The concept of a genomic core, defined as the set of genes ubiquitous in all genomes of a monophyletic group, has become crucial in comparative and evolutionary genomics. However, it is still a matter of debate whether lateral gene transfers (LGT) may affect the components of genomic cores, preventing their use to retrace species evolution. We have recently reconstructed the phylogeny of Archaea by using two large concatenated datasets of core proteins involved in translation and transcription, respectively. The resulting trees were largely congruent, showing that informational gene components of the archaeal genomic core belonging to two distinct molecular systems contain a coherent signal for archaeal phylogeny. However, some incongruence remained between the two phylogenies. This may be due either to undetected LGT and/or to a lack of sufficient phylogenetic signal in the datasets.
We present evidence strongly favoring of the latter hypothesis. In fact, we have updated our transcription and translation datasets with five new archaeal genomes for a total of 6384 and 2928 amino acid positions, respectively, and 25 taxa. This increase in taxonomic sampling led to the nearly complete convergence of the transcription-based and translation-based trees on a single phylogenetic pattern for archaeal evolution. In fact, only a single incongruence persisted between the two phylogenies. This concerned Methanopyrus kandleri, whose placement remained strongly biased in the transcription tree due to its above average evolutionary rates, and could not be counterbalanced due to the lack of availability of closely related and/or slower-evolving relatives.
To our knowledge, this is the first report of evidence that the phylogenetic signal harbored by components of the archaeal translation apparatus is confirmed by additional markers belonging to a second molecular system (i.e. transcription). This rules out the risk of circularity when inferring species evolution by small subunit ribosomal RNA and ribosomal protein sequences, since it has been suggested that concerted LGT may affect these markers. Our results strongly support the existence of a core of proteins that has evolved mainly through vertical inheritance in Archaea, and carries a bona fide phylogenetic signal that can be used to retrace the evolutionary history of this domain. The identification and analysis of additional molecular markers not affected by LGT should continue defining the emerging picture of a genuine phylogenetic core for the third domain of life.
The discovery that Lateral Gene Transfers (LGT) play a major role in the evolution of prokaryotic organisms has raised concerns about the possibility of reconstructing species phylogenies . Some biologists even believe that LGT have obscured the phylogenetic record to such an extent that the task may be in fact hopeless [1, 2]. However, others have argued that the careful selection of a 'core' of genes that have been refractory to transfer may help solving (at least partly) this conundrum [3–6]. The genomic core concept, i.e. the set of homologous genes present in all -or most-genomes of a phylogenetically coherent group, has become crucial in comparative and evolutionary genomics . Indeed, the identification of 'genomic cores' can provide crucial information on the composition of ancestral genomes [8, 9], as well as on organisms evolution at various phylogenetic depths [6, 10, 11]. However, homology-based analyses to define core genes cannot discriminate between vertically transmitted components and horizontally exchanged ones (i.e. "cryptic orthologous replacements" ). Thus, it is still a matter of debate whether Lateral Gene Transfers (LGT) may affect the components of genomic cores, preventing their use to retrace species evolution. Nevertheless, the extent and nature of the horizontal component of genomic cores can be identified by molecular phylogeny. The use of conserved gene cores to retrace species evolution has mainly focused on the translation apparatus, since the ribosome appears to be one of the best conserved macromolecular machines in the living world. The concatenation of either bacterial and archaeal ribosomal protein sequences has produced global phylogenies that are roughly similar to those obtained with both small and large ribosomal subunit rRNA genes (16S and 23S rRNA) [4, 5, 11]. Moreover, careful individual analyses have indicated that ribosomal proteins have been apparently never exchanged between the three Life domains, and rarely between different lineages within domains [4, 5, 12, 13]. However, it may be argued that concerted LGT involving rRNA and ribosomal protein genes, since they belong to the same macromolecular machinery, could escape detection in such analyses. Nevertheless, this hypothesis could be discarded if phylogenies based on additional sets of genomic core proteins belonging to other molecular machineries are congruent with those of the components of the translation apparatus.
Accordingly, we have recently performed an in-depth analysis of proteins involved in transcription and translation from Archaea . Individual phylogenies of these proteins confirmed that the components of these informational molecular machineries are little affected by LGT in the archaeal domain, and permitted the assembly of two large concatenated datasets of likely vertically-transmitted genes to reconstruct the phylogeny of the third domain of life . The trees based on the 'translation' dataset (53 ribosomal proteins, Figure 1A) and the 'transcription' dataset (11 RNA polymerase subunits and 3 transcription factors, Figure 1B) were globally congruent, suggesting that the two informational systems contain a coherent phylogenetic signal for the archaeal phylogeny . However, a number of incongruent nodes remained between the two trees (Figure 1A and 1B). First, the hyperthermophilic methanogen Methanopyrus kandleri was close to other methanogens in the translation tree (Figure 1A), whereas it emerged with a strong statistical confidence at the base of the euryarchaeal phylum in the transcription tree (Bootstrap Value BV = 90%, Figure 1B). A second incongruence concerned the position of the euryarchaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus, since this archaeon was grouped, albeit with weak support (BV = 41%), with Thermoplasmatales in the translation tree (Figure 1A), whereas in the transcription tree it was strongly placed as sister group to the clade composed of Methanosarcinales and Halobacteriales (BV = 100%) (Figure 1B). Finally, although in both phylogenies Methanobacteriales and Methanococcales were located in-between Thermococcales and a large clade comprising Thermoplasmatales, Archaeoglobus, Methanosarcinales and Halobacteriales, they were paraphyletic in the translation tree (Figure 1A) whereas they were monophyletic in the transcription tree (Figure 1B).
Unrooted Maximum Likelihood (ML) trees based on concatenation of ribosomal proteins (A) and RNA polymerase subunits and transcription factors (B). For clarity, the two datasets from Brochier et al. (2004) were scaled down to the same number of species by removing Methanosarcina mazei and Methanosarcina acetivorans from the transcription dataset. Numbers at nodes are bootstrap values (BV). The scale bars represent the number of changes per position for a unit branch length. Trees were produced by exhaustive searches performed by PROTML. Branch lengths and likelihood values were calculated by TREE-PUZZLE (JJT model including a Γ-correction (8 categories of sites)). Numbers at nodes are bootstrap values computed with PUZZLEBOOT from 1000 replications. Asterisks indicate constrained nodes (supported by BV = 100% in preliminary NJ and heuristic ML analyses). The names of groups showing incongruent positions between the two trees are underlined.
In the case of M. kandleri, we suggested that the discrepancy between the translation and transcription trees was likely due to the very fast evolutionary rate of its RNA polymerase subunits (reflected by the very long branch of M. kandleri in the transcription tree, Figure 1B). Such an accelerated rate of evolution may be due to the lack in this archaeon of the critical transcription factor TFS [11, 14]. A Long Branch Attraction (LBA) artefact  between the very long branch of M. kandleri and the outgroup (i.e. Crenarchaeota) may thus be responsible for the basal position of this methanogen in the transcription tree. In contrast, the incongruence between the two trees in the position of A. fulgidus, and in those of Methanobacteriales and Methanococcales may be either due to undetected LGT, and/or result from an insufficient phylogenetic signal in the two protein datasets. Only in the latter case should an increased taxonomic sampling help resolving this incongruence, whereas if LGTs are responsible, the addition of more taxa should not increase resolution and will possibly add more confusion. The recent sequencing of several new genomes from Euryarchaeota now permits tackling these two alternatives.
We have updated our previous datasets of the components of the translation and transcription machineries  to include a total of 25 Archaea. In particular, we included the psychrophilic methanogen Methanogenium frigidum  and the mesophilic methanogen Methanococcoides burtonii -two lineages belonging to Methanomicrobiales  and Methanosarcinales , respectively. We also included the halophile Haloferax volcanii , the Thermococcale Thermococcus gammatolerans (Yvan Zivanovic and Fabrice Confalonieri, personal communication), and Nanoarchaeum equitans, a highly divergent archaeon that has been suggested as the representative of a new archaeal phylum, the Nanoarchaeota [20–22]. As in our previous studies [5, 11] we did not include any eukaryotic outgroup in order to limit biases due to LBA.
As described previously , separated phylogenetic analyses were performed on each of these new datasets in order to identify and remove potential lateral gene transfer (LGT) events (data not shown). Despite the fact that most relationships were largely unresolved in several trees due to the small size of most proteins, we checked for any possible strongly supported departure from undisputed nodes in the archaeal phylogeny, such as the clades of Thermoplasmatales, Halobacteriales, Sulfolobales, Thermococcales, Methanosarcinales and Methanococcales. Following the addition of novel taxa, no new clear-cut case of LGT could be observed with respect to these nodes, confirming that transfers are indeed very rare for these markers[5, 11]. A few proteins gave an instable placement for Nanoarchaeum equitans. However, since the position of this taxon in the archaeal phylogeny has not yet been firmly tested, we did not judge these proteins as clear-cut cases of LGT. The 53 ribosomal proteins and the 14 proteins involved in transcription were thus concatenated into two large 'translation' and 'transcription' datasets, whose sizes were 6384 and 2928 amino acid positions, respectively.
