{"text": " 49 First reader review for Baz Luhrmann\u2019s \u2018action-adventure epic, \u201cAustralia\u201c:\n\nWell that was interesting; I just had a rather unusual and incredibly cool screening experience here in lovely Aliso Viejo getting to see a pre-release cut of Australia by Baz Luhrmann. 17 Unusual in that the guy handing out the invite had no idea what the film was. 18 And cool in that I will go see this AGAIN when it\u2019s playing for real. 13 This isn\u2019t the movie you might expect from Baz Luhrmann. 53 It isnt Moulin Rouge and certainly isn\u2019t Romeo and Juliet, instead it\u2019s (at least to me) an epic, dramatic story of love set against a visually stunning backdrop with a surprisingly strong performance from Kidman and a refreshing change of pace performance from Jackman. 39 That\u2019s quite a mouthful and fitting because this movie is quite a mouthful, actually a stomach full that I\u2019m sure will take me a couple days to fully digest\u2026and it\u2019s GREAT! 1 !"} {"text": " 10 Sols 860-861: Happy New (Earth) Year! 10 5 January 2015\n\nHappy New (Earth) Year! 19 After the long holiday plans, the Curiosity team is back to planning two days at a time. 35 The main priority for the sol 860 plan is to use MAHLI to take close-up color images of the targets \u201cSierra Nevada\u201d, \u201cSanta Ana,\u201d and \u201cTecoya\u201d. 25 These targets were analyzed by APXS over the holidays, so it\u2019s important to get good images to go with the chemistry. 21 For sol 861, ChemCam will analyze the Tecoya target, and a target called \u201cLast Chance Canyon\u201d. 19 ChemCam will also take a series of images of \u201cNewberry\u201d to test focusing at long range. 17 Mastcam will take color images of Newberry and Last Chance Canyon to support the ChemCam observations. 40 The rest of Sol 861 will be Mastcam images of targets \u201cTelescope Peak,\u201d \u201cFairview Valley,\u201d and \u201cGem Hill\u201d as part of a campaign to watch for any changes in the images. 40 Mastcam will also make a routine \u201cclast survey\u201d observation, where it looks at a patch of ground near the rover to study the sizes of the pebbles and rocks (collectively called \u201cclasts\u201d). 18 Clast surveys are done periodically to get an idea of how the clasts change throughout the traverse. 25 by Ryan Anderson\n\n--Ryan is a planetary scientist at the USGS Astrogeology Science Center and a member of the ChemCam team on MSL. 31 Dates of planned rover activities described in these reports are subject to change due to a variety of factors related to the Martian environment, communication relays and rover status."} {"text": " 29 NEW YORK -- Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon has been suspended by the NFL for the entire 2014 season after his appeal was denied by the league. 20 The yearlong suspension comes as a result of Gordon violating the league's substance-abuse policy and is effective immediately. 22 The league said in its statement that Gordon's \"eligibility for reinstatement will be determined following the 2014 season.\" 17 Gordon is not permitted to practice with the Browns, attend meetings or other team functions. 35 \"I'd like to apologize to my teammates, coaches, the Cleveland Browns organization and our fans,\" Gordon said in a statement released Wednesday by the NFL Players' Association. 23 \"I am very disappointed that the NFL and its hearing officer didn't exercise better discretion and judgment in my case. 41 I would like to sincerely thank the people who have been incredibly supportive of me during this challenging time, including my family, my agent, my union, my legal team, and the Cleveland Browns staff.\" 17 Gordon met with league arbitrator Harold Henderson at the beginning of August to appeal the ban. 13 His attorneys argued that Gordon was a victim of secondhand marijuana smoke. 13 The 23-year-old Gordon led the NFL with 1,646 receiving yards last season. 20 He was suspended the first two games and docked four game checks last year for failing a drug test. 14 He claimed to have inadvertently ingested codeine contained in his prescribed cough syrup. 28 Gordon was selected by the Browns in the second round of the 2012 supplemental draft following multiple positive drug tests while in college at Baylor and Utah. 16 He was also arrested and charged with driving while impaired in North Carolina last month."} {"text": " 29 Pin 72 29K Shares\n\nI cannot tell you how hyped up I am at this note my friend Linda received today from her child\u2019s school. 15 Her child has to have DOCTORS NOTE to send a packed lunch to school. 19 And does anyone notice the irony in the \u201chealth coordinator\u201d and enforcement of no bagged lunches? 50 (pic used w/ permission from linda)\n\nSo I suppose that sending a note that says \u201cI choose to skip the GMO\u2019s in the lunches you serve for a more balanced and safe diet as the parent of this child\u201d doesn\u2019t suffice? 23 This is almost as bad as our schools policies to serve Lemonade and Nachos or Ice cream during Charlotte\u2019s P.E. 4 classes every week. 9 Homeschooling is looking better and better every day. 5 ~Trisha\n\nLike this post? 4 Try another one. 15 Common Core is Making me Stupider or our Bless You post that went National."} {"text": " 30 Star college basketball player Isaiah Austin's attempt to play in the NBA despite his partial blindness has ended because of a rare genetic disorder that affects his heart. 32 The former Baylor center, who left school early to enter this week's NBA draft, has been diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, which affects the body's connective tissue. 15 NCAA tournament appearance is special achievement for Baylor player\n\nBaylor made the announcement Sunday. 15 The condition was discovered during a physical for the draft, which is Thursday. 30 According to the Mayo Clinic, complications from Marfan syndrome can weaken the aorta, the artery that supplies blood from the heart to the rest of the body. 15 Some symptoms can be treated with medication, but severe cases can be life-threatening. 47 \"They told me that my arteries in my heart are enlarged and that if I overwork myself or push too hard that my heart could rupture,\" Austin said in a brief interview with ESPN, his voice halting as he fought back tears. 22 \"The draft is four days away and I had a dream that my name was going to be called.\" 33 In a message Baylor posted on Twitter, Austin still managed to express optimism for his future, saying \"It's not the end, it's only the beginning.\" 17 \"I'm sorry (my supporters) couldn't see me play in the NBA. 14 But it's not the end, it's only the beginning.\" 58 - @IsaiahAustin \u2014 Baylor Basketball (@BaylorMBB) June 22, 2014\n\nThe 7-foot-1 center declared for the draft after his sophomore season, in which he averaged 11.2 points and 5.5 rebounds on a Baylor team that reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Wisconsin, a Final Four qualifier. 27 During his final season with the Bears, Austin revealed that he had a prosthetic right eye after multiple operations couldn't repair a detached retina. 20 The eye was damaged when a previous injury was aggravated doing a routine dunk before a middle school game. 26 When he lost his eye, \"I felt like quitting, I felt like giving up,\" he told CBS News in March. 19 \"I was scared that college coaches weren't going to recruit me if they found out.\" 34 But he persevered, kept practicing to regain his bearing and skills on the basketball court, and by high school was ranked as one of the top five players in the country. 50 \"My mom always tells me that nobody is going to remember you for the great basketball player you are, but they will remember you for the character you have off the court and for all the lives you changed,\" Austin said in the March interview. 16 Now, with the diagnosis of Marfan syndrome, he's facing another serious challenge. 14 Marfan affects about one in 5,000 people, according to the Marfan Foundation. 37 People with the condition are often unusually tall and thin, and tend to have disproportionately long arms, legs and fingers, and may suffer a range of health problems ranging from mild to severe. 13 Marfan can be inherited or the result of a spontaneous genetic mutation. 23 Baylor coach Scott Drew said he hopes Austin will return to Baylor to get his degree and eventually join the coaching staff. 34 \"This is devastating news, but Isaiah has the best support system anyone could ask for, and he knows that all of Baylor Nation is behind him,\" Drew said. 10 \"His health is the most important thing.\""} {"text": " 13 A serious fire can occur during operation of a GASOLINE fueled tractor. 15 Under certain conditions, gasoline vapors can build up pressure in the gas tank. 35 If the gas tank cap is then removed, while the engine is running or hot, the sudden release of pressure could force gasoline out of the tank and result in a fire. 13 Gasoline can also escape if the gas cap is not securely tightened. 12 Never remove a gas cap from a hot or running tractor. 6 Always tighten the cap securely. 30 A new style gas cap, first available in 1980, has special design features to reduce gasoline vapor build-up and fuel eruption due to improper gas cap removal. 30 The new gas cap has two vent holes in the top of the cap and has \u201cPRESSURE - OPEN SLOWLY\u201d embossed on the top of the cap. 40 If your gas cap does not have TWO (2) vent holes AND does not have the words \"Pressure Open Slowly\" embossed on the top, then you are eligible to recieve a FREE GAS CAP. 11 ATTENTION: Please read before filling out the form below! 15 Fill in all the fields in order to be eligible to receive a cap. 13 Gas caps are available for United States and Canadian tractor owners only. 9 Allow 6-8 weeks for shipment of your cap. 8 This program is NOT for Diesel Tractors. 4 for Diesel Tractors. 11 All tractors in this program use the same gas cap. 11 The Model information must be provided to receive a cap. 15 You will be notified if you are not eligible for a free gas cap. 9 Gas caps CANNOT be shipped to P.O. 2 Boxes. 24 Note:\n\nDue to low volume of cap requests, and high inventory, the FREE GAS CAP offer will be extended indefinitely."} {"text": " 32 Microsoft Office is the Tonto to Windows\u2019 Lone Ranger\u2014it gets beat up and disparaged by the townsfolk, but in the end it saves Windows\u2019 bacon over and over. 27 While Windows releases are shiny, hype-inflated events, Office does the dirty work of getting users comfortable with each new generation of user interface changes. 26 Office provides the features that gradually convince OS holdouts to move on (well, at least as soon as Service Pack 2 ships). 41 That role is especially heightened for Office 2013, the next version of Office being unveiled today at an event in San Francisco (where CEO Steve Ballmer said, \"We feel a lot like it's 1995.\" 17 You can interpret for yourself now that the preview is live, available at office.com/preview). 27 Ars got an advance preview of the vastness of Office 2013; Peter Bright and I have spent the last week mapping its previously unknown territory. 41 Some areas of the suite remain Terra Incognita, mostly because Microsoft didn't have everything quite ready for the press to look at in advance of the super-top-secret unveiling, but the suite's basic outlines are now clear. 19 Some applications have gotten a fresh coat of paint and not much in the way of new functionality. 26 That's subject to change; Lync and OneNote, for example, are far from the final form they'll take when they ship. 23 Other programs have received a raft of feature tweaks and incremental innovations that make them significant enough improvements to warrant an upgrade. 25 But we found that the most dramatic changes were not in any application-specific feature, but in the structure and packaging of the whole. 17 Microsoft has tightly bound cloud, Internet services, and social networking to the Office platform. 30 Microsoft has also fundamentally changed how most consumers and businesses will buy the package: not as a one-shot disk in a box but as a streamed subscription service. 13 The changes are part of a much bigger strategic shift for Microsoft. 17 Office 2013 is more than just a refresh of Microsoft\u2019s nearly ubiquitous productivity applications. 53 Microsoft is clearly counting on Office 2013 to be a fulcrum point for the company\u2019s whole Windows and cloud platform strategy: moving from a PC-centric worldview to an ecosystem of devices; moving from older Windows versions to Windows 8; and moving from software sales toward cloud-driven subscriptions. 57 While Windows 8 may be the big circus tent in that strategy, Office makes up most of the tent poles:\n\nTo lift Microsoft\u2019s mobile and tablet aspirations, components of Office will be baked into every Windows RT device, and versions of the core applications will be available for Windows Phone. 45 To coax adoption of Windows 8 on the PC, Microsoft is offering enhanced features (particularly around touch and pen-based interfaces) on the new operating system, and Metro versions of two applications to show off the potential of the Metro interface. 54 To give third-party service developers and channel partners a better way to build add-on services to Office (and generate continuous revenue), Microsoft has created a new Office service integration API (code-named Agave) based on HTML5 and JavaScript, while keeping the legacy Visual Basic for Applications support intact. 45 And by offering Office as part of a subscription service tied to the Office 365 platform\u2014both for consumers and businesses\u2014Microsoft hopes to preserve its desktop dominance against other cloud-based challengers like Google Apps and to fundamentally change the economics of its application software business. 29 As a result, Office 2013 looks like a bridge between Microsoft\u2019s legacy desktop world and the company\u2019s vision of a hybrid client/cloud future. 10 Hey, Office team: no pressure, right? 49 To effectively test the preview of Office, we installed it on a number of platforms: Samsung Windows 8 tablets were provided on loan by Microsoft for testing the Office tablet experience, and we installed the suite on Windows 8 and Windows 7 desktops as well. 36 The preview also included accounts on a pre-release version of the updated Office 365 Web service, and Peter Bright and I both connected our installations to our \"legacy\" Exchange environments for testing. 39 A number of things weren\u2019t cooked in time for our preview, but they were teased by Microsoft in a private demo; we couldn't test them, so I've mentioned them only briefly. 40 We\u2019ll present separate previews of each of the major Office 2013 applications, but in this article, I\u2019ll take a broader look at the suite as a whole, including the revamped Office 365. 31 The idea is to find out whether Office 2013 can effectively bridge all of the pieces of Microsoft\u2019s platform strategy\u2014or whether it\u2019s a bridge to nowhere. 19 The answer to that question depends on whether you share Microsoft\u2019s vision of a Windows-driven world. 42 Many organizations will benefit in some way from drinking Microsoft\u2019s Windows/Office/Cloud kool-aid, but the changes here may also evoke the same confusion among users that came out of Microsoft\u2019s last major Office interface change in 2007. 31 For others who upgraded two years ago (or sooner), however, the changes may not be compelling enough to upgrade\u2014or to pick Microsoft over another cloud solution. 30 The Office vision quest\n\nPlanning for Office 2013 began in parallel with the Windows team\u2019s planning for Windows 8, said Microsoft Vice President for Office P.J. 11 Hough during a private briefing on the new Office platform. 31 \"When we started planning,\" Hough told me, \"we were both sampling the market to determine which big shifts we wanted to take advantage of.\" 13 That parallel planning resulted in both teams focusing on three major areas. 24 The first was what has infamously become known as the \"consumerization of IT\"\u2014including the rise of mobile devices and tablets. 26 \"Before any of the current generation of tablets had shipped, we saw this opportunity in the proliferation of devices,\" Hough said. 26 Whatever the Office team did, it needed to embrace mobile devices and tablets\u2014not just x86 tablets, but ARM devices and phones as well. 18 Microsoft had an internal debate over whether touch or voice recognition would be the next important interface. 53 Touch won out, both on the Windows 8 and Office teams, and that choice heavily influenced the design of the application interfaces for the Office apps\u2014they needed to work well both as traditional PC applications with mouse and keyboard, and as touch (and pen) applications on tablets. 40 Both the Windows and Office teams also saw \"a lot of opportunity around people and social networks,\" Hough said, \"both in consumer and with the leading edge starting to encroach on the enterprise.\" 24 That interest in social networking has already expressed itself through Microsoft\u2019s recent acquisition of Yammer and its continuing relationship with Facebook. 25 Some social networking integration had already worked its way into Office through Outlook\u2019s \u201cSocial Connector\u201d integration with its contact management. 24 But Office 2013 takes social networking and collaboration features even further, integrating them into the interface of most of the Office applications. 29 Microsoft has also added social network-like features such as \u201cfollowing\u201d and status updates to a revamped version of the Office 365 cloud service now in preview. 19 But perhaps the biggest trend that Microsoft wanted to build deeper into Office was cloud and Internet services. 25 Hough said that Microsoft had already heavily invested in the cloud during in Office\u2019s last generation\u2014through services like Office 365 and SkyDrive. 28 But in the new version of Office, cloud and Internet services (both Microsoft\u2019s and those of its partners) are front and center. 32 Perhaps the most obvious way that this has happened is in the evolution of how Microsoft plans to distribute Office 2013: as a subscription service, streamed from the cloud. 5 Listing image by Aurich Lawson"} {"text": " 11 Bradley Wright-Phillips has made two significant trips to New York. 26 The first was on his first ever flight out of the UK, as a 13-year-old, when he came to the city on holiday. 10 \u201cThat was pretty special,\u201d he says. 8 \u201cI have relatives in New York. 30 And as it happened my cousin and I both picked up MetroStars shirts \u2013 I think they were Nike at the time and we liked the red and black. 51 And now years later I\u2019m playing for New York Red Bulls [the reincarnation of the former New York/New Jersey MetroStars].\u201d\n\nWright-Phillips\u2019 other significant trip to the Metro region came last year, when he was an out-of-contract, out-of-favour player at Charlton Athletic. 42 A somewhat random training stint in New York turned into a contract, and that in turn has seen Wright-Phillips, playing alongside none other than the Arsenal great Thierry Henry, turn into Major League Soccer\u2019s leading scorer. 14 The striker describes his transatlantic move as nothing less than a happy accident. 14 \u201cI\u2019d definitely underestimated [MLS] before, you know? 30 Or not really thought about it \u2026 and then I got here and watched a few games and teams really try to play and knock it about a bit. 33 And of course being in New York, there\u2019s no better city to be in, and the facilities are the best since I was at Manchester City or Southampton. 69 So I just thought, \u2018Why not?\u2019 I just embraced it.\u201d\n\nIf MLS has, in turn, embraced Wright-Phillips, it is also true that he is only one of a growing contingent of players in the league who formerly played their trade in England \u2013 examples include the former Derby County midfielder Giles Barnes, who is flourishing with the Houston Dynamo. 70 Such growth indicates a trend, in which MLS has begun, slowly, to integrate itself with the global footballing business, below the level of splashy deals for the likes of David Beckham, Henry and, more recently, David Villa, Frank Lampard and Kak\u00e1 to the 2015 expansion franchises New York City FC (Villa and Lampard) and Orlando City (Kak\u00e1). 33 Some players \u2013 such as the former Arsenal, Chelsea and England full-back Ashley Cole, who went to Roma instead of crossing the ocean \u2013 are still publicly dismissive of MLS. 87 Wright-Phillips, typical of the tier of players he represents, is rather more pragmatic:\n\nI can see if you were a top Premier League player only wanting to go to another Premier League team, but that wasn\u2019t my situation and to me, playing here is no different than going to a Championship or good League One team \u2026 and you wouldn\u2019t believe the number of calls and text I get every week from players wanting to come out. 46 It\u2019s possible any such players heading to the US from the UK could yet cross flight paths with Wright-Phillips going the other way \u2013 according to the Red Bulls\u2019 sporting director, Andy Roxburgh, international interest in the striker is growing. 50 While the Red Bulls have been in indifferent form since winning the MLS Supporters\u2019 Shield (awarded to the team with the best regular-season finish) in 2013, Wright-Phillips has been in sparkling form, partly prompted by Henry\u2019s late-career turn as a deep-lying playmaker. 72 Eighteen regular-season goals have Wright-Phillips only one behind Juan Pablo Angel\u2019s club record with 11 games still to play and his profile has been particularly high in the past few weeks, in which he scored the winner in an exhibition game against Arsenal and, last week, a spectacular equaliser for the MLS All-Stars in a noteworthy, not to say controversial 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich. 34 Wright-Phillips is understandably cautious about any transfer talk, though he insists he is enjoying his time in New York, which he saw as a fresh start rather than a shop window. 42 When I ask him about the All-Star experience, though, he is decidedly animated:\n\n\u201cI didn\u2019t know what to expect but it was a great three days, just meeting these guys and paying with them. 10 Would I like to see a Premier League version? 21 You know I was thinking about that on the plane back [from Portland, on the west coast]. 40 Actually, I\u2019m lying \u2013 since I was a kid I\u2019ve imagined what would it be like to see a team of the best Premier League players against the best Italian or Spanish league players. 47 I know it would be hard to do, but I\u2019d talk about it with my mates, like: \u2018Imagine Thierry Henry playing up front with Wayne Rooney\u2026\u2019 Just something that recognises the best players at the end of the season. 8 I think that\u2019d be great. 10 Does Wright-Phillips still watch much of the Premier League? 4 \u201cOf course! 21 I get up at 7am or whenever and here you have all the channels, and every single game live. 17 I don\u2019t think people in England necessarily realise how much we can watch here. 7 I don\u2019t miss it. 10 \u201cWho\u2019ll be top four this year? 17 That\u2019s usually easy \u2013 Arsenal is my team and they\u2019ve got stronger. 15 Manchester City and Manchester United will be in there, and Chelsea as well. 8 I don\u2019t know about relegation. 50 The league gets stronger every year and the teams that come up can struggle if they don\u2019t buy players, but other than that, I don\u2019t have a name in my head.\u201d\n\nFacebook Twitter Pinterest Wright-Phillips shoots on goal for the MLS All-Stars. 25 Photograph: Steve Conner/Icon SMI/Corbis\n\nI suggest that it can seem strange to come out of the bubble of English football into another culture. 39 Wright-Phillips mentions the English footballer\u2019s mindset of \u201cwe invented the game\u201d and how it can cause players not to look beyond their own shores when there are growing and realistic options for careers elsewhere. 4 As for himself? 29 \u201cAs long as I\u2019m playing well, I\u2019m happy, and happy playing anywhere.\u201d\n\nRight now, he\u2019s very happy."} {"text": " 33 When President-elect Doanld Trump announced that Rep. Ryan Zinke, Republican from Montana, was his choice for secretary of interior, he bragged about Zinke's record as a Navy SEAL. 18 Now it turns out that Zinke's record from the Navy SEALs could be his political undoing. 33 Three former unit leaders and a military consultant claim that Zinke committed travel fraud during his days as a member of Navy SEAL Team 6, according to The Intercept on Tuesday. 49 They claim that, during his days as a mid-career officer at SEAL Team 6, Zinke traveled multiple times to Montana in 1998 and 1999 to renovate his home in Whitefish and visit his mother, but submitted travel vouchers claiming that he was performing official duties. 19 Even after he was caught and instructed to stop, Zinke allegedly continued to engage in this practice. 54 Advertisement:\n\nAlthough Zinke could have faced criminal charges as well as the end of his military career, senior officers are believed to have instead allowed him to complete his then-current assignment and then informed him that he would not be allowed to return to Navy SEAL Team 6 for future assignments. 51 One of the SEAL Team 6 leaders told The Intercept that Zinke didn't face criminal charges because of how it would impact his family, although another source told the site that the officer who submitted evidence of Zinke's travel fraud was \"incensed\" about this decision. 21 Three of the sources told The Intercept that Zinke avoided punishment because SEAL Team 6 prefers to avoid public scandal. 22 Zinke's military career was successful after that point, with Zinke retiring at the rank of Navy commander in 2008. 8 He was elected to Congress in 2014. 28 Aside from the controversy over Zinke's alleged travel fraud, there are also concerns that Zinke would approve of the selling of federally owned natural lands. 23 His voting record favoring special interests over protecting the environment earned him a 3 percent rating from the League of Conservation Voters."} {"text": " 20 Over the past week I\u2019ve been cleaning out American Kestrel nest boxes in Marion and Levy Counties. 14 These boxes are most commonly mounted on utility poles or longleaf pine trees. 27 Over the years, debris can pile up in nest boxes and make them nearly unusable for kestrels, especially if a squirrel has moved in. 40 If a box has been used by kestrels, the floor is covered with a thick layer of bug parts, usually with a few pellets and feathers mixed in, and the walls are covered in white wash. 37 If the debris isn\u2019t too thick, we leave it, or add some wood shavings so the kestrels have somewhere to lay their eggs; they won\u2019t bring in nesting material. 21 Right now, pairs are starting to check out their nest boxes, and are perching very close to them. 26 It is not uncommon to be dive-bombed by angry kestrels, but more often, the adults just sit on a powerline nearby and scream. 21 One female sat within 10 meters of me, and waited rather impatiently for me to clean out the box. 20 Still others sat at far distances and could have cared less that a human was investigating their nest cavity. 28 Eggs will start being laid at the end of the month, so when I check boxes again in early March, I should start seeing them. 11 Sometimes, other cavity-loving critters can move into nest boxes. 49 The big roomy space is irresistible to the three kinds of squirrels you can find inFlorida; the southern flying squirrel, the eastern gray squirrel, and the fox squirrel, and all are intent on stuffing the boxes full of leaves, moss, and babies. 12 Gray squirrels live absolutely everywhere in Florida and are extremely common. 24 These are likely the bird seed addicts that live in your back yard; they range in color from gray to grayish brown. 31 Fox squirrels are much less numerous, and are distinguishable from gray squirrels by their enormous size, bushy tail, and \u201cblack mask\u201d that most adults show. 9 There are 3 subspecies of fox squirrel inFlorida. 34 The Big Cypress Fox Squirrel is found in the Everglades, and Sherman\u2019s Fox squirrel is found in central Florida (where I am); both are listed as threatened. 8 The third is found in the panhandle. 17 Because they are threatened, we don\u2019t mind that they take over nest boxes. 44 Natural cavities in Florida are hard to find for all critters, so I am always glad to find the yellowish-brown bodies of baby fox squirrels in a box (although most of the time, I find gray squirrel babies!). 50 Adult fox and gray squirrels can both be pretty defensive of their nests, and more than one time, an angry parent squirrel has stood its ground in the nest box, or run up the pole *while* I am on the ladder at their nest! 37 While I don\u2019t think I\u2019d ever get attacked by a squirrel, an adult squirrel is pretty much the scariest thing to see when I open the door to a nest box. 7 It even beats spiders and snakes. 12 On the not-so-intimidating side of squirrels is the southern flying squirrel. 21 There is no way I could ever be afraid of those huge dark eyes on that super soft-looking little body. 33 On chilly mornings, I\u2019ve found up to 5 flying squirrels huddled together in nest boxes, and the last thing they want to do is leave their warm bed. 27 If they don\u2019t have babies, I give them a little poke, and most of them scatter while I clean out the box. 35 I am sure they jump right back into the box after I leave though, because unlike the other 2 squirrel species, they choose to run up poles and trees rather than down. 18 By far my favorite thing to see when I open a nest box is an Eastern Screech-Owl. 11 Some are wide-eyed and awake and others are flat-out comatose. 24 I haven\u2019t found any on eggs yet, but I imagine my nest box checks in a month will reveal some. 11 So far, I\u2019ve encountered 4 different screech-owls. 27 I didn\u2019t get a good look at the first, the second two were red phase, and the third was a gray phase. 12 The gray phase owl was holding onto two eastern spadefoot toads! 32 He was at first alert and active within the box, but then decided to completely shut down and go into \u201ccamo\u201d mode, holding tightly to his spadefoots. 36 I also encounter many other nests made by a variety of cavity-nesting birds (think Eastern Bluebirds, Great Crested Flycatchers, European Starlings), but I\u2019ll save that for another post!"} {"text": " 25 On Oct. 12, the Students\u2019 Society of McGill University (SSMU) Legislative Council held its third meeting of the Fall semester. 46 The majority of the evening was consumed by an extensive debate on SSMU\u2019s potential referendum to join the Association for the Voice of Education in Quebec (AVEQ), a body that represents university student unions around the province to the government. 24 In the Winter 2016 Referendum, the McGill student body voted against a non-opt-outable fee of $3.50 to become an AVEQ member. 27 At the council meeting, VP External Connor Spencer brought forward a motion to reopen the issue for the Fall 2017 Referendum, prompting intense debate. 14 A major concern raised in the discussion is AVEQ\u2019s one-school-one-vote principle. 20 McGill\u2019s large population means that it would be contributing more in student fees than other AVEQ members. 12 However, McGill could still be outvoted by the other members. 20 Education Representative Josephine Wright O\u2019Manique, U4 Education, demonstrated strong opposition to joining for this reason. 24 \u201cAVEQ has had years to attract membership, and has only gathered support from three schools,\u201d O\u2019Manique said. 52 \u201cAsking McGill undergraduates who already pay enough student fees and tuition to pay more to fund an organization with no value for them is unfair to the students we represent.\u201d\n\nSpencer, in turn, highlighted that the one-school-one-vote policy is based on principles of equality for all members. 31 She cited the collapse of the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration \u00c9tudiante Universitaire du Qu\u00e9bec (FEUQ), which broke down in 2015 because its members with smaller student bodies had fewer representatives. 18 \u201cAVEQ tried to address [representation] by enacting the one-school-one-vote policy,\u201d Spencer said. 56 \u201cEven though McGill will be paying more money, it is eventually for the better to allow provincial representation.\u201d\n\nMedicine Representative Andre Lametti brought up the concern that a new referendum disregards the opinions of students, given that a majority of voters were against affiliating with AVEQ in the Winter 2016 Referendum. 27 However, Spencer argued that only 18 per cent of SSMU\u2019s membership voted in the earlier referendum, of which 25 per cent abstained. 19 Further, she cited turnover of students in the past two years as justification for a new referendum. 51 Councillors also questioned the fact that AVEQ is the only association SSMU has considered joining when alternatives exist, such as the Association pour une solidarit\u00e9 syndicale \u00e9tudiante (ASSE), the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration \u00e9tudiante coll\u00e9giale du Qu\u00e9bec (FECQ), and Union \u00e9tudiante du Qu\u00e9bec (U\u00c9Q). 