers' Committee on Adaptation to a Changing Climate, has been working with the federal advisory panel to convey the importance of detailed climate projections in next year's assessment. The society establishes guidelines that form the basis of building codes across the country, and these are based on a historical record that may no longer be an accurate predictor of future weather extremes.
"We need to work on updating our standards with good estimates on what future weather and climate extremes will be," Wright said Saturday. "I think it's going to be a serious handicap for us that the advisory committee is not functional."
The committee was established in 2015, but its members were not appointed until last summer. They convened their first meeting in the fall. Moss said members of the group intend to keep working on their report, which is due out next spring, even though it now will lack the official imprimatur of the federal government. "It won't have the same weight as if we were issuing it as a federal advisory committee," he said.
Other Trump Cabinet officials have either altered the makeup of outside advisory boards or suspended these panels in recent months, though they have not abolished the groups outright. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt decided to replace dozens of members on one of the agency's key scientific review boards, while Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is "reviewing the charter and charge" of more than 200 advisory boards for his department.
An Inconvenient Deception: How Al Gore Distorts Climate Science and Energy Policy
August 19th, 2017 by Roy W. Spencer, Ph. D.
Al Gore has provided a target-rich environment of deceptions in his new movie.
After viewing Gore's most recent movie, An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power, and after reading the book version of the movie, I was more than a little astounded. The new movie and book are chock-full of bad science, bad policy, and factual errors.
So, I was inspired to do something about it. I'd like to announce my new e-book, entitled An Inconvenient Deception: How Al Gore Distorts Climate Science and Energy Policy, now available on Amazon.com.
After reviewing some of Gore's history in the environmental movement, I go through the movie, point by point.
One of Gore's favorite tactics is to show something that happens naturally, then claim (or have you infer) that it is due to humanity's greenhouse gas emissions. As I discuss in the book, this is what he did in his first movie (An Inconvenient Truth), too.
For example, sea level rise. Gore is seen surveying flooded streets in Miami Beach.
That flooding is mostly a combination of (1) natural sea level rise (I show there has been no acceleration of sea level rise beyond what was already happening since the 1800s), and (2) satellite-measured sinking of the reclaimed swamps that have been built upon for over 100 years in Miami Beach.
Lots more on this contiuned HERE!
'We Faked It!' – Top Obama Official Stabs Him In The Back With Huge Admission
By Gary Maher
Climate Change. Officials from the former Obama White House are starting to speak out against the corrupt administration now that it is safe to come forward. It's about time!
The most recent official to come forward is Steven Koonin, the former Undersecretary of the Department of Energy. He is accusing President Obama of fabricating scientific evidence proving "climate change".
"What you saw coming out of the press releases about climate data, climate analysis, was, I'd say, misleading, sometimes just wrong," Koonin told the Wall Street Journal.
According to Koonin, multiple departments responsible for environmental science either misrepresented data or completely fabricated results to justify the policies of the Obama administration.
Scientists at NASA and the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) colluded with press officers to create misleading press releases that supported the former president's agenda.
Koonin isn't the only Obama-era official claiming wrongdoing by the Obama administration. Retired principle climate scientist Dr. John Bates testified before a House Committee in February claiming that the NOAA was manipulating data.
Dr. Bates claimed that "the Karl study" was politically motivated and not supported by data. "The Karl study" was a report designed to account for the apparent slowing of global temperature growth.
Liberals want to prove that climate change is a real and dangerous phenomenon to justify increased regulation and size of government.
Scientists, motivated by politics, have completely abandoned the scientific method to support their personal opinion. And an entire industry has been created around the false notion that the earth is getting warmer.
In 2007 Al Gore predicted that the polar ice caps would have completely melted away by 2013, but instead, since that time, they have grown larger. Climate scientists were forced to change the name of their theory from Global Warming to Climate Change, because the data did not support that the earth was warming. Now it is becoming clear that climate change is also not supported by evidence.