Exhaustive Maximum Likelihood (ML) searches were performed on the two updated translation and transcription fusion datasets, with a few constraints given to undisputable nodes (i.e. supported by BV = 100% in preliminary Neighbor Joining and ML heuristic analyses (not shown)). The best ML topologies for the translation and transcription datasets are presented in Figure 2A and 2B, respectively. Topologies not significantly less likely than the ones presented in Figure 2 differed by minor rearrangements on nodes that are feebly supported by bootstrap, such as the branching order within halobacteriales in the transcription tree, or the grouping of methanopyrus with methanococcales/methanobacteriales in the translation tree (not shown).
Unrooted ML trees for the updated translation dataset (A) and transcription dataset (B). For details and tree computation see legend to Figure 1. The five new taxa are indicated in bold.
Interestingly, the addition of five new archaeal taxa led to convergence of the transcription and translation trees on a coherent phylogenetic pattern, to the exclusion of the position of M. kandleri-still emerging after Thermococcales in the translation tree (Figure 2A), but recovered as a very long branch at the base of the euryarchaea in the transcription tree (Figure 2B)-(the same trees were obtained when removing M. kandleri from the datasets, data not shown). This only incoherence between the two phylogenies is most likely due to the fact that the LBA artefact affecting the position of M. kandleri in the transcription tree persisted even after increase in taxonomic sampling, due to unavailability of closely related and slower evolving species. Nanoarchaeum equitans emerged as a separate branch distinct from those leading to Crenarchaeota and Euryarchaeota domains, in both translation and transcription trees (Figure 2A and 2B), supported by strong bootstrap values (BV = 100%). This position is congruent with previous results based on ribosomal proteins concatenation . T. gammatolerans branched off of at the base of Thermococcales, that were confirmed as the first emerging euryarchaeal phylum, as in our previous studies [5, 11]. Interesting, Methanobacteriales and Methanococcales formed now a monophyletic group in both translation and transcription trees (BV = 55% and 82%, Figure 2A and 2B, respectively). This suggests that the paraphyly of these groups observed in our previous translation tree (Figure 1A) was likely incorrect due to a lack of phylogenetic signal rather than to a LGT bias. The Methanobacteriales/Methanococcales monophyletic group is sister to a large cluster including both methanogenic and non-methanogenic species: A. fulgidus, the three Thermoplasmatales, the three Halobacteriales and the five Methanomicrobia (Methanomicrobiales and Methanosarcinales) (BV = 97% and BV = 77%, Figure 2A and 2B, respectively). This supports the hypothesis of an ancient origin of methanogenesis in Archaea followed by subsequent loss in some lineages (A. fulgidus, Thermoplasmatales and Halobacteriales). Moreover, the position of A. fulgidus, while left uncertain in our previous analyses (i.e. either sister-group of Thermoplasmatales in the translation tree, or of Halobacteriales/Methanomicrobia in the transcription tree, Figure 1A and 1B, respectively) was now robustly indicated as sister to Methanomicrobiales, Methanosarcinales and Halobacteriales in both translation and transcription trees (BP = 85% and 96%, respectively, Figure 1A and 1B). The strong placement of A. fulgidus in our updated translation tree is likely due the stabilisation of the node following addition of new taxa. This result further supports the hypothesis of a late and independent emergence of aerobic respiration in Euryarchaeotes (Halobacteriales), possibly via the recruitment of bacterial genes. Finally, both translation and transcription trees confidently grouped M. burtonii and M. frigidum with the three Methanosarcina (BV = 100% and BV = 100%, Figure 2A and BV = 100% and BV = 79%, Figure 2B, respectively) within the Methanomicrobia group. The very close relationship between M. burtonii and the three Methanosarcinales constitutes a novel phylogenetic argument justifying its inclusion in the order Methanosarcinales, at present based only on 16S rRNA phylogeny .
The congruence we obtained between the archaeal phylogenies based on the components of the translation and transcription machineries strongly supports the existence of a core of genes that evolved mainly through vertical inheritance in Archaea, and carry a bona fide phylogenetic signal that can be used to infer the phylogeny of this domain. Our results confirm also that the addition of new taxa strongly improves phylogenetic inference, and support the idea that evolutionary considerations should be included in the choice of new genomes to be sequenced. However, our conclusions should not be considered as the "last word" on the subject. For example, the misplacement of M. kandleri at the base of Euryarchaea in the transcription tree was not cured by the increase in taxonomic sampling. The inclusion of sequences from slower evolving and close relatives, when they will be available, may help resolving this bias. Similarly, the very long branch displayed by N. equitans (Figure 2A and 2B) suggests that its placement as a separate branch distinct from that leading to Euryarchaeota and Crenarchaeota, although congruent between the transcription and translation trees, should be taken with caution due to the risk of an LBA artefact. The analysis of the components of additional molecular systems and the inclusion of more taxa may eventually lead to a confident placement for these two interesting species in the archaeal phylogeny.
Finally, our results make us confident that the construction of a phylogeny that retraces the vertical history of the archaeal domain is a feasible task. The identification and analysis of additional molecular markers not affected by LGT on large phylogenetic scales and their phylogenetic analysis by approaches that minimise reconstruction artefacts should continue defining the emerging picture of a genuine phylogenetic core for the Archaea. The application of a similar strategy to the bacterial and eukaryal domains could also lead to a bona fide reconstruction of their respective evolutionary histories.
In order to update the datasets of our previous analysis , we included the two methanogens Methanogenium frigidum  and Methanococcoides burtonii , the halophile Haloferax volcanii , the Thermococcale Thermococcus gammatolerans (Yvan Zivanovic and Fabrice Confalonieri, personal communication), and Nanoarchaeum equitans. In addition, the sequences of the two Methanosarcinales Methanosarcina mazei and Methanosarcina acetivorans were added to the ribosomal dataset. Sequences were retrieved by TBLASTN at genome sequencing web sites for H. volcanii http://halo.umbi.umd.edu/cgi-bin/blast/blast_hvo.pl, M. burtonii and M. frigidum http://psychro.bioinformatics.unsw.edu.au/genomes/index.php, or using BLASTP in NCBI for N. equitans, M. acetivorans and M. mazei . For each dataset, novel sequences were manually added to previous alignments by using the ED program of the MUST package . Regions were the alignment was ambiguous were removed from the each dataset.
Trees were computed by a number of different approaches. Neighbor-Joining (NJ) trees were calculated by the NEIGHBOR program of the PHYLIP package , using Maximum Likelihood (ML) distance matrices (JTT model including a Γ-correction) computed by TREE-PUZZLE 5.1 . Heuristic ML trees were computed using PHYML with the JTT model including a Γ-correction . Exhaustive tree topology searches with limited constraints were performed using PROTML of the MOLPHY package . The likelihoods and branch lengths of ML topologies were performed by TREE-PUZZLE (JTT model including a Γ-correction). For exhaustive ML searches, constraints (asterisks in Figures 1 and 2) were given to undisputable nodes (supported by BV = 100%), based on preliminary NJ and ML heuristic analyses (not shown).
The SEQBOOT program of the PHYLIP package  was used for the generation of bootstrapped datasets, and PUZZLEBOOT  and CONSENSE in the PHYLIP package  were used for bootstrap value calculations on 1000 replications and consensus tree reconstructions, respectively.
Datasets and their corresponding phylogenies are available on request from CB.
We wish to thank Eric Armanet and Gael Stefan for allowing some of the calculations to be run on their computers. We thank also Yvan Zivanovic, Fabrice Confalonieri for kindly providing sequences from T. gammatolerans and Shiladitya DasSarma and the members of the university of Scranton for the sequences of H. volcanii free available by BLAST on http://halo.umbi.umd.edu/cgi-bin/blast/blast_hvo.pl.
CB carried out the analyses. CB, PF and SG conceived the study and drafted the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.


Now I owe days 5 and 4. Haha!
Then it was zip off back home and back to work! Hehe.
So what about the sneakies, you might ask? Okay!
Day 5 Sneak! A Shoebox Class for the Mac-Heads!
Day 4 Sneak! Self-Paced Classes!
This one will be a lot of fun, I think! I'm going to be releasing self-paced classes, for those who are in-between the instructor-led classes or if you're just building skills and practicing. You'll get instant access to these classes and can register anytime. Topics and formats will range from albums to layouts to hybrid projects. Can't wait! I'm excited to continue to offer new stuff!
Jun 2 Searching for a couple more TAs for Houston..
May 29 Countdown to Relaunch: T-Minus 6 days!


Sonic Faction has release Dope Matrix Mod Squad, a collection of 20 enigmatic modular devices for Ableton and Max for Live.
The pack includes euro-rack inspired analog & digital oscillators, an emporium of boutique effects, mappable modulators and a Control Matrix Sequencer for hands-on control via the Push and Launchpad grid.
Dope Matrix MOD SQUAD includes completely reimagined modular analog and wavetable oscillators; each with its own dedicated filters, envelopes, FM and LFOs. New additions to the synth lineup include the Lithium feedback synth and Freak Mod FM randomizer.
Dope Matrix MOD SQUAD comes with a plethora of boutique modular effects, ranging from modulated bucket delays and resonating reverbs to thrashing distortions and glitchy sound manglers. Chain them together to create hyper-dimensional soundscapes.
Dope Matrix MOD SQUAD is all about modulation so we included 2 incredible new modulation tools that can be assigned to any parameter in Live. Curvature draws in custom curves for freaky automation and Super Slider takes step-modulation to new heights.
The included Dope Sequencer features a Control Matrix which allows for hands-on navigation to any device in your rack via Push 1&2 or Launchpad Pro/Mkii. Evoke new sonic vistas with its full-featured pattern generator and unique channel Gate sequencer.
