text:
India, 1977: A Libertarian Populist Moment
Categories: Politics and Economics
By Bryan Caplan, May 3 2008
Matthew Connelly's outstanding Fatal Misconception: The Struggle to Control World Population nearly brought a pro-democratic tear to my elitist libertarian eye. Trotsky once wrote that:
In a country where the sole employer is the state… [t]he old principle: who does not work shall not eat, has been replaced with a new one: who does not obey shall not eat.
Well, during Indira Gandhi's dictatorship, the new socialist principle became "Who refuses sterilization shall not eat":
Sterilization became a condition not just for land allotments, but for irrigation water, electricity, ration cards, rickshaw licenses, medical care, pay raises, and promotions. Everyone, from senior government officials to train conductors to policemen, was given a sterilization quota…
Altogether, in the course of one year, the government would record more than 8 million sterilizations: 6.2 million vasectomies and 2.05 tubectomies.
This led to a rare episode of libertarian populism:
The people of India, however, had had enough. Hundreds were being killed from botched sterilizations – according to official statistics, 1774 if them. There was no way to count the number who were being hauled away to sterilization camps against their will…
In the face of popular protest, Indira Gandhi decided to release political prisoners and authorize an election:
Most observers, like Gandhi herself, expected the Congress Party would win again, as they had won every election since independence. Opponents were released from jails, but they had only two months to organize…
Opponents cobbled together a coalition and agreed to field their stongest candidate in every district. India's newspapers were finally free to report the abuses in the family planning program. More than half the election coverage explicitly mentioned the issue. Gandhi's cabinet rejected the Maharashtra law, withdrew a proposal for "disincentives" for government employees, and closed the sterilization camps. Nevertheless, as Gandhi campaigned across India, the crowds were disappointingly small at her campaign rallies. When some women literally turned their backs to her, the prime minister waded into the audience and tried to turn them around…
At last, in the largest democratic election in history, the people of India produced one of history's great political upsets. The prime minister herself was routed in her home district… The Congress Party was defeated all across northern India. They lost 141 out of 142 seats in the states that had registered the largest increases in sterilization (in the previous election, Congress had carried 80 percent in these areas). In Delhi the crowds stayed up through the night to cheer as the results came in…
Something even more powerful, even more implacable, had finally defeated the ideology of population control: People voting, one by one.
The majority rarely asks for liberty, but when it does, it's beautiful.
John Fast
May 4 2008 at 12:40am
[tranquillo]
Sometimes the snow comes down in June,
Sometimes the Sun goes 'round the Moon…
We know how statists win with lies —
Sometimes there comes a big surprise!
[allegro]
If buttercups buzzed after the bee;
If boats were on land, and churches on sea;
If ponies rode men and if grass ate the cows
And cats could be chased into holes by a mouse,
And if mothers sold their babies
To adopt for half-a-pound,
And summer were spring and the other way round,
Then all the world would be upside down!
[tremolo o vibrato]
When tyrants tremble, sick with fear,
And hear their death-knell ringing,
And friends rejoice both far and near,
How can I keep from singing?
Kurbla
Hardly that Indira Gandhi's India was socialist. It was capitalist country, not unlike US that also performed forced sterilization back when eugenics was in fashion. Brits sterilized homosexuals until 1950's or 1960's, I don't know for other capitalist countries. For socialist countries, I do not know, maybe late Romania.
>>Hardly that Indira Gandhi's India was socialist. It was capitalist country
Well, its important to remember that it was during the Emergency that Indira Gandhi inserted language into the Indian Constitution officially making it a socialist state. One must also remember that the marginal tax rate for the top bracket of income tax in India was 97%. Industry and banks were being nationalised, and those that weren't were subject to draconian controls. 1970's India was no socialist workers paradise (if such a thing exists), but few would call it a capitalist country.
>>not unlike US that also performed forced sterilization back when eugenics was in fashion. Brits sterilized homosexuals until 1950's or 1960's
Well, they weren't sterilising targeted groups, they were sterilising everybody they deemed had enough children. If Janata Party propoganda from that era is to be believed, even unmarried men and indeed boys were sterilised as nervous policemen and bureaucrats tried to fill their quotas.
dearieme
Kurbla, I've never heard of Brits sterilising homosexuals. Wikipedia says of Britain "Sterilisation programmes were never legalised, although some were carried out in private upon the mentally ill by clinicians who were in favour of a more widespread eugenics plan." I've always understood that it was the USA and Sweden that were keen on sterilisation.
@Kurbla says Hardly that Indira Gandhi's India was socialist. It was capitalist country, not unlike US…
Heh! As someone who grew up in Indira Gandhi's India, and who's spent many years in the US as well, Kurbla's intro is absolute nonsense.
can't speak to the sterilization bit (in the US or Britain) but Indira Gandhi's India was not capitalist.
Hyrum
I had never heard of any of this. It there a reliable place to learn more about that era in India?
Sterilizing homosexuals is so absurd I can almost believe it happened.
Ed Hanson
Prashant writes:
Thank-you Prashant
When some people see so much gray, that they can never see a difference in anything, it is nice to read someone, from experience and education, set things straight.
mensarefugee
Hardly that Indira Gandhi's India was socialist. It was capitalist country
Ah! A socialist if I ever read one!
Sometimes The Stars Are Right. I think the current food (price) crisis is a great time to use populist rhetoric to actually do something good, by eliminating agricultural subsidies that make Evil Big Agribusinesses rich by starving the poor!
Everyone who wants to keep these subsidies to agribusiness is an Evil Greedy Kapitalist, or one of their apologists (and therefore either corrupt or at best deluded).
COLLECTION: POLITICS AND ECONOMICS
The article you're reading is part of Econlib's Politics and Economics collection. Explore other Politics and Economics articles:
Different Shades of Red
The dream of a united Europe
An Obscurantist Age?