23 Spencer clarified that the decision to observe AVEQ is based on reports passed down from the 2015-2016 SSMU VP External Emily Boytinck. 31 \u201cFollowing the collapse of the F\u00e9d\u00e9ration \u00e9tudiante universitaire du Qu\u00e9bec (FEUQ) in 2015, two groups were created, AVEQ and the U\u00c9Q,\u201d Spencer said. 15 \u201cEmily observed both groups and reported back to the Council [\u2026.] 20 The Council subsequently decided to put only AVEQ on the ballot for the Winter 2016 Referendum [\u2026.] 56 Following the Referendum result, the Council mandated the VP External to keep observing AVEQ.\u2019\u2019\n\nA member from the gallery, Joshua Chin, who served as Medicine Representative from 2014 to 2016 and Senate representative from 2016 to 2017, questioned the legitimacy of Boytinck\u2019s reports and of AVEQ itself. 31 First, he claimed that La F\u00e9d\u00e9ration \u00c9tudiante de L\u2019Universit\u00e9 de Sherbrooke (F\u00c9US) ceased affiliation with AVEQ due to ethics concerns and a lack of transparency. 45 Second, he mentioned that on Sept. 26, 2015 the Assembly for National Student Association, now known as AVEQ, allegedly voted to appoint Boytinck to the future Board of Directors of the AVEQ, thus creating a potential conflict of interest. 36 Science Representative Mana Moshkforoush, who was mandated by the Science Undergraduate Society (SUS) to support holding a new referenda, questioned whether Spencer is also biased toward AVEQ when holding information sessions. 30 \u201cThe decision of the (SUS) to vote \u2018yes\u2019 was based on a presentation by AVEQ, and the VP External,\u201d Moshkforoush said. 58 \u201cHowever, students have never heard of the concern [on representation] raised right now by the councillors [before voting].\u201d\n\nChief Electoral Officer Alex Nehrbass later confirmed that Spencer\u2019s actions are in accordance with SSMU\u2019s bylaws and that she has not engaged in an active AVEQ campaign. 34 However, due to the remaining concerns regarding AVEQ, Council postponed the vote to its next meeting on Oct. 19 to consider alternative student associations\u2019 presentations before making a final decision."} {"text": " 5 I'll be honest. 12 I don't really watch Gotham, but it looks interesting. 13 It chronicles the events in Batman's city before he became Batman. 7 That's about all I know. 19 However, when I saw a recent commercial for an upcoming episode, I had to do something. 29 I'm not sure what's going on here, but from my research this appears to be Selina Kyle and Bruce Wayne doing something with a tightrope. 24 Here's the important shot:\n\nFrom the rest of the scene, it seems that Selina is trying to avoid laser tripwires. 27 Someone uses an arrow to fire a rope across the room into a wall, then Bruce holds the other end as Selina walks its length. 15 But there's a problem with this: No one could hold that cable. 9 Not Batman, and especially not Bruce Wayne. 12 A Basic Forces Problem\n\nThis is all about forces and equilibrium. 25 If Selina is standing at the middle of the cable, all of the forces on her must add up to the zero vector. 36 Let me start with a force diagram showing the vector forces on a stationary Selina:\n\nSome important things to consider about this diagram and the forces:\n\nThese are the forces acting on Selina. 12 These are not the forces that Selina exerts on the rope. 16 Since it is Selina that is in equilibrium, only the forces on her matter. 14 There are two tension forces, one from each side of the rope. 27 Since it's the same rope, the magnitude of these forces must be the same (but of course they are in different directions). 7 I have drawn a bowed rope. 14 You can't have a perfectly horizontal rope\u2014as you will hopefully see below. 26 If I assume that the x-axis is horizontal and the y-axis is vertical, I can write the vector force equation as two component equations. 7 Let me start with the x-forces. 14 Only two forces act in the x-direction\u2014the components of the two tension forces. 42 Since I know the angle between these forces and the x-axis, I can write the following:\n\nNotice that since that T 1 pulls to the left, it has a negative x-component and T 2 has a positive x-component. 22 However, since the magnitude of T 1 is equal to the magnitude of T 2 this equation is pretty useless. 15 It basically just says that 1 = 1, which we probably already knew. 5 What about the y-direction? 26 Here is the sum of forces in just the y-direction:\n\nIn this case, both of the tension forces are in the positive y-direction. 37 But since they have the same magnitude, T 1 = T 2 so I can just call these T. Now I get the following:\n\nThis gives a value for the magnitude of the tension. 14 Remember, this is the force that Bruce must pull on the rope. 37 I can give an approximate value to this tension force by estimating the mass of Selina (50 kg) and the bend angle in the rope (I'll say 10 degrees for now). 21 Putting these values into the above equation, I get a tension force of 1,410 Newtons (317 pounds). 8 Yes, that's a huge force. 21 Oh sure, maybe Batman could pull that hard, but remember, this is Bruce Wayne as a boy. 10 I don't think he could hold her up. 7 But wait, there's more! 9 Clearly, we have other questions to consider. 10 I'll just leave these homework questions for you."} {"text": " 4 COLUMBIA, Mo. 28 - UPDATE 10:13 a.m.: On Thursday at 12:49 p.m., officers were dispatched to the 1000 block of Claudell Lane in reference to a gunshot wound. 11 During the investigation, officers detained Ruben Anderson for questioning. 28 After the reading of his Miranda Rights, Anderson said that he was parked in a driveway of the complex when he heard shots in the area. 24 Anderson said that he removed his firearm from the vehicle and fired one shot in the direction where the shots were coming from. 20 Anderson was arrested for felony unlawful use of a weapon with a bond to be set by the court. 40 UPDATE 9:56 a.m.: According to a CPD media release, detectives have arrested Dariel Marquise Reid, 18, and Brian Hakeem Smith, 18, both of Columbia, in reference to the shooting on Claudell Lane. 9 A 16-year-old male was also taken into custody. 24 The victim with life-threatening gunshot wounds, identified as Keith E. Chambers, 33, died at the hospital shortly after being transported. 23 The investigation determined that Chambers and Smith arranged to purchase marijuana from Dariel Reid, who was accompanied by a 16-year-old juvenile. 14 A dispute occurred during the transaction, at which time shots were exchanged. 14 Reid was struck in the arm and Chambers was struck in the chest. 34 Reid was arrested at 1:05 p.m. for murder in the second degree and felony distribution, delivery, manufacturing and producing of a controlled substance with bonds to be set by the court. 27 Smith was arrested at 1:05 p.m. in the 1000 block of Claudell Lane for the same charges, in addition to unlawful use of a weapon. 49 The 16-year-old juvenile was taken into custody for murder in the second degree, armed criminal action, unlawful use of a weapon and felony distribution, delivery, manufacturing and producing of a controlled substance with the disposition to be handled by the Boone County Juvenile Office. 18 ORIGINAL STORY: Two men are in the Boone County jail on suspicion of second degree murder. 14 Public arrest records show officers booked Dariel Reid jail around 1:30 Friday morning. 14 They also show officers booked Brian Smith in jail just before midnight Thursday. 14 Reid's address is listed as in the 1000 block of Claudell Lane. 10 That's where Thursday afternoon's double shooting happened. 15 Two people were hurt in that shooting including one who suffered life threatening conditions. 16 ABC 17 News is working to get an update on the victim's conditions Friday. 23 ABC 17 News is also working to find out if police arrested Reid and Smith in connection with the Claudell Lane shooting. 8 Both are held without bond right now. 15 Reid was arrested on suspicion of second degree murder and distributing a controlled substance. 24 Smith was arrested on suspicion of second degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, distribution of a controlled substance and robbery. 22 ABC 17 News is reaching out to police to find out if these two arrests are connected to Thursday's shooting. 10 We'll update this story as we learn more."} {"text": " 33 NZ First leader Winston Peters said he knew what a Pepe was when he signed the controversial frog cartoon in his own image at a university event in Wellington on Tuesday night. 27 Winston Peters is defending autographing a symbol associated with the far right at a university event saying it was a kind gesture and \"meaningless\". 42 The NZ First leader attended a question and answer session as part of Orientation week at Victoria University in Wellington on Tuesday night and was photographed afterwards signing a Pepe - a cartoon appropriated by groups of people with far-right ideologies. 54 Winston Peters, leader of the populist New Zealand First party, signs a pepe of himself pic.twitter.com/JzC2SmTAue \u2014 brad esposito (@braddybb) March 7, 2017\n\n\"A Pepe started off as a pretty innocuous cartoon character and like most modern things they can be distorted, twisted and what-have-you. 38 A guy asked me to, and I know you're going to say that he's racist, well if he's a white racist why would he want Winston Peters to sign his document?\" 5 Peters said on Wednesday. 20 \"That's an image that's been used by Trump, anti-Trump, a whole lot of people. 37 It's actually meaningless and for you to say some catastrophic social disaster has occurred because I signed someone's paper - being a nice guy wishing him all the best - is beyond me.\" 42 READ MORE:\n\n* Winston the crowd pleaser\n\n* A coffee with Winston Peters\n\n* Winston Peters wants a drastic immigration in reduction\n\n* Peters: Interview every migrant\n\nPepe the frog is an internet meme originally from a comic series. 32 It has since been appropriated by the alt-right - which includes white nationalists - and resulted in the Anti-Defamation League adding the meme to their database of hate symbols last year. 34 Peters said he knew what a Pepe was - in this case the cartoon was in his own image - and said \"it's been used by all sorts of people\". 17 \"If it's been used by white supremacists why would they have me sign it? 13 Don't you see the irony in that,\" he said. 24 Earlier in the evening Peters had questioned the media's role in a controversial European Students Association club being pressured to shut down. 20 \"I don't know if you saw in Auckland University recently, the European club got shut down. 18 No doubt you all followed it,\" he told the packed lecture theatre of university students. 6 \"Isn't it amazing? 23 You have got the Maori club, you've got the Chinese club, you've got every sort of club.\" 17 The group withdrew from the university after it was attacked for being a white nationalist group. 32 Peters said despite the Auckland University Students Association making no comments in support of fascism - the NZ Herald and others had deplored the association for not speaking out against it. 19 On Wednesday Peters stuck by those comments and the \"NZ Herald attack on the European club\"."} {"text": " 25 And then, there are those doctors who go out of their way to find creative ways to make the world a terrifying place. 48 Any trip to the doctor's office involves a fairly straightforward trade off: you hand over your personal safety to the guy who went to school for eight years, and they fix something that you wouldn't have the first clue how to do yourself. 21 But as in every profession, some doctors are better than others, and even good doctors have bad days. 14 6 \"Sir, I'm afraid we inadvertently obliterated your penis.\" 25 A patient named William Morrison underwent a screening that required his penis be washed in a solution of three to five percent acetic acid. 21 Sure, just typing the words \"acid\" and \"penis\" in the same sentence makes us cringe. 14 But that doesn't mean anything could possibly go wrong there, right? 29 Hell, a three to five percent solution probably feels kind of tingly and refreshing, like when you wash your sack in a bowl of ginger ale. 48 Continue Reading Below Advertisement\n\nWhen it came time actually wash his wang, however, Mr. Morrison got a 72 percent solution, which is a little more like having your dick immersed in a piranha's mouth, after it's been drinking 72 percent acid. 9 But that's a one-in-a-million scenario, right? 19 Surely health care professionals normally take way more care when a man's dong is on the line. 41 Not in the case of Mexican doctor, Francisco Javier Valentin y Ortiz who, despite having a wicked matador name, was not great with sharp objects, and cut off a patient's penis during a routine circumcision. 46 We like to think Dr. Ortiz muttered \"Oh geez,\" scratched his head then tried to put the severed penis into the patient's ballsack, kind of like a tulip in a vase, in the hopes the guy wouldn't notice. 18 But those two are cases are only runners up in the medical world's penis mutilation Olympics. 10 Our gold medalist is Romanian doctor, Naum Ciomu. 23 He separated himself from the pack when he was performing an operation to correct some poor dude's weird, bulgy nutsack. 58 Due to the various stresses of being a guy who has to perform delicate surgeries on weird, bulgy nutsacks all day, he lost his shit and cut off the patient's dick with a scalpel, put it on the operating table and furiously hacked it into tiny pieces in front of the nursing staff. 24 They were apparently too busy trying to think of a more succinct way to say \"What the fuck is going on?\" 4 to stop him. 20 Continue Reading Below Advertisement\n\nCiomu said he had a temporary loss of judgment, due to some personal problems. 17 You know, kind of like how you get really mad sometimes and punch a wall. 15 It was like that, only he hacked a man's penis to confetti. 31 He ended up having his license suspended and he was ordered to pay the patient 120,000 pounds while the patient got a shiny new non-functional wang made from arm skin."} {"text": " 43 When it took you thirty-some years (some 17 community colleges and an online correspondence program) to get your bachelor\u2019s degree, it takes some pretty big cojones to act all superior and question someone else\u2019s intelligence. 10 But, THAT is our junior senator for you. 18 Thom The Terrible has decided to pick a fight with radio host and conservative superstar Laura Ingraham. 11 Renee Ellmers tried the same thing a few years back. 7 (Anybody seen her lately?) 30 Thilli$$$ earned Ms. Ingraham\u2019s wrath for his passionate support for amnesty for illegals and his criticism of the Trump wall on the Mexican border. 22 His latest move \u2014 strengthening the Democrat attack on President Trump \u2014 appears to have been the last straw for her. 67 This Week with George Stephanopoulos, where Thilli$$$$ decided to launch his attack, eagerly stirred the pot on Twitter:\n\nOf Course, Theam Thilli$$$ decided to take their cue from the former Clinton crony-turned-driveby:\n\nWe think Thilli$$$ should have paid closer attention to the civics curriculum at that online college he graduated from. 17 The whole idea of a special prosecutor runs afoul of The Constitution on so many levels. 27 The Constitution allows for impeachment proceedings in Congress if the denizens of Capitol Hill believe criminality is occurring in that big white house at 1600 Penn. 8 We saw it during the Clinton era. 21 Congress holds an investigation / grand jury type proceeding, and then holds a vote based on the evidence uncovered. 19 Thom Tillis is not doing much different from what Kay Hagan would have done in a second term. 15 For all intents and purposes, THIS is Kay Hagan\u2019s second term."} {"text": " 39 The streamed Niconico Live program for the television anime of Yayoiso's ReLIFE manga announced more cast members on Monday:\n\nHimika Akaneya (Pripara's Laala) as Honoka Tamarai, the captain of the volleyball team. 20 She has a spacey personality and is easy-going, but is extremely skilled at sports and has monster strength. 21 She's the childhood friend of Inukai and Asaji, and they call her \"Tama (-chan).\" 26 Noriaki Sugiyama (Naruto Shippuden's Sasuke) as Akira Inukai, a young man with an unfriendly, blunt, but also honest personality. 11 He's the kind of person to act before speaking. 12 Tamarai and Asaji call him \"Aki (-chan).\" 18 Daisuke Namikawa (Hetalia's Italy) as Nobunaga Asaji, a kind and friendly young man. 6 Is very skilled in athletics. 12 Tamarai and Inukai call him \"Nobu (-chan).\" 24 As previously announced, the anime will star:\n\nife experiment and chooses to go back to his third year of high school. 26 Kensho Ono (Kuroko's Basketball's Kuroko, Magi's Hakury\u016b Ren) as Arata Kaizaki, who is 27 years old and unemployed. 23 He quit his first company job in despair, and spends his days frustrated by the gap between him and his friends. 20 He is selected for the ReLife experiment and chooses to go back to his third year of high school. 33 Ai Kayano (Anohana's Menma, Your Lie in April's Nagi Aizato) as Chizuru Hishiro, a prodigy who has the best grades among the girls in her class. 7 She's extremely bad at communication. 17 She has a habit of immediately looking up anything she doesn't understand on the internet. 24 Ryohei Kimura as Ry\u014d Yoake, a member of the ReLife research team, and the person in charge of Arata's experiment. 11 He's always cheerful, but has a cunning personality. 15 He takes the form of a high schooler and supports Arata as a classmate. 22 Haruka Tomatsu as Rena Kariu, a stoic tsundere who has good grades, sports prowess, and a competitive personality. 12 However, she's never satisfied and is always aiming higher. 23 Yuma Uchida as Kazuomi \u014cga, who looks flashy, but he has the best grades among the boys in his class. 12 He has a pure side and is not interested in romance. 5 He is not athletic. 14 Reina Ueda as An Onoya, a third year in Arata's class. 20 She may be positive about everything she thinks about, but then she may not be thinking about anything. 18 Ono will be reprising his role of Arata Kaizaki in the stage play stage play this fall. 27 The manga's story revolves around Arata Kaizaki, an unemployed, single 27-year-old who has just been cut off from his parents' financial support. 20 Unable to find a job due to his leaving his previous employer within three months, he is stuck. 36 One night after drinking with a high school friend, Arata meets Ry\u014d Yoake, a man who offers Arata pills to turn him back into a 17-year old so he can redo his life. 29 After agreeing to the experiment, Arata joins a high school class, and meets Chizuru Hishiro, a socially awkward silent beauty who yearns to have friends. 29 Through connecting with her and other classmates, Arata must find what he lacks to live a happy life in the real world within a one-year time limit. 37 Tomo Kosaka (episode animation director for Giant Killing, Yowamushi Pedal) is directing the anime, and Kazuho Hyodo (Himegoto, Wanna Be the Strongest in the World, Big Windup!) 13 and Michiko Yokote (Shirobako, Princess Tutu, Big Windup!) 8 are in charge of the series scripts. 17 Junko Yamanaka (Kamisama Kiss, Servamp) is adapting Yayoiso's character designs for animation. 21 TMS Entertainment is producing the adaptation, and the \"ReLIFE Kenky\u016bjo\" (Laboratory) is the production committee. 11 The ReLIFE anime will premiere on Japanese television in July. 23 Yayoiso began her manga on the Comico free manga app in 2013, and it was green-lit for physical publication in 2014. 26 Taibundo released the manga's fifth compiled volume on February 12, and the physical compiled volumes have more than 1 million copies in print. 9 Crunchyroll is releasing the manga in English digitally."} {"text": " 28 Steve Yzerman's name has stood out since last Wednesday night's report that he was on the short-list for the Tampa Bay Lightning general manager vacancy. 50 I've tried to play it down because team owner Jeff Vinik has made it a point (and stressed it) that a GM will not be hired by the club until a CEO is in place (thus my obsession with the CEO rumors of late). 14 But it's really impossible to play down a name like Steve Yzerman. 16 Not with his on-ice accomplishments in Hockeytown USA and for his country in international play. 10 But is he ready for Hockey Bay, USA? 4 Is he willing? 43 Chris Botta, renown for his work at NYI Point Blank and writing for NHL Fanhouse, reported today that Yzerman is candidate one for the Tampa Bay Lightning GM gig... Or at least an un-named source told him as much. 26 A source tells NHL FanHouse the job could be Yzerman's if he is able to convince management of his commitment for the long haul. 16 Yzerman, the Detroit legend, currently holds a desk job with the Red Wings. 14 His departure from the city where he is beloved will not come easily. 31 With new owner Jeff Vinik dedicated to building a winner and spending, and Steven Stamkos on the verge of superstardom, the Tampa Bay job is an attractive opportunity. 24 We're told that Vinik does not believe he has to go to the \"old boys' club\" of NHL GMs. 23 Although Yzerman managed Team Canada to gold at the Olympics, this would be his first position as an NHL general manager. 21 The Lightning are said to have interviewed a handful of candidates also seeking their first shot behind the big desk. 32 We touched on the potential of someone outside \"the old boy club\" could be a candidate for a role with the Bolts (either as CEO or GM). 25 Yzerman may not be a traditional GM entrenched in front office politics, but in different ways, he still is an Old Boy. 22 He's got his connections in the hockey world and they could serve him in one fashion or another as GM. 33 But Damian Cristodero's story at Lightning Strikes from a few days ago, talking about Yzerman as a candidate, throws cold water on the idea Yzerman's hiring is imminent. 33 That comes by way of former coach (and Times Palace press box mainstay) Scotty Bowman:\n\n\"I\u2019d be surprised if he leaves,\" Bowman said Friday. 11 \"He\u2019s like the son to the owner. 24 He\u2019s been there nearly 30 years, and I think he\u2019s in line to move up the chain.\" 21 There are other points, not from the former coach, about why Yzerman may be hesitant to head south. 8 His family being the number one reason. 18 This wouldn't be the first time family has factored in on a move, of course. 30 Whatever the case, we likely won't have a clue what is going on with the Lightning and Yzerman until the Red Wings are eliminated from the playoffs. 15 The last thing Steve would want to be for his club is a distraction."} {"text": " 39 In this Wednesday, Feb. 20, 2013 photo, a young vendor waits for clients alongside woven reed mats of the type purchased by fleeing Islamists, apparently to camouflage their vehicles, in Timbuktu, Mali. 39 An instruction on camouflaging cars is one of 22 tips on how to avoid drones, listed on a document left behind by the Islamic extremists as they fled northern Mali from a French military intervention in January. 57 The tip sheet, found Feb. 6 by an AP reporter in Timbuktu, reflects how al-Qaida\u2019s chapter in North Africa anticipated a military intervention that would make use of drones, as the battleground in the war on terror worldwide is shifting from boots on the ground to unmanned planes in the air. 41 (AP Photo/Rukmini Callimachi)\n\nTIMBUKTU, Mali (AP) \u2014 One of the last things the bearded fighters did before leaving this city was to drive to the market where traders lay their carpets out in the sand. 37 The al-Qaida extremists bypassed the brightly colored, high-end synthetic floor coverings and stopped their pickup truck in front of a man selling more modest mats woven from desert grass, priced at $1.40 apiece. 29 There they bought two bales of 25 mats each, and asked him to bundle them on top of the car, along with a stack of sticks. 24 \"It's the first time someone has bought such a large amount,\" said the mat seller, Leitny Cisse al-Djoumat. 12 \"They didn't explain why they wanted so many.\" 36 Military officials can tell why: The fighters are stretching the mats across the tops of their cars on poles to form natural carports, so that drones cannot detect them from the air. 39 The instruction to camouflage cars is one of 22 tips on how to avoid drones, listed on a document left behind by the Islamic extremists as they fled northern Mali from a French military intervention last month. 44 A Xeroxed copy of the document, which was first published on a jihadist forum two years ago, was found by The Associated Press in a manila envelope on the floor of a building here occupied by al-Qaida of the Islamic Maghreb. 44 The tipsheet reflects how al-Qaida's chapter in North Africa anticipated a military intervention that would make use of drones, as the battleground in the war on terror worldwide is shifting from boots on the ground to unmanned planes in the air. 33 The presence of the document in Mali, first authored by a Yemeni, also shows the coordination between al-Qaida chapters, which security experts have called a source of increasing concern. 54 \"This new document... shows we are no longer dealing with an isolated local problem, but with an enemy which is reaching across continents to share advice,\" said Bruce Riedel, a 30-year veteran of the CIA, now the director of the Intelligence Project at the Brookings Institution. 12 The tips in the document range from the broad (No. 43 7, hide from being directly or indirectly spotted, especially at night) to the specific (No 18, formation of fake gatherings, for example by using dolls and statues placed outside false ditches to mislead the enemy.) 15 The use of the mats appears to be a West African twist on No. 21 3, which advises camouflaging the tops of cars and the roofs of buildings, possibly by spreading reflective glass. 49 While some of the tips are outdated or far-fetched, taken together, they suggest the Islamists in Mali are responding to the threat of drones with sound, common-sense advice that may help them to melt into the desert in between attacks, leaving barely a trace. 7 \"These are not dumb techniques. 42 It shows that they are acting pretty astutely,\" said Col. Cedric Leighton, a 26-year-veteran of the United States Air Force, who helped set up the Predator drone program, which later tracked Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. 24 \"What it does is, it buys them a little bit more time \u2014 and in this conflict, time is key. 24 And they will use it to move away from an area, from a bombing raid, and do it very quickly.\" 22 The success of some of the tips will depend on the circumstances and the model of drones used, Leighton said. 39 For example, from the air, where perceptions of depth become obfuscated, an imagery sensor would interpret a mat stretched over the top of a car as one lying on the ground, concealing the vehicle. 42 New models of drones, such as the Harfung used by the French or the MQ-9 \"Reaper,\" sometimes have infrared sensors that can pick up the heat signature of a car whose engine has just been shut off. 35 However, even an infrared sensor would have trouble detecting a car left under a mat tent overnight, so that its temperature is the same as on the surrounding ground, Leighton said. 36 Unarmed drones are already being used by the French in Mali to collect intelligence on al-Qaida groups, and U.S. officials have said plans are underway to establish a new drone base in northwestern Africa. 42 The U.S. recently signed a \"status of forces agreement\" with Niger, one of the nations bordering Mali, suggesting the drone base may be situated there and would be primarily used to gather intelligence to help the French. 36 The author of the tipsheet found in Timbuktu is Abdallah bin Muhammad, the nom de guerre for a senior commander of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, the Yemen-based branch of the terror network. 38 The document was first published in Arabic on an extremist website on June 2, 2011, a month after bin Laden's death, according to Mathieu Guidere, a professor at the University of Toulouse. 29 Guidere runs a database of statements by extremist groups, including al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, and he reviewed and authenticated the document found by the AP."} {"text": " 29 OnePlus already started beta testing Android 8.0 Oreo for the OnePlus 3 earlier this month, mentioning that a rollout would eventually hit the 3T and OnePlus 5 . 25 Unfortunately, they weren\u2019t ready to commit to any sort of release window, only making their intentions known but little else. 25 It seems testing for Oreo on the OnePlus 5 may have already begun, with the OnePlus 5 spotted on Geekbench running Android 8.0. 23 Whether this benchmark was performed internally or in a closed test \u2014 it seems a public beta may not be far behind. 38 While there\u2019s no official release date for Android 8.0 Oreo on the OnePlus 3 /3T and OnePlus 5, it\u2019s entirely possible we could see the update arrive before year\u2019s end. 23 That\u2019s one of the benefits you get when you sell an unlocked device and don\u2019t need carrier approval. 5 Geekbench | via Phone Arena"} {"text": " 9 The Leatherman Tread will come out this Summer. 25 It's an interesting departure for the company, and an industry first: a serious multi-tool that can be worn on the wrist. 20 Each link on the band includes two to three functional tools, for a total of 25 usable features. 6 It's an ingenious design. 13 The bracelet is fully customizable and can be re-built with slotted fasteners. 28 The user can rearrange links, add or remove tools, or just adjust the bracelet's size for comfort down to one quarter of an inch. 16 Even the clasp is functional, with a bottle opener and #2 square drive. 29 Other tools include hex drives, screwdrivers, box wrenches, a carbide glass breaker, and a hook-style box cutter that doubles as a SIM card pick. 24 Know what you're thinking: Those links are going to snap off when I torque the hex nuts on my portable DAC. 2 Wrong. 12 This MacGyver wristband is constructed of metal-injected molded 17-4 stainless steel. 18 The tools may be tiny, but they're not going to snap or bend under stress. 36 There's an optional Swiss quartz movement watch (available in the fall of 2015), but I see the crafty Bushwick guys opting for the naked bracelet, which looks kinda Chrome Hearts. 17 Leatherman\n\nThe other selling point, which is huge: this thing is TSA- and security-friendly. 28 In fact, that was the original inspiration for the Tread: being able to travel and pass security checkpoints with a full compliment of Leatherman tools. 11 The Tread bracelets will be available in April or May. 20 The stainless steel finish will cost $150, and the black diamond-like carbon finish will cost $200. 17 The tread watches will cost $500 for stainless steel and $600 for black DLC."} {"text": " 43 Last updated on: December 29, 2014 10:46 IST\n\nImage: Gangster Abu Salem\n\n'Even the mafia has certain ethics and follow certain rules, but Abu Salem was so ruthless, so inhuman, there was no ethics at all. 9 He had no basic humanity in him.' 13 India's foremost crime writer S Hussain Zaidi on the dreaded gangster. 22 India's number one crime journalist and author, S Hussain Zaidi, is back to doing what he does best. 31 A tell-all book on Abu Salem, the dreaded gangster of Mumbai who posed a threat to every filmmaker with his extortion calls in the late 1990s and early 2000s. 33 Titled My Name is Abu Salem, this is Zaidi's third book and a trilogy on the Mumbai underworld after two successful books, Dongri to Dubai and Byculla to Bangkok. 32 Zaidi has other books to his credit too like Mafia Queens of Mumbai, Headley and I and his very first,Black Friday (subsequently made into a film). 29 Besides, he was the scriptwriter for films like Shootout At Lokhandwala and the upcoming Kabir Khan film, Phantom, starring Katrina Kaif and Saif Ali Khan. 41 That it is not easy to pen a book on the underworld was underscored when Salem's lawyer secured a ban on Zaidi's book in the Terrorist And Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court in Mumbai last week. 27 Zaidi challenged the order in the Bombay high court and won a verdict in his favour, following which the book is now back in circulation. 28 Zaidi tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com why he chose to write a book on Abu Salem, the gangster who is locked up in Taloja jail in Maharashtra. 12 When did you decide to write a book on Abu Salem? 24 Since the time I finished Black Friday, some time in 1999, I had thought of writing a book on Abu Salem. 9 By then Abu Salem had already become big. 19 He had already killed Pradeep Jain (the builder), Gulshan Kumar (the music baron). 38 He had started terrorising Bollywood moguls and at that time his affair with Monica Bedi was also doing the rounds, and he came across as a gangster who was ruthless, colourful, had no ethics. 16 He was totally different from the other lot of gangsters ruling the roost that time. 12 So, I thought a book on him would be interesting. 