Dope Matrix Mod Squad is available from Plugin Boutique for $69 USD. Owners of the previous version of Dope Matrix can upgrade for $29 USD.


text:
OUT OF MIND » HOT TOPICS » GOVERNMENT & THE NEW WORLD ORDER » More on Panama Papers
More on Panama Papers
1 More on Panama Papers on Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:47 am
2 Re: More on Panama Papers on Mon Apr 11, 2016 8:50 am
The Panama Papers Have Made Radical Change Possible
Posted by Lou on April 11, 2016
Posted in: Activism, Banking cabal, Corporatocracy, Corruption, Crime, Criminology, Debt slavery, Israel, Panama Papers, Political science, Wealth inequality, White collar crime, Zionism. Leave a comment
Source: The Panama Papers Have Made Radical Change Possible. | Video Rebel's Blog
With permission from
https://vidrebel.wordpress.com
The Panama Papers will likely become a dividing point in world history.
We can divide modern world history into pre and post 911 periods. The previous dividing point in our history was the assassination of President Kennedy and the resulting Vietnam War.
I believe one of the reasons JFK was assassinated was so we could go into the Vietnam war and lose it. Our Secret Government wanted to addict millions of white people to drugs. Previously, Her Majesty's Jewish Government fought two Opium Wars against China so Jewish Bankers could replace the profits they had lost when their African slave trade was ended by white male voters.
Of course Kennedy was also killed because he opposed Israel's acquisition of nuclear weapons. He was assassinated on the 53rd anniversary of the conclave that created the Federal Reserve Bank. That was a message to the rest of us that the Bankers run America and we do not. A similar message was given on the first anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr's anti-war speech at Riverside Church in New York City. I believe King was killed to tell us that we cannot successfully say No to war. If the Bankers want us to die in a war for them or for Israel, then we must sacrifice our children to our rulers. The decision is theirs and not ours. At least, that is what they believe to be true.
You didn't really believe you lived in a democracy did you?
Journalists have been decoding 11.5 million documents leaked from Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca. The 2.6 terabytes of data show tens of billions of dollars worth of transactions dating back 40 years. 200,000 firms and 14,000 individuals are involved.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton lobbied successfully for the Panama-United States Trade Promotion Agreement. She paved the way for major banks and corporations, most notably Deutsche Bank, to skirt national laws and regulations. After she resigned as Secretary of State, Deutsche Bank paid her $485,000 for a speech.
Bernie Sanders won 7 of the last 7 caucuses and primaries but still trails Hillary in delegates for the nomination. That is fair because she took money from Goldman Sachs, J P Morgan and Deutsche Bank which she gave to Democratic officials in the various state party organizations to buy delegates. Who cares about voters when you have campaign cash from known criminals?
I feel that I should disabuse you of the notion that Deutsche Bank is a German run institution. I have written annotated Bilderberg members lists for their past several meetings. The last two Deutsche Bank CEOs prior to the current predicament were Jewish. One from Switzerland and the other Israel. It is the duty of German taxpayers to bail out Deutsche Bank as it is the duty of French and British taxpayers to bail out the Rothschilds. So what if the Rothschilds have been investigated for stealing pensioners' retirement funds? Are those old people so greedy that they expected to eat more than one meal a week in their old age?
Obama and his Jewish Treasury Secretary Jack Lew have decided to Double Down on tax cheating for billionaires, Drug Lords and other criminals. They have come up with a new rule that makes it even more difficult for bank regulators to determine who actually owns all those shell corporations that are hiding tens of trillions of dollars they stole from us. Currently, lawyers do not have to reveal who actually is the CEO or even who sits on the board of directors on these shady corporations. Lawyers use nominees to stand in for the real culprits. And this does not just happen in Panama. Obama and Lew under their new Treasury rule would raise the amount of stock that has to be owned by one party before his lawyers had to reveal his name. Of course even I can think of work arounds. Suppose I own 4 holding companies that are all offshore. I can put my stock under their names so I am never cited as an owner and pay zero taxes.
Let's be honest. I read recently of a US program to win the hearts and minds of the people of Afghanistan. They went to Italy and bought 9 very nice looking goats. The flew them first class from Italy to Afghanistan. The total cost of this program to the taxpayers was $6 million. Now if you were a multi-billionaire, would you be willing to pay $6 million for 9 goats to make one Afghan farmer happy? That kind of generosity should be limited to the middle class taxpayer.
Zero Hedge had an article recently about a law firm in Reno Nevada that is hiding money for the Rothschilds and their clients. Other US states like Delaware and Wyoming are doing the same so this Panama caper is not just overseas but also even inside the US.
Bernie Sanders is not the only one being robbed of delegates. When Trump voters went into voting booths in Texas and Wisconsin, many were not allowed to vote for him. Their votes went to Cruz. Both Sanders and Trump are being robbed of delegates at state conventions. Colorado decided to cancel all voting so Trump would not get even one delegate. This is In Your Face corruption. These politicians are willing to destroy their party's chances of winning an election just to defend the continuation of bribery in Washington DC.
The Resistance Movement must now Double Down because the Panama Papers will give us wings. We will need to explain to the average citizen what the Uber Rich did and are doing to us as we head to the conventions. But the Panama Papers will increase the anger voters feel about the people who think they own our government.
Americans need to demand that their votes are counted. We need to demand resignations as they have done in Iceland and in Great Britain.
The next Big Event in world history will be the coming economic collapse. A Depression is a period in time when Unpayable Debts are cancelled en masse. Since we have far more Unpayable Debts to cancel than in the Great Depression, we will be in for very hard times unless there is monetary and bank reform combined with worldwide Debt Cancellation. Only the American government could organize worldwide Debt Cancellation.
The alternative is that we let the Uber Rich continue to run things. They would probably let a billion people starve to death, kill tens of millions in Race Wars and release a series of plagues to kill a few billion more of us.
We cannot accept the future they have planned for us.
If you think the US government has nothing to do with the Drug Cartels, read this. They created the worldwide Drug Infrastructure for the cartels. The US government used their drug profits to buy a trillion dollars in American Treasury bonds dumped by foreign Central Banks over the past year.
America's Secret Multi-Trillion Dollar Black Ops Slush Fund
I wrote that Israel killed JFK here:
Israel Killed JFK And Has Ruled America Ever Since.
Israel also did 911.
Resurrecting Israel Did 911. All the Proof In The World
People wonder why I support Trump. It want him to advance because he and Sanders are the focal points of American anger. I believe we need changes that not even a strong leader could accomplish. Economic collapse is coming. The only exit path I see is for a military coup to radically change things. Politicians whether Republican or Democrat will have to turn the country over to the US military and martial law as soon as the Nationwide Food riots begin. I see a military coup as Good News. Because only the military could arrest the Bankers and seize their assets to fund Debt Cancellation.
How And Why An American Military Coup Could Save The World
Thanks to Lou at: https://talesfromtheloublog.wordpress.com
#PanamaPapers PART 12… Gordon Duff, Jim Dean, VT 4-10-16… "NEO – Panama Papers – the New Wikileaks Scam"
Posted on 2016/04/10 by kauilapele
So apparently Gordon wrote this for NEO, and Jim Dean posted it (and commented on it) on VT, so that's why both names are there. Fascinating points made by both of them. As with the "UFO" an Secret Space Program, it appears (to me, at least) that the #PanamaPapers is an attempt at "controlled disclosure" of "the cabal" (which of course, via these papers, means such "horrible" people as Putin, Assad, FIFA officials, the Road Runner, Bugs Bunny, and Stewie Griffin of Family Guy).
[JD] "The new Wikileaks wannabe scam is playing out as we expected. Even Wikileaks has trashed it, perhaps thinking that might help cover that VT busted Wiki as a scam, when we caught not only the seeded and altered material, but even public records of Netanyahu telling his fellow Zionists that, "We will be okay, Assange is talking to us and nothing will be released that will hurt us."
"…having a front like ICIJ to "launder" a story is just another day at the office. The flashing neon clue there is that the big institutions funding them have long records of being involved in Intelligence work on a major scale. This is not a rumor, folks. As Gordon so often says, "Welcome to how the world really works."
"No major media person has ever accepted an interview with us. They know the topic would be the massive corruption in corporate media. They would rather make love to a chain saw, and I mean one that is running…
[GD] "There is a new game in town, the Panama Papers, a massive dump of corporate records from Mossach Fenseka, a law firm… that sets up phony corporations for purposes of bribery and money laundering. Their primary clients are the CIA and Mossad, the bulk of the records received by an obscure German newspaper, a huge dump, involve political leaders around the world.
"When a German newspaper received this dump over a year ago, they turned, unknowingly, to an organization actually run by intelligence agencies, in fact those with the most to risk from the leak itself, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists… It didn't take long for the BBC, Guardian and other bastions of the New World Order to begin their attacks on Russia. Thus far, only Russian President Putin is named, with over 20,000 corporations listed so far, Putin and a handful of defunct Icelandic politicians, a few Argentinians and some football referees.
"This is almost a repeat of WikiLeaks. Material went to the New York Times, who called the Israeli embassy who sent over teams to censor or whatever it was they did, and then approve what could be published… What we can expect is month after month whatever tale of woe the CIA or Mossad or the Soros organization want to spew, usually attacks on Russia or Iran, will come out as part of the Panama Papers.