I've spent the last few days struggling with culture shock. Interestingly, I dismissed culture shock when we discussed it in class – I felt that I hadn't really experienced it while I was in Sweden, and so didn't need to worry about it for this trip either. I assumed I was one of those lucky few who adapts to new cultures without difficulty.
For reference, culture shock is the mental discomfort experienced by travelers who find themselves robbed of the cultural cues that make the world make sense. These are usually small and subconscious: the way a man looks at a woman when he wants her attention, and when he does not; the appropriate topics of conversation with new acquaintances; the implications and connotations of association with other members of society of various socio-ethno-economic backgrounds; the meaning of friendship.
Let me give an example. Solitude and quiet are both fairly standard concepts in North American / Northern European culture; we even use the expression "peace and quiet," positively to denote a state of equilibrium, homeostasis, or rest. This is not apparently a common South African theme.
More importantly, the expectations based on that theme are not effective or useful as behavioral guides in South Africa. It is not so simple as, "Everything is the opposite of America" - rather, the pattern relies on different – unknown – logic. Hence, anxiety.
The lack of quiet particularly unnerves me. My roommate listens to music, the domestic servant leaves the television on, precisely so that it ISN'T quiet. I find it difficult to finish my notes with all of the sound, and get behind, which in turn causes further anxiety, which in turn makes it more difficult to concentrate and work. Fortunately, I have some control over this, and will work with my roommate in the future to establish a measure of silence.
Back to the past few days, I found unexpected help in one of the local families here. I was to attend a youth service with the family's Baptist church, and so Auntie and her daughter picked me up. On the way, we stopped at her brother's house for what was intended to be just a few minutes; when Auntie's brother found out that he had a guest, I was invited to join them for the poikei, and it became an evening. I sincerely hope that I haven't overstepped any bounds with this family, as they have been astoundingly generous to me with food and friendship.
Anyway, the man talked and laughed with me, and Auntie, and I again had a very good time. He mentioned specifically how, when you travel, you go through some rough adjustment (he is quite the traveler himself), and he offered his friendship when things were a little tougher than usual.
His timing was impeccable, as things were tougher just then. I had considered not going to the services that evening as I was not feeling well. I knew my illness was from mental stress – culture shock – not physical ailment, so I went anyway, but it was a tough day.
The man's conversation and offer of help had two important effects. First, it legitimized my struggles. I was, and am, neither weird nor weak for experiencing some discomfort in adjusting to a new culture. Also, it was not offensive for me to have some difficulty adjusting. I have some wiggle room; some room to be human and to succeed and fail. Second, it reinforced the idea that I am not alone in my time here, and it is nice to have someone else to turn to.
Advance the clock to Saturday. I attended a stake father and sons' activity here, which consisted of sports, and a scripture quiz period, and food. It was great to spend the morning and early afternoon with fellow priesthood brethren; however, these interactions did not entirely allay my feelings of discomfort and unease. To some degree, I was less comfortable after the activity than before; the common doctrine was comforting, but the differences in approach, sporting rules, and social interaction were a little disconcerting.
What really helped was kneeling down in prayer. There, I felt, strangely, that I ought to watch a particular movie I brought with me. This struck me as odd, as part of my anxiety came from the fact that I was (and am) almost a week behind in my field notes – roughly thirty five pages of writing that I need to finish very quickly. Prayer did not remove my anxiety - I still bore a painful weight at the back of my mind – but I had an idea of what to do.
In following the prompting to pray, I discovered that my computer had viruses and needed to be cleaned, which took almost an hour; in that time, I re-read the article on culture shock we had discussed in the prep class. Rereading the article further legitimized my difficulty; the article listed several of my feelings as symptoms of culture shock, and identified some of my specific concerns as normal and temporary. The assurance that these struggles are only temporary was particularly important – this will not be a miserable experience, I will be able to get my work done, and I will be able to fully appreciate my time here.
Somewhat reassured and calmed, I sat back to watch "Master and Commander." It's my favorite movie, or at worst in my top three, and so for me, watching it was a delight. When I first wrote this blog entry, I described the movie as "reaffirming my cultural knowledge" and "speaking to my artistic and cultural ideals." Although that is correct, let me cut the jargon. The movie depicts men behaving with valor in extreme circumstances. It displays and glorifies bravery, loyalty, courage, and friendship. There is very little moral ambiguity in the film, and the questions of morality brought up are discussed in acceptable terms. If any anthropologists are reading this, refer back to my previous terms. I found the film inspiring; I always do, in fact.
The film also provided me with my favorite piece of music – Bach's Prelude to the first Suite for Unaccompanied Cello in G major. The music itself brings peace to my soul. Together, the music and movie were precisely therapeutic and brought me through the mental test I was experiencing. The tumult in my mind was stilled. Although I still experience frustrations, those frustrations are no longer accumulating.
The theme of this week, then, is simply that prayer works, and that living in a new place isn't always easy. Pray for help, do what you feel inspired to do, and you'll get what you need, and don't worry about discouragements that come.
Note: I apologize for the lack of pictures today. I missed loading them on my flsh drive somehow, so I will try and do that tomorrow instead. Expect another, picture-only post or edit from me here in the very near future.


text:
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Yesterday, Indonesia's main opposition party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), has nominated Jakarta Governor Joko "Jokowi" Widodo –dubbed as Indonesia's Obama— to lead its presidential ticket.
Tim Graham of AIWA, collects some interesting tidbits, including from social media. The party even announced the much-anticipated official nomination on Twitter first.
As Dave McRae notes, the party's announcement on Twitter actually came before the party's official announcement to the media.


text:
Q: Why does from pkg import * end up importing a module even if __all__ is not defined? I have created a package pkg in this manner.
$ tree
.
└── pkg
    ├── foo.py
    └── __init__.py

1 directory, 2 files
susam@debian1:~/so$ cat pkg/__init__.py
susam@debian1:~/so$ cat pkg/foo.py
print('executing module foo ...')

def bar():
    print('bar')

All the Python shell snippets below are from a single interactive
session with the Python interpreter. I have split them up into multiple
blocks to add my own commentary in between.
Here is my Python version.
Python 3.4.2 (default, Oct  8 2014, 10:45:20)
[GCC 4.9.1] on linux
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>

The following import does not import foo because __all__ is not
defined in __init__.py.
>>> from pkg import *
>>> foo.bar()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
NameError: name 'foo' is not defined
>>>

The above behaviour has been described in the Python tutorial at
https://docs.python.org/3/tutorial/modules.html#importing-from-a-package.

If __all__ is not defined, the statement from sound.effects import *
  does not import all submodules from the package sound.effects into the
  current namespace; it only ensures that the package sound.effects has
  been imported (possibly running any initialization code in
  __init__.py) and then imports whatever names are defined in the
  package.

The following imports only bar(). It does not import foo.
>>> from pkg.foo import bar
executing module foo ...
>>> bar()
bar
>>> foo.bar()
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
NameError: name 'foo' is not defined

But strangely after the previous import, the following import ends up
importing foo even if __all__ is not defined in __init__.py.
>>> from pkg import *
>>> foo.bar()
bar

Why does this happen?

A: Based off of the Python documentation that you cited, when you use from pkg import * you are importing only the module foo as well as __init__.py and not the functions of foo.
I suspect the last code snippet you provided works because you have already imported bar() directly from foo and reimporting foo after you've strictly imported the bar function establishes the connection between foo and bar().
Do you run into this same issue when specifying __all__?

A: foo is already imported in pkg namespace as pkg.foo when you do from pkg.foo import bar. So when you then import all names from pkg namespace to current scope you also import foo. See:
>>> import pkg
>>> dir(pkg)
['__builtins__', '__doc__', '__file__', '__name__', '__package__', '__path__']
>>> from pkg.foo import bar
executing module foo ...
>>> dir(pkg)
['__builtins__', '__doc__', '__file__', '__name__', '__package__', '__path__', 'foo']

(I am on python 2 but the logic for this is the same)

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text:
University of California system weighs ending letter grades due to 'bias and inequities'
A Mar. 16 memo from the public university system's Office of the President asks the Academic and Student Affairs Committee to consider 'more effective options for advancing achievement and educational equity.'
Campus Reform frequently reports on efforts to relax academic standards on college campuses.
Ben Zeisloft | Staff Reporter, Daily Wire
Tuesday, May 3, 2022 3:26 PM
The University of California (UC) is weighing alternatives to the conventional letter grade system in the interest of solving "bias and inequities."
A Mar. 16 memo from the public university system's Office of the President asks the Academic and Student Affairs Committee to consider "more effective options for advancing achievement and educational equity" than "traditional grading practices."
The document points to UC campuses that are testing "pass/no pass" grading models.
While UC Irvine's Division of the Academic Senate extended the deadline to opt for "pass/no pass" grading to the tenth week of instruction, UC Berkeley's College of Chemistry is planning a "pass/no pass" model for first-year students, according to the document.
The memo casts doubt upon the assumption that students who earn A's "have mastered the material, while students at the bottom may have not," and alleges that students from an under-resourced high school perform poorly on initial assessments, but may master the final.
"That student will always have a lower grade overall because of their preparation starting point, compared to another student from a well-resourced high school that started strong and does as well on that final, but has never progressed in the course," the memo states.
[RELATED: Nation's largest public university system goes remote, introduces new COVID restrictions]
A "Summary Table of Assessment Adaptations'' included in the document offers various ways to heighten "equity" surrounding certain exams. While an open-note or open-book test can "ask questions that have students make connections to their own experiences," weekly quizzes can allow "multiple attempts" and collaboration exams become a "community-building experience."
"Traditional assessment and grading practices may perpetuate bias and inequities," the memo concluded, "and the University of California is engaged in a number of efforts to advance initiatives that promote grading with equity, including those that improve and reward mastery of subject matter in a course."
At UC Santa Cruz, Associate Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning Jody Greene has argued that "the changes that were happening in higher education at a glacial pace were put on a bullet train by COVID, and as painful as the last couple of years have been, we're now having genuine conversations about how we can better serve the students," KQED reports.
Likewise, KQED reports that UC Davis' mathematics department has considered "contract grading," which lets a student choose how to be graded.
[RELATED: The SAT is racist? Why California schools ditched standardized testing requirements.]
In March 2022, the California State University system ditched its SAT and ACT admissions test requirements, also citing "equity and fairness" as part of its deliberations. The university system had previously suspended the consideration of standardized test scores for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 academic years in response to COVID-19.
Stanford University — a private California institution that is among the highest-ranked colleges in the world — extended its test-optional admissions process for the third year in a row.
"For both the current 2021-22 admission cycle and the following 2022-23 cycle, Stanford will not require ACT or SAT scores for first-year or transfer applicants," the school's admissions site explains. "We recognize the ongoing challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic, including limited access to admission testing worldwide, and as a result, we are extending this year's test optional policy."
However, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced that it would reinstate SAT and ACT testing requirements starting for the class of 2027.
"By using tests as a tool in the service of our nation, we have helped improve the diversity of our undergraduate population [and] student academic outcomes at MIT have gotten better," Dean of Admissions Stu Schmill wrote in a blog post.
Campus Reform reached out to Jody Greene and the University of California system media relations team; this article will be updated accordingly.
Ben Zeisloft
Staff Reporter, Daily Wire
Ben Zeisloft is a Staff Reporter at the Daily Wire. Previously, he was a Student Editor and Pennsylvania Senior Campus Correspondent at Campus Reform. Ben graduated from University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.