30 However, I was too occupied with my other books, Dongri to Dubai and Mafia Queens of Mumbai, so I could not devote time to this book. 37 Finally, when I finished my last book, Byculla to Bangkok, I realised that the mafia trilogy cannot be completed unless I profile one more gangster who is so different from the others. 22 And when I looked carefully, I realised the only guy on whom a book can be written is Abu Salem. 19 What were the traits in Abu Salem as a gangster that so fascinated you into writing this book? 7 Dawood Ibrahim is a Mumbai boy. 15 Arun Gawli, Amar Naik and Chotta Rajan, they all are from Mumbai. 21 So to know the raw nerve of Mumbai and to capitalise on the fear factor of the city is different. 15 Abu Salem comes from the back and beyond of Sarai Meer, in Azamgarh. 10 What we pejoratively call in Mumbai a 'bhaiyya'. 10 Now these guys don't understand the Mumbai psyche. 7 They are more concerned with survival. 8 Their struggle is more hand to mouth. 18 Abu Salem comes to Mumbai at 20 and by 25 he is dominating the underworld in Mumbai. 9 He has done every kind of gangster work. 23 Be it extortion, delivering firearms to Mumbai stars, getting into the movie industry, reaching Dubai and making forged passports. 20 In a few years time this 'bhaiyaa' dominated the city's crime scene, which was very strange. 15 And on top of that Abu Salem does not follow any code of conduct. 35 As I wrote in my introduction, even the mafia has certain ethics and follow certain rules, but Abu Salem was so ruthless, so inhuman, there was no ethics at all. 8 He had no basic humanity in him. 27 I wrote in my book he called the widow of one of his victims, Jyothi, on the 13th day after her husband's death. 16 He called her and starts laughing, so what kind of human being are you? 9 I thought his story has to be told. 34 Did you think he was a psycho because when he ordered Gulshan Kumar's murder from Dubai, he heard on the phone Gulshan Kumar's screams as Salem's shooters kill him? 12 In the Gulshan Kumar case it was a case of revenge. 12 I would say, Gulshan Kumar was a very gutsy man. 10 He refused to be cowed down by gangster threats. 28 Abu Salem did not like that because he did not like the way Gulshan Kumar showed his guts, he did not care who Abu Salem was. 12 He showed Abu Salem that he was not threatened by him. 7 Abu Salem did not like that. 39 So he thought he should teach Gulshan Kumar a lesson and at the same time the film industry must get the message, that if you mess with Abu Salem your fate will be like Gulshan Kumar's. 11 Do you believe Abu Salem gave Azamgarh a bad name? 8 No, I don't think so. 12 In fact in Azamgarh the people are proud of Abu Salem. 24 When you talk to them, they say 'Oh, Abu Salem, he brought so much honour to this small village!' 13 I am surprised by the kind of honour he got his village. 18 Where have Abu Salem's shooters disappeared and why could no one replace him after his arrest? 20 Abu Salem worked with the mentality that in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Rs 5,000 was a big amount. 17 People don't get to earn that kind of money even if they toil for months. 12 He told them you use desi katta (country-made guns). 19 In UP and Bihar people used to take out country-made guns and open fire to show their supremacy. 19 It is a very local thing to make and it can be made at an iron-monger's shop. 33 So, he convinced those rowdy guys and told them to come to Mumbai where he would provide them with an American revolver and also pay them their return fare by train. 16 Come to Mumbai, press the trigger, run back to your village and disappear. 9 So, who will not take this chance? 15 What he was doing in Uttar Pradesh, he was to do in Mumbai. 9 So where have his foot soldiers disappeared today? 34 Abu Salem had no proper gang like Chotta Shakeel, Chotta Rajan or for that matter Arun Gawli who had a proper set of shooters whom they used as and when they wanted. 31 Shakeel's shooter, Sadiq Kalia, was such a ferocious guy or for that matter Arun Mahajan of the Rajan gang, Arun Gawli too had so many shooters. 19 These shooters were on police records, but in Abu Salem's case, you come and go. 14 They were never on police records and there were no shooters as such. 22 Can you tell us how actor Sanjay Dutt landed in jail because of Abu Salem in the 1993 bomb blasts case? 13 I don't think he landed in jail because of Abu Salem. 17 He landed in jail because of the weapons that he possessed and he destroyed those weapons. 26 Abu Salem was just a courier boy whom Anees Ibrahim (Dawood Ibrahim's brother) had asked to deliver those weapons to Sanju Baba. 18 Abu Salem was not a big fish at that time, he was just a small-time guy. 14 Sanjay Dutt got that AK-47, an assault rifle, from Abu Salem. 25 He kept that gun in his house and he destroyed those weapons when he came to know the cops were looking for that gun. 14 So, Sanjay Dutt did not land in jail because of Abu Salem. 11 How did beautiful and intelligent girls fall for Abu Salem? 14 Be it his first wife Sameera Jumani or for that matter Monica Bedi? 11 What were the tricks that he used to charm them? 23 Sameera Jumani was 17 years old when she fell in love with Abu Salem and had not seen much of the world. 15 Abu Salem was courting her seriously at that time in a very filmi manner. 14 He used to follow her to college and again on the way home. 9 He used to keep looking at her constantly. 10 He used to talk about Sameera to her friends. 14 So this 17-year-old girl thought Abu Salem was genuinely in love with her. 23 She stayed with him for five years and when she reached Dubai she realised her mistake and started regretting marrying Abu Salem. 15 It was her inexperience she could not see through Abu Salem and his ways. 7 She got entrapped by Abu Salem. 13 The same is the case with all the girls in his life? 6 Even Monica Bedi, yes. 6 Abu Salem was a wife-beater. 7 He used to beat his women. 19 When he used to court them he used to present himself as the best guy (around). 19 Abu Salem was clean shaven and had chocolate boy kind of looks and girls felt he was good-looking. 11 So they fell for his innocent looks and charming conversation. 19 They thought he was genuinely in love with them and did not foresee a future with a gangster. 9 They only realised these things later in life. 8 They were very regretful after marrying him. 9 Image: Abu Salem being presented in court. 27 Did Sameera Jumani, Abu Salem's first wife, get him arrested from Portugal, by tipping off the Indian intelligence agencies about his whereabouts? 8 It is good to keep it vague. 27 Someone has told me this in confidence, that you can only allude, you can only hint, but you cannot say for sure. 5 Let it be vague. 32 Let it be Sameera Jumani, let it be Monica Bedi, let it be the CBI, let it be Interpol or for that matter let it be Dawood Ibrahim. 15 Did you ever get a chance to ask Abu Salem how he got arrested? 2 No. 14 This man was very upset that I was writing a book on him. 22 He wanted me to write a script on him and make a Rs 50 crore (Rs 500 million) movie. 8 He didn't open up with me. 15 Why did Monica Bedi drift apart from Abu Salem after her arrest in Portugal? 6 She got tired of running. 7 Her association with him was need-based. 17 Monica Bedi realised that it was Abu Salem who was helping her get roles in movies. 9 He helped her make a mark in Bollywood. 24 She thought she would slowly climb the ladder and attain fame, but it turned out to be totally contrary to her expectations. 14 She had to become a fugitive on the run from the Indian agencies. 7 And how much can you run? 6 How long can you run? 15 Abu Salem was constantly on the run from the CBI, from Dawood Ibrahim. 9 He was in Dubai, Europe, America. 12 Monica on the other hand wanted a stable and secure life. 30 You mention a very interesting fact in your book, about how Abu Salem got involved with a senior Mumbai police inspector to kidnap the owner of Milton Plastics. 16 Is it true that the police inspector kidnapped this businessman on Abu Salem's behalf? 19 This inspector was developing Abu Salem as a mole, as an informer, but how and where? 13 As an informer, Salem is supposed to provide information to him. 8 He is not supposed to use you. 28 It exactly became like Dawood Ibrahim where the Mumbai police thought they had cultivated Dawood as an informer, but Dawood instead started using the Mumbai police. 22 In your book you claim Sanjay Dutt tipped off Chotta Shakeel and Dawood Ibrahim about Abu Salem being in New Jersey. 6 You said Dutt denied this. 14 It is difficult to make Sanjay Dutt say 'yes&' to it. 30 But Chotta Shakeel has said this on so many occasions, how his men got a tipoff from a star and how his men 'fielded' to get Salem. 12 Moreover, Salem's sources also say it about this incident. 9 There is lots of circumstantial evidence for it. 18 If Sanjay was not a party to the plot, then why was Salem gunning for him? 16 He could have just said he was not involved and given the evidence to Salem. 13 So is it true that Abu Salem wanted to kill Sanjay Dutt? 2 Yes. 5 Abu Salem felt betrayed. 12 He thought Sanjay Dutt was his friend and he betrayed him. 16 Not only him, Salem also wanted to kill (film director) Sanjay Gupta. 6 What did Sanjay Gupta do? 8 He was a friend of Sanjay Dutt. 13 They were in Goa,where Salem& wanted to kill them. 27 Sanjay Dutt had heard about this and there was a fear factor in the industry that whoever was close to Sanjay Dutt will get bumped off. 7 Where has Salem's money gone? 4 Has it disappeared? 5 It has not disappeared. 15 It is locked up in some property which is known to his fourth wife. 11 It is known to some people who are funding him. 13 He has enough money to fight his cases and hire expensive lawyers. 17 How can a battery of European lawyers be at the beck and call of Abu Salem? 18 All these lawyers will not work for free for Abu Salem or for the love of God. 7 He was brought here in 2005. 14 For nine years, Abu Salem is leading a good lifestyle in jail. 12 He is wearing designer clothes, eating biryani, wearing shoes. 7 Where is the money coming from? 12 Do you think Abu Salem is still operating his bank accounts? 3 Not him. 3 Those people. 35 The people who are close to him, they know where those properties are and they know that they have to help him legally and once Salem comes out he can access the money. 21 You mention in your book that Salem married a girl on a train, were you able to meet her? 6 It is known to everyone. 5 She herself admits it. 12 Salem himself told me once, he will ask his wife. 9 I wonder which wife was he talking about? 7 Sameera Jumani, he has divorced. 9 Monica Bedi is not in his life anymore. 5 Then, which wife? 17 I have written in my epilogue where he said, he will discuss with his wife. 6 I said, which wife? 3 Monica Bedi? 13 He said, 'Jaaney do abhi (let it be).' 15 Do you think Salem's lawyer Saba Qureshi will get him out of jail? 12 Saba Qureshi has smart plans with her legal team in Lisbon. 18 They are approaching the administrative court and putting pressure on the government in Lisbon by pressurising them. 18 'Why are you not calling Salem back after two years of the cancellation of his extradition?' 25 Image: Abu Salem can only be tried in eight cases out of the 52 filed against him in India, says Hussain Zaidi. 11 How many cases are there against Abu Salem right now? 9 There are 52 cases against him in India. 23 But due to the stringent extradition terms with the Portugal government, in India he can be tried only in eight cases. 18 What are these cases and what is the maximum punishment that he can get in these cases? 19 He cannot be punished for beyond 25 years as India has promised this to the Lisbon court. 9 He has already spent nine years in jail. 12 Maybe, he can be in jail for another 16 years. 9 He will be a free man after that. 7 What are the charges against him? 13 There are three passport forgery cases in Lucknow, Bhopal and Hyderabad. 10 There are two, three extortion cases in Delhi. 30 Then there is the killing of Ajit Dewani, the killing of Pradeep Jain and the Mumbai blasts case, the delivery of weapons (to Sanjay Dutt). 13 What will be the maximum sentence in the delivery of weapons case? 6 The same as Sanjay Dutt. 3 Six years. 31 But what the CBI has done is that they have charged him under conspiracy also so that he can get more punishment which is where they have made a mistake. 38 Salem's lawyers have gone to the Lisbon court, saying he cannot be tried for conspiracy because (while bringing him back) they never mentioned charging him under conspiracy in the 1993 blasts case. 13 Therefore, Salem's lawyers are demanding that the extradition be cancelled. 12 This is a technical thing that they have to fight now. 18 The Indian government scored a big victory by bringing Salem back to India, isn't it? 3 Was it? 26 Out of 52 cases, he can only be tried in eight cases and even those eight cases does not include the Gulshan Kumar killing. 7 What kind of victory is that? 10 What about all those extortion and all other cases? 13 They don't even have that Milton Plastics kidnapping case against Salem. 19 Only eight, in which three are in Delhi for extortion, why not the Mumbai extortion cases? 10 Why not the attempt to kill director Rajiv Rai? 9 Why not the attempt to kill Subhash Ghai? 9 Why not the attempt to kill Aamir Khan? 10 Why not the attempt to kill J P Dutta? 6 Where are all those cases? 6 Why is it a victory? 14 The Indian government has been able to get him back under certain restrictions. 5 And you know what? 29 L K Advani, the then deputy prime minister and home minister of India, had to give a written guarantee, so why is it a victory? 25 I say victory, because he would have been granted bail in Portugal and become a free man by now, isn't it? 36 My whole point is, if it is country to country and if Salem is such a dreaded gangster, I don't think the Indian government has to bend backwards to get him back. 6 You are a sovereign country. 22 For example, if a criminal from Portugal comes to India will the Portugal government ever bend backwards to get him? 13 So, why did we bend so much to get him here? 11 Abu Salem is a criminal who was found by Interpol. 28 Not only that, for the longest time Abu Salem maintained that he was not Abu Salem at all, but Arsalan Ali, a Pakistani citizen. 15 They had to get his fingerprints from India to prove he was Abu Salem. 11 And it means that Abu Salem had no credibility left. 11 He was also charged with perjury in a Portugal court. 16 So when there is no credibility of this guy, why human rights for him? 14 If there are 52 cases, why don't you send him back? 28 In the Gulshan Kumar murder case, the Indian government had solid evidence, so why did they not put up this issue in the Portugal court? 18 Because the Indian government was scared after they lost the case against music director Nadeem in London. 36 They failed to extradite Nadeem in the Gulshan Kumar murder case and they also failed to extradite Iqbal Mirchi from London, so they were scared they might lose in the Abu Salem case too. 20 The Indian government felt, why go into that case which was already thrown out by the London court? 23 Perhaps, his lawyers would have shown to the Portugal court that the Indian government had already lost the case in London. 11 You see, we work in a very wishy-washy manner. 16 We don't go with a definite, firm stance and that is a problem. 12 Two attempts were made on Abu Salem's life in jail. 13 Do you think he can still be bumped off in inter-gang rivalry? 19 He will definitely be bumped off, not necessarily by inter-gang rivalry, but by Indian intelligence agencies. 14 Because, you see, in his case extradition has already been cancelled. 22 It is quite possible that Salem's lawyer might win the case in an administrative court and the European court subsequently. 35 If he wins the case there and the Indian government faces embarrassment as they had faced earlier in the Portugal supreme court, it is quite likely they might have to send him back. 11 It will be a huge international disaster for the government. 8 They cannot afford that to happen. 15 There were two attacks on Salem's life in jail, but by who? 5 It is very mysterious. 15 One of the attackers was the same guy who killed the lawyer Shahid Azmi. 22 He was attacked in Taloja jail, and the guy who shot Salem was the same guy who shot Shahid Azmi. 29 They say Shahid Azmi was killed by Indian intelligence guys and you never know if they are the same guys who tried to bump off Salem in jail. 7 Things are still shrouded in mystery. 12 What is the status of the Abu Salem cases in Portugal? 9 Right now it is in the administrative court. 32 They are trying to complain against the Portugal government on how, in spite of the cancellation against extradition, they have not asked for Salem's recall back to Portugal. 18 It is quite likely that the administrative court will give a judgment in favour of Abu Salem. 20 If that happens, the government (in Portugal) will be under pressure to get Abu Salem back. 12 Second option, they may also go to the European Union. 32 If they go to the European Union again there will be pressure on the Portugal government from two courts, one their own administrative court and second, the European court. 9 They cannot go against these two courts. 14 They will have to put diplomatic pressure on India to send Salem back. 11 This could be problematic and embarrassing for the Indian government. 21 If that does not happen, does it mean that after 16 years Abu Salem will be a free man? 5 Yes, for sure."} {"text": " 26 is presented by Mashable's Davos coverage is presented by BMW i , a new concept dedicated to providing mobility solutions for the urban environment. 33 Our final day at Davos found the Mashable team standing feet away from black-clad riot police, a row of armored vans blocking our path and the chanting of slogans all around. 33 We'd stumbled into the middle of a protest by Occupy WEF, a movement co-ordinated on social networks that took its inspiration from other \"Occupy\" movements around the globe. 19 Their message: The world needs to listen to the 99%, not just the 1%. 37 Although the standoff soon diffused, it seemed \u2014 ironically, perhaps \u2014 to echo some of the issues being discussed inside the Davos Congress Center where the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting was being held. 34 Technology was the common thread running through many of the conversations at Davos \u2014 from whether technological advances create or destroy jobs, to why U.S. tech firms outsource their manufacturing to China. 38 And yet it was this issue of changing power structures \u2014 from the Arab Spring, to the Occupy Wall Street movement, to the SOPA backlash the previous week \u2014 that stuck out in my mind. 40 The invite-only conference in which world leaders supposedly gather to discuss solutions to global problems was increasingly paying heed to groups that seem to thrive without hierarchies: Distributed movements coordinated through social media, cellphones and text messaging. 10 Was Davos nearing death, or simply being disrupted? 37 \"Power Finally Belongs to the People\"\n\nMashable had chosen as its home base the Molkerei Davos, a creamery and tourist attraction where we hosted video interviews in partnership with the document-hosting service Scribd. 22 In an early interview on our stage, best-selling author Paulo Coelho set the tone for many of our subsequent discussions. 23 \"We, normal people, are empowered much more than governments\", Coelho told New York Times writer Nick Bilton. 26 \"Governments, they can control a few things,\" he continued, \"but today the power finally belongs to the people.\" 15 Coelho cited the 2009 Iranian election protests as the catalyst for subsequent online movements. 39 \"It starts with Iran, back to the Green Revolution,\" he told Bilton, \"I saw a friend of mine in this video that you see on YouTube, when a girl is killed. 17 And there's someone that approaches the girl, and it was a friend of mine. 6 That video was the symbol. 32 Neda is her name ... And I start tweeting, and at the end of the day I managed to get my friend out of Iran using Twitter and Facebook.\" 53 Beyond SOPA: \"Some of These Issues Are Actually Incredibly Boring\"\n\nWhile these social movements are echoed in the U.S. by Occupy Wall Street, they appear to have reached a new level of visibility in recent weeks due to a successful web-based uprising against the Stop Online Piracy Act. 33 The Wikipedia community saw the bill as a threat to Internet freedoms and agreed to \"black out\" the online encyclopedia for a day, following in the footsteps of Reddit. 21 Multiple website shutdowns, in combination with an unprecedented scale of protests on social networks, effectively killed the bill. 22 On our SOPA panel at Davos, I asked Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales whether such web-based uprisings were a new trend. 33 Wales replied: \"We've seen the Arab Spring, I guess we could call this the Hollywood Spring, and I think there should be a lot more springs.\" 38 Asked where this web-based movement might direct its efforts in the future, Wales explained that the new challenge is tackling the secrecy under which new legislation \u2014 such as the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement \u2014 is created. 30 \"There's something fundamentally wrong with the way these agreements are put into place that is undemocratic, that is counter to the overwhelming spirit of the age. 7 Ask Mubarak in Egypt, right? 7 People are demanding to be heard. 20 We want openness, transparency, we want a dialog, a discussion, a real genuine debate.\" 45 But Wales expressed concern that the web community will become engaged in political issues that lack a sense of urgency: \"I think some of the challenges we have are that some of these issues are actually incredibly boring,\" he explained. 5 The End of Leadership? 12 These movements look set to upturn the corporate world, too. 41 David Jones, global CEO at the communications group Havas and author of Who Cares Wins, told me during our Davos interview that social networks are putting pressure on corporations to act in the best interests of the public. 33 \"We've seen that the leadership we've had in the world, be it in the political space or in the business space, hasn't exactly been that responsible ... 36 If you today are the leader of a country or a major business, and you do not behave in the right way, people have been empowered through social media to take you down. 55 So whether you're the CEO of BP or of News International, whether you're the head of an Arab Spring country, whether you're a misbehaving footballer or fashion designer, people now have the ability to actually undermine you or remove you if you behave in the wrong way.\" 37 \"Twenty, 30 years ago, if you believed in something, actually demonstrating that was quite an uncomfortable and dangerous process \u2014 you'd have to go out, join a march et cetera. 15 Today, one click on Facebook and you can demonstrate your support and power. 24 If you look at what Wael Ghonim and his guys did around Egypt and the Arab Spring ... those movements started on Facebook. 16 And I think every single individual has been empowered to create a mass movement.\" 22 Does the future of power involve governments and corporations being run by leaderless groups on social networks?, I wondered. 9 Are conferences like Davos about to become extinct? 7 I asked Jones for his thoughts. 40 \"The thing we've seen with the Arab Spring, and to a degree with Occupy, is that social media has created the ability to create these mass movements, but it doesn't actually create leaders. 14 I think the world still needs leaders and the world still needs leadership. 11 Those leaders, however, need to understand new rules. 28 The rules of social media are the same as the rules of running a business, are the same as the new rules of running a country. 10 It's all about transparency, authenticity and speed ... 11 The old world of command and control is gone.\" 25 \"I think it was Gandhi who said, There go my people: I have to go and run and catch up.\" 59 #OccupyWEF Protestors in Davos, Switzerland\n\nJimmy Wales image courtesy of Flickr, via Joi\n\nDocumented@Davos\n\nMashable is working with Scribd on a program called Documented@Davos, where we\u2019ll be interviewing young leaders, technology pioneers and forward-thinking organizations to share the important issues being discussed at Davos with everyone online. 10 You can follow along with the hashtag #DavosDocs. 43 Here's the lineup of leaders who will be interviewed for Documented@Davos:\n\nCoverage presented by BMW i\n\nMashable's Davos coverage is presented by BMW i, a new concept dedicated to providing mobility solutions for the urban environment."} {"text": " 13 Jermaine Edwards is pictured in this undated handout photo courtesy of change.org. 46 Ella Edwards, the mother of Jermaine a Detroit-area college student who died in 2009, has launched an online petition asking lender First Marblehead Corp to forgive a $10,000 student loan taken on by her son that she says she cannot repay. 47 REUTERS/change.org/Handout\n\nBOSTON (Reuters) - The mother of a Detroit-area college student who died in 2009 has launched an online petition asking lender First Marblehead Corp to forgive a $10,000 student loan taken on by her son that she says she cannot repay. 29 Ella Edwards, a 61-year-old woman working part-time as a seamstress, has garnered some 191,000 signatures for her online petition on the website Change.org (www.change.org/ella). 46 \u201cI am trying to pay off Jermaine\u2019s loan, but I simply don\u2019t have the money - and because of my crushing depression, I am barely able to work at all,\u201d Edwards said in her online petition. 54 \u201cNobody told me when I co-signed the loan that I would be forced to pay them back even if my son died.\u201d\n\nHer son, Jermaine, died suddenly in 2009 at the age of 24 after studying music production at colleges in Florida and Michigan, officials with Change.org said. 7 No cause of death was given. 8 Edwards said he left a 2-year-old son. 19 A spokesman for Boston-based First Marblehead declined to comment specifically on Edwards\u2019 case, citing privacy rules. 27 \u201cWe\u2019re bound to service that loan in accordance with the original loan contract with the customer,\u201d bank spokesman Bill Baumer said. 37 \u201cIf a person has a complaint or a particular request for some sort of relief, we have process in place to assess and evaluate those if we are able to provide that relief.\u201d"} {"text": " 18 National Democrats did not lose the four special elections for House seats since President Trump was elected. 29 They surrendered three without a fight in Montana, South Carolina and Kansas and ran a campaign in Georgia that was shallow, risk averse and content free. 34 The biggest single problem for Democrats, and what enrages so many Democrats outside Washington about Democrats inside Washington, is that Republicans play politics like war while Democrats play politics like badminton. 30 Doing little to help the Democratic candidate in Montana, and doing nothing to help the Democratic candidate in South Carolina, was a stunning example of political malpractice. 27 ADVERTISEMENT\n\nHad Jon Ossoff won in Georgia, national Democrats would have been trumpeting the victory as the beginning of the end for the Trump presidency. 75 But Ossoff, in another astonishing example of political malpractice, said the election was not about Trump but was about \u201clocal issues.\u201d While the Trump forces worked to drive their turnout higher and a right wing PAC suggested Ossoff and liberals favor the shooting of congressmen, Ossoff campaigned like the nowhere man with a campaign that lacked toughness, theme or the fierce urgency of fighting for a great cause. 32 Instead of worrying about offending sensitive Republicans, Ossoff should have quoted prominent Republicans who warn against the grave dangers, extreme actions and banana republic tactics of the Trump presidency. 59 Instead of treating Trump as though he barely exists and running a campaign on \u201clocal issues,\u201d Ossoff should have openly asked voters to create a check and balance against Trump\u2019s crude politics of crony capitalism, conflicts of interest, national division and isolation from America\u2019s democratic allies around the world. 8 Democrats outside Washington are madder then hell. 25 Democrats inside Washington need a war plan to turn public outrage into the great cause of restoring democracy and winning back control of Congress. 22 Democrats should create a massive war chest \u2014 now \u2014 to tap resistance to Trump from small donors and large donors. 39 Hundreds of millions of dollars should be raised \u2014 beginning today \u2014 and put into an escrow fund to recruit and support Democratic challengers and incumbents in 50 key House races and 10 key Senate races for starters. 2 Sens. 94 Bernie Sanders Bernard (Bernie) SandersSenate Dems seek to turn tables on GOP in climate change fight Bernie Sanders Town Hall finishes third in cable news race, draws 1.4 million viewers Woman to undecided Biden: 'Just say yes' to 2020 bid MORE (I-Vt.), Elizabeth Warren Elizabeth Ann WarrenWoman to undecided Biden: 'Just say yes' to 2020 bid Raising taxes on the wealthy is 'extremely popular,' says Dem pollster 64 percent say Democratic Party supports socialism, says poll MORE (D-Mass.) 30 and other leading progressives should rally Democratic small donors \u2014 immediately \u2014 to raise huge money for this fund that would drive high-quality candidate recruiting and all-out candidate support. 334 While the Democratic base has been passionately waging battles of resistance against the abuses of Trump, former President Barack Obama Barack Hussein ObamaChicago's next mayor will be a black woman Obama portraits brought more than 1 million visitors to National Portrait Gallery in first year With low birth rate, America needs future migrants MORE, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonREAD: Cohen testimony alleges Trump knew Stone talked with WikiLeaks about DNC emails County GOP in Minnesota shares image comparing Sanders to Hitler Holder: 'Time to make the Electoral College a vestige of the past' MORE, former President Bill Clinton William (Bill) Jefferson ClintonKasich fundraises off 2020 speculation Inviting Kim Jong Un to Washington Howard Schultz must run as a Democrat for chance in 2020 MORE, former Vice President Joe Biden Joseph (Joe) Robinette BidenWoman to undecided Biden: 'Just say yes' to 2020 bid Poll shows Biden leads Democrats vying for 2020 nomination The Hill's Morning Report - Dems appear to have votes to counter Trump on emergency MORE, former Vice President Al Gore Albert (Al) Arnold GoreOvernight Energy: Trump ends talks with California on car emissions | Dems face tough vote on Green New Deal | Climate PAC backing Inslee in possible 2020 run New climate PAC will back Inslee for president Howard Schultz must run as a Democrat for chance in 2020 MORE and former Secretary of State John Kerry John Forbes KerryOvernight Defense: White House eyes budget maneuver to boost defense spending | Trump heads to Hanoi for second summit with Kim | Former national security officials rebuke Trump on emergency declaration 58 ex-national security officials rebuke Trump over emergency declaration Ex-national security officials to issue statement slamming Trump's emergency declaration: WaPo MORE have all been virtually AWOL from the fight, compared to what they should have been doing since Trump took office. 40 Obama, Biden, the Clintons, Gore and Kerry should belatedly join the fight in full force \u2014 now \u2014 by aggressively raising vast sums of money to recruit and support top-flight candidates for the 2018 midterm elections. 30 Second, the constantly sleepwalking Democratic National Committee should spearhead the largest voter registration drive in history, even larger than the Freedom Summer during the civil rights era. 33 Republicans are waging a policy war against the interests and dreams of blacks, Hispanics, women and young people, who should be mobilized to register and vote like never before. 51 Democrats win elections by increasing the electorate, registering new voters in large numbers, and building a powerful and unprecedented get-out-the-vote machine for a party that acts like a movement and cause, not merely a collection of consultants making small fortunes through massive television buys for losing Democrats. 14 There is a great movement waiting for national Democrats to fight and lead. 49 Those who lack the clarity and cajones to effectively confront the most unpopular new president in American history, which is what happened in all four recent special elections, should yield the floor to those who will wage and win the epic political struggle of our times. 19 Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark. 10 ), then-chief deputy majority whip of the House. 5 He holds an LL.M. 11 in international financial law from the London School of Economics."