"Not one word has been released that would lead to the prosecution of a single political or corporate leader in the US though, in all probability, over half the information received would directly support criminal charges of money laundering and tax evasion against these specific groups."
NEO – Panama Papers – the New Wikileaks Scam
The ICIJ has to open itself up to prove its not being used as a screen for a seeded Intel drop
by Gordon Duff, VT Sr. Editor, … with New Eastern Outlook, Moscow
There are layers of smokescreens in this story
[ Editor's Note: The new Wikileaks wannabe scam is playing out as we expected. Even Wikileaks has trashed it, perhaps thinking that might help cover that VT busted Wiki as a scam, when we caught not only the seeded and altered material, but even public records of Netanyahu telling his fellow Zionists that, "We will be okay, Assange is talking to us and nothing will be released that will hurt us."
World media seems to never republish the gems of confessional material to be found in the Israeli media, especially the Hebrew platforms. Public record is treated like top secret material.
In digging into Assange's background, we found him saying that Rupert Murdoch was "his hero and role model", and he is as dirty as they come. We consider his entire media network an intelligence platform for the Israelis.
I had contacted Gerard Ryle of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists about doing an interview. Whereas the documents look squeaky clean, I reminded him that even if they are, the "cleaning" could have been done on them prior to his group getting them, so the ICIJ would be in effect using them as a screen.
Gerard Ryle
Actually, with a big country, or multiple-country Intel psyop like this, having a front like ICIJ to "launder" a story is just another day at the office.
The flashing neon clue there is that the big institutions funding them have long records of being involved in Intelligence work on a major scale. This is not a rumor, folks. As Gordon so often says, "Welcome to how the world really works."
To date, I have had no reply from Mr. Ryle. I explained to him that we had a total corporate media blackout on us and for good reason. We are not controllable. I told him that if he were involved in the scam, we were the last people he would ever want to interview with, but if he was not, we were the best, as we would stick by him shoulder shoulder.
No major media person has ever accepted an interview with us. They know the topic would be the massive corruption in corporate media. They would rather make love to a chain saw, and I mean one that is running… Jim W. Dean ]
– First published … April 10, 2016 –
"… If so, why did you not leak them selectively yourself, in some order of importance versus lettin a 3rd party do that? Suspicious people want to know."
There is a new game in town, the Panama Papers, a massive dump of corporate records from Mossach Fenseka, a law firm in Panama with offices around the world, that sets up phony corporations for purposes of bribery and money laundering.
Their primary clients are the CIA and Mossad, the bulk of the records received by an obscure German newspaper, a huge dump, involve political leaders around the world.
However, the "dump" fell into the hands of those it was meant to expose and will now be used to blackmail some, to protect others and the documents, too many for anyone to examine or vet, have, for the last year, been seeded with fabrications and fictions just like WikiLeaks.
For those unaware, former National Security Advisor, Zbigniew Brzezinski, outed WikiLeaks as a Mossad operation on December 5, 2010, while on National Public Radio with Judy Woodruff. Brzezinski asserted that WikiLeaks was run by an intelligence organization and its leaks were largely chickenfeed with fabricated material seeded into the mix.
From Veterans Today:
'The filth of the world will be protected and the innocent, should such things exist, can be targeted in the name of "investigative journalism" as teams seed phony material in and launder out damage to the politicians, names like Netanyahu and Bush, Cheney and Giuliani, Hollande and Blair, Kasich and Snyder, Gingrich and Romney, especially Romney.'
When a German newspaper received this dump over a year ago, they turned, unknowingly, to an organization actually run by intelligence agencies, in fact those with the most to risk from the leak itself, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
The entire time this trove has been available it should have been in the hands of forensic accountants working for an agency or authority that none of us can name as such an agency simply doesn't exist. There is no international authority without an agenda to serve drug cartels and money launderers.
For the last year, lists of owners of thousands of phony corporations used to launder money, have been reviewed by dozens of "journalists." The result thus far has been to mention soccer officials, attack Russian president Putin and to smear the reputation of a well-known worthless chiseler, Ian Cameron, father of slime ball David Cameron, long a blackmail victim tied to the News of the World "phone hacking scandal. I am not going to begin to repeat what was found out about David Cameron, but "sick" is an understatement."
It didn't take long for the BBC, Guardian and other bastions of the New World Order to begin their attacks on Russia. Thus far, only Russian President Putin is named, with over 20,000 corporations listed so far, Putin and a handful of defunct Icelandic politicians, a few Argentinians and some football referees.
From Craig Murray, a British investigative journalist:
But why focus on Russia? Russian wealth is only a tiny minority of the money hidden away with the aid of Mossack Fonseca. In fact, it soon becomes obvious that the selective reporting is going to stink.
The Suddeutsche Zeitung, which received the leak, gives a detailed explanation of the methodology the corporate media used to search the files. The main search they have done is for names associated with breaking UN sanctions regimes.
The Guardian reports this too and helpfully lists those countries as Zimbabwe, North Korea, Russia and Syria. The filtering of this Mossack Fonseca information by the corporate media follows a direct western governmental agenda.
There is no mention at all of use of Mossack Fonseca by massive western corporations or western billionaires – the main customers. And the Guardian is quick to reassure that "much of the leaked material will remain private."
What do you expect? The leak is being managed by the grandly but laughably named "International Consortium of Investigative Journalists", which is funded and organised entirely by the USA's Center for Public Integrity. Their funders include:
Rockefeller Family Fund
W K Kellogg Foundation
Open Society Foundation (Soros)
George Soros – None of his offshore accounts show up. Imagine that?
There are many others. Do not expect a genuine expose of western capitalism. The dirty secrets of western corporations will remain unpublished.
Expect hits at Russia, Iran and Syria and some tiny "balancing" western country like Iceland. A superannuated UK peer or two will be sacrificed – someone already with dementia.
What we can expect is this, the individuals named will begin with octogenarians like Lord Janner or Jimmie Saville of Britain's pedophile scandal. We were supposed to believe that no one under 80 had sex with kids or that prosecutions could only move forward against "deathbed defendants."
This is certainly going to be another case of this. But there is a bigger threat, born in the meltdown and failure of WikiLeaks never really having recovered despite continual attempts to keep Assange in the news over date rape allegations. Few imagine Assange ever showed sexual interest in a female at all, not those who know his history. Then again, few know Assange's history, his training in Israel even though his ties to Netanyahu and Murdoch are legendary.
As with the Panama Papers, WikiLeaks promised "sizzle" and brought only attacks on Iran and Pakistan, sold to the public wrapped in enough anti-Americanism to attract Russian media and backing from leftists.
Worst of all, we take the biggest opportunity in half a century to expose global corruption and see it handed to a nameless group of "blue ribbon investigative journalists" that no one has heard of who are in the employ of foundations funded by and affiliated with those most believe need to be exposed.
It has to be no surprise, as Craig Murray or Veterans Today point out, that the first attacks are aimed at Russian President Putin's friends, backed with no proof, no detail but "leaked" in a wrapper of chickenfeed attacks on sports officials and international "nobodies."
Putin's feathers are not ruffled. When the British media gave 75% of their Panama Papers coverage to "Putin's friends", that was a dead giveaway that the drop was a psyop
This is almost a repeat of WikiLeaks. Material went to the New York Times, who called the Israeli embassy who sent over teams to censor or whatever it was they did, and then approve what could be published.
This is what was admitted to, but we know it went much further. Examination of American documents involving abuses during the occupation of Iraq showed significant alteration of some documents, others totally fabricated and many others removed by WikiLeaks.
What we can expect is month after month whatever tale of woe the CIA or Mossad or the Soros organization want to spew, usually attacks on Russia or Iran, will come out as part of the Panama Papers.
For a year, a secretive group admittedly funded by what any rational person would agree are "dark forces" has been sitting on these documents.
Not one word.
Gordon Duff is a Marine combat veteran of the Vietnam War that has worked on veterans and POW issues for decades and consulted with governments challenged by security issues. He's a senior editor and chairman of the board of Veterans Today, especially for the online magazine "New Eastern Outlook."
Thanks to KP at: https://kauilapele.wordpress.com
David Cameron's Panama, war scandals
This video from London, England says about itself:
'Cameron Resign': 'Tough week' for UK PM following Panama Papers leak
A massive protest has gathered in front of PM David Cameron's residence at Downing Street 10, calling for his resignation. The rally follows the so-called Panama Papers leak, which among others exposed the offshore dealings of Cameron's late father.
By Joana Ramiro in Britain:
Thousands tell PM to quit
People flock to Downing Street incensed at Panama Papers revelations
HASTILY organised protests demanding David Cameron's resignation following the Panama Papers revelations brought thousands of people onto the streets of Britain at the weekend.
Demonstrators gathered in the centre of Glasgow and Manchester and in front of Downing Street in London, later marching on a hotel where the Prime Minister had just publicly acknowledged mishandling the crisis.
The demonstrations, labelled #ResignCameron on social media, came less than 24 hours after the Prime Minister admitted that he had benefited from shares in his father's Blairmore Holdings fund, once registered in a tax haven.
Teenager Lily Douglas sat down outside No 10 with her school friends for most of Saturday afternoon because they wanted "David Cameron out of the government."
She told the Star: "He's a rubbish Prime Minister.
"He doesn't listen to his constituency, he doesn't show any respect for the working class.
"We're here because of cuts to our services, cuts to our education, cuts to our jobs, cuts to our disability services — it's a horrible life to live.
