text:
"""Support for Alexa skill service end point."""
import voluptuous as vol

from homeassistant.const import CONF_CLIENT_ID, CONF_CLIENT_SECRET, CONF_NAME
from homeassistant.helpers import config_validation as cv, entityfilter

from . import flash_briefings, intent, smart_home_http
from .const import (
    CONF_AUDIO,
    CONF_DESCRIPTION,
    CONF_DISPLAY_CATEGORIES,
    CONF_DISPLAY_URL,
    CONF_ENDPOINT,
    CONF_ENTITY_CONFIG,
    CONF_FILTER,
    CONF_LOCALE,
    CONF_PASSWORD,
    CONF_SUPPORTED_LOCALES,
    CONF_TEXT,
    CONF_TITLE,
    CONF_UID,
    DOMAIN,
)

CONF_FLASH_BRIEFINGS = "flash_briefings"
CONF_SMART_HOME = "smart_home"
DEFAULT_LOCALE = "en-US"

ALEXA_ENTITY_SCHEMA = vol.Schema(
    {
        vol.Optional(CONF_DESCRIPTION): cv.string,
        vol.Optional(CONF_DISPLAY_CATEGORIES): cv.string,
        vol.Optional(CONF_NAME): cv.string,
    }
)

SMART_HOME_SCHEMA = vol.Schema(
    {
        vol.Optional(CONF_ENDPOINT): cv.string,
        vol.Optional(CONF_CLIENT_ID): cv.string,
        vol.Optional(CONF_CLIENT_SECRET): cv.string,
        vol.Optional(CONF_LOCALE, default=DEFAULT_LOCALE): vol.In(
            CONF_SUPPORTED_LOCALES
        ),
        vol.Optional(CONF_FILTER, default={}): entityfilter.FILTER_SCHEMA,
        vol.Optional(CONF_ENTITY_CONFIG): {cv.entity_id: ALEXA_ENTITY_SCHEMA},
    }
)

CONFIG_SCHEMA = vol.Schema(
    {
        DOMAIN: {
            CONF_FLASH_BRIEFINGS: {
                vol.Required(CONF_PASSWORD): cv.string,
                cv.string: vol.All(
                    cv.ensure_list,
                    [
                        {
                            vol.Optional(CONF_UID): cv.string,
                            vol.Required(CONF_TITLE): cv.template,
                            vol.Optional(CONF_AUDIO): cv.template,
                            vol.Required(CONF_TEXT, default=""): cv.template,
                            vol.Optional(CONF_DISPLAY_URL): cv.template,
                        }
                    ],
                ),
            },
            # vol.Optional here would mean we couldn't distinguish between an empty
            # smart_home: and none at all.
            CONF_SMART_HOME: vol.Any(SMART_HOME_SCHEMA, None),
        }
    },
    extra=vol.ALLOW_EXTRA,
)

async def async_setup(hass, config):
    """Activate the Alexa component."""
    if DOMAIN not in config:
        return True

    config = config[DOMAIN]

    flash_briefings_config = config.get(CONF_FLASH_BRIEFINGS)

    intent.async_setup(hass)

    if flash_briefings_config:
        flash_briefings.async_setup(hass, flash_briefings_config)

    try:
        smart_home_config = config[CONF_SMART_HOME]
    except KeyError:
        pass
    else:
        smart_home_config = smart_home_config or SMART_HOME_SCHEMA({})
        await smart_home_http.async_setup(hass, smart_home_config)

    return True

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
IAC / NTL GIRLS TRACK & FIELD: HUTCHISON LEADS ATHENS TO TEAM TITLE AT MOLLY DRY INVITE — WAVERLY FINISHES THIRD, SAYRE SIXTH (24 PHOTOS) (2019-04-12)
MANSFIELD — Senior Rachel Hutchison was a triple-winner to pace Athens to the team title here Friday at the Molly Dry Track & Field Invitational, while junior Cora Smith won two events to lead Waverly a third-place finish, and freshman Rozlyn Haney won a gold and two silver medals to lead Sayre to a sixth-place finish in the 22-team field.
Athens won the team title with 94 points, edging out runner-up Horseheads, which had 89 points.
Waverly tallied 77 points, while fourth-place Williamson had 65 points, fifth-place Coudersport had 49 points, and Sayre collected 48 points.
Hutchison won the 300-meter hurdles in a time of 48.2 seconds, while Sayre junior Julia Boyle was second in 52.28 seconds, and Sindoni was sixth in 55.9 seconds.
Hutchison won the 800-meter run in a time of 2:29.47, while Waverly junior Elizabeth Fritzen was fourth in 2:32.44, Athens sophomore Emma Roe was sixth in 2:37.24, Sayre senior Jennifer Shaffer was seventh in 2:38.0, Sayre junior Kayla Hughey was eighth in 2:39.67, Waverly freshman Olivia Nittinger was ninth in 2:41.14,
Hutchison also teamed with freshman Hannah Walker, Roe, and Markle won the 1,600-meter relay in a time of 4:24.61, while the Sayre quartet of Haney, and seniors Kayla Kittle, Jennifer Shaffer, and senior Anna Coller was second in 4:31.73. The Waverly team of Fritzen, senior Stephanie Hyland, junior Sadie VanAllen, and freshman Olivia Nittinger finished fourth in 4:35.24.
Smith won the 1,600-meter run in a time of 5:12.85, while Sayre junior Kayla Hughey was 13th in 6:09.25, and Athens senior Sophie Adams was 14th in 6:10.15.
Smith also won the 3,200-meter run in a time of 11:07.11, while Waverly junior Sheridan Talada was third in 12:25.84, Adams was fifth in 14:02.12, and Sayre sophomore Lucy Coller was seventh in 14:08.7.
Haney won the 200-meter dash in a time of 27.63 seconds, while Hannah Walker was fifth in 28.73 seconds, VanAllen was sixth in 29.01 seconds, and Waverly senior Sarah Uhl was eighth in 29.53 seconds. Athens sophomore Leah Liechty finished 10th in 30.58 seconds, and Anna Coller was 12th in 31.69 seconds.
Haney finished second in the 100-meter dash in 13.43 seconds, and Athens freshman Hannah Walker was fifth in 13.66 seconds. Uhl was 16th in 14.31 seconds.
Athens senior Ariana Gambrell won the 100-meter hurdles in 15.9 seconds, and Julia Boyle was seventh in 17.61 seconds. Sayre sophomore Courtney Sindoni was 12th in 19.14 seconds.
Talada finished second in the 2,000-meter steeplechase in a time of 7:58.2.
Gambrell finished third in the triple jump with a mark of 32-feet, 1/2-inch, and Hyland was fourth at 31-feet, 11 1/4-inch.
The Waverly foursome of Hyland, Fritzen, Smith, and Nittinger finished third in the 3,200-meter relay in a time of 10:17.15, while the Sayre quartet of Shaffer, Kittle, Hughey, and sophomore Carrie Claypool was seventh in a time of 11:04.53.
The Waverly foursome of Uhl, VanAllen, Nittinger, and freshman Sydney Nierstedt teamed to finish third in the 400-meter relay in a time of 56.0 seconds, and the Athens quartet of Gambrell, Hutchison, Hannah Walker, and Markle was sixth in a time of 58.31 seconds.
Roe finished third in the 400-meter dash in 1:05.91, while Hyland was fourth in 1:06.03, and Kittle was seventh in 1:10.14. Anna Coller was 10th in 1:11.5, while Athens freshman Taylor Walker was 12th in 1:13.58, and Waverly senior Natalia Urrejola was 14th in 1:13.84.
Taylor Walker finished third in the high jump at 4-feet, 4-inches, and Liechty was fourth at 4-feet, 4-inches.
Waverly senior Kennedy Wheeler finished fourth in the shot put with a heave of 29-feet, 11 /12-inches, and Waverly junior Marissa Eisenhower was seventh at 28-feet, 9-inches. Athens junior Madisyn Joslyn was 15th at 26-feet, 5-inches.
Athens junior Cassidy Stackpole finished fourth in the javelin with a toss of 110-feet, 1-inch, and Athens senior Paige McCarthy was fifth at 103-feet, 5-inches.
Athens freshman Olivia Bartlow finished fifth in the discus with a toss of 88-feet, 8-inches, and McCarthy was 15th in 64-feet, 3-inches.
Nierstedt finished 12th in the long jump at 13-feet, 3 1/4-inches.
IN PHOTO 1: Athens senior Rachel Hutchison. ... PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHELA BUBNIAK.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