Climate alarmists like Al Gore may have gotten rich, but their claims are simply not supported by any REAL science.
It is becoming increasingly clear that scientists who support climate change are motivated by politics and not by truth. It's refreshing to finally hear the truth that WE knew all along.
From THIS article.
Trump Poised to Upend Obama's 'Most Important Climate Regulation'
Cortney O'Brien
The Environmental Protection Agency, under President Obama, acted well beyond its authority when it implemented the Clean Power Plan, the Trump administration suggests in a new proposal. The document is expected to be revealed in its entirety by next week.
The Clean Power Plan was introduced in 2015 to minimize power plants' carbon dioxide emissions. It came with a list of regulations intended to steer states away from coal and toward natural gas. It is, Politico notes, President Obama's "most important climate regulation." But, the Trump White House argues it comes with too high a price.
The Trump administration is set to rescind former President Barack Obama's most important climate regulation, arguing that the greenhouse gas standards for power plants violated federal law and could cost consumers as much as $33 billion, according to a draft proposal obtained by POLITICO.
Think the Trump administration were the only ones to disapprove of the plan? Think again. More than half the country sued the Obama administration over the rule. In April, the Supreme Court suspended the lawsuits, suggesting the plan was nearing its end.
In its draft proposal, the EPA explains that the agency's mission is still to "protect and enhance the quality of the nation's air resources," but they must act within the bounds of Congress. The Clean Power Plan does not fit the bill.
"The EPA is proposing to repeal the CPP in its entirety. The EPA proposes to take this action because it proposes to determine that the rule exceeds its authority under the statute, that those portions of the rule which arguably do not exceed its authority are not severable and separately implementable, and that it is not appropriate for a rule that exceeds statutory authority — especially a rule of this magnitude and with this level of impact on areas of traditional state regulatory authority — to remain in existence pending a potential, successive rulemaking process."
The 11-Year Major Hurricane Drought: Much More Unusual than Two Cat 4 Strikes
September 21st, 2017 by Roy W. Spencer, Ph. D.
http://www.drroyspencer.com/2017/09/the ... 4-strikes/
Weather.com published an article noting that the two Cat 4 hurricane strikes this year (Harvey and Irma) is a new record. Here's a nice graphic they used showing both storms at landfall.
But the statistics of rare events (like hurricanes) are not very well behaved. Let's look at this new record, and compared it to the 11+year period of no major hurricane strikes that ended when Harvey struck Texas.
The Probability of Two Cat 4 Strikes in One Year
By my count, we have had 24 Cat 4 or Cat 5 landfalls in the U.S. between 1851 and 2016. This gives a probability (prior to Harvey and Irma) of one Cat4+ strike every 7 years. It also leads to an average return period of two Cat4+ strikes of about 50 years (maybe one of you statiticians out there can correct me if I'm wrong).
So, since the average return period is once every 50 years, we were overdue for two Cat4+ strikes in the same year over the entire 166 period of record. (Again, for rare events, the statistics aren't very well behaved.)
The Probability of the 11-Year "Drought" in Major Landfalling Hurricane
In 2015, a NASA study was published which calculated how unlikely the (then) 9-year stretch with no major hurricane landfalls was. They came up with a 177 year return period for such an event.
I used that statistic to estimate what eventually happened, which was 11 years with no major hurricane strikes.
I get a return period of 560 years!
Now, which seems more unusual and potentially due to climate change: something that should happen only once every 50 years, or every 560 years?
Maybe global warming causes fewer landfalling major hurricanes.
David Redszus wrote:
What's the hottest Earth's ever been?
Our planet probably experienced its hottest temperatures in its earliest days, when it was still colliding with other rocky debris (planetesimals) careening around the solar system. The heat of these collisions would have kept Earth molten, with top-of-the-atmosphere temperatures upward of 3,600° Fahrenheit.