"We don't want him in there, we want someone who is actually going to respect us and represent us."
The London demonstration moved between Westminster and the Connaught Rooms, where the Conservatives' spring forum was taking place.
While protesters besieged the hotel, crying out: "We pay taxes, why won't you?" Mr Cameron admitted he "could have handled this better" in what had not been "a great week."
Green Party council candidate Alastair Binnie-Lubbock came to the protest in a floral shirt, shorts and sandals in tune with the "Panama" theme.
He said: "We can't wait until 2020 for [the Tories] to be out of office because they are just going to try and sell everything off and there won't be anything left for the people.
"They say we need to have all these cuts to public services, but actually they are just hiding money away in tax havens."
The London protests went on well into the early evening, when the Metropolitan Police made three arrests, including two on "suspicion of breaching a dispersal notice."
Show us the money Dave
Monday 11th Apeil 2016
As Cameron is hit by yet more questions over tax affairs, Labour launches plan to clean out havens
LABOUR launched an attack on Britain's [url=http://morningstaronline.co.uk/t005279-tax avoidance]wealth-hiding super-rich[/url] yesterday after a week which saw Prime Minister David Cameron exposed as a direct beneficiary of tax avoidance.
Shadow chancellor John McDonnell revealed his new tax transparency enforcement programme yesterday, after Mr Cameron's accounts revealed a potentially tax-dodging £200,000 gift from his mother in 2011.
Ms Cameron's gift to her son is suspected to have been an attempt to avoid inheritance tax, which won't apply to the gifted cash if she is still alive in 2018.
The Prime Minister's fat finances were unveiled after increased public scrutiny following the Panama Papers scandal forced Mr Cameron to publish personal records dating back to 2010.
Commenting on Labour's latest tax policy, Mr McDonnell said that after a "week of half-truths and spin" it was time "to clean out the tax havens.
"It should be a matter of shame to the British government that more than half the companies recently named in the Panama Papers were registered in UK-governed tax havens.
"It is deeply concerning that our Prime Minister has still failed to clarify whether or not he or his family were benefiting in 2013 when he was lobbying to prevent EU measures to better regulate trusts as a way to clamp down on tax avoidance."
Mr [url=http://morningstaronline.co.uk/t37ed38-john mcdonnell]McDonnell[/url]'s programme would include a public inquiry into any harm that firms and individuals connected to the Panama Papers leak might have done to British tax revenue.
He would also offer a cash boost for HMRC's specialised tax enforcement unit, firm up anti-avoidance rules, work with European authorities to probe multinational deals and review the registration of trusts' funds in offshore accounts.
Tax haven corruption is not just a tax issue — it drives at the very heart of our democracy and its credibility," added Mr McDonnell.
"We risk eroding public trust in our democracy if we do not tackle the issue head on."
Speaking on BBC One's Andrew Marr show, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said that for "the greatest sense of openness," not only politicians but also public figures should open up their books.
He said: "I think it is probably a good thing if we move generally in that direction so that everybody knows what influences are at play.
"Money and politics have to be treated with the greatest sense of openness possible so you know what influences are at work on any individual, on whatever political or any other decisions they make.
"You are involved in public life, for example, as a very important commentator on the BBC, as indeed many others are.
"I think we need to know what influence is at work on them."New plans to criminalise companies aiding tax evasion are to be announced by [url=http://morningstaronline.co.uk/t611dd8-david cameron]Mr Cameron[/url] today in an attempt to draw a line under the Panama row.
This 9 April 2016 video is called Mass protest in London calls for Cameron to resign.
By Lamiat Sabin in Britain:
Secret government kill list uncovered
PM in the frame again for appearing to mislead Parliament
A SECRET assassination list has been held by the government for at least 14 years, targeting people in countries including Pakistan, Afghanistan and Yemen, a human rights organisation revealed yesterday.
Reprieve's research also suggests that Tory PM David Cameron could be guilty of misleading Parliament last September, a serious offence, after claiming that the drone killing of two British nationals in Syria had been "a new departure."
In October 2001, the government drew up a list of individuals who were then targeted by British and US forces, according to Reprieve, which published the Britain's Kill List report.
The list includes people suspected of being militants, drug traffickers and paedophiles who are marked for attack without them being put on trial for the allegations against them.
However, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) told the Morning Star that it "does not comment on intelligence matters."
The Star was not able to get contact with 10 Downing Street despite repeated attempts to obtain a comment about Mr Cameron's claims in the Commons.
Reprieve says that it found the names of 41 men who had "died" repeatedly — after reportedly being killed in "successful" drone strikes, their names subsequently reappeared in reports of the casualties caused by other air attacks.
The charity's report reads: "Reports indicate that each assassination target 'died' on average more than three times before their actual death.
"This raises a stark question. With each failed attempt to assassinate a man on the Kill List, who filled the body bag in his place?
"In one case, it took seven drone strikes before the US killed its target. In those strikes, as many as 164 people died, including 11 children."
The Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) is scheduled to issue its own report on Britain's use of drones for targeted killing, but Reprieve is calling for a separate, urgent review of the policy, which dates back to at least 2002.
Reprieve director Clive Stafford Smith said: "For a country that loudly proclaims its opposition to the death penalty even after a fair trial, the hypocrisy is stunning.
"Now we know that British authorities are deeply involved in executing all kinds of people, including alleged drug dealers, without a trial at all.
"If democracy means anything at all, the Prime Minister must order a full and transparent inquiry into the Kill List, starting immediately."
Thanks to: https://dearkitty1.wordpress.com
6 Re: More on Panama Papers on Mon Apr 11, 2016 10:02 am

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Peter is a former 30 year Lab Technician at Dofasco (now Arcelor Mittal), a steel mill in his home town of Hamilton, Ontario since 1912. Having worked in such an environment for so long, he is an expert on the value of fresh air.
Most scientists now agree that exposure to small particles in the air, known as particulate matter, are the source of respiratory and cardiovascular problems caused by air pollution.
Although improving, air quality readings in Hamilton are typically higher than other Canadian cities. And, the air pollution in Hamilton may contain Sulphur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Total Reduced Sulphur, Benzene, and the carcinogenic substance known as Benzo[a]pyrene. This is concerning since the average adult takes from 17,000 to 28,000 breaths per day.
Is there a way to sigh a breath of relief?
Peter has lived and worked in Hamilton's North End for close to 40 years and owns a beautiful home with a fantastic view of Hamilton Harbour, not far from the former Stelco and Dofasco Steel Companies. Sometimes the pollution in the air is too much to take. As an allergy sufferer he began looking for solutions and learned about Air Purifiers and home ventilation options.
After enjoying the benefits of an air purification unit in his own home for 14 years, he installed one for his mother too. He realized he couldn't control the environment outside, but inside his own home he could control his air quality and his comfort level. Furthermore, some air purifiers could be tax deductible for people with respiratory problems.
You typically can't see or smell many of the pollutants in your home. Wouldn't you like to know if you are waking up everyday to unwanted pollutants that are having an accumulative impact on your health? The only way to identify them is with testing equipment.
The Air Doctor believes your home "should" be your sanctuary. While you can't control the pollution outdoors, you can control the environment inside your home – your comfort zone.
We sincerely believe in the value we offer and have satisfied clients to prove it. If you are interested in improving your home environment, please contact us. We'd love to do what we do best – help you enjoy a healthier living environment.


text:
University of Richmond is a top producer of Fulbright U.S. Scholars
University of Richmond tied for first in the bachelor's institutions category of universities producing the most Fulbright U.S. Scholars.
The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs recently announced the U.S. colleges and universities that produced the most 2014-2015 Fulbright U.S. Scholars.
University of Richmond tied with Washington and Lee University. Three scholars from UR were awarded Fulbright grants for 2014-15. They are Elizabeth Baughan, Peter Lurie and Judy Richardson.
Elizabeth Baughan, associate professor of classics and archaeology, received a Fulbright Scholar grant to support her archaeological research in Turkey.
Peter Lurie, associate professor of English and film studies, was awarded a Fulbright Distinguished Chair in American Studies teaching fellowship at the University of Warsaw, Poland.
Judy Richardson, adjunct assistant professor of education in the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, is teaching a class on methods in teaching literacy at the South Eastern European University in Tetovo, Macedonia
"We are proud of our faculty who are Fulbright U.S. Scholars," said Dr. Jacque Fetrow, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. "Our campus community as a whole is enriched because of these opportunities our faculty experience."
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international educational exchange program. Participants exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.
Dr. Elizabeth Baughan
Associate Professor of Classics and Archaeology; Affiliated Faculty, Art & Art History
Archaic Greek Art and Poetry
Anatolian Archaeology
Achaemenid Art
Funerary Monuments and Traditions
ebaughan@richmond.edu
Dr. Peter Lurie
plurie@richmond.edu


When you are unhappy, you find yourself prone to feelings of envy and jealousy. When your own life seems worthless, you often look at someone else's life and want it for yourself. But remember, however much you might want his car, career, lover, or even good looks or intelligence, you would never, given the chance, choose to be that person. You would never choose to exchange souls, because your ego is fiercely bound to your defects and failings no matter how appalling they may be. Once you realize this -- once you realize that no matter how worthless your life is, it's still the only one you would ever choose to have -- you can begin to see yourself with new eyes.
Note on the meaning of "true" in the above subject: I'm usually just vaguely to very dissatisfied with my life, rather than thinking it's worthless, but I still think the quote is amazingly true.