} {"text": " 22 Canterbury university students are outraged after the local residents association chair said student accommodation was turning the area into a slum. 49 Ilam is one of the city's wealthier suburbs and home to the University of Canterbury campus but Ilam and Upper Riccarton Residents Association's chair Phil McGoldrick, a real estate auctioneer, has said the state of student accommodation was turning the area into a slum. 17 Mr Goldrick said the area his family had lived in for 17 years had deteriorated recently. 36 \"If we are not careful as residents in this area ... the area around the university could well start looking like the area around the university in Dunedin ... that is almost slum-like.\" 18 \"I think you've got your head in the sand if you don't accept that. 23 The area around the university in Dunedin is hardly desirable as a Christchurch perspective, or this area's perspective anyway.\" 23 Photo: RNZ / Logan Church\n\nMr McGoldrick said landlords were partially responsible and needed to set higher standards for student tenants. 13 University of Canterbury student Josiah Tualamali'i called the comparison unfair. 20 \"Actually likening our community to the mess you see in Dunedin is completely misguided,\" he said. 23 Mr Tualamali'i said it was not fair the residents association had made the slum comparison without first talking to students. 19 Photo: RNZ / Logan Church\n\nMr McGoldrick said there was no youth representative in the residents association. 20 RNZ spoke to a landlord who asked to remain anonymous, due to fears of repercussion from his neighbours. 36 He employed a gardener to look after his property, which was rented by young adults, yet neighbours had complained about his property several times, demanded his phone number and pestered his tenants. 13 He said they were mainly concerned about how the street front looked. 24 \"The type of grass seed is a major concern, and the type of plantings and rose bushes you should have.\" 26 Photo: RNZ / Logan Church\n\n\"These are very big issues in Ilam and neighbours aren't afraid to come and tell you.\" 12 He said there was a palpable generational divide in the suburb. 17 Student association president James Addington said there was little contact between himself and the residents association. 20 He said having more student representatives in community groups could help solve any issues between older residents and students. 22 \"The more we have, the more we can help with those relationships and social cohesion,\" he said."} {"text": " 47 In Refusal To Answer Questions, Sessions Denies Claiming Executive Privilege\n\nNPR's Ari Shapiro talks to Steve Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas, about Jeff Sessions' justification for refusing to answer certain questions in his Senate testimony on Tuesday. 30 ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:\n\nWe're going to look more closely now at the attorney general's decision not to answer some questions from the Senate intelligence committee. 13 Here's part of what Jeff Sessions said in his opening statement. 29 (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)\n\nJEFF SESSIONS: I cannot and will not violate my duty to protect the confidential communications I have with the president. 24 SHAPIRO: To help us understand the principle that allows Sessions to avoid answering these questions, we're joined by Steve Vladeck. 20 He's a professor at the University of Texas School of Law and joins us from member station KUT. 6 Thanks for being with us. 10 STEVE VLADECK: Thanks for having me, Ari. 74 SHAPIRO: It was widely reported before this hearing that Sessions would claim executive privilege to refuse to answer some questions, but when the ranking Democrat on the committee, Senator Mark Warner, asked why Sessions was refusing to answer questions about conversations with the president, the attorney general said it was based on what he called reasons that are founded in the co-equal branch of powers and the Constitution. 12 Let's listen to this exchange, starting with Senator Warner. 19 (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)\n\nMARK WARNER: Are you claiming executive privilege here today, Sir? 28 SESSIONS: I'm not claiming executive privilege because that's the president's power, and I have no power to...\n\nWARNER: What about... 7 SESSIONS: ...Claim executive privilege. 21 WARNER: What about...\n\nSHAPIRO: OK, so professor Vladeck, explain what exactly is going on here. 29 VLADECK: So I mean I think the attorney general is basically trying to invent a new doctrine called the non-privileged privilege...\n\nSHAPIRO: (Laughter). 21 VLADECK: ...Where he basically gets to say, I'm claiming executive privilege by not claiming executive privilege. 12 Ari, that's not how this is supposed to work. 17 SHAPIRO: Well, why wouldn't he just say, I'm claiming executive privilege? 8 That's something people have done before. 14 VLADECK: It is, and I think the reason why is twofold. 40 First, it looks bad optically to hide behind executive privilege, especially where the conversation is something about which there's already been so much public discussion, some of which fueled by the president's own tweets. 44 But second, once there is a formal claim of executive privilege, that sets in motion a series of legal maneuvers that could be deployed to litigate the claim of privilege and to determine if it's a valid claim of privilege. 42 By sort of not quite invoking it, I think the attorney general is creating an additional step where first the Senate intelligence committee would have to decide that they wanted to push back and try to compel him to answer. 20 SHAPIRO: OK, so there is a set of legal rules and procedures if somebody claims executive privilege. 17 What is the set of rules and procedures if somebody invents a privilege on the fly? 17 VLADECK: Yeah, you know, we're in a bit of uncharted territory here. 24 I mean I think we're still in the same relevant bucket of rules and procedures from the Senate intelligence committee's perspective. 18 So you know, the Senate can try to compel the attorney general to answer the questions. 15 They can hold him in contempt of Congress if he refuses to do so. 36 They can take the somewhat softer option of trying to bring some kind of civil lawsuit to litigate the question of whether the attorney general can invoke either executive privilege or this newfound non-privileged privilege. 35 But Ari, I think the important point and what the attorney general is surely banking on is that all of those maneuvers require the acquiescence of the Republican majority on the intelligence committee. 47 And so I think he's basically daring the Republicans on the Senate intelligence committee to not let him off the hook and to actually have to agree with the Democrats, many of whom have already pushed and will be pushing for more compelled answers. 55 SHAPIRO: This seems similar to a situation that we saw last week when two top Trump administration intelligence officials, NSA Director Mike Rogers and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, refused to answer questions from a Senate committee but would not specify what legal grounds they were basing that refusal on. 11 VLADECK: Yeah, and it's the same problem. 40 I mean the short version is, yes, witnesses before a Senate hearing, a House hearing, a court hearing have a right to not answer questions if doing so would violate some legal obligation or privilege. 55 But the questioner has the right to insist that that privilege be asserted entirely so that we know what's going on and so that if the privilege claim is not actually a viable one, it can be tested and litigated the way that, you know, historically we've done that. 16 SHAPIRO: So this is a slight dodge from the typical claim of executive privilege. 18 But if executive privilege were functioning as we are accustomed to it functioning, what is it? 6 Where does it come from? 23 VLADECK: Yeah, so the Supreme Court has said that the executive privilege is grounded in Article 2 of the Constitution. 32 That's the part that sets out the president's powers, that it comes from the president's interest in protecting the confidentiality of internal executive branch deliberations and communications. 9 But Ari, it's a qualified privilege. 25 And so even if we had a valid assertion of privilege in this case, we'd still have to ask two different questions. 22 Had the privilege somehow been waived, for example by President Trump's public statements on the same matters in dispute? 34 And could the privilege be overcome as it was in the Nixon tapes case by some countervailing public need that outweighs the president's interest in preserving the confidentiality of his internal communications? 40 SHAPIRO: So it seems as though the Trump administration officials who are claiming this non-privileged privilege are gambling that Republicans will want to defend the Trump administration more than they will want to defend the prerogatives of Congress. 8 Does that seem like a safe gamble? 50 VLADECK: I think that's - well, I think that is the gamble they're taking, and I think that's going to be a safe gamble until the moment the Republicans decide that the separation of powers is more important than the separation of parties. 16 SHAPIRO: That's Steve Vladeck, who teaches law at the University of Texas. 5 Thanks for joining us. 5 VLADECK: Thank you. 15 (SOUNDBITE OF STROBO'S \"POP GUIANA\")\n\nCopyright \u00a9 2017 NPR. 4 All rights reserved. 15 Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. 28 NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by Verb8tm, Inc., an NPR contractor, and produced using a proprietary transcription process developed with NPR. 19 This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. 6 Accuracy and availability may vary. 13 The authoritative record of NPR\u2019s programming is the audio record."} {"text": " 50 Results from a recent study from researchers at the University of Utah indicate that there is no evidence to support the theory that some people are \"right-brained,\" while others are \"left-brained,\" giving you one less easy way to dismiss someone's peculiar personality. 36 There has never been strong evidence to uphold this distinction, but the theory stemmed from the notion that there were two distinct personality types, based on which hemisphere of the brain was dominant. 13 The more active side would have noticeable effects on personality and cognition. 13 \"Right-brained\" people are supposedly more creative with strong concentration powers. 17 People who are \"left-brained\" are more analytical, logical, and better with language. 32 Researchers for the study monitored the fMRI brain scans of 1011 participants, all between the ages of 7 to 29, and did not detect support of brain hemisphere dominance. 20 The participants were asked to think about nothing for five to ten minutes (resting brain state/pre-nap state). 32 The researchers then looked at \"each pair of 7266 regions covering the gray matter\" (complicated brain stuff, but this sounds like a lot of the brain). 38 According to the study's lead author, Jared Nielsen:\n\n\"We just don't see patterns where the whole left-brain network is more connected or the whole right-brain network is more connected in some people. 47 It may be that personality types have nothing to do with one hemisphere being more active, stronger, or more connected...\"\n\nCertainly, some people are more creative, some people are more analytical, but this doesn't reflect in brain dominance. 47 Nielsen encourages people to be more specific with their descriptions rather than just spouting sides to talk about people:\n\n\"Everyone should understand the personality types associated with the terminology 'left-brained' and 'right-brained' and how they relate to him or her personally.\" 7 [image via Albund / Shutterstock]"} {"text": " 27 In another year, perhaps, a former Republican senator from New York could have endorsed a former Republican governor from New York running for president. 19 But George Pataki is finding out endorsements, even from old allies, are hard to come by. 28 Former Sen. Al D\u2019Amato, who served during Mr. Pataki\u2019s first term in the 1990s, announced today he is endorsing Ohio Gov. 21 John Kasich for president, depriving Mr. Pataki of at least one endorsement he theoretically was in the running for. 31 \u201cWe Republicans need to capture the White House and in order to do that, we must win Ohio,\u201d Mr. D\u2019Amato said in a statement. 34 \u201cJohn Kasich is the only candidate who can assure us of that victory.\u201d\n\nMr. D\u2019Amato cited Mr. Kasich\u2019s tenure in Congress as a factor in his endorsement. 20 Mr. Kasich served as an Ohio congressman when Mr. D\u2019Amato chaired the Banking Committee in the Senate. 29 \u201cLook at his success leading the work to balance the federal budget\u2014it hasn\u2019t been done since he left the Budget Committee,\u201d he said. 31 \u201cHe knows the Pentagon, understands the military, and understands the need for strength as well as a better managed Defense Department,\u201d the former senator added. 28 Unlike Mr. Pataki, who last governed New York in 2006 and is barely registering the polls, Mr. Kasich\u2019s campaign in on the upswing. 35 After an energetic performance at a televised debate this month, Mr. Kasich is now viewed as a top competitor in New Hampshire, an early voting state where Mr. Pataki has campaigned constantly. 25 Like Mr. D\u2019Amato, Mr. Pataki and Mr. Kasich are regarded as moderates in a party that has veered to the right. 11 The endorsement is awkward for Mr. Pataki\u2019s camp. 30 David Catalfamo, a top aide to Mr. Pataki\u2019s presidential campaign, also worked for Mr. D\u2019Amato\u2019s powerful lobbying firm, Park Strategies. 17 Park Strategies\u2019 Albany office is filled with as many as a dozen former Pataki staffers. 18 \u201cI\u2019m just thrilled that the great Alfonse D\u2019Amato is joining my team. 42 I\u2019d be content to just go out to his favorite pasta joint with him and listen to his stories, but that he\u2019s going to help me and my campaign is incredible,\u201d Mr. Kasich said. 14 A spokesman for Mr. Pataki did not immediately return a request for comment."} {"text": " 9 This email address is being protected from spambots. 8 You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 26 (As some people noticed, I've been pretty quiet for several weeksnow, being overwhelmed with stuff other than putting out anti-political rantings. 36 So I feel the need to do a little fire-breathing now, to let off some steam, after spending too longquietly listening to the authoritarian, slave-speak tripecontinually spewed out by the mainstream media. 48 )I have a message for all the conservative Republicans out there,sick of all the paternalistic, nanny-state, socialist garbage thatthe Obama regime has been pushing--the wealth redistribution, theattempts to nationalize various industries, the liberal tax andspend agenda, etc. 31 My message to all the conservative Republicansout there who are upset by the way things are going, is this:Serves you right, you unprincipled, hypocritical boneheads. 20 (As you can see, my break didn't make me any more moderate, or anymore polite. 15 )No, it's not that I support Obama and his collectivist agenda. 12 It'sthat I don't support his collectivist agenda or YOUR collectivistagenda. 30 In fact, in principle I don't see a shred of differencebetween the agenda of the \"R\" megalomaniacal parasites and the \"D\"megalomaniacal parasites. 58 If you're a loyal Republican, you're notactually against wealth redistribution, or nationalizing industry,or trashing the Constitution--you just want YOUR narcissisticcrooks to be the ones doing it.You think it's horrible for \"government\" to rob productive people,to give money to those who didn't earn it? 5 Yeah, me too. 44 But topretend to be principled when whining about having to fund coercedpseudo-charity, only to then turn around and advocate that peoplebe forced to fund mass murder instead (in the name of \"nationalsecurity\"), is the height of hypocrisy. 61 In short, your Democratneighbors are merely doing to you what you want to do to them:using the violence of the state to coerce you into supporting theirbeliefs and values.If you vote to rob your neighbor, and your neighbor votes to robyou, and you happen to lose the contest of control-freakism, youdamn well deserve it. 47 If you whine that you're being forced to funda welfare state you oppose, and then you turn around and try toforce others to fund a military empire they oppose, then you're acoward and a hypocrite, and you don't deserve freedom. 6 (Is thatblunt enough?) 31 If those of you fighting over which slave-mastershould own us all--Republican or Democrat--were the only onesvictimized by the statist game, I wouldn't really care. 62 But thosefew of us who actually like freedom (we're the ones that get called\"extremists\") are forced to support both of the stupid statistagendas.If you complain about Obama trashing the Constitution, yet yousupport the fascist, draconian \"war on drugs\" (as you swig yourbeer), then you deserve the Obama administration. 130 If you complainabout the nanny state doing their paramilitary thuggery againstproducers of raw milk, organic produce, guitars (yes, guitars),lemonade stands, and so on, and yet you support what the ICE, DHS,TSA, and other jackboots are doing every day in the name of\"security,\" then you're a two-faced twit.In short, if you refuse to allow your neighbors--all six billion ofthem--to live in freedom, then you yourself deserve to be enslaved.Republicans are not for freedom, any more than Democrats are.Neither group of state-worshipers even understands what freedom is.They accept a violent ruling class as a necessary and legitimatething, and then they bicker over the meaningless details. 15 Insteadof opposing mass extortion in principle, they argue about whoshould receive the loot. 49 They don't oppose intrusive oppression inprinciple; they just want it used in a way that fits their ownbeliefs and values.If you want me to be forced to fund your views--and if you voteRepublican or Democrat, then you do--then your values suck. 40 Youdon't love freedom or justice, or even know what those words mean.You're nothing more than whiny slaves, asking the \"massuh\" to whipthe other slaves harder, and make the other slaves work longerhours. 18 There's nothing noble or righteous about that.The Republican party isn't against socialism, or wealthredistribution. 31 Where are the \"R\" politicians who dare to call forending coercive wealth redistribution, by ENDING Social Security,Medicare, Medicaid, AFDC, and so on? 20 Saying that you want to slowthe rate of growth of something is not the same as opposingsomething in principle! 4 (Duh.) 25 With the exception of Ron Paul, allof the Republicans in Congress combined don't have enough vertebraeamongst them to put together one spine. 15 There is not one principleto be found on which the Republican and Democratic establishmentsdisagree. 11 Not one.Wanting \"lower taxes\" means wanting LESS robbery. 4 How about NOrobbery? 7 Where is the Republican proposing that? 8 (Not even Ron Pauladvocates that.) 22 Cutting back, or at least slowing down, wealthredistribution schemes is not the same as opposing coercive wealthredistribution in principle. 20 Where is the Republican who will say,\"Stealing from one to give to another is wrong\"? 15 Wanting toforcibly meddle with some non-violent choices, and not others, isnot principled. 20 Whining about the nanny state, while supporting theDEA and ATF, is the sign of an unprincipled doofus. 25 Whining aboutcertain examples of war-mongering, while defending others--whichboth parties do--is a pretty glaring example of how unprincipledmost Americans are. 56 This may come as a shock to you voters, butadvocating violent aggression, terrorism and mass murder is alwaysbad, whether it's done by your party or by the other one.All the talking heads out there, vehemently condemning one set ofcontrol freaks, while acting as apologists for another, are adisgrace. 31 The viewpoints portrayed in the media as the \"far left\"and the \"far right\" of the political spectrum are, in principle,the same thing. 72 The state-approved drivel that is vomited out oftelevisions and radios across the country has two very slightlydifferent flavors, and no principles whatsoever.Allow me to put this in terms that a kindergartner (and hopefullyeven an American voter) can comprehend: If you continually vote forliars and crooks to infringe upon the freedom of your neighbors,then you do not deserve, and will not have, freedom yourself. 28 Infact, there is only one group that is out here, not only advocatingthat WE be free, but advocating that YOU be free, too. 18 And we'rethe ones you love to hate, because we don't worship the state asyou do. 39 We are proudly and unapologetically anti-\"government,\"because \"government\" is always anti-freedom, anti-justice and anti-human.Incidentally, if you ever decide to get a principle, we'd love foryou to join us. 46 In the meantime, we'll just be annoyed that youcontinue to imagine yourselves to be rational and moral, while youbeg for the mercenaries of the state to foist your bad ideas on us.Then you whine when others do the same thing to you. 9 Get aprinciple, and give up your statism. 12 Grow up, and act like athinking, responsible human being. 21 Then you can be one of those\"fringe, kook, extremist anarchists\" that the media so thoroughlydespises. 14 (We even make Ron Paul look like a moderate ... becausehe is. 3 )Larken Rose"} {"text": " 79 Story highlights Experts give opinions about photos allegedly showing soldiers with Afghan corpses\n\nEx-CIA agent Robert Baer: This incident further divides U.S. and Afghans\n\nRetired U.S. general says photos are \"very damaging\" to U.S. effort in Afghanistan\n\nFormer NATO allied commander says photos don't represent values of U.S. armed forces\n\nOn Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times published photos of U.S. soldiers posing with what the paper said were bodies of insurgents in Afghanistan. 26 The newspaper said a soldier came forward with the images to draw attention to the safety risk associated with a decline in leadership and discipline. 51 In the Times story, editor Davan Maharaj said publishing the photos \"would fulfill our obligation to readers to report vigorously and impartially on all aspects of the American mission in Afghanistan, including the allegation that the images reflect a breakdown in unit discipline that was endangering U.S. 3 troops.\" 16 The Los Angeles Times said efforts to get responses from the soldiers involved were unsuccessful. 8 CNN has not independently authenticated the photos. 29 The images are just the latest in a string of scandals that some say could damage U.S. efforts in the war, which is in its 11th year. 15 In January, video footage emerged of U.S. soldiers apparently urinating on Afghan corpses. 26 In February, Afghans rioted after it was discovered that Qurans had been burned in violation of Islamic custom at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. 24 Last month, an Army staff sergeant allegedly went on a rampage and shot to death 17 Afghan civilians, including numerous children. 17 The U.S. is due to hand over control of the country to Afghan forces in 2014. 22 On Thursday Afghan President Hamid Karzai called for an \"accelerated\" transition of security responsibilities to the country's forces. 10 He called the photos \"inhumane and provocative.\" 25 CNN spoke with three national security and military experts about the images and what impact they may have on the U.S. mission in Afghanistan. 9 Here's an edited version of their responses. 28 Baer: 'Very, very difficult time stabilizing this country'\n\nRobert Baer is a former CIA agent who spent most of his career in the Middle East. 30 His book \"See No Evil\" has been lauded for its first-person look inside the agency and for its analysis of events leading up the war on terror. 12 I think the situation there is going from bad to worse. 1 ... 14 It's incidents like these which are dividing American troops from the Afghans. 9 I just don't see it getting better. 9 Of course, this is an isolated event. 38 It's not the end of the world, but if it continues on like this -- more bad news -- we're going to have a very, very difficult time stabilizing this country before 2014. 10 Getting into one of these wars is very easy. 32 It's very, very difficult for a White House to walk away from this, especially when the same people that attacked us on 9/11 are going to come back. 35 For a politician to say, 'Hey, let's forget about it, let's hope for the best, let's leave' -- this is a problem for the White House. 11 They cannot be seen to be losing a war. 13 It doesn't really matter that we never really won the war. 15 It's just morphed into something else, into a quagmire, guerrilla warfare. 29 I don't think we're going to speed it up, we're just going to hope for the best and get better control of the military. 13 And hope that the Afghans will be able to take this over. 8 I'm not very confident, though. 21 Marks: 'Very damaging to all the U.S. efforts'\n\nJames \"Spider\" Marks is a retired U.S. Army general. 8 He works as a consultant in Washington. 37 This is very damaging to all the U.S. efforts, specifically the U.S. effort to assure it stays in harness with the Afghan government and the Afghan security forces moving forward in this critically important mission. 30 This does nothing but throw sand into that fabric of trying to establish and trying reinforce what has been, over the last decade, a reasonably good relationship. 9 There's nothing good that comes from this. 10 Sadly, you had soldiers ostensibly dehumanizing the enemy. 6 That can't be done. 30 You've got to hold these bad guys with respect that they deserve if they're willing to kill themselves to achieve a goal ... our soldiers understand this. 6 These are several bad apples. 14 You need to always respect your enemy, so you better understand them. 53 The record of the military in our conflicts, both in Afghanistan and Iraq, and routine activities that take place every day around the globe [have been] decentralized out to young men and women like these folks [in the photos], who sadly made a huge mistake. 15 But most folks -- 99% of our military -- do a magnificent job. 11 So you have to let the record speak for itself. 34 What you have to do locally -- and Gen. John Allen [the U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan] understands this intimately -- you have a lot of damage control to do. 14 You have to anticipate what the reaction is going to be in Afghanistan. 28 It speaks to this isolated incident, and it doesn't speak to a full breakdown in terms of morale and discipline and capabilities in our military. 1 ... 29 The military in this case is losing ground because they've achieved so many great things, specifically in Afghanistan, and this incident is setting them back. 28 Clark: 'We'll get an orderly withdrawal'\n\nRetired Gen. Wesley Clark served as supreme allied commander of NATO from 1997 to 2000 in the Kosovo war. 28 Once a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University, he has a degree in philosophy, politics and economics, and a master's degree in military science. 15 He served 34 years in the Army and ran in the 2004 presidential election. 22 [The photos don't] represent the standards or the training or the values of the United States armed forces. 29 Our soldiers and our leaders know you don't pose with dead enemy bodies, and there's a lot of other things that you don't do. 5 We maintain these standards. 24 I think the men and women of the armed forces have done a remarkable job, our leadership has done a remarkable job. 34 No one ever expected when this conflict started that we'd be in it [almost] 11 years later, a volunteer army would have held together and done so very well. 16 This is an exception, and I know the military will take their proper measures. 8 We've accomplished our major objective there. 6 We got Osama bin Laden . 23 We've taken strong measures against al Qaeda -- it's a broken organization, at least as it was in 2001. 17 And it's not going to recover, at least not in the near term there. 19 There are other enemies on the ground there in Afghanistan, and it's been a tough fight. 7 So winning the hearts and minds? 10 I think we can continue training Afghan security forces. 15 I think we can expect to fulfill the obligations to Hamid Karzai's government. 23 I think we'll get an orderly withdrawal out of that region, as President Obama said, [in] 2014. 9 That's what we're really looking for. 21 There will be mixed feelings, because those mixed feelings on the ground among the populace are inevitable in wartime. 13 This is a country that's been through 40 years of war. 23 So, there have been a lot of losses, a lot of tragedy, there's been a lot of hatred. 9 This is one more small piece of that."} {"text": " 15 An Auckland primary school has installed a unisex toilet for a 6-year-old transgender pupil. 20 The name of the school wasn\u2019t given by Australian media to protect the child\u2019s privacy. 15 Schoolmates supported the pupil, according to sources cited by the New Zealand Herald. 71 The school\u2019s board chairman said that they had decided to set up a unisex WC to support and help the pupil \u201cfeel safe in the school environment.\u201d\n\nOther parents weren\u2019t informed about the move, he said, but added that he thinks their \u201cparent community supports diversity.\u201d\n\n\"There's nothing scary about that, there's nothing unusual about that. 11 It's been happening since the beginning of human kind. 59 We are just more aware of it now, and we're making sure [those transitions] are safe.\u201d\n\nHe called the step \u201cawesome\u201d, also saying, \u201cthis school is leading the way to show other schools the sky doesn't fall down if you have a gender-neutral or unisex bathroom.\" 41 Read more\n\nIn New Zealand 1.2 percent school-aged kids identify as transgender, 3,000 of them in Auckland, and over 9,000 across the country, according to a recent youth poll, as quoted by the New Zealand Herald. 36 LGBT activist Duncan Matthews said many parents address his \u2018Rainbow Youth\u2019 group about their transgender children, especially when the school doesn\u2019t support the name change, and enforces gender-specific uniform. 33 The Auckland primary school isn\u2019t the first in New Zealand to install a gender-neutral bathroom: earlier this year, two Wellington secondary schools set up unisex toilets, too. 43 Transgender toilets and changing rooms have been a hot issue in the US, too: just over a week ago, more than 50 families in Illinois sued a school for allowing a transgender student into the girls\u2019 locker room. 41 In April, over a million people signed a petition against the Target retailer\u2019s decision to allow men to use the women\u2019s WC, and vice versa, depending on what gender a person identifies with. 46 At the same time, a town in Alabama passed a law to make using a bathroom that doesn't correspond to the person's biological sex a criminal offense, with a 500-dollar fine or six months behind bars if the law is breached."} {"text": " 5 FAQs:\n\n1.) 12 Can I use this to root if I am already unlocked? 2 Yes. 50 The way its built right now it will just go through the redundant step of trying to unlock it first and then fail at doing so because its already unlocked (so it won't factory reset again), and then it will move onto the root procedure. 14 In hindsight I probably should have just made that a two button process. 6 I will in version 1.1. 3 2.) 9 What if I already have the SDK installed? 7 This was probably my biggest oversight. 38 The way the program is built now is that it will extract the sdk to your %HOMDRIVE% (so.. C:\\android-sdk-windows) and it will overwrite anything if it is the same file. 38 This shouldn't necessarily be a problem, but it may be annoying if for instance you already have adb and fastboot in C:\\android-sdk-windows\\tools and this program puts them in C:\\android-sdk-windows\\platform-tools as well. 20 Still technically it should work, but it was a poor choice of me to have it overwrite things. 48 I will add some sort of feature in version 1.1 which will ask the user if they already have the SDK installed and where they have adb and fastboot; that way I could have the script selectively extract the additional files rather than the whole SDK. 21 Or could have the script automatically look for the SDK on the end-users computer and make the entire decision automated. 6 I will look into it. 3 For now. 22 I would say, either backup your previous setup somewhere and then run this... or just wait for version 1.1. 3 3.) 8 Will this work on the GSM version? 27 No, but I should have that out within a few days, hopefully along with the new features I plan on including in version 1.1. 3 4.) 9 My download is slow, or not working. 14 Yes, due to high traffic I need to get more mirrors up. 7 I am working on that now. 9 I did not anticipate this much download traffic."} {"text": " 34 Norwich City striker Dieumerci Mbokani has retired from international football due to \u2018unfair treatment\u2019\n\nDieumerci Mbokani was a key figure in Norwich City's 3-2 Premier League win against Newcastle United . 