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text:
Enslaved.org's resources may be meaningful to your students and useful in your classroom. This page describes suggested uses for content on site and offers a selection of original lessons using the site's resources. A few lessons are available now, but more are forthcoming from our teacher partners who will be hard at work during the summer recess in 2022!
Stories provide secondary tellings of the lives of enslaved individuals. Suitable for secondary language arts and social studies classes in both U.S. and Global/World history, the narratives in this section include valuable pedagogical tools, timelines, and directions to sources for further reading. Stories can function pedagogically as source texts that you can adapt to teach a wide range of argumentative and analytical skills, including summary and synthesis, comparing and contrasting, connecting primary and secondary sources, narrative voice and reader positioning, among others. Likewise, you can use the narratives in Stories to develop hands-on skills among students by asking them to map out events and movement, or to create interactive digital timelines that present individual events in the larger historical context. Among the most important of the tools in Enslaved.org for developing students historical literacies are our Controlled Vocabularies. These didactic glossaries can both help instructors define terms and develop students lexicons for working with Stories.
The narratives in Stories have been selected partly for their alignment with curriculum. They explore topics such as colonization, gendered experiences of enslavement, labor, capitalism, and race. The Stories provide a humanistic perspective to historical events that you may teach in a broader national or global focused course. Each Story also includes a timeline that is useful for connecting the individual story to larger moments and developments in history and across geographies of enslavement.
Sample lessons using Stories include:
Two Celias: Comparing Womens' Experiences of Enslavement
Albina: Creating Interactive Timelines from Enslaved.org Stories
Achieving Freedom in Eighteenth-Century America: María Rafaela Whitten
María Rafaela Whitten: Creación de Líneas de Tiempo Interactivas a partir de Historias en Enslaved.org (Spanish version of the Achieving Freedom lesson plan)
Datasets and accompanying visualization tools provide opportunities for students to learn how to read datasets and make sense of aggregate information in various ways. Among the tools you and your students will find on Enslaved.org are data summaries such as graphs, and percentages. You may wish to work with students using these tools as a way to develop their data literacy.
Students can also use our interface to sort and filter data entries by year, location, names, etc. These resources may be used for history courses as well as for economics, mathematics, and information literacy lessons.
Current lessons using datasets and visualization tools include:
Data and Voice: Teaching Empathy and Justice in Digital Humanities
The Journal of Slavery and Data Preservation publishes articles that provide historical context and methodological discussions for collected data. Instructors can assign the reading of a data-focused article in conjunction with the exploration of a dataset as a methodological exercise in the relationship between quantitative and qualitative study, to discuss and analyze processes of data extraction and archival research, or as a deep exploration of slavery from a specific source or place. Instructors can additionally use Enslaved.org's Controlled Vocabularies and Statement of Ethics to frame discussions on methodologies and data extraction processes. Utilizing JSDP articles is especially suited to students in higher ed.
Lessons using JSDP articles are currently under development.
If you've taught a lesson using Enslaved.org resources and would like to submit it for possible inclusion on the site, please email us at Enslaved.org@gmail.com.
Materials on Enslaved.org's education page have been reviewed by both scholars of slavery and classroom educators. Thank you to Steven J. Niven, Trevor Getz, and others for reviewing resources.


text:
Loving Parents Can Still Struggle
Wouldn't it be great if children arrived in our lives with instruction manuals? Then, well-intentioned parents would know just how to rear healthy, thriving children. Instead, parents often struggle. That's why The Family Center offers parenting classes and in-home coaching to help parents like Anne succeed.
"I am trying to be a good parent, but I feel like something is missing," the young mother told a parent educator at her first parenting class.
Anne was doing the basics to keep 5-year-old Greg safe and physically healthy. She fed and bathed him. She provided structure with a balance of kindergarten homework, simple chores and playtime. But she didn't know how to form an affectionate relationship with her son. The parent educator asked some questions and realized the mid-20s mom had experienced emotional abuse, not receiving physical touch or hugs as a child. As a result, being affectionate with Greg made her uncomfortable. In The Family Center class she learned the importance of attachment, and with help and coaching from parent educators, she "practiced" giving Greg affection. There were more hugs. The television was turned off more often and replaced with activities that encouraged conversation. Greg reacted positively to the changes. He now comes to his mother when he's hurt or sad, knowing he will get the affection and emotional support he craves. The kindergartner is also happier and engages better with others.
"I no longer look at him and wonder what to do," Anne said, crediting the parenting class with giving her a new "instruction manual" for interacting with her son.
The Family Center works to equip moms and dads with the awareness and tools they need to be the loving parents they want to be. Please join us in that work.