And this one....OK, it's true, but I'm not ready yet. I think I'll be a soft-hearted dilettante for a little longer.
... I seem to have started doing that sometime in the past decade, although I wouldn't use the same imagery he does. But making choices and letting the unchosen options really, truly go, yes. For me, it's a matter of personal energy conservation.
And yes, you probably aren't ready yet - it's not time for you to take that approach yet. I think you'll know when it is, and you may be surprised to discover that it turns out not to be a sad thing after all.
I agree that it's depressing to say to yourself, "this dream that you really want is impossible, so you must give it up."
I think it can be useful to say to yourself, "You can't possibly do justice to all the activities you want to do, and if you are indecisive, you'll end up doing none of them, and you might rather do some of them than none."
"Change is inevitable" figures in to the second statement as follows: "circumstances might change tomorrow and take away some of your choices, so if you don't want that, then it might be better to start now."
I think that it's the idea of _killing_ the other choices that disturbs me. I agree that I can't do everything and have to prioritize what I want to do. However, at some part of my brain I feel that it's possible to go in that alternate direction--even if I don't, or haven't yet. I hate the idea that that alternate not only won't exist when I look for it again (it might not) but that I should kill it as an effort to mentally streamline my life.
Since I root my dreams in what I'm doing, there is very little that I see as impossible. And I've had it brought home to me recently that an alternative path that I could not follow with one set of circumstances becomes possible with another set. Had I killed that alternative path so that it would not distract me, it would not be an alternative now. I prefer to set aside my alternatives--just in case.
Wow. This guy is brilliant. Rather depressing in spots, but brilliant. I actually resonated strongly with the second quote you put up there. I, too, am a soft-hearted dilettante, and I suspect that part of my problem is being unable to shoot the other possibilities in the head.
I have the same problem when I go to get rid of stuff - I feel sorry for it and end up keeping it.
Hmm. Interesting. I don't feel sorry for stuff, but I get overwhelmed with the choices, and I worry that I'm making the wrong decision (what if I need this suddenly one day? what if I can't ever find it again to replace it if I decide I need it after all? What if Allegra wants it some day? etc etc). Results in the same thing--total lockup.
That happens to me too. The part I refer to as "feeling sorry for" is that I feel obligated to find a good new home for the stuff I want to get rid of, and sometimes "a good home" is something other than "the local Goodwill truck," so it gets complicated, and I end up keeping a lot of stuff 'cos I don't have the bandwidth to find it a good home.
Ah, yes. I have that problem, too. But usually the Goodwill truck is OK, though I wince when they toss the stuff into the truck willy nilly on top of boxes of glassware with no packing. I have to avert my eyes at that point.
You will not be surprised to see me say that I, too, have a problem with closing out possibilities that lure me. I'm polyamorous in my love life, but promiscuous in my career and hobbies! I sometimes have to remind myself of an expression I got from Bob Shea, "The good is the enemy of the best." Killing your other interests may also be seen as weeding a garden--not everything can grow in that same space with those same resources, and if you don't choose, you will likely end up with crabgrass instead of flowers.
But I do find that it's easier to focus as I get older. I *could* have been equally good at this, and that--but now I have two decades in learning about writing, English, teaching, literature, &c., and know a lot about those that not everyone else does. So it makes sense to go with that, when another area would mean starting over. It's still a pretty huge area of "expertise," though. For me, the biggest commitment issue is writing a book (instead of articles in books).
Funny. I've always heard "better is the enemy of good." But I suppose the reverse would also be true.


text:
Tejas Shastry
How Truleo Achieves Unbiased Analysis
What is Truleo?
Truleo is a body camera audio analytics platform that surfaces risky officer behavior. By analyzing BWC audio, we create "baseball card stats" for police that demonstrate the percent of police interactions that are neutral, positive or negative. For those that have surfaced as negative, Truleo's reports explain why.
What is bias in AI?
Humans often have trouble understanding unfamiliar accents and therefore have bias. In numbers, this translates to humans misunderstanding 5%-15% of another person's speech simply because they are unfamiliar, which results in bias.
Machines have the ability to learn from a variety of accents, but many speech technologies have not been trained on diverse data and therefore exhibit bias. When bias is present in AI, voice recognition systems exhibit higher error rates when transcribing voices of speakers that fall in less common categories (age, gender, race). For a model to be unbiased, there must be no significant differences (less than 5% variance) between accuracy of transcription based on voice characteristics.
In two recent studies*, widely used speech recognition systems were shown to be significantly less likely to understand non-native accents than those of native-born users, largely due to lack of diverse training data. The error rate disparity can pose many implications if not mitigated.
Why is bias in AI problematic?
Bias in AI can have many consequences. In public safety in particular, bias can result in inconsistent and unfair evaluations of officers and civilians based on their race, gender or age. Speakers of non-caucasian races can be deemed less respectful or less compliant simply due to increased error in voice recognition.
Truleo's model exhibits no significant gender, racial, or age bias
Accuracy Variances of Truleo's Model
Unlike many widely used speech recognition systems, Truleo's model does not exhibit bias. By training our model specifically on a diverse set of real world BWC scenarios inclusive of a range of accents, genres and ages, we are able to support and understand 220+ English accents. This minimizes the bias in our model to a level lower than even humans typically have.
As shown in the graph above, all accuracy differences between potential bias groups in our model are less than 5% and therefore proves that no bias is present when we analyze audio across a diverse set of speaker groups.


West Is West Reviewed by John Guzdek on Tuesday, March 1st, 2011.
Not as good as East is East as it misses a bit of the hard-hitting punch of it's predecessor but it's still got enough laughs to make it worth a watch.
It's 1975 – four years on from East is East – and the overbearing George Khan (Puri) is still ruling over what is left of his family with a rod of iron. Sajid (Aqib Khan) is the runt of the litter and not only is he going through a pubescent crisis but he's also having his father's traditional Pakistani beliefs rammed down his throat. Believing he needs to sort his struggling son out, George takes Sajid to Pakistan on a voyage of cultural discovery, only for his English wife Ella (Bassett) to tag along with an entourage from back home, who sets about trying to solve the Khan's family problems.
It's always a bit of a worry when a sequel takes so long to materialise as more often than not it feels like an after-thought or a film made by a down-on-their-luck team desperate for another success. West Is West is not great but it definitely doesn't fall into the pointless or plain awful categories. There are plenty of laughs along the way and the cultural context of Pakistan is certainly not underused. However, it misses a bit of the hard-hitting drama and pathos of East Is East and the feel-good factor seems a bit forced at times.
It's refreshing to see the Pakistan pilgrimage in a better light than the usual Al-Qaeda training trip (and yes, I realise I've put one such film in the 'alternatives' section) as it's becoming a bit like the modern obsession with intergeneration male bonding being automatically linked to paedophilia. Overall, for a comedy sequel, it's not a bad effort but only to be watched if you enjoyed the first one.
This entry was written by John Guzdek, posted on March 1, 2011 at 9:17 pm, filed under Adventure, Asian, British, Comedy, Drama, Family, Movies, Reviews. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Trackbacks are closed, but you can post a comment.


text:
Only -52 pieces in stock!
Title: Capitol Reef National Park
Artist: Robert B. Decker
Paper: "Conservation" 100% recycled, domestically produced.
Inks: Soy based.
The Capitol Reef National Park Poster is an original work by Robert Decker and features the Fruita Barn and Gifford Homestead in the Fruita Rural Historic District. Each print is numbered, dated and signed by the artist.
Rob's signature attests that he has personally inspected and approved each print — and further verifies that no unsigned or unnumbered copies within the limited edition are known to exist.
About Capitol Reef National Park
Established in 1971, Capitol Reef National Park is a hidden treasure of cliffs, canyons, domes and bridges. It lies in the Waterpocket Fold, a geologic monocline – or wrinkle – extending almost 100 miles. Archaic hunters and gatherers first settled here. Explorers, Mormon pioneers and others arrived in the 1800s, settled in what is now the Fruita Rural Historic District and planted orchards of apples, pears, and peaches. Capitol Reef National Park is located in Utah.
About the Capitol Reef National Park Poster
The Capitol Reef National Park Poster measures 13" x 19" and is an original work by Robert Decker. The print is based on a photograph he took as part of his Utah's Mighty Five adventure in June of 2015, visiting all five national parks in the state. The poster features the Fruita Rural Historic District, including the Fruita Barn and Gifford Homestead. The posters are printed on "Conservation," a 100% recycled, domestically produced (80 lb.) paper stock with soy-based inks. From start to finish, each poster is 100% American Made. Add this Capitol Reef National Park Poster to your cart today.
Capitol Reef National Park Artist Proofs
Artist Proofs are the first 25 posters pulled from each print run. They are numbered 1-25, and are dated and signed. Each print features the color bars used by the pressman to make sure that the print stays registered and colors stay consistent throughout the print run. Capitol Reef National Park Artist Proofs are 13" x 20".
Click here to see the Capitol Reef National Park Artist Proof
Capitol Reef National Park Canvas Prints
Printed on superior-quality, artist-grade canvas, designed for museum display and gallery exhibitions. This 350 gsm, acid-free canvas has a tight, natural weave which maximizes image quality, while also revealing the texture of an artist's canvas. Capitol Reef National Park canvas prints are available in two sizes: 16" x 24" and 24" x 36", are shipped free and are ready to hang.