44 Picture by Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd \u00a9Focus Images Limited www.focus-images.co.uk +447814 482222\n\nThe international future of Norwich City striker Dieumerci Mbokani looks to be in doubt, with media reports claiming the powerful front-man will no longer represent the Democratic Republic of Congo. 20 Share Email this article to a friend To send a link to this page you must be logged in. 36 The 30-year-old is on a season-long loan from Dinamo Kiev and scored his fifth goal of the season during an impressive performance which helped the Canaries to a crucial 3-2 win over Newcastle on Saturday. 24 That powerful display followed a concerning international break for the forward which saw him caught up in the recent terror attacks in Belgium. 48 The former Anderlecht striker revealed he owed his life to his wife\u2019s decision to delay their arrival to Zaventem airport in Brussels, which was the scene for one of two bombings that killed 31 people and injured hundreds more on Tuesday, March 22. 28 Fortunately he was unharmed and looked set to continue on his journey to play for DR of Congo in two African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Angola. 34 However, renowned French sports newspaper L\u2019Equipe have since reported that Mbokani asked for a few days to rest following the \u2018trauma\u2019 of being so close to the tragedy. 30 He reportedly told radio station Top Congo FM that he had spoken with national team coordinator Theo Binamungu but was then never called back to discuss the difficult situation. 28 Subsequently it is claimed that Congolese Football Federation president Constant Omari Selemani had threatened \u2018sanctions\u2019 for the player for failing to report for international duty. 18 Mbokani is quoted as saying: \u201cI have had problems with the Federation all the time. 14 This is the reason why I decided to stop with the national team. 10 \u201cI do not want to play for Congo. 8 I believe I was given unfair treatment. 48 Therefore, after a discussion with my family, my relatives, I decided to stop.\u201d\n\nThe striker, who has an impressive record of 16 goals in 31 games for his country, missed a 2-1 home win and 2-0 away victory in Group B. 45 City boss Alex Neil has previously spoken of a deal already being in place for Mbokani to sign permanently at the end of the season, if the player and club wish to proceed, and hailed the player\u2019s contribution against Newcastle. 20 \u201cHis goal was magnificent and to be honest I thought his performance was magnificent,\u201d said Neil. 27 \u201cHe led the line, I thought he bullied the two centre-backs and he has been really special for us in the last two games. 31 \u201cWhen I spoke to him during the week I stressed whatever goes on in your personal life away from the field you always have football to fall back on. 26 That is a release so just go out and enjoy the game, play, do what you do and I thought he was great. 31 To be honest I thought on Dieu\u2019s goal you couldn\u2019t defend that, he just shifted it inside and put it in the top corner.\u201d"} {"text": " 3 \u201cHelp! 22 How to pay the ransom?\u201d \u201cWhat do you know about wannacry?\u201d \u201cNews about bitcoin everywhere? 6 How can i buy it? 42 Make me rich!\u201d\n\nRecently, a lot of my former friends come to me asking what bitcoin is all about, which is really, really weird, because they haven\u2019t talked to me for a while. 30 Ever since I joined 8btc, they cut me out of their life, saying they didn\u2019t want to have a friend who is doing something illegal. 2 Illegal? 7 What is wrong with these girls? 12 Why the very mentioning of bitcoin remind them of illegal activity? 8 Don\u2019t they ever read news? 13 All they care about is their looks and the latest fashion trends. 12 They were right, maybe we shouldn\u2019t be friends. 11 When I got rich, I would buy more friends. 11 But now they want to be friends with me again. 28 They told me that last night they happened to find that CCTV 2, or China\u2019s Business Channel, used ten minutes reporting on bitcoin. 22 Plus, they realized that more news, especially positive news about bitcoin can be found on mainstream media these days. 14 And they are wondering maybe it\u2019s time to learn about bitcoin. 11 That is the whole reason why they thought of me. 4 I judge them. 15 Honestly, I am happy to see them want to learn something about bitcoin. 12 And I am happy to see a surge in media coverage. 10 It seems that bitcoin is not a taboo anymore. 10 Now we can actually talk about it in public. 7 This is going to be huge. 48 (I am writing this while stomping my feet)\n\nTo remember this moment, I thought maybe I could do something like a survey to find out Chinese people\u2019s opinion on bitcoin and do another survey one year later to see what might happen. 21 In order to find more people to take the survey, I asked my colleagues Jessie and Wendy for help. 17 Jessie posted the survey link on 8btc forum, Wendy Sina Weibo and me WeChat groups. 7 Here\u2019s what we got. 12 Responses from Sina:\n\n\u201cit\u2019s a virtual code. 5 it\u2019s virus. 9 it\u2019s the very incarnation of greed. 10 it\u2019s a perfect way of capital outflow. 16 it\u2019s unregulated.\u201d\n\nResponses from 8btc:\n\n\u201cit\u2019s digital gold. 8 it\u2019s a store of value. 5 it\u2019s credit. 9 it\u2019s a new international settlement currency. 17 \u201c\n\nResponses from Wechat groups(mostly cryptocurrency investors):\n\n\u201cit\u2019s money. 8 it\u2019s the best asset ever. 7 it\u2019s an IQ test. 10 it\u2019s shit(from a litecoiner). 17 it\u2019s initial shares.\u201d\n\nSo what will be the future of bitcoin in China? 11 Will it lie in the hands of the general public?"} {"text": " 41 New Delhi: Six medium intensity earthquakes jolted the Andaman and Nicobar islands in a span of four hours on Sunday, with each measuring around five or more on the Richter Scale, but there was no tsunami alert. 31 Another earthquake not far from the archipelago hit North Sumatra island in Indonesia, measuring 5.7 on the Richter Scale at 3:04 pm and at a depth of 10 km. 32 According to the Seismology Division of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, the first earthquake occurred at 4:12 pm measuring 5.2, followed by another earthquake 11 minutes later measuring 5.0. 24 The third earthquake struck at 5:24 pm again measuring 5.0 after which at 6:54 pm, a quake measuring 5.2 hit the islands. 26 At around 8:04 pm, another jolt of 5.2 was recorded followed by a mild tremor of 4.9 which hit the islands at 8:17 pm. 27 About two hours later, an earthquake measuring 6 hit the islands at 10:17 PM while another one measuring 5.6 struck minutes later at 10:29 PM. 11 All earthquakes were recorded at a depth of 35-60 kms. 25 The area around the Andaman and Nicobar islands and the Indonesian archipelago is known to be a high seismic zone and often records tremors. 7 PTI\n\nFirstpost is now on WhatsApp. 17 For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. 10 Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button."} {"text": " 19 Night Trap might not seem like a game that would be especially cumbersome to port to modern consoles. 35 Among the first in the oft-forgotten early-\u201990s trend of \u201cFMV (full motion video) games,\u201d the title was nothing more than a lightly interactive series of pre-recorded videos. 47 But after years of effort to get the project off the ground, months of coding and delays, and time spent navigating the grueling certification process for modern console launches, independent game designer Tyler Hogle was ready to be done in late summer 2017. 20 Pressing through exhaustion, Hogle's target release date was days away\u2014but so was the birth of his child. 32 On top of it all, after a last-minute patch to add extra language support, he noticed that he'd accidentally broken his own game and needed a patch out. 2 Fast. 28 An accidental piece of history\n\nLong before Hogle's dilemma, the original Night Trap was an unlikely standard-bearer in the debate on violence in video games. 36 Originally filmed in the mid-\u201980s for Hasbro\u2019s canceled VHS-based NEMO console, Night Trap featured big names of the time including child star Dana Plato (of Diff'rent Strokes fame). 26 By the early \u201890s, though, it had already been delayed and reworked to be a relatively tame riff on teen slasher horror. 19 When the game first hit the Sega CD in 1992, it already looked and felt quite dated. 39 It didn\u2019t help that the Sega CD\u2019s limited hardware struggled to render even a low-resolution, low frame-rate version of the original film\u2014don't even ask if it responded snappily for the interactive bits. 22 As the game opens, you're introduced to a specialized team of law enforcement who have been investigating mysterious disappearances. 45 Agent Kelli (Plato) goes undercover during a slumber party, and you're basically left watching security camera footage for intruders and then using access codes you collect from eavesdropping to control a system of elaborate traps built into the house itself. 29 While it's clearly influenced by slasher flicks of the \u201870s and \u201880s, you are there to stop assault\u2014not delight in it like those films. 28 And because of Hasbro's initial involvement, there's no nudity or sex, nor any significant violence besides people being slowly dragged off-screen, screaming. 26 Maybe it can be blood-curdling to some folks, but it's far milder than its place in the annals of gaming lore would suggest. 17 A tween-friendly modern horror game like Five Nights at Freddy\u2019s is probably more horror-filled. 17 Players were originally meant to defend a group of teenage girls from an onslaught of ninjas. 35 Over time, though, those foes morphed into toothless, sickly vampires with a wobbling toddle and no weapons beyond a machine that could wrap around its victim and drain them of blood. 38 At the time, it was thought that this ridiculous \u201cweapon\u201d would keep the game out of the realm of \"reproducible\" violence, thus making the game \"safe\" for younger players. 30 Instead, even the game's original director, James Riley, thought the change from ninjas to wobble-piers made the game more creepy and gruesome, not less. 24 In any case, Night Trap soon earned its place in gaming history when it became a central subject of numerous congressional hearings. 32 In December 1993, senators Joe Lieberman and Herb Kohl held Night Trap right alongside the much bloodier Mortal Kombat to dissect video game violence and its impact on the country. 35 Lieberman would admit he never even played the game, but he still quickly pointed to a scene involving those not-originally-included vampires to support his views that Night Trap featured sexual aggression toward women. 22 According to Steve Kent's Ultimate History of Videogames, the notoriety actually helped spur sales of Night Trap at first. 13 The game sold 50,000 copies in the week after the high-profile hearings. 9 But ultimately the unexpected spotlight grew too hot. 38 The two largest US toy chains at the time\u2014Toys \"R\" Us and Kay-Bee Toys\u2014pulled the game two weeks before Christmas after being bombarded with negative phone calls, according to GamePro reports at the time. 19 Eventually, SEGA pulled the original from the market and announced a censored version was in the works. 16 The hearings infamously led to the Entertainment Software Ratings Board, still in use today. 13 Mortal Kombat, which was again much gorier, never left shelves. 26 But deserved or not, the scrutiny propelled Night Trap into the spotlight and forever made it a cultural touchstone of early \u201890s gaming."} {"text": " 32 A letter of gratitude to #MuslimahPride social media jihadis\n\nDear Muslimaat,\n\nI don\u2019t have words to express my gratitude and appreciation for your noble battle against evil. 30 Your #MuslimahPride movement against #Femen was a slap on the collective face of Western imperialists who believe that Muslim women can\u2019t fight for a cause. 23 It was also a resounding reminder for the rest of the world that you have what it takes to spark a revolution. 55 What the ignorant world does not realise is that once you have the permission of your husbands, fathers, brothers, uncles, the approval of your neighbours, in-laws, their relatives and the consent of your spiritual guardians, their God and their scriptures, you can be quite the rebels. 17 It takes a lot of courage to ridicule something that is already taboo where you live. 26 It takes volumes of bravery and valour to bow down to the status quo, and toe the lines that have been forced upon you. 19 It takes unbelievable amounts of gallantry to act out a script that someone else has written for you. 28 And it must take guts and the proverbial cojones to take a stand against cruelty and the personification of tyranny that a horde of topless women is. 14 Who on earth are those damn Europeans to try to steal your voice? 40 Do they not realise that your lives were defined a million-and-a-half ago by the Arabs, who protected your rights and guarded your modesty by ensuring that you don\u2019t have much of a say in most things? 11 Who are those unabashed infidels to protest on your behalf? 27 Do they not realise that you are not allowed to express, let alone clamour in favour of, anything that contradicts the ostensibly divine scriptures? 11 Who are those shameless activists to try and liberate you? 18 Do they not realise that you can\u2019t be liberated without the permission of your mehrams? 20 I can\u2019t thank you enough for choosing to be more offended by naked bodies than dead bodies. 24 And since there are so many different kinds of you to thank, I\u2019ll try to address you one by one. 21 Dear \u2018guardians of modesty\u2019 Muslimaat, thank you for letting patriarchal societies define \u2018modesty\u2019 for you. 40 Thank you for accepting contrasting definitions of modesty for men and women, and for not being a source of strength for your sisters and daughters, vindicating the men\u2019s claim of you being the weaker sex. 51 Thank you for teaching your daughters about the sin that having sex is, throughout their lives, and then compelling them to do it immediately with a man they first met a couple of hours ago, after signing a few papers and getting the clergy\u2019s approval. 31 Also, thank you for blaming your fellow women when they are raped, since men have the divine license to refuse to keep their emotions in the right place. 19 And thank you very very much for being more misogynistic than any male chauvinist can ever possibly be. 24 Dear \u2018feminist\u2019 Muslimaat, thank you for being a ray of hope for bacon-eating vegetarians, god-fearing atheists and peace-loving terrorists. 27 Thank you for reiterating the fact that your mehrams choose to overlook the divine orders and allow you to think freely and take your own decisions. 35 Thank you for citing your personal example to highlight how you wear the hijab by your own choice, ignoring the fact that an overwhelming majority of Muslim women are coerced into doing so. 31 Thank you very much for making the whole debate about you, when it was always about the torment and suffering that most of the Muslim women are going through. 23 Dear \u2018liberal\u2019 Muslimaat, thank you for defying the orders of your deity by choosing to not cover your heads. 27 Thank you for disregarding other restrictions that your religion commands, and then having the audacity to condemn someone who is critical of these very commands. 33 Thank you for cherry picking the commandments and making your ideology sound compatible with the 21st century, only to castigate those that take the same ideological orders literally and implement them. 31 Thanks a lot for elucidating that you don\u2019t need liberation and for paying no heed to the fact that the most of the women in your country do. 24 And thank you very much for clinging on to those very shackles that have enchained the prospect of women empowerment in your country. 41 Dear \u2018revolutionary\u2019 Muslimaat, thank you for ignoring the life threats that Amina Tyler and many others like her are facing, after choosing to protest against the harassment that they have to bear on a daily basis. 66 Thank you for overlooking other lesser issues like terrorists attacking a 15-year-old schoolgirl; female genital mutilation; women being raped with judicial approval just so they don\u2019t die virgins; two-year-old girls being forced to wear veils because the disgusting men in your country have no self-control; and fathers legally getting away with raping their daughters by paying a few riyals. 37 Thank you very much for screaming bloody murder over half-naked women\u2019s claim of representing you, but accepting rapists, pedophiles and sorry excuses for human beings as your state leaders and role models. 18 #MuslimahPride is not just a hashtag, it\u2019s a symbol of integrity and pride. 22 It\u2019s about taking pride in inequality, in half testimonies, in blaming rape victims and in gender discrimination. 29 It\u2019s about taking pride in chauvinism, where men have divine permission to beat and rape their wives, marry multiple times and possess slave girls. 42 It\u2019s about taking pride in patriarchal societies where husbands are categorically told in detail how they should punish their \u201cdisobedient\u201d wives, while not a single text exclusively tells women what they should do with unfaithful husbands. 43 It\u2019s about taking pride in not being allowed to vote, let alone lead your nations, and about finally being allowed to ride a goddamn bicycle \u2013 under a mehram\u2019s supervision \u2013 in the year 2013 AD. 34 The #MuslimahPride jihad will be written down in history as the moment where Muslimaat made it clear to the world that no one should protest on their behalf, half-naked or otherwise. 51 Thank you, dear Muslimaat, for saving the rest of the world\u2019s time by clarifying that you\u2019re fine living in the 7th century AD, and no one should push you towards the enlightened times, regardless of whether they have clothes on or not. 15 Thank you for being a source of inspiration and an illuminating example for everyone. 34 We all know that you have what it takes to transform the plight of the women and change the dynamics of the world, as long as you are back home before sunset. 5 More power to you. 22 PS: I hope being addressed as \u2018dear\u2019 does not land you in trouble with your oversensitive male guardians. 17 Yours thankfully,\n\nKunwar Khuldune Shahid\n\nThe writer is a financial journalist and a cultural critic. 11 Email: [email protected], Twitter: @khuldune"} {"text": " 8 Sea levels are rising faster than expected. 15 And there are already floods caused by annual high tides, called king tides. 37 So Miami Beach is embarking on the second stage of a $400- to $500-million project to raise the city\u2019s roads and install new pumps \u2014 and safeguard the city\u2019s future. 36 Rising sea\n\nYana Kibyakova walks through a flooded street that was caused by the combination of seasonal high tides and what many believe is the rising sea levels due to climate change in September 2015. 30 ( Joe Raedle / GETTY IMAGES FILE PHOTO )\n\nJuan Carlos Sanchez uses his shoes to paddle a kayak on a flooded street in Miami Beach in September 2015. 61 ( Lynne Sladky )\n\nProjections show the ocean off Florida\u2019s coast could rise up to almost a metre by 2060, but the city is already being flooded by annual king tides, the highest high tides, which occur due to gravitational forces on Earth\u2019s water exerted by the position of the sun and moon. 21 During that time, water gurgles up from underneath roads in Miami Beach and turns many of them into rivers. 11 The tides can raise water levels by about 1.2 metres. 15 Streets begin to flood at about one metre, according to the Miami Herald. 11 But the risks haven't stopped construction in Miami Beach. 49 Meanwhile, all low-lying coastal cities in the U.S. are threatened including Miami proper, which could lose $3.7 trillion in financial assets by 2070 due to rising ocean levels, more than any other coastal city, according to a National Wildlife Federation report from 2016. 9 Nervous neighbourhood\n\nArticle Continued Below\n\nThe Lakeview neigbhourhood. 40 The city, which began elevating roads in the southern part of Miami Beach in 2013, will start construction in the fall in the Lakeview neighbourhood \u2014 the first residential area of largely single-family homes to undergo improvements. 23 The city will raise roads and curbs, replace gutters and water mains, and connect the new roadway to existing driveways. 32 Residents there are worried about who will pay to connect drainage on their property to the city\u2019s new system, as well as water runoff from the elevated road. 26 The city is also installing three pumps, in Lakeview and the nearby La Gorce neighbourhood, to reroute excess water back to the ocean. 13 The neighbourhood project will cost $100 million and take two years. 14 Raising the roads\n\nThe road in front of Pubbelly's restaurant was raised. 27 The road in front of Pubbelly\u2019s restaurant on Purdy Ave. at 20th St. has been raised about 60 cm (about two feet). 35 The city also installed floor drains in the patio area to connect it to new storm drainage pipes underground, which carry the water away so it can be pumped back into the ocean. 36 Eric Carpenter, the head of public works, says most roads need to be raised 45 cm or less to meet a target height that will protect them from flooding until at least 2050. 21 The city is also raising the height of sea walls on Biscayne Bay and on canals by about 75 cm. 17 Pumping it out\n\nThe elevated controls for a new pumping station, which is below ground. 13 Flood water is collected in storm drains and rerouted to concrete vaults. 29 Debris are removed and the water flows into the main well and is pumped out into the bay at a rate as high as 300,000 litres a minute. 12 A valve at the end of the discharge pipe prevents backflow. 15 So far, the city has installed 24 new pumps and upgraded 10 others. 24 The beach\n\nThe east side of Miami Beach is protected by coastal dunes, which are on the highest point of the island. 9 The dunes minimize erosion and block storm surges. 18 The city is continually restoring the dunes by removing invasive plants and replacing them with native species. 35 The city also has to deal with erosion and in 2013, trucked in huge amounts of sand from the Ortona quarry in central Florida to replenish the beach in the La Gorce neighbourhood. 30 Source: Eric Carpenter, Director of Public Works City of Miami Beach; Miami Herald; Southeast Florida Climate Compact Organization; Public Works Magazine\n\nRead more about:"} {"text": " 16 Randomly knocking out unsuspecting strangers is a terrifying new 'game' being played by teenagers. 23 THE resurgence of a dangerously violent street game that targets innocent bystanders has left people dead and others fearing for their lives. 26 The aim of the game, known as Knockout, is to approach an unsuspecting passerby and punch them so powerfully they are knocked unconscious. 13 The attacks are violent, deliberate and in some cases, fatal. 2 Why? 14 Simply \"for the fun of it,\" said one teenage participant. 11 \"They think it's funny,\" said another. 18 \"They just go, boom, when it's the right time and the right place. 15 \"It could be anybody, it could be a mother with her children. 7 It's a macho thing.\" 33 The game first surfaced in New York City several years ago and after a short lull, a number of recent attacks are proving it's back, as violent as ever. 34 Police are keen to end the game once and for all, but are concerned it's a growing trend among bored teens\n\nThree have been killed in the last two years alone. 30 Seven attacks have been reported in New York, while one of the most graphic attacks occurred to an unsuspecting 16-year-old girl on the streets of London last year. 38 News_Rich_Media: Teenager attacked in Knockout game\n\nReported incidents include a Washington, D.C. woman, who was walking home when she was punched in the back of the head by a group of teens on bicycles. 10 They then sped away, laughing, reports WJLA. 28 Meanwhile in Denver, a 15-year-old was charged after he hit teacher James Addlespurger, 50, so hard he fell face first onto a concrete kerb. 11 \"I was shocked at the whole narrative of it. 5 There were six kids. 33 There was me walking, just normally on my way, and boom came the punch and down I went, straight down with my face falling and hitting the cool concrete. 4 I was shocked. 4 I was speechless. 14 I didn't really know what to think,\" Addlespurger told WTAE-TV. 22 In New Jersey, video footage shows Ralph Santiago, 46, targeted in broad daylight by a group of teens. 17 He was later found dead with his head lodged between an iron fence, neck broken. 15 Three teenagers, two 13-year-olds and a 14-year-old, were charged with his murder. 21 Other recorded attacks have taken place in New Jersey and Missouri, where a pedestrian was killed in each case. 22 \"They just want to see if you've got enough strength to knock somebody out,\" said one participant. 20 Both the New York Police Department and London Metropolitan believe the attacks are evolving into predominantly race-based hate crimes. 10 Continue the conversation via Twitter @the_mattyoung | @newscomauHQ"} {"text": " 49 \u2014 Advertorial \u2014\n\nMost people know Sean Hyman from his regular appearances on Fox Business, CNBC, and Bloomberg Television, but what they don\u2019t know is that Sean is a former pastor, and that his secret to investing is woven within the Bible. 31 Perhaps that can explain why, despite his uncanny ability to predict precise moves in the stock market, Sean is often laughed at for his unique stance on investing. 3 For example . 1 . 1 . 9 in 2012, Sean appeared on Bloomberg Television. 20 At that time, Best Buy (BBY) was dropping to all-time lows of $16 a share. 39 Sean predicted the stock could go down to $11 a share, and would then quickly rebound to $25 per share, and after that would rally to $40 per share over the next year. 37 Another commentator on the show actually mocked Sean for his stance saying \u201cThat\u2019s the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.\u201d\n\nWithin a few weeks, Sean would receive the last laugh. 25 Best Buy dropped down to $11.20 a share and rebounded to $40 a share within a year, just as Sean predicted. 31 During a recent private dinner with Sean, once he\u2019d blessed the food, I wasted no time asking him what his secret is for investing so successfully. 30 I expected Sean to say that it was his years of experience at Charles Schwab or perhaps one of the complicated algorithms he uses for timing the stock market. 18 So when Sean responded that his secret to investing was the Bible, I was thoroughly shocked. 25 Yes, I knew Sean was a Christian (anyone who spends more than 1 minute with him will pick that up!). 12 However, people usually keep their faith separate from things like . 1 . 1 . 2 investing. 4 But not Sean. 11 For Sean, the Bible is his FOUNDATION for investing. 18 He explained to me how there is actually a \u201cBiblical Money Code\u201d woven into Scripture. 30 Sean says it is this Biblical Money Code that took him from making a mere $15,000 a year to now giving away up to $50,000 a year. 21 Sean also credits this code with helping him turn his father\u2019s $40,000 retirement account into $396,000. 24 Certain investment titans, Sean says, such as Warren Buffett and John Templeton, have already used this code to amass billions. 54 What Sean had to say impressed me so much that I asked him to put a presentation together that reveals how anyone could use this \u201cBiblical Money Code.\u201d (Click here to watch it now)\n\nI\u2019ve personally watched this presentation several times and it is already spreading virally. 30 During the video, Sean uses the teachings of King Solomon, Jesus of Nazareth, and the Apostle Paul to show how anyone can get out of debt . 1 . 1 . 4 make sound investments . 1 . 1 . 6 and morally build substantial wealth. 14 Sean even reveals a \u201cdebilitating \u2018financial sin\u2019 that blinds many . 1 . 1 . 36 and could be costing you up to 41% of your life savings at this very moment.\u201d What\u2019s so deceiving about this sin is how innocent and safe it appears at first. 37 And at the end, he finishes up with his \u201c12-12-12 plan for investing.\u201d This is a simple step-by-step plan to go from being a saver, to an investor, to a philanthropist. 15 Click Here to Watch Sean\u2019s Presentation, \u2018The Biblical Money Code\u2019"} {"text": " 22 Former FBI director James Comey referenced a famous line by English King Henry II during his Senate testimony on June 8. 17 Sen. Angus King (I-Maine) replied that he was about to make the same reference. 50 (Reuters)\n\nIn an extraordinary hearing, former FBI director James B. Comey told a compelling tale of a president trying to pressure and sway the lead investigator \u2014 first to lay off Michael T. Flynn and then to \u201clift the cloud\u201d of the Russian investigation. 33 What Comey confirmed was a point we have made frequently \u2014 President Trump is in peril for abusing his powers, perhaps obstruction of justice, not for the underlying collusion investigation. 25 Comey supplied a big part of the picture and made clear that here is substantial evidence from Comey and others to support that conclusion. 28 Comey focused on the Feb. 14 meeting when Trump cleared the room and then said he \u201choped\u201d he would let go of the Flynn probe. 35 As Comey pointed out, when a president sends everyone out, looks the FBI director in the eye and says he hopes a case will go away, that amounts to an order. 12 \u201cI took it as a direction,\u201d he said. 12 That in and of was itself was inappropriate in the extreme. 22 As Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) put it, clearing the room and making the \u201cask\u201d was wrong. 23 Playing defense, Republicans on the committee tried to shift the issue to Comey\u2019s failure to immediately rebuke the president. 9 \u201cI was stunned,\u201d he said. 25 He also explained that in essence there was no one to report it to, given Attorney General Jeff Sessions\u2019s impending recusal. 20 Republicans did their best to deflect the question as to Comey\u2019s failure to raise a red flag. 18 While politically predictable, their questioning implicitly recognized that Trump had acted improperly, if not illegally. 26 [Comey just blew apart a leading GOP talking point about Trump and Russia]\n\nIn response to questions about Trump\u2019s public comments. 33 Comey said bluntly that Trump had not told the truth when he said Comey had requested the infamous dinner meeting and when he said he never asked for Comey\u2019s loyalty. 9 This is more significant than one might imagine. 20 In essence, it is part of a coverup of conduct that may be illegal and certainly was improper. 21 Former FBI director James B. Comey testified about his interactions with President Trump before the Senate Intelligence Committee June 8. 5 Here are key moments. 21 (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)\n\nComey made clear that Flynn is under investigation for allegedly lying to FBI investigators. 18 He did, however, confirm that Trump was not personally the subject of a counterintelligence investigation. 37 Interestingly, he noted that one person in his executive team was concerned that this was problematic, since the campaign was under investigation and so the candidate of that campaign might be part of that. 46 Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) led Comey in a series of questioning that made clear that in all these questions Trump didn\u2019t inquire about the danger to the United States posed by Russia as a result of interference with our electoral system. 51 The lack of concern about an investigation into a hostile power\u2019s cyberattack on the United States contrasts with Trump\u2019s insistence on clearing himself from a \u201ccloud.\u201d Trump looks upon the entire Russia investigation as a \u201ccloud,\u201d a political problem for him. 33 The lack of concern about the nature of the underlying Russian meddling confirms what many knew already \u2014 this is a deeply narcissistic man who cannot help but put himself first. 49 1 of 28 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad \u00d7 The scene in Washington during former FBI director James B. Comey\u2019s testimony View Photos Fired FBI director James B. Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee on President Trump and the FBI\u2019s Russia probe. 24 Caption Fired FBI director James B. Comey testifies before the Senate Intelligence Committee on President Trump and the FBI\u2019s Russia probe. 27 June 8, 2017 People walk past the Capitol the morning before former FBI director James B. Comey appears before the Senate Intelligence Committee in Washington. 12 Matt McClain/The Washington Post Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. 40 Perhaps the highlight of the hearing came during questioning from Sen. Angus King (I-Maine), who incidentally was also a star in Wednesday\u2019s hearing when senior intelligence officials refused to answer questions without legal justification. 