text:
Five Fabulous Films to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day
I come from a proud family of Cleveland Irish Catholics, and of course St. Patrick's Day is always a time of celebration. Ever since I was a kid, one of…
Continue ReadingFive Fabulous Films to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day
Black History Month Films v.3 – 2000 to 2022
Post author:Aaron Spears
In this series of posts, we are focusing on contributions from African American artists to the world of film. We're going through the decades to highlight everything from the early…
Continue ReadingBlack History Month Films v.3 – 2000 to 2022
Alternative Holiday Films
Films that celebrate the holidays in their own special way. Sure, you can watch It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story, and Elf for the 20th time...or you can get…
Continue ReadingAlternative Holiday Films
Noirvember Film Recommendations II: Neo-Noir
As we wrap up Noirvember, a month dedicated to enjoying film noir movies, it's about time to move into the Neo-Noir category of films. In a previous post we recommended…
Continue ReadingNoirvember Film Recommendations II: Neo-Noir
Noirvember Film Recommendations
Post author:Aaron Spears, Erin
Film Noir is a specific sub-genre of crime film that features cynical characters, femme fatales, the criminal underworld, an ominous atmosphere and utilizes shadowy photography complemented by foreboding music. It…
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Teen Reviews – The Kissing Booth 2 (Film)
Based on the book: Going the Distance by Beth Reekles Synopsis: Elle and Noah are navigating the ups and downs of a long distance relationship. Marco, the handsome new student,…
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Teen Reviews – The Kissing Booth (Film)
Synopsis: Elle Evans and Lee Flynn have been best friends since birth, literally. They have a set of rules to ensure that their friendship always remains strong. Most of the…
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Teen Reviews – To All The Boys – P.S. I Still Love You (Film)
Synopsis: Lara Jean's relationship with Peter has been complicated since the beginning but things are finally starting to settle down. That is until John Ambrose ends up volunteering with Lara…
Continue ReadingTeen Reviews – To All The Boys – P.S. I Still Love You (Film)
Teen Reviews – To All The Boys I've Loved Before (Film)
Post author:Aaron Spears, Guest Teen Blogger
Synopsis: Lara Jean is a quiet girl going into junior year. Her life is turned upside down when her secret love letters are somehow mailed out. She has to find…
Continue ReadingTeen Reviews – To All The Boys I've Loved Before (Film)
Teen Reviews – Kingsman: The Secret Service (Film)
Synopsis: This is a perfect movie for people who liked the Men in Black trilogy. In this movie Eggsy, a poor teen who lives in London and is destined to…
Continue ReadingTeen Reviews – Kingsman: The Secret Service (Film)
Teen Reviews – Spider-Man: Far From Home (Film)
Synopsis: After Endgame, Peter Parker is still struggling with the death of his father figure Tony Stark. He then takes a trip to Europe with his class where Nick Fury…
Continue ReadingTeen Reviews – Spider-Man: Far From Home (Film)
Stuck at home? Grab a Binge Box!
Post author:Farnsworth
It's Binge Watching Made Easy! Borrow hours of entertainment with our Binge Box collection. Each box contains 4-6 DVDs or Blu-ray discs that share a common theme such as LOL,…
Continue ReadingStuck at home? Grab a Binge Box!
Hilarious Anime for the New School Year
With a new school year looming overhead, many students are wondering how the year will go. After all, the 2019-2020 school year ended so strangely. And with COVID threats still…
Continue ReadingHilarious Anime for the New School Year
Credit: ADA National Network (adata.org) 1-800-949-4232
Celebrating the ADA's 30th Anniversary
Post author:Natalie Bota
Credit: ADA National Network (adata.org) 1-800-949-4232 Thirty years ago the Americans with Disabilities Act (the ADA) became law in our country and a model for civil rights around the world.…
Continue ReadingCelebrating the ADA's 30th Anniversary


Free shipping on all orders over $85!
Sometimes it is just easier to have Whole Kids healthy snacks delivered directly to your door – so why not order online? If you stock up your pantry with $85 or more of Whole Kids snacks online, you receive free shipping! For details on our shipping and returns policy, read below.
Orders are usually processed and despatched within 1-2 business days from the date when orders are received by us. Orders are not processed or despatched during weekends or on public holidays, and any orders submitted on our website during these times are usually received by us on the next business day.
We do flat rate shipping.
All prices on our website (including products and freight charges) are in Australian Dollars.
All orders are despatched from Melbourne usually within 1-2 business days after your order is received.
Please note that the above times are estimates using Australia Post eParcel service or similar courier provider. Times may vary depending on the time of year (eg, Christmas/school holidays) or other factors affecting eParcel or courier deliveries which are beyond our control.
Whilst we do everything we can to ensure your order is delivered in a timely manner, we will not be liable for any loss or damage incurred by any person as a result of delay caused by Australia Post (or any other nominated carrier) that we have no control over or by any event which is out of our reasonable control.
If you order during the Christmas/New Year or Easter period, please expect that your order may not be despatched until the next business day when our office is open.
We will advise of our holiday delivery dates closer to the time.
Thank you for your understanding as we like our staff to take a well-earned break over the holidays with their friends and families.
No, Unfortunately we are unable to deliver to post office boxes. Please ensure you select a street address as the delivery address nominated in Your Account details.
Unfortunately, we do not offer international shipping. We only offer delivery and shipping to addresses in Australia.
You will be sent a dispatch confirmation email which includes your tracking number.
If you package has not arrived within the expected delivery time as noted above please call us on 1300 099 744 or email us via the contact page.
When you receive your order, please check the contents to ensure the package contains all the items you have ordered. Please call us on 1300 099 744 if you find missing items, incorrect items or have another query.
Our orders are delivered by Australia Post eParcel service. Australia Post generally makes deliveries during business hours only.
A signature may be required for deliveries and therefore someone may need to be available to accept and sign for the delivery. If no one is available at the time of delivery and a signature is required, Australia Post will leave a card at your delivery address and your package will be taken to the nearest post office for collection by you at a later time.
We do not take responsibility for packages that are undelivered or lost if you have provided incorrect address details or if an unauthorised person has accepted and signed for the delivery. Please ensure your address details are correct in Your Account.
We do our very best to ensure that all our products are in stock at the time you place your order.
Any items that are out of stock will be shown on our website, and this will be updated regularly as stock is replenished. From time to time, however, we may experience a rundown in stock for an item before we are able to update our website. Should you place an order for an item during this situation, we will contact you to inform you of any out of stock items you may have ordered.
Your happiness and satisfaction with our products and our service is important to us, so please take the time to read our Returns and Refunds policy as detailed below.
We do our very best to ensure that your order is packed with exactly what you have ordered. All orders are professionally packed to also avoid potential damage during delivery. For further information on our delivery conditions, please read our Shipping and Delivery Policy above.
(b) If the failure is not a major failure, (at our discretion), replace the item(s) or issue a refund.
Please note that under Australian Consumer laws, we are not obliged to give a refund or offer a replacement if you have simply changed your mind about a purchased item.
Phone: 1300 099 744 between 9am and 5pm AEST (Mon-Fri).
Brief description of the problem you're experiencing.
Refunds will only be credited to the credit card of the purchaser.
Please note that Nourish Foods (Whole Kids) accepts no responsibility for returned items that do not reach us or are damaged during delivery to us. We suggest that you may consider obtaining postal or delivery insurance before sending any items to us.


text:
Sometimes Health Reforms Increase Health Disparities →
Computational Public Health Rises from the Hills of Southwest Virginia
I had the good fortune of visiting Virginia Tech University yesterday to speak at their Public Health Grand Rounds (slides here) and meet with some fellow travelers in public health services and systems research. Alongside their powerhouse football program, the Hokies are quietly building a powerhouse team of empirical public health researchers from a broad spectrum of quantitative and qualitative disciplines on campus. The team here at VTU is building upon their university's historical land-grant strengths in fields like engineering and agriculture, while harnessing the new energy surrounding the university's recently-created medical school and biomedical sciences research institute, and a newly-accredited MPH program based in the College of Veterinary Medicine. Yes, the vet school – these folks understand that public health system dynamics span the animal (and vegetable) kingdoms.
Researchers here are doing some of the nation's pioneering work in the area of "computational public health," which brings together an array of quantitative disciplines–including engineering, computer science, operations research, statistics, and economics—to advance our understanding of the behavior of complex public health systems. A core group of scholars formerly based at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico have been hard at work here at VTU for nearly a decade now, adapting and extending the powerful simulation models, informatics tools, "big data" feeds, and decision support applications that they originally developed at LANL to solve complex transportation problems for cities and states. Now this group, formalized as the Network Dynamics and Simulation Science Laboratory at the Virginia Bioinformatics Institute, uses these approaches to study a range of public health systems issues, including infectious disease control strategies for influenza and hospital-acquired infections, novel tobacco control strategies that leverage social networks, and comparative public health responses to natural disasters.
Perhaps most importantly, the public health team here has established productive collaborations with real-world decision-makers in local and state public health agencies across this bucolic corner of Central Appalachia and beyond. One of the hubs for this work is the VTU Center for Public Health Practice and Research, which has a series of practice-based studies underway in areas such as diabetes prevention, cancer control, and infectious disease outbreak response. Most recently, the Center has joined our RWJF-supported Public Health Practice-Based Research Networks (PBRN) Program as a newly-forming Virginia PBRN, building on research and practice collaborations that university faculty maintain with the nearby New River Health District and other area public health organizations. One of the mobilizing forces in this work is Dr. Kaja Abbas, an assistant professor at the VTU Department of Population Health Sciences and a recent recipient of one of the Junior Investigator Awards in Public Health Services and Systems Research provided through our RWJF-supported National Center for PHSSR. Dr. Abbas and his students are conducting economic evaluation studies of infectious disease response strategies implemented in the New River Health District for pathogens such as Hepatitis C and tuberculosis. All of this work is supported by a network of multi-disciplinary and cross-cutting research institutes based at VTU, including the Institute for Society, Culture and Environment and the Institute for Policy and Governance. And the linchpin: an extremely talented group of graduate students in VTU's MPH and PhD programs keeps all the work energized, innovative and engaged.
Not only did I get to take in all this great research in under 24 hours, but I even squeezed in a chilly pre-dawn cruise along Blacksburg's extensive network of running trails – a product of the area's commitment to public health. This is certainly a place to watch in the growing landscape of applied public health services and systems research.