A firm fixture in the industry's calendar, Leaders in Logistics: Post & Parcel Europe heads to Copenhagen in March 2020. Gathering together the key people you need to meet, the event attracts national posts and logistics operators, along with exciting start-ups, retailers and the supply chain from Europe and beyond.
"An influential conference on subjects that are critically important to the profitability of the industry."
"The conference was highly effective and efficient, both from idea exchange and a networking point of view."
"The conference provides a platform to discuss policy and commercial developments critical to the delivery sector."
"A gathering of bigwigs that yields insight into the future of delivery."
"The holistic picture gotten at the event supports the decision makers in improving their vision on the industry and thus the business policy of their companies."
"A crucial event for exchange and networking for everybody active in and around the postal business."
Looking ahead: how will technology shape the industry's future?
Humans vs. technology: will AI replace humans?
Who bears the social costs?
Who is responsible when code adapts itself?
Which new technologies are truly transforming the post and parcel industry?
Can new technology be used to bridge the divide between post and e-commerce?
What is blockchain's potential across the supply chain?
Will autonomous vehicles become a reliable delivery method?
How realistic is the mass rollout of drones and droids in urban areas?
What can Europe learn from the development of technology in other geographical regions?
By facilitating autonomous verification, recording and coordination of transactions, blockchain holds the promise of removing third parties within logistics whilst increasing customer trust thanks to its key characteristics – distributed, consensus-based and security. Here our speakers discuss the wide-ranging potential for the technology to transform the logistics industry for the better.
How will data analytics shape the future of successful postal operators?
Operational analytics: what new tools are on the horizon and what benefits are expected?
How does the uptake and impact of automation differ between postal operators and couriers?
Technology is the key component to the development of mass intelligent logistics networks, and therefore central to continued growth. Ismail will share how PTT Post uses new technology, their plans for the near future and lessons learnt so far.
An Post Retail was tasked in 2018 with overseeing the significant investment in growing the branch network by expanding reach to meet changing customer needs and shopping patterns. Debbie will explain its strategy, which includes strengthening accessibility to government and community financial services, and cementing post as the backbone of e-commerce; and reflect on the success of the project thus far.
When it comes to the last mile, logistics operators face many unpredictable obstacles such as the customer changing delivery address or calling customer care regarding delivery status, traffic jams etc. How can technology help smooth the process? Mikael will share how ALK and PocketMobile assist operators to instantly manage change through routing optimisation tools, ETA notifications and more.
The appearance of a vast array of agile new start-ups poses both an immediate opportunity and a longer-term potential threat to incumbent postal and logistics operators.
In this session, delegates will hear from a selection of exciting pioneers seeking to enhance the post and parcel industry through their innovative offerings.
The SMARTMILE platform is an innovative operating system which enables more efficient, convenient and sustainable deliveries in cities. SMARTMILE creates a unique, open and shared urban delivery infrastructure through its cloud-based software which connects automated parcel terminals to all online buyers, couriers and retailers.
PimPamPost is a sustainable service of international parcels deliveries for European SMEs specializing in e-commerce. It leverages technology and the sharing economy concept to revolutionize the traditional way of sending parcels cross-border in Europe.
ZigZag's mission is to help retailers become more sustainable whilst cutting costs and improving the speed of customer refunds. Its platform connects major retailers to a global network of warehouses, drawing on predictive analytics to work out if a retailer should hold and resell returned products in local markets or bring them back via consolidation.
Slimbox, Fit Things' first product, helps you reduce costs, have fewer broken goods, and help the environment. With a click of a button, you can make perfectly fitted packaging for the goods you wish to send, avoiding polluting filling materials and high shipping costs. A Slimbox gives you the freedom to have any size or type of box at any given moment.
Video Surveillance was yesterday. Say Hello to Optics-based Performance Improvement.
Geutebrück will explain how its 50 years' experience in video surveillance combined with artificial intelligence will increase the performance and transparency of logistics operations. Postal and express operators in particular can look forward to an efficient and yield-increasing entry into digital transformation.
The Future Lab is a brand-new department within bpost, tasked with breakthrough innovation on limited budgets and under challenging timelines. By breaking away from the larger organisation it is better able to investigate customer needs and build solutions for them. Patrick will share recent exciting projects which have emerged from the Future Lab and outline challenges the team will be addressing next.
Reflecting on the last five years: how has innovation shaped the delivery industry?
How can the culture change necessary to allow for innovation be implemented?
What lessons can be drawn from the experience of other countries?
The post and parcel industry is undergoing a transformative period of change driven largely by the rapid and extensive uptake of e-commerce globally. How can established players successfully adapt their operating model to thrive in this new environment? Here we present a series of short keynotes from major industry leaders to hear how their respective organisations are engaging with e-commerce and their plans for the years ahead.
The new reality: what is the impact of consumer uptake of e-commerce across Europe?
How are retailer demands driving the requirements of the logistics industry?
How can delivery operators become flexibly integrated with retailers?
Where next for e-commerce delivery?
What logistics insight can be taken from a postal operator responsible for a vast geography?
How is market digitalisation impacting parcel network pricing?
Laying the groundworks: how can organisations begin to start a price optimisation initiative?
What logistics insight can be taken from a national post of a smaller country?
Predicting the next big thing: where should the industry be investing?
What solutions can help e-tailers navigate cross border selling challenges?
How can the delivery industry encourage willingness to purchase cross-border items?
Strong cross-border capabilities are critical in response to evolving customer purchase desires and demands. Martina will share how Österreichische Post are extending their network through Asia, and reflect on the implications of this focus.
How much clarity has the industry gained now that the deadline has arrived?
Is a soft border in Ireland really achieveable?
How will Brexit impede the current haulage network?
How will a potentially drawn out process affect the continued growth of e-commerce in the UK?
To what extent will UK-based logistics companies move to Europe?
What new opportunities may be created elsewhere as a result?
Impact on delivery: threats or opportunities?
Where is the journey for mail heading?
In the context of a structural decline in mail volumes, a key target for postal operators is to increase efficiency whilst enhancing the service offering for customers. Stephen will describe Royal Mail's journey which uses technology to achieve this aim.
Is the dominant position of letter mail still tenable in the modern postal age?
How can the USO be used to drive forward a focus on growing letters?
What lessons can be drawn from these two approaches?
Retailers are an important and growing customer base for both postal and logistics operators, arguably the new decision-makers in the modern world of e-commerce. In this session retail speakers will simultaneously share what their respective companies are looking for in their logistics partners, outlining lessons learnt so far; they will explain how delivery supports their companies' wider growth and improvement aims. With the intention of strengthening the retail-delivery operator relationship, delegates will then have the opportunity to directly and informally engage in conversation with their chosen retail speaker.
How can consumers be encouraged to make their purchases through the postal network?
Which types of additional offerings can be incorporated to the existing service network?
How does digitalisation enhance customer experience?
Navigating rough terrain: what does the future hold for USPS?
The change in administration in the United States brought increased scrutiny of the USPS' finances and structure in the shape of a task-force report, following President Trump's claim that the national postal operator makes a loss on every package delivered for Amazon. Threats of a US withdrawal from the UPU soon followed. Here, our speakers discuss how these changes will shape the postal service as well as implications for the global market at a time of tumultuous change.
How can the post and parcel industry attract and retain new talent?
The stability and security of the post and parcel industry workforce is in doubt due to a combination of critical market trends including a labour shortage and the lack of perceived attractiveness of the sector. As large employers, how can postal operators and couriers alike ensure they are addressing the concerns of the younger generation, whilst promoting values of inclusivity and diversity?
Delegates are encouraged to participate throughout using mobile voting.
The EC perspective: how should digital platforms be regulated?
What's next on the horizon for regulation of e-commerce?
Assessing a changing industry: where are green initiatives taking us next?
How is company activity as a whole shaped by environmental policy?
How can smart logistics planning make business models environmentally and financially sustainable?
Delivery operators' efforts to go green are being propelled forwards by the municipal authority's own sustainability drive to reduce pollution and congestion. In 2018, Gnewt Cargo partnered with the Greater London Authority to run a low emissions and logistics trial, funded by Innovate UK. Sam will reflect on how this partnership has impacted their respective projects, and the lessons learnt from the process.
Constantly increasing labour costs have made automation in the last mile even more pressing. Ansi will share Estonia's experience and future project plans for automation within the last mile, as well as introduce different innovative solutions which support customer satisfaction.
Digital solutions are having a positive impact on operational processes but how does the customer gain? Data collection to aid decision-making has little long-lasting impact on customer demands, as the last best experience rapidly becomes the new minimum expectation. Mladen will highlight the importance of retaining human contact as the enabler of AI and new technologies.
Traditional retail and carriers are being disrupted by the shift to digital, driven by the worldwide growth of e-commerce. The delivery industry must contend with this change whilst meeting increasingly demanding customer expectations. Mike will share how Doddle deliver great digital experiences as a means of engaging with its customers, whilst also maximising the return on investment of physical assets.
Book now to secure our special discount, for a limited time only!
You are purchasing tickets at the National Posts & Logistics Operators Rate.
This rate is available for national posts and couriers only. Service providers, including consultants, outsourcing services providers, managing agents, IT providers and solicitors are not eligible for this rate.
I confirm that I am eligible for the National Posts & Logistics Operators rate.
Mary Traversy responds to the industry's prevailing questions, including how the continuing growth of e-commerce is shaping operations at Canada Post, and how the UPU's pricing structures have affected national postal operators.
A Strategic Postal, Parcel and E-Commerece event that brings together leading national posts, express couriers, and major retailers from across Asia, Europe and the Americas.
How can you connect with your customer?
The customer experience conference to attend this summer is TechNOVA: Connected Customer. Explore the modern connected customer and how to reach them with 60+ speakers from across all industries.