Even after those first scorching millennia, however, the planet has sometimes been much warmer than it is now. One of the warmest times was during the geologic period known as the Neoproterozoic, between 600 and 800 million years ago. Another "warm age" is a period geologists call the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, which occurred about 56 million years ago.
History of hot
Temperature records from thermometers and weather stations exist only for a tiny portion of our planet's 4.54-billion-year-long life. By studying indirect clues—the chemical and structural signatures of rocks, fossils, and crystals, ocean sediments, fossilized reefs, tree rings, and ice cores—however, scientists can infer past temperatures.
None of that helps with the very early Earth, however. During the time known as the Hadean (yes, because it was like Hades), Earth's collisions with other large planetesimals in our young solar system—including a Mars-sized one whose impact with Earth is thought to have created the Moon—would have melted and vaporized most rock at the surface. Because no rocks on Earth have survived from so long ago, scientists have estimated early Earth conditions based on observations of the Moon and on astronomical models. Following the collision that spawned the Moon, the planet was estimated to have been around 2,300 Kelvin (3,680°F).
What the collision that spawned Earth's Moon may have looked like. Collisions between Earth and rocky debris in the early solar system would have kept the surface molten and surface temperatures blistering.
Even after collisions stopped, and the planet had tens of millions of years to cool, surface temperatures were likely more than 400° Fahrenheit. Zircon crystals from Australia, only about 150 million years younger than the Earth itself, hint that our planet may have cooled faster than scientists previously thought. Still, in its infancy, Earth would have experienced temperatures far higher than we humans could possibly survive.
But suppose we exclude the violent and scorching years when Earth first formed. When else has Earth's surface sweltered?
Thawing the freezer
Between 600 and 800 million years ago—a period of time geologists call the Neoproterozoic—evidence suggests the Earth underwent an ice age so cold that ice sheets not only capped the polar latitudes, but may have extended all the way to sea level near the equator. Reflecting ever more sunlight back into space as they expanded, the ice sheets cooled the climate and reinforced their own growth. Obviously, the Earth didn't remain stuck in the freezer, so how did the planet thaw?
Even while ice sheets covered more and more of Earth's surface, tectonic plates continued to drift and collide, so volcanic activity also continued. Volcanoes emit the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide. In our current, ice-age-free world, the natural weathering of silicate rock by rainfall consumes carbon dioxide over geologic time scales. During the frigid conditions of the Neoproterozoic, rainfall became rare. With volcanoes churning out carbon dioxide and little or no rainfall to weather rocks and consume the greenhouse gas, temperatures climbed.
What evidence do scientists have that all this actually happened some 700 million years ago? Some of the best evidence is "cap carbonates" lying directly over Neoproterozoic-age glacial deposits. Cap carbonates—layers of calcium-rich rock such as limestone—only form in warm water.
Rock formation in Namibia that shows a type of rock that only forms in warm water (cap dolostone) lying directly over a type of jumbled sedimentary rock, dated to 635 million years ago, that is commonly found at the margin of glaciers (diamictite).
The fact that these thick, calcium-rich rock layers sat directly on top of rock deposits left behind by retreating glaciers indicate that temperatures rose significantly near the end of the Neoproterozoic, perhaps reaching a global average higher than 90° Fahrenheit. (Today's global average is lower than 60°F.)
The tropical Arctic
Another stretch of Earth history that scientists count among the planet's warmest occurred about 55-56 million years ago. The episode is known as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM).
Stretching from about 66-34 million years ago, the Paleocene and Eocene were the first geologic epochs following the end of the Mesozoic Era. (The Mesozoic—the age of dinosaurs—was itself an era punctuated by "hothouse" conditions.) Geologists and paleontologists think that during much of the Paleocene and early Eocene, the poles were free of ice caps, and palm trees and crocodiles lived above the Arctic Circle. The transition between the two epochs around 56 million years ago was marked by a rapid spike in global temperature.
Around the time of the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, much of the continental United States had a sub-tropical environment.