text:
The Work Room
Sam Burkett
samuelburkett
Samuel Burkett Dance
Sam Burkett is a dancer and choreographer who somehow also has a degree in Politics.
Known for being both highly creative and extremely sweaty, Sam creates dance theatre that runs the emotional gamut from happy to sad to hungry to gay. Their choreography has been shown in both the UK and the US, and their solo, Crop Tops Make Me Feel Vulnerable, won the Best of Anything Goes Award at the 2018 Houston Fringe Festival. Their work is distinctly physical and theatrical and draws inspiration from everything from professional wrestling to French love ballads.
They have performed in works by Jasmin Vardimon (UK), Anna Kenrick (UK), and Teresa Chapman (USA) among others. Sam also teaches, delivering workshops in contemporary dance and physical theatre to professional dancers, people with learning disabilities, and young people.
Tramway, 25 Albert Drive,
hello@theworkroom.org.uk
Funded & Supported by:
The Work Room is a company limited by guarantee with charitable status. Registered Company No: SC343929. Registered Scottish Charity No: SC049532
The Work Room is a supporter of the Green Arts Initiative:


Introducing the Christmas shoe to beat all Christmas shoes, the Clauses by Irregular Choice! These festive flats will fill you with Christmas cheer, featuring a shimmering metallic gold upper with applique of Mr and Mrs Clause on each toe, iridescent red scalloped trim, festive 'Merry Christmas' holly and star embroidery on the sides and glitter encrusted heels for maximum party sparkle! Each Clause applique is incredibly detailed with iridescent fabric, 3D pom poms, fluffy fur, beading and a whole ton of sparkling glitter! These flats even contain hidden magic touches as LED's in the side and front can be turned on so you light up as you walk! 'Tis the season to buy these amazing festive shoes!
The Clauses Christmas flat shoes in red and gold by Irregular Choice.
'Merry Christmas' embroidery with stars and holly.
Glitter encrusted heel with red heel cap.
Applique Mr and Mrs Clause on each toe complete with fluff, pom poms, beading, iridescent fabric and glitter.
Flashing LED lights above the applique and around the side.
On/Off switch embedded into the upper front.
Sturdy floral 'Irregular Choice' soles.


text:
Chinese for Affirmative Action
How We Create Change
CAA50 Celebration of Justice
Historic Rally Mobilizes Nearly 800
In the heart of Chinatown, feelings of resilience and solidarity reached all corners of Portsmouth Square; nearly 800 people gathered for the first ever Rally for Inclusion – a stand against recent anti-immigrant, refugee and Muslim policies and a call to end all forms of discrimination.
The rally was in part a gathering to remember the Chinese Exclusion Act on the 135th anniversary of its passing, jolting people to reflect on its indelible impact on the Chinese American community, and the dire consequences of all institutionalized discrimination, xenophobia, and racism.
The rally drew people of all ages and backgrounds – seniors from the Chinatown Tenants Association, students from SF State University, UC Berkeley, and Stanford University, trade unions from UNITE/HERE Local 2 and United Educators, Japanese American concentration camp survivors, Arab Americans, Muslims, and more. They came ready to take a stand, holding signs that read: "No Walls," "Refuge for Refugees," "Immigrants Built America," "Exclusion Never Again," and "We all belong."
While the issues were heavy, the rally kicked off with a charismatic welcome from Reverend Norman Fong, an uplifting performance from Charlie Chin and his band Seniors for Peace and Justice, and a special Chinese Lion Dance. Emcees Eddy Zheng and Mabel Teng took it from there, warming up the crowd with a simple chant: "Inclusion? Yes! Exclusion? No!" They also shared the good news that the Resolution [http://nomoreexclusion.org/city-resolution/] had been adopted unanimously by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, a number of whom were in the audience to show their support.
In between the chants, the speakers were a representative group; each being able to speak to a specific form and time period marked by discrimination. They generated enthusiasm and a sense of urgency among the crowd by sharing personal stories that both moved and educated.
Activist Helen Zia took the crowd through America's long history of discrimination, telling the story of Vincent Chin, a Chinese man who was beaten to death in a Detroit suburb in 1982 for the way he looked, a full 100 years after the Chinese Exclusion Act had passed. The killers paid his family, but did not serve any time in prison; Zia along with other community organizers stood up for Chin and called for a civil rights trial, but they did not get it.
Having experienced defeat as an activist, Zia urged all people of conscience to stand and insist: "Trump, tear down your wall! Stop the detentions, deportations, and exclusionary laws! We say Yes to an inclusive rainbow America, Yes to liberty and justice for all!"
Echoing Zia's message, Sameena Usman, the Government Relations Coordinator for the CAIR in SF, spoke on behalf of the Muslim community, the current group most targetted by the Immigration Ban. She pointed out the devastating increase in hate crimes against Muslims in the past year, in the Bay Area, in our own backyard, and the need to work together to end it.
In her closing, Usman said: "We need to return to values of respect, decency, and inclusion. We must stand together and work together to achieve these goals. I look forward to fighting the good fight in unity with all of you. We are truly Stronger Together."
Dr. Satsuki Ina, Tule Lake concentration camp survivor, spoke as someone who had the experience of extensive discrimination first hand.
She reflected on that time, saying: "135 years ago…75 years ago, there were no voices that stood up for us as we were torn from our families, denied citizenship, forced to attend segregated schools, denied employment and housing. No one stood up for us when we were forcefully removed from our homes and held in prison camps with an indeterminate sentence." This acted as an acknowledgment, that while we're in a different time, there is no telling how the ripple effects of discrimination might play out.
Jean Teodoro, a spoken word artist and activist from Youth Speaks, performed a piece about the fascination, clumsiness, pride, and embarrassment of being bi-lingual in America. For context, Teodoro shared his ancestors' experience being discriminated against as Filipinos in the U.S.
Hong Mei Pang, CAA staff member, spoke first in Mandarin, then in English, with a message of solidarity. Pang said with conviction: " We are here today, to build cities different from how we built the railroads—we are here today to build sanctuaries that embrace the 11 million undocumented people for their humanity rather than destroy immigrant families for profit. We are here to stay, and we will break down the wall that separates immigrants from our humanity. "
Chito Cuellar, head of the Hotel Restaurant Employees Union Local 2, an El Salvadorian immigrant demanded the administration "stop terrorizing our communities," and led a familiar chant: "Si Se Puede" (or "Yes We Can").
Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb, Jewish Voice for Peace, took the conversation beyond the obvious and pointed out the thread that connects each one of us. Gottlieb said: "We are here to say, all of us or none of us."
As the Rally came to a close, Zheng and Teng directed a series of positive chants tying together the day's themes and invited the crowd to gather around the stage for a group selfie. It was an auspicious beginning for a re-invigorated, better informed community with new coalitions made to move forward together to end exclusion and champion inclusion.
CAA makes a real difference in the lives of community members every day. Please join us in the cause of civil rights by making a donation now.
Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA)
Tweets by CAAsanfrancisco


Limit Login Attempts blocks an Internet address from making further login attempts after a specified limit on retries is reached, making a brute-force attack difficult or impossible.
If you know how to edit / add to PHP files, you can use the IP whitelist functionality described above. You should then use the "Restore Lockouts" button on the plugin settings page and remove the whitelist function again.
In theory the "auth cookie" is quite resistant to brute force attacks. It contains a cryptographic hash of the user password, and the difficulty to break it is not based on the password strength but instead on the cryptographic operations used and the length of the hash value. In theory, it should take many many years to break this hash. As theory and practice do not always agree, it is still a good idea to have working lockouts for any such attempts.
Make sure relevant values in $_COOKIE get cleared right away on auth cookie validation failure. There are still some problems with cookie auth handling. The lockout can trigger prematurely in rare cases. Unfortunately, fixing it is stuff for plugin version 2.