text:
Crashlands Reviews
Crashlands is ranked in the 63rd percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
Fun combat, great writing, and a great look, but with pacing and progression tuned for a mobile experience, not the PC.
A deep and thoughtfully designed progression system provides many hours of discovery
Jeb Haught
Crashlands swooped in under my radar and surprised me with its complex yet streamlined gameplay and laugh-out-loud humor. I tend to play it for longer stints than most portable games, and it has given me a reason to carry my iPad with me wherever I go.
Francesco Destri
Crashland is an intense (and often frustrating) arcade shooter for true fans of the genre. It still needs some adjustments, but in general the effect of terror/repulsion is assured.
Mick Fraser
A more story-driven take on the gather & build genre, Crashlands wears its inspirations boldly, but gets away with it.
Rob Gordon
Game Rant
Developer Butterscotch Shenanigans delivers a rip-roaring success with crafting action RPG Crashlands, bringing outlandish humor and addictive gameplay to the indie scene.
Sarah Marchant
Crashlands is a charming cartoony story-driven RPG. The Adventure mode is a near flawless balance of story, exploration, combat, and crafting, but if you have a preferred playstyle or want to try something different after you've beaten the game, there are three other modes to choose from. With its convenient gameplay mechanics and detailed design, time easily flies while playing this enjoyable game.
Sean Colleli
Crashlands smooths the desperate edge off of open world survival crafting, and turns it into a laid-back experience that works best in short, pick-up-and-play sessions. That said I personally found the game's persistent random humor to be pretty irritating.
Dom Reseigh-Lincoln
Crashlands' cartoon sci-fi world offers a fun-loving cross between Minecraft, Toejam & Earl and Don't Starve with its 'RPG-lite' mix of crafting, questing and combat. It's incredibly easy to pick up and play thanks to the streamlined design of its inventory and the automation of accessing tools and weapons, and while its grind for new armour can get a little repetitive after a while, there are some cute little mechanics to unearth, such as the power to incubate eggs and nurture your own pets. While it's never going to hold a candle to the RPG chops of Diablo III: Eternal Collection, it still offers a colourful curio alternative on Switch.
Gene Marsh
A fun game that surprises and amuses. It's not exactly what you expect, but it's still a pleasant surprise. Skeptics should hold out until they see enough of it.
GameSpace
The loop of crafting new gear, finding new locations, and crafting slightly new gear gets tiresome eventually, but the story and exploration is just enough to keep you going to see this quest to its end. A sequel is supposedly coming from Butterscotch Shenanigans in the near future, and for now I'm happy to revisit the 2016 game on the Switch, because it reminds me just how good an original take on the survival genre can be.
Kirstie Summers
Pure Nintendo
Crashlands is a light-hearted romp, in which you are free to explore a fun alien planet at your own pace and make a little part of it feel like home.
Ian Kuan
Mediocre, yet imaginative, Crashlands is a game for those with a strong stomach for repetitive gameplay and oddball humor.
BizarreAdventure
Crashlands is well worth the money if you like 2D survival games with some alien flare and humor.
Levi van Tine
High-Def Digest
'Crashlands' has heart and soul in spades. It is capricious, engrossing, and highly addictive. It has such a pleasant mix of genres that it can be appealing to a wide variety of gamers, not just the ones who enjoy a good craft. Its flaws, like the slow start and smudgy menus, are small and easily overlooked.
NintendoWorldReport
Based on the developer name I went in assuming the writing would include top notch humor and I wasn't disappointed. The dialogue between Flux and Juicebox is well written and a wonderful reward for completing tasks. As long as you don't mind the slower pace and simplistic combat, Crashlands is a fun way to help a space trucker reach retirement.
Crashlands strikes the perfect balance between the unforgiving Don't Starve and the laidback Minecraft to create a fun survival game.
Paul Renshaw
TheXboxHub
Crashlands by Butterscotch Shenanigans is one of those rare games where a whole stack of ideas has been thrown into the mix, yet the result is a beautiful blend rather than a stodgy mess. The story isn't the strongest, but the wish to see what Flux can build next, the need to gear up to beat a boss, the exploring, and the taming of creatures all just works.
Shaun Joy
Dragnix
Richard York
Chalgyr's Game Room
Overall, Crashlands is a solid choice if you're looking for a little less hectic, more role-playing experience than some of the other "survival crafting" games out there. These types of games do tend to be a lot of the same thing over and over again though, so make sure you know you may be in for the long haul if you really get into the game.


text:
Chilling 911 call reveals paramedics rushed to Paris Jackson after 'psychiatric problem'
Michael Jackson's daughter fired back at reports she was hospitalised over a suicide attempt - but this chilling audio reveals new details
Vicki NewmanSenior Celebrity Reporter
Chilling audio from a 911 dispatch call reveals that the ambulance called to Paris Jackson 's house upgraded the case to an emergency.
Ambulance personnel can be he heard talking about responding to a "psychiatric problem" and upgrading the call to "emergency" status.
The crew, from Los Angeles City Fire and EMS dispatch, also identify the person they're rushing to see as a "possible VIP", in the audio obtained by the Daily Mail .
Someone on the audio asks if they should notify Battalion 5, which is a logistics unit of the Marine Corps, but they are told not to.
It had been reported on Saturday that Michael Jackson 's daughter had been hospitalised following a suicide attempt.
Paris Jackson 'refusing to go to rehab amid suicide attempt rumours'
Paris has denied that she attempted suicide (Image: Broadimage/REX)
But she immediately hit back, sharing the story from TMZ on Twitter and writing "lies lies lies omg and more lies".
Sources close to Paris told Mirror Online that while there had been an incident that required medical treatment, Paris had not attempted suicide.
Following the reports, Paris was seen out in Los Angeles with her boyfriend, The Soundflowers musician Gabriel Glenn, later that day.
The 20-year-old was met by reporters who asked about the reports.
In a video, one was heard saying: "Paris, how are you?"
Paris was seen out later that same day with her boyfriend (Image: SplashNews.com)
She insisted the reports were "bulls***" (Image: Backgrid grabs)
She responded: "Oh my god."
The reporter continued: "There was reports that you were in hospital. Are you okay?"
Paris said: "Yeah, it's bulls***, dude."
During the outing, Paris wore a jacket with the slogan 'Puppies, wine and I'm fine' written on the back, although the word 'wine' had been covered with duct tape.
Paris, who is still under the legal drinking age in America, has been open about her struggles with depression in the past.
Paris Jackson is all smiles after slamming reports she 'attempted suicide'
Michael with his children, Prince and Paris (Image: Getty)
Paris has previously spoken about dealing with anxiety and depression.
In 2017, during an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Paris explained she had attempted suicide "multiple times" in the past, but had found trying her hand at modelling had boosted her confidence.
Police reports suggested Paris was rushed to hospital following a suspected suicide attempt on Saturday.
"At about 7:28 a.m. officers responded to the 7200 block of Hillside for an ambulance attempted suicide. The victim was transported to a local hospital," a police spokesperson said.
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at webcelebs@trinitymirror.com or call us direct 0207 29 33033
Showbiz editor's picks
Tearful Kate says kids have 'lost dad'
Jeff shares snap of lookalike Freddie
Depp ended Amber marriage over a poo
Kate Garraway confirms GMB return
Justin TimberlakeJustin Timberlake welcomes second child with wife Jessica Biel and reveals cute nameJustin Timberlake has confirmed that he and wife Jessica Biel have welcomed a second child, as he reveals the name during an appearance on The Ellen DeGeneres Show
Laura Whitmore shares unseen snap of beloved pet dog 'who played key role at wedding'
Laura WhitmoreLaura Whitmore has revealed that her wedding to Iain Stirling was aided by their four-legged friend Mick, who she says played a star role on their big day


After all, it marked the start of the arduous journey to freedom for the young Cambodian refugee who had lost his childhood and suffered years of torment and torture under the brutal Khmer Rouge regime.
At the Philippine Refugee Processing Center at Morong in Bataan province, he was finally free from the bloodbath that killed five of his eight siblings, his father and nearly 60 relatives.
More than 30 years later, the longtime civic leader was making a homecoming of sorts when he returned to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award, regarded as Asia's highest honor.
For Chhang, a survivor of the genocide that killed over 2 million Cambodians, that dark period remains a monumental challenge for his countrymen to recognize.
Beginning in 1995, he took on the colossal task of investigating, documenting and memorializing the crimes against humanity committed by the Khmer Rouge from 1975 to 1979.
He served as executive director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia, which began as a Yale University project before it became an independent institute under his leadership in 1997.
His two decades of work uncovered stories otherwise untold. His efforts led to the digital mapping of more than 20,000 mass graves in Cambodia's "killing fields" and the identification of over 100 prison sites.
Over a million documents related to the genocide—including more than 10,000 interviews of both victims and perpetrators—had been collected, providing evidence in the war crimes trial that sent three Khmer Rouge leaders behind bars.
It was a deeply personal mission for the Phnom Penh-born Chhang, who was captured, enslaved and tortured by the Khmer Rouge.
"My childhood will never be returned to me. This is something that I can never forgive the regime for doing to all the children, the mothers and the innocent," he said.
When Chhang was 14 years old, he was seized by Khmer Rouge forces for trying to steal mushrooms for his starving and pregnant sister. He was severely tortured in front of helpless villagers.
He witnessed horrors that continue to haunt and pain him, especially the time when the Khmer Rouge tried to prove that one of his sisters had stolen some rice. They slashed open her stomach and finding it empty, they left her to die.
At 17, his mother sent him away to the Thai border to escape. He became a refugee in the Philippines for a year before making his way to the United States.
Chhang had thought that he could move on from his personal horrors to begin a new chapter in his life when he served with a United Nations peacekeeping mission in Cambodia in 1992.
But he saw that the Khmer Rouge continued to be active in Cambodian politics and when they threatened his mother and another sister, he realized he had to do something.
"That's when I began to understand that without confronting the past and learning from the mistakes, you cannot be a better society," he said.
After more than 20 years of extensive documentation, Chhang hopes that his life's work would lead to national reconciliation and collective healing.
He now oversees the building of the Sleuk Rith Institute in Phnom Penh, which will house a museum, archives, library and a resource center for a world still scarred and threatened by the same crimes that plagued his life.
As the years of horror recede to the past, Chhang is hopeful that the present and future generations would strive and demand to learn their history to create a better society.
Chhang said he dedicated the award that brought him back to his second home to his own mother and to all the mothers both in Cambodia and in the Philippines.