During the PETM, the global mean temperature appears to have risen by as much as 5-8°C (9-14°F) to an average temperature as high as 73°F. (Again, today's global average is shy of 60°F.) At roughly the same time, paleoclimate data like fossilized phytoplankton and ocean sediments record a massive release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, at least doubling or possibly even quadrupling the background concentrations.
Deep ocean temperatures were generally high throughout the Paleocene and Eocene, with a particularly warm spike at the boundary between the two geological epocs around 56 million years ago. Temperatures in the distant past are inferred from proxies (oxygen isotope ratios from fossil foraminifera). "Q" stands of Quarternary.
It is still uncertain where all the carbon dioxide came from and what the exact sequence of events was. Scientists have considered the drying up of large inland seas, volcanic activity, thawing permafrost, release of methane from warming ocean sediments, huge wildfires, and even—briefly—a comet.
Like nothing we've ever seen
Earth's hottest periods—the Hadean, the late Neoproterozoic, the PETM—occurred before humans existed. Those ancient climates would have been like nothing our species has ever seen.
Modern human civilization, with its permanent agriculture and settlements, has developed over just the past 10,000 years or so. The period has generally been one of low temperatures and relative global (if not regional) climate stability. In our next Q&A, then, we'll tackle this same question on a more Homo sapien-scale time frame: What's the hottest Earth has been "lately"?
The UN Admits That The Paris Climate Deal Was A Fraud
Global Hot Air: Here's a United Nations climate report that environmentalists probably don't want anybody to read. It says that even if every country abides by the grand promises they made last year in Paris to reduce greenhouse gases, the planet would still be "doomed."
When President Obama hitched America to the Paris accords in 2016, he declared that it was "the moment that we finally decided to save our planet." And when Trump pulled out of the deal this year, he was berated by legions of environmentalists for killing it.
But it turns out that the Paris accord was little more than a sham that will do nothing to "save the planet."
According to the latest annual UN report on the "emissions gap," the Paris agreement will provide only a third of the cuts in greenhouse gas that environmentalists claim is needed to prevent catastrophic warming. If every country involved in those accords abides by their pledges between now and 2030 — which is a dubious proposition — temperatures will still rise by 3 degrees C by 2100. The goal of the Paris agreement was to keep the global temperature increase to under 2 degrees. ((read more)
NYT sets new record for nutty climate alarmism
November 30, 2017	by CFACT Ed
A while back I did a CFACT piece on the problem that teachers who know nothing about science are actively teaching climate alarmism. The piece was based on an ever-alarmist New York Times article praising this problem as a good thing, when it is just the opposite.
Now the NYT has outdone itself, with what has got to be the nuttiest alarmist opinion piece that I have ever seen. The title sort of says it all — "The Climate Crisis? It's Capitalism, Stupid."
There is no climate crisis and capitalism is vastly superior to its alternatives, so there you go; no need to read further. But it is worth looking at how these wild alarmist tales are spun and who spins them, because a lot of people read this junk. And in this case the tale spinner is a teacher, at a prominent American state university school no less: The Arizona State honors college.
The author is Benjamin Fong and his field is best described as psychoanalytic anti-capitalism. I am not making this up. His ASU bio says this: "Benjamin Y. Fong received his PhD in Religion from Columbia University, where he was also an Affiliate Scholar at the Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research."
To get a feel for his psycho-thinking, read this Fong essay and try not to laugh. His claim is that pleasure is a form of subjection that is imposed upon us.
So how does Dr. Fong explain the climate crisis? In the usual way really, with a combination of bad science combined with false confidence in baseless conjectures, artful omissions and left-wing politics. Thankfully he is brief.
He begins with a sciency statement, which is a common opening move in the game of climate alarmism. The statement is that human CO2 emissions today are 10 times greater that they were at the time of one of the great mass extinctions, called the End-Permian. This cataclysmic event occurred a whopping 250 million years ago, for reasons that we do not understand.