74 Trying to determine what Trump was asking him in the Feb. 14 Oval Office meeting, Comey suggested this was not a Henry II situation, quoting the line as the British monarch expressed exasperation with his nemesis, Thomas Becket (later murdered in Canterbury Cathedral): \u201cWill no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?\u201d King echoed the line, agreeing that he had a similar thought. 38 (\u201d I was just going to quote that, in 1179, December 27th, Henry II said, who will rid me of the meddlesome priest, and the next day, he was killed. 5 Exactly the same situation. 18 We\u2019re thinking along the same lines.\u201d)\n\nComey certainly raised a number of questions. 14 For one thing, what Trump meant by \u201ccloud\u201d is unclear. 17 If he was referring merely to clear him publicly, the request is not so serious. 32 If the \u201ccloud\u201d was the Russian investigation as a whole, then it was a request to get rid of the entire investigation, a far more problematic request. 32 Comey also suggested that both Sessions and Jared Kushner hung around after others left the Feb. 14 meeting, raising the possibility that they knew Trump was going to behave inappropriately. 65 Much as Republicans tried to make this about Comey\u2019s conduct \u2014 his failure to tell the president not to ask him about Flynn, his decision to leak the contents of his memo \u2014 Comey succeeded in painting a disturbing picture of a president trying to convert an FBI director into his minion and trying to get his friend into the clear. 23 And just as disturbing is the realization that in the most devastating attack on American democracy, Trump cares only about Trump."} {"text": " 9 What can we say about you, DOS ? 21 You've rocked the personal computer world and changed the way we all feel about white on black console screens. 17 Your retirement is a well deserved one and... wait, you're getting a patch? 53 Amazingly, Microsoft is fixing a bug that has existed in the Windows Virtual DOS Machine (VDM) subsystem since it was added to Windows NT way back in the simple days of 1993, when flannels were everywhere and 32 bits were more than we knew what to do with. 40 Google engineer Tavis Ormandy found the exploit a few weeks ago, which grants an attacker the ability to run code in kernel mode, and a critical update has been issued to fix this most aged of vulnerabilities. 11 Perhaps now, DOS, your work is finally done."} {"text": " 39 My World Of Flops is Nathan Rabin\u2019s survey of books, television shows, musical releases, or other forms of entertainment that were financial flops, critical failures, or lack a substantial cult following. 27 These days being the president of Marvel is like being the president of the United States, only it comes with greater power and greater responsibility. 16 At the very least, it\u2019s like being the president of show business. 19 Marvel has transcended being a mere comic book company\u2014these days it\u2019s the white-hot epicenter of entertainment. 37 Unless the world dramatically decides that it doesn\u2019t care for The Avengers or the movie with the space raccoon that wears people clothes, that doesn\u2019t look likely to change anytime soon. 41 Advertisement\n\nYet 13 years ago, being the president of Marvel apparently afforded so much downtime that Bill Jemas, the company\u2019s controversial head, decided to try his hand at writing a comic book of his own. 64 The comic book was called Marville (a tortured play on words combining Marvel and the young Superman TV show Smallville), and it was the subject of a stunt called U-Decide where fans would decide whether Jemas\u2019 new Marville, cult comic writer Peter David\u2019s revamped Captain Marvel, or a Batman parody called Ultimate Adventures would survive. 13 Of the three, only Captain Marvel lasted more than seven issues. 86 Marville wasn\u2019t just unsuccessful: It was an enormous bomb that made IO9\u2019s list of \u201c10 Comics Marvel Would Desperately Like To Forget They Published\u201d and Comics Alliance\u2019s \u201c15 Worst Comics Of The Decade.\u201d Comic-book veterans who had suffered under Jemas\u2019 leadership could derive schadenfreude knowing that when given carte blanche to create his very own comic book, the boss created something that wasn\u2019t just bad, it was nearly unpublishable. 18 For Marville at least, Jemas transformed the powerful comic-book company into a vanity press for himself. 23 The artwork and lettering and coloring may have been professional, but the writing betrayed the project\u2019s fundamentally amateurish nature. 13 Advertisement\n\nMarville is best understood as a powerful man\u2019s indulgence. 53 At the end of a collection that brings together the first six issues of Marville, Jemas humble-brags dickishly:\n\nMarville does not have the stuff that makes for top-selling comics, but it does explore the origin and meaning of life, so I thought it was worth a six-issue series. 29 And, because I\u2019m president of Marvel, I could ignore the bean counters and publish Marville without regard for minimum sales projections and margin requirements. 55 Advertisement\n\nIn two paragraphs that finish the job of ensuring that anyone who makes it to the end of Marville will hate him, Jemas says that he told the bean-counters that they could shove their minimum sales projections and margin requirements up their asses, because he was writing about shit that mattered. 11 Like, origin-of-man, meaning-of-life, why-are-we-all-here, profound shit. 42 But also, he\u2019s the boss, so he\u2019s in a position to do whatever the fuck he wants, like publish an insanely self-indulgent, obnoxious comic book in violent defiance of logic and basic decency. 33 Marville opens in 5002 A.D., and immediately sets about alienating readers with inside jokes so inside they barely appeal to Jemas\u2019 minions at Marvel, let alone the outside world. 26 \u201cAfter three thousand years, the comic industry finally recovered from Ron Perelman bankrupting Marvel\u201d crows a cheerful man in a comic-book-store T-shirt. 36 The last book I read was Sean Howe\u2019s wonderful Marvel Comics: The Untold Story, an epic tome that delves deeply into the inner workings and long-simmering resentments and rivalries of Marvel. 25 And I am still not invested enough in the company, or its colorful past, for these jokes to work on any level. 31 Advertisement\n\nOn the next page we\u2019re introduced to mogul Ted Turner, who has purchased Earth and renamed it AOLon, before selling it to AOL for stock. 43 This is the one of an endless series of jokes about the rapaciousness of AOL-Time Warner-Turner as a corporate behemoth, and jokes about the ubiquity of those free hours of AOL discs, and the hopelessly inflated nature of its stock. 42 It\u2019s ironic that AOL, depicted as a society-devouring force here, is now dimly remembered as the web provider of choice for 75-year-olds who don\u2019t know the internet has changed since 1998 (Hi, Dad! 10 ), while Marvel remains a dominant cultural force. 40 If Jemas wanted to find the voracious, synergy-crazed octopus of a corporation that would hold the sum of pop culture in its slippery tentacles in the not-too-distant future, he needed look no further than his own employer. 36 Yet for a project as doggedly self-obsessed as this one, Jemas doesn\u2019t seem to have much of a sense of where the future is headed, in comic books or outside them. 21 Ted Turner has named his son KalAOL, in a punny play on Kal-El, Superman\u2019s real name. 44 Even Jemas seems to realize that the wordplay of dubbing an AOL-spawned Superman figure KalAOL is so awful it hurts the brain, so KalAOL quickly trades in his full name for Al, because he\u2019s into the whole brevity thing. 43 Advertisement\n\nJust as Superman was dispatched from a dying world to save ours, KalAOL is sent by Turner and his wife Jane Fonda from a future world apparently about to be destroyed by meteors to 2002 A.D via a time machine. 41 But before he goes back to the past, we\u2019re treated to jokes about the Tomahawk Chop and zingers like Turner telling his son, \u201cYou see, Dad\u2019s Comic Company (DCC) sucked. 9 They couldn\u2019t make a decent book. 7 So I had to buy Marvel. 103 The only problem was that two total dunces named Joe and Bill got to cash in their options and make a freakin\u2019 fortune.\u201d\n\nAgain, I recently read a great, exhaustive book about Marvel, and I only vaguely remember who Joe and Bill are, though I do appreciate the eloquent elegance of Marvel exquisitely lampooning a competitor by saying they \u201csucked\u201d and \u201ccouldn\u2019t make a decent book.\u201d The insider dialogue continues when Al arrives in 2002 wearing a Marvel Enterprises outfit and is immediately asked, \u201cCool, Marvel Enterprises. 41 Do you know Joe Quesada?\u201d to which he impishly replies, \u201cNo, but my dad is friends with Paul Levitz.\u201d (If you want to know who Quesada and Levitz are, ask Jemas.) 17 Advertisement\n\nForget the \u201cInsider\u2019s Guide\u201d Cliff Notes explanations that open the collection. 27 What Marville really needs are extensive, David Foster Wallace-style footnotes, and even those wouldn\u2019t make the comic book funny, just comprehensible. 26 Jemas isn\u2019t ambitious enough to go for knowing laughs of recognition; he\u2019s willing to settle for grudging groans of recognition. 47 In its dreadful second issue, Marville suggests a comic-book version of Rowan & Martin\u2019s Laugh-In, where superheroes swing into the frame, announce who they are, are the subject of gags as tasteless as they are brutally unfunny, then disappear. 18 Iron Man, for example, casually kills some people KalAOL is trying to give money to. 34 When a black man points out that thousands lost their jobs when Iron Man moved a plant to Mexico, Iron Man counters, \u201cI know, I destroyed the local economy. 27 But you can pay Mexicans and they work like N-\u201d\n\nBefore Iron Man can utter a racial epithet, Black Panther counsels, \u201cCareful. 49 People would think poorly of you if you said a bad word.\u201d Marville depicts Iron Man, Batman, and Black Panther as right-wing creeps under the sway of Rush Limbaugh, who perplexingly is depicted as being far younger and more attractive than he actually was. 37 Then, for reasons Jemas never bothers to delineate, Limbaugh turns against his ostensible political allies by destroying them with a magical golden microphone because he\u2019s only pretending to be a right-wing blowhard? 13 Or maybe he is a right-wing tyrant but even he hates superheroes? 12 Honestly, none of this makes any more sense in context. 29 Advertisement\n\nIn 2002, Al picks up a sidekick in Mickey, a fetching redhead habitually clad in tiny denim short shorts and a midriff- and cleavage-baring top. 23 In any other context, she would be ridiculously over-sexualized, but by comic-book standards, she is the picture of modesty. 15 She might as well be wearing a burqa over a nun\u2019s habit. 33 To compensate for having the primary female character be only nearly naked, the covers by Greg Horn for Marville are pure softcore porn, full of voluminous breasts and naked flesh. 50 Al lacks superpowers (and basic intelligence), but he keeps being mistaken for a hero and disproportionately rewarded when, for example, a bad guy is knocked out not by Al\u2019s fists of fury, but by his time-traveling dog\u2019s debilitating flatulence. 81 In another example of Marville playing around with real-life figures in ways that barely made sense at the time, Al and his compatriots Charlie and Lucy (a cop habitually clad in tight, revealing outfits) hunt down supervillain Kingpin, who is a fat, white, tall man in Spider-Man comics but here is revealed to be Spike Lee, or quite possibly Spike Lee \u201cplaying\u201d Kingpin to prove the validity of colorblind casting. 57 Sure enough, the \u201cInsider\u2019s Guide To Marville\u201d illustrates that Kingpin is, in fact, historically a large white man and that for him to be played\u2014or inhabited or whatever it is Lee is doing here\u2014by a small black man is incongruous in a way that apparently struck Jemas as funny. 26 Advertisement\n\nThe first two issues of Marville have the feel of a particularly limp, self-satisfied joke delivered at an executive\u2019s retirement party. 50 It would be easier to appreciate and enjoy this kind of meta-comedy from someone like Stan Lee, who has cultivated an image as a skinny, over-caffeinated, endlessly self-promoting Jewish Santa Claus forever delivering superhero movies and toys and comics to all the gentile girls and boys. 22 If Marville had come from Lee, we\u2019d know that it came from a place of love and appreciation. 17 And if the humor was corny, that\u2019s part of Lee\u2019s charm. 12 But Marville is utterly devoid of charm, corny or otherwise. 25 And in its third issue, it does something deeply strange and unexpected: It more or less turns into a different comic book. 15 It\u2019s not just that the art and character design become strikingly different. 7 The format shifts dramatically as well. 32 The conventional comic-book structure is replaced by something that looks more like an illustrated script, with dialogue appearing over and outside of images instead of comfortably nestled inside dialogue balloons. 8 The content undergoes a similarly intense transformation. 39 Without warning, a deeply stupid, fairly hateful goof on comic books, superheroes, and the rivalry between DC and Marvel turns into a trippy meditation on the nature of existence and the origin of man. 39 Al, Lucy, and Charlie take their time machine to the very beginning of time and extensively debate evolution versus creationism with a well-built, handsome black man named Jack who may or may not be God. 40 Advertisement\n\nThe jokes come to an abrupt halt and are replaced by the kind of faux-philosophical debate about existence that has historically taken place in dorm rooms, and generally within reach of a marijuana-smoking apparatus of some sort. 13 Marville doesn\u2019t get smart so much as pretentious and ponderous. 33 The tonal shift is jarring: It\u2019s as if the comic book went from being Movie 43 or InAPPropriate Comedy to emulating Waking Life and A Brief History Of Time. 18 The shift is an improvement only because anything would be an improvement over the first two issues. 13 Marville continually changes what kind of a terrible comic book it is. 22 It begins as a deeply misguided goof on comic books, then becomes a trippy meditation on the nature of existence. 60 It morphs again into an adventure comic when Jack, Al, Charlie, and Lucy visit prehistoric times and discover that Wolverine was the first man, or a paradigm-shifting Neanderthal or something, but not The X-Men\u2019s Wolverine, which, again, really makes no more sense in context than it does without it. 26 And this is from an era when Marvel employees didn\u2019t drop acid and smoke weed to get the old muse up and running. 24 Advertisement\n\nIn another context, the creators\u2019 eagerness to upend expectations and shift tones and genres radically might be bold and admirable. 31 Here it just feels like Jemas is completely losing interest in what he\u2019s doing, and deciding to continually do something else entirely just to keep himself occupied. 53 The sixth (and essentially final) issue of Marville offers the least-warranted victory lap in comic-book history, as Jemas summarizes the entire title in the form of a spiel Al gives an unseen publisher about how he should publish his story as a comic book for the good of mankind. 81 Then comes Jemas\u2019 bizarre justification, part of which reads, \u201cMarville has been a story that would never have been published if I didn\u2019t happen to have this here job as President of Marvel.\u201d\n\nJemas wanted to show his writers something about originality, and making something of lasting substance and value by penning his very own abomination of a comic book, but he only succeeded in illustrating perfectly what not to do. 29 Instead of a bold new beginning for an old company, Marville became a bizarre time capsule doomed not to outlive the curious cultural moment that created it. 10 Advertisement\n\nFailure, Fiasco, or Secret Success: Fiasco"} {"text": " 32 Breaking: Anonymous & #Occupy Call on Supporters to Flood St. Louis for Violent Uprising\n\nThe radical Anonymous and Occupy groups are working in concert to prepare protesters for battle. 32 Not only are the radical groups calling for supporters to pour into the St. Louis region, they\u2019re instructing them on what to bring, make, and do. 21 It sure seems they are working to turn the grand jury announcement into the opening salvo of a violent revolution. 25 Anonymous/Occupy the Mob\n\nIt\u2019s going down right now, protesters flying in, Riding train in, & driving to #Ferguson. 32 Protest on the ground and the internet, #Ferguson\n\nIt\u2019s going down right now, protesters flying in, Riding train in, & driving to #Ferguson. 33 Protest on the ground and the internet, #Ferguson \u2014 Anonymous (@occupythemob) October 27, 2014\n\nThey are calling on all activists to meet up in St. Louis. 5 This information is definitive. 22 We call on every activist in the USA to either make their way NOW to Ferguson or prepare in their community. 16 \u2014 Operation Ferguson (@OpFerguson) October 27, 2014\n\nThe time is now. 7 There will be no other warning. 12 Go to Ferguson immediately or prepare in your community for uprising. 44 | #OpFerguson #revolt \u2014 Operation Ferguson (@OpFerguson) October 27, 2014\n\nActivists in Ferguson and the USA who plan on being in the street: we recommend kevlar vests, helmets, gas masks, home made shields. 28 Activists in Ferguson and the USA who plan on being in the street: we recommend kevlar vests, helmets, gas masks, home made shields. 19 \u2014 Operation Ferguson (@OpFerguson) October 27, 2014\n\nThey\u2019re planning on a fight. 7 This doesn\u2019t sound good. 20 Sinister warning from an anonymous cop in #Ferguson, urging people to get a gun after Wilson walks. 5 Good luck, folks. 16 \u2014 Chad Lee (@96GOAT) October 27, 2014\n\nThe time is now. 7 There will be no other warning. 12 Go to Ferguson immediately or prepare in your community for uprising. 22 | #OpFerguson #USA \u2014 Anonymous (@occupythemob) October 27, 2014\n\nThe protesters are expecting mass arrests. 13 PLEASE help #FergusonJailSupport prep for the response to grand jury decision. 36 We set up an Amazon Wedding Registry: http://t.co/OeAms1Uu7m \u2014 Keith Rose (@KWRose) October 27, 2014\n\nThey really did set up a wedding registry to get their criminals out. 58 Recently, a team member, who declined to be identified but said he was out of the country, said the core Ferguson operation is run by about a half-dozen Anonymous operatives, invited by St. Louis activists, with thousands of \u201cAnons\u201d from about 75 different countries \u201cjoining in to help.\u201d"} {"text": " 37 Shaun Wright, South Yorkshire\u2019s police and crime commissioner, is under intensifying pressure to resign as a new report disclosed his force tried to \u201cdisprove\u201d allegations made by sex crime victims. 36 David Cameron, the Prime Minister, called on Mr Wright to resign over the Rotherham child abuse scandal, as the commissioner\u2019s own deputy quit her job saying he should go too. 21 Mr Wright\u2019s police force was criticised by official police watchdogs for showing a \u201cdisregard for victims\u201d. 33 Experts from Her Majesty\u2019s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) said the failings may have left some of the most vulnerable people in society, including children, at risk. 30 Mr Wright has refused to step down from the \u00a385,000-a-year position despite calls from Mr Cameron; Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister; and other senior figures. 37 No powers exist to have Mr Wright removed, highlighting an apparent oversight by Theresa May, the Home Secretary, in the legislation which created police and crime commissioners (PCCs) three years ago. 35 Mr Wright resigned from the Labour party when it threatened to suspend him over the scandal, which exposed how 1,400 young people suffered widescale sexual exploitation including gang rapes, grooming and trafficking. 32 Mr Wright\u2019s deputy, Tracey Cheetham, announced her resignation, saying she believed \"it would have been the right thing\" for him to go as well. 30 She said stepping down was clearly the correct option due to the \u201coverwhelming opinion of the public\u201d to whom the the commissioner was \u201cultimately accountable\u201d. 22 It came as a former Rotherham social worker accused the local authority of deliberately under-reporting the number of children at risk. 10 \u201cChildren at risk were pure statistics and targets. 23 They were not children, they were numbers,\u201d the woman, known only as 'Sarah', told the BBC. 12 \u201cIt was all about how to manipulate the figures.\" 39 The damning 24-page HMIC report found the force operated what it described as an \u201cinvestigate to report\u201d policy in rape, sex abuse and other serious crimes, which led to offences not bring recorded immediately. 40 \u201cThis was particularly evidence in the public protection unit, with a great deal of time spent trying to disprove the word of the victim from the outset, rather than record the crime,\u201d it said. 18 \u201cThis culture of dealing with reports of crime shows a disregard for victims and is unacceptable. 75 \u201cIt hides the true extent of the picture of crime from the force and is particularly concerning when the offences investigated by this unit are often of the most serious nature and are often the most vulnerable.\u201d\n\nIt added there was an \u201cinherent risk that a significant number of reported offences of a serious nature have not been recorded\u201d leaving victims \u201cunprotected or at risk of further offending\". 28 One unnamed officer told HMIC inspectors that she had been put under pressure some years earlier not to record rapes immediately, as well as other crimes. 18 Shaun Wright\n\nThe HMIC said South Yorkshire should take \u201cunequivocal steps\u201d to end the practice. 40 It also said the force must launch an independent review of historical records - stretching back at least two years - to ensure \u201cthe offence is fully investigated in an effort to bring the offender to justice\u201d. 31 A previous HMIC report into the handling of child sexual exploitation criticised South Yorkshire, claiming that many senior and middle managers prioritised burglary and car crime over sex abuse. 27 Under the terms of Mrs May\u2019s Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 PCCs cannot be sacked, even by the Home Secretary. 29 They can only be suspended by the local police board if the PCC is charged with an offence that carries a maximum sentence exceeding two years in prison. 20 There is no power to force an early election, and the next PCC ballot is in November 2016. 42 Earlier this week an inquiry by Professor Alexis Jay said at least 1,400 children were sexually exploited in Rotherham from 1997-2013, mainly by gangs of men of Pakistani heritage, due to a \"collective failure\" by the authorities."} {"text": " 19 Dear Reader, As you can imagine, more people are reading The Jerusalem Post than ever before. 28 Nevertheless, traditional business models are no longer sustainable and high-quality publications, like ours, are being forced to look for new ways to keep going. 14 Unlike many other news organizations, we have not put up a paywall. 34 We want to keep our journalism open and accessible and be able to keep providing you with news and analysis from the frontlines of Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish World. 34 Dressed in military fatigues, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi visited the Sinai Peninsula on Saturday for the first time since Sinai-based insurgents, affiliates of Islamic State, killed 17 Egyptian soldiers. 29 Sisi's visit was carried out under heavy security and with the utmost discretion and the trip was under a publication ban until the president returned to Cairo. 62 \"I have come to salute the heroes of the armed forces and to express to them my recognition,\" he was quoted by the army's spokesman as saying, AFP reported.The president's office said he was \"inspecting troops and police in the North Sinai,\" without specifying where in the restive area he was visiting. 64 \"We are still recovering the bodies of terrorists from the latest attack,\" he said.Alleged video of today's Sinai attacks surfaces on social media\u200fAfter the insurgents' assault, the Egyptian military killed 35 Islamist militants in North Sinai on Thursday.Media sources in Egypt reported that the Egyptian Air Force continued to attack the Islamic State affiliate in the peninsula. 98 In the area around the town of Sheikh Zuweid two high ranking field commanders were killed along with an unspecified number of other Islamist fighters.In one of the villages near Sheikh Zuweid three members of the same family died when a mortar shell hit their house.Sisi said he saluted \"every home, every mother whose child has died a martyr or been wounded for Egypt,\" AFP reported.Egyptian and Libyan security sources told London based Arabic newspaper Asharq al Awsat that dozens of Islamic State fighters have moved from Libya to Egypt in past months. 111 The sources assessed that some of these transplants took part in the recent terror attacks in Cairo and the Sinai.The Sinai-based insurgents have stepped up attacks on soldiers and police since then-army Sisi toppled Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 exactly two years ago after mass protests against his rule.Sisi says the pro-Islamic State group Sinai Province, and other militant factions, pose an existential threat to Egypt, other Arab states and the West.The militants' assault on Wednesday, a significant increase in violence in the peninsula between Israel, the Gaza Strip and the Suez Canal, was the second major attack in Egypt this week. 22 On Monday, a car bomb killed the prosecutor-general in Cairo, the highest-profile official to die since the insurgency began. 22 Join Jerusalem Post Premium Plus now for just $5 and upgrade your experience with an ads-free website and exclusive content. 4 Click here>>"} {"text": " 39 The Reincarnation\n\nof James, the\n\nSubmarine Man by Rick Brown, Hypnotherapist\n\nThose who would challenge the validity of PLT (past life therapy) often point to the lack of information which can be empirically validated. 9 Their cry is, \"Give us data! 9 Give us names, dates, places!\" 30 For this reason, this contribution, in which a careful and methodical follow-up was conducted to validate the data obtained during the regression, is an important study. 18 We would be interested in hearing from other PLT practitioners who have done similar studies and validations. 9 On February 11, 1942, the U.S. 24 Submarine Shark, on which James Edward Johnston was a crew member, was depth charged and sunk by the Japanese Destroyer Amatsukaze. 6 All hands including James drowned. 25 The spirit that occupied the body of James appears to have reincarnated again on January 19, 1953 in the body of Bruce Kelly. 17 In hypnosis, Kelly has a clear and vivid recall of a past life as James. 34 Past life regressionists rarely have the opportunity to research data presented by a client, but James Johnston lived so recently that many of the memories recalled by Bruce Kelly have been authenticated. 30 Documents from the Civilian Conservation Corps, the United States Navy, and civilian records such as birth certificate and high school attendance records verify the life of James. 25 In addition, several of James' friends and relatives are still alive and have substantiated information recalled by Bruce Kelly while in hypnosis. 12 I am a Certified Hypnotherapist, experienced in past life regression. 14 Bruce phoned me initially to ask if I would answer some metaphysical questions. 14 We discussed reincarnation and what effect it might have in his current life. 19 I told him that regression into past lives is easy to accomplish and that anyone can do it. 20 Our first meeting was on November 17, 1987, at the Covina Counseling Center in Glendora, California. 35 During that session, I went through the normal preliminaries, explaining to him what hypnosis is, how it works, and why people are able to use hypnosis for past life regressions. 18 Bruce, a sales representative for a men's furnishings concern, was required to travel extensively. 9 Most of his territory was accessible by car. 14 Occasionally, it was necessary for him to fly, which terrified him. 11 It was all he could do to board an airplane. 18 We determined that his fear was of being in a closed place where he had no control. 12 When the airplane's door was closed, terror overwhelmed him. 16 Bruce suffered another phobia: fear of water, even the water in a bathtub. 24 Bruce could stand under the spray in a shower if his back was to the spray, but he could not face it. 11 He could drink from a glass or was his car. 29 He could be near a lake or the seashore without difficulty, and he could even wade in shallow puddles or dangle his feet in a swimming pool. 37 However, whenever the water got up to around his knees or approached his trunk, such as when getting into a spa or a swimming pool, or even a bathtub, he became anxious. 18 Actual immersion in water brought on irregular breathing, dizziness, nausea, trembling, and cramps. 42 Bruce had one other complaint, a chest pain that had bothered him for much of his adult life, a stabbing pain that started in his stomach and went into his chest, in the area of his left nipple. 28 Several doctors, after examining him, had found no cause for the pain, and concluded it was idiopathic--it was all in his head. 24 During Bruce's first session, we discussed his symptoms, established a therapeutic objective, and I demonstrated past life regressive hypnosis. 15 On the second visit, I transferred Bruce's recollection to his past lives. 23 Bruce was instructed to recall the time and place where he was first affected by the terror he feels in an airplane. 10 Bruce said, \"I'm in a submarine ... 5 I'm dying.\" 19 I then asked him for the name of the submarine, its number and where the incident happened. 27 Bruce answered easily, that the submarine was the Shark SS-174, and that it was part of the Asiatic Fleet, stationed in Manila Bay. 14 He was a crewman aboard the submarine and his name was James Johnston. 12 I asked for the time and date of James' death. 11 He was able to answer immediately and without apparent effort. 19 He was also able to recall where he was on the submarine and what was happening around him. 30 As James, he had drowned in a submarine, an elongated, cylindrical pressure vessel which was similar to an airplane in form, fit, and function. 12 Bruce observed the separation of the spirit from James' body. 28 It has been my experience that if a subject recognizes and accepts separation, then the subject can and will abandon symptoms manifesting in their current lives. 11 The terror that had lived with James died with James. 13 After the hypnotic past life regression, Bruce no longer felt afraid. 27 He had left all of James' terror and anxiety in the submarine, and was relieved of the signs and symptoms of claustrophobia and hydrophobia. 21 Even though the therapeutic objective had been accomplished, Bruce and I agreed to investigate the life of James Johnston. 14 In hypnosis, Bruce poured out information bout his prior life as James. 20 I began writing letters, and the information which verified Bruce's past life recollections began to come in. 12 A trickle at first, then more, then a flood. 23 The U.S. Navy Historical Center and Operational Archives at the U.S. Navy Yard in Washington, D.C. is open to the public. 35 I was able to verify many of Bruce's recollections by searching through the mountains of documents there and at the Military Reference and Service Branches of the National archives in Washington, D.C. 19 I traveled to James' hometown in Alabama and interviewed several of James' boyhood friends and relatives. 19 I ran an ad in the local newspaper, asking people who knew James to please contact me. 24 I also distributed fliers to the local Senior Citizens lunch program, and to the organizer of James' 1937-1938 High School Reunion. 20 Everywhere I turned, I received verification of the information Bruce had recalled while he was in hypnotic trance. 9 James' mother, Annie, was unmarried. 41 During the 1930's she and James lived in the Profile Cotton Mill Village, a company-owned village, complete with a company store and a tract of company-owned houses, which were occupied only by employees of the mill. 11 Life within depression era company-owned villages was a dismal existence. 15 James and his mother lived together in one rented bedroom of a company-owned house. 28 James' mother was a gentle woman whose death in March of 1936 was a surprise to many, and a traumatic blow to her only son. 10 Her death left him even more isolated and alone. 25 In July of 1938, James joined the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and was immediately sent to Tule Lake in Northern California. 