text:
By Hooder
Email: hooder@ntlworld.com
Tony usually liked coming home for Christmas, but this one was boring boring boring . Aunt Agatha had moved in and showed no signs of leaving - ever - and the prospect of sitting downstairs with his parents and her had driven him up to his bedroom in a desperate effort to escape. He only lived in the next town, but rarely came back here except for Christmas.
'His' bedroom (they still called it that even though Tony hadn't lived at home for several years now) hadn't changed much at all: even the tomato ketchup stain on the wall behind the bed (from a brilliant food-fight when he'd been twelve) was still there - it had resisted all of his mother's attempts to remove it. He'd grinned when he'd pulled the bed out to look for it, and memories had come flooding back.
But now Tony was bored. He'd listened to all of the minidiscs he'd brought with him, and he needed something to do. With a sigh he pulled the headphones off and stood up. A walk, perhaps. Being as quiet as possible, he tiptoed downstairs and grabbed his jacket off the peg. His hand was on the doorknob when Agatha's voice trumpeted from the front room. "Anthony? Come and give your auntie a kiss."
Oh fuck. Within seconds he was jogging away down the path, pulling his jacket on as he went.
Where to go? Abruptly, he stopped dead in his tracks. He knew exactly where he would go: somewhere he hadn't been for... it must be the best part of five or six years. The den was a secret place he'd only ever told his closest schoolfriends about, and they used to play there most days. Smiling now, he set off towards the wood.
Back then, when he'd been fourteen or so, he'd had no idea what the place was, but he knew that it had been exciting and special. Now, though, he knew that it was an underground bunker which had been used as part of the early-warning system for possible nuclear strikes during the cold war. That had been before his time, but nevertheless the place had provided limitless possibilities for a teenager's imagination. it would be nice to see the old den again - if it was still there.
Indeed it was. Located at the edge of a small wood, the raised, turf-covered mound came into view between the trees as he neared it. It was exactly as he remembered it - although possibly it looked a bit smaller - it was as if no-one had been near it since he'd last played in it. The paint-flaked and rusting metal hatch creaked and groaned as he swung it open on its counterweight to reveal the metal ladder descending into darkness. He knew that if he left the door open there would be enough light to see by - just. Next time he came he'd bring a torch.
Tony climbed down the ladder into the room at the bottom. It was about twelve feet by five, and about seven feet high. The walls and ceiling were all concrete - and covered in graffiti. Apparently the bunker had in fact had other visitors since he was here last. He smiled: perhaps it was some other young lad's secret den now. There was a tatty old mattress on the floor in one corner, and torn pages from girlie mags scattered about here and there. A good place to wank indeed.
Tony sat down on the mattress and cast his mind back to the days he'd played here. This bunker had been at various times a submarine, a spaceship, a castle dungeon (oh how he'd enjoyed 'torturing' his friend Mark by tickling his feet) and too many other things to count. Happy days. He lay back on the mattress and closed his eyes, re-living those lost days of his earlier youth.
He awoke with a start, listening intently. He hadn't meant to doze off - must have been all the lumps in that dreadful gravy Agatha had insisted she make for dinner. There was absolute silence, but some sound had awoken him. It was darker outside now, but the hatch was still open up above, the dying winter daylight filtering down weakly.
Tony was stiff when he stood up. Looking around the bunker again he decided to bring some porn and come here again tomorrow, with a torch. He closed the hatch behind him and walked back to the house, wondering how he could evade the moist red lips of his aunt.
The bunker proved to be an ideal place to escape from Agatha and his parents, and over the next few days Tony spent a lot of time in it, reading, listening to music, sleeping, and occasionally wanking.
It was Saturday afternoon and Tony had been amazed to find a copy of a gay mag in the local stationer's - an unlikely occurence in so parochial a town. He was looking forward to a good, slow wank down in the bunker, and to reading the classified ads. He climbed down the ladder into the room and switched on the torch. The beam swept across the graffiti-covered wall and onto the mattress. It was already occupied.
"Fuck!" Tony jumped as if an electric charge had shot through him. Lying on the mattress was a skinhead in faded jeans, Doc Martens boots, and an MA1 jacket. He was hogtied, gagged and securely blindfolded with several layers of black duct tape. Tony stood there motionless, staring at the guy. His chest was moving up and down as he breathed, so at least he was still alive. On the floor at the side of the mattress was an open bag, and Tony could see rope inside it.
"Are you ok?" He asked.
The skinhead didn't respond. Then Tony noticed that the boy was earplugged as well. The lad had no idea that he wasn't alone any longer.
Tony thought about this. Should he release him? That would probably be the proper thing to do. Quietly, he walked closer, keeping the beam of the torch pointed away. He realized that he was rubbing his cock through his own jeans - and that it was as hard as a rock. Horny thoughts ran through his head: he could do anything he liked to the skinhead - the boy was blindfolded, and wouldn't know who had played with him... He came to a decision: he'd have a quick play with the skinhead and then get out of there. A bit later he'd come back, 'discover' him, and release him. Yeah.
He propped the torch up against the wall so that the beam reflected from the light concrete and gave a general illumination, then he knelt down by the side of the boy, who was lying on his back with his knees apart. Tony had never touched another guy sexually in his life, although he spent a remarkable amount of time fantasizing about it. He realised that he had absolutely no idea what to do. Experimentally, he ran his fingertip lightly up the inside of the lad's thigh.
Both boys screamed at once: the skinhead at the totally unexpected touch, and Tony at the skinhead's sudden reaction to it: the blindfolded boy yelled as if he'd been branded, and snapped his knees together tightly, imprisoning Tony's hand between his thighs. Tony left it there for a moment, then tried to pull it out - but the boy rolled onto his side away from Tony, taking his hand with him. As Tony tried to wriggle his hand free, the skinhead began to struggle - and also to giggle uncontrollably.
Tony smiled wickedly and, instead of pulling his hand out, pushed it slowly upwards towards the boy's balls, wiggling his fingers even more.
The helpless skinhead was hysterical. He was shaking his head violently, moaning into the duct tape and struggling like mad to get away from the tickling hand.
Tony moved closer, and continued pushing. He made contact with the bottom of the boy's balls and cupped them in his fingers, tickling them through the thin, faded denim of the skinhead's tight jeans. At this, the boy's moaning became even louder and his struggles more violent. A dark patch of precum began to spread from the tip of his hard cock.
Memories of tickling Mark all those years ago came back to Tony, and he brought his other hand up, probing deeply just below the lad's bottom rib, at his side.
The skinhead screamed into the gag. He closed his arms to his sides as tightly as he could to protect his ticklish sides, but the hogtie made it not quite possible.
Tony withdrew his hand from between the boy's thighs, opened the lad's MA1 jacket to make him more accessible, and set about tickling him properly. Being blindfolded, he was helplessly vulnerable: there was no way he could see where Tony's hands were going next, and so he didn't know how or where to move to protect himself. And when the fingers made contact, it was devastating. Tony's hands were all over the boy - tickling deep into his armpits; digging into his ribs; squeezing just above the knee, or the back of his thighs; tickling his balls through his jeans; teasing his cock. The skinhead yelled, bucked and writhed on the mattress at every touch, his knees opening and closing spasmodically, unable to get away, or to stop the unbearable tickling.
Tony's body stiffened, and with a guttural moan he came. As his body shook and his spunk pumped out into his jeans, he tickle-tortured the helpless boy sadistically. The lad would have bruises on his sides later.
Tony sat back on his haunches, tilted his head back as far as it would go, and exhaled a long and satisfied breath. After a few moments he looked down again at the skinhead. The boy still hadn't cum. He'd see to that now. Reaching forward, he gripped the zipper of the boy's jeans and pulled it carefully down. He gently extracted the hard cock and began to wank him off slowly. If anything, this brought more violent protests from the skinhead than anything previously, and he fought like crazy to get away from Tony's hand, yelling into the gagging duct tape. But he couldn't get away, and very soon the gentle but relentless milking - made even more irresistable by Tony's other hand tickling the boy's balls - overcame all his efforts to stop himself from cumming, and his spunk shot out helplessly into Tony's slowly-moving fingers in huge sticky gobs.
Once the skinhead's orgasm was over, and the exhausted boy was laying there panting, Tony carefully replaced the lad's cock inside his jeans and zipped them up again. Time to go. He stood up - and froze. He'd heard something...
It was the sound of footsteps coming down the ladder.
Tony jumped up and looked around frantically. There was only the one exit, and in the single bare room there was absolutely nowhere to hide. He snatched up the magazine he'd brought with him and looked up in terror as a pair of black leather-booted feet appeared on the ladder through the hole in the ceiling.
Above the boots were black leather jeans; above them a studded belt; then a heavily-studded leather bike jacket, leather-gloved hands, and a dark-visored, crash-helmeted head. The biker stopped, stared, and then said "What the fuck...?"
A second voice from above asked "what's up, Steve?" and the guy with the studded jacket had to step smartly out of the way as another helmeted biker appeared above him. This one's leathers were plain black.
They were standing between Tony and the ladder - there was no escape. "Who are you? What're you doing down here?"
In a faltering voice, Tony explained that he was home for Christmas, that he used to play here when he was at school and that he'd wanted to visit the old place again.
"Is that a fact?" Studs looked at his mate. "Who knows you're here?"
"Nobody," replied Tony. Instantly after he'd said it, he realised that that probably hadn't been the most sensible reply in the world.
"Really...?" Tony didn't like the intonation in the biker's voice. Dangerous.
Studs pulled the magazine out of Tony's hand. "And what's this?"
"Er.. I found it down here."
"No you didn't." The biker flipped through the pages and then looked up. "And what've you been doing to our boy there, eh?"
Tony took a deep breath. It was fairly obvious that these bikers were gay, and that they'd brought the skinhead down here for some kind of SM scene. He'd heard about this sort of thing. He'd got nothing to worry about. "Oh y'know, I've played with him a bit. Nothing heavy."
"What do you mean, 'played' with him?"
"Oh, just," Tony cleared his throat - this was embarrassing. "Just, y'know - tickled him a bit, teased his cock through his jeans, that sort of thing." He looked down at his boots, his face the colour of beetroot. "And made him cum."
He hadn't realised he'd said anything funny, but the two bikers cracked up. "Oh that's brilliant!"
"What do you mean?" Asked Tony. "You brought him down here to play with him, didn't you?"
"Not exactly." The biker was not laughing any more. "We are straight, mate. Sunny Jim there," he pointed to the skinhead, "is getting married tomorrow. This is what you might call a stag night joke. Tie him up for a few hours and then take him to the pub to get pissed before the big day tomorrow."
Tony's face fell. Oh shit. What had he done?
"It's a fucking good thing he can't identify you - he'd smash your face in."
Time to go. Again. "Right, Well look - I'm sorry. I didn't know. I thought - I mean - it looked like - " he ran out of steam. "I'll just go. Ok?" He made to move towards the ladder, but Studs didn't move: he stayed blocking the way.
"Oh I don't know... I think you should pay for what you've done. He nodded sideways to the skinhead, "let him get his own back a bit..."
Having recently cum, Tony felt anything but horny right now. He tried to smile. "Oh he wouldn't want to do that. I didn't do anything..."
Studs' voice was harder now. "Dave, block the ladder." The other biker moved to stand at the ladder's base. Studs went over to the skinhead and released him. Even though the light of the torch was low, he blinked when the tape was removed from his eyes, and rubbed his wrists. He was a very goodlooking lad, Tony noticed.
"Who the fuck did that?" He asked, looking from Dave to Studs and then to Tony. "And who the fuck is this?"
"This is the guy who played with you. Get up, and help us to string him up."
The skinhead bounded to his feet and between them the two bikers and he got Tony stripped naked. Studs rummaged around in the bag on the floor and came up with a length of rope. They manouevered Tony to the centre of the room, bound his wrists together, and then secured them to a metal fixture with holes in, in the middle of the ceiling - some kind of fitting for a light, probably, Tony thought irrelevantly as they tied him in place.
"Look, fellas, you don't want to do this. I - " A leather-gloved hand clamped over his mouth from behind, reducing his argument to a series of 'mffgghkk'-like noises.
Next they taped his ankles together, and Dave took something else from the bag. He held it up in front of Tony. It was a heavy black leather hood. Studs took his hand from over Tony's mouth and held him still while Dave forced the hood over his head. As the laces were pulled tight, two things happened: Tony's yells of protest faded into muffled, unintelligible moans; and his cock - which had been completely soft - stiffened to full erection.
"Right, I think we can take these off now," said Dave, removing his crash helmet. Studs did likewise. "If we keep our voices low he won't be able to hear us inside that I shouldn't think. It's very thick leather."
"Where the hell did you get this stuff?" Asked the skinhead, not lowering his voice. "Didn't know you were into this kind of kink."
Dave chuckled. "I'm not. But I know a man who is. Borrowed it from him."
"What the hell were you planning to do to me?"
"Nothing. I just asked him for some restraint gear and he lent me the whole bag. I'd got no idea what was in it."
Studs came round to the front. "So what are we going to do to him?" He whispered.
"What did he do to you?" Asked Dave.
"The bastard tickled me. Fucking hard."
"And...?"
"Played with my fucking cock through my jeans."
"And...?" Dave was trying to keep a straight face - the skinhead was starting to blush.
"And he fucking wanked me off if you must know. I'll fucking kill him."
Dave chortled. "Ok. Well, as you're the injured party here, go at him. But don't kill him, eh?"
The skinhead smiled, then jabbed his fingers hard into Tony's sides. Tony screamed and thrashed about, but the boy followed his movements, tickling the shit out of him fast and furiously. Tony's cock got harder still. "This bastard's enjoying it!" He said disbelievingly.
With a theatrical sigh of resignation, Dave squatted down in front of Tony and began to work on the muscles just above the boy's knees. There being no room at the front any more, Studs went back behind their captive, knelt on the floor and forced his leather-jacketed arm between Tony's thighs until he could tickle the boy's balls.
Under the leather hood Tony was beside himself. He couldn't stand having his sides tickled, and there was someone working on his knees as well! Then there was cold leather forcing its way between his thighs and onto his balls - and before he knew what was happening he was cumming again...
Spunk shot out of Tony's cock and landed directly between Dave's eyes. "Shit!" He said, wiping madly at the goo running down his nose. Studs looked around Tony's twitching body and collapsed in laughter on the floor. The skinhead noticed what had happened, and he too started laughing. The sight of Dave - his face covered in spunk and frantically smearing it around in his effort to get it off was hysterical.
Tony could hear the muffled sounds of laughter through the leather hood, but he had no idea what was going on. He hung from his wrists in post-orgasm exhaustion. Thank God they weren't tickling him now, he thought.
"This guy is seriously into bondage and leather," said Studs when he'd pulled himself together. "Let's milk the bastard dry."
The skin's head jerked up at the idea. "Fuck yeah! Teach the fucker a lesson!"
Dave thought about it. "He obviously fancies you, Jimbo, and leather turns him on... get him down."
They released Tony's hands and feet, and manhandled him onto the mattress, laying him face-up. "Ok, let's put our lids back on so he can't identify us, then take his hood off so he can get off on Jimbo," said Studs.
"Hang on - we won't be able to see a thing with the black visors down," said Dave. "Let's have a look in here..." He rummaged in the bag again and took out a black ski-mask. A further forage inside produced a leather mask with eyeholes. He threw the leather mask to Studs and put the ski-mask on himself. "Excellent. Ok - Jimbo, do press-ups on top of him for while."
The skinhead positioned himself over Tony - his booted feet between the boy's but his shoulders at arm's length above him - and waited while Dave removed Tony's leather hood.
"Oh fuck." Tony found himself staring up into the beautiful, sexily-smiling face of the skinhead boy. Very slowly Jimbo lowered himself until their lips were inches apart. "Gonna make you cum again, boy," he whispered.
In spite of the fact that Tony had had two orgasms in the last half hour, his cock started to stiffen again. He had never had sex with another guy before - and here he was looking into the face of one of the most horny skinheads he'd ever seen in his life.
Jimbo did slow push-ups on top of the naked boy, lowering himself each time until his bulging denim-covered cock was pressing hard against Tony's, and their faces were inches apart. The feel of the skinhead's jeans against Tony's bare legs, the cold, smooth MA1 touching his chest, and the sight of the boy smiling down at him were the stuff of his fantasies, and his cock was hard again already.
A leather-gloved hand covered Tony's eyes. He shook his head to remove it - he desperately wanted to keep looking at that gorgeous skinhead - but it stayed there. He felt movement above him, and when the hand was removed, it was the studded-leather biker on top of him. The guy lowered himself until his leather jacket and jeans were touching him all over, the sharp steel studs pressing into his bare flesh. Tony moaned in ecstasy. He saw the skinhead boy go and kneel between Studs' feet, pushing them - and Tony's - apart, and then he felt the lad's hand enclose his cock. The hand started to wank him slowly, his thumb sliding over the head of his cock with each stroke.
Then Dave's leather-gloved hands were back over his face - this time blindfolding him and gagging him. Tony was lost in a world of leather beyond his wildest fantasies... and he felt himself getting ready to cum for the third time.
"Aaaarrrggghh!!!" Tony's body convulsed and he came. Great spasms racked his body as Studs held him down with his body weight and Jimbo milked his cock.
They gave him ten minutes to recover, while Dave and Jimbo smoked cigarettes, before they started on him again.
This time it was Dave who made him cum. Working on the idea that the feel of leather turned Tony on a lot, he got Tony in a 69 position, the boy's head buried in his leather-jeaned crotch, his thighs holding him tightly in place while Dave worked on his cock and balls leisurely with his leather-gloved hands. It took longer than before, but eventually Tony yelled, his cock jerked and a little thin spunk dribbled out.
"One more time?" Asked Jimbo a few minutes later.
"I don't think you'll be able to make him cum again," said Dave, shaking his head. "He's done."
"Watch and learn..." The skinhead asked for Tony to be tied to the ceiling fitting again. When that was done the boy stood in front of him and played with his own cock through his tight faded jeans. It got hard again instantly, and he moved it to the most prominent position possible. He moved nearer, and whispered into Tony's ear. "You're helpless, boy. We've got you. I'm going to make you cum again. I know you don't want to, but there's fuck all you can do about it."
He searched in the bag and handed something to Studs. They whispered for a while - Studs didn't seem to keen on whatever it was Jimbo was suggesting, but eventually agreed. He too began to play with his cock through his leather jeans.
Jimbo returned to Tony. "Ever been fucked by a biker?"
Tony was too terrified to reply. He shook his head, his mouth agape. No! He'd never been fucked in his life. This was rape! He found his voice. "NO! Please! NO!"
'You have two choices," whispered the skinhead, "either we can gag you, or you can keep quiet and kiss me." He brushed his lips against Tony's.
Studs unzipped his jeans and got his cock and balls out. He rolled the condom on, and squirted lube onto it. As gently as he could, he began to push himself into Tony.
Tony had always thought that being fucked for the first time would be incredibly painful - but it wasn't. In fact it felt good. In fact...
Studs was smiling - this boy was tight! Although he'd intended to be very gentle, he found himself thrusting into Tony hard. The boy rocked in his restraints, sandwiched between Studs behind him and Jimbo in front. Studs reached around Tony's body, squeezing and rolling the lad's nipples between his leather-gloved fingers as he fucked him.
Jimbo grabbed Tony's hair at the back of his head and forced his mouth onto his, kissing the boy savagely. At the same time he took Tony's cock and rubbed it against his own, bulging inside his tight jeans.
On impulse, he reached up and untied Tony's hands. Immediately the boy embraced him, pulling him tighter towards him and kissing him wetly all over his beautiful face.
Studs continued pounding , and was getting close to cumming.
Tony reached down between himself and Jimbo and gripped the skinhead's cock in his fingers. He started to toss the boy off in his jeans.
Jimbo found himself thrusting his pelvis in response to Tony's hand, and began to milk Tony again.
For a while there were only grunting, moaning noises in the bunker, and then the air was rent with animal yells as - first the skinhead, then Studs, then Tony, and then Dave, who had been wanking himself as he watched - came. Spunk ran down Jimbo's thighs inside his jeans, spunk squirted into the condom inside Tony, spunk pumped into Dave's wanking hand, but only a single drop of clear liquid came from Tony's cock. He was dry. His orgasm was both painful and exquisite. With a scream, he passed out.
It was dark when he came to. Very dark. Too dark. He tried to sit up - and found that he was hogtied, gagged and blindfolded. The bastards! They'd left him the same way he'd found Jimbo! How the hell was he going to get out of this? He moved around a bit and his fingers found a knot. He smiled. They'd tied him up with rope, not tape, and they'd intended him to get out. In a few minutes he was free. When he pulled the tape from over his eyes, he was alone. His cock ached like hell, but he smiled again.
Oh fuck, he needed to see these guys again - especially the skinhead - but there was no note, no message anywhere. He even shook the magazine to see if there was anything inside it. Nothing. With a sigh, he got dressed and, with a final fond look around the room, climbed the ladder.
"Darling! Where have you been? Come here and give your auntie a big, big kiss, you naughty boy! It's Christmas Eve!"
"Be down in a minute..." Tony took the stairs three at a time and locked the bedroom door behind him. He collapsed on the bed and breathed deeply. He couldn't stop thinking about the bikers and the skinhead. Shit - why did he have to meet a gorgeous boy like Jimbo on the eve of his fucking wedding?" He lay staring at the ceiling for a while - and then he blinked. It was Christmas Eve today. That meant - but nobody gets maried on Christmas Day... He stared, open-mouthed, at the rose-coloured ceiling paper, then he jumped up and grabbed the torch. He ran back to the bunker and searched every square inch of the room - but there was no telephone number, no message. Zilch.
Back in his room he leafed glumly through the magazine. It was on the inside of the last page: written in biro, were the words 'Page 23, third from the top.'
Tony frowned, then turned to page 23 and read the third classified ad aloud:
Two Tops: Steve (biker) and Jim (skinhead), looking for permanent slave / victim. Leather, bondage, kidnap, POW games, mind games. We own our own bunker. 01724 - 311918"
He dropped the magazine onto the bed, closed his eyes and laughed. The bastards. 'Into mind games' indeed. All that talk about being straight and getting married had been to unnerve him. But if they were both top, why had Jim been tied up? Probably just some Christmas fun. Anyway, there was one way to find out. He picked up the telephone and dialled the number.
This Christmas was turning out to be one of the better ones after all.