Click here to see the Capitol Reef National Park Canvas Print
Photographer and graphic artist Rob Decker studied photography with Ansel Adams in Yosemite National Park during the summer of 1979. The experience solidified his love of photography and our National Parks. Now he is on a journey to photograph and create iconic WPA-style posters of all 59 major national parks as we celebrate the next 100 years of the National Park Service.
"I'm trying to make a difference by giving back to the amazing organizations that support our National Parks. I donate 10% of annual profits, so when you buy one of these original works, you're helping these trusts, conservancies and associations, too. I feel that it's important to protect America's special places, and to connect people with nature. And it's up to all of us to pitch in. Perhaps more importantly, we need to inspire the next generation of park stewards."
Learn more about our Giving Back program.
Robert B. Decker retains the sole copyright of the original Capitol Reef National Park poster image. Any unauthorized reproduction violates international copyright law.
Robert B. Decker - Limited Edition Capitol Reef National Park Posters - www.National-Park-Posters.com
All posters are shipped out USPS First Class Mail in a 15" mailing tube free of charge.
You can choose the Expedited Shipping Option at checkout, which means your order will ship out USPS Priority Mail in a flat mailer.
Orders are typically shipped the same day, or within one business day of purchase.
Customers are provided with a USPS Tracking Number to track their orders.
There are no in-store pick up options at this time.
Mailing tubes and flat mailers are recyclable, and we encourage our customers to recycle these materials.


text:
Home > Opinion > The End of Privacy
The End of Privacy
Theresa May, warning Scotland
The idea that a post-Britain Scotland would be less secure than one associated with British foreign policy misadventure has been derided. Douglas Stuart Wilson explores what we mean by 'the national interest'.
Many of us must have suspected that the State was engaged in surveillance activities and spying, and some of us might have wondered whether some prurient public servant was monitoring our phone-calls and wading through our email, having availed himself of the excuse that the "national interest" required it. The question, in terms of spying, was always about the degree. That some spying was done was obvious; that everybody was being spied on, was not so.
But since the revelations by the valiant Edward Snowden, and the equally brave work of the excellent Glenn Greenwald, to whom Snowden leaked the classified NSA documents, now we know that we live in a surveillance state, and knowing something is completely different to merely suspecting it.
The difference between knowing and suspecting is the difference between giving the State the benefit of the doubt, and believing, henceforth, as most of us will, that the State will have at its disposal everything you write or say over a fibre optic cable or via the airwaves when it feels like it.
How, after the Snowden revelations, can anybody trust the State and a single word about things done in the name of "national security"? That expression must surely be the misnomer of our time: national insecurity is what has been running like wildfire throughout Western society over the last few months.
I, myself, simply don't buy this idea expressed on various occasions in the mainstream press that the public is not really bothered about mass surveillance. On the contrary, I think many people are bothered and even angered by it, but don't really know what to do about it. And that unease is not misplaced.
Contrary to what our government would have us believe, in the tragic, bloody and nightmarish affairs of twentieth century Europe, it was the State, and not any terrorist group, which always posed the greatest danger to democracy, to civilization, and to human dignity. Whether in the extreme form of Stalin's murderous reign of totalitarian terror, or Hitler's psychopathic plan to conquer Europe and exterminate the European Jews, it was the State and State officials who carried out mass atrocities against the people.
The United States of America, "the leader of the free world" has also chosen on too many occasions to completely abandon the democratic principles of its Founding Fathers; its involvement in the notorious Operation Condor saw a full-scale assault on democracy in South America launched in the 1970's, leading, among others, to the fascist dictatorial regimes of Pinochet's Chile and the Argentinean military junta – which would later go on to invade the Falkland Islands – and lead to the murder, torture, disappearance and rendition of thousands of innocent people. John Pilger's The War on Democracy should leave nobody in any doubt about how little democratic scruples seem to bother some CIA operatives.
To offer reasonable safeguards against the illegal and immoral actions of the State, we need a written Constitution in an independent, democratic Scottish Republic to safeguard the rights of Scottish citizens. This need has been starkly borne out by the response to the Snowden revelations on both sides of the Atlantic.
In the United States of America, whose Declaration of Independence was the most progressive and liberal document of its day, and a third of whose signatories were either Scottish or of Scottish descent, they have the First Amendment, which provides a Constitutional guarantee of the right to freedom of speech.
In Britain, on the other hand, with our ramshackle collection of laws instead of a Constitution, and rights which can be amended or abandoned at the drop of a Lord's hat, we have the offices of The Guardian being raided by M15 and its editor, Alan Rusbridger, being ordered to destroy the files containing the details of the Snowden revelations. And having no choice but to comply with that bullying. The Guardian and Rusbridger deserve great credit for the part they have played in the Snowden revelations. They have done their job and proved the point that "national interest" is not something which should be left to just governments to decide.
The British State has form in this. It banned Spycatcher the memoirs of the spy Peter Wright back in the 1980's, and placed a gagging order on The Guardian and The Observer then too. Nor should it be forgotten that the European Court of Human Rights subsequently found that the Britain had breached the European Convention of Human Rights in restricting freedom of the press, at some cost to the tax-payer.
If all of this were not enough, we have the irony of the Home Secretary, Theresa May, coming up to Edinburgh yesterday, to deliver the latest chapter of one the most tedious serialisations in the history of television, Project Fear, warning us that we might be shut out of the illegal, immoral arrangements of British intelligence gathering. Maybe somebody ought to have reminded Theresa May that James Bond's father was a Scotsman, and his greatest incarnation on the screen was played by Sean Connery.
As for the Unites States of America, where so many Scots have friends, family or descendants, it has for a long time now been betraying the admirable principles on which its Constitution was founded. The US may still be the world's number one in terms of "hard power" – military, economic and diplomatic power – but its star has long since been on the wane in terms of "soft power", which is to say, its appeal and its powers of seduction. America is no longer the Promised Land, the land of freedom and the bastion of human rights; it has further degenerated with the "War on Terror" into a centre of a mass surveillance which Stalin would have been proud of, with a gulag in Guantanamo to match.
What, at a personal level, can we do about the end of privacy? Perhaps treat the State in the same way that the State has been treating us all this time: which is to say, with suspicion, mistrust and a fair degree of contempt, and to guard the little privacy left to us as jealously as we can. There always was something much more elegant about the world when people wrote letters to each other rather than emails, and maybe we have to go back to that, even those of us "who have nothing to hide" to quote one of the glibbest utterances ever delivered by a Cabinet Minister in a Parliamentary chamber in the Western World.
Almost everybody has something to hide, or better said, something they would rather not reveal, something personal and almost invariably innocuous. That is what privacy is. And that is why it is considered a fundamental human right protected under Article 8 of the European Charter of Human Rights. Which just happens to be the very same Charter Theresa May talked about withdrawing the UK from at the last Conservative Party Conference.
Finally, a thought for Edward Snowden, a man who has risked so much for our liberty and freedom and who deserves our deepest gratitude. With Europe's leaders engaged in the farcical charade of shock and outrage at NSA surveillance activities across the continent, an independent Scotland should do justice to Snowden and offer him asylum here.
Snowden has sacrificed a great deal to guard our freedom and defend the founding principles of democracy and the United States of America which are being trampled on by an elite who fail to see that they are engaged in activities which radically undermine the same ideas they claim to believe in.
By offering Snowden asylum, we would also do justice to Scotland's own democratic tradition. And since the USA is an ally, how could Washington complain?
Finally, in terms of the referendum, the Snowden affairs illuminates yet again just what we are voting for next year. Do we want to be citizens of an independent Scotland which safeguards basic human rights like the right to privacy and freedom of speech in a written Constitution? Or would we rather carry on at the mercy of what GCHQ, Downing Street and the British State consider the "national interest", even when that amounts to a systematic mass violation of the very same rights which democracy is founded upon, and relies upon to work properly?
Alan Rusbridger
Douglas Stuart Wilson
By Douglas Stuart Wilson
Published on 31st October 2013
picpac67 says:
31st October 2013 at 9:03 pm
Indeed, the state as enemy of the people – the mirror image of their view of the people as the enemies of the state. It's not just Big Brother surveillance we should be concerned about. Orwell got something else right – state-sponsored false flag terrorism. Winston's friend Julia suspects that the bombs which fell daily on London were probably fired by the Government of Oceania itself, 'just to keep people frightened'. The "war on terror" is pure propaganda based on the cleverly concocted myth of large-scale Islamic terrorism for which there is not an iota of proof. But the lies have been swallowed and repeated until they have the appearance of truth. An independent Scotland certainly needs a written constitution with effective citizen powers to prevent the corruption of the state by vested interests, be they political, military, commercial or other. It would also need effective oversight and control of any equivalents of MI5 and MI6. "National security' must not be used as the smokescreen for state-sponsored terrorism.
It really is a well known fact, sadly it would appear only among some, that the British state has not only been listening into our 'phonecalls for decades (a friend and I would always throw in the word "semtex" when talking on the 'phone during political campaigning just for the hell of it and had our homes watched), but all of our emails have obviously been screened as well.
They even clear viruses on your PC in order to continue knowing what you are up to!
They simply collect the information of most people but are unable to scrutinise it.
Let's give them the message that they have absolutely no right to spy on people that campaign peacefully and democratically for the basic human right of self-determination,, that they have no right to spy on people for being republican, that they have no right to spy on people for being environmentalists.