The new study, published in Nature Communications (Mengel et al, 2018), estimates how delays in meeting the goals of the Paris Agreement could affect the total amount of sea level rise by 2300.
The new research shows that the speed at which the world can cut its greenhouse gas emissions is becoming "the major leverage for future sea levels," says study lead author Dr Matthias Mengel, a postdoctoral researcher from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impacts (PIK) in Germany, in an interview with Carbon Brief.
The results suggest that sea levels could rise by 70 – 120cm by 2300 under a low emissions scenario (known as RCP2.6, see below). This level of sea rise could significantly increase the risk of flooding in coastal cities, such as New York, and island atoll nations. Currently, global emissions are tracking a higher scenario known as RCP8.5.
The results also indicate that, even once net-zero emissions are achieved and temperatures begin in fall, sea levels will continue to rise. This is because the drivers of sea level rise respond slowly to climate change. Global warming causes sea levels to rise in three main ways, Mengel says: thermal expansion (when seawater expands as the oceans absorb additional heat from the atmosphere); melting glaciers; and ice loss from the large ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica.
The findings show that the world must "reduce its emissions as fast as possible" in order to protect future generations from extreme sea level rise.


I get lost, in your eyes. And I feel my spirits rise. And soar like the wind. Is it love that I am in? I get weak in a glance. Isn't this what's called romance? And that's. "Lost in Your Eyes" by Nyoy Volante & Mannos is a cover of Debbie Gibson's " Lost in Your Eyes". Listen to both songs on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of. nyoy volante lost in your eyes. VIEW ON YOUTUBE. To our Riffstation community , While we work with labels and publishers on a paid Riffstation service.
Chords for NYOY VOLANTE - Lost In Your Eyes [HQ AUDIO]. Play along with guitar, ukulele, or piano with interactive chords and diagrams. Includes transpose . A# B F# D#m E C# A#m F#m G Em C D Bm Am] Chords for NYOY VOLANTE - Lost In Your Eyes [HQ AUDIO] with capo tuner, play along with guitar, piano. Listen to Lost In Your Eyes song by Nyoy Volante and read the complete lyrics. Discover new songs of Nyoy Volante.
Read about Lost in Your Eyes from Nyoy Volante & Mannos's NV&M and see the artwork, lyrics and similar artists.


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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Major Bjorn Lomborg funder revealed as billionaire Republican 'vulture capitalist'
By DeSmog Blog | 18 April 2015, 12:30pm | comments |
A billionaire climate change denier, 'vulture capitalist' and major backer of the U.S. Republican Party is a major funder of Bjørn Lomborg's think tank, which the Australian Govenment has just controversially announced plans to support an Australian iteration of with a $4.1 million grant, reports Graham Readfearn from DeSmogBlog.
NEW YORK-BASED hedge fund manager Paul E. Singer's charitable foundation gave $200,000 to Lomborg's Copenhagen Consensus Center (CCC) in 2013, latest U.S. tax disclosures reveal.
The grant to Lomborg's think tank is revealed in the tax form of the Paul E. Singer Foundation covering that foundation's activities between December 2012 and November 2013.
Singer, described as a 'passionate defender of the 1%', has emerged as a major force in the Republican party in recent years and was a key backer and influencer during Mitt Romney's failed tilt at the Presidency.
The $200,000 grant represented almost one third of the $621,057 in donations declared by the Copenhagen Consensus Center in 2013.
Lomborg, a Danish political scientist, is often cited on lists of the world's most influential people.
Call for Pyne's resignation over $4 million funding to climate contrarian http://t.co/nDVjjZM6gv via @smh
— Dave Donovan (@davrosz) April 18, 2015
He writes extensively on climate change and energy issues, with his columns appearing in many of the world's biggest news outlets.
The CCC think tank produces reports that consistently argue that cutting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing the roll-out of current renewable energy technologies should be low priorities for policy makers.
Recently, Lomborg wrote a column for the Wall Street Journal arguing climate change was not the urgent problem that many thought.
He wrote that
'... the narrative that the world's climate is changing from bad to worse is unhelpful alarmism.'
Lomborg argues the poorest countries need fossil fuels to lift themselves out of poverty – a position that gained support from the world's richest man, Bill Gates.
Debunking Lomborg, the Climate-Change Skeptic http://t.co/FU6MVQ7s5R
At a G20 side event in Brisbane last year, Lomborg appeared at an event sponsored by the world's largest private coal company, Peabody Energy, where he again argued that the world's poor needed fossil fuels.
The CCC's keystone project is the Post 2015 Consensus that is trying to influence the formulation of the next set of global development goals being discussed by the United Nations. Those goals will replace the millennium development goals.
Lomborg's CCC think tank was registered as a not-for-profit in the US in 2008 and has attracted almost $5 million in donations since then. In 2013, the CCCpaid Lomborg, its founder and president, $200,484 for his work. The previous year Lomborg was paid $775,000.
The Copenhagen Consensus has insisted that its funders, most of which are anonymous, do not influence its research. The think tank says it does not accept funding from the fossil fuel industry.
Despite being registered in the U.S., Lomborg has admitted that all but one of the think tank's seven staff are based elsewhere. The think tank's address is a parcel service in Lowell, Massachusetts.
The discovery of support from Paul Singer comes after a DeSmogBlog investigation last year found that CCC's early funders included conservative think tanks with links to the network of organisations funded by the Koch brothers, who have pushed millions into organisations denying climate science and blocking action to cut fossil fuel emissions.
Lomborg, part of the Kochs' Toxic Empire Rolling Stone: http://t.co/Wz9vbfdmgi #auspol $$$$s: http://t.co/jOftwCV4eK pic.twitter.com/IglQXXEGC4
— Sir U Bet I Gone! (@johndory49) April 17, 2015
In the 2014 U.S. political spending cycle, data presented by OpenSecrets shows Singer spent $9.4 million influencing Republicans — the biggest disclosed individual spender on the conservative side of U.S. politics.
Singer, whose Elliott Management hedge fund manages about $25 billion in assets, has been branded a "vulture capitalist" enterprise due to investment strategies employed by his firm that targets foreign economies in trouble.
A 2011 summary of 'vulture funds' in The Guardian said Elliott Management's
'... principal investment strategy ... [was] ... buying distressed debt cheaply and selling it at a profit or suing for full payment.'
Greg Palast, the author of Vulture's Picnic, documented in The Guardian how Singer's firm had managed to pocket $1.29 billion from the U.S. Treasury after a "brilliantly complex" financial manoeuvre in 2009 that saw Singer lead a consortium to buy the parts supplier of General Motors and Chrysler, before claiming cash from a government bailout of the struggling auto industry.
Singer, who according to Forbes is personally worth $1.8 billion, remains in conflict with the Argentinian government over debt bought by an Elliott affiliate and other investors.
The Gov just found $4 million to fund climate contrarian Bjorn Lomborg to run a think tank at UWA. http://t.co/qLCx5BoNTV
As well as the generosity shown to Bjorn Lomborg's think tank, Singer's foundation gave $500,000 to the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research, where Singer is chairman of the board of trustees.
The Manhattan Institute is also known for downplaying the impacts of climate change while promoting fossil fuels.
In October 2014, Manhattan senior fellow Robert Bryce wrote a report Not Beyond Coal, arguing that the future for the coal industry was bright and the fossil fuel was 'essential' for addressing poverty in developing countries — a position identical to that pushed by Lomborg.
Bryce also attacks the wind industry, claiming it cannot cut emissions, describing wind turbines as 'climate change scarecrows'. In testimony to the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in February 2014, Bryce said wind turbines were "slaughtering wildlife" and killed 600,000 birds every year in the United States.
A review of studies and data into US bird deaths has found about 600 million birds are killed annually in collisions with windows and buildings, but even this high number was only a quarter of the birds killed annually in the U.S. by feral cats.
FTW! RT @gregladen: @BjornLomborg is moving to Oz. I suspect he's been there for some time. http://t.co/5QHn0Zg4JF pic.twitter.com/qVk2e1rC6e
— Alan Nogee (@alannogee) April 17, 2015
Another large donation from Singer's foundation went to the Moving Picture Institute — an organisation that says it produces films that promote understanding of 'individual rights, limited government, and free markets'.
The MPI helped fund the 2004 pro-mining documentary Mine Your Own Business by Irish filmmakers Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney.
The two would go on to make the 2009 climate science denial film Not Evil Just Wrong, which was partly funded through a grant from DonorsTrust — a fund which stockpiles cash from conservative philanthropists and that has pushed millions into organisations promoting climate science denial while fighting action to cut emissions.
This is a slightly abridged version of a story originally published by DeSmogBlog on 9 February 2015 under the title 'Exclusive: Bjorn Lomborg Think Tank Funder Revealed As Billionaire Republican 'Vulture Capitalist' Paul Singer' and has been republished with permission. You can follow Graham Readfearn on Twitter @readfearn.
Abbott gov gives $4m for climate contrarian Lomborg's new Aus centre. funding background -> http://t.co/WUnKU1yOKd http://t.co/DM0zKd65WJ
— Graham Readfearn (@readfearn) April 16, 2015
Subscribe to IA for just $5.
Bjorn Lomborg & Tony #Abbott. From "Climate Change is Crap" to we'll say one thing & do another. #auspol pic.twitter.com/EEiqtwKsSw
POLITICS ENVIRONMENT EDUCATION
Graham Readfearn DeSmogBlog climate change Paul Singer Paul E. Singer Christopher Pyne #AGW climate change Copenhagen Consensus Center UWA
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WEST HOLLYWOOD (FOX 11 / CNS) - Rapper Post Malone was a passenger in a car that was broadsided by another vehicle Friday morning in an intersection in Beverly Hills.
The accident occurred about 2:40 a.m. in the intersection of Santa Monica Boulevard and Doheny Drive, according to Lt. Dan Nagelmann of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department's West Hollywood Station.
A videographer at the scene described the vehicle Malone was riding in as a white Rolls Royce and the other vehicle as a Kia.
No injuries were reported and alcohol or drugs do not appear to have been factors in the collision, Nagelmann said.
Investigators were looking into what led up to the crash, he said.