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Six of the Biggest Differences in Disney World 4 Months After Reopening
By Carly Terzigni Leave a Comment
It may be hard to believe, but Disney World's four theme parks have been reopened since JULY of this year. We know, we know, time has just FLOWN by this year, right? Okay, so maybe the idea of time itself is all sorts of jumbled this year, but it's true! And in the months since Disney World reopened, a lot has changed.
Cinderella Castle
Specifically, we noticed six major areas that have seen changes in the last few months. It's pretty safe to say that when Disney World reopened in July, there were a whole ton of new rules, regulations, guest offerings, there was even a new castle color! But what has changed SINCE July?
It's a little (and sometimes A LOT) more crowded
Perhaps the biggest difference we've noticed since July is the increase in crowds throughout all four parks. Shortly after Disney World reopened, CEO Bob Chapek noted that the parks had been operating at 25% capacity. Since then, park capacity has INCREASED to 35%.
Holiday Crowds
So if you visited the parks in July, and again in November, you might have noticed the parks are a little fuller because, well…they are! That said, what we have observed over the last four months indicates that fewer people were visiting the parks in July and August than they are now.
EPCOT Crowds
Disney revealed during their Q3 earnings call that locals were making up roughly 50% of attendance, indicating that not many folks were flying in from out of state. That seems to have changed in the fall, but the parks are still not nearly as crowded as they could get pre-closure.
An empty Toy Story Land
There are still plenty of times we see a pretty empty park, so the crowd levels definitely still fluctuate. But we're starting to see the crowds trend in a certain upward direction, and we have a feeling that those days of consistent "ghost town" status are behind us.
Click here to learn more about Disney World increasing their capacity!
Face mask policies have gotten tighter
Another thing that has changed quite a bit (and that we have covered extensively) is the evolution and tightening down of Disney World's face mask policies. The parks have much stricter guidelines now than when the parks first reopened, that's for sure!
Not only have the policies themselves gotten stricter, but Disney has been continuously updating their overhead announcements, signage, and information on their website. It has definitely felt like there have been times where the information changes daily!
Face Mask Signage
As Disney continues to release more face masks for purchase, they're also updating the rules and regulations surrounding those masks. Back in May when Disney Springs reopened, it was totally okay for folks to walk and drink or eat on the go! Just a couple months later, it was VERY clear that you needed to be stationary when enjoying a meal or a beverage.
Not only that, but the TYPE of face covering has become more defined. Disney has gone through the motions of specifying that you cannot wear neck gaiters, open-chin triangle bandanas, or masks with holes or valves.
Click here to see the full timeline of Disney's evolving face mask policy.
There are definitely more characters in the parks
While still socially distanced, Disney's "meet and greets" have grown exponentially in the last four months. While we knew there would be some sort of character happenings throughout the parks, we were surprised to see characters like Anastasia and Drizella up on Cinderella Castle, as well as the Country Bears on top of the buildings in Frontierland. Needless to say, these character interactions were VERY distanced.
Anastasia and Drizella
Since then, we've spotted more characters, especially face characters, and things are starting to feel a LITTLE more "normal." We've even started to see interactive distanced meet and greets where guests can safely snap a picture and say hello to some of their favorite characters! There has also been more character dining pop-up throughout the parks…but we'll get into more detail about that a little later.
Mary Poppins and Polly
Whether it's Elsa and Anna in the Norway Pavilion or Alice and Mary in the United Kingdom Pavilion, EPCOT is one of the places where character interactions have become a highlight. And over in Magic Kingdom, you can also chat with Peter Pan and Wendy over by Crystal Palace, and say "hello" to Rapunzel in Fantasyland!
Elsa in EPCOT
And remember when we said Anastasia and Drizella were high up on the balcony of the castle? Since then, they've joined us all on the ground level outside Fairytale Hall for much more intimate (while still distanced) interactions!
Fairytale Hall
Disney's approach to updating their walk-up distanced character experiences is pretty different from what has been going on (rather successfully) since day one at Universal Orlando. These character "meet and greet" updates were never announced by Disney, they just started…happening. We're often taken by surprise when we spot another character in the parks!
Click here to check out another way guests can see their favorite characters at a reopened Disney World!
The deals and perks have gotten sweeter and sweeter
If you know where to look, you may find that Disney has offered some pretty incredible deals and special offers to certain groups of guests. For starters, Annual Passholders got a nice 10% bump on their merchandise discount for a period of time. They were able to use that 30% discount at the new limited-time Annual Passholder Pop-Up Shop, which is full of new, exclusive merchandise just for APs, not to mention added savings!
Annual Passholder Pop-Up Shop
Annual Passholders weren't the only ones benefitting in Disney's earliest months of reopening. Florida residents had their own 30% discount on merchandise, not to mention a slew of incredible resort deals.
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
But what about everyone else who doesn't fall into either of those categories? Disney is reaching out to THEM as well with crazy big discounts on resorts right now! How big? We're talking up to 35% off your hotel room big! Disney certainly has a balancing act to perfect these days when it comes to limited park capacity and earning revenue, but if you do your research, you can still save big on a Disney vacation.
Click here to learn more about how much you can save on a 2021 vacation to Disney World!
There are more dining options and features!
The world of Disney dining has changed in lots of ways, too! More dining locations have reopened, especially quick service and kiosk locations. Other locations, like Kringla Bakeri og Kafe and Sommerfest, started out with weekend hours only, but are now open daily!
Kringla Bakeri og Kafe
Character dining has changed, too! Back when Disney World was preparing to reopen, we thought our only options for character dining would be Topolino's Terrace, Ravello at the Four Seasons, and Garden Grill.
Mickey and Pluto at Garden Grill Restaurant
Cut to four months later, you can see tons of characters at Minnie's Seasonal Dine at Hollywood & Vine, Cinderella at Cinderella's Royal Table, the Beast at Be Our Guest Restaurant, and Mickey is set to return to Chef Mickey's!
Mobile Dine Check In was new with the opening of the parks, so it's not a CHANGE in the last four months per se, but it's still noteworthy since this is an entirely new service! You no longer have to report to the host stand at a restaurant to check in; simply check in via My Disney Experience for a socially distanced start to your dining experience!
Mobile Dine Check In
Speaking of My Disney Experience, there are multiple ways the app has become more integrated with the dining experience since Disney World reopened. There's also a new Mobile Dine Walk-up Waitlist that was added, giving guests the ease of checking availability and making day-of walk-up reservations, all from your smart device!
Nomad Lounge Waitlist
There's ALSO Table Service To Go, which hasn't quite made it to the parks yet, but it's another major dining change worth noting! You can get some of your favorite table service meals at Disney World Resort hotels…to go! It's totally in the realm of possibility that we could see this feature reach the parks, so we'll be keeping our eyes peeled!
Click here to read what our experience was like ordering Sanaa's Bread Service…TO GO!
The ride experience is a little different, too.
Last but not least, there have been several changes to Disney's rides and attractions in the last four months. For starters, some rides have switched up the way they board ride vehicles. Certain rides, like Haunted Mansion, have modified their boarding to have guests loading into every other vehicle.
When the parks reopened in July, many rides had plexiglass already installed in between seats and rows, including Soarin' and Kilimanjaro Safari.
Soarin' Seating
But since then, more rides have gotten the plexiglass barriers installed, like Tower of Terror, Living With the Land, and Rise of the Resistance.
Rise of the Resistance with Plexiglass Barrier
Speaking of Rise of the Resistance…where do we even start? At first, boarding groups were available three times per day (as opposed to just one pre-closure!), then just two. Then Disney made a small but super helpful update to My Disney Experience that saved a few crucial seconds when securing a Boarding Group. Then Disney made a MAJOR update to its Boarding Group process. Now, you no longer have to be INSIDE Hollywood Studios to get a Boarding Group.
Guests can acquire a Boarding Group at 7AM from virtually anywhere, as long as they have valid theme park admission and a Park Pass Reservation for Hollywood Studios that day. Now you can make those coveted reservations from the comfort of your hotel room bed!
Click here to learn more about the newest way to grab a Boarding Group for Rise of the Resistance!
There's no question that more changes are coming as Disney World continues their phased reopening. Even though the parks have been open for several months, Disney is continuously updating and modifying their health and safety guidelines with the welfare of their guests and Cast Members in mind. As always, when there's a big change to Disney World's operations, you can count on us to share the latest information!
Click here for a list of the top Disney World restaurants since reopening!
Have you been to Disney World multiple times since the parks reopened? What are the biggest differences YOU'VE noticed? Let us know in the comments!
NEWS: Disney World Cast Members Are Being Called to Return to Theme Park Restaurants, Festivals, and Hotels
We Asked Our Readers: Should Disney World Face Characters Be Wearing Masks? Here's What They Said.
Does It Make Sense to Go to Disney World for Spring Break in 2021?
Why Disney World Could Be Very DIFFERENT When It Reopens
8 NEW Tips for Wearing a Mask in a Disney World Theme Park
Filed Under: Animal Kingdom, disney parks, disney's hollywood studios, Epcot, Featured, magic kingdom, Walt Disney World Tagged With: annual passholder savings, Character meet and greets, Disney World, Disney World Annual Passholder, Disney World crowds, disney world dining, Disney World reopening, face mask, face mask policy, face masks, florida resident discounts
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Area news in brief
HOUMA -- Southland Mall is calling for Hometown Stars contestants.
Interested amateur singers who want to audition for a spot in the local talent competition launched last year and modeled after the hit television show "American Idol" will have an opportunity to do so this weekend.
The mall will hold its final casting call from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. The free auditions will be in a vacant store near Rite-Aid in the Sears-wing of the mall.
Prospective stars who cannot audition in person can submit a videotaped performance of themselves singing solo for a maximum of three minutes. Tapes can be mailed to 5953 West Park Ave., Houma, LA 70364, or dropped off at the mall's customer-service booth. All entries must be received by 6 p.m. Sunday.
The Hometown Star competition will be held from July 10 to Aug. 14 on Saturdays from 1 to 4 p.m.
HOUMA -- Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity is seeking last-minute male contestants for a fund-raiser to benefit its organization.
The fund-raiser will feature 10 to 12 men competing in a trivia challenge, obstacle course and an interview round for the title of Mr. Habitat for Humanity. Proceeds go toward Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity building projects. The winner will serve as an ambassador for the organization during the upcoming year as well as attend ground-breaking and dedication ceremonies.
The event will be 6:30 p.m. July 15 at The Cypress Columns in Gray. Tickets are $30 each or $300 for a reserved table of 10-12 people. The price includes a dinner buffet, door prizes, a silent auction, a performance by the Bayou Belles and more.
To participate in the contest, purchase tickets or become part of the Bayou Area Habitat for Humanity mission, call 447-6999 or visit the Web site at www.bayouhabitat.org.
BATON ROUGE -- The Powerball and Louisiana Lottery jackpots went untouched Wednesday night.
There was one $5,000 Powerball consolation ticket sold in Louisiana. That ticket matched four of five numbers, plus the Powerball. There were 12 Lotto tickets matching five of six numbers, worth $2,381 each.
Powerball's jackpot rolls over to an estimated $30 million for Saturday night's game, while Lotto's top prize goes to an estimated $675,000.
No major tickets were sold for Wednesday night's Cash Quest drawing.
The Powerball numbers were 1-31-33-37-50, plus Powerball 40. The Lotto numbers were 3-11-18-19-22-28. Cash Quest numbers were 20-34-41-45.
BATON ROUGE -- Louisiana citizens who have filed their state-tax returns and are waiting for their refunds should check with the State Treasury to see if they are owed money from previous tax years. According to State Treasurer John Kennedy, the state's Unclaimed Property Division is holding nearly 187,000 unclaimed state income-tax refunds worth more than $10 million.
"A refund is about the only thing citizens look forward to when dealing with taxes," Treasurer Kennedy said. "If government requires you to pay your taxes on time and in the correct amount, it should be held to the same standard when it has your money."
An individual can look for an unclaimed refund by clicking "Unclaimed State Tax Refunds" from the main unclaimed property search page at www.latreasury.com. One can also search for an old state-tax refund using the Treasury's main unclaimed property database. In addition, the Treasury's Web site enables citizens to file for money online.
For more information, or to search for your unclaimed state-tax refund, visit latreasury.com or call the Unclaimed Property Division's toll-free hotline at 1-888-925-4127. The Division would like to remind citizens that its database only covers tax years 1987 to 2002. To check on the status of this tax year's refund, contact the Louisiana Department of Revenue.