Semtex, Semtex, Semtex. Mention it in every 'phonecall to keep them busy!
jdmank says:
1st November 2013 at 7:38 am
Brilliant,
so all you have to do is say the word SEMTEX
and you get a free security sweep?
so what happens if you use the word JIHAD?
do they give you a free virus protection?
SO McAfee, Norton and the like are no longer necessary, you just have to keep saying SEMTEX AND JIHAD and jobs a good un wow
btw I could do with you setting a system restore point for me guys, and maybe do a wee bit o housekeeping as well,
dont want you sitting for hours waiting to see what I'm going to say cos my computers slow as shit
zedeeyen says:
Can you imagine the howls of protest both from the Great British public as well as the establishment, had Snowden's leak uncovered the EU rather than the UK spying on its own citizens on such a scale?
Páll Thormod Morrisson says:
Notice she is wearing Black Watch. Unionist government tartan.
Wullie says:
A white van should have been hired here, with suitable posters telling this silly woman to go home!
Ha ha ha ha ha ha
maybe a wee sign saying 6 Westminster MP'S have been sent packing in the last week?
jdman says:
that sign
"for hard working people "
does that include Gordon Brown
late of her majesties government retired
See also: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/01/opinion/a-journalist-with-a-mission.html?smid=tw-share&_r=0
peterburnett.info says:
1st November 2013 at 11:12 am
I like the idea of Scotland offering Snowden asylum, but since Salmond has been breaking ties with Westminster, we've also seen him trying to form new bonds with America, so I can't see the current administration doing something like this . . . the US administartion is obsessed with catching Snowden and Assange, and Snowden wouldn't be in Scotland for long . . .
Also note that as ever the US are one step ahead of the rest of the world, and aside from persecution of Glenn Greenwald, they have had a former Guardian journalist Barrett Brown locked up in Texas for over 400 days with no trial and no bail, because he was reporting on what Snowden was talking about, for years before we'd ever heard of Snowden
See more at http://freebarrettbrown.org/
This is very good article, DSW, thanks, concise comment on privacy and its necessity, thank you.
Douglas Stuart Wilson says:
1st November 2013 at 7:21 pm
I don't think anybody has fully realized the possible consequences of the illegal intelligence gathering activities of the UK and the USA, along with their European allies.
Snowden is the good "rogue" information NSA contractor, the guy who risks everything so that the truth gets out. A brave man, a principled man.
But what about the bad rogue NSA contractor, which is statistically much more likely? If Snowden has made copies of all of this information, who might else have done so as well? And copies of those copies?
How much is that information worth on the black market? Just think, to be able to call up the whole internet history of this aspiring politicians, that bothersome journalist, an intellectual who gets in the way, and artists who stands out, a celebrity with something to hide, the list is endless.. And – why not? – Angela Merkel herself.
Blackmail, collusion with international mafias, possibly even with international terrorists, anything is possible.
The US supported the overthrow of democracy in Argentina in the 70;s and we ended up not much later with the Falklands War. Not much later, they financed the Mujahadeen in Afghanistan to fight the Russians and that led, indirectly, Bin Laden and 9/11.If you pick and choose when to be democratic, you can expect undemocratic outcomes which can be disastrous.
The incompetent people who run the NSA and GCHQ have created a situation which is not reminiscent so much of Orwell, as Kafka. An internal security apparatus which has created a potentially a downloadable file on everybody on the internet, a power structure which is all-powerful but which nobody is really in control of, and has probably been copied many times over.
Orwell is for the conspiracy theorists. Kafka, who was so far ahead of his time, knew that it was bureaucracy, stupidity, ignorance and power which, mixed together, makes up the real threat.
Heads should roll at the very highest level, the political level, the heads of short-sighted, immoral and delinquent bunglers.
Pingback: The Wit and Wisdom of No «
Pingback: The End of Privacy | Peter


Three people were shot Friday evening on the 200 block of Sanders Road in North Buffalo, according to Buffalo Police.
The shooting occurred near the Robert M. Ryan North Buffalo Community Center, at 203 Sanders.
According to Police Capt. Jeff Rinaldo, at about 9:30 p.m. there was an altercation in the parking lot of the center, which erupted into gunfire.
Rinaldo said that three people were shot. All three victims were taken to a hospital, Rinaldo said. Two were in surgery on Friday night, Rinaldo said.
Rinaldo said two 17-year-olds and one 18-year-old were shot in the incident.
Two dogs found dead Jan. 3 on the side of Wilson Road in Lockport died from eating livestock feed, Niagara County Sheriff's Office Capt. Bruce Elliott said Thursday.
Toxicology tests were done by the Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory.
"They died from a feed pellet that's usually used for livestock. They can be harmful to domestic animals when ingested in large quantities," Elliott said.
A necropsy Jan. 10 by an SPCA of Niagara veterinarian concluded the 2-year-old dogs — a wire-haired terrier and a Lhasa Apso — were poisoned. Their fur was singed, but that did not contribute to their deaths, Elliott said..
Anyone with information is asked to call Elliott or Investigator Brian Bloom at 438-3327.
A man reported being robbed by a knifewielding assailant Friday morning at the Delavan-Canisius College Metro Rail station, according to a Buffalo police report.
The victim told police the robber, who had a folding pocket knife, approached him at 5:10 a.m. at the station near Main Street and East Delavan Avenue and demanded his personal belongings, according to the report.
The robber took $10 in cash, a gift card worth $4 and an out-of-state driver's license, the victim told officers.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program is offering free tax preparation services in Lockport and Niagara Falls again this tax season.
Tax preparers are available from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays in the Orleans-Niagara Board of Cooperative Education Services center, 50 Main St., Lockport, and from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays at Pinnacle Community Services, 1522 Main St., Niagara Falls.
The free services, available to those whose household income falls below $55,000, are offered by Consumer Credit Counseling Service and the Niagara County Financial Empowerment Coalition. Appointments are required. Call 712-2060.


The Glowworm Tunnel is a disused railway tunnel between Lithgow, New South Wales and Newnes, New South Wales, Australia. It is notable for its resident glow-worms, the bioluminescent larvae of Arachnocampa richardsae, a type of fungus gnat.
The Glow Worm Tunnel is one of two now abandoned tunnels on this railway. This tunnel curves through almost 180 degrees and consequently it is very dark. In normal weather a small creek flows through it. These conditions are ideal for certain "glow worms" which inhabit the walls and roof of the tunnel. While glow worms occur in other dark, damp places in the Blue Mountains, the Glow Worm Tunnel is probably the best place for the visitor to see them.
The glow worms are, however, very sensitive to habitat disturbance, in particular: noise, lights, touching and smoke fumes. Wear good walking shoes and take a torch for the tunnel.
IMPORTANT: While you need a light, we found that the touch in our iPhones was better than the handheld torches we carried. You'll also need good footwear and the tunnel floor is slippery, wet and uneven.
Use your Ask Roz Blue Mountains app to get to the tunnel.
Allow 2 hours for the return walk.
The 400 metres (20 chains) tunnel was bored through the sandstone in 1907 as part of the Newnes railway line that served the Newnes oil shale mines that operated during the early 20th century. The railway was closed in 1932 and the rails were pulled out of the tunnel.
The tunnel is now contained within the Wollemi National Park and is a popular attraction for bushwalkers and tourists. Outside the tunnel, the area features spectacular gorges, caves and scenery. The site is maintained by the National Parks and Wildlife Service. On the south side of the tunnel, a large gap in the road prevents vehicular access. According to some sources, this gap was created deliberately to keep cars out of the tunnel, because the exhaust fumes would have killed the glow-worms. On the north side of the tunnel, a track leads to Newnes.


Luckily, Snapchat Stories are just one format on an entire menu of microlearning and mLearning delivery options. By exploring how organizations can condense learning into something palatable, convenient, and portable, it could unlock new strategy for learning delivery.
There's a reason that microlearning has remained a trending topic among eLearning enthusiasts: It works. By shrinking down information to something easily delivered and quickly digested, organizations who adopt microlearning elbow their way into learners' attention spans. But the question remains: What's the best way to deliver those bite-sized pieces of information? On one hand, it needs to be easily palatable–but not so small that the value of the information is lost in translation.
Text delivery might be one way, but we know that most learners are visual. Therefore, short videos can act as a bridge between microlearning delivery and actual high-value content.
Almost everyone has used Instagram for learning, even if they don't realize it. Those 15-second makeup tutorials, cooking videos, or extreme sports captures are more than just entertaining; they're educational, too.
It's quick. Instagram videos can only be 15 seconds or less, and even the busiest person has 15 seconds. The promise of quick, palatable training means you're more likely to grab attention. Fifteen seconds of unbroken attention may prove to be more beneficial of 30 minutes of a disengaged learner.
Videos can be repeated. Didn't quite catch that? No worries: Instagram videos can be repeated over and over again, which is where they reign supreme over Snapchat Stories. The ability to check and recheck can help lower learner stress.
Social videos can be a catalyst for more training. It's possible to use social video as a way to drum up interest in training. By using fun videos to hype training, it's possible to set the tone for future interactions, even if they don't solely take place on Snapchat, Instagram, or another social networking site.
Thinking outside the box (or training module) can yield amazing results when you're attempting to capture learner attention. Microlearning and mLearning are ideal for capitalizing on the ways your learners already spend their leisure time, so mini eLearning can have a huge impact on training strategy.