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MY RESPONSE TO GAMESPOT (and the reviews in general)
MY RESPONSE TO THE REVIEWS:
The nice thing about having a blog, is I can review the reviews! :)
As of now, here's what we're looking at:
IGN: 8/5/10
1UP: 8/10
GAMESPOT: 6.7/10
The first two I can live with, they feel fair and make sense. I am very, very proud of those reviews. Although, I have to say, when I hear the 1up guys on the podcast saying the game is the best on PSN AND saying that it's closing in on being one of the top 3 download games out there, it does seem 8 is a bit low...but what the hell...8 is good in my book, so thank you guys!
I'm not so keen on the GAMESPOT review, and who would be? It simply feels unfair and simply wrong. Granted, why would I not say that? I am the director of the game they are saying is simply 'fair'. So take my opinion with a grain of salt.
I think tho, much of it has to do with expectations for titles such as this, as well as maybe me not really understanding the review process.
So my thoughts in general on aspects of the reviews:
MAGNET ISSUE- Here was a nice, simple, clean PROBLEM with the game that the reviewer hit on that was pretty black and white. Hard to argue with this one. IGN hit this spot on and we've fixed it already! Nice thing about download games is you can see a review and then rush back to the code and do some tweaks :) So while we don't know if we've solved IGN's issue where the AI seemed to be able to dominate with the magnet weapon, we've at least toned it down and increased the amount of time a player needs to be in the magnet 'cone' before the criminal is sucked away. We did not touch the multiplayer aspect of this, just the single player where IGN had what we felt was a great point about how the single player was feeling. So thanks IGN!
LACK OF CONTENT: This one just makes no sense to me but I can live with the fact that I may in the minority here. I can also live with the fact that my take on what something should cost (as a guy who gets games for free mostly) is different from the take of a reviewer as to what a game should cost (as people who get paid to play games they usually get for free…but to be fair, the reviewers ARE paid to take the consumer mindset into mind….but then again, so am I…so anyway…). But look, it's a 10 dollar game. And for that you get: the core game (which in multiplayer- which is the point- EVERYONE says is at least fun, and many say is really, really fucking fun). 4 maps, split screen, internet with voice, and 10 cars to unlock. I fail to see how this is a bad deal, especially since if you like the multiplay- and all of the reviewers have- you can play the game for hours (over time) before you burn out. How is this a bad deal for 10 bucks? I just don't see it. The gamespot review- I think- didn't seem to like that you could finish the single player game in 20 minutes. And maybe this is a fault of the game's presentation but it's not an adventure game…it's like a fighting game in that sense: you work thru the single player to learn the game and unlock stuff. And when you get thru one level if you want to get better, up the difficulty. I get thru Tekken and Mortal Kombat single player in 5-15 minutes on default setting. Again, maybe our presentation did not make this clear and it's a fair call that Gamespot would want more from the single player experience. But it's not like I go out and buy Madden or NBA JAM or NBA HOMECOURT cause I'm going to be playing it by myself. But that could just be me and it's Gamespot's job- I assume- to take all gamer's desires into account and I can appreciate that.
But again, this may be the problem. Gamespot was not saying it's a shit game. They seemed to like aspects of it. So I'm not bashing them or the score so much as just being confused a bit. We set out to make a balls to the wall, trash talking, fun ass multiplayer/party game. From all reviews we did that and from a few of the reviews (IGN and 1up) we did that really, really well. And so really, that's all I care about. And I can see reviewers are not going to JUST review the game portions I care about. Hell, I guess I could have just taken out the single player so it would have never been an issue. But somehow that would have just felt wrong.
SCORES IN GENERAL: And maybe therein lies the problem. With the exception of the GAMESPOT score- which I really just feel is simply unfair- these scores are good scores and I am happy with them. I am proud of those scores; happy with them and grateful for them. So thanks IGN and 1up! But the issue may be that our goal was to provide a trash talking fun ass time with your buddies. And I feel we did that really well…between an 8 and a 10 depending on all the factors that determine fun that go into any individual game (who is playing; skill level;etc). So to me, I'm like: grade us on THAT because that was what we wanted to do.
But I guess that's like asking a movie reviewer to grade a horror movie 10/10 that wanted to do nothing more but provide a visceral thrill ride (and did that) while at the same time there may be other movies out there that provide the thrills AND drama and story too? You guys know my shitty analogies....not sure if that makes sense. And I'm rush typing this as I gotta head out for some shit to do today.
CASUAL: Diner Dash got like a 3/10 on a game site the other day. And that game is considered a watershed/masterpiece in the casual space. It may also be that as I get away from hardcore games, some of the reviewers (that have no interest in those sorts of games) that used to love the kind of stuff I did, will simply not find as much in the stuff we do nowadays to love? Could be…and I can understand that.
Or it could be that the game really is a 7/10 and I just WANTED it to be more. I can live with that as an option if that's how- once the game ships and people play it and pass judgement and time passes- that is how it all comes down. Hope that's not the case, but what can you do?
I don't know…I wanted to get a response to the scores up fast. I will prob. think on this some more and hit you guys back.
But overall, I am so proud of this game and think in many aspects it's the most fun game I've ever worked on. If you want a fun party game, then I think we've got something for you. I hope you read the reviews from folks who are into these sorts of titles and THEN make your decision to buy or pass.
Ok gotta run...thanks for indulging me. A more mature designer would say: 'my game is my response' and shut up about it. But come on, this is me :)
Posted by da criminal at 11:06 AM 269 comments:
MY RESPONSE TO GAMESPOT (and the reviews in genera...