How this is relevant is never explained, because the point is to make a vague scary suggestion. He simply slides into the idea that we are now facing a similar fate (for which there is no scientific basis).
Even worse, the statement is absurd. What is not mentioned is that natural CO2 emissions today are something like 20 times greater than our emissions. So if our tiny emissions are a problem then nature's vast emissions are a far bigger problem, but thankfully neither is true.
The reality is that this vast flow of CO2 is the mainstream of what is called the carbon cycle, which makes life on Earth possible. Atmospheric CO2 is the global food supply. In fact today's levels of CO2 are very low compared to some past geologic eras, when life did very well. That CO2 levels are rising along with human population is good news, as it helps to feed us. But alarmists like Fong routinely write as though our CO2 emissions were some sort of unique pollution. The very opposite is true.
So this End-Permian stuff is just carefully chosen scary hogwash. Fong then goes on to invoke the conjecture of a precise 7.2 degree warming by 2100. This is just computer model stuff, which is all there is to climate alarmism.
He then switches gears, telling us that the real problem is capitalism, especially the profit motive. There is no science here, just what is called the fallacy of argument by assertion. Anti-capitalists seem not to notice that communist countries try to do the same basic things as capitalist countries, they just don't do it as well because of the lack of individual freedoms.
For that matter, one would think that someone named Fong would know that Communist China is by far the world's leader in CO2 emissions, because it is burning vast amounts of coal. But then it is digging its way out of poverty by becoming more capitalist and joining the global economy.
The real reason that the world is not rushing to decarbonize is that it is a stupid idea. Capitalism has nothing to do with it. Happily democracy does. The last things we need are dictatorships out to save the world from a fantasy.
When students are taught junk like this by professors they admire you cannot be surprised that they then become alarmist activists. But there is a formula to this stuff which, once mastered, makes refutation relatively easy.
How to do this refutation is what students should be learning. CFACT's Collegians for a Constructive Tomorrow has an important role to play here. They deserve our support.
Teaching climate alarmism in non-science classes is indoctrination, not education.
New Video : 2017 – The Fakest Year On Record At NASA And NOAA
https://youtu.be/j1hg-koV1T0
From THIS website.
Posted: Wed Mar 21, 2018 8:14 am
This is a good article on the "paris climate agreement", aka, how the UN screws prosperous countries!
Climate Exit
President Trump's pick to be the new secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, is not a fan of the Paris climate agreement, the treaty that claims it will slow global warning by reducing the world's carbon dioxide emissions. Politicians from most of the world's nations signed the deal, and President Obama said "we may see this as the moment that we finally decided to save our planet."
That's dubious.
Trump wisely said he will pull America out of the deal. He called it a "massive redistribution of United States wealth to other countries."
Unfortunately, Trump often reverses himself.
The climate change lobby has been trying to change Trump's mind. Al Gore called his stance "reckless and indefensible." Most of the media agree. So do most of my neighbors in New York.
That's why it's good that Pompeo opposes the Paris deal. Such treaties are State Department responsibilities. Pompeo is more likely to hold Trump to his word than his soon-to-be predecessor Rex Tillerson, who liked the agreement.
The Paris accord is a bad deal because even if greenhouse gases really are a huge threat, this treaty wouldn't do much about them.
I'll bet Al Gore and most of the media don't even know what's in the accord. I didn't until I researched it for this week's YouTube video.
Manhattan Institute senior fellow Oren Cass is the rare person who actually read the Paris accord.
Cass tells me it's "somewhere between a farce and a fraud." I interviewed him for a video project I am doing with City Journal, a smart policy magazine that often makes the case for smaller government. "You don't even have to mention greenhouse gases in your commitment if you don't want to. You send in any piece of paper you want."
The Paris accord was just political theater, he says. "They stapled it together and held it up and said, 'This is amazing!'"