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Home • Yacht America
Yacht America
by Vintage Editions
24"x30" Only 10 left!
Unlike the other boat images we have on the site, there is a storied history behind this Yacht America. In a unexpected feat, America won the Royal Yacht Squadron's regatta by eighteen minutes. The trophy for the race had previously been called the "One Hundred Sovereign Cup" and was renamed "The America's Cup" after the winning yacht.
The British regatta—sailing 53 miles around the Isle of Wight—was issued as a challenge from the commodore of the Royal Yacht Squadron. The New York Yacht Club saw the challenge as a perfect opportunity to show off the shipbuilding skills of the United States, and to make money by competing in yacht racing. America was designed by George and James Rich Steers using both traditional and modern techniques, which lent to America's excellent speed. A crew captained by Richard Brown left New York on June 21, 1851 and arrived at the Isle of Wight on July 30. The British yachting community had been following the construction of America with interest and some trepidation. Before the official race, there was one yacht that challenged America to an unofficial race. Though the outcome of that impromptu challenge is unclear, what is apparent is that after that race, no other yachtsmen dared challenge America.
The official Squadron members-only regatta happened on August 22, 1851. At 10 AM, the line of seven schooners and eight cutters started the race. America dealt with a fouled anchor at the outset and was well behind when she finally got under way, but within half an hour held 5th place. In the hands of her skilled pilot, America pulled even further ahead, taking the lead by over fifteen minutes. Legend has it that while watching the race, Queen Victoria asked who was second. The famous reply: "There is no second, your Majesty."
After her famous race performance, America was sold to various British owners until she returned to the United States in 1860. In 1862, she was taken by Union soldiers, and served the United States Navy in the Civil War, armed with bronze cannons. In one crucial battle, the actions of America resulted in the destruction of the Georgiana, the most powerful Confederate cruiser. It was a critical win for the United States Navy. America remained in the U.S. Navy until 1873, when she was sold to a private owner. She continued racing until 1901, when lack of use caused her to fall into disrepair. Changing hands often over the next few decades, America was seriously decayed by 1940, and completely destroyed by 1945.
Over the course of her nearly century-long life, America put yachting on the map, proving herself abroad and at home.
Once Yacht America sets sail for your walls it's game over—the sailboat in this image has a history of winning. We've editioned a number of beauteous boat images, and they're all winners, but there's a seriously compelling story behind the vessel pictured in Yacht America. Who took the photograph is a mystery. While we know a photographer working for Detroit Publishing Company captured this shot, there's no record of who precisely. But we know this for sure: in what was a rather remarkable upset, this boat named America won the Royal Yacht Squadon's regatta eighteen minutes ahead of the curve ... More on the blog!
Vintage Editions
For our Vintage Editions series, our curators scour historical archives for both timeless classics and heretofore unseen gems. These images come back to life as exhibition-quality prints now available to everyone. As a bonus, purchasing equals patronage: sales from Vintage Edition prints go towards supporting our growing roster of artists.
I Am an American, Oakland, CA, March 1942
by Dorothea Lange
Plate 22, Sheet 6, Ancient Courses Mississippi River Meander Belt
by Harold Fisk
Toward Los Angeles, California
The Tetons, Snake River
by Ansel Adams
Hatō zu 1
by Uehara Konen
Austria, Ski Lodge in the Alps
Juke Joint, Melrose, Louisiana
by Marion Post Wolcott
Animal Locomotion: Plate 44 (Man Taking Off Hat)
by Eadweard Muybridge
Georgia road sign
The Ten Largest, No. 7, Adulthood, Group IV
by Hilma af Klint
For a richer, fuller life wake up and read
Gas station. Kern County, California
View with Rock Formation, Grand Canyon National Park
Brooklyn Bridge, Water and Dock Streets, looking southwest, Brooklyn
by Berenice Abbott
Columbus Circle, Manhattan, 1938
General Store Interior, Moundville, Alabama
by Walker Evans
Mountaineer in an Ice Cave of Paradise Glacier, Mount Rainier National Park, Washington, 1925
Interlochen, Michigan. Swimming Dock
by Arthur Siegel
Animal Locomotion: Plate 626 (Galloping Horse)
Mazamas Making Their Way up the Hogsback towards the Summit of Mt. Hood, 1963
Plate 431: American Flamingo
by John James Audubon
by Carleton Watkins
The Ten Largest, No. 3, Youth, Group IV
Seventh Avenue Looking South from 35th Street, Manhattan
A Genuine Fishing Smack
Hikaru umi
by Hiroshi Yoshida
Typical Cows
Rockaway Beach, Food Concession, 1940
Animal Locomotion: Plate 733 (Elephant)
Washington, D.C. Government charwoman
Bread Store, 259 Bleecker Street, Manhattan
9:00 a.m. Four Pupils Attend This Day. Baker County, Oregon
Downtown Skyport, Pier 11, East River, Manhattan
Central Park, Model Boat Regatta, 1962
Animal Locomotion: Plate 659 (Mule)
Crows in the Moonlight
by Sakai Hoitsu
Kites of Fukuroi
by Hiroshige II
Cabins on US 99
Manhattan Bridge, Manhattan
Sargassum Bacciferum
by Anna Atkins
Animal Locomotion: Plate 717 (Cat)
Eiffel Tower, Exposition Universelle, 1900
Animal Locomotion; Plate 187, Dancing (Fancy)