text:
Showing results by author "Colleen Hoover" in All Categories
By: Colleen Hoover
Narrated by: Olivia Song
Lily hasn't always had it easy, but that's never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She's come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up - she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily's life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.
A Story That will Stay With Me Forever
By LilleyLoohLah on 19-08-16
Narrated by: Brian Pallino
When Leeds meets Layla, he's convinced he'll spend the rest of his life with her - until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla's behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that's just one of many inexplicable occurrences.
🎧 Layla and Leeds 🎧
By Mrs D on 07-01-21
Narrated by: Vanessa Johansson, Amy Landon
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read.
By Julia on 14-05-19
Heart Bones
Narrated by: Angela Goethals
Samson and Beyah have nothing in common on the surface. She comes from a life of poverty and neglect; he comes from a family of wealth and privilege. But one thing they do have in common is that they're both drawn to sad things. Which means they're drawn to each other. Beyah and Samson agree to stay in the shallow end of a summer fling. What Beyah doesn't realize is that a rip current is coming, and it's about to drag her heart out to sea.
Will not play
By Andrew on 02-01-21
Narrated by: Tanya Eby, Lauren Ezzo
Morgan Grant and her sixteen-year-old daughter, Clara, would like nothing more than to be nothing alike. Morgan is determined to prevent her daughter from making the same mistakes she did. By getting pregnant and married way too young, Morgan put her own dreams on hold. Clara doesn't want to follow in her mother's footsteps. Her predictable mother doesn't have a spontaneous bone in her body.
By Louise on 23-01-20
Would you rather know a truth that makes you feel hopeless, or keep believing the lies? Beloved and bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with the spellbinding story of two young people with devastating pasts who embark on a passionate, intriguing journey to discover the lessons of life, love, trust--and above all, the healing power that only truth can bring.
An intensely moving, mature read
By Anjalee Burrows on 09-02-18
Series: Hopeless, Book 1
Narrated by: Grace Grant, Deacon Lee
When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she doesn't think it's love at first sight. They wouldn't even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn't want love, she doesn't have time for love, so that just leaves the sex.
Underwhelming
By Jane Adelakun on 14-12-20
Point of Retreat, Volume 2
Slammed, Book 2
Narrated by: Kamran R. Khan
Hardships and heartache brought them together...now it could tear them apart. Layken and Will have proved their love can get them through anything; until someone from Will's past emerges, leaving Layken questioning the very foundation on which their relationship was built. Will is forced to face the ultimate challenge: how to prove his love for a girl who refuses to stop "carving pumpkins". "Sometimes two people have to fall apart, to realize just how much they need to fall back together."
Series: Slammed, Book 2
Maybe Not
Narrated by: Jason Carpenter
When Warren has the opportunity to live with a female roommate, he instantly agrees. It could be an exciting change. Or maybe not. Especially when that roommate is the cold and seemingly calculating Bridgette. Tensions run high and tempers flare as the two can hardly stand to be in the same room together. But Warren has a theory about Bridgette: Anyone who can hate with that much passion should also have the capability to love with that much passion. And he wants to be the one to test this theory.
Decent addition to Maybe Someday
By Jagna on 02-05-20
Series: Maybe (Hoover), Book 1.5
Narrated by: Elizabeth Louise, Sebastian York
Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight, and there's no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn't expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.
a modern mills and boon
By Cathy H. on 24-10-19
Narrated by: Zachary Webber, Angela Goethals
At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter's cheating on her - and she is left trying to decide what to do next.
Beautiful, Beautiful story
By marissa on 12-08-14
Series: Maybe (Hoover), Book 1
Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon's last day in LA together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year.
November 9 by Colleen Hoover
By Samantha (The Secret Life of a Bookworm) on 25-02-16
This Girl: A Novel
Narrated by: Kirby Heyborne
Layken and Will's love has managed to withstand the toughest of circumstances and the young lovers, now married, are beginning to feel safe and secure in their union. As much as Layken relishes their new life together, she finds herself wanting to know everything there is to know about her husband, even though Will makes it clear he prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong. Still, he can't resist his wife's pleas and so he begins to untangle his side of the story, revealing for the first time his most intimate feelings and thoughts, retelling both the good and bad moments, and sharing a few shocking confessions of his own.
Slammed regurgitated
By SoozBookReviews on 29-08-13
Maybe Now
Narrated by: Angela Goethals, Jonathan Todd Ross, Rebekkah Ross, and others
What is more important? Friendship, loyalty, or love? Colleen Hoover and Griffin Peterson collaborate once again to bring fans of Maybe Someday back into the musical world of Ridge Lawson and Sydney Blake.
Even better than the first book!
Narrated by: Angela Goethals, Jonathan Todd Ross, Rebekkah Ross, Zachary Webber
Narrated by: Madeleine Maby
The number one New York Times best-selling author of It Ends with Us delivers a tour de force novel about a troubled marriage and the one old forgotten promise that might be able to save it. Quinn and Graham's perfect love is threatened by their imperfect marriage. The memories, mistakes, and secrets that they have built up over the years are now tearing them apart. The one thing that could save them might also be the very thing that pushes their marriage beyond the point of repair.
Come on this destroyed me!
By Ditzy on 24-07-18
Never Never: Part Three
By: Tarryn Fisher, Colleen Hoover
Narrated by: Elizabeth Evans, Kevin Free
Together, Silas Nash and Charlize Wynwood must look deeper into the past to find out who they were and who they want to be. With time ticking down, the couple are in a race to find the answers they need before they lose everything.
Series: Never Never, Book 3
Narrated by: Heidi Baker
Layken Cohen isn't your typical 18-year-old. After the recent death of her father, she is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's slowly losing hope. Enter Will Cooper: The 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for performing "Slams". Will and Layken immediately form an intense and emotional connection neither of them knew they needed until it was found.
Good book/ bad audible
Never Never: Part One
By: Colleen Hoover, Tarryn Fisher
Narrated by: Kevin Free, Elizabeth Evans
Never Never, a novella series. Book one of three. Best friends since they could walk. In love since the age of 14. Complete strangers since this morning. He'll do anything to remember. She'll do anything to forget. This novella is recommended for people age 16+ due to mild language and sexual content.
kinni 99
By kinni99 on 07-04-17
Never Never: Part Two
Silas races against time as more truths unravel, while others twist tighter together. And now the stakes are higher as Silas' control slips, and others begin to point fingers. Charlie is in trouble, and he must be the one to bridge the chasm between their past and their present. Because somewhere between "I love yous" and "never nevers" and "never agains", a truth they can't imagine beckons to be found.
noooooooo don't go, I want more
By Amanda on 03-04-16
Without Merit
Narrated by: Candace Thaxton
In Colleen Hoover's gripping novel, reminiscent of the best-selling works of Liane Moriarty and Jojo Moyes, a young woman decides to reveal the dark secrets of her seemingly happy family before she leaves them behind, but when her escape plan fails, she must deal with the staggering consequences of telling the truth.
Random...


1. A Tatar unit of length equivalent to 177.8 millimeters. It was rendered obsolete when the Soviet Union began to use the metric system in 1924.
2. A Tatar unit of area approximately equivalent to 5,463 square meters. It was rendered obsolete when the Soviet Union began to use the metric system in 1924.
3. A Tatar unit of volume approximately equivalent to 210 liters. It was rendered obsolete when the Soviet Union began to use the metric system in 1924.