The media announced that China and India made major commitments.
In truth, says Cass, "They either pledged to do exactly what they were already going to do anyway, or pledged even less. China, for instance said, 'we pledge to reach peak emission by about 2030.' Well, the United States government had already done a study to guess when Chinese emissions would peak, and their guess was about 2030."
In other words, China simply promised to do what was going to happen anyway.
"China was actually one of the better pledges," says Cass. "India made no pledge to limit emissions at all. They pledged only to become more efficient. But they proposed to become more efficient less quickly than they were already becoming more efficient. So their pledge was to slow down."
It's hard to see how that would help the planet.
"My favorite was Pakistan, whose pledge was to 'Reach a peak at some point after which to begin reducing emissions,'" says Cass. "You can staple those together, and you can say we now have a global agreement, but what you have is an agreement to do nothing."
However, Cass says one country did make a serious commitment. "The one country that showed up in Paris with a very costly, ambitious target was the United States. President Obama took all the zero commitments from everybody else but threw in a really expensive one for us."
Obama pledged to reduce emissions by 26 percent. If that ever happened, it would squash America's economy.
Nevertheless, when Trump said he was leaving the Paris accord, he was trashed by politicians around the world.
The UK's Theresa May was "dismayed," and Obama said, "This administration joins a handful of nations that reject the future."
Cass counters that if "the future is worthless climate agreements ... we should be proud to reject."
Don't get me wrong: The Earth has been warming, and humans probably contribute to it.
But the solution isn't to waste billions by making emissions cuts in America while other countries do nothing.
Trump was right to repudiate this phony treaty. It's good that Pompeo is around to remind him of that.


Taking guests on a journey into Aqua Expeditions next frontier, Vietnam and Cambodia, the 62.4 meter (205 feet) Aqua Mekong was designed by Saigon-based architects at Noor Design to embody the aesthetic of a sophisticated five star hotel.
A full 7-night Mekong Expedition Cruise allows you to discover all the mysteries and wonders between the Mekong and Tonle Sap River and among the diverse cultures thriving in our midst.
Passengers who travel with us during the high water season (August-November), from Siem Reap(REP) to Ho Chi Minh (SGN) experience the full history of Mekong life, meeting Khmer farmers, Buddhist monks and our entrepreneurial friends in Vietnam's kaleidoscopic wet markets along the way.
For the first time it is possible for travellers to sail on the mighty Upper Mekong River from Laos to China or vice versa.
Enjoy a three country expedition as we will traverse Laos to touch Thailand and Burma at the once notorious Golden Triangle. From Vientiane, the old French capital, and so redolent of L'Indochine Pandaw will be the first river expedition since pre-war days to cross all Laos.
The original cruise ships on the Mekong, Pandaw Cruises will help you discover the cultural richness and diversity in Cambodia and Vietnam.
Discover the highlights of Laos with gentle cycling and kayaking in the Nam Khan River Valley, a Laotion feast, Luang Prabang's enchantment and much more.
If you're looking for an active adventure exploring the depth and beauty of these two gems of Indochina, this is the journey for you.
What better way to explore Cambodia than by luxury river cruise and by cycle. From temples to the bustling capital city, rural and river life and white sand beaches, you'll get to experience the best of this developing nation.


Link 16 Network Design is one of the most complex and technical skills in the TDL world. Link 16 Network Designers often train for years under instruction before mastering this skill. But what happens when a country doesn't have qualified Network Designers and doesn't have years to conduct their training? What happens when a country needs a network designed today?
The Network Design Tool (NDT) was designed to meet the unique requirements of new Link 16 nations and inexperienced Network Designers. NDT was designed with the user in mind. Its operator-intuitive configurable interface puts everything up front. There are no hidden windows or backdoor data entry areas. In fact, the display changes automatically when operator selects different data on the screen, showing the available data entry options for that selection. Moreover, NDT is the only Link 16 Network Design system that enables fully automatic Network Design functionality.