On the weekend I was lucky to attend the inaugural Table Series event run by the food flatlay king & queen, Koen & Kat. During the three hour workshop, we were guided by Kat & Koen to help us work on our food styling and flatlay composition, and then we got to tuck into all the food that we had styled! Win-win!
If you don't know what a food flatlay is (not to be confused flatlining – my dad keeps telling everyone I went to a flatline course!) – it is basically a picture taken from above the table featuring a beautiful spread of food, utensils and other bits and bobs. They look like pictures from magazines but a little more 'lived in' and real.
If I haven't explained myself very well (high likely) then here are a few of my favourite flatlay instagram pics from the experts (top image is Kat's, bottom image is Koen's). In the spirit of the "flatlaygram" – this rest of this post is going to be in squares!
The event was sponsored by some very appetising food companies and cafes such as Fika Swedish Kitchen, Woah Nelly Bakes Doughnuts, Pressed Juices, The Floury Baker, Nutorious Nuts and T Totaler Tea. Muji also provided some beautiful tableware and Kat largely brought the contents of her kitchen cupboard and all her styling treasures!
Admittedly it was hard at times not to start eating all our props… especially when they looked this good!
I must admit that styling 4-5 objects in a frame is not as easy as it looked! And so I reverted to taking my standard straight on/ 45 degree angled photos because this just seems more natural to me!
Then we graduated onto the complex flatlay. The beautiful Lyn (from In All Things Beautiful), Tamaiya and I found a free piece of floor and started collecting doughnuts, plates, magazines and whatever else we could find. For some reason, this felt a lot easier to style which is odd for me because I'm usually such a minimalist!
Since none of us were physically tall enough to capture this picnic, we dragged a rickety ladder across the floor and climbed to the top #anythingforthegram. This was the result with Kat & Tamaiya kindly acting as our picnic models!
After all this work, we helped ourselves to brunch which consisted of devouring the entire contents of two tables filled with pies, cakes, tarts, doughnuts and a little salad (to make us feel less guilty!).
And some of us (i.e. ME!) decided to eat dessert first just in case there wasn't any room in our bellies after our savoury food. By the way this lemony pistachio doughnut by Woah Nelly rocked my world! I'm still dreaming of it!
Thank you again to Kat & Koen for your amazing hospitality and for arranging such a wonderful day! It was so amazing to surround myself in a room full of likeminded people with a passion for food, photography and eating!
I'm sure after Kat & Koen recover from the amount of effort they put into hosting this event that they will host another Table Series – and I would definitely recommend snapping up a ticket and going along (just make sure you don't eat anything beforehand!).
If you are interested in perfecting your flatlay style then definitely go follow The Table Series and the creative masterminds behind it, Kat @Katnt and Koen @Koentadyy!


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Located in the stunning Sugar Hill Tennis Village, Sugar Cane Apartment is a beautiful one bedroom apartment situated on the ground floor.
The cosy 2-bedroom Villa Gisela is ideally located for many of the Costa Blanca's attractions, just 2km from Calpe and Arenal Beach.


The committee will help develop a mechanism on what action can be taken by the state in such cases. The court has asked the committee to submit its recommendations by July 31.
As ordered by the Bombay HC, the state has set up a committee to look into the issue of hospitals and doctors refusing to discharge patients or release bodies over non-payment of medical bills, the court was told.
The High Court was hearing of a bunch of petitions regarding patients being detained by hospitals as their family and relatives could not pay their bills. The committee will function under the chairmanship of the director of health services and will have five other members.
"In compliance to earlier orders, a committee has been constituted on June 14. It will consist of various associations of medical practitioners and hospitals. We feel it would be appropriate if a government pleader or public prosecutor is also made party to the committee to inform the committee about the legal aspects of the issue. We direct the committee to submit its recommendation on or before July 31," said the court.
This matter has been kept for hearing on August 3.


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NFL MVP Award Favorites
Gary | Wed 02/11/2016 - 13:24 EDT
NFL MVP Odds Analysis
By Dan Favale
Now that roughly half the 2016 NFL season is in the books, the MVP ladder is starting to take shape. We're going to break down the top-five contenders for this year's award, ranking them from good to better to best. The odds for each player to win come via Bovada.
5. Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys (+1800)
The Dallas Cowboys cannot possibly hand the reins of their offense back to Tony Romo now. Not when rookie Dak Prescott has led them to the second best record in the league.
If Prescott's current production keeps up, he will finish the season with a completion rate above 65 percent, over 4,000 passing yards and around 21 touchdowns. That's nuts.
The fact that Prescott is a rookie, though, works against him. It also doesn't help that the Cowboys' offensive line is so good. Critics tend to downplay the accomplishment of every Dallas quarterback and running back because of the luxury they've been afforded in front of them.
This is justifiable to some extent. You could put anyone behind the offensive line at quarterback, and they wouldn't want for time. But Prescott's performance goes beyond the players in front of him. He doesn't turn the ball over and he's finding ways to do just enough for the Cowboys to beat whatever opponent is in front of them.
He is, without question, currently a top-five candidate.
4. Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders (+3300)
Many people don't believe that the Oakland Raiders, currently proud owners of one of the AFC's three best records, are for real.
But what if they are?
Well, then Carr will have some serious MVP credentials.
The Raiders own the league's sixth-best offense. They also rank in the top five of passing yards, passing touchdowns and passing attempts per game. Both of their top wide receivers, Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, have become some of the most dangerous covers in football.
Carr has made all this possible. And if Oakland ends up winning between 10 and 12 games, as they are on course to do, his MVP stock will explode.
3. David Johnson, Arizona Cardinals (+1000)
The Arizona Cardinals' playoff hopes are still alive, and running back David Johnson is almost the entire reason why. Carson Palmer is a good quarterback and continues to do a great job limiting turnovers, but the passing game ranks middle of the road in all the other important categories.
Johnson, meanwhile, is on pace for 2,224 total yards, both on the ground and as a pass-catcher, and in line to tally 16 total touchdowns. All of which is absolutely absurd.
Still, Johnson's candidacy is a tad shaky. The Cardinals have a sub-.500 record and, according to NFL MVP tradition, must become a playoff team before he wins the award.
2. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons (+1200)
Does Julio Jones, the best wideout in football, make Matt Ryan's job under center exponentially easier? Absolutely. But he isn't the lone factor contributing to Ryan's success. In fact, Jones has been largely boom or bust, turning in a few big games while being iced by the opposing secondary in others.
Regardless, Ryan is dominating the scene. He is completing a career-high 69.2 percent of his passes and is on pace to throw for 5,272 yards and a whopping 38 touchdowns. The Atlanta Falcons have the NFL's best offense as a result—a necessity given that their defense ranks 29th in points allowed.
Should the Falcons keep hold of their lead in the NFC South and make the playoffs, it's Ryan who will be most responsible. And that renders him one of the best MVP bets out there.
1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots (+150)
Suspend this.
The 39-year-old Tom Brady has wasted little time seizing control of the MVP race, both on the field and at the sportsbooks. Though he missed the first four games of the season, he is still tracking toward 4,000 passing yards and around 36 touchdowns. His completion percentage at the moment, 73.1, is also by far and away the highest of his career.
Seemingly nothing is standing in the way of him winning his third league MVP—except, of course, voter bias. There will be those who want to penalize him for his suspension, and then there will be those who are just flat-out sick of his reign and will vote for someone else just to vote for someone else.
Not even all of that, though, is reason enough to back off Brady. If voters choose the actual MVP to be this year's MVP, it will be Tom Brady.
Category : Sports Betting News
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What's the energizer bunny
What's the energizer bunny of Trump's base? In Trump's mind and by his words, the answer is clear. It's racism. Whenever he's in trouble, and he's in big trouble now, racist tropes come out of his mouth, fast and furious, to rally his die hard supporters around him. Yesterday he did it again when he said he was the victim of a "lynching" by Congressional Democrats who are doing no more than exercising their constitutional duty as a check and balance on presidential misbehavior and lawlessness.
Here we have the appropriation of a word and act that has a particular meaning and long and shameful history and its redeployment in the service of — of all things — an out of control white supremacist president. This isn't so much an irony of history as a butchering, emptying, and refashionig of history by a political descendant of racist hangmen and redeemers of the 19th and 20th centuries in the South and elsewhere. Impeach now, and if necessary, defeat next fall.
Sam Webb
I'm a long-time socialist and activist, but new to the blogging world, to which I aim to bring a different perspective on politics, sports, culture, and Marxism. I also teach online classes, but leave plenty of time for swimming, hiking, ESPN, music, reading, drinking good beer, and, not least, my family and friends. I wish I could play basketball, but my knees ruled out that possibility long ago. While I currently reside in New York City, my politically formative years were spent in Detroit during the 1970s and 1980s. I graduated from St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia (where I played basketball) and received my MA in economics from the University of Connecticut. I was the national chairperson of the Communist Party, USA from 2000 until 2014 when I stepped down at the convention. In 2015 I resigned from the Communist Party.
The center?
Better but not level
© 2015 SamWebb.org