15 He also served in CCC camps at Scottsboro, AL and Guntersville, AL. 14 James resigned from the CCC and joined the Navy in July of 1940. 27 After Naval Recruit Training School at Norfolk, VA, he was transferred to the South Pacific where he became a crewman aboard the Submarine Shark. 19 In the taped regression that follows, Bruce is recalling James' pre-war days on board the Shark. 6 The transcript is not verbatim. 20 Persons in trance do not communicate in the same manner as those who are in the normally aware state. 13 They are lethargic and sometimes require many repetitions of the same questions. 5 Sometimes the dialogue flows. 20 Other times it is so clear and eloquent that one may question if the subject really is in hypnosis. 15 Frequently a subject thinks a verbal response has been made when it has not. 9 Many times, responses are not complete sentences. 9 Occasionally, responses are too colorful to print. 8 Bracketed material reflects my research and comments. 6 Rick: Where are you? 4 Bruce: Manila. 10 Rick: Is there a submarine base in Manila? 15 Bruce: I suppose there is, that's where the operations headquarters are. 16 [Cavite, in Manila Bay, was the headquarters of the Sixteenth Naval District. 10 Manila Bay was the home of the Asiatic Fleet. 9 Several submarine squadrons were permanently stationed there.] 9 Rick: Do you have a particular friend? 11 A crew member, someone you spend your time with? 10 Bruce: I don't see anyone really close. 13 There is another person that works with me in the escape changer. 9 He had the same training that I did. 7 He was with me through training. 9 Rick: Let his name come to you. 5 Bruce: Robert Miller. 18 [Robert Francis Miller, Fireman Second Class, is listed as a crew member on Shark. 13 Miller was born in Evansville, Indiana, May 24, 1918. 13 Miller was 22 years old on the date of his death.] 12 Rick: Did you and Robert Miller come together from school? 8 Bruce: I think we graduated together. 44 [In order for a man to be assigned to regular duty on a submarine in 1941, he had to have received training in the use of the Momsen Lung, an underwater breathing device used to escape from a disabled submarine. 15 Both men were probably trained and certified to use Momsen Lungs in Pearl Harbor. 6 They probably graduated together.] 15 Rick: Are you accompanied by other ships or other submarines in your operations? 6 Bruce: Yeah, sometimes. 10 Rick: What are the ships that accompany you? 17 Bruce: I think there is Porpoise, maybe Spearfish, not all submarines have names. 22 I get numbers, I think we may have been sent there with other submarines that are like 37 and 38. 20 [Submarines 37 and 38 were Asiatic Fleet Boats on station in Manila Bay with Porpoise and Spearfish]. 9 Rick: Does your submarine have a number? 18 Bruce: Not that we are referred to as, we're just referred to as Shark. 17 Rick: What is the nature of your (Shark's) activities in this area? 5 Bruce: Just reconnaissance. 16 There is a reason we are here, but we are not aware of it. 18 Rick: How do you feel about not being aware of what is going on around you? 10 Bruce: We don't like it very much. 8 Rick: Do you talk about it? 18 Bruce: One-on-one, or a bitch session, but nobody is questioning any officers about it. 6 We just do our duty. 48 [A close boyhood friend of James, who most times called him \"Red\" because of his red hair, or \"Ed\", told me that he thought World War II saw the last of what he called \"The Willing Warrior\". 6 Willing Warriors did not question. 19 Most were farm people who went where they were told, and did what they were told.] 12 Rick: Do you ever encounter ships other than U.S. ships? 4 Bruce: Yes. 7 Rick: What do you do? 9 Bruce: We observe them, shadow them. 27 Rick: We are going forward in time now until after you are aware that Pearl Harbor has been attacked and after war has been declared. 6 Is that OK with you? 4 Bruce: Yes. 7 [A time focusing process]. 7 Rick: What do you feel? 6 Rick: We are mad. 14 We are so mad, that the Japanese would do this to us. 14 We are also a little afraid because we know we are in danger. 12 Rick: Is there a feeling of closeness in the crew? 8 Bruce: More than there was before. 18 Yes, now we realize that we have to depend on the other person for our life. 9 Rick: So now there is a unity? 8 Bruce: Yes, more than before. 19 Rick: Do you have a close friend, a close person you can share your thoughts with? 4 Bruce: No. 3 Not really. 13 I work with Robert Miller, but he is not a friend. 16 [James has been described by a boyhood friend as a happy but lonely child. 8 Bruce consistently reports James' loneliness]. 11 Rick: What part of the submarine are you in? 9 Bruce: I'm in the crew quarters. 10 >Rick: Is the submarine surfaced or submerged? 4 Bruce: Submerged. 8 Rick: Is it day or night? 8 Bruce: I think it's morning. 7 Rick: What is the date? 9 Bruce: I believe it's February eleventh. 18 [1942]\n\nRick: Okay, let's continue on with the morning of the eleventh. 11 This is the morning of the loss of the Shark. 4 Is that correct? 4 Bruce: Yes. 11 Rick: What are you doing in the crew quarters? 7 Bruce: I'm just relaxing. 6 I am not on duty. 7 Rick: What is that duty? 11 Bruce: It involves the compartment, the escape hatches. 9 It's a compartment by the torpedo room. 15 [One of the roles of a past-life regressionist is to be a psycho-detective. 25 The subject perceives many more sights, sounds and feelings than the regressionist is aware of and the subject may not report those perceptions. 16 The subject is not intentionally withholding the information, but is focused on other things. 19 The regressionist must recognize a clue or a significant bit of information as it comes from the subject. 13 That is not easy to do and often times is not possible. 15 In this case, I completely missed the clue about \"just relaxing\". 30 In later regressions, it was determined that James was confined to his bunk with rib injuries received in a depth charge attack on February 8, 1942]. 11 Rick: Do you have another man you work with? 7 Bruce: Yes, Robert Miller. 8 Rick: Is he standing watch now? 4 Bruce: Yes. 9 Rick: Why is the submarine submerged now? 22 Bruce: Because it's daytime hours and our mission is reconnaissance and Japanese ships have been reported in the area. 11 [Shark was on her second and last war patrol. 8 On February 7, 1942, Lt. 11 Commander Shane reported the presence of a Japanese cargo ship. 23 On February 8, Shark was told by radio from Surabaya to proceed to Makassar via the Northern coast of Celebes]. 29 Rick: I want you to go forward in time on this day to the point where you start to become engaged with whatever causes you to sink. 13 Go forward in time now ... [A time focusing process]. 24 ... as an observer, you will feel nothing: you only observe, and as an observer, you begin to understand. 12 You know what you have engaged that causes you to sink. 4 What is it? 8 Bruce: It's a Japanese destroyer. 18 Rick: Are you aware of the name of the destroyer, its class, its size? 4 Bruce: No. 8 [The Japanese destroyer was the Amatsukaze. 15 She was a 2033 ton Kagero class fleet destroyer, carrying 16 depth charges. 9 Amatsukaze was sunk June 4, 1945]. 7 Rick: Are you on watch? 10 Bruce: Not at this time I am not. 12 [James was confined to his bunk with rib injuries]. 7 Rick: What time is it? 9 Bruce: I think it's about 11:30. 6 Rick: Morning or evening? 4 Bruce: Morning. 8 Rick: Is it a single destroyer? 8 Bruce: I don't think so. 12 I think there are more, but I'm not sure. 10 Rick: What is the nature of the attack? 15 Bruce: It's a depth charge, and it happens in a hurry. 9 I haven't gotten to my post yet. 14 I have just gotten out of the crew quarters and we're hit. 18 I am in a long hallway and trying to get to my post and we are hit. 15 Pretty severely, the ship is really shaking and rolling and momentarily goes black. 6 Rick: Are you uncomfortable? 13 [My question was to Bruce who was showing discomfort and anxiety. 4 James answered.] 6 Bruce: I am scared. 27 I was knocked off of my feet by the impact and I am trying to scramble to my feet in the dark and find my way. 10 I guess to find my way to my post. 6 I am scared and confused. 10 I guess that's where I want to go. 9 Rick: Do the lights come back on? 6 Bruce: Yes, momentarily. 33 I have gotten to my feet and I am just getting to a hatch and I'm going through the hatch when we are hit again and the lights go out again. 8 This one was a lot more severe. 7 This one is a direct hit. 17 No doubt that this is a direct hit and I am knocked off my feet again. 10 Rick: Must have been a very severe hit. 9 Bruce: There's water in the compartment. 5 The ship is flooding. 5 It's flooding fast. 11 The last hit definitely ripped a big hole in it. 24 I get the impression it was close to where I was, maybe back close to the midsection, behind the conning tower. 8 That's where it took the hit. 6 Rick: On which side? 7 Bruce: Right on the top. 11 Rick: And so water is rushing in very fast? 5 Bruce: Very fast. 11 Rick: Do you hear sounds of shouting around you? 14 Bruce: Not that much in the hatch that I'm going through. 7 I am still in the hallway. 9 I still haven't gotten to my post. 7 There is one other person there. 9 He's in the same situation I am. 3 A panic. 20 He's not hurt at this time, but there is water rushing in and filling up real fast. 18 My thought is to get to my post with the possibility of getting out of the ship. 14 But at the same time I am aware of the impossibility of this. 10 Just that everything had gone wrong in a hurry. 6 We are definitely going down. 4 Rick: Uh-huh. 19 Bruce: The blast was so close to the conning tower that it may have ripped into it. 20 There may have been two depth charges, the one that I felt and maybe the sensation of another. 14 I was kinda in a twilight because the first one knocked me out. 4 Rick: Uh-huh. 14 Bruce: More like one and then very possibly another one right afterward. 15 Rick: How long does it take for the water to fill the compartment? 10 Bruce: Not long, a minute or so. 13 Rick: What are your thoughts as the water is rushing in? 9 Bruce: The realization that I am dying. 6 There is no way out. 7 There's definitely no way out. 8 No way that I can go anywhere. 12 The water's too strong, the current is coming in. 21 I have the sensation, the feeling that everybody on board is going through the same thing that I am. 6 We are all dying quickly. 7 Rick: Is there anyone nearby? 5 Bruce: Walter Pilgram. 9 Bruce: He is older than I am. 5 Rick: Considerably older? 5 Bruce: Maybe mid-thirties. 13 He's someone I haven't been close to on the ship. 5 Just know of him. 6 I know him by name. 9 [Pilgram was born December 21, 1909. 13 He was 31 years old on the date of his death.] 10 Rick: What does he do on the ship? 8 Bruce: A mechanic or an engineer. 11 [Walter Pilgram was a Chief Electrician's Mate]. 4 Rick: Uh-huh. 6 Bruce: Something like that. 17 Never have really taken the time to talk with him or to discuss what he does. 9 I just believe that is what he does. 11 [Firemen Second Class do not associate with Chiefs]. 13 Rick: Do you in any way attempt to exit the submarine? 7 Bruce: There's no way. 23 The compartment, the hallway we are in just filled up too fast with water, and there is no way out. 10 We just can't get out of this compartment. 11 Rick: Is that the compartment with the escape hatch? 4 Bruce: No. 10 That's where I am trying to get to. 28 The submarine is filling up with water so fast and was hit so violently that I'm sure that there is no way anybody can get out. 4 Rick: Uh-huh. 11 Were you dead before the submarine got to the bottom? 4 Bruce: Yes. 13 Rick: Was everyone dead before the submarine got to the bottom? 8 Bruce: Yes, I think so. 15 [Pause]\n\nRick: I'm going to count from five to one. 27 When I reach the number one, your spirit will have rejoined your body and the time will be early in the morning of February 11th. 10 Long before the attack, long before any problems. 15 A time when you were very relaxed and calm and very much at ease. 24 Five, back to being in the body, being a part of the body, the spirit and the body are together. 2 Four. 21 Going back to the time and the place and to the morning when you were in your quarters, relaxing. 22 There, you are ... [I terminated the hypnotic trance and brought Bruce into full physical and mental awareness.] 27 The memories of James' past life episodes which flow so easily from Bruce's subconscious mind have freed Bruce from his irrational fears and resolved. 5 his claustrophobia and hydrophobia. 18 Just as his doctors concluded, the phantom pain in his chest was without any physical cause. 7 It was all in his head. 5 Now it is gone. 19 Extensive research indicates that Bruce Kelly's memories of James Edward Johnston's life and death are accurate. 21 Still, there is no proof, only converging lines of evidence suggesting Bruce Kelly is the reincarnation of James. 28 Rick Brown is a graduate of the Hypnotism Training Institute of Los Angeles and a Certified Hypnotherapist in full-time private practice in Glendora, California since 1987. 21 He specializes in Stress Management and Stop Smoking seminars, as well as in the development of self-help audio cassettes. 17 His background also includes a career in engineering and he holds many U.S. and foreign patents. 10 Reproduced from The Journal of Regression Therapy, Vol. 4 V, No. 18 1, December, 1991, the journal of the International Association for Regression Research and Therapies. 8 Copyright IARRT, permission to reprint requested. 17 If IARRT or the author has any objections, please e-mail the webmaster of this website. 17 Commentary:\n\nThe historical validations in this case are too specific to be due to chance. 73 The only possible alternative explanations, other than reincarnation, are: 1) accessing some psychic pool of information, like the \"akashic records\" or the \"collective unconscious\" (unlikely because the subject experienced these memories in the first person, and because long-standing phobias were involved and were cured); or 2) fraud on the part of either the subject, or the therapist/presenter. 24 This article was published in 1991, and thus the sessions took place somewhat earlier, before the internet was in common usage. 39 It is technically possible that the subject, having a prior interest in metaphysics (hence the reason for the initial contact with the therapist, to ask questions about metaphysics), wanted to perpetrate a hoax. 18 He could conceivably have researched all this information beforehand, and pretended to divulge it under hypnosis. 15 While this can't be discounted as a possibility, it seems very unlikely. 15 For one thing, the subject accurately portrayed the personality of the deceased person. 31 Had he obtained this information from personal associates (as the therapist did), those associates would have mentioned that Bruce Kelly had asked them the same questions earlier. 31 Likewise, a records clerk in at least one of the archive facilities probably would have commented to the therapist that someone had asked for those exact same records earlier. 43 If these alternative explanations are discounted, then this case provides extremely strong evidence that at least some hypnotic past-life regression sessions are retrieving historically real past-life memories, and that they are memories of the same person in a previous incarnation. 11 Note: I have added the photos as of 3/13/06. 24 They are from the cover of Rick Brown's book by the same name as this article, which I just purchased used. 11 I had not seen a comparison photograph before this time. 38 The two faces are quite similar, though not identical; but the eyes, and my intuitive perception of the mind behind those two pairs of eyes, indicate to me that this is a match. 31 There is something in the gaze, despite the fact that James seems to harbor a lot of resentment and anger, while Bruce seems to be free of it. 15 Since publishing this article I have learned that author Rick Brown has passed on. 16 6/20/06: I am now reading the full version of the account in book form. 27 In the book, author/therapist Rick Brown reproduces Bruce Kelly's diary verbatim, including his decision to be hypnotized and his meeting with the therapist. 35 It is clear from this account that there is no fraud on the part of Mr. Kelly (interestingly, he was a \"born again\" Christian when he began his search). 37 That eliminates any reasonable hypothesis of fraud on his part, in my opinion--leaving only the unlikely possibility that Mr. Brown made up both Mr. Kelly and the entire account as a fictional work. 33 That means that beyond a reasonable doubt, this case proves (yet again) that past-life memory may correspond to actual historical persons and events in a way that precludes chance. 7 Which proves that reincarnation is real. 16 Which proves that as a whole, our entire Western civilization is in psychological denial. 23 Which proves that our entire Western civilization suffers from what, in an individual, would be considered some form of neurosis. 22 Which I am tired of saying while nobody is listening...but, if you are listening, there it is. 21 Stephen S.\n\nI have made the entire book on which this article is based available for download in Word format. 9 See the Recommended Books section of this website. 7 Back to \"In Another Life\""} {"text": " 19 Azealia Banks via instagram, cleaning the closet she\u2019s been performing brujeria for 3 years in. 45 pic.twitter.com/0OsoSdJynw \u2014 AZEALIA BANKS VIDEOS (@AzealiaVideos) December 30, 2016\n\nThere\u2019s only a few days left in 2016 but Azealia Banks wasn\u2019t going to let the year come to a close without Azealia Banksing one last time. 47 Azealia was last seen Facebook ranting about Nicki Minaj, then apologizing, then admonishing the media for daring to report the post, and apparently in the time since she\u2019s been scraping muck off a closet in her house where she sacrifices chickens. 7 Yeah, you read that right. 37 Banks posted several videos on her Instagram story on Friday morning that depicted her cleaning up the mess that was left on her closet floor after \u201cthree years of brujeria\u201d as she put it. 37 She proceeded to sandblast what appears to be three years worth of dried up blood, feathers and remnants of chickens on the floor, all from \u201cbrujeria\u201d which is a form of witchcraft. 25 At one point she even says \u201cReal witches do real things,\u201d before beginning to scrape all the grime off the floor. 40 Naturally, because it\u2019s Azealia Banks and because it\u2019s apparently some sort of animal cruelty at work, Twitter had plenty of reactions and just about none of them were kind to the 25-year-old rapper."} {"text": " 30 Three players were picked in Stage 1 of the 2011 MLS Re-Entry Draft on Monday, one more than was taken in that phase of the draft last year. 43 Danleigh Borman, Arturo Alvarez and Carlos Mendes were all picked, meaning their new teams will have honor their current contracts or offer them a 5 percent raise over what they made last year if they are currently out of contract. 27 Stage 2 of the draft will take place next Monday and is expected to be more active, as teams can renegotiate the players' contracts. 44 Alvarez was probably the most surprising player to be picked, as he was likely due a raise on a contract that paid him more than $200,000 last year and Chivas USA is not exactly known for lavishing players with big money. 19 With Real Salt Lake in 2011, Alvarez played in 16 games, but made just eight starts. 12 He only registered a single assist in more than 724 minutes. 34 Alvarez does have a decent MLS track record, having scored at least three goals in six straight seasons heading into 2011 and registering at least six points in four of those seasons. 9 Borman's selection was probably the most predictable. 29 Last year, he made the league minimum ($42,000), and while he was likely due a raise, he is a decent MLS fullback. 25 He has made at least 15 MLS appearances in each of his four seasons, albeit mostly for teams that weren't very good. 24 There's a good chance he'll start for the New England Revolution, who made him the first pick of the draft. 27 The Columbus Crew finished off the active stage of the draft by selecting Mendes, a MLS veteran who made just about $100,000 last year. 18 Mendes was the last Red Bulls player to have been with the team during their MetroStars days. 17 He is coming off a season in which he made 16 starts and played 1,505 minutes. 15 To track all the MLS offseason moves, be sure to follow this StoryStream."} {"text": " 28 Move over Bollywood personalities Anushka Sharma and Frahan Akhtar\u2019s goof ups on getting the name of late former President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. 36 Because in a major slip of tongue, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Raman Singh offered his heartfelt condolences to the Prime Minster Narendra Modi instead of Dr. Kalam. 24 The video captures Raman Singh making this big faux pas while speaking to the media persons to give rise to a fresh controversy. 25 Also Read: Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam cremation ceremony LIVE News Updates: Kalam to be laid to rest in Rameshwaram at 11 am. 36 In an extremely shocking mistake committed at such a level, Raman Singh who astonishingly took the name of his own party, BJP leader Narendra Modi\u2019s name in front of the media. 21 Singh said, \u201cI express my condolences on the death of respected Modi ji\u201d while addressing the media. 24 So far, there have been no comments from Prime Minister\u2019s Office (PMO) and Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself. 25 After the death of APJ Abdul Kalam, Chhattisgarh CM had announced of including the biography of the Missile Man in the academic curriculum. 21 The country is mourning the loss of APJ Abdul Kalam after the 83-year-old passed away on Monday, July 27. 16 He suffered from a major cardiac arrest while delivering a lecture at the IIM Shillong. 28 Dr. Kalam\u2019s body was flown to his Delhi residence where President Pranab Mukherjee and PM Narendra Modi had received his body at the Palam airport. 26 His body was later shifted to his hometown Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday while on Thursday he will be cremated amidst the large followers. 12 PM Narendra Modi will also be present during the last rites."} {"text": " 5 Ready to fight back? 16 Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week. 16 You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation\u2019s journalism. 8 You can read our Privacy Policy here. 16 Sign up for Take Action Now and get three actions in your inbox every week. 6 Thank you for signing up. 22 For more from The Nation, check out our latest issue\n\nSubscribe now for as little as $2 a month! 27 Support Progressive Journalism The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. 24 The Nation is reader supported: Chip in $10 or more to help us continue to write about the issues that matter. 3 Fight Back! 21 Sign up for Take Action Now and we\u2019ll send you three meaningful actions you can take each week. 16 You will receive occasional promotional offers for programs that support The Nation\u2019s journalism. 8 You can read our Privacy Policy here. 21 Sign up for Take Action Now and we\u2019ll send you three meaningful actions you can take each week. 6 Thank you for signing up. 33 For more from The Nation, check out our latest issue\n\nTravel With The Nation Be the first to hear about Nation Travels destinations, and explore the world with kindred spirits. 18 Be the first to hear about Nation Travels destinations, and explore the world with kindred spirits. 8 Sign up for our Wine Club today. 12 Did you know you can support The Nation by drinking wine? 22 In an era in which our political system is dominated by plutocracy, grassroots social movements are essential for progressive change. 27 But too often our movements find themselves at loggerheads over the seemingly conflicting need to preserve our environment and the need for jobs and economic development. 7 How can we find common ground? 34 Ad Policy\n\nThe problem is illustrated by the current proposal of the Dominion corporation to build a Liquefied Natural Gas export facility at Cove Point, Maryland, right on the Chesapeake Bay. 17 Seven hundred people demonstrated against the proposal and many were arrested in three civil disobedience actions. 48 But an open letter on Dominion letterhead endorsing the project\u2014maintaining it will \u201ccreate more than 3,000 construction jobs\u201d most of which will go \u201cto local union members\u201d\u2014was signed not only by business leaders but by twenty local and national trade union leaders. 48 In the struggle over the Keystone XL pipeline, which has been described as the \u201cBirmingham of the climate movement,\u201d pipeline proponents have been quick to seize on the \u201cjobs issue\u201d and tout support from building trades unions and eventually the AFL-CIO. 8 In a press release titled \u201cU.S. 109 Chamber Calls Politically-Charged Decision to Deny Keystone a Job Killer,\u201d the Chamber of Commerce said President Obama\u2019s denial of the KXL permit was \u201csacrificing tens of thousands of good-paying American jobs in the short term, and many more than that in the long term.\u201d The media repeat the jobs vs. environment frame again and again: NPR\u2019s headline on KXL was typical of many: \u201cPipeline Decision Pits Jobs Against Environment.\u201d A similar dynamic has marked the \u201cbeyond coal\u201d campaign, the fracking battle and EPA regulation of greenhouse gasses under the Clean Air Act. 13 Those who want to overcome this division must tell a different story. 21 One starting point for that story is to recognize the common interest both in human survival and in sustainable livelihoods. 47 To paraphrase Abraham Lincoln, if God had intended some people to fight just for the environment and others to fight just for the economy, he would have made some people who could live without money and others who could live without water and air. 12 There are not two groups of people, environmentalists and workers. 16 We all need a livelihood and we all need a livable planet to live on. 22 If we don\u2019t address both, we\u2019ll starve together while we\u2019re waiting to fry together. 37 Such a frame is illustrated by a two-year-old coalition that includes the Connecticut AFL-CIO and a variety of labor unions, community organizations, religious groups and environmentalists called the Connecticut Roundtable on Climate and Jobs. 104 Its starting point is \u201cthe need to build a sustainable economy with good-paying jobs here in Connecticut while reducing the threat of climate disruption here and around the world.\u201d It rejects the \u201cfalse choice\u201d of \u201cjobs vs. the environment.\u201d It seeks to build \u201ca worker-oriented environmental movement that supports a fair and just transition program to protect not only the environment, but also the livelihoods of working people.\u201d There is an initiative in Maryland to start a Sustainability Roundtable that would bring similar players together around their common long-term interest in a sustainable Maryland. 19 Within such a common frame it becomes easier to build alliances around specific issues in the real world. 47 For example, through the Roundtable on Climate and Jobs, Connecticut unions joined with environmental, religious and community groups to fight for renewable energy standards that create local jobs and reduce pollution by shifting from fossil fuels to renewables, energy efficiency and conservation. 42 Elsewhere, workers in the transportation industry have joined with environmentalists to advocate shifting from private to public transportation\u2014something that would create large numbers of skilled jobs, greatly reduce greenhouse gasses and local pollution, and save money for consumers. 19 But what about areas of conflict like the Dominion Cove Point LNG plant or the Keystone XL pipeline? 16 A crucial strategy here is to seek win-win solutions before conflicting positions become irredeemably entrenched. 76 A study by the Labor Network for Sustainability called \u201cJobs Beyond Coal: A Manual for Communities, Workers, and Environmentalists\u201d found that in a number of cases unions representing workers in coal-fired power plants have actually supported the planned closing of their highly polluting workplaces\u2014because environmentalists and government officials worked with them to ensure a \u201cjust transition\u201d in which workers livelihoods and the needs of their communities were addressed. 49 Another study, \u201cThe Keystone Pipeline Debate: An Alternative Job Creation Strategy\u201d, by LNS and Economics for Equity and Environment, showed that far more jobs for pipeline workers could result from fixing failing water and sewer pipelines than from the Keystone XL project. 34 Similarly, climate protection activists pressing colleges and municipalities to divest from fossil fuels are starting to advocate that the funds divested from fossil fuel companies be invested in local job-creating climate protection. 23 Indeed, every environmental campaign should have a jobs program and every jobs program should be designed to address our climate catastrophe. 30 While concrete, on-the-ground solutions are essential for knitting together labor and environmental concerns, our movements also need to evolve toward a common program and a common vision. 23 We can present such initiatives as exemplars of a broad public agenda for creating full employment by converting to a climate-safe economy. 8 There are historical precedents for such programs. 63 Just as the New Deal in the Great Depression of the 1930s put millions of unemployed people to work doing the jobs America\u2019s communities needed, so today we need a \u201cGreen New Deal\u201d to rebuild our energy, transportation, building and other systems to drastically reduce the climate-destroying greenhouse gas pollution they pour into the air. 32 Mobilization for World War II provides an even more dramatic illustration of rapid economic transformation that created massive employment while halting production for some purposes and radically expanding it for others. 31 Such a shared program would end the \u201cjobs versus environment\u201d conflict because environmental protection would produce millions of new jobs and expansion of jobs would protect the environment. 15 Such a program provides common ground on which both labor and environmentalists can stand. 18 Such a program can also be the centerpiece of a larger shared vision of a new economy. 28 After all, just expanding the kind of economy we have will just expand the problems of inequality and environmental catastrophe our current economy is already creating. 37 The ultimate solution to the \u201cjobs vs. environment\u201d dilemma is to build a new economy where we all have secure livelihoods based on work that creates the kind of sustainable world we all need. 136 Read more of The Nation's special #MyClimateToo coverage:\n\nMark Hertsgaard: Why TheNation.com Today Is All About Climate\n\nChristopher Hayes: The New Abolitionism\n\nNaomi Klein: The Change Within: The Obstacles We Face Are Not Just External\n\nDani McClain: The \u2018Environmentalists\u2019 Who Scapegoat Immigrants and Women on Climate Change\n\nMychal Denzel Smith: Racial and Environmental Justice Are Two Sides of the Same Coin\n\nKatrina vanden Heuvel: Earth Day\u2019s Founding Father\n\nWen Stephenson: Let This Earth Day Be The Last\n\nKatha Pollitt: Climate Change is the Tragedy of the Global Commons\n\nMichelle Goldberg: Fighting Despair to Fight Climate Change\n\nGeorge Zornick: We\u2019re the Fossil Fuel Industry\u2019s Cheap Date\n\nDan Zegart: Want to Stop Climate Change? 77 Take the Fossil Fuel Industry to Court\n\nJon Wiener: Elizabeth Kolbert on Species Extinction and Climate Change\n\nDave Zirin: Brazil\u2019s World Cup Will Kick the Environment in the Teeth\n\nSteven Hsieh: People of Color Are Already Getting Hit the Hardest by Climate Change\n\nJohn Nichols: If Rick Weiland Can Say \u201cNo\u201d to Keystone, So Can Barack Obama\n\nMichelle Chen: Where Have All the Green Jobs Gone? 29 Peter Rothberg: Why I'm Not Totally Bummed Out This Earth Day\n\nLeslie Savan: This Is My Brain on Paper Towels\n\nTake Action: Stop Cove Point"} {"text": " 19 An article on community networks by Stefano Crabu, Federica Giovanella, Leonardo Maccari, and Paolo Magaudda. 25 Abstract:\n\n\u201cCommunity Networks (CN) are an emerging world-wide phenomenon that is receiving growing attention from a number of different disciplines. 24 A CN is an infrastructure for digital communication, an alternative to the mainstream approach of commercial Internet Service Providers (ISPs). 21 It resembles a scaled-down Internet and is used to interconnect a community of people who share particular goals and motivations. 37 By developing a multidisciplinary perspective at the intersection between science and technology studies, law and informatics, this paper analyses the cultural, technical and institutional features of Ninux.org, the most important Italian CN. 25 Ninux.org, based on wireless technology, is made up of more than 320 nodes all over Italy, although mostly concentrated in Rome. 36 This paper provides insights into the political, technical and legal issues of the network, highlighting how tightly interwoven these are, to the extent that they cannot be properly understood in isolation. 