NDT enables the operator to create a validated Link 16 Network Design with the push of a button. NDT has the ability to import an XML based Network Design Request, which is created by the Network Design Request Tool (NDRT). NDT automatically interprets every value of the request in order to populate every variable of the connectivity matrix. Operators can then generate network load files, NETMAN T/1 INDE files, or manually modify the Network Design if necessary.
To request a detailed course description and agenda or to discuss scheduling this training, please complete the form below.


Guyon designs telescopes to help find alien worlds.
October 4, 2012, 12:09 p.m.
When he was 10 years old and living in his native France, Olivier Guyon liked to look at the stars through a pair of binoculars. Today he helps design telescopes to enable the search for far-away alien worlds.
The 36-year-old astronomer and optical physicist was recognized this week one of the latest 23 recipients of MacArthur Fellowships, given out each year by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Each fellow will receive $50,000 over the next five years that they can spend in any way they desire to "pursue their own creative, intellectual and professional inclinations," according to the foundation's website. Guyon has not yet announced how he will spend his fellowship grant.
Guyon's work these days revolves around technology to identify exoplanets, which are planets like our own but circling other stars. His goal is to find life outside of our solar system on planets that are similar to Earth. An assistant professor in the Department of Astronomy at the University of Arizona, where his research helps support NASA, he splits his time between Arizona and the Subaru Telescope in Hawaii.
As Guyon puts it, most telescopes are not up to the task of seeing exoplanets, since the stars they circle are so bright they obscure the bodies that orbit around them. He has developed new lenses and other optical techniques, including one called phase-induced amplitude apodization, to remove glare and digitize the images to reveal the planets that would not otherwise be visible. The technique is good enough to not only identify the planetary bodies but also to note the presence of atmospheres and oceans. The work doesn't need to be done at large scientific telescopes: he is working to enable anyone to use these techniques to find exoplanets. "In the last two years, I have been working on how to make this technique affordable and easy to use for amateur astronomers, schools and the general public to actually implement in their backyard," he told Arizona's ExplorerNews.
MacArthur Fellows are not aware they have been nominated until they receive a call letting them know that they have won. "This came out of the blue," he told Hawaii's Big Island Now. "I was very surprised, as this is a sign of a lot of trust from the rest of the scientific community."


I've wanted to write a thank you post for the support ever since we sold out. The enthusiasm from everyone has been exciting, yet exhausting for my introverted soul.
I love flat pillows. Firm, flat pillows or even a bundle of bedsheets.
Easy to get a good night's sleep with that and a little bit of white noise.
Oolong tea is great and tasty, besides the caffeine.
Taking 5 minutes in the morning to plan things out and relax/meditate helps. A lot.
Sleep is the biggest thing though. I don't know if there's any sort of professional help that won't cost you a fortune, but I stumbled upon a few things that helped.
I want to give a shoutout to http://purpleyoyo.org/, but even more importantly everyone who's been there for someone who's needed support, whether it's reaching out and making an effort or just being available when things get tough.
I need to rely on others more instead of handling it all personally, and it's one of the reasons I've needed to take a break from things. It's the same for anyone else who might be struggling with anxiety. Try and find some time to get out of your comfort zone and change things up. The investment that you put into yourself will pay off quickly.
On a more yoyo-oriented note: I've got some other designs in the works, and a second run of Cappuccinos. There will be completely new colorways – both splashes and fades.
Yoyo-related side projects will be featured as well. I love teaching or at least exposing y'all to other things that people do in the community. It's one of the reasons I love this hobby. Things come and go, some of the old farts might be grouchy over trends and memes, but there is so much experimentation that goes on as well.
Thinking of doing another post on string making, now that there have been quite a few small companies with different types of small batch string. Also going to talk more about yoyo storage.
All in all, keep an eye out for more posts on Instagram @throwcafe for more yoyo shenanigans.