34 The paper starts by describing the phenomenon of the CNs; sketching its historical development, the motivations underlying the foundation and use of these networks, their functioning and main legal implications. 29 This introduction is followed by an examination of the specific case of Ninux.org, looking at practices, discourses, and interactions among activists participating in the project. 40 On the basis of this analysis, the paper moves on to consider some technical characteristics and specifications of the network, revealing how the technological infrastructure only partially realises an effective decentralisation and horizontal organisation of the network. 31 We also consider some of the legal constraints imposed by the Italian and European normative frameworks, and the need for Ninux.org to address regulatory issues in the near future. 61 Finally, on the basis of our multi-perspective analysis of this Italian CN, the paper outlines some ways in which the community network could be strengthened, and its participants helped to develop reflexive tools to implement their initial vision of decentralisation.\u201d\n\nThis article has been originally published at the Journal of Peer Production (available here). 12 Find the complete special issue on \u201cAlternative Internets\u201d here."} {"text": " 25 It appears that a new version of Google Glass just ran through the USPTO, sporting some type of earbud attachment on the arms. 33 On top of that obvious difference over the current version of Glass, the overall look of the device appears to be quite thick, but that could just be the drawing. 21 It drums up the question, could this be what the public release version of Google Glass will look like? 16 Pretty much an unanswerable question at this point, but it is fun to speculate. 17 Another possibility it that Google could release different versions of Glass suited to different use cases. 37 As pointed out by A Quick Bit, this pictured version of Glass might be perfect for the active folks who like to run and listen to music, while also track their run in realtime. 49 On the paperwork, it clearly states \u201cbroken lines are environmental only and form no part of the claimed design.\u201d So basically, we have the standard Glass headset going through the process, and the broken lines could represent accessories or attachments for the device. 37 Either way, we are getting closer and closer to a public launch of Glass, but at this time, we are still too embarrassed to walk into our local Starbucks to show them off."} {"text": " 2 U.S. 19 Diplomacy and Yellow Journalism,\n\nYellow journalism was a style of newspaper reporting that emphasized sensationalism over facts. 42 During its heyday in the late 19th century it was one of many factors that helped push the United States and Spain into war in Cuba and the Philippines, leading to the acquisition of overseas territory by the United States. 37 Example of Yellow Journalism in the cover of the Pulitzer\u2019s World\n\nThe term originated in the competition over the New York City newspaper market between major newspaper publishers Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst. 40 At first, yellow journalism had nothing to do with reporting, but instead derived from a popular cartoon strip about life in New York\u2019s slums called Hogan\u2019s Alley, drawn by Richard F. Outcault. 45 Published in color by Pulitzer\u2019s New York World, the comic\u2019s most well-known character came to be known as the Yellow Kid, and his popularity accounted in no small part for a tremendous increase in sales of the World. 35 In 1896, in an effort to boost sales of his New York Journal, Hearst hired Outcault away from Pulitzer, launching a fierce bidding war between the two publishers over the cartoonist. 26 Hearst ultimately won this battle, but Pulitzer refused to give in and hired a new cartoonist to continue drawing the cartoon for his paper. 19 This battle over the Yellow Kid and a greater market share gave rise to the term yellow journalism. 31 Once the term had been coined, it extended to the sensationalist style employed by the two publishers in their profit-driven coverage of world events, particularly developments in Cuba. 32 Cuba had long been a Spanish colony and the revolutionary movement, which had been simmering on and off there for much of the 19th century, intensified during the 1890s. 25 Many in the United States called upon Spain to withdraw from the island, and some even gave material support to the Cuban revolutionaries. 41 Hearst and Pulitzer devoted more and more attention to the Cuban struggle for independence, at times accentuating the harshness of Spanish rule or the nobility of the revolutionaries, and occasionally printing rousing stories that proved to be false. 24 This sort of coverage, complete with bold headlines and creative drawings of events, sold a lot of papers for both publishers. 32 The peak of yellow journalism, in terms of both intensity and influence, came in early 1898, when a U.S. battleship, the Maine, sunk in Havana harbor. 45 The naval vessel had been sent there not long before in a display of U.S. power and, in conjunction with the planned visit of a Spanish ship to New York, an effort to defuse growing tensions between the United States and Spain. 23 On the night of February 15, an explosion tore through the ship\u2019s hull, and the Maine went down. 53 Sober observers and an initial report by the colonial government of Cuba concluded that the explosion had occurred on board, but Hearst and Pulitzer, who had for several years been selling papers by fanning anti-Spanish public opinion in the United States, published rumors of plots to sink the ship. 32 When a U.S. naval investigation later stated that the explosion had come from a mine in the harbor, the proponents of yellow journalism seized upon it and called for war. 10 By early May, the Spanish-American War had begun . 35 The rise of yellow journalism helped to create a climate conducive to the outbreak of international conflict and the expansion of U.S. influence overseas, but it did not by itself cause the war. 37 In spite of Hearst\u2019s often quoted statement\u2014\u201cYou furnish the pictures, I\u2019ll provide the war!\u201d\u2014other factors played a greater role in leading to the outbreak of war. 30 The papers did not create anti-Spanish sentiments out of thin air, nor did the publishers fabricate the events to which the U.S. public and politicians reacted so strongly. 24 Moreover, influential figures such as Theodore Roosevelt led a drive for U.S. overseas expansion that had been gaining strength since the 1880s. 52 Nevertheless, yellow journalism of this period is significant to the history of U.S. foreign relations in that its centrality to the history of the Spanish American War shows that the press had the power to capture the attention of a large readership and to influence public reaction to international events. 30 The dramatic style of yellow journalism contributed to creating public support for the Spanish-American War, a war that would ultimately expand the global reach of the United States."} {"text": " 68 Spread the love\n\nRate this post\n\nMultiRom, one of most talked feature of Nexus 7 which allows users to have multiboot facility to boot into different operating systems such as Ubuntu Touch, WebOS, multiple Android based Roms and much more, now can be ported on Motorola Moto E as well with full functionality and powerful features which have been blessed on Nexus 7. 15 Complete credit goes to percy_g2, who is a senior member at XDA forum. 13 Well this MultiRom port is unofficial but it works almost like official. 44 I am quite sure that people who loved to being curious to explore their devices to get more of it, definitely would like to have multiple Roms at one time for testing / fun purpose or it can be to impress friends. 35 A smart phone like Moti E, very affordable and quite powerful is good a specimen for Android developers to deep down their experiments to bring out something more useful stuff for Android users. 32 More about MultiRom\n\nAfter installing this mod, each time you restart your device, boot manager will appear which allow to switch between multiple Roms, and different operating system. 23 You can install Roms using TWRP recovery, manage and update them individually and backup them all as well as Nandroid backup. 48 Here is walk through video for MultiRom on Nexus 7\n\n[iframe width=\u201d560\u2033 height=\u201d315\u2033 src=\u201d//www.youtube.com/embed/JDnDNxqfSaw?rel=0\u2033 frameborder=\u201d0\u2033 allowfullscreen]\n\nHowever, still this MultiRom for Moto E is under development and currently there are few issues with it. 44 On the MultiRom boot menu, touch screen doesn\u2019t work, well it doesn\u2019t matter at all because the menu can be navigated through the physical buttons, Volume + and \u2013 to navigate and power button to select. 36 This is an excellent mod to check the capability of Moto E, get to know more about the power, to test multiple Roms at once and of course to have fun with it. 17 However, higher the trick and customization with device so as the little risk as well. 22 The Moto E has been tested with CM 11 and stock Android 4.4.4 KitKat and it found to be work awesome. 40 If you are more curious to know more about this MultiRom mod for Moto E and want to install on your device, then head over to the real thread on XDA forum over here: MultiROM v28 UNOFFICIAL. 25 Please let us know your experience with this mod, and you can share your thoughts about it, your most welcome to comment. 98 (Visited 105 times, 1 visits today)\n\nhttps://androidcure.com/multirom-for-moto-e-to-install-multiple-roms/ How-to-Guides moto e,multirom MultiRom, one of most talked feature of Nexus 7 which allows users to have multiboot facility to boot into different operating systems such as Ubuntu Touch, WebOS, multiple Android based Roms and much more, now can be ported on Motorola Moto E as well with full functionality and powerful... Deepak Gupta Deepak Gupta dgdeepak000@gmail.com Author Deepak Gupta is a tech geek and founder of AndroidCure, a popular blog dedicated to Android users. 1 Androidcure"} {"text": " 28 White male lawmakers in Florida\u2019s are playing the race card about abortion, again, and their black female counterparts are not here for it. 51 According to the Grio, as many as five black female representatives among a group of African-American lawmakers walked out of the Florida House in response to factually incorrect comments made by Republican Rep. Charles Van Zant in defense of an abortion bill that passed the Florida House of Representatives. 26 The bill requires doctors to sign an affidavit proving that an abortion is not being performed based on the race or gender of the fetus. 38 Van Zant claimed:\n\n\u201cIn America alone, without the Nazi holocaust, without the Ku Klux clan, Planned Parenthood and other abortionists have reduced our black population by more than 25 percent since 1973. 36 This is called discriminatory targeting\u201d\n\nYes, in case you missed it, he equated medical procedures to terminate unwanted pregnancies to the hate crimes and murders carried out by the KKK and Nazis. 32 But equally important, he overstepped his boundaries by speaking for women who can and have demanded access to a full range of reproductive justice and health services, including abortion. 89 Democratic Rep. Barbara Watson, one of the women who walked out, explained:\n\n\u201cI don\u2019t appreciate anyone trying to explain what any other ethnic group\u2019s lifestyle is and what they do, when you really don\u2019t have any authority to interpret it\u2026 I think the women and people of color in that chamber deserve an apology from him, but I don\u2019t know that it would actually change his point of view.\u201d\n\nI understand her concern. 15 We\u2019ve seen anti-choice bigot play the race card before in their messaging. 19 Black, Latina, and Indigenous women have all been targeted in anti-abortion propaganda issued by white men. 20 The women who walked out were rightfully offended by the repeating of this rhetoric on the Florida House floor. 18 I can only hope that at least one of them flipped the bird on their way out."} {"text": " 32 As we told you earlier today, Alex Radulov will join the Nashville Predators for their playoff push after the rest of his contract year in the KHL was bought out. 33 In an exclusive interview with Pavel Lysenkov of SovSport, KHL President Alexander Medvedev said Radulov leaves for the NHL without protest from the League or his team, Ufa Salavat Yulaev. 21 Scroll to continue with content Ad\n\n\"Alexander Radulov met with the League representatives and I met with his agent. 34 I will tell you right now so that there is no reason for speculation and rumors: This season Alexander is leaving in full compliance with the KHL Regulations,\" said Medvedev. 10 \"Radulov's departure turned out to be civilized. 15 It's not a coincidence on Monday Alexander and his agent flew to Ufa. 47 And the fact that he will play in the NHL\u2026 We will hope that Nashville, even stronger with the Kostitsyn brothers and Radulov, won't last long in the Stanley Cup, and Alexander gets free in time for the Russian National team.\" 9 This is a unique situation for the KHL. 38 Radulov had the rest of this season bought out; Ufa retains his rights for the last year of his KHL contract in 2012-13, when he'll also be a restricted free agent in the NHL. 38 Medvedev had some interesting speculation and information about Radulov's future; like the fact he expects the Nashville Predators winger back in the KHL this fall, rather than with the Predators on a new contract. 22 Via Lysenkov, Medvedev said:\n\nStory continues\n\n\"He does not intend to sign any long term contract with Nashville. 20 Alexander will satisfy his old contract by playing the end of the regular season and the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 14 Then he will become a restricted free agent in accordance with NHL rules. 29 After that [when Radulov turns 27 and he becomes an unrestricted free agent] he will have a right to sign a contract with any NHL club. 23 \"But we believe that next season Alexander will come back to the KHL where the rights to him belong to Ufa. 18 And how [the club] handles those rights, it is up to Salavat Yulaev.\" 24 Medvedev previously didn't expect Radulov to leave Ufa after the season, but the buyout of the contract allowed for the departure. 5 From SovSport:\n\nQ. 17 Is my understanding correct that Radulov's contract was bought out for a few million dollars? 13 MEDVEDEV: \"I will not name the source of the financing. 9 But the amount is certainly not that big. 25 We are talking about the remainder of this contract \u2014 it is a month and a half, until April 30, 2012.\" 27 And if Radulov, after becoming a restricted free agent in the NHL, extends his contract with Nashville and decides to continue his career there? 21 MEDVEDEV: \"Then he will have to buy out his entire contract from Salavat Yulaev for the 2012-2013 season. 18 That's why I want to believe that Alexander will start next season in the KHL.\" 34 My thoughts on the matter: Another year in the KHL pushes Alex Radulov that much closer to unrestricted free agent status in the NHL, which is where the real money is. 20 Throw in the potential lockout in the NHL, and Radulov's stay in North America could be brief."} {"text": " 15 Girls Against is a group of Scottish teenage girls battling sexual harassment at shows. 7 Yes, you read that right. 48 Girls Against are teenage girls are doing the exact opposite of what teen movies (and probably your own, Kylie Jenner-based, mixed up perceptions of girlhood) would have you think teenage girls are doing (exclusively crushing on boys and applying lip gloss). 30 Girls Against are utterly determined and they\u2019re coming for music industry misogyny in a way that will make your adult self cringe at your own formative years. 58 The activist group is made up of five friends\u2014Hannah, Anni, Bea, Ava and Anna\u2014and they\u2019re all 17, which should make you feel wildly gross knowing that men sexually assault underage women at shows on such a regular basis, some of them decided to team up and do something about it. 50 In truth it tells you a lot about what it\u2019s like to be a woman, and from how early in our lives we\u2019re not only painfully aware of, but subject to the abuse thanks simply to being a female in a public space. 44 Brought together by their love of music and their shared experiences and frustrations with harassment at shows, the girls are currently still in high school, with dreams of studying English (or something similar) at university in the coming years. 32 They all love The 1975, and list Wolf Alive, Kloe, Man of Moon, Honeyblood, Peace, Slaves, and The Twilight Sad among their favorite bands. 38 I spoke to Hannah about the group\u2019s mission, what they think it\u2019s going to take to stop sexual harassment at gigs, and how a culture of complicity is keeping us down. 20 Girls Against with The 1975\n\nNoisey: I'm interested to know how you girls all met each other. 11 Hannah: Well we all met through social media firstly. 24 Anni and Bea have known each other for a while through both being fans of Vince Kidd and have just stayed in contact. 44 I began speaking to Ava on Twitter in 2014 and then when I met her for the first time in a random encounter in Urban Outfitters; I met Anna at the same time (it was seriously the weirdest experience ever). 37 I began talking to Bea later on and when she mentioned she was coming up to Glasgow I made a group chat with all of us and we went to see Paolo Nutini together last summer! 10 How have artists and venues responded to your advocacy? 12 Have you faced any challenges with awareness raising in the industry? 10 Have you found that sexism extends to your mission? 8 It's been mainly really great actually! 24 Which is really encouraging because I think it would have discouraged us quite a lot especially in the initial stages of the campaign. 21 Pretty much every band who we've managed to get in contact with have been 100 percent behind the campaign. 20 The only slight difficulties we've faced have been the unanswered emails and attempts to contact certain security companies. 32 This has been quite disappointing but changes in security is going to be the most difficult thing about our campaign but with our growing momentum I think that will become easier. 33 The only real sexism we've faced has been from internet trolls in our Twitter mentions which we just laugh off to be honest, we think it's quite funny really. 11 What's been the most edifying part of your experience? 20 Have you had any specific support/seen any tangible changes that have made you feel like progress is being made? 19 There's been a couple of moments where we've gone, shit this is really happening actually. 16 The most recent is when we met with The 1975 when they came to Glasgow. 22 It was very surreal and they were how we all originally met so it was quite a special moment for us. 34 The most encouraging regarding the campaign, however, is when SecuriGroup who operate in a venue I have been sexually assaulted in offered additional training for their staff specifically on the issue. 16 That really touched me and made me feel like we were actually making a difference. 13 How do people react when they find out you're teenage girls? 21 Full disclosure: I was definitely not as socially aware or passionate as you ladies when I was a teen. 24 I think it's actually one of the \u201cselling points\u201d (if there is such a thing) with our campaign. 33 We've all met our closest friends at gigs and the ones we go to are often dominated by young people so a lot of people supporting us are of similar ages. 14 I think it makes us seem a lot more accessible and less intimidating. 14 When professionals find out that we're all teenagers is often quite funny. 34 They're usually shocked but have all been super supportive as a result and are often offering any advice they can give which has been really nice and exactly what we've needed. 41 There has been only one time when someone has accused of being too young to be doing what we're doing and our attitude to that kind of comment is well nobody else was doing anything about it, so. 34 Girls Against with Slaves\n\nRatboy wearing Girls Against pins\n\nA couple of the Girls Against founders on the news in the UK\n\nDo you see any patterns in the stories you're told? 21 For instance is there a type of gig, age group, or celebratory climate that harassment happens more in? 39 I mean, at a Katy Perry concert surrounded by screaming 10 year olds you're probably less likely to get harassed than in a mosh pit for a punk band\u2014do you think that's a fair assumption? 12 We haven't noticed any particular patterns among genre just yet. 22 Absolutely though we get very few reports of assault from more heavily pop genre gigs like Katy Perry, for example. 52 Some people when interviewing us have made quite sweeping statements about the fact that\u2014\u201cObviously it happens more at metal gigs\u201d\u2014which I think is quite unfair as we haven't done any research into genre division yet and it's an unfair reflection of metal fans as well. 38 We've already conducted some research that has really helped us and given us a much more clear idea of who and when assault does happen but in the future we will be looking into genre more. 17 It happens at every gig though so it would be unfair to target one particular one. 22 How do you see our \"culture of complicity\" and is that responsible for the ongoing sexual harassment at gigs? 47 For instance, I once had my male roommate tell me not to crowd surf at a gig in London because \"boys would grab my vagina,\" like that was somehow my fault and I should curtail my enjoyment because of some shitty dudes. 40 What does that attitude tell women, and how do you think we can reverse the narrative among people who aren't necessarily doing the harassing, but aren't doing anything about it either/allowing it to carry on? 20 Yeah, I mean we get asked about victim blaming all the time and we're everyday victim blamed. 27 A lot of things are to blame for the ongoing assault and harassment that happens at gigs one of them being victim blaming and complacency culture. 38 I think victim blaming has a huge role to play with the way that the issue hasn't been brought to light and talked about since really before us and yet has gone on since gigs began. 38 It makes victims feel as if they'd be making a mountain out of a molehill if they raised the issue as everyone around them is saying it's the victim's fault, consciously or not. 26 I have always and will always say that education is the key to any major social change and is just as true of this issue. 37 We need to teach everyone, not just boys as it can present itself in girls as internalized misogyny, that this attitude is not OK and that it is never ever the victim's fault. 33 The victim was not the one sexually assaulting someone else and their actions do not give someone permission to do that ever, point blank, full stop, end of story. 8 For more from Girls Against click here. 14 Kat George is a writer recently returned to Australia and we miss her. 6 But she's on Twitter."} {"text": " 28 In Kevin Shinick's upcoming Avenging Spider-Man comic series, Spider-Man and Deadpool team up and go back to high school where they will obviously wreak havoc. 26 Here's a great piece of art from the series, showing the two characters waiting to see the principal after getting into a fight. 44 Shinick has worked on animated series such as Robot Chicken and MAD, and here's what he had to say about his latest project:\n\nSpider-Man to me is the coolest and he\u2019s strong and he\u2019s got chutzpah. 22 But I wanted to put him in a world where the stakes were high because none of that was coming through. 32 He\u2019s not sure where he is, he\u2019s a little uncertain, and he\u2019s paired up with this guy who is a schizophrenic crazy person. 28 You know Deadpool to me is such an unstable guy and if you\u2019re paired up with him, I would not feel easy about it. 23 If you had to pair up with someone, you know when you go out swimming and they say find a buddy? 23 And someone says to you \u2018Alright, Deadpool\u2019s your buddy.\u2019 I\u2019d be like \u2018Oh crap. 9 I don\u2019t really trust this guy. 16 I created and write MAD the animated show and I also come from Robot Chicken. 21 And that was the perfect blend of bringing Spider-Man and Deadpool together because they both represent both of those shows. 10 Deadpool is raunchy and ridiculous, like Robot Chicken. 11 And Spider-Man is friendly, fun and funny like Mad. 17 What do you think of the art, and Shinick taking on this Avenging Spider-Man project?"} {"text": " 21 The Thick of It returns \u2013 and every week we'll be picking the lines that made us guffaw most. 42 Add your favourites and unleash your opinions on the coalition partners\n\nThe Thick of It: lines of the week \u2013 episode one\n\nSPOILER ALERT: This weekly blog is for those who are watching The Thick of It series four. 12 Don't read on if you haven't seen episode one. 18 We're trying something different with our weekly blog for The Thick of It this time around. 32 Judging by most people's conversations about the show, the joy is in reliving the most delicious lines and savouring them in all their vicious, sweary, bullying glory. 21 (Malcolm might not be back until next week, but I loved \"digitard\" as an insult). 9 So here's our pick of the week. 27 Add your own below, along with your take on the Thick of It's new set of incompetent government ministers and backstabbing, useless advisors. 34 Lines of the week\n\n\u2022 Mannion to his wife: \"Sorry darling, I have to go \u2013 I think the bailiffs are coming to take away my will to live.\" 22 \u2022 Phil to Fergus and Adam: \"You're basically a couple of homeless guys we invited to Christmas dinner. 14 Don't bitch if we don't let you carve the turkey.\" 15 \u2022 Mannion on Fergus: \"He's Lewis, I'm Morse.\" 25 \u2022 Fergus to Terri: \"I want you to know you can't win, Nurse Ratched, because this is my moment. 4 You like musicals? 34 Well this is Tonight from West Side Story, yeah, and I'm going to bring the bloody house down, so you can't Rain On My Parade, Funny Girl. 20 Why don't you go and have a lie down and a Hobnob while we run the fucking country? 13 \u2022 Terri on Emma: \"Ever the charmless minor royal.\" 39 \u2022 Stewart to Emma, Adam and Phil: \"The core question here is whether we can engender the same sense of pandemographic communality we had in the war, but furrowed into the digital revolution.\" 14 \u2022 Terri to Glenn: \"You look like a week-old party balloon. 23 I just don't want you ending up as one of those 'before he turned the gun on himself' guys.\" 14 \u2022 Mannion on Terri: \"She's not on the fucking list! 25 Christ Fergus, we both know she's a fart in a frock, and I want to waft her out of here.\" 17 \u2022 Fergus on Glenn: \"Always on the horizon \u2013 like an Antony Gormley statue. 12 \u2022 Mannion on the press: \"Run those fuckers over. 9 Fifty pounds for every one you maim.\""} {"text": " 15 Foolish optimists expected Ivanka Trump to be a moderating force in the White House. 29 But by now it should be clear that she\u2019s not part of any solution, which by definition means she\u2019s part of the problem. 28 Can anyone tell me why, other than nepotism, she has an office in the White House and a back-bench seat at meetings of the Cabinet? 29 Washington is full of people who are smart, successful, well-educated \u2014 and actually have experience in developing and implementing government policy, which Ivanka completely lacks. 22 It is true that the president\u2019s daughter was once seen as the socially acceptable face of the Trump brand. 25 She and her husband, Jared Kushner, were identified with the progressive social views of the rarified social circles in which they traveled. 59 No less an authority on daughterhood and the White House than Chelsea Clinton, whom Ivanka describes as a \u201cvery good friend,\u201d said before the inauguration that \u201cwe have so much more in common than we have disagreement about.\u201d\n\nIvanka promised to champion issues of concern to women, including paid family leave. 31 And it was hoped that she could hold President Trump to his former live-and-let-live views when it came to issues such as lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights. 4 Wrong, apparently. 3 Ivanka Trump. 33 (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)\n\nThe president\u2019s sudden decision last week to bar transgender individuals from military service was just the latest example of Ivanka\u2019s lack of influence. 17 She was reportedly taken by surprise when the president announced the ban in an early-morning tweet. 30 So was almost everyone, including the military officials who are supposed to enforce the new policy of discrimination, which they don\u2019t much seem to like. 84 But the mean-spirited decree must have been especially galling for Ivanka, who in June had tweeted that she was \u201cproud to support my LGBTQ friends and the LGBTQ Americans who have made immense contributions to our society and economy.\u201d\n\nIvanka and Jared reportedly lobbied Trump not to abandon the Paris climate change accord, seen by most scientists and world leaders as the most significant step to date in limiting the heat-trapping carbon emissions that are rapidly warming the planet. 9 The president pulled out of the pact anyway. 17 She had no discernible influence in the health-care battle, which perhaps should be no surprise. 43 Trump pledged health insurance \u201cfor everybody\u201d but became so desperate for a legislative win that he would have settled for health care \u201cfor nobody,\u201d which is roughly what was in the bill the Senate rejected last week. 90 Ivanka has continued to advocate a national program of guaranteed paid family leave, similar to those in many other industrialized countries, which she described in a recent letter in the Wall Street Journal as not an entitlement but \u201can investment in America\u2019s working families.\u201d She did have enough juice to get budget director Mick Mulvaney to allocate some money for such a program \u2014 $25 billion over 10 years \u2014 but it is unclear whether the funding will survive the appropriations process. 10 If it does, I\u2019ll congratulate her. 23 If not, she might want to work to help Democrats take control of both the House and the Senate in 2018. 32 I\u2019m sure they would be happy to vote for a much better family leave program, covering not just childbirth but also other family needs such as elder care. 13 Where Ivanka does apparently have real influence is in matters of personnel. 21 She and Jared are reported to have urged Trump to bring in foul-mouthed Anthony Scaramucci as White House communications director. 16 Seriously, that\u2019s the guy you wanted shaping the administration\u2019s message? 12 Scaramucci was dismissed Monday after just 10 days on the job. 35 He had only two things to offer: North Korean-style hosannas to the strength, wisdom and general magnificence of his dear leader, President Trump; and an undeniable talent for imaginative swearing. 23 Ivanka is also said to have supported the defenestration of Reince Priebus in favor of John F. Kelly as chief of staff. 41 It is true that Priebus didn\u2019t do a very good job, but that\u2019s mostly because he wasn\u2019t allowed to \u2014 and Ivanka was one of his headaches, though perhaps not the worst. 14 She is one of many aides who enjoy unfettered access to the president. 18 If Kelly is not allowed to function as a gatekeeper, he, too, will fail. 46 1 of 68 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad \u00d7 Ivanka Trump: A life in the spotlight View Photos Ivanka Trump has become an anchor of the Trump brand, often offering a noncontroversial counterpoint to the polarizing presence of her father, Donald. 26 Here\u2019s a look at her early life of privilege and transformation into a businesswoman, first daughter and now adviser to the president. 31 Caption Here\u2019s a look at Ivanka Trump\u2019s early life of privilege and transformation into a business executive, first daughter and adviser to the U.S. president. 16 July 16, 2014 Ivanka Trump poses for a portrait at Trump Tower in Manhattan. 13 Yana Paskova/For The Washington Post Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue. 25 Meanwhile, Ivanka\u2019s line of shoes, clothing and accessories \u2014 conspicuously not Made in America \u2014 has come under new scrutiny. 41 And one disillusioned friend of hers told me she and Jared must have \u201cdrunk the Kool-Aid.\u201d In her White House role, she\u2019s not helping the nation, and she\u2019s sure not helping herself. 21 Read more from Eugene Robinson\u2019s archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook. 16 You can also join him Tuesdays at 1 p.m